“Fajri, are you Sunni or Shi’a?” “Emm..”

Back then in early highschool, people used to ask that question. “Are you Sunni? Shi’a? Sufi? Salafi?” But they have absolutely no idea what those names mean (both questioner and the questioned).

Around the time of the Iraq invasion by USA et al, the question “hey are you Sunni or Shi’a?” Was somewhat popular at school, despite most of us having no clue what it meant.

When asked that question, I considered the following:
1. “Sunni”? What the heck is that? Sounds like “Sunny”, u know, NOT COOL. While “Shi’a”, whoaaa, sounds somehow more “islamic-ish”

2. The evil Saddam Hussain, from the Sunni political party of Iraq (Bath), persecuted the Shi’as. Nope, I don’t persecute.

3. Indonesia follows the Shafi’i madzhab, not only in practice but also in legal system through our religious courts as well as our national curriculum (where studying religion is compulsory. Christians must study christianity, Muslims study Islam, etc). So, ya’ni (haha), somehow “Shi’a” sounds more similar to Shafi’i, rather than “Sunni”. Not that we had any clue what “Shafi’i madzhab means, or even, what does “madzhab” mean.

Considering that: “Yep, I’m Shi’a”

Alhamdulillaah, I have more knowledge to understand now how stupid that was. Ask me again, this is my answer:

I am a Muslim, inshaaAllah an Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah as understood by the Salaafus Shaaleh, mostly but not entirely following the madzhab of Imam Shafi’i.

Makes much more sense now? Hahahaha LoL