Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Awaited Hope

Introduction

On instructions from the Almighty, Prophet Muhammad, appointed twelve successors to lead the nation after him, with the first of these imams being Imam Ali, and the twelfth Imam Mahdi, peace be upon them. With the exception of the twelfth imam who went into occultation, every one of the imams were killed by the adversaries of their time. Imam Mahdi was born in the middle of the month of Sha‘ban, year 255 AH, is alive who lives amongst us, but is hidden from our views. By Allah’s leave, Imam Mahdi will reappear, when the world is ridden with oppression and injustice, and will fill it with justice and fairness. Imam Mahdi is the saviour who has been sought and awaited for many generations not only of Muslims but of the followers of other religions that have promised their followers of such a saviour. Editors.

293: Just as the Almighty has promised, Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, will accomplish and realize the ultimate goal that Almighty Allah sought from sending all His prophets and messengers, beginning from Adam to the final prophet, peace be upon them all.

294: Indeed, the Master, the Imam of the Time, will honour us by his presence, by the leave of Allah, and appear to all mankind, and will announce to the world that he is the Mahdi of the progeny of Muhammad, peace be upon them.

295: The Imam of our time is Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, whose mention has filled the text sources and reference books of all Muslims in terms of hadith, narrations, and citations, all of which illustrate his distinguished lineage as well as his merits and attributes, and that he is the descendant of Ali and Fatima peace be upon them, and that [today] he is the only one to whom the attributes of“the Imam whose obedience is mandatory” apply. By the will and command of Almighty Allah, he is alive and he witnesses the deeds and conducts of mankind, in particular the Shi’a, and more specifically the religious scholars and students.

296: The Imam of our Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance, sees us and sees our conducts, as it is reported in the exegesis (tafsir) of the Qur’anic ayah [And say (unto them): Act! Allah will see your actions, and (so will) His messenger and the believers].[52]

297: The issue of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, is one of those deep and vast issues which are of various fields and numerous branches. The duty of every one of us is to carry out extensive studies in this important topic.

298: As reported in the hadith, Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, is endorsed and supported by the Holy Spirit,[53] and between him and Almighty Allah[54] there is a column of light in which he sees the conducts of the people, and everything he needs [to know]; thus he hears our speech, and sees us, our conducts, and whatever we commit. He also sees beyond our speech and our writings. He sees our thoughts and our intentions. He sees the thing we think of when we speak or write; for example whether our thoughts and intentions were for Allah, or in order to show off. These matters are seen by the Imam too. He sees these in us in every hour and every moment.

299: If you want to know Imam Mahdi’s conduct when dealing with friends and foes, then look at the conduct of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon him; his glowing history is before you - compiled by the Shi’a, Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and others.

300: Do you want to know more about the government of Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance? Then look at the history of the Holy Prophet [Muhammad] and the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon them and their holy families.

301: If you want to know Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, then look at the events that depict the life of the holy Prophet, and the ma‘soom Imams amongst his household, peace be upon them; how they used to live, how they used to interact and mix with the people, and how they behaved in war and peace.

302: Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, is a complete mirror image of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, in everything other than Prophethood. He is also a mirror image of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, with the exception of his superiority peace be upon him. So how beautiful life is under the auspices of the Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance.

303: The policy of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, matches that of his grandfather the Prophet Muhammad; even his characteristics are entirely similar to those of the honourable prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family.

304: To love Imam al-Mahdi is to adore him and adore the beautiful life under his auspices.

305: If the minds of the people are perfected, their lives would be pleasant and comfortable; it would be the best life a generation can live. This would be the state of most people on the day of appearance of the Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance, and not an exceptional case for some; most people would in that era lead a comfortable, prosperous, opulent, and honourable life.

306: It is our intense devotion for the Imam of our Time, Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, that propels us to strive and endeavour to adhere to the conducts that lead us to the honour of meeting him during the period of his occultation, which is indeed a very important goal and a great longing, and whoever succeeds in this has attained an exalted station and a lofty honour.

307: It is a great honour that one meets one’s Imam and kisses his hands - and there is no doubt about that - but the question is that is this what the Imam expects from us? And is this our sole duty and responsibility?

