The transmission of the Qur'an, from the day of its revelation up to the present day, is flawless. The chapters and verses have been in constant use amongst Muslims and have been passed on perfectly intact from one generation to the other. The Qur'an we know today is the same Qur'an which was revealed to the Prophet some fourteen centuries ago.
The Qur'an does not stand in need of historical proof for its identity or authenticity, (although ...
With respect to knowledge and piety our Masoomeen (a.s.) occupy the highest position. Amongst the believers there is a wide spectrum of people capable of different levels of understanding and piety, but none can reach the stage of Masoomeen (a.s.). All believers succumb to their desires and selfish motives to a greater or lesser extent. Consequently they fall prey to sins and disobey Allah. This is inevitable. This situation is aptly described ...
Considering the tradition quoted above one is compelled to conclude that it is necessary to dread sinful acts and to be ever cautious of the vices. Only then are the good actions of any consequences. The good deeds must also be performed in such a manner that we strive to emulate as closely as possible the examples set by the high ideals of our Ahlul Bayt (a.s.). It should not be that good actions are rendered null and void due to sins. It is ...
And those who perform jihad for Us, We shall certainly guide them in Our ways, and God is surely with the doers of good. (Quran XXXIX; 69)
You have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad. (Hadith)
The Arabic term jihad, usually translated into European languages as holy war, more on the basis of its juridical usage in Islam rather than on its much more universal meaning in the Quran and Hadith, is derived from the ...
What is the interpretation of verse 69 of Surah al-Maedah? Can we deduce with the help of this verse that Christians will also go to Paradise? Isn\'t such an interpretation opposed to the rightfulness of Islam?Concise answerIt has been stated clearly in Islamic doctrines and in the most sacred book of Islam, i.e. the Qur'an that those non-Muslims who stay on their pure God-gifted nature and do good deeds while Islam is not made known to them, ...
I wish to know whether the report which says that the Messenger of Allah (S) once missed his morning or Fajr Prayers is true or not. (I had seen this topic being discussed in a book that contained Allamah Tabatabai\'s answers to questions.)..Concise answer This issue is among jurisprudential topics and has also something to do with theological themes. There are reports and narrations transmitted in this regard but jurisprudents are not ...
In this connection, I would like to narrate one incident that happened during the conquest of Mecca. When the Prophet Muhammad (known as "mercy for the universe" in the Qur'ān) marched into the city of Mecca in the 8th year of hijra, he declared a general amnesty for all his enemies. However, the same Prophet named seven or eleven persons "who should be killed even if they are found holding on to the cover of the Ka`bah!"21 Those who like to ...
Why did the Shi'a Separate From the Sunni? The Shia-Sunni split is not a recent phenomenon. The root of this division can be traced to just a few days after the death of our Prophet (pbuh&hp). Shi'as believe that the Prophet within his lifetime unambiguously appointed Imam Ali bin Abi Talib as his successor, and the caliph of the Muslim ummah (nation) after his death.However, Sunnis believe that the Prophet did not decicively fix the ...
And according to this too, we say: reason perceives the Creator in a way that necessitates man to acknowledge His existence, and it does not perceive Him in a way that necessitates man to know His qualities. If they ask: how is a weak man charged with knowing the Creator without knowing His qualities? It is said to them: people have been charged with what they can do and within their abilities, that is to believe in the Creator and to follow His ...
The Islamic creed is that THERE IS NO GOD SAVE ALLAH AND THAT MUHAMMAD IS HIS PROPHET. (LA ILAAHA ILLA-ALLAH MUHAMMADUR- RASOOLILLAH).
Muslims believe that Allah is ONE. He was neither begotten nor does He beget. He has no Partner. He is the Beginning and He is the End. He is Omniscient and Omnipresent. The Quraan says that He is closer to man than his jugular vein yet He cannot be encompassed by human intellect. See the following verses of ...
In this paper I propose to describe the teachings of Shi'ite Islam about authority in a manner accessible to Catholic partners in dialogue. For this purpose, I will contrast Shi'ite views on these issues with those of Catholics, and those of Sunni theologians, and I will also mention a few of the differences of opinion on these matters among the various Shi'ite sects and Sufis.
To begin with, we need to clarify what is meant by authority. ...
In Mecca, the Prophet (a.s.) made speeches in which he invited the people of Quraysh to believe in and embrace Islam, and in Medina, too, he made speeches to declare the principles and values of Islam. Here, we mention some of those speeches that besides their religious values, they are excellent examples in the Arabic literature and eloquence.
1. His speech in Mecca
When the Revelation came down to the Prophet (a.s.) ordering him to warn his ...
Laziness in offering mandatory prayers is a trait of the hypocrites. Mu'min should not be tardy about offering prayers and should fulfill this obligation with humility and fear of Allah.
Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S) has said that when one thinks of performing a good deed, then he should hasten to accomplish it; lest Satan diverts his mind and the deed is not done!
Dedication of Heart in Prayer
Imam Jafar Sadiq (A.S) has said, "Abstain from two ...
By:Ali KhalfanOne of the specific challenges in the Qur'an to prove its miraculous nature is the position of the recipient of the revelation, prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).In one of the verses, Allah commands the prophet to say to his people that before the revelation, he lived a lifetime among them. During this time, he had not received any formal education; nor did he write even a single line of poetry or read anything. Muhammad was an ...
A woman presented herself before the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said, "O, Messenger of Allah, I called my maid adulteress."
The Prophet (s.a.) said, "Have you ever seen her committing adultery?" "No," she replied.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) told her, "Know that ! On the day of Qiyamat, some of your good deeds will be transferred to this maid and it would be the expiation.
This woman returned and handed a whip to her maid and said, ...
"For Iqbal, one lesson is that the meaning of Scripture cannot be seen directly, as if by simply looking at a verse of the Quran, the reader would directly 'see' what it means. In order to understand the signs of the Quran, readers must engage in the patient work of reading and interpretation: analogous to the patient work through which scientists investigate the signs of nature. Iqbal's claim is that believers are brought closer to God both by ...
The Sunni fiqh is also in agreement with the views mentioned above on the punishment for apostasy. Soon after the Prophet's death, the Sunni caliphate started a widespread campaign of fighting some tribes in the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. The justification used by the caliphate was that the tribes had turned away from Islam; they had become murtad.Even historians describe it as "waq`atu 'r-ridda -- the event of apostasy". Although we do ...
