Religion Vs Religion

Reflecting on his experience as an engraver, William Blake once remarked that, in art as in life, the decisive factor is how you draw a line. "What is it that distinguishes honesty from knavery, but the hard and wirey line of rectitude and certainty in the actions and intentions? Leave out this line, and you leave out life itself; all is chaos again, and the line of the almighty must be drawn out upon it before man or beast can exist."
It is a long way from Blake, the eighteenth century English artist and poet to Ali Shariati, the twentieth century Iranian sociologist and Islamologist; yet not impossibly far. For, despite their differences, the two share a moral passion leading them to drawlines in their writings calling for religious and social reform. A reader may not like where or how a line cuts, but there it is, bold and uncompromising, leaving one no choice but to stand on one side or the other.
The line Shariati draws in the following speeches is between two religions, a "religion of revolution" and a "religion of legitimation." The difference between them is sharply drawn: the first is a religion working to overcome differences in class and economic status, while the second is a religion legitimating and perpetuating such differences. As opposed to some socialists who draw the line between religion, as supporter of class di visions, and non-religion,which overcomes these divisions, he places the dividing-line within religion itself. From his perspective, it is thus not religion itself that needs to be rejected as the "opium of the people," but only one type of religion, the "religion of legitimation," while true religion remains unscathed.

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Two Women And A Man By Bint Al-Huda

An Islamic novel by Bint al Huda. Hasanat, a very pious young girl recently gets engaged with Mustafa who is studying in a foreign country. Her sister Rihab is influenced by liberal ideologies of the west and is jealous of her happy life. She makes a secret plot to destroy her relationship with Mustafa by writing letters to him pretending as Hasanat.

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Duties Of People Towards The Imam

This is obligatory according to texts (Quran and Hadith), and reason.

Rational Proof: The Imam of the Time (aj) is a guide and a leader whose obedience is compulsory and it is necessary to recognize correctly one whose obedience is compulsory. So that if someone lays a false claim to be that leader, he can be exposed at once and we shall not be misguided by his false propaganda. Thus the recognition (Marefat) of the Imam of the Time (aj) is obligatory and it is also obligatory to learn about his special characteristics so that if a false claimant of Mahdaviyat appears we can, at once, realize his falsehood. Further details will come in the coming pages, Insha Allah.

Textual Proof: Shaykh Sadooq (r.a.) has recorded a tradition of Imam Musa Kazim (a) that he said, “One who doubts about four things has denied everything revealed by Allah. One of these being the Marefat of the Imam of age.”
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Candle Of Hope

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise is due to the Allah (swt) the Lord of the universe, and may His blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and his immaculate progeny of Ahlul-Bayt, peace be upon them. And may their enemies be cursed till the Day of Judgment.Our discussion about the belief in Imam Al-Mahdi (af) revolves around two main points:

First point:
Factors that demonstrate the importance of the belief in Imam Al-Mahdi (af).

Second Point:
Ways by which we show our concern for Imam Al-Mahdi (af).

Factors that demonstrate the importance of the belief in Imam Al-Mahdi
As for the first point of discussion, there is a set of factors which compels us to believe in Imam Al-Mahdi (af) and treat this belief with utmost importance.

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Society And History

The outlook of a school of thought on society and history and the opinion that it forms about these two, plays a decisive role in the ideology of that school. Hence it is essential to find out how Islam looks at society and history in the perspective of its conception of the world. It is evident that Islam is neither a school of sociology nor a philosophy of history. In its revealed Book no social or historical problem has been dealt with in the language of these two sciences.
The Holy Qur'an also has not used the usual terminology of the relevant sciences while dwelling on any moral, juristic or philosophical subject. None the less, Islamic view on a large number of questions pertaining to these sciences can be derived and deduced from the verses of the Holy Qur'an.
Islamic thinking in respect of society and history, being of special importance, it deserves an elaborate study and investigation. Like many other teachings of Islam, its views on these subjects are also a sign of the depth and profoundness, of its precepts and doctrines. For the sake of brevityweproposetodealwithIslamicthinkingaboutsocietyandabout history together in one chapter and confine our discussion to only those questions which in our opinion are essential for the identification of Islamic ideology.

