We believe that a fully qualified mujtahid is a representative of the Imam, in the case of the latter's absence. Thus he is an authority over Muslims and he performs the functions of the Imam as regard judgement and administration among the people. Because of this, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq said: To deny the authority of mujtahid is to deny the authority Imam, and to deny the authority of the Imam is to make an objection to the authority of Allah, ...
4. Shaban & His New Interpretation Among the latest work by Western scholarship on the history of Islam is M.A. Shaban's Islamic History AD 600-750 subtitled as "A New Interpretation" in which the author claims not only to use newly discoveredt material but also to re- examine and re-interpret material which has been known to us for many decades. Shaban, a lecturer of Arabic at SOAS of the University of London, is not prepared to even ...
By: Murtada Mutahhari“Is he who founds his building on God wariness and [the pursuit of Allah's] pleasure better off or he who founds his building on the brink of a collapsing bank which collapses with him into the fire of hell? And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing lot.” (9:109)Taqwa is the Islamic concept of having self-restraint. It is used 251 times in the Holy Qur’an as either a noun or a verb. The term taqwa comes from ...
If we focus on the term wilayah [primacy, guide, lordship] and words related to spiritual authority and temporal power, as Ayatullah Mutahhari did in a formidable and authoritative synthesis, we note that this terminological repertoire has a very precise meaning in Shi‘ite thought which is related to the idea of a unified government.[1] Wila’, walayah, wilayah, wali, mawla, are nominal forms of the verbal substantive of the trilateral root ...
Polygamy or plurality of wives is one of the controversial questions connected with the family system of Islam. In this connection a few points are worth consideration in an effort to show how much the West was and still is completely misguided and misguiding in its conception of this issue(a) Natural and social prerequists of PolygamyIt is evident that the question of polygamy arises when:- The number of women eligible for marriage is more than ...
Chapter SixWilayat & Its Scope
1. What is Wilayat? "Wilayat," derived from wila,' means power authority or a right of certain kind. In Shi'a theology, "wilayat" is the authority invested in the Prophet and the Ahlul Bayt as representatives of Almighty Allah on this earth. According to the late Murtaza Mutahhari, wilayat has four dimensions: The right of love and devotion (wila'-e muhabbat): This right places the Muslims ...
It should not be imagined that these expositions of ours of the noble tradition on the basis of the approach of the gnostics are meant to confine the meaning of the tradition to them, or that they are conjectures about the realm of the occult or interpretation based on subjective opinion. 'The purpose, rather, is to dispel the notion that the meanings of traditions relating to the ma'arif (the higher teachings) are limited to common ...
5. Imaamah Only the Shiahs believe in the institution of Imaamah. Literally "imaam" means a leader. In Shiah belief an Imaam is the person appointed by God and introduced by the Prophet and then by each preceding Imaam by explicit designation (nass) to lead the Muslim community, interpret and protect the religion and the law (shariah), and guide the community in all affairs.An Imaam is first and foremost the Representative of God and the ...
The prohibition regarding wine is of special significance in those two ayats for the following reasons:1) The word 'innama' in the first ayat denotes emphasis.2) Drinking of liquor is mentioned along with idolatry. Therefore drinking liquor is as serious a sin as idolatry.3) Drinking of liquor has been classified as a satanic act along with gambling.4) The verse emphatically orders one to avoid alcohol.5) Avoidance of alcohol has been ...
Heedlessness to Allah's Anger and Retribution
One of the Greater Sins is a total disregard for Divine punishment. The person is fearless of the unseen retribution and scoffs at the idea of being punished for his actions. He lives blissfully in a world of material comforts and does not realise that he is fettered down by his sins. This is a Greater Sin. The Holy Imams, Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.), Imam Musa Kazim (a.s.) and Imam Reza (a.s.) have ...
When Allah willed to confirm and honor His messenger, make His religion prevail, and fulfill His promise of victory, the Prophet (a.s.) traveled to the tribes propagating his mission publicly. When he was in al-Aqabah, he met some men from the tribe of al-Khazraj who were followers to the Jews. He showed to them Islam and its principles and values and recited to them some verses from the Holy Qur'an which went deep into their hearts. What made ...
Khayanat is itself an Arabic word. In the tradition of Imam Ja\'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) as related by Amash the word \'Khayanat\' is used in the list of the greater sins. Another Arabic word used for misappropriation is \'ghulul.\' \'Ghulul\' is used in the narration of Fazl Ibne Shazaan where he quotes Imam Reza (a.s.). According to some lexicographers \'ghul\' denotes misappropriation of a property obtained as spoils of war against the ...
Hardening of the heart
Whatever man eats is like a seed sown in the earth. If the seed is good it will bear sweet fruits. If the seed is bitter and poisonous, so is the fruit that grows from it. If the food is good and lawful it has beneficial effects on the heart. It is purified from every blemish and impurity. The organs of this person perform good deeds, but if one consumes food obtained through unlawful means it causes the heart ...
From the viewpoint of Shi'ah scholars khilafat (caliphate) is a Divine office which is entrusted to the most distinguished the most appropriate and the wisest person of the ummah (nation). The most clear line of demarcation between a Prophet and an Imam (Prophet's successor) is that the Prophet lays the foundation of a religion receives revelation and possesses a Book. However as regards the Imam though he does not possess any of these positions ...
For the sake of the propagation of the Shiite constitution in the shadow of the knowledge, political sacrifices, and devotion, the Shiite school was attributed to him and this religion was named as the Jafri religion. We belong to the Jafri religion and take pride in this name. The message of the true Islam of Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H&H.P) can be sought in the blood of Imam Hussain (A.S) and its explanation and description in the ...
The eighth among the Greater Sins is to usurp the property of an orphan who has not attained maturity.
This is categorized as a Greater sin by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), Imam Ali (a.s.), Imam Reza (a.s.), Imam Kazim (a.s.) and Imam Taqi (a.s.). It is a sin, the punishment of which is fixed by Allah to be the fire of Hell.
The Quran says, "(As for) those who swallow the property of the orphans unjustly, surely they only swallow fire into ...
The thirty-first sin that is clearly stated to be a Greater Sin is sorcery. A tradition from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has been recorded in Wasaelush Shia in which the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has mentioned that Magic is a Greater Sin. The tradition of Abdul Azeem (r.a.) has also mentioned from Imam Jawad (a.s.) who has related through his fore-fathers from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) that he said to the effect, "Sorcery is a Greater Sin because the ...
Such incidents are numerous. Rather we all have seen many times that no matter how much we try, our intentions are not fulfilled while sometimes a problem is solved easily. Hence it should be understood by conviction that our heart and that of all the people is under the control of Allah. Allah says in Quran:
…and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered…[204]
If you could only ...
Thus the punishment of the hypocrites shall be more severe than that of the infidels. Hypocrisy is actually the worst kind of disbelief.
In order to gain worldly benefits the hypocrite veils his disbelief by the screen of religiousness. He seems to be religious by his words and actions. Whereae his heart is not religious. For example he recites the two confessions (Kalema Shahadatain). He verbally claims to believe in Quran and Qiyamat. But his ...
A number of muslims hold that anyone of the Prophet’s companions is just, and has reached the stage of religious leadership; he is therefore favored by God. If he has done something wrong he is excused and therefore could be followed in religious guidance.
But in the views of those who are just and will not go any path but that of truth, this opinion is considered as against wisdom and justice and in contradiction with the Holy Qur’an’s ...