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From: bes@nntp-server.caltech.edu (Behnam Sadeghi)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Ya Ali, etc.
Message-ID: <1991Jun20.013721.5162@nntp-server.caltech.edu>
Date: 20 Jun 91 01:37:21 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
Lines: 13
Approved: bes@tybalt.caltech.edu


I believe phrases like "Ya Ali Madad" originate from a belief that
people that are especially close to God (e.g. Mohammad, Ali, Fatima,
etc.) may "intercede" (sp?) on behalf of others, i.e. pray to
God on our behalf.  I know this belief in intercession is quite 
popular among the Shia populations.  I don't know to what extent it is
shared by scholars.

However, if somebody thinks that Imam Ali, or any other human being, is
"inherently" able to help us, then that would appear to be attributing
divine qualities to other than Allah/God, hence probably "shirk."

Behnam Sadeghi