Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Fifty Lessons on Principles of Belief for Youths

Author(s): Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi

Publisher(s): Ahlul Bayt World Assembly

www.alhassanain.org/english

Notice:

This work is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The typing errors are not corrected.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Prelude 11

Part 1: God and His Attributes 12

Lesson 1:Why do we think about God and study ways of knowing the Creator of the universe? 13

1. The Love to be informed about and know the world is deep inside every one of us 13

2. A sense of thankfulness 13

3. The bond between things to our benefit and things to our harm with this example 13

Think and Answer 14

Lesson 2: The Signs of God in our Daily Life 15

1. Knowing God and the Progress of Science 15

2. Knowing God, Endeavoring and Hope 15

3. Knowing God and the Sense of Responsibility 16

4. Knowing God and Peacefulness 16

Think and Answer 16

Lesson 3: Two Clear Ways of Knowing God 17

The Inward Way 17

Think and Answer 18

Lesson 4: An Answer to an Important Question 19

Think and Answer 20

Lesson 5: A True Story 21

Think and Answer 22

Lesson 6: The Second Way of coming to Know God 23

The Outer Way 23

The Relationship of Order and Intellect 23

Think and Answer 24

Lesson 7: Examples From Creation 25

The center of administration of the country of your body 25

One of the Most Wonderful Parts of the Brain 26

Another Wonderful Part of the Brain is the Sense of Memory 26

How can an Unconscious nature create a conscious one? 26

Think and Answer 26

Lesson 8: A World of Wonder in a Small Bird 27

Think and Answer 28

Lesson 9: Love for Insects and Flowers 29

Think and Answer 30

Lesson 10: In the World of Infinitely Small Things 31

Atoms Give us a Lesson in Monotheism 31

Think and Answer 32

Appendix to Lesson Ten: How Splendid Are God’s Qualities 32

His Qualities 32

The Qualities of Majesty and Beauty 33

The Most Well-Known Qualities of God 33

The most well-known negation of Qualities of God 34

Think and Answer 34

Part 2: God’s Justice 35

Lesson 11: What is Justice? 36

1. Why was Justice selected among all of God’s Qualities, considered to be a principle of religion? 36

2. What is Justice? 37

Justice contains two varying meanings 37

3. The Difference between Justice and Equality 38

Think and Answer 38

Lesson 12: Proof or Reason for The Creator’s Justice 39

1. Goodness and Evil 39

2. Source of Oppression 39

3. The Holy Qur’an and the Justice of the Creator 40

4. Invitation to Justice and Equity 40

Think and Answer 40

Lesson 13: The Philosophy of Signs and Evil 42

1. Relative Judgment and Limited Knowledge 42

2. Undesirable Events and Warnings 43

Think and Answer 44

Lesson 14: The Philosophy of Undesirable Events in Life 45

3. A Human Being is nurtured through Facing Difficulties 45

4. Difficulties cause one to turn back to God 45

Think and Answer 46

Lesson 15: Once Again the Philosophy of Signs and Catastrophes 47

5. Difficulties and Ups and Downs give Spirit to Life 47

One reason is the lack of uniformity 47

6. Difficulties one makes for one’s self 48

Why in contagious diseases, these people most often suffer? 48

Think and Answer 49

Lesson 16: The Issue of Predestination and Free Will 50

1. The Roots of the Belief in Predestination 50

2. The Main Error of the Fatalists 50

3. The Social and Political Factors of the School of Fatalism 51

a) Political Factors 51

b) Psychological Factors: Lazyness and Indifference 51

c) Social Factors 52

Think and Answer 52

Lesson 17: The Clearest Reason for Free Will 53

1. The General Conscience of Human Beings Denies Predestination 53

2. The Contradiction Between the Logic of Predestination and Free Will 54

Think and Answer 54

Lesson 18: A World of Wonder in a Small Bird: What is the “Middle Way”? 56

1. ‘Conferring’ as opposed to ‘Fatalism’ 56

2. The School of the “Middle Way” 56

3. The Holy Qur’an and Fatalism and Free Will 57

Think and Answer 58

Lesson 19: Guidance and Error are in God’s Hands 59

1. The Parts of Guidance and Error 59

2. An Important Question 59

3. Knowledge of the Eternal is a cause to Arise 60

