57- GOD'S JUSTICE
So do we believe in God's JUSTICE, and we say it is impossible for God to oppress any creature of His at the least amount, or to punish His servants without any reason or to forgive them without a reason. It is also Impossible that God may leave His promises unfulfilled. We also know it to be impossible that God may abandon His servants without giving them necessary guidance. All these are ugly and indecent, of which the Omnipotent God is far and clear.
58- MAN'S FREEDOM
So do we believe that God has created Man free? He has given us FREE WILL, and we have options to do what we may do. If not so, why should He punish a sinner who is supposed to be compelled to do so.? To make it short, rational good and bad as mentioned above, and independent wisdom are bases for the acceptance of divine Religion, Scriptures, and the prophets, but not enough, because we have a limited wisdom, by which we can not grasp all that we need. So we have to have divine guidance for improving our WISDOM and understanding.
59- WISDOM SERVERS AS A REFERENCE IN OUR RELIGIOUS JURIS-PRUDENCE
Following what we mentioned above, one of the principle references in Islam is wisdom's reasoning. The wisdom comprehends something definitely and then judges. For instance; if we find no reason or proof in the book or in the prophet's methodical way, (SUNNAT) to show us that OPPRESSION, BETRAYAL, LYING and committing MURDER, are too bad and unlawful deeds, We would certainly reject them by the reasoning of our wisdom, and we make sure that God never likes us to do such things. This is why we conclude that the wisdom too, is a DIVINE BASE of our religious judgements. The Holy QURØN is full of verses showing the importance of the wisdom as a base or reference for the judgements in religious researches.-
"In the creation of the heavens, and the earth, and the alternation of DAY and night, there are indeed SIGNS for men of wisdom and understanding."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S3: 190
Some reveal the aim of sending the scriptures to improve the power of wisdom and understanding of Man:_
"See how we have explained our SIGNS variously so that they may understand."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S6: 65
"We have sent it down as an Arabic QURAN, in order that you may use your wisdom."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S12: 2
Some of the verses urge people to use their minds so as to distinguish good of bad_
"..... Say can a blind be held equal to one who can see? Why don't you then think?"
THE HOLY QURAN _ S6: 50
And the worst of the moving creatures in the sight of God are those who do not use their common sense so as to understand:_
".....For the worst of BEASTS in the SIGHT OF GOD, are those who are deaf and dumb, not using their wisdom to under stand!"
THE HOLY QURAN _ S8: 22
So how can we ignor the importance of the wisdom, understanding, and thinking in Islam?
60- MORE ABOUT GOD'S JUSTICE
As we have already mentioned we BELIEVE that God is JUST and He never oppresses; because cruel acts are indecent and unbecoming to Him:_
".....And thy LORD will treat no one with injustice."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S18: 49
If some people are punished in this world or in the Hereafters, it is due to their own deeds:_
"It is not God who oppresses them, but they wrong their own soul."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S9: 70
Not only Man, but rather no creature in the world is ever oppressed by God:_
"Allah wants no injustice to any of His creatures."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S3: 108
All these verses are some how a guidance towards making use of our wisdom.
REJECTION OF WHAT YOU CANNOT DO
WE BELIEVE that God will never oblige a duty to any one who cannot do it:_
"Allah will not charge a soul with a duty that cannot be fulfilled by him."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S2: 286
61- THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE PAINFUL ACCIDENTS
WE BELIEVE that the painful accidents that sometimes occur, such as the earthquakes, calamities, and misfortunes, might be that of God's punishment, as it was with the case of the people of LOT:_
"When our decree was issued, we turned (THEIR CITIES) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones, hard as baked clay, spread layer on layer."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S11: 82
And about the ungrateful and rebellious people of SABA, GOD says:_
"But they turned away (FROM THEIR LORD) and we sent against them the flood from the DAMS."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S34: 16
Some other painful incident are to admonish people and to teach them lessons:_
"Mischief has appeared on land and sea by what the hands of MAN have earned, that Allah may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that they may return back from evil.
THE HOLY QURAN _ S30: 41
Other pains are what our hands make it and are due to our ignorance and carelessness:_
"Whatever good (O Man) Happens to you is from Allah: but whatever evil happens to you; is from yourself."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S4: 79
62- THE EXISTENCE IS RULED BY THE BEST OF ORDERS
WE BELIEVE that the created world or the world of creation is the scenery on which the bests of orders act. In other word, the existing order that controls the world is the best one that can possibly exist. Here, every thing has an account of its own. There is nothing in contrast to justice and goodness; and if bad is seen, it belong to people, or the creatures. We repeat again that God's justice is one of the most important bases of Islamic insight, without which the tenets such as the MONOTHEISM, PROPHETHOOD and DOOMSDAY will be endangered. We have a tradition that Imam Sadiq has emphasized on Monotheism and God's justice as the main principles of the religion and then he adds:_
"Whatever is becoming and fit for you, is not allowable to God. Justice is that you do not relate something to God, which doing it puts a blame upon you." (Bihar al-Anwar VOL.5 _ P.11)
63- THE FOUR SOURCES OF OUR RELIGIOUS JURIS PRUDENCE
Our religious jurisprudence and researches are based on four sources:_
FIRST:_ QURAN, the BOOK of Allah is the Main Source and the principle document of all the Islamic commandments.
SECOND:_ The prophet's Methodical way, the so called SONNAT, and also that of the Innocent Imams.
