1. The Principles of Religion (Usul al-Din) which outline the essential beliefs in accordance with the Qur’an and the teachings of the Twelve Imams
2. The Branches of Religion (Furoo al-Din) which cover acts of worship and actions required by all believers.
The Principles of the Religion according to Twelver Shi’a Islam are:
The Oneness and Unity of God: Our belief is that God is the Creator of the universe; He is One and does not ...
Is Death Considered as One’s End or Beginning
Death has always manifested itself as a horrendous monster in the eyes of man. The very thought of it has made life miserable for many.
These people not only fear the name of death, but also abhor the graveyard. They decorate the graves in order to forget about the very nature of death.
In literature, expressions such as “the monster of death,” “the claws of death,” and “the blow of ...
According to Shi’a Islam the second fundamental pillar is Justice. It means that Allah (swt) is equitable and fair.In this regards we have the comments of Shaykh Saduq who wrote in ‘A Shi’ite Creed’ the English translation of I'teqadat-Al-Imamiah page 65:Verily Allah, Who is Blessed and Exalted above all others, has commanded us to be just, while He Himself treats us with something even better, namely grace (tafaddul). And that is ...
Ninth LectureThe Twelve Imams
The Narrations Concerning the Twelve Imams
Having proved the issue of the Imamate and Caliphate of `Al¢(s), we now will discuss the Imamate of the other Imams.
A summary of our discussion is as follows:
There are numerous narrations recorded in the books of both Sh¢`ah and Sunni scholars which talk in general about the caliphate of “twelve caliphs and Imams” after the demise of the Prophet(s).
These ...
From the first day of creation, men were in hardship to be tested against Allah and to be evaluated in their faith in the site of Allah . The prophets are not only exceptions but also from those who are afflicted and tested more than others. Taking into account the concepts of Sahifeh Sajjadieh, specially the sixth invocation, Professor Hossein Ansarian in his book “ The land of lovers” exemplifies this issue.
Adam vis-à-vis ...
A man who is not righteous in actions has no relegion. A true relegion not only consist of ideas and beliefs but also actions and good deeds. What that is of greater importance in Islam is the action rather than saying and beliefs and faith without action is not accepted. True faith and deep belief toward God accompanied by good deeds and righteousness is the only way for a muslim to be saved and salvated. What is good deed and which deed is ...
Third LectureThe Imam’s specific traits
Before we delve into the subject, one point should be explicitly stated: It can be easily understood from the Holy Qur’¡n that the position of imamate is the most prestigious position for a person to have. It is even higher than that of prophethood. This is because in the story of Abraham, the idol-destroyer Prophet(s), the Qur’¡n states:
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ ...
Arguments for the oneness of GodTheologicalTheologians usually use reason and deduction to prove the existence, unity and oneness of God. They use a teleological argument for the existence of God as a creator based on perceived evidence of order, purpose, design, or direction-or some combination of these-in nature. Teleology is the supposition that there is a purpose or directive principle in the works and processes of nature.[16]Another ...
“ the salvation of this human world lies nowhere else but in the human heart, a heart that attends to the Praise of the God whole heartedly and continualy” . These are sections of commentaries made by Professor Hossein Ansaryan on the rich supplication of Kumayl in his rich book “ a commentary on Kumayl Supplication”. The present article is gotten from the aforesaid book.
Remembrance of Allah is contrary to negligence. A person ...
By: Prof. Dr. Sayyid Husayn Muhammad Ja'fari From the time 'Ali moved to Kufa in 36/656, or even earlier, the city became the main centre of Shi'i movements, aspirations, hopes, and sometimes concerted efforts. It was in and around Kufa that so many of the stormy events which make up the early history of Shi'i Islam took place: events such as the mobilization of forces by 'Ali for the battles of Al-Jamal and Siffin the election and abdication ...
Third LectureAn Example Of The Day Of Resurrection within Our Souls
Since the issue of the afterlife and the great court of the Resurrection would seem strange for someone who has lived inside the prison in this world, God has established a small court inside each one of us which is called the court of conscience.
To explain in more detail: A person will be tried in many courts for the crimes he has done the first court is the usual courts in ...
, the Twelfth Imam and the World’s Great Reformer
When we look at the deplorable state of the present situation where crime, murder, bloodshed, wars, and international conflicts prevail, we are faced with the following question: will this situation continue to exist? Are these murders and crimes going to destroy mankind altogether?
Is there a small window of hope for man’s salvation there are two answers to these questions.
According to ...
Concerning the punishments for the evil-doers, besides the verses of the Holy Quran, there are some strange narrations, some of which will be dealt with here:
عَن أبي عَبْدِاللهِA: إيّاكُمْ وَالغَفْلَةَ، فإنَّهُ مَنْ غَفَلَ فَإنَّما يَغْفَلُ عَلى نَفْسِهِ، وَإيّاكُمْ وَالتَهاوُنَ بِأمْرِ اللهِ عَزَّوَجَلَّ، ...
How can one that rejects the notion that prophets are infallible believe that their successors / Imams are? When they select a Khalifa then the criteria does not deem an individual to be of good character, nor does it stipulate that an individual stick to the teachings of Allah (swt). Be rational how can a transgressor or one illiterate of God’s teachings be deemed the rightful successor of Rasulullah (s)? These characteristics were present in ...
The Sound of Mother's Heart:
In Medina of the classical time where the scientific means and laboratories could not be found, Imam Sadiq(s) recommended that mothers should let their new-born babies sleep on their left-side.
This recommendation went unnoticed by most people who could not visualize its effects. Some people were even under this assumption that new-born babies would get hurt if the mother turned her body over it.
When Mohammad ...
“To whom the mercy of the almighty God is applied? “ is not a formidable question to be answered. We are taught through our relegious instructions that the mercy of Allah is widespread among all creatures. It makes no different in the site of Allah that you are human or non-human , you are believer or disbeliever, muslim or hebrew, all and all are provided with the abundant mercy of God. But “how it is possible and what are the conditions ...
Seventh LectureThe Clearest Prooffor free will
Man’s Conscience Categorically Rejects Determinism
Despite the fact that philosophers and religious scholars have advanced arguments and proofs of various kinds concerning man’s free will, we shall resort to the shortest and easiest argument in this regard, which is man’s conscience.
It is worth mentioning that everybody, theist and atheist alike the easterner and the westerner, the ancient ...
First LectureWhen was Imamate first discussed
We know that after the passing of the Prophet of Islam, Muslims were divided into two groups.
One group, called the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet of Islam had not selected a successor and that he had left it up to the people to assemble and choose a leader for them.
A second group believed that the Prophet’s successor should be as pious as the Prophet himself and should be competent to have ...
The title of this section is the translation of Imam Zainol Abedin's elegant expression: it is adopted from “The land of lovers” by Professor Hossein Ansarian.
وَمَضَتْ عَلى اِرادَتِكَ الأشْياءُ
The heart of Ibrahim(s) was filled with the fatherly care and affection for his son Ismail (Ismail, Samuel).
He continuously thought of his son. He loved him but he was obedient to Allah and had concern for ...
Seventh LectureSome Examples of the Order of Creation
Order, purpose and planning are vividly observable in all of creation. Here are some striking examples.
Luckily, the doors of knowing God are open to us today due to the great advances in the physical sciences, the uncovering of the mysteries of the world, the vast knowledge of man’s anatomy and the structure of the bodies of animals and plants and our vast knowledge about the stars and ...