Think and Answer 60

Lesson 20: God’s Justice and the issue of Eternity 62

Punishment on the Day of Judgment is like this 63

Think and Answer 63

Part 3: Prophethood 65

Lesson 21: Our Need of Divine Leaders 66

The Limitations of Our Knowledge 66

1. The Need of Teachings 67

2. The Need for Leadership in the Social and Moral Areas 68

Think and Answer 68

Lesson 22: The Need of having Prophets who Present The Law 69

Who is the best lawgiver? 69

The Relationship between Monotheism and Prophethood 71

Think and Answer 71

Lesson 23: Why are the Prophets Free of Sin and Error? 72

How can the Station of Purity be a Honor? 73

Think and Answer 73

Lesson 24: The Best Way to come to Know the Prophets 74

Several Clear Examples 74

Miracles Should Not be Confused with Superstitions 75

What is the Difference Between Miracles and Extraordinary Deeds? 75

Think and Answer 76

Lesson 25: The Greatest Miracle of the Prophet of Islam 77

The Story of Walid ibn Mughayrah 78

Think and Answer 79

Lesson 26: A Glance at the Miracle of the Qur’an 80

What do the letters stand for at the beginning of some of the Surahs? 80

1. Eloquence 80

Think and Answer 81

Lesson 27: The World View of the Holy Qur’an 83

Think and Answer 85

Lesson 28: The Holy Qur’an and Modern Scientific Discoveries 86

The Holy Qur’an and the Law of Attraction 86

The Discovery of the Orbit of the Earth around the Sun 87

Is this not a proof of the Truth of this Book? 87

Think and Answer 87

Lesson 29: Another Proof of the Rightfulness of the Prophet of Islam 89

Think and Answer 91

Lesson 30: The Prophet of Islam is the “Seal of Prophecy” 92

A Clear Meaning of ‘Seal’ 92

The Reason for the “Seal of the Prophecy” 92

Think and Answer 94

Part 4: Imamate (Leadership) 95

Lesson 31: When did Imamology Begin? 96

1. Will this Discussion cause Differences? 96

2. What is Imamate? 97

Think and Answer 98

Lesson 32: The Philosophy of the Existence of Imams (Guides) 99

1. Spiritual Perfection along with Divine Leadership 99

2. Guardian of the Heavenly Laws 99

3. The Political and Social Leadership of the Ummah 100

4. The Necessity of the Final Proof 100

5. The Imam is a Great Intermediate for Divine Grace 100

Think and Answer 101

Lesson 33: The Conditions and Special Qualities of the Imam 102

1. Infallibility or Being Free From Sin and Error 102

2. Overflowing with Knowledge 103

3. Courage 103

4. Austerity 103

5. Ethical or Moral Attractions 103

Think and Answer 104

Lesson 34: Who has to Select the Imam? 105

1. Can the Ummah select the successor to the Prophet? 105

2. Did the Prophet not select a Person to succeed him? 106

3. Consensus and Council 107

4. ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib was the most worthy of all 107

Think and Answer 108

Lesson 35: The Qur’an and Imamate 109

1. The Qur’an says that Imamate comes from God 109

2. The verse on Preaching the Mission 109

3. The Verse on Obedience to the Commanders 110

4. The Verse of Leadership (Wilayat) 111

Think and Answer 112

Lesson 36: Imamate in the Traditions of the Holy Prophet 113

1. The Tradition of Ghadir 113

Think and Answer 115

Lesson 37: The Tradition of Manzalah and the Tradition of Yawm Ad-Dar 116

The Content of the Tradition of Manzalah 117

The Tradition of Yawm Ad-Dar 117

Think and Answer 118

Lesson 38: The Tradition of Thaqalayn and Noah’s Ark 119

The Documentation of the Tradition of Thaqalayn 119

The Content of the Tradition of Thaqalayn 120

The Tradition of Noah’s Ark 120

Think and Answer 121

Lesson 39: The Twelve Imams 122

The Traditions on the Twelve Imams 122

The Meaning of this Tradition 122

Does it refer to the first four caliphs and then the Umayyid and Abbasid caliphs? 122

The Imams by Name 123

Think and Answer 124

Lesson 40: The Twelfth Imam, The Great Leader and Peace-Maker of the World 125

1. The End of the Night of Darkness 125

2. The Primordiality and Manifestation of this Great Reviver 125

3. Intellectual Proof 126

4. The Qur’an and the Manifestation of the Mahdi 127

5. Imam al-Mahdi in the Traditions 127

6. But as to Shi’ite Traditions 128

Think and Answer 128

Part 5: Resurrection 129

Lesson 41: One Crucial Question: Is Death considered as One’s End or Beginning? 130

