In his Peak of Eloquence, Imam Ali (A.S) gives a most wonderful definition of the word Islam. Amongst many other immaculate sayings, I believe this one in particular deserves another look at.
Imam Ali (A.S):
I will define Islam for you in a way that nobody dared do it before me. Islam means obedience to Allah, obedience to Allah means having sincere faith in Him, such a faith means to believe in His Power, belief in His Power means ...
Imam Ali ibn Al-Husayn (Peace be Upon Him)
TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION
AL-SAHIFAT AL-SAJJADIYYA is the oldest prayer manual in Islamic sources and one of the most seminal works of Islamic spirituality of the early period. It was composed by the Prophet's great grandson, `Ali ibn al-Husayn, known as Zayn al-'Abidin (`the adornment of the worshippers'), and has been cherished in Shi'ite sources from earliest times. Zayn al-'Abidin was the fourth ...
The status of Imam Hussein (Abu-Abdullah) (a.s.) is unparalleled, except by that of his father, mother, brother, and the Imams of his offspring, on all of them be the peace and blessings of Allah. Should a historian make a good research, collecting the stories and traditions concerning Imam Hussein (a.s.), he would certainly end up with the Imam (a.s.) as the top example among the Muslims. He would write a voluminous, great work covering this ...
Imam Reza(A.S.) was given a group of noble nicknames. Each nickname represented one of his noble qualities. The following are some of them:
1. Al-RezaThe historians and narrators have differed over the person who gave this exalted nickname to the Holy Imam(A.S.),to the extent that it has prevailed him and become a name through which he is recognized. The following are some of the statements:Some narrators believe that it was Ima`m Musa ...
Ahlul-bayt in the glurious Qur'an
The Glorious Qur'an, the revealed word of Almighty Allah to His last and greatest Prophet, Muhammad (s.a.w.), is the source of all divine laws and has given humanity a perfect system of life and a code of well-defined ethical values. Every Muslim knows that he is obliged to apply Qur'anic instructions in his daily life and refer to them for guidance. Numerous verses of the Holy Qur'an spotlight the lofty ...
Muhammad Ibn `Ali al-Jawad (at-Taqi) (peace be Upon him)
Name: MuhammadTitle: al-Jawad or at-TaqiAgnomen: Abu Ja`farFather's name: `Ali ar-RideMother's name: Sabikah (or khayzuran)Birth: In Medina, on Friday, 10th Rajab 195 AH"Death: Died at the age of 25 ,in al-kazimiyyah on Wednesday, 29th Dhi'l-qi`dah 220 AH, poisoned by Mu`tasim, the `Abbasid caliph; buried in al-kazimiyyah, Baghdad. Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (or at - Taqi) is the Ninth ...
The Tenth Holy Imam, Ali Al-Hadi (AS) was the first son of Imam Muhammad Al-Jawad (AS) and Sayyidah Samana (SA). His father named him after his grandfather, Imam Reza (AS) and his great ancestor Imam Ali (AS).The child was brought up by his father, who taught him the knowledge of the Imamate (leadership) and about the religious sciences.In 243 A.H. (857 A.D.) as a result of certain false charges that were made, Caliph Mutawakkil ordered one of ...
IMAM ZAINUL ABIDIN (A.S) RETURNS TO MEDINA.
Having spent not less than one year in the prison of Yezid in Damascus, Imam Zainul Abidin returned to Medina. On reaching Medina, he camped outside the town and let the people of Medina know that he was back. When people came to meet him, without fearing the governor of Kufa, he let people know of all the injustices that were done to the family of the Prophet.
Dressed in mourning dress, he sat on ...
The term "ahl" signifies the members of a household of a man, including his fellow tribesmen, kin, relatives, wife (or wives), children, and all those who share a family background, religion, housing, city, and country with him. "Ahl" and "al" are both the same term with the exception that "al" is exclusively used for human beings and should come before the family name, but such a condition is not existent in the case of "ahl". "Bayt" refers to ...
One of the distinct features of the Prophet (SAW) is that he was the teacher, founder, and leader of his nation (Ummah). His behavior towards people is worth consideration as an example for both people and governments to follow. The base of our discussion is from the Holy Qur’an, which states: “Certainly an apostle has come to you from among yourselves; grievous to him is your falling into distress, excessively solicitous respecting you; ...
No Imam began his Imamate in a more tragic atmosphere. The first day of his Imamate saw him seriously ill and a captive of the army of Yazid inKarbala. His father and predecessor had sacrificed all he had on the altar of truth; and Imam Zayn al-’Abidin (AS) found himself with a group of helpless widows and orphans being led from place to place, from the durbar of Ibn Ziyad to the court of Yazid. Finally they were thrown into a prison, where ...
Prayer for Imam Hasan al-Askari
English Transliteration Arabic
In the name of Allah,The Beneficent, The Merciful
Bismillahir rahmanir rahim
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيمO Allah: (please do) send blessings upon al-Hasan, son of Ali, son of Muhammad, Allaahumma s'alli ‘alal-h'asanibni ‘aliyyinibni muh'ammad(in) اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيّ بْنِ مُحَمّدٍThe ...
(This is) an account of the Imam after al-Hasan b. Ali, peace be on him, (giving) the date of his birth, the evidence of his Imamate, the age he reached, the period of his succession (khalifa), the time and cause of his death, and the place of his grave. (It also provides) a selection from the (historical) reports about him.
The Imam after al-Hasan b. Ali was his brother, al-Husayn b. Ali (who was) the son of Fatima, daughter of the Apostle of ...
Surah 16 (Nah'l), Ayah 43 commands us to seek answers from the knowledgeable in the Quran.
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ
فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
And before Thy time [O' Muhammad], We have sent men to whom We have revealed; —[O people] refer to the Folk of ...
Sunni Traditions in praise of Syeda Fatima Zahra (A.S.)
• The Prophet (s) said, "The most beloved of my family to me isFatima."Al-Jami' al-Sagheer, v. 1, #203, p. 37; Al-Sawaiq Al-Muhariqa, p. 191; Yanabi' Al-Mawadda, v. 2, ch. 59, p. 479; Kenz Al-Omal, v. 13, p. 93. • The Prophet (s) said, “Fatima is more beloved to me than you, oh Ali, and you are dearer to me than her.”Majma' Al-Zawa’id, v. 9, p. 202; Al-Jami' ...
O Allah! Send blessings on Muhammad and on the children of Muhammad. In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Peace be on you, O intimate friend of Allah Peace be on you, O the decisive argument of Allah, sincerely attached to Him Peace be on you, O Guide Leader of the faithfuls inheritor of the Messengers, clear convincing sign of the Lord of the worlds, blessings of Allah be on you, and on your pure and pious children O Mawlaa, O ...
There was a great Shia’h Scholar in the days of our tenth holy Imam al-Hadi (as). Once a Nasibi (a person who curses the Ahlul-Bayt) had a debate with this scholar and the scholar defeated him through Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions.One day this scholar came into a gathering, which consisted mostly of Sayyids and people of Banu Hashim; and Imam al-Hadi (A.S.) was also present. In the centre of that gathering, Imam (A.S.) was seated and ...
Migration of a group of Muslims to Ethiopia is a clear proof of their faith and deep sincerity. With a view to get rid of the mischief and atrocities of Quraysh and to acquire a peaceful atmosphere for observing their religious ceremonies and worshipping Allah the One they decided to leave Makkah and to forsake their wealth business children and relatives. They however wondered what to do and where to go for they saw that idolatry prevailed ...
