The blog “Bayan,” whose author is a doctoral student in biology in Japan, quotes a Japanese Hujjat al-Islam who said that it takes Japanese people 40 years to reach the spiritual status of Iranians.
According to this blogger, “Hujjat al-Islam Sheikh Ebrahim Sawada” said that “if a Japanese person wants to reach the point where you {Iranians and Shiites} are, he must spend 30-40 years on this path, by God’s grace. He needs 10 years to study Tawhid and answer his doubts, 10 more years to understand and accept the Prophethood of the Seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (s.a.w), and 10 years for Imamate, and so on…”
“At the pulpit of a Japanese Hujjat al-Islam”
I reflected to myself, “Oh God, what should I do now? The prayer leader is a Japanese! A Japanese Hujjat al-Islam! Al-Hajj Sheikh Ebrahim Sawada.”
Well, Japanese people have difficulty pronouncing words from other languages; for example, they never differentiate between the letters “L” and “R.” Now, if his pronunciation is incorrect, our prayer might face problems.
But there was no other way, and on the other hand, because this honorable man possessed so much merit that God had guided him to this luminous path and included him among the friends and Shiites of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), even from a Shinto-Buddhist country, I wanted to pray behind him and secure a good deed for the Hereafter.
Anyway, we lined up for prayer, and he began to lead it. I was amazed—he recited so well that he even pronounced the letters’ characteristics precisely, let alone the “ل” and “ر.” After the prayer, they recited the Ziyarat Ashura, and then Hujjat al-Islam Sawada began to speak.
This was the first time I had ever sat at the pulpit of a Japanese cleric; he spoke about the verse of “Purification” and about the “conversation” of Imam as-Sajjad (a.s) with that Syrian man. He said that you possess a blessing that you do not appreciate due to neglect — the very fact that you were born and raised in a Shiite family is a blessing that you must be grateful for.
He said that on the Day of Judgment, unlike other nations and even other Muslims, you will start from a different point. Like runners who must all start a race from the same line, but we, because of the honor that the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) have granted us, will be counted from a point much further ahead.
He said that if a Japanese person wants to reach the point where you are, he must spend 30-40 years on this path, and that too with God’s grace. He needs 10 years to study Tawhid and answer his doubts (if he has access to proper resources or a knowledgeable person), 10 more years to understand and accept the Prophethood of the Seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (s.a.w), and 10 years for Imamate, and so on.
He said that even his own father became Muslim and Shiite in this way. It was an interesting session, and he had sweet and engaging words; at the end of the gathering, we were guests at the table of Aba Abdillah al-Hussain (a.s), and then we returned.
Sep 7 2025
At the pulpit of a Japanese cleric! (Ebrahim Sodeh Hachaki, a Japanese cleric!)
The blog “Bayan,” whose author is a doctoral student in biology in Japan, quotes a Japanese Hujjat al-Islam who said that it takes Japanese people 40 years to reach the spiritual status of Iranians.
According to this blogger, “Hujjat al-Islam Sheikh Ebrahim Sawada” said that “if a Japanese person wants to reach the point where you {Iranians and Shiites} are, he must spend 30-40 years on this path, by God’s grace. He needs 10 years to study Tawhid and answer his doubts, 10 more years to understand and accept the Prophethood of the Seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (s.a.w), and 10 years for Imamate, and so on…”
“At the pulpit of a Japanese Hujjat al-Islam”
I reflected to myself, “Oh God, what should I do now? The prayer leader is a Japanese! A Japanese Hujjat al-Islam! Al-Hajj Sheikh Ebrahim Sawada.”
Well, Japanese people have difficulty pronouncing words from other languages; for example, they never differentiate between the letters “L” and “R.” Now, if his pronunciation is incorrect, our prayer might face problems.
But there was no other way, and on the other hand, because this honorable man possessed so much merit that God had guided him to this luminous path and included him among the friends and Shiites of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), even from a Shinto-Buddhist country, I wanted to pray behind him and secure a good deed for the Hereafter.
Anyway, we lined up for prayer, and he began to lead it. I was amazed—he recited so well that he even pronounced the letters’ characteristics precisely, let alone the “ل” and “ر.” After the prayer, they recited the Ziyarat Ashura, and then Hujjat al-Islam Sawada began to speak.
This was the first time I had ever sat at the pulpit of a Japanese cleric; he spoke about the verse of “Purification” and about the “conversation” of Imam as-Sajjad (a.s) with that Syrian man. He said that you possess a blessing that you do not appreciate due to neglect — the very fact that you were born and raised in a Shiite family is a blessing that you must be grateful for.
He said that on the Day of Judgment, unlike other nations and even other Muslims, you will start from a different point. Like runners who must all start a race from the same line, but we, because of the honor that the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) have granted us, will be counted from a point much further ahead.
He said that if a Japanese person wants to reach the point where you are, he must spend 30-40 years on this path, and that too with God’s grace. He needs 10 years to study Tawhid and answer his doubts (if he has access to proper resources or a knowledgeable person), 10 more years to understand and accept the Prophethood of the Seal of the Messengers, Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (s.a.w), and 10 years for Imamate, and so on.
He said that even his own father became Muslim and Shiite in this way. It was an interesting session, and he had sweet and engaging words; at the end of the gathering, we were guests at the table of Aba Abdillah al-Hussain (a.s), and then we returned.
By english • Perspective of converted to Shiaism • 0 • Tags: converted to Islam, Converted to Shai, Ebrahim Sodeh Hachaki, Islamic Perspective, Japanese cleric, Mostabserin, Perspective, Reborn