Question: is this word of ibn Hazm true that the Shia are not Muslims?

Answer: he has said that: “the Shia are not Muslims, because the first group of them appeared 25 years after the death of the Prophet (PBUH). That group appeared by the invitation of a hypocrite, who was humiliated by God. These people (Shia) are like the Jews and the Christians, in mendacity and impiety”.

We swear to God that these are such painful words that disgrace humanity. How would it be possible that he does not consider some people to be Muslim, who turn to Qibla to perform prayer, recite two testimonies (Shahadatayn), memorize and follow Quran and the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH) and have lots of books in the field of faith and Islamic laws?

How can he issue this absolute decree (i.e. the Shiite are not Muslim), while thousands of Shaykhs and narrators of Sihah Sittah and Musnad books of Sunnis are Shia, and they are their religious authorities. Some people such as: Aba ibn Taghlab Kufi, Thabit Abu Hamzah Thumali, Tavus ibn Kaysan Hamadani, ‘Atiyah ibn Sa’d Kufi, Ma’ruf ibn Kharrabuz Karakhi, Husham ibn Ziad Basari, Husham ibn ‘Ammar Damishqi and so on.

If according to the false thought of ibn Hazm, the Shia don’t believe in Islam, are these Sihah Sittah books and Musnads worthy of attention?

In the view of ibn Hazm, the Shia are sinners, because they follow Imams (Ali and his descendants) who are the protectors of the people, according to the order of Quran and tradition.

He has said that “that group appeared by the invitation of a hypocrite, who was humiliated by God”. He means ‘Abdullah ibn Saba’ (also famous as ibn Suda’), by the word a hypocrite. But what is the relationship between him and the Shia? While, because of his blasphemous words, Ali (AS) set him on the fire and burned him, and the Shiite cursed ‘Abdullah and avoided him, because of following Ali (AS)? So how can one say that the Shia’s group appeared by ‘Abdullah ibn Saba’? Is there any Shia who believed him during the history?! If he (ibn Hazm) looked at this matter more precisely, he would find out that the Shiite has been originated from the prophet (PBUH), the owner of religious law when he called Ali’s (AS) followers of Shia and invited people to his leadership and obedience on that day (Ghadir Khum).

 

Source: makarem.ir