308: It is the duty of every mokallaf[55] to learn and know the obligations, as well as the prohibited acts and conducts; so that everyone fulfils their duties accordingly, teaches them to others and enjoins them to adhere to and practice such duties, to an extent that sufficiency is attained [in teaching and enjoining]. This is our duty, and this is what pleases Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance, and makes him content with us. Whoever fulfils one’s duty in a correct and a precise manner would be contented with in the sight of the Imam, but one who does not fulfil one’s duty would not be contented with in the sight of the Imam.

309: We beseech Almighty Allah that we stay alive so that we can realise the reappearance of the Imam, may Allah hasten his reappearance, and be in his service, but you should know that the degrees attained on that day would be based on our role and endeavour, and the fulfilment of our duty today.

310: If we, during the era of occultation, want to secure the content of the Authority and Imam of the Time, then this matter is strongly tied to the extent of our knowledge and understanding of the duty and obligation we have, and the fulfilment and practice of those two.

311: Sins are filth and dirt, snakes and scorpions, which cover us from head to toes, and these hinder us from attaining the honour of meeting the Imam of the Time, may Allah hasten his reappearance. In other words, we are not, because of them, worthy and befitting of meeting him, peace be upon him, and therefore we are deprived of that achievement.

312: The goal which Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, will appear for would have been realised by the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon him, if the Ummah had stood steadfastly on the Prophet’s religion and adhered to it.

313: If Islam is established - the Islam of Allah’s Messenger, the Islam of Amir al-Mo’mineen, the Islam of Imam Husayn, and the Islam of Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them all - in any part of the world, in a short space of time, poverty and injustice would disappear, and so too every kind of corruption and deviation. Instead of that, morality, prosperity, goodness and happiness would take place. This is what the Promised and the Awaited Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him and may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would accomplish in the best possible way at the time of his blessed reappearance.

314: The concurrence of the occasion of the birth of our master and patron, the Awaited Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him and may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, with the 15th of the holy month of Sha‘ban, the eve of which Almighty Allah has designated as the night of allotment of provisions, blessings, and destinies for people, and also emphasis of the ma‘soom Imams, peace be upon them, on visiting the shrine of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, on this great occasion, is no coincidence, as there is no serendipity in Allah’s business. Rather, there is a strong concurrence and real connection between these three events.

315: Almighty Allah honoured and exalted the 15th of the holy month of Sha‘ban before the birth of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, and before the birth of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance. Thereafter, with all prophets, including the senior prophets, and especially the master and final of the messengers, the honourable Prophet [Muhammad] peace be upon them, seeking Almighty Allah’s permission to visit Imam Husayn’s shrine every year. Furthermore, the birth of the Imam of the Time took place on this occasion too. These [three] events [did not take place by chance but] there is the strongest existential (takwini) connection between them. Almighty Allah revealed an aspect of this connection by making these three events to take place in one space of time.[56] The common factor that can be taken between these is the“setting of destiny” , for the eve of the 15th of the holy month of Sha‘ban is the night when the fate, destiny, provisions, and blessings for the entire humanity are determined.

316: It is the Awaited Imam, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, who by Allah’s leave will determine the fate and destiny of humanity, and will make Allah’s light which was spread by the prophetic mission to reach every corner of the world.

317: [The significance of imamate or the leadership of the nation after the prophet is so great that] the honourable Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, put one’s ignorance of one’s Imam of the Time on a par with polytheism and disbelief such that [if one dies in that state] one would die the death of the era of ignorance [i.e. the pre-Islamic era].[57]

318: Ignorance about Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, will lead the individual to deviation and straying from the right path, and thus as he proceeds further he will be more distant from the target, until he will end up in a state that the people of the era of ignorance were.

319: It is imperative for us to strive and do our utmost in learning about the Imam of our Time, so that we protect ourselves from the danger of falling into the abyss, muddle and confusion.

320: Without a correct understanding about Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, along with ignorance or misunderstanding about the analysis of some hadith which predict what his policies and code of conduct will be, not to mention the false and fabricated of the narrations, prompted some to imagine or even accuse the [ma‘soom] Imam, may Allah hasten his reappearance, of things which would not be fitting for an ordinary individual.

