In the Name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and damn their enemies.
We previously quoted this well-known tradition which acts as a standard as to where we derive our knowledge from:
Imam al-Baqir:
Everything that has emanated from other than this House is false
How do we understand this narration? Does this mean that as Shia Muslims, we are not allowed to take knowledge from anywhere other than the narrations of the Holy Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them)? This is where clarification needs to be made.
When it comes to non-Islamic knowledge and sciences such as Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Medicine and so forth, then these may be learned from even a disbeliever; the Arabic language can also be learned from a non-Muslim. One may also take conventional wisdom that arises from a non-Shia, as long as it doesn’t conflict with the teachings of the Holy Prophet and his Purified Household (peace be upon them). One must remember, though, that all wisdom derives from this pure Household.
Now, when it comes to knowledge of your religion, then this must come from only the Prophet Muhammed and his Household (peace be upon them all). The Prophet left behind the Quran and his Household for a reason, and he mentioned to us that they will not separate until they come to him at the pool of Kawthar. You cannot have one without the other.
How many so-called Muslims, such as the Salafiyyah, have deviated due to their disregard for the teachings of the Household? They have the Quran but have taken metaphorical attributes of Allah as literal, such as Allah having literal hands. This is due to them straying and basing the foundations of their religion upon the falsehood, which includes narrations from well-known liars, such as Aisha. Leaving the Imams (peace be upon them) takes you away from the very foundations of Islam, starting with Monotheism, moving on to your belief in the Prophets and even your jurisprudence!
May we all hold onto the rope of Allah, which is his holy Messenger, Prophet Muhammed, and the Holy Ahlul-Bayt (peace be upon them all).
The Office of Sheikh al-Habib