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Man And The Holy Quran

According to Islamic conception man has a wonderful story. The man of Islam is not merely a 'biped homo erectus', who speaks and has wide nails. From the viewpoint of the Holy Qur'an, this being is too profound and too mysterious to be defined in such a simple way. The Holy Qur'an has at one and the same time lauded and disparaged him. It has praised him very highly, but it has also slighted him in the most disparaging terms. It has described him as superior to the heavens, the earth and the angels, but at the same time has also declared that he is inferior even to the Devil and the beasts. The Holy Qur'an is of the opinion that man is a being who has enough power to control the entire world and put the angels to his own service, but he often falls to the lowest ebb. It is man who takes decision about himself and determines his final destiny. We begin with the merits of man as mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.

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HISTORY AND HUMAN EVOLUTION

Murtada Mutahhari
Translated from Persian by Dr. 'Ali'uddin Pasargadi
The subject of our discussion is the meaning of evolution in history, or in other words, man's social evolution and progress. Men of science assume two types of evolution for man: one of which is biological evolution, about which you may have read in biology and know that man is considered as the most perfect animal and the last link in the natural evolution of animals. The meaning of biological evolution is clear: it is an evolution that the process of nature has produced without the intervention of man himself and without his asking for it. In this respect there is no difference between man and other animals; since every animal has reached a stage of evolution by a natural and coercive process. The same process has brought man to the stage that we call him a human being, and consider him a specific kind of species as distinct from other species.

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Glimpses Of The Nahj Al-Balaghah

This is the first part of Martyr Mutahhari's book Sayri dar Nahj al-balaghah, and consists of the introduction and the first section of the book. The introduction, which the author, presumably wrote before giving the book to the publishers is dated Muharram 3, 1995 (January 15, 1975).
INTRODUCTION:
Perhaps it may have happened to you, and if not, you may still visualize it: someone lives on your street or in your neighbourhood for years; you see him at least once every day and habitually nod to him and pass by. Years pass in this manner, until, one day, accidentally, you get an opportunity to sit down with him and to become familiar with his ideas, views and feelings, his likes and dislikes. You are amazed at what you have come to know about him. You never imagined or guessed that he might be as you found him, and never thought that he was what you later discovered him to be.
After that, whenever you see him, his face, somehow, appears to be different. Not only this, your entire attitude towards him is altered. His personality assumes a new meaning, a new depth and respect in your heart, as if he were some person other than the one you thought you knew for years. You feel as if you have discovered a new world.
My experience was similar in regard to the Nahj al-balaghah. From my childhood years I was familiar with the name of this book, and I could distinguish it from other books on the shelves in my father's library. Years later, during my studies, first at the theological school of Mashhad, and later at Qum, when I was finishing the last stages of the preliminary education in theology called "sutuh", during all those days the name of the Nahj al-balaghah was heard more often than that of any other book after the Quran. Some of its sermons on piety I had heard so many times that I almost remembered them by heart.
Nevertheless, I must admit, like all of my colleagues at the theology school (Hawzah 'ilmiyyah), I was quite ignorant of the world of the Nahj al-balaghah. We had met as strangers and passed by each other in the manner of strangers. This continued until the summer of 1325 (1946) when in order to escape the heat of Qum, I went to Isfahan. A trifling accident brought me into contact with a person who took my hand and led me somewhat into the world of the Nahj al-balaghah.

