My Personal Witness to the Emotional and Psychological Path That Quietly Leads Some Muslims Toward Shi‘ism
Disclaimer
This article is not written to insult any individual, nor to declare a verdict on anyone’s faith. It is a personal observation and a psychological study based on what I have witnessed in my own life and society. It is intended for sincere Muslims and open-minded readers who wish to understand how a gradual emotional and intellectual shift happens often without a person realizing it. This perspective is offered as a means of protecting the reader ethically, Islamically, and intellectually by highlighting the importance of balance..
In the modern era, especially as I observe the religious landscape in 2026, I have repeatedly seen a particular cycle of spiritual transformation: a journey that begins with pure love, moves through emotional influence, and often ends in a complete shift of religious orientation without conscious intent. I have seen this journey start with a child born into a Muslim family where love for the Ahl al-Bayt is deeply emphasized; the child grows up hearing the tragic and heroic story of Karbala year after year, and every Muharram the atmosphere turns into mourning, sorrow, and emotional remembrance, creating a powerful emotional anchor in the heart. This love for Imam Husayn is good and an important part of īmān, yet alongside it I have often noticed a silent absence: the Sahaba are mentioned briefly and formally, without stories, depth, or emotional connection, even though the Qur’an clearly states, “Allah is pleased with the first forerunners among the Muhājirīn and the Ansār, and they are pleased with Him” (Qur’an 9:100). Because this divine pleasure is not taught with the same emotional weight, the child respects the Sahaba but does not feel connected to them; they slowly become distant historical figures rather than living examples of faith, sometimes also influenced by subtle factors such as lineage consciousness or social identity, whether feelings of affinity or distance related to ancestry, caste, or perceived nasab (such as comparisons with Brahmin heritage or Bani Israel narratives), or simply because he never truly came to know the Sahaba through listening, reading, or learning, or through a combination of all these factors. At this stage there is no sectarian identity, no hostility, and no agenda, the heart is still clean and receptive but as the years pass,
Muharram becomes the central emotional event of life, grief and tears dominate the religious experience, and love for the Ahl al-Bayt grows while balance quietly fades. As the young man searches for spirituality, he often turns to dargahs, jalsas, and qawwalis, where poetry and music stir the soul; yet I have witnessed how sweet words and emotional melodies sometimes carry exaggeration, crossing the Qur’anic boundary of moderation, even though Allah warns, “Do not commit excess in your religion” (Qur’an 4:171). When the virtues of Hadrat Ali are presented in an exclusive and exaggerated manner, the heart begins to feel that “Ali is enough for me,” creating an unseen psychological wall between the believer and the rest of the Prophetic legacy, so that he now knows much about Hadrat Ali but very little about Hadrat e Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman not out of hatred, but because of absence until he sincerely says, “I love Abu Bakr and Umar, but Ali is enough for me.”
The most decisive shift I have observed comes when the gate of historical conflict opens: This leads to the “First Gate” of Shis’m:the individual studies the early fitnah and the conflicts involving Hadrat Mu‘awiyah, but without full context, scholarly balance, or understanding of intention and ijtihād; emotional loyalty is already tilted, so discomfort enters the heart, discomfort turns into resentment, and resentment turns into judgment, even though Allah commands, “Do not let hatred of a people prevent you from being just” (Qur’an 5:8). Gradually, statements appear, Hadrat e Talha was wrong, Zubayr was wrong, Aisha was wrong, These Figure are also part of Imaan, they are the best of best people, but they are not caring anymore. Plus now he will say ‘there is nothing wrong in believing that Hadrat Ali is superior than Hadrat e Abu bakr u Umar’ and although the person still call himself Sunni, Praying and Fasting with sunni only, But the line has been crossed.
Once criticism becomes normal and reverence disappears, and resentment (bugz) replaces prayer and restraint, I have seen that the person has psychologically crossed into Shi‘ism even if the label is still denied. By 2026, I have seen Some Dargah promoting rituals and Biddat (innovations) that the great Auliya Allah (Saints) would never have approved of. These noble figures were free from sectarian excess, yet their position are used to promote the shia belief in very soft and sweet voice. We must remember that love alone, without the guidance of truth, can lead one astray, just as people of book claimed love for Prophet Jesus (AS) but exaggerated his status until they left the path of Tawhid, they say he is son of god in love only not in hate. Love for the Ahle Bait is faith, but love without justice is an imbalance. My observation is a call back to that balance: to love the Household of the Prophet ﷺ deeply, while maintaining the respect and justice Allah commanded for those who carried the lamp of Islam alongside him.
I am saying this to my fellow muslim only not to shia , so I write this not as a verdict but as a witness to what I have seen, praying that Allah guides us all to truth with balance, justice, love, and wisdom.
By Syed Muhammad Farhan Ashraf
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