Why Do Most People Fear Death? 130

1. The Interpretation of Death as Annihilation 130

2. Black Files 131

Two Different Points of View 131

Think and Answer 132

Lesson 42: Belief in The Resurrection Gives Meaning to Life 133

Faith in the Resurrection is an Important Factor in Training 134

Can a Person with such Faith be Deceived? 134

Can one buy his conscience with bribery? 135

Think and Answer 135

Lesson 43: An Example of the Trial of the Day of Judgment is within You 136

Think and Answer 137

Lesson 44: Belief in Resurrection is Manifested in our Primordial Nature 138

1. Love of Survival 138

2. Resurrection Among the Tribes of the Past 138

3. The Existence of the Inner Trial 139

Think and Answer 139

Lesson 45: The Resurrection and the Scales of Justice 141

Free will and Freedom in Decision-Making 141

Think and Answer 142

Lesson 46: We Have Seen the Resurrection Many Times in this World 143

Think and Answer 144

Lesson 47: The Resurrection ad The Philosophy of Creation 145

Think and Answer 147

Lesson 48: The Survival of the Spirit, a Sign of the Resurrection 148

1. A Great World Cannot be Placed Within a Small One 148

2. The External Particularity of the Spirit 148

3. Experienced Proof of the Originality and Independence of the Spirit 149

Think and Answer 149

Lesson 49: The Physical-Spiritual Resurrection 150

Qur’anic Proof of the Physical Resurrection 150

Intellectual Proof 151

Questions Concerning the Physical Resurrection 151

Think and Answer 152

Lesson 50: Paradise and Hell are the Embodiment of our Deeds 153

Embodiment of Deeds 154

Think and Answer 155

Preface

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful

The precious legacy left behind by the Holy Prophet’s Household [Ahl al-Bayt] (may peace be upon them all) and their followers’ preservation of this legacy from the menace of extinction is a perfect example of the all-encompassing school [madrasah] that embraces all the different branches of Islamic knowledge.

This school has been able to train many talented personalities by quenching them with this gushing fountain. This school has given scholars to the Muslim ummah who, by following the Holy Prophet’s Household (a.s), have done their best in order to clear away the doubts and skepticisms put forth by any various creeds and intellectual currents both inside and outside Muslim society. Throughout past centuries, they have presented the firmest answers and solutions to these doubts.

Anchored to the responsibilities upon its shoulders, the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) World Assembly has embarked on defending the sanctity of risalah [message] and its authentic beliefs - truths which have always been opposed by the chiefs and leaders of anti-Islamic sects, religions and trends.

In this sacred path, the Assembly regards itself as a follower of the upright pupils of the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) - those who have always been ready to refute those accusations and calumnies and have tried to be always in the frontline of this struggle on the basis of the expediencies of time and space.

The experiences in this field, which contained the books of scholars belonging to the School of the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), are unique in their own right. It is because these experiences have been based upon knowledge [`ilm] and the preeminence of intellect and reasoning, and at the same time, they are devoid of blind prejudices or whims and caprices. These experiences address experts, scholars and thinkers in a manner that appeals to healthy minds and pure human natural disposition [fitrah].

In a bid to assist those who are in quest of truth, the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) World Assembly has endeavored to enter a new phase of these worthy experiences by conducting research and translating the works of contemporary Shi`ah writers or those who, through divine guidance, have embraced this noble school.

The Assembly is also engaged in the study and publication of the valuable works of pious predecessors and outstanding Shi`ah personalities so that those who search for the truth may quench their thirst from this palatable fountain which the School of the Prophet’s Household (a.s) offers to the entire world.

It is hoped that the dear readers will not deprive the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) World Assembly of their valuable opinions, suggestions, and constructive criticisms in this arena.

We also invite scholars, translators and other institutions to assist us in propagating pure Muhammadan (s) Islam.

We ask God, the Exalted, to accept this humble effort and enhance it further under the auspices of His vicegerent on earth and give us success with al-Mahdi (may Allah, the Exalted, expedite his glorious advent).

It is appropriate here to express our utmost gratitude to ayatullah Makarim Shirazi for writing the book and to Dr. Mahmoud Farrokhpey for translating this work. We should also like to thank colleagues who took part in accomplishing this task especially the staff of the Translation Office for fulfilling their responsibility.

Cultural Affairs Department

The Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) World Assembly

Prelude

The most salient feature of our Islamic revolution is its Islamic nature and the most prominent characteristic of Islam is its personality building aspect based on Divine standards.

Our aim is to prepare an interesting, logic-based and rigorous collection of papers for the general public on the one hand, and for the youth in particular so that they could, under existing Islamic conditions, build a sturdy faith which could in the long run influence their behavior and also be used as an impetus for further studies.

This collection which has been prepared with special precision and initiatives could pave the way for those who need to acquire the Islamic principles on faith for both their personal interests or for instruction.

This collection has been written and prepared by Ayatullah Nasir Makarim Shirazi, a profound pioneer and initiator of religious discussions in the Qom Seminary for the last forty years.

