u/l0rd_zuk0

Ya Ali Madad!

I’m a Shia Ismaili Muslim who is very passionate about religion, and I recently discovered this community. I’d genuinely love to hear from people here about their experiences with Ismailism.

For those who have questioned, doubted, left, or simply explored Ismailis:

- What originally made you question it?

- What arguments or evidence did you find convincing?

- If you left, what ultimately led you to that decision?

- If you stayed, what helped resolve your doubts?

- And looking back, how do you feel about Ismailism now?

I’m asking this because I want to understand different perspectives, not because I’m looking for a fight or trying to convince anyone of anything.

A few requests for the discussion

1. Please make actual arguments.

Saying “it’s obviously false,” “it makes no sense,” or “everyone knows this” isn't really an argument. Please explain why you believe something is true or false.

2. Please support claims when possible.

If you're making a historical, theological, or factual claim, sources are appreciated. Books, academic works, primary sources, historical records, and scholarly references are especially useful. If you don't have a source, that's completely fine—just make it clear that you're speaking from your own understanding or experience.

3. Separate facts from interpretations.

Something being historically documented is different from your interpretation of what that event means. I'd appreciate it if we could distinguish between “this happened” and “this is what I think this means.”

4. Don't argue against a position I haven't made.

Please don't assume what I believe and then argue against that assumption. If you're unsure about my position, ask me.

5. The burden of proof matters.

If someone makes a claim, they should be prepared to explain why we should accept it. And if I make a claim, I should be held to the same standard.

6. Let's avoid moving the goalposts.

If evidence is provided for a particular claim, please address that evidence directly rather than simply changing the argument to something else.

7. Don't confuse disagreement with refutation.

Saying “I don't agree” isn't the same as demonstrating that an argument is wrong. Likewise, finding a difficult question for a belief doesn't automatically prove that the belief is false.

Most importantly, I'm genuinely here to learn. If you have a strong argument against something I believe, I would rather hear the strongest version of that argument than a watered-down version that is easy to dismiss.

If you used to be Ismaili, currently are Ismaili, considered becoming Ismaili, or have simply studied Ismailism extensively, I'd really appreciate hearing your perspective.

Ya Ali Madad, and thank you to anyone willing to have a good faith conversation.