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A Cursory Glance At The Theory Of Wilayat Al Faqih

This work contains a number of speeches, articles, books, and question-and-answer sessions of the erudite professor, Haḍrat Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi (may his sublime presence endure), which have been compiled, edited and published by the author on the subject of Wilayat al-Faqih. We believe that in the current status of our society, wilayat al-faqih constitutes the central pillar of Islam, and its safety contributes to the splendor of Islam and Islamic laws and values in the society. As such, we have decided to elucidate this theory, support it academically and logically, and enlighten the general public, particularly the young generation of our country who probably know very little about this theory and its ramifications, and thus discharge a small part of our religious duty. Likewise, we have tried to deal with all the aspects of this theory to address the subjects which we find significant and controversial. However, things like the brevity of content and the readers’ patience and the time that they have been taken into account as far as possible.

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What Do You Know About Islamic Economics

A short text about the nature of the Islamic economic system, its distinction from Capitalism and Marxism, and the primary obstacles encountered in its application to society today.

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Thematic Approach To Quranic Exegesis

By the 'analytic approach' we mean the approach in which the exegete deals with the Qur'an verse by verse, in accordance with their compiled sequence in the Qur'an. The exegete following this approach, follows the Qur'anic text and expounds it in a piecemeal fashion, utilising those instruments of exegesis that he believes to be effective (such as reliance on literal meanings, traditions, or other verses that have some word or meaning in common with the verse under study)to the extent of his capacity to throw light upon the import of the part being commented upon, while taking into consideration the context in which it occurs.
Naturally, while discussing the analytic approach to tafsir we should examine its most developed and complete form. The analytic method made a gradual historical advance before reaching its present stage, where the complete Qur'an comes under its purview.
This method began during the era of the Sahabah and the Tabi'un, at the level of analytic exposition of some words and verses of the Qur'an. With the passage of time, the need for the exegesis of further verses increased, until by the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth century, it took its final and most extensive form in the works of Ibn Majah, al-Tabari and others.
The aim of the analytic method was to....

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The Revealer - Messenger The Message

Belief in God, His existence, and His attributes. Belief in the Messenger Prophet Muhammad (s) and in prophethood. Belief in the message Islam.

The book you now have in hand is one of the many Islamic publications distributed by this Organization throughout the world in different languages with the aim of conveying the message of Islam to the people of the world.

You may read this book carefully and should you be interested to have further study on such publications you can contact us through a letter. Naturally, if we find you to be a keen and energetic reader we shall give you a deserving response in sending you some other publications of this Organization...

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The Emergence Of ShiIsm And The ShiItes

The relation between the ideological and the theological realms in Islam. Theories of the Caliphate and the Imamate in Islam and the historical development of Shi'ism as a distinct school of Islam thought.

Imam Ali Foundation has published books and book translations of high quality concerning many subjects, especially regarding a wider understanding of Islam both in its dogmatic and legal aspects.

Dear Reader, the book which you have in your hands treats a most important topic regarding the relation between the ideological and the theological realms in Islam. It concerns theories of the Caliphate and the Imamate in Islam and especially the historical developement of Shi'ism, which insists upon a strict observance of Koranic and prophetic texts in everyday life.

The first text represents the inspired thought of the martyr Sayyed Mohammad Baqir As-Sadr, who was highly reputed for the intellectual quality, scientific value and objectivity of his works. Dr. Abdul Jabbar Chararah has been given the great distinction, and privilege, to annotate this work and to present it here, in order to facilitate its access to the public..

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Tafsir Al Mizan Vol 8

1.al ‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabātabā’ī (1321/1904 — 1402/1981) may Allāh have mercy upon him — was a famous scholar, thinker and the most celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher. We have introduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of alMīzān.

2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of which the most important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān which is rightly counted as the fundamental pillar of scholarly work which the ‘Allāmah has achieved in the Islamic world

3.We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān in English. After a thorough consultation, we came to choose al-Mīzān because we found that it contained in itself, to a considerable extent, the points which should necessarily be expounded in a perfect exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān and the points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader. Therefore, we proposed to al-Ustādh al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Sa‘īd Akhtar arRadawī to undertake this task, because we were familiar with his intellectual ability to understand the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and his literary capability in expression and translation. So we relied on him for this work and consider him responsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī was responsible for the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and its discussions.

