What is the interpretation and reward of reciting chapter al-Fil of the Holy Quran?

The Prophet of Islam (S) and Muslims in Mecca were an absolute minority and pagans would pressurize them because of their beliefs. In many verses of the Holy Quran, God Almighty has supported the Holy Prophet (S) and Muslims and has warned pagans for their actions. The chapter al-Fil of the Quran is in fact an account of a historical event having been revealed to assure the Holy Prophet (S) and to announce that God supports him. History holds ...

( 2024-11-07 15:23:51 )

Why do the Shī‘ah perform the five daily prayers in three periods

Reply: In order to clarify this point, we had better examine the views of jurists [fuqahā] in this regard first: 1. All Muslim groups agree that in ‘Arafah[1] one may perform both noon [ẓuhr] and afternoon [aṣr] prayers successively without any interval between them, and in Muzdalifah[2] it is also permissible to say sunset [maghrib] and night [‘ishā’] prayers at the time of ‘ishā’ prayer. 2. The Ḥanafīs say: ...

( 2024-11-07 13:18:38 )

Grand Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani answers a question on dreams

Grand Ayatollah Wahid Khorasani answers a question on dreams: Acting upon the instructions given in a dream Question: My brother sees a man in his dream that gives him nice instructions, tells him good things and sometimes tells him about the near future. Recently he has told him in a dream that after a short while he would die and this has lead to my brother becoming depressed and uneasy. Are his words reliable and can his instructions ...

( 2024-11-07 12:12:38 )

Fish

1 Question: Is it permissible to eat lobster, crayfish, and snails? Answer: It is not permissible to eat from marine animals anything except fish that has scale; shrimp is considered from that category [of permissible sea animals]. But other than fish, like lobster, and similarly the fish that does not have scale is ...

( 2024-11-07 03:44:53 )

Great Lady Mary in Islam (02 of 03)

Her Annunciation God informs us of the instance the angels gave Mary the glad tidings of a child, his soon to be status on earth, and some of the miracles he will perform: “When the angels said: ‘O Mary! Indeed God gives you glad tidings of a word (His saying, ‘Be’) from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and of those nearest to God. He shall speak to people while ...

( 2024-11-07 02:33:53 )

Who are the Ahlulbayt?

" . . . . Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you with a perfect purification." (The last section of Verse 33:33) This verse attests to their sinlessless, as all sins are a form of impurity, and this has been completely removed from them. The Ahlul-Bayt of the Prophet consist of the following individuals: * Fatimah al-Zahra (AS) - the only daughter of the ...

( 2024-11-06 20:14:43 )

Is there a separate Laylatul Qadr for every country? The Grand Ayatollah Sistani’s answer

Question: Considering that the date of Laylatul Qadr in Iran and other countries are not the same, is the real night in Iran or other countries?

The Grand Ayatollah Sistani: Each (country) act on own religious duties according to the proof of the moon for the month in their own area.

( 2024-11-06 20:14:43 )

Is celebrating the birthday of the saints [awliyā’] of God a kind of polytheism and innovation [bid‘ah]?

Is celebrating the birthday of the saints [awliyā’] of God a kind of polytheism and innovation [bid‘ah]? Reply: Although honoring the memory of meritorious servants of God by celebrating their birthday is an indisputable issue from the perspective of learned men, in a bid to remove any kind of doubt in this regard, ...

( 2024-11-06 19:02:43 )

What is the meaning of Kowsar? And what are the descriptions of pond of Kowsar?

Kowsar means an abundance of goodness and benevolence and a great deal of examples are mentioned in the holy Quran like Pond and stream of Kowsar, intercession, prophecy, wisdom, knowledge, numerous generations, and abundant offspring. Kowsar is of two instances that one of them is worldly (Fatima PBUH) and the other one is hereafter (Pool of Kowsar). According to tradition, Pool of Kowsar is a source of sweet water in the paradise that the ...

( 2024-11-06 15:01:07 )

Seeking This World VS. Seeking the Hereafter (Akhirah)

How does Islam view the relation between this world and the hereafter (Akhirah)? Does Islam consider them as two completely separate and different matters? How does Islam describe people who only strive for this world in comparison to the people who strive for the hereafter? 1- Amir al-Mu'minin (PBUH) said: 'One who seeks this world, then death shall look for him/her till it takes him/her out of this world; and one who seeks the hereafter, then ...

( 2024-11-06 07:04:18 )

Following a Mujtahid

1 Question: What are the ways through which I can identify the most learned of Mujtahids? Answer: There are three ways of identifying a Mujtahid, and the A'alam: * when a person is certain that a particular person is a Mujtahid, or the most learned one. For this, he should be a learned person himself, and should possess the capacity to identify a Mujtahid or an A'alam; * when two persons, who are learned and just and possess the ...

