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Studying in the Hawza – Realities and…
Aug 19, 2016 311
*A write-up on a session regarding pursuing Hawza studies, with Ayatullah Mahmood Madani, one of the representatives of the Supreme Leader.” There exists not progression, but that it requires knowledge and recognition. In our daily lives, we are in desperate need of knowledge,…
Penury, Both Contemptible and…
Aug 19, 2016 305
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi The Prophet of Islam (S) has said that the first to enter the Heaven will be the faqirs or the impecunious persons. When they are admitted to the Heaven, people will wonder why they were allowed to enter without any…
Superiority of Humility
Aug 19, 2016 337
\Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi Humility is the best of all the human traits. One should always bear in his mind that Greatness is all for Allah only. The more humble a person, the more he shall be endowed with the bounties of Allah. The earth in its…
Honest Livelihood, Kasb al-Halal
Aug 19, 2016 229
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi Authentic traditions indicate that striving to acquire wealth through fair means is legitimate and necessary. It is the duty of a person to make his best efforts and the success or failure is in the hands of Allah. One…
Ancient Indian Anecdote in the Shia…
Aug 19, 2016 205
The Story of Balohar and Yuzasaf Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi To highlight the defects of the world we narrate in some detail: Bin Babawiah narrates from Muhammad bin Zakaria that in the realm of India there was a king who had sway over large areas and…
The Identity of the Ulama
Aug 19, 2016 212
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi Imam Hasaan Al-’Askari (as) narrates form Imam Zain-ul-’Abidin (as), “When you see a person who has the appearance of a religious scholar, gives deep thought in giving opinion on religious matters, shows excessive humility…
(Two Essential Traits: Fear and Hope…
Aug 19, 2016 224
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi A Mu’min is recognized by two essential traits—he has fear of Allah and hopes for His rewards in moderation. The Mu’min neither spends all his life in acute fear of Allah’s retribution, nor has he excessive hopes of…
(Predestination and Free Will (Al-Jabr…
Aug 19, 2016 247
This text is a translation of Tashihu-Itiqad of Abu ‘Abdillah, Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Nu‘man, Known as ash-Shaykh al-Mufid (336/948 or 338/950 – 413/1022) Ash-Shaykh Abu Ja‘far, may Allah have mercy upon him, says: "There is neither (complete) compulsion (or constraint) (on…
(Some Anecdotes regarding Fear and Hope…
Aug 19, 2016 201
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi Muhammad Yakub Kulaini quotes from Imam Zain-ul-’Abidin (as) that some people were sailing in a boat when it toppled in a storm. Only one woman survived by hanging on to a wooden plank that kept afloat. She landed in an…
(Confronting One’s baser self (Nafs…
Aug 19, 2016 135
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi One’s baser self (Nafs al-ammara) is more damaging than even the influence of the Satan! One who is able to control his baser instincts for the fear of the Day of Judgement, will be eligible for entry to the Heaven. On the…
The practice of Bidaa (innovation) is…
Aug 19, 2016 144
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi The superior Prophets (as) were all endowed with their own Shariah (Jurisprudence) that was relevant to their times. The Prophet of Islam (S) too brought with him the perfect Shariah. If there was juridical change with each…
About the Sufferings of the Pious in…
Aug 19, 2016 166
Source: Ain-al-Hayat, By: Allama Muhammad Baqir Majlisi It is narrated from Imam Ja’far As-Sadiq (as) that the prophet of Islam (S) said: For great suffering, man gets equally rewarded by Allah. When Allah considers a person His friend, he puts him to severe test too. If the…
Al-Aqīdah of Imām Al-Ṭaḥāwī
Nov 24, 2017 158
Al-Aqīdah of Imām Al-Ṭaḥāwī in English and Arabic Aqeedah At-Tahawi A text of Sunni Creed by Imām Abu Ja’far Al-Ṭaḥāwī, the outstanding student of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah. Translated and prepared by Abu Amina Elias. In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful…
The Ash’arites
Mar 08, 2016 596
