The raison d’être of Shiite Islam is to work through criticism...

The raison d’être of Shiite Islam is to work through criticism, research, putting forth objections and exactitude[^1]; the raison d’être of Sunni Islam to work through finding the most convenient solution, justification after the act and trust in providence." In the day and age in which we live, is it enough for us to recognize a man as a Shi`ah that he says:" 'Ali is the caliph immediately after the Prophet", without requiring anything more from him?

No matter what spirit or what kind of way of thinking he may have? However, if we were to return to the advent of Islam, we would meet with a particular way of thinking which would be the way of thinking of Shiite Islam, and it would be only those who thought in that way who could unreservedly accept the successor ship to the Prophet as belonging to 'Ali without being subject to any doubt or wavering.

Opposed to this spirit and this way of thinking was another spirit and way of thinking which, by a kind of justification, explanation or interpretation, ignored the successor ship to the Prophet while having complete faith in him. In fact, this Islamic "schism" sprung from here, for one group, who were, of course, the majority, only looked at the superficial aspect, not being sufficiently sharp-sighted or penetrating to reach the depth and truth of every reality.

They saw what was most apparent and found the most convenient solution. They said that some of the great men, the companions and elders, those who had served Islam for a long time, took a certain way, and it cannot be said that they were in error.

But another group, who were the minority, said at the same time that they would respect anyone who respected the truth; however, where they saw that the fundamentals of Islam were violated at the hands of these very people who had served Islam for a long time, they would no longer respect them. They said they were partisans of the principles of Islam, not partisans of the personalities of Islam. Shi`ism came into existence in this spirit.

When, in the history of Islam, we follow in the tracks of Salman al-Farisi, Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, al-Miqdad al-Kindi, `Ammar ibn Yasir and the such like, and look to see what had persuaded them to gather round 'Ali and leave the majority, we find that they were men of principle, who knew the fundamentals - that they both knew the religion and practiced it.