321: It is unfortunate that some are used to painting a harsh and violent picture about Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, arguing that he would establish his government through the use of sword against his enemies and shedding their blood, citing some [fabricated] narrations in this respect, thus fostering this notion in the minds of some of the people.

322: The mission of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, is to establish justice and eradicate wronging and oppression, and therefore it is unreasonable that he would accomplish justice through wronging and oppression; or revive the tradition of his grandfather the Chosen One and the Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Mo’mineen) Imam Ali, peace be upon them, through false innovations.

323: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, will eradicate from the world anything that speaks in the name of Islam but inside it is against Islam; so that he would establish the true government for the real Islam.

324: As he executed the teachings of the Holy Qur’an, the Gracious Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, eliminated what was before [Islam] with kindness and leniency; using this approach with all the people including the infidels and not just the Muslims. The same will be with Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, who will use the same approach with the infidels let alone the Muslims.

325: If Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would treat the infidels with kindness, how would he then treat the Muslims?

326: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, is like his grandfather the honourable Prophet, about whom the Almighty said, [It is by the mercy of Allah that you deal with them leniently], and thus he would follow the steps of his gracious grandfather, and would not diverge from them by an iota.

327: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, fundamentally comes to establish the principles of justice - the justice that forms a natural dispositional demand for mankind. Therefore, it is not possible that the Imam would adopt a policy that would repel the masses from him; wishing they had never seen him, or doubt his lineage to the progeny of the prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, because of harshness and violence.

328: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would not establish the foundation of his rule on the basis of harshness and violence, but rather it would be on the basis of justice, lenience, mercy, and kindness.

329: When the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon him, declares his magnificent statement:“Do you expect me to seek victory through tyranny and injustice?” No doubt that Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would follow the same policy, for he is the pleasant fruit of the same blessed tree [of imamate].

330: When the Imam of the Time reappears, may Allah hasten his reappearance, the divine promise [that He may cause it to prevail over all religion] will be realised, and Islam will prevail throughout the planet Earth, and all will submit to Almighty Allah.

331: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would not follow other than the footsteps of his honourable forefathers.

332: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, would make judgement between the people according to his knowledge and according to procedure of Prophet David, peace be upon him.[58]

333: Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his honourable reappearance, will be merciful and compassionate with the people and the poor, while at the same time he will be strict and rigorous with his senior civil servants and government ministers.

The holy month of Ramadahn

334: The holy month of Ramadan is the month of Almighty Allah; it is the month that is specifically attributed to Him from amongst the rest of the months. It is the month during which the individual is meant to organise one’s life, to change for the better, to cleanse oneself from every blemish or fault, and to devote oneself to Almighty Allah.

335: On the occasion of the virtuous month of Ramadan which Almighty Allah has favoured by revealing in this month the greatest revelation in the heavens’ history to make humanity prosper forever. The holy Messenger has endowed it by stating,“in it you have been graced by the Almighty” . Therefore, all faithful; male and female, in every part of the world, should prepare themselves for comprehensive utilisation of this great and extensive divine hospitality.

336: It is imperative that in the blessed month of Ramadan we study the honourable Prophet’s Ramadan sermon, narrated by amir al-mo’mineen Imam Ali, peace be upon him. We should study it with comprehension and reflection, and we should endeavour to implement it in practice during the month of Ramadan, each one according to their ability.[59]

337: There is a category of people who not only abstain from sins and prohibitions, but they refrain from thinking about them too. So when they fast, they abstain from the general conducts that break the fast, and their limbs avoid committing sins, as well as desisting from thinking about sins, and this is the fasting of the elite, which is the highest rank and category of fasting.

338: No matter how far an individual may be from goodness, piety and righteousness, it is still possible for one to use the atmosphere of the blessed month of Ramadan to bring about change in oneself. This is because Almighty Allah has bestowed this aptitude and ability in mankind, and the blessed month of Ramadan is a very suitable opportunity for change.

339: From amongst the other months, Almighty Allah has exclusively favoured the blessed month of Ramadan with great features and qualities, and therefore this is a good opportunity for seeking guidance.

340: It is possible that one can change oneself step by step, and the blessed month of Ramadan is a very suitable occasion for change and reform.