As we have already explained in the previous lessons that the ideas that led to the emergence of the Mutazilite School of Thought can be traced back to the second half of the first century of the Islamic era. In an attempt to understand the fundamentals of religion and…
The Mu’tazilites 3
Mar 08, 2016 517
What has been discussed in the previous two lessons relate to the core beliefs of the Mutazilite School of Thought. However, and as we have already mentioned, they advanced many views and opinions and defended them fervently. Some of those views relate to different disciplines,…
The Mu’tazilites 2
Mar 08, 2016 488
The origin of Justice In the previous chapter, we mentioned, in general terms, the five tenets of the Mu’tazilites. We have, though, discussed in some detail their belief in monotheism. In this chapter, we will be discussing the second of their tenets, i.e. Justice. It is…
The Mu’tazilites 1
Mar 08, 2016 377
We embark on this study into the Mua’tazilites for a reason, which we will discuss later. This group came into being towards the end of the first century of the Islamic era, or at the turn of the second century. Naturally, during this period, kalaam, or scholastic theology, had…
The Twelfth Imam, the Savior of Humanity
Sep 12, 2016 363
Name: Muhammad. Title: al-Mahdi, al-Qa'im , al-Hujjah , al-Gha'ib , Sahibu'z-Zaman, Sahibu 'l-Amr. Agnomen: Abu'l-Qasim. Father's name: al-Hasan al-'Askari. Mother's name: Nargis. Birth: In Samarra', on Friday, 15th Sha'ban 255 AH. He is still living and will appear before the…
Waiting for and Calling the Awaited…
Sep 12, 2016 312
Sadiq Hassan Background a)Waiting is not a passive situation. It requires efforts & actions to bring about changes on both personal & social fronts. b) The Reappearance is also dependant upon the conditions of supporters & the society. The leader also awaits the availability of…
The Philosophy of Occultation of Imam…
Sep 12, 2016 322
The Almighty Allah has bestowed the human beings with superiority and has kept the rest of the creation under him. He says,’ I have created man with the best parts. Whether it is the earth or atmosphere, sea or the mountain, forest or the desert, man not only has superiority…
The Need of Recognizing Allah's Proof
Sep 12, 2016 224
Allah has created man for His worship. Even wisdom dictates that worshipping God is necessary for man. Obedience to Him is the best way of thanking Him for His bounties. However, wisdom on its own is unable to establish the method of worship, as this is beyond its limit. Those…
The Redeemer and the Savior
Sep 12, 2016 259
Introduction To those who have acquaintance (even though a little) with the invaluable treasure of Shiite traditions and the precious heritage of the immaculate Imams (A.S.), the importance of "Imamah" (leadership) and "Wilayah" (vicegerency) amongst the various discussions in…
Hazrat Mahdi (A.S.): As portrayed in…
Sep 12, 2016 218
Hadith-e-Qudsi are those concepts and ideas, which are although revealed to the prophets (a.s.) in the same manner as revelations are made but same are expressed in the words and phrases of the prophets and not of Allah. There is a difference between Hadith-e-Qudsi, Quranic…
Isbatur Rajat, the Book on the Doctrine…
Sep 12, 2016 153
Before the birth of Hazrat Mahdi (a.s.) [255 A.H] eminent scholars and companions of Imams (a.s.) compiled a lot of books containing traditions about glad-tidings concerning reappearance of Imam Mahdi (a.s.). It is a lamentable fact that most of these books were lost due to the…
Mother of Hazrat Imam Mahdi
Sep 12, 2016 174
Real name of Imam Mahdi's mother was 'Malika'. but was popularly known as 'Narjis in Islamic world. Apart from this, he other epithets were 'Susan’, 'Saikal’ and 'Rehana'. Name of her father was Yusha, son of Qaiser of Rome and her mother was from the progeny of Shamoon Al-Safa,…
Titles of Hazrat Imam-e-Asr
Sep 12, 2016 161
Prophethood and Imamat were instituted to guide people towards the right path, dissuade them from vanity, restore human qualities, suppress the evil temptation of ones self, living peacefully, curb and eliminate evils such as jealousy, enmity, pride etc. and also to encourage…
Imam-e-Zaman (A.S.) in the Mirror of…
Sep 12, 2016 167
'Dua' means 'to call or to seek help'. 'Nudba' means to cry or wail. The Shia books of traditions lay great stress upon 'Dua'. Dua is the weapon of the believer, the essence of belief and the connection between the Creator of the universe and his slaves. One of the treasure of…