4.We have now undertaken the publication of the eighth volume of the English translation of al-Mīzān. This volume corresponds with the second half of the fourth volume of the Arabic text. With the help of Allāh, the Exalted, we hope to provide the complete translation and publication of this voluminous work.

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The Glorious Qur’an, Translated With Commentary Of Divine Lights Set 6

The Glorious Qur’an, translated with Commentary of Divine Lights by Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy

Set 6, Manzil 6, from Surah As-Saffat (37) to the end of Surah al-Hujurat (49)

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Our Philosophy

Our Philosophy is a collection of our basic notions concerning the world and our way of considering it. For this reason, the book, with the exception of the Introduction, is divided into two investigations: one concerned with the theory of knowledge, and the other, with the philosophical notion of the world. The task of the first investigation undertaken by this work can be summarized as follows: 1. To provide evidence for the [soundness of] rational logic which asserts that the rational method of thought is sound, and that the mind - as it is equipped with necessary knowledge prior to experience - is the primary criterion of human thought. There can be no philosophical or a scientific thought that does not submit to this general criterion. Even the experience that empiricists claim to be the primary criterion is not in reality anything but an instrument for applying the rational criterion. The experiential theory cannot dispense with the rational treasure. 2. To study the value of human knowledge, and to show that one can admit that knowledge has a [true] value on the basis of rational logic, and not on the basis of dialectical logic which cannot give knowledge a true value. Our basic purpose in this investigation is to determine the book's method in the second investigation, since the positing of a general notion concerning the world depends, in the first place, on determining the principal method of thought, the general criterion of true knowledge, [1] and the extent of (p. 8) the value of true knowledge. That is why the first investigation is in fact a preparatory discussion for the second. The second investigation of the work is the basic investigation, to which we would like to direct the reader's attention in particular.

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Fadak In History

Fadak in History is a work by the martyred Imam Muhammad Baqir as-Sadr. It was really, according to the historical period, in which it was written, a unique study because it relied on modern scientific methods in investigating the details and the documents related to the case. It engaged the reader in a debate that was profound, logical and exact.

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Critique Of Marxist Philosophy Part 2

Ever since man has attempted to determine his relation to the external world, the formulation of world view has been a central problem of philosophic thought. The author's aim is to present the world view of Islamic philosophy against the backdrop of other views presented by modern Western philosophy, especially Marxism.

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Critique Of Marxist Philosophy Part 1

It is not philosophy for philosophy's sake. The purpose is to present Islam as an alternative system superior to capitalism and secular democracy on the one hand and to Marxism and socialism on the other.

Although devoid of an articulate worldview or ideology, capitalistic democracies are materialistic to the core. Dissociating themselves from all transcendental principles, they claim to promote the interests and rights of the individual and safeguard his economic, political liberties and freedom of expression and thought. The interests of the individual are regarded as primary and are emphasized at the cost of the interests of society.

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The Glorious Qur’an, Translated With Commentary Of Divine Lights Set 5

The Glorious Qur’an, translated with Commentary of Divine Lights by Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy Set 5, Manzil 5, from Surah ash-Shuara’ (26) to the end of Surah Ya-Sin (36)


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Tafsir Al Mizan Vol 7

1. al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabātabā’ī (1321/1904 — 1402/1981) — may Allāh have mercy upon him — was a famous scholar, thinker and the most celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher. We have introduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of alMīzān.
2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of which the most important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān which is rightly counted as the fundamental pillar of scholarly work which the ‘Allāmah has achieved in the Islamic world.
3. We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān in English. After a thorough consultation, we came to choose al- Mīzān because we found that it contained in itself, to a considerable extent, the points which should necessarily be expounded in a perfect exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān and the points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader. Therefore, we proposed to al-Ustādh al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Sa‘īd Akhtar arRadawī to undertake this task because we were familiar with his intellectual ability to understand the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and his literary capability in expression and translation. So we relied on him for this work and consider him responsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī was responsible for the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and its discussions.

