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 ...
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 ...
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، ...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
What Buddhist scripture says about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W)
The Buddha leader Gautama, has prophesized the coming of an inspired person.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - In the Gospel of Buddha by Caras (pp. 217-8) it is written that this great Buddha will come to the world known as the "Maitreya". The Cakkavatti-Sihanada Suttana gives him the name "Metteyya". Both these words mean "The Merciful One". By reference to the life-history of ...
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 ...
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 ...
First LectureOur Need for Divine Leaders
The Limitations of our knowledge
Some people might raise this question: Are prophets needed to lead men?
Isn’t our wisdom sufficient enough to grasp the realities? Hasn’t the advancement of human knowledge and science assisted man in discovering the truth?
The structure of this argument continues something like this: Our wisdom either comprehends what the prophets have to offer to us, or is unable ...
Fifth LectureResurrection in the Scale of Justice
A cursory look at the system of creation will reveal to us that everything is systematic and governed by rules.
In the body of man, this system is so delicate that any imbalance would lead to either sickness or death.
For instance, in the structure of the eyes, heart, and brain this order is readily noticeable. The same order, systematization, and justice prevail over all of ...
Second LectureThe Consequences of Knowing God in our Lives
1. Theism and the Advancement of Knowledge
Suppose your friend brought you a book as a present and told you that it was written by an all-knowing and ingenious author…
You would never study such a book indifferently or perfunctorily. Rather, you would contemplate on every single sentence and on every word. If you could not understand the meaning of any sentence at first glance, you ...
The word ‘Taqwa’ is derived from the root ‘waqaya’ which means ‘to safeguard’ or ‘to abstain’. In the Islamic terminology it is defined as the action of restraining oneself from disobeying the commands of Allah (S.w.T.). When Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked to elaborate on the meaning of the word, ‘Taqwa’ he replied, “Submit to the command {of Allah (S.w.T.)} and do ...
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 Strange Phenomenon of Death
Death is a fact whose remembrance will break the tyrant’s neck and will make the Kesras bow and will make the ceasars despair.
Everybody is afraid of death and all are waiting for its arrival. Its arrival is inevitable. When it arrives, it will drag people from castles into tombs, from the bright rooms full of chandeliers into small dark spaces, from the presence of beautiful women and men into the presence of ...
Ninth LectureGuidance and Misguidance are in the Hands of God
1. Kinds of Guidance and Misguidance
Suppose a tourist stopped you to ask you for directions. There are two options available to you to show him the way:
The first option for you is to accompany him to his destination, and then to turn back saying good-bye to him.
The second option for you is to show him the way with gestures and body language.
You have definitely shown him the ...
The Issues of The Grave And The Barrier:
After the soul is taken from the body, the second phase of dying is the tomb. In fact, the grave is the same as the barrier for man. There are some verses which point out to this fact. Each person’s barrier is a reflex of his moral, and ethical and ideological status.
For a believer, the barrier is a place for ease, prosperity and company of clean souls and God’s abundance. For an infidel, the ...
As much as men are given apptitude from the side of Allah, they are expected to perform more good and their duty is more difficult. Prophets are from those people who are given more and are asked more .Therefore , disagreeable moments by which prophets are afflicted are a real example of hardship. Professor Hossein Ansarian In his book “ The land of lovers “ interprets this issue by considering the invocations of Sahifeh Sajjadieh and verses ...
Ninth LectureBodily Resurrection and Spiritual Resurrection
An important question regarding the issue of the Resurrection is whether resurrection pertains only to the spirit or whether the human body becomes alive in the other world once more and whether man enters the new life with the same body and soul, of course a little better than before.
Some of the ancient philosophers believed only in a spiritual resurrection and considered our bodies ...
We believe that Allah (swt) provided guidance to his servants via sending prophets who has a duty to call people to good deeds, keep aloof from the bad and submit themselves the teachings of Allah (swt). This chain of Prophethood started with Hadhrath Adam (as) and was completed with Hadhrath Muhammad al Mustafa (sa). Anyone that claims Prophethood after him (s) is a liar.Shaykh Saduq sets out the Shi’a position on Prophethood in ‘A ...