THIRD:_ Agreeing in opinion or determination, formed by UNANIMITY of all the jurisprudents, and the learned, supposing to be COMPETENT to Imam's views.
FOURTH:_ It is the WISDOM, by which absolute reasons of the wisdom we intend, and not conjectures and surmises.
When the teacher of LAW believes on some thing to be done which is not found in the scripture or Sunnat, he cannot propose his ideas as a divine decree. So also grasps to analogies and conjectures in relation to religious laws is not accepted by us. But in cases where a man is quite sure of some thing, as we are all sure that theft, lying, betrayal and offence are bad and evil; here we can accept that,. What is lawful by wisdom is also lawful by religion scriptures and tradition, in all fields; such as economical, social, political, ethical and other matters. THAT makes us free of want to go here and there and to do this way and that way by our fancies and conjectures, forming an opinion without good means of knowledge or sufficient evidence. As for some newly appeared problems we can also find general commandments in the book and sunnat, by which we need not to use our imaginations.
64- THE DOORS OF RESEARCH ARE ALWAYS OPEN
WE BELIEVE that the doors of research are permanently open to all our religious problems and inquiries; and all the jurisprudents and scholars may deduce their commandments out of the four above mentioned sources, so as to convey it to those who are weak in comprehension even thou their newly extracted VIEWS be different to that of the previous ones. WE BELIEVE that those who are not expert in the religious jurisprudence should refer to an alive expert who is also aware of the world affairs, and the problems of our age. Those who know not should imitate those who know well. We do not admit primary imitation of those who are dead, and people have to imitate some religious experts who are alive.
65- THERE IS NO VACANCY FOR LAW
WE BELIEVE that in Islam there is no vacancy for LAW. That is to say: `Until doomsday, all that might be needed, have been stated, sometimes especially and some times generally, therefore, an Islamic jurisprudent has no right to legislate. Their duty is to deduce and extract the necessary commandment from the Afore mentioned four sources and convey to the believers. DOES not QURØN say through the last chapter that was revealed to the prophet: (MAAEDEH=S5):_
"To day I have perfected your religion for you, and completed my favour to you, and have chosen for you, Islam, as your religion."
THE HOLY QURAN _ S5: 3
How can Islam be called perfect if it has no adequate and proper law to satisfy all ages and times? DID not our prophet say, in his speech that was made in his last PILGRIMAGE OF FARE WELL; that:_
"I have enjoined all that might approach you to the PARADISE, and I have forbidden you all the evils which might take you nearer to the HELL."(Usul Kafi VOL.2 _ P.74)
"Imam Ali left nothing unwritten, of the commandments dictated by the prophet even the mulct (blood money) for a small scratch."
With all that, there is no room for imaginations and opinions with no sufficient evidence.
66- PRECAUTIONS IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS (DISSEMBLANCE)
WE BELIEVE that when a man lives among a group of fanatic, stubborn, and obstinate people; and if he reveals his ideas, he may fell in danger of losing his life, such a man has to hide his faith, not to lose his life in vain. In our religious jurisprudence to this sort of precaution the term `TAQIYYAH has been given that can be translated to: (DISSEMBLANCE).
We extract this commandment from two verses in QURØN. One of them is about the believer in PHARAOH'S court who was hiding his faith to Moses. QURAN says:- has:_
"And a believer from among the PHARAOH'S people who was concealing his faith said, "Will you slay a man because he says" My LORD is Allah? When he has indeed come to you with clear signs:"
THE HOLY QURAN _ S40: 28
Here, the phrase:_ `CONCEALING HIS FAITH' shows the believer's DISSEMBLANCE. Was it right for him to reveal his faith and get killed for that, without doing anything useful? So also some of the first believers in Islam who lived under the cruel pressure of the heretics, were permitted to hide their belief and be cautious.
"The believers do not take for friends or helpers, in preference to the faithful. He who does this, has nothing to hope from Allah, except by way of PRECAUTIONS, so that you may GUARD yourselves from them.
THE HOLY QURAN _ S3: 28
Therefore precautions such as concealing the belief is permitted, when a believer is in danger of losing his life or property for the sake of his belief. In such cases one should not endanger his life and power in vain. This is why we read in traditions that:_ "DISSEMBLANCE" is shield of a believer." That is to say: `Such precautions are the defensive weapons of the faithful.
The story of AMMAR YASIR, a near companion of the prophet, who pretended to have renounced Islam, is of a wide fame among all groups of Muslims. For a soldier, to hide arms and even himself in the battle fields is something customary, and similar to the religious DISSMBLANCE.
Such precautions are decreed by wisdom as well as by religion which is observed by all Muslims and has nothing to do with SHIITE in particular. Strange enough that some have taken it as a SHIITE instruction, using it as an objection to us, while it is a clear cut matter in QURAN and SONNAT.
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 May 2009 06:55 )
67 - THE PROHIBITED DISSEMBLANCE
WE BELIEVE such suspicions arise by taking wrong information from our enemies, and what we explained above should be enough for sure. We of course deny not that there are incidents in which one should not hide his faith and opinion for any price, and dissemblance is prohibited there. If the principles, OF Islam or QURAN fall in danger, those involved should not hide their faith and have to declare their views although they lose their life for it. An instance of this is what Imam Hussain did against the OMMAYIDS when he in an unequal battle lost his own life and that of his companions all, so as to save Islam.