click here to continue

Glimpses Of The Nahj Al-Balaghah

This is the first part of Martyr Mutahhari's book Sayri dar Nahj al-balaghah, and consists of the introduction and the first section of the book. The introduction, which the author, presumably wrote before giving the book to the publishers is dated Muharram 3, 1995 (January 15, 1975).
INTRODUCTION:
Perhaps it may have happened to you, and if not, you may still visualize it: someone lives on your street or in your neighbourhood for years; you see him at least once every day and habitually nod to him and pass by. Years pass in this manner, until, one day, accidentally, you get an opportunity to sit down with him and to become familiar with his ideas, views and feelings, his likes and dislikes. You are amazed at what you have come to know about him. You never imagined or guessed that he might be as you found him, and never thought that he was what you later discovered him to be.
After that, whenever you see him, his face, somehow, appears to be different. Not only this, your entire attitude towards him is altered. His personality assumes a new meaning, a new depth and respect in your heart, as if he were some person other than the one you thought you knew for years. You feel as if you have discovered a new world.
My experience was similar in regard to the Nahj al-balaghah. From my childhood years I was familiar with the name of this book, and I could distinguish it from other books on the shelves in my father's library. Years later, during my studies, first at the theological school of Mashhad, and later at Qum, when I was finishing the last stages of the preliminary education in theology called "sutuh", during all those days the name of the Nahj al-balaghah was heard more often than that of any other book after the Quran. Some of its sermons on piety I had heard so many times that I almost remembered them by heart.
Nevertheless, I must admit, like all of my colleagues at the theology school (Hawzah 'ilmiyyah), I was quite ignorant of the world of the Nahj al-balaghah. We had met as strangers and passed by each other in the manner of strangers. This continued until the summer of 1325 (1946) when in order to escape the heat of Qum, I went to Isfahan. A trifling accident brought me into contact with a person who took my hand and led me somewhat into the world of the Nahj al-balaghah.

click here to continue

A Cursory Glance At The Theory Of Wilayat Al Faqih

This work contains a number of speeches, articles, books, and question-and-answer sessions of the erudite professor, Haḍrat Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi (may his sublime presence endure), which have been compiled, edited and published by the author on the subject of Wilayat al-Faqih. We believe that in the current status of our society, wilayat al-faqih constitutes the central pillar of Islam, and its safety contributes to the splendor of Islam and Islamic laws and values in the society. As such, we have decided to elucidate this theory, support it academically and logically, and enlighten the general public, particularly the young generation of our country who probably know very little about this theory and its ramifications, and thus discharge a small part of our religious duty. Likewise, we have tried to deal with all the aspects of this theory to address the subjects which we find significant and controversial. However, things like the brevity of content and the readers’ patience and the time that they have been taken into account as far as possible.

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An Inquiry Concerning Al-Mahdi

Al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) is no longer an idea waiting to be materialized nor a prophecy that needs to be substantiated, but a living reality and a particular person, living among us in flesh and blood, who is sharing our hopes, suffering, sorrows and joys, actually witnessing all the sufferings, sadness and transgression that exist on the surface of the earth, who is affected with all this from near or far, who is waiting for the appropriate moment when he can stretch his hands to every oppressed and needy person and eradicate the tyrants.

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A Short History Of Ilmul Usul

The subject under discussion is the knowledge of the Principles of Jurisprudence (Usulul Fiqh).
It is essential that in his practical life man should know clearly what he should do and what he should not.