The instructors who wish to teach these lectures to their students should make note of the following points:

1. These lessons should be accompanied with historic evidence and interesting observations based on current affairs.

2. The students’ preferences and previous knowledge should be considered in teaching these lessons. A question and answer approach should be used during instruction.

3. The relevant Qur’anic verses on which the lecture is based should be elegantly written on the board and the students should be presented with a literal translation of the verse under consideration. This will lay the foundation for their familiarity with the Holy Qur’an. It is recommended that the relevant verse be recited by one and repeated by the students in unison.

4. If it is not necessary to cover one lecture in one sitting: it could be covered within two sessions.

5. There are subtle and detailed points hidden in each lecture. The lecturer is well advised to study the lecture beforehand in order to bring up those points during the presentation.

6. These lectures are prepared for the students of junior-high school and high school, for both boys and girls, and for the general public who wish to improve their knowledge of the principles of the Islamic faith.

7. Giving prizes to those who successfully pass the exams based on these lectures is highly recommended.

8. Students who are exposed to these lectures might have some theological questions in mind. The following sources could be used as references in order to arrive at appropriate answers: "The Creator of the Universe," "In search of Allah," and "Religious Questions and Answers."

Part 1: God and His Attributes

Lesson 1:Why do we think about God and study ways of knowing the Creator of the universe?

1. The Love to be informed about and know the world is deep inside every one of us

We all want to know, in truth: Did this elevated heaven, with its beautiful stars, this extensive earth, with its heart-rendering views; these various creatures; beautiful birds; various kinds of fish, the seas and flowers; the blossoms, plants, abundant trees, whose tops reach towards the heavens; did all of these things come into being of their own free will or were all of these wonderful forms painted by an expert, a powerful painter?

Beyond all of this, the first question which comes to mind for all of us is: Where did we come from? Where are we? Where are we going? If we know the answers to these three questions, how happy will we be! That is, if we know where our life began and where it will finally end and what duties we have now, our searching spirit tells us: you must not sit quietly until the answers come.

It often happens that in an automobile accident, a person is injured and becomes unconscious and for his treatment, they take him to a hospital. When his condition has improved a bit, and when he awakens, the first thing which he asks of those around him is, “Where am I? Why did you bring me here? When can I leave here?” All of these questions show that a person cannot remain indifferent and not ask these questions.

Thus, the first thing which sends us looking for God and understanding of the creation of the world of existence is our very thirsty spirit of search.

2. A sense of thankfulness

Pretend that you have been invited to a very important affair and all means of convenience have been provided for you but, because you have been invited through your brother, you do not know the host well. The first thing you will want to do when you enter the gathering is to find the host to thank him.

When we look at this widespread created world and the multiple blessings which have been provided for us: eyes which see, ears which hear, sufficient intelligence, various physical and psychological abilities, various means for living and for earning our livelihood, we automatically begin to think about trying to know He Who has given us all of these blessings and even though He does not need our thanks, we still thank Him and, until we do this, we are unhappy with ourselves and feel we have not done a duty.

This is another reason why we begin to search to come to know God.

3. The bond between things to our benefit and things to our harm with this example

Pretend that we are going on a journey and we reach a cross-road in which there is a great deal of commotion. Everyone warns us not to stop at this cross-road because there is great danger there. Each group invites us to go its way. One group says, “The best way is to go east.”

Another says, “Go West. It is the best road.” The third group invites us to a road or a way which is between the other two, saying, “This is the only way of saving yourself from danger and reaching your home safely. This is the way that will give you happiness and security and be a place of refuge for you.”

Would we allow ourselves to choose a way without study? Will our mind allow us to stop there and not choose any way? Clearly not.

Rather, our mind and our wisdom tells us to begin immediately to study and research, to listen to the words of each group carefully and accept whichever way has the most correct signs, speaks the truth and has convincing reasons for taking that way. Having assured ourselves of the right way, we take it and move forward.

In life in this world, also, we have such a condition. Different religions and schools of thought invite us to take their way, but as our fate, our fortune and misfortune, our progress and backwardness depends upon our study and making the best choice, we are obliged to think about this and prevent ourselves from falling into misfortune, corruption and difficulties.

This is yet another reason which invites us to search for the Creator of the world. The Holy Qur’an says:

“So give good tidings to my servants, those who listen to the sayings and follow the best of it...” (39: 18)

Think and Answer

l. Other than what your mother and father have told you about God, have you seriously thought about Him?

2. Can you say what the difference is between ‘searching for God’ and ‘knowing God’?

3. Have you ever felt a deep sense of spiritual love for God when you have whispered your prayers to Him?