( 2024-11-06 06:03:16 )

1. The philosophy of raj‘ah

In analyzing the motives of raj‘ah, we encounter two sublime aims the first of which is to show the real beauty and splendor of Islam and the ignominy of kufr [disbelief], and the second is to reward the faithful and beneficent human beings and chastise the unbelievers and oppressors. 2. The main difference between raj‘ah and tanāsukh [transmigration] It is necessary to point out that in the view of the Shī‘ah the issue of raj‘ah ...

( 2024-11-06 01:44:18 )

Self-Awareness and Reality of Faith

After we saw some of the attributes that cause the degradation of human status, now let us proceed to observe the virtues that ensure the perfection of human development and are the cause of human maturity and perfection. But before beginning this discussion we invite your attention to two essential introductions.A – Necessity of Self-awarenessFor a creature that naturally loves itself, it is absolutely instinctive to try to know its abilities ...

( 2024-11-06 00:40:09 )

The Origin of Shiaism

QUESTION:Have historical factors influenced the development of Shiaism, or is this sect a set of beliefs derived from the Qur’an and the clear traditions of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)?ANSWER:We need to explain several points in order to shed light on the topic and show that:(a) historical factors and events had no role in the development of Shiaism and the belief in the existence of an Imam who will save humanity (b) ...

( 2024-11-06 00:40:09 )

Intention (niyyah): The first essential element of prayer

By: Hojjat al-Islam Muhsin Qara’atiThe first essential element {rukn} of prayer is the intention {niyyah}.Intention means that we have to know what we are doing, what we are reciting, and for whom and for what a certain movement is made.The value of every deed lies in the intention and motive behind it; not merely in the deed itself. Thus, the quality of the actions of a person who stops on a red traffic light in order to maintain order ...

( 2024-11-05 11:57:50 )

Who is Allah?

Who is Allah?Allah is an Arabic-word for: The One and Only Deity/ God,Islam is the only religion that can describe themselves as True-monotheists, why?In Islam, we do not believe in anthropomorphism (i.e. attributing human-facets to The Divine One)In the Old Testament, in Genesis it says:26 And God said; Let us make man in our image, after our likeness : and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over ...

( 2024-11-05 10:56:32 )

Do the Shī‘ah regard witr prayer as obligatory?

Do the Shī‘ah regard witr prayer as obligatory? Reply: Witr prayer is part of the supererogatory night prayers and it is one of the recommended [mustaḥabb] works which the Muslims who follow the Messenger of Allah (ṣ) perform, but the Shī‘ah jurists [fuqahā] who rely on the Book of Allah and the Prophet’s ...

( 2024-11-05 09:53:21 )

From the aggregate of the quoted verses and the words of Qur’an exegetes, it becomes obvious that not only the Shī‘ah but in fact all Muslim scholars regard Imām al-Ḥasan and Imām al-Ḥusayn (‘a) as the children and offspring of the Messenger of Allah (ṣ).

From the aggregate of the quoted verses and the words of Qur’an exegetes, it becomes obvious that not only the Shī‘ah but in fact all Muslim scholars regard Imām al-Ḥasan and Imām al-Ḥusayn (‘a) as the children and offspring of the Messenger of Allah (ṣ). 2. One of the explicit verses of the Qur’an which testifies to the truthfulness of the said view is the verse of imprecation [āyah al-mubāhilah] in Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān. ...

( 2024-11-05 02:34:39 )

Can something emerge from nothing?

Based on philosophical and mystical principles, creating something out of nothing means that the universe and the entire divine attributes are, in the level of divine essence, vanished in God’s essence with no name, accident or distinction or any quality existing. The level of God’s essence, before manifestation, is the level which is literally called the unseen of the unseen or the invisible of the invisibles; it is ...

( 2024-11-04 20:35:11 )

What is the timing of fast, when does it start and when does it end?

[1] - Tawzih al-Masail (with annotation by Imam Khomeini), vol.1, pg.88.[2] - Ibid, vol.1, pg.411[3] - Khomeini, Sayyid Rohullah Musavi, Tawzih al-Masail (by Imam Khomeini), pg.164, issue No.730, First, 1436 A.H.[4] - Tawzih al-Masail (with annotation by Imam Khomeini), vol.1, pg.440; Khamenei, Sayyid Ali, Answers to Jurisprudential Questions, pg. 73, Office of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei in Qom, Qom, Iran, First, 1424 ...

( 2024-11-04 14:57:08 )