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Tafsir Al Mizan Vol 6

1. al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at -Tabātabā’ī (l321/1904 — 1402/1981) — may Allāh have mercy upon him — was a famous scholar, thinker and the most celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher. We have introduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of alMīzān.
2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of which the most important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān which is rightly counted as the fundamental pillar of scholarly work which the ‘Allāmah has achieved in the Islamic world.
3. We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān in English. After a thorough consultation, we came to choose al-Mīzān because we found that it contained in itself, to a considerable extent, the points which should necessarily be expounded in a perfect exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān and the points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader. Therefore, we proposed to al-Ustādh al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Sa‘īd Akhtar arRadawī to undertake this task because we were familiar with his intellectual ability to understand the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and his literary capability in expression and translation. So we relied on him for this work and consider him responsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī was responsible for the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and its discussions.
4. We have now undertaken the publication of the fifth volume of the English translation of al-Mīzān. This volume corresponds with the first half of the third volume of the Arabic text. With the help of Allāh, the Exalted, we hope to provide the complete translation and publication of this voluminous work. In the first volume, the reader will find two more appendixes included apart from the two which are to appear in all volumes of the English translation of al-Mīzān: One for the authors and the other for the books cited throughout this work.

We implore upon Allāh to effect our work purely for His pleasure, and to help us to complete this work which we have started. May Allāh guide us in this step which we have taken and in the future steps, for He is the best Master and the best Heiper

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A Study In The Philosophy Of Islamic Rites

Rites enjoy an important role in Islam. Their injunctions represent an important part of jurisprudence and a worshipping conduct which formulates a noticeable phenomenon in the daily life of the pious. The system of rites in Islamic jurisprudence represents one of its static facets which cannot be affected by the general trend of life or the circumstances of civil progress in man's life except by a small portion, contrary to other judicial aspects which are flexible and dynamic. The method of application and utilization of these judicial aspects is affected by the circumstances pertaining to civil progress in man's life, such as the system of deals and contracts. In the sphere of worship, the man of the age of electricity and space prays, fasts, and performs the pilgrimage just as his ancestor from the age of the stone mill used to pray. fast.

and perform the pilgrimage .

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Children In The Quran And Sunnah

This book is an authentic collection of Ayahs of Qur'an and over 500 Hadiths on children. The topics include preparations by parents before the birth of child, taking their care after birth and naming them to the detailed description of utmost care in the training of children from Islamic perspective.

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KHUMS - A SUPPORT FOR FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE Part 3

In Part I of this series, we used terminology, Qur’anic verses, Sunni and Shi’a hadiths, and exegetes’ commentaries to described khums as more than merely defining war booties in the Qur’an and as something that has been collected by the Prophet (s) and Imams (a). Part II offered more hadiths khums and an account of its practice in early Islam. In this part, the ruling of khums during the occulation of Imam Mahdi (a) will be studied. A few writers who are not familiar with fiqh have suggested that the Shi‘a are exempted from paying khums in this period. However, a glimpse of fiqh books, especially the books written in recent centuries,

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Tafsir Al Mizan Vol 5

1. al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabātabā’ī (1321/1904 — 1402/1981) — may Allāh have mercy upon him — was a famous scholar, thinker and the most celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher. We have introduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of alMīzān.
2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of which the most important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān which is rightly counted as the fundamental pillar of scholarly work which the ‘Allāmah has achieved in the Islamic world.
3. We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān in English. After a thorough consultation, we came to choose al-Mīzān because we found that it contained in itself, to a considerable extent, the points which should necessarily be expounded in a perfect exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān and the points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader. Therefore, we proposed to al-Ustādh al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Sa‘īd Akhtar arRadawī to undertake this task because we were familiar with his intellectual ability to understand the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and his literary capability in expression and translation. So we relied on him for this work and consider him responsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī was responsible for the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and its discussions.

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The Glorious Qur’an, Translated With Commentary Of Divine Lights Set 4

The Glorious Qur’an, translated with Commentary of Divine Lights by Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy. Set 4, Manzil 4, from Surah al-Isra’ (Bani Isra’il) (17) to the end of Sura Al-Furqan

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Bada Change In Creations Destiny By Divine Knowledge