341: It is essential that in the blessed month of Ramadan one holds oneself to account every day, even if it is for a few minutes at a time. One should assess what one has said and done. This should be done during the day or night.

342: It is important for us to recite the holy Qur’an and reflect upon it, for it is the criterion for prosperity for this world and the hereafter. So whoever follows it prospers in both worlds, and whoever abandons it will stray from the religion.

343: It is important that in the blessed month of Ramadan the faithful read and reflect on the du‘a Imam Zayn al-‘Abideen, peace be upon him, used to read at the nights of the month of Ramadan, which is narrated by the trustful Abu Hamzah al-Thumali. If one is not able to read the entire du‘a in one session, then one can read part of it every night - with reflection and humility - for indeed it is one of the means of reforming the self, which is one’s staunchest enemies.[60]

344: The blessed month of Ramadan is the month of self-building and self-reformation, and this is an obligation of all; whether religious scholars or others. And whatever achievement one attains in this process, there is still room for further rise and advancement.

345: Self-building and self-discipline is an individual obligation in itself (wajib ‘aini) for the purpose of fulfilling the religious obligation and avoiding the prohibitions. Therefore it is imperative for one to endeavour in the blessed month of Ramadan to attain such an achievement that one can believe he or she has actually changed, and has improved to the better and has achieved a better state than before.

346: The daily obligatory prayers, as well as the supplications, ziyarah, and all conducts encouraged for the blessed month of Ramadan are all meant for the discipline of the self. It may be that one cannot find the time to do all of those, and thus, there is no easier way [to attain self-discipline] other than holding oneself to account [on a daily basis]. This is because [self-assessment] is highly indispensable and it has a great impact on the individual.

347: On every day of the month of Ramadan, one should take some time off and in seclusion from others, assess one’s performance over the past hours: one should look into what one did and what one said, what one heard and what one saw, what one gave and what one took, and how one conducted oneself with one’s spouse, with one’s friends, and with one’s colleagues. In short, to scrutinise oneself on how one spent one’s time. [Through such self-assessment] one can increase one’s good deeds and reduce one’s bad.

348: We are all in need of discipline and self-awareness such that when one enters the month of Ramadan and leaves it one notices that one had changed even if it is to a small degree. The criterion of change is the practice of the mostahab and avoiding the makrooh, and these are the second hurdles which we must surmount, if we were to call the obligatory duties and the prohibitions as the first.

349: In the blessed month of Ramadan the devils are chained, though the deed of an individual may unchain the devils, and he will overcome the individual once again. Thus we must be cautious, aware and attentive to the utmost.

350: The blessed month of Ramadan brings out passion, and tenders the emotions of the individual, because of its programs, and especially fasting makes the individual feel the pains of poverty, and also live, to a certain extent, the sufferings of the poor. Thus the honourable faithful should give extra concern and care about the poor and dispossessed throughout the world, especially in their countries, for poverty and dispossession has become widespread in many countries because of the execution of deficient and inappropriate policies, and moving away from the perfect and comprehensive teachings of Almighty Allah. Those measures will be a step in reducing those painful sufferings.

351: It is imperative for the believing men and women to embark on a serious and determined plan of action to increase the religious majalis and programs; such as promoting the Husayni rites, programs of reciting the holy supplications of the blessed month of Ramadan dedicated for its days and nights, congregational prayers, and circles of recitation and tajwid of the holy Qur’an and reflecting on its meaning and exegesis. These should be held in every mosque, husayniah, college, school, and all public places, and the maximum number of the faithful should be engaged in these programs. Also, the faithful should endeavour to implement the tradition of the holy prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, of giving food in this holy month, and in this initiative even the poor and those who are not well off should partake.

Freedom

352: There are two types of freedom in Islam; freedom of thought, where the Almighty states [there is no coercion in Islam][61] and freedom of action, given the principle accepted by the jurists“people are in charge of their own affairs.”

353: Islam adheres to the principle of [there is no coercion in Islam] in various aspect of life.

354: It is Islam alone that is the religion of freedom.

355: In Allah’s system and the Islamic regime, the freedom of thought is more holy than even the testimonies of faith; Islam wants people to be free.

