New revert questions

Assalamualaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu. I've recently reverted to Zaydi Shiism from Sunnism (Salaf in particular of the Maliki madhhab) and as I'm learning the this madhhab I'm a little confused as to what's similar to the sunnis we do and what's different and I'm trying to get cleared up from that so I have a few questions regarding fiqh and worship:

1. Can we make dhikr the same way our Sunni brothers do? (Such as reciting from a book called Fortress of The Muslim [ which consists of the morning and evening Adhkar after Fajr and Asr/Maghreb salat, general dhikr, bedtime Adhkar, Duas and etc.])

2. Concerning istinja in wudu, can we include the use of wet wipes for the back passage?

3. What's the proper etiquette of make Dua (outside of or after Salah), is it the same way the sunnis do like raising hands praising Allah azza wa jall offering salawat and making tawbah?

4. Can we use misbaha beads to count dhikr or only use strictly just our hands to count?

5. I bought a turbah a few years back when I first started to learn about Islam. Can we make Sujud on a turbah providing we do so since it's earth and not believing it has special benefits or blessings like some if not all the twelvers do?

6. Lastly, do I have to retake my shahadah and add the phrase "Aliyun wali Allah"?


Jazakallahu Khair, please make Dua for me to increase in knowledge in our Deen.
 

Wa ʿalaykum as-salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh,

1. Yes, you may use any dhikr that is authentically transmitted from the Qur’an or the Sunnah.

2. For istinjā’, if you only use wet wipes or tissues (without water), you must ensure that no trace of impurity remains on the area; this is why adding water afterwards is generally preferred.

3. Yes, raising the hands in dua is transmitted through many reports.

4. Yes, you may use a misbaḥa/tasbīḥ for counting dhikr.

5. According to the school of Ahl al-Bayt, performing sujūd on natural earth is preferred (afḍal). This does not mean that praying on a regular prayer mat is invalid. As for the turbah, it is better to avoid it because it is from the practices of the innovators. If a person prostrates on it without believing it possesses special sanctity, the act itself would not be considered an innovation but then the question arises: why use it at all?

If you wish to follow the optimal method, I recommend either prostrating directly on soil (even at home) or using a prayer mat made from natural materials that grow from the earth.

6. No, you do not need to retake the shahāda. Your testimony of faith is already established and unquestioned. Adding “ʿAliyyun walīyyullāh”, while being a statement of truth, is not part of the shahāda and was not practiced by Ahl al-Bayt (ʿalayhim as-salām). Its inclusion as part of the shahāda is a later innovation of the Imamiyya.

Wa-salām.