Haqiqat al-Shia «Hatta la nankhadi»
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dar al-Iman lil-Tab' wa-al-Nashr wa-al-Tawzi'
Haqiqat al-Shi'a: Hatta la Nankhadi' (The Reality of the Shia: Lest We Be Deceived), originally titled Hatta la Nankhadi', is a Sunni polemical and doctrinal work authored by Abd Allah al-Mawsili, dedicated to examining the creed of Twelver Shia Islam and critiquing calls for Sunni–Shia rapprochement (taqrib).
Background and Purpose
The author states that he wrote the book to alert the Sunni public and scholars to the theological positions of the Twelver Shia, arguing that many Sunnis remain unaware of authentic Shi'i beliefs due to a lack of knowledge and the Shi'i practice of taqiyya (religious dissimulation). He argues that while Shi'i figures outwardly advocate fraternity and mutual understanding, classical and foundational Shi'i literature maintains doctrinal hostility toward non-Shi'is, rendering genuine sectarian reconciliation impossible.
Methodology and Sources
Al-Mawsili emphasizes that his critique is based entirely on documented primary sources from Twelver Shi'i literature rather than Sunni polemics, citing specific volume, page, and edition numbers for every referenced text. Among the sources cited throughout the treatise are classical Shi'i hadith and theological compilations, such as al-Kulayni's al-Kafi, Ibn Babawayh al-Saduq's Risalat al-I'tiqadat, al-Shaykh al-Mufid's Awa'il al-Maqalat, and al-Majlisi's Bihar al-Anwar, as well as modern Shi'i writings such as Abd al-Husayn Sharaf al-Din al-Musawi's al-Muraja'at and Abu Hurayra.
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into thematic chapters addressing key doctrinal points and contemporary debates:
- Chapter One: Dissimulation (Taqiyya): Analyzes the concept and application of taqiyya among the Shia, quoting classical descriptions—including definitions cited by Muhibb al-Din al-Khatib—to argue that it allows outward concealment of core beliefs such as the condemnation of the Prophet's companions.
- Chapter Two: Shi'i Beliefs Concerning Islam and Muslims: Focuses on the status of non-Shi'is, citing al-Saduq and al-Majlisi to demonstrate the doctrine that imama (the divinely decreed leadership of the Twelve Imams) is a fundamental pillar of faith, and that rejecting any of the Imams entails apostasy or exclusion from Islam.
- Chapter Three: Other Realities Concerning the Shia: Discusses the Shi'i claim of an explicit divine text (nass) appointing Ali ibn Abi Talib to the caliphate, contrasting this with historical consensus on the caliphate of Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, and Uthman ibn Affan, and citing passages from Nahj al-Balagha where Ali refers to the caliphate as being decided through mutual consultation (shura).
- Chapter Four: A Message to the Muslim Brotherhood: Addresses members of the Muslim Brotherhood, evaluating statements by figures such as Hasan al-Banna, Umar al-Tilmisani, and Mustafa al-Siba'i on Sunni–Shia rapprochement; it contends that past Sunni overtures toward reconciliation were met with one-sided sectarian outreach and exploitation.
- Critique of Rapprochement and Conclusion: Warns against ecumenical societies and initiatives in Egypt and Iraq, asserting that such efforts have served primarily to proselytize for Shi'ism in Sunni-majority regions, and concludes that ideological unity between the two traditions is impossible given irreconcilable theological fundamentals.
Editions and Reception
The book was widely circulated in the Arab world and reached its seventeenth printing, in which the author revised the arrangement of the chapters and supplemented the text with additional quotations and reports. It is frequently cited in modern Salafi bibliographies and Islamic periodicals, such as Majallat al-Bayan, as a standard reference in Sunni polemical literature on Twelver Shi'ism.
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