Istedraaj denotes failure to repent
When Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked the meaning of "Istedraaj" he replied: "When a person commits a sin he is given respite and a new blessing, then when he fails to repent he is slowly led towards destruction; about which he is heedless. This is known as Istedraj and 'Allah's Plan." (Wasaelush Shia)
It is related from Amirul Momineen (a.s.) that he said: "Certainly, those who are given ...
The Prophets and Proof of Revelation and Prophecy
Many modern scholars who have investigated the problem of revelation and prophecy have tried to explain revelation, prophecy and questions connected with them by using the principles of social psychology. They say that the prophets of God were men of a pure nature and strong will who had great love for humanity. In order to enable mankind to advance spiritually and materially and in order to ...
Precisely speaking, it is understood from the above mentioned verse that the position and rank of Imamat which was bestowed upon Abraham (a.s.), only after successfully enduring those frequent difficult trials, was above and beyond the rank of prophethood.
The primary sense of meaning of the term / Imam / is that of being foremost, but it also has other different meanings including:
A) leadership in the worldly social affairs of people, (as ...
Hazrat Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) has informed; "One who commits qazaf is removed from the ranks of the believers of Allah and considered as a transgressor. Transgressor is also the opposite of believer as Allah himself says, 'Is he then who is the believer like him who is the transgressor?'" (Surah Sajdah 32:18)
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) has been reported to have said, "The person who accuses falsely a chaste man or a chaste woman of ...
There are many traditions that support the taking of a false oath in order to save the Muslims. For example, Shaykh Ansari in his book, Makasib quotes from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) and Imam Ali (a.s.) that they have narrated the following tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.).
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) says: "Swear falsely by Allah, but save your Muslim brothers from unjust murder."
Ismael Ibne Saad records a confirmed tradition, ...
According to the Quranic ayats, one who resorts to short weighing and defrauding does not believe in the Day of Judgement and the Hereafter. If the person had any belief in the Hereafter, he would know that, even if he succeedes in fooling people, he would never be able to hide his fraud from the Lord of the worlds; he would realise that on the Day of Judgement he would have to account for whatever he has earned by defrauding and make good the ...
Although, Shaheed-e-Sani and many other Mujtahids consider every kind of falsehood to be absolutely haraam and a great sin, yet we find in traditions that falsehood is of different grades. Among these different kinds of lies, are some that are certainly greatest of the sins and some are among the greater sins. There are also some types of lying about whom there exists a doubt whether they are "greater" or not. Let us examine each kind of ...
The Riyakari (Show off) of a person is either related to obligatory acts or recommended acts. Either it consers the actual action or it is related to the condition of that action. For example a person intends to shows that he is steadfast in prayer he will pray in order to show off. If, however, he wants to show that he is very humble and devoted in prayers, he will exhibit these things in prayer. It is also possible that one show off in a part ...
No Imam began his Imamat in a more tragic atmosphere. The first day of his Imamat saw him seriously ill and a captive of the army of Yazid in Karbala. His father and predecessor had sacrificed all he had on the altar of truth; and Imam Zayn al-'Abidin 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 the Imam ...
The tradition explaining this concept is to be found in the tradition of Silsilatuz Zahab. It is related by Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) from Imam Reza (a.s.). It is as follows: "Allah says, "The Wilayat of Ali ibne Abi Talib is My fort. Then one who enters My Fort is safe from My wrath (Ghazab)." (Oyoon al Akhbaar ar Reza).
There is no doubt that entering the Wilayat of the purified Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) implies taking refuge with the Ahlul ...
The Believer' Status Before, After and at the Time of the Prophets' Appearance
In another sermon of the Nahj-ul-Balagha known as „al-Khutbah al-Qasi'ah" (The Sermon of Disparagement),the Commander of the Faithful lays down and explains some of the matters which were quoted in previous from Sermon No. 1, concerning the status of the people during the Age of Ignorance, conditions of the time of the appearance of the Prophets and the situation ...
Allah’s words:
And most certainly I (Shaytan) will lead them astray and excite in them vain desires, and bid them that they shall slit the ears of the cattle, and most surely I will bid them so that they shall alter Allah’s creation, and whoever takes the Satan for a guardian rather than Allah he indeed shall suffer a manifest loss. Chapter 4 (The Women / al-Nisa) Verse 119
For this verse to be taken into consideration as a basis ...
PART III:
ISLAMIC BELIEFS FROM THE SHI'ITE POINT OF VIEW
CHAPTER IV ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD
The World Seen from the Point of View of Being and Reality ; The Necessity of God
Consciousness and perception, which are intertwined with man's very being, make evident by their very nature the existence of God as well as the world. For, contrary to those who express doubt about their own existence and everything else and consider the world as ...
With my chain of authorities reaching up to the pioneering shaykh, Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni, may God's good pleasure be with him, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from al-Husayn ibn Said, from someone who narrated it from 'Ubayd ibn Zurarah, from Muhammad ibn Marid that he said, "I said to Abu 'Abd Allah, may peace be upon him, "A hadith has been narrated to us from you that you said: 'When you have d the ma'rifah (i.e. of the rights of the ...
in the same sense, stating that it is like saying to someone `May God forgive you', and it is not necessary in such benedictive expressions to take into consideration that the addressee already possesses the blessing invoked in the prayer. Although such an interpretation seems farfetched in relation to this noble verse-and we have already discussed it under one of the earlier traditions'[2]-it is basically right that mostly the actual possession ...
In every aspect of life, a form of leadership exists, whether it is in the workforce, education, government, family or religious institutes. The Quran emphasizes the role and significance of leadership in Islam and God states, “And remember the day on which we will call together all human beings with their leaders [imams].” (17:71)
Throughout his mission of propagation of the message of Islam, Prophet Muhammad had on several occasions named ...
The twenty-first of the Greater sins is 'Breaking of a promise.' There are authentic traditions to this effect from Abdul Azeem where he quotes that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has proved it to be a Greater sin with the help of the following verse of Holy Quran: "And those who break the covenant of Allah after its confirmation and cut asunder that which Allah has ordered to be joined and make mischief in the land; (as for) those, upon them ...
1. To show interest for meeting with Imam Mahdi.
2. To talk about the virtues of Imam Mahdi and taking part in religious classes.
3. To give alms with the intention of Imam Mahdi’s health.
4. To go to Hajj and visiting the holy shrines in behalf of Imam Mahdi.
Those who visit holy places in behalf of Imam Mahdi are actually dedicating their religious practitioners to him.
5. To ask Imam Mahdi for help, as mentioned in some sayings.
Even ...
After the death of the Prophet a group of his companions, including Ubayy ibn Ka'b, 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah al-Ansarl, Abu Sa'ld al-Khudrl, 'Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar, Anas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Musa, and, above all, the famous 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas, were occupied with the Science of Commentary. Just as they had heard the Prophet explaining the meanings of the verses, they would transmit it orally to other ...
Here it is necessary we mention that the Holy Qur’àn has never based any of its religious beliefs on forced devotion or statements without proofs and evidences, but instead, the subject matter and their interpretation are always based on sound and rational reasoning. The proofs and the reasoning, which appear in the Holy Qur’àn for proving the certainty of the occurrence of Resurrection, shall be mentioned here.1. The Ultimate ...