Although we initially felt no need to address the unanimous belief of Bada, the misunderstandings being created by the insightful Nawasib against the Shi’a of Ahlulbayt [as] deemed it important to address the matter once for all.
The word Bada has the following two meanings in general Arabic language:
The first meaning is “Appearance after hiding.”
The second meaning is the “origination of a new idea.”
The Shi’a believes that Allah [swt] is the Creator of this universe and every single living or nonliving thing present in the universe is due to the will of Allah [swt]. Every incident occurring until the Day of Judgment is within the absolute / eternal knowledge of Allah [swt]. If Allah [swt] grants a kingdom to an individual, that is then taken back because he transgressed into major sins and grants it to somebody else, then according to Shia belief Bada’ has been utilized by Allah [swt]. This example does not mean that Allah [swt] was initially unaware of what was going to happen in the future, on the contrary He [swt] has absolute knowledge of every single movement that is going to happen. These narrow-minded Nawasib who prefer to adhere to man made dictionaries will abruptly interpret the incident according to the above two meanings of Bada’ by Allah [swt], rather than enhancing their belief towards the unimaginable capabilities of the Creator. Sadly these narrow-minded Nawasib that depict the Islamic belief of Bada as controversial ignorantly object to the notion that there can be a ‘change’ in Allah [swt]’s will.
In this article we shall seek to prove the existence of the belief of Bada directly from:

1. Allah (swt)’s final Divine Book
2. the statements of esteemed scholars of Ahle Sunnah and Shia
3. the authentic Sunni books of hadeeth
   We shall also prove that historically it was only the narrow minded Jews who were opposed to the concept of a ‘change’ in God’s will. It should not come as much of a surprise to see their Nawasib brothers have also sharing this stance.
   Since supplication is one of those acts that can change one’s destiny, we humbly supplicate that Allah [swt] adopt Bada and replace their dim whetted minds with the ability to ponder so that recognize the blessings that Allah [swt] has showered on Muslims in the shape of Bada (Ameen).

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A Journey To The Fact

This book tries to answer some serious questions and respond to relative doubts concerning faiths and belief in God. It is recommended for those suffering from unacceptable interactions with religious people and those who would like to be more with the true nature of religion. It is also discusses the reason why some religious people let others go astray.
This book provides answers to the following questions:
Has the universe been created for nothing? Has been created for someone with purpose? Or it was merely an accident?
Is there any aim beyond the creation of the world?
Who govern the world? Nature, superpower or God?
Why should some people ask the youth not to query too much about the Creator? Is there a lack in the Creator that the youth shouldn't know about? Or do we have difficulties in making this misunderstanding clear?
Is the Creator cruel, or kind and merciful? How and why?
Why should some people suffer from many problems while we emphasize that the Creator of the universe is kind? Is there any ambiguity with this expression? Or is there something we don't know?
Why do we always see the traditional religion in places where cruelty and poverty is noticeable?
Are we going to believe in traditional religion or are we going to discover a religion that covers nowadays' requirement?
Why are those preaching for religion always keen to motivating people to pray and perform religious duties while they themselves are not so keen to inform those people about their social, economical and political rights?
Last but not least, when we see all the problems in the religious societies, can we say that there is a problem with the religion itself; or should we say that there is a problems with the believers but not the religion?
In brief, this book tries to present an easy- to- understand text to be followed by the youth as well as parents in order to be able to answer the questions and queries pertaining to religion and faith.

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The Glorious Qur’an, Translated With Commentary Of Divine Lights Set 3

The Glorious Qur’an, translated with Commentary of Divine Lights by Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy. Set 3, Manzil 3, from Surah Yunus (10) to the end of Surah al-Nahl (16).

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KHUMS - A SUPPORT FOR FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE Part 2

In the previous part, we referred to the significance of khums in meeting the financial needs of the Muslim society and evaluated the arguments made by those who oppose khums as envisaged in Shi‘i jurisprudence. Defining necessary terminology, using Qur’anic verses, Sunni and Shi‘a hadiths, and quoting exegetes, we tried to illustrate the fact that khums applies to more than war booties in the Qur’an and that it has undeniably been collected by the Prophet (s), the Imams (a), and the Caliphs. In this part, we will refer to more hadiths on khums and evaluate the objections made by those who restrict khums to war booties.

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