356: The non-Islamic principles and schools of thought that have appeared over the past century, and continually chant the slogan of freedom, have no real substance to them.

357: Islam is the religion of freedom; in principle, in reality and in practice.

358: Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his holy family, never killed any of the atheists or polytheists if they did not accept Islam, and never coerced anyone to accept Islam. Rather he left them to their devices, and to their religions, even though they were false and fictitious, in order not to take away from them the freedom of thought and religion.

[For more on this matter see endnote #4 in the endnotes section beginning on page 243.]

359: The freedom of thought is embodied in Islam through Qur’anic verses such as:

[So let him who please believe, and let him who please disbelieve],[62]

[Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects false deities and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy handhold],[63]

[And We have shown mankind the two ways],[64]

[We have shown mankind the way, whether he be grateful or disbelieving],[65]

[For you is your religion, and for me is mine].[66]

360: The way of Islam has neither pressure nor coercion in it.

361: Allah’s messenger, peace be upon him and his holy family, had a Christian friend and a Jewish neighbour; he never forced any one of them to accept Islam, even though he was the supreme leader of the Arabian Peninsula, and he had within his disposal the sword, and the necessary wealth and power.

362: The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, was continually confronted by some base individuals who used to deliberately interrupt him when speaking, dispute with him, and even insult him in the harshest manner, but the Imam would not have“their heads cut off” , even though he was the supreme leader, to whom the nation in its entirety pledged allegiance, not to mention that he was appointed to lead the Ummah by Allah’s Messenger, peace be upon him and his holy family, on direct instructions from the Almighty. Imam Ali used to respond to their argument, if they had one, and leave them with their freedom of belief, as long as they do not resort to using violence and the sword.

363: Islam says to you: Do whatever you like, you have the freedom of action, as long as you do not harm others; for [the principle is that] one may not do harm, or see harm, in Islam.

364: Islam severely strikes the hand of the oppressor and the one who wants to do harm to others, and thus if you guarantee that [i.e. preventing harm], then you are free in your conducts.

365: There is no pressure, forcing, coercion, and suppression of freedom in Islam, save some directives and guidance to show you the best form of conduct, which state: this is right, this is recommended, this is preferred, and this is discouraged.

366: Take the freest countries in the world today such as France and the USA, you will find many restrictions such as those on travel, these restrictions prevail in all countries, including our countries, but in Islam, there is no such a thing.

367: Islam does not question you as to:“Where do you live?” or“where are you going?” or“when are you going?” Rather Islam says: Allah created you and gave you the intellect and intelligence, so do not be a slave to someone else who is like you.

368: You are not required in Islam to inform the government about when you leave or enter the country, your stay or departure, what you import or export - with the exception of what Allah has prohibited. However, Islam lays down some guidance for you and says if you adhere to them you will succeed and if not you will lose.

369: Islam provides guidance and draws a roadmap, and after that it is: [there is no coercion in Islam],[67] i.e. all kinds of coercions are rejected by Islam.

370: The freedoms that are available in Islam cannot be matched in history.

371: The freedom that Islam grants in the various fields and domains cannot be matched, and nothing comes close to it - throughout the history of the world - not even today which is called the era of freedoms.[68]

372: Just as the creator of nature created it according to a system and laws that suit mankind, the same goes for the laws of the Sharia system, but with the difference that Allah gave mankind the choice and freedom to implement them, [as opposed to laws of nature where mankind has no choice but to accept and comply with.]

373: Why did Allah create the rain? So that it comes down to earth and goes in vain?! Or is it in order to irrigate the land and benefit mankind? Allah created the earth, the rain, and mankind and linked them together, and enabled mankind to acquire the blessings of the heaven and earth.

374: If the Islamic freedoms, the Qur’anic pluralism, the law of“land belongs to Allah and whoever develops it” , and all other of Allah’s laws, and teachings of Allah’s Messenger, and the Commander of the Faithful are implemented in Iraq, and that for just five years, you will not find a foot’s length of land not farmed, and you would not find a single individual who does not have a house. Five years may be too long, if the management took its cues purely from the Holy Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them.

375: Search all contemporary civilisations as well as the ancient ones, will you find a freedom like this? Like this ownership?[69] Rather, you will find hundreