Numerous people question as to what benefit could the hitting of hands upon the earth and then wiping them over the forehead and the back of the hands possibly possess (Tayammum), especially in the light of our knowledge that very many of the soils are dirty, polluted and a medium for the transfer of microbes? In answering such objections, attention ought to be paid to two points: 1. The Ethical Benefit:Tayammum is one of the acts of ...
Any person with average intelligence knows that this transient world is not worth getting attached to! But Satan presents the world to people with false embellishments and puts curtains on their eyes that they are not able to see the actual facts. Imam Ja'far As-Sadiq (as) had said that Allah has accumulated all the virtues in a vault and its key is in the hands of piety. Whoever wishes to be virtuous, he must adopt piety.Amir'ul-Mu'mineen ...
In a letter he wrote to Shaikh al-Mufid, where he acknowledged his merit and being pleased with him, the Imam prayed for the success of the Shias in obeying Allah. He then writes: "If our Shia, may Allah give them success to His obedience, unite together by the hearts in fulfilling the covenant that they were trusted with, the grace of meeting us would not have been delayed for them; and happiness would have reached them quickly by witnessing ...
It is narrated from Imam Ali (AS) who said: I advise you to remember death and neglect it less frequently. How can you neglect a thing that does not neglect you, and how can you be so hopeful of a being who does not give you respite! The dead ones you see are themselves preachers who make you not needing any other preacher [1]. In reply to the question of: what does preparing for death mean and how must one be prepared for it? Imam Ali (AS) ...
A Lecture by Prof Seyyed Hussein Nasr First of all, let me begin by saying how happy I am to be able to accept an invitation of the MIT Islamic Students Association, and that of other universities and other organizations nearby, to give this lecture here today at my alma mater.I feel very much at home not only at this university, but being the first Muslim student ever to establish a Muslim students' association at Harvard in 1954, to see ...
One of the common narrations relayed to convey the role of Imam Mahdi (AS) during his occultation is the analogy of the ‘Sun behind the Clouds’. In this text, Allamah Majlisi sheds the light on this tradition and provides key points to explain the meaning and significance of the meaning behind this similitude.In what follows, is a sample of traditions, which compare the Twelfth Imam (a) to the sun behind the clouds during the period ...
1- Eating and Drinking If a person intentionally eats or drinks during the day, his fast will become void. He must abstain from any form of food or liquids. There is no difference if the food or liquids are edible and drinkable such as bread or water, or if they are not such as paper and dirt A person must abstain from anything which can be consumed. There is also no difference in quantity. Even a single drop of water or a grain of wheat ...
Name: Ali Agnomen: Abn'l-Hasan Mother's name:sumanah
Death: Died at the age of 42 ' in Samarra' , on Monday, 26th Jumada th-thaniyah 254 AH; poisoned by al-Mu'tazz, the ' Abbasid caliph; buried in Samarra' ; North of Baghdad ( Iraq)
After al-Wathiq, al-Mutawakkil came to power. Being too occupied in state affairs' al-Mutawakkil did not get any time to harass the Imam and his followers for four years. But as soon as ...
To predict future events is known as divining and when the prediction is made on the knowledge obtained through some groups of Jinns it is known as Kahanat. (However we shall use the word soothsaying as an equivalent of Kahanat). Kahanat pertains to the prediction of future with the help of special knowledge. For example, the soothsayer may be adept at guessing the words of the enquirer or his private affairs etc. According to the author of ...
Sariyyah is the section (contingent) of a big(giant) army, and it has been said that four hundred is an optimum number for the best sariyyah. According to the wordings of the tradition this can be inferred that man is a marvel possessing two lives and two worlds within one existence. That is, apparent life or the outward world, which is this worldly existence, and is associated with his body, and the other is `inner life', the inward world, ...
He looked at the bodies of his loved ones. Tears flowed out of his eyes. He looked at the sky and seemed to draw some strength from an unseen source. Then, like a muezzin from a minaret, he raised a call: “Is there anyone who will come to assist us? Is there anyone who will respond to our call for aid?”
Whom was he calling out to? Surely he was not expecting anyone to come to his aid. Those who wanted to help him had already crossed ...
The verse of relationship, from the Qur"an, says:"Say: `No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin. And if anyone earns any good, We shall give him an increase of good in respect there of for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (service)."(42: 23)This verse is a clear command from Allah to His noble Prophet. It is as follows:(Say) O Muhammad, to your nation: (no reward do I ask of you for this) the ...
by: Ayatullah Murtaza MutahhariThe distinguished book entitled "al-Ghadir" has raised a huge wave in the world of Islam. Islamic thinkers shed light on the book in different perspectives; in literature, history, theology, tradition, tafsir, and sociology. From the social perspective we can deal with the Islamic unity. In this review the Islamic unity has been dealt with from a social point of view.Contemporary Muslim thinkers and reformists are ...
حدیث عنوان البصریIn the Name of AllahInstruction of Imam Sadiq (as) for the wayfarers towards AllahSource Bihar Al-Anwar, vol.1 p.226Al-Sheikhul Baha’i (may the mercy of Allah be upon him) has narrated in his Kashkul روى الشيخ البهائي (رحمه الله) في كشكولهAl-Sheikh Shamsul Din Muhammad ibn Makki said ‘I have transcribed from the writings of Sheikh Ahmad al-Farahani, (may ...
“And most surely I am most Forgiving to him who repents and believes and does good, then continues to follow the right direction.” Qur'an, 20:82.
Sins and the ability to repent
Mothers do not give birth to sinful children, and children do not come to this world defiled with sins.
When a baby comes to this life for the first time, his mind is empty of any knowledge, intellect and information. He is completely ignorant of what is around ...
Every human being loves to know about the best things in life and act upon them because human’s instincts is like a sophisticated system which in addition of differentiating between good and bad is also keen to do good and stay away from bad. Due to committing sins and mistakes humans damage this system and cannot utilize it in normal ways. For this reason, revelations and the prophets have been sent to remove the impurities and bring to ...
أَللٌّهُمَّ اقْضِ عَنَّا الدَّيْنَ
O Allāh, Facilitate the Payment of Our Debt
We have already discussed extensively on the subject of debt in our commentary on the verse ‘Allāhumma aqdi dayna kullī madīn’ (O Allāh, facilitate the payment of the debt of every indebted one). It is possible that this verse speaks about the same subject, but is an emphasis and thus reveals the fundamental importance ...
Lady Fatima Zahra (A) opened her eyes to the world to enjoy prophetic fatherly love and to suckle Khadija's milk, which was mixed with excellent morals and perfection.
Growing in the house of revelation, gave her the chance to achieve the highest degree of perfection and excellence. The Prophet (S) taught her divine knowledge and endowed her with special intelligence, so that she realized the true meaning of faith, piety, and the reality of ...