Witnesses of the birth of Imam-e-Zaman
Sep 12, 2016 104
Various objections have been raised regarding the birth of Imam Mahdi (a.s.). Keeping in mind the necessity for brevity we shall discuss only two types of objections - hoping the sensible people would be able to get the replies to other objections too. First of all is the…
Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and Justice
Sep 12, 2016 107
Irrespective of their sects, Muslims throughout the world believe that, "When Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) will establish his government, peace, brotherhood, equality, justice and equity will spread to every nook and corner of the world. He will rescue the oppressed ones from the hands…
Differences Between Twelve-Imam Shi'ism…
Aug 12, 2016 284
The majority of the Shi'ites, from whom the previously mentioned groups have branched out, are Twelve-Imam Shi'ites, also called the Imamites. As has already been mentioned, the Shi'ites came into being because of criticism and protest concerning two basic problems of Islam,…
Isma'ilism
Aug 12, 2016 357
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq had a son named Isma'il who was the oldest of his children. Isma'il died during the lifetime of his father who summoned witnesses to his death, including the governor of Medina. Concerning this question , some believed that Isma'il did not die but went into…
DIVISIONS WITHIN SHI'ISM
Aug 12, 2016 333
Each religion possesses a certain number of primary principles which form its essential basis and other principles of secondary importance. When the followers of a religion differ as to the nature of the primary principles and their secondary aspects but preserve a common basis,…
Ahlul-Bait and the Perverted Groups
Aug 11, 2016 215
The opponents of Islam realized that the Imam of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) were the very embodiment of originality and purity and acted as a refuge for Muslims in time of distress and calamities. They have a special status and respect in the self of every Muslim who loves the Messenger…
Isma’ili Thesis on the Ecclesiastical…
Jun 12, 2016 207
Though it is widely assumed that Sunni Islam does not have an equivalent to the Christian ecclesiastical hierarchy, Shii groups such as the Medieval Ismailis did have an organised teaching, spiritual, and temporal hierarchy. Evidence gathered from primary sources shows that this…
Imamate in Zaidism
Jun 12, 2016 329
7A: Concerning the Imamate of Imam „Ali, peace be upon himIf it is said: Who was the leader (imām) after the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and the first successor for the community without interruption (bilā faŝl)?Say: The Commander of the…
Zaidiyyah Aqeedah 3
Jun 12, 2016 198
Concerning Allah Not Being Seen If it is said: Can your Lord be seen or not?Say: This is an invalid statement due to the fundamentals of vision. If one could see in a place then that proves that the [object of vision] is in-time creation because that which is limited and…
Zaidiyyah Aqeedah 2
Jun 11, 2016 168
Concerning the Verses of Description If it is said: It is mentioned in the Qur‟ān: (Q. 5:64). [It also mentions] Him having a side, eyes, a soul, a face, and hands, as the verse says: (Q. 36:71).Say: “His Hands” means “His beneficence.”11 “Hand” also refers to His power. Also,…
Zaidiyyah Aqeedah
Jun 11, 2016 214
This thread is regarding the Aqeedah of the Shi3ah madhab of az-Zaidyyah or Zaidism. There are gross misconception of Shi3ah, due to the practices of the Ithna Ashariyyah (Twelvers) and Ismailis. As the resident member of the Zaidiyyah, I find it alarming. This thread would…
Isma'ilism and Its Branches
Mar 08, 2016 298
Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq had a son named Isma'il who was the oldest of his children. Isma'il died during the lifetime of his father who summoned witnesses to his death, including the governor of Medina.[5] Concerning this question , some believed that Isma'il did not die but went…
Zaydism and Its Branches
Mar 08, 2016 342
The Zaydis are the followers of Zayd al-Shahid, the son of Imam al-Sajjad. Zayd rebelled in 121/737 against the Umayyad caliph Hisham 'Abd al-Malik and a group paid allegiance to him. A battle ensued in Kufa between Zayd and the army of the caliph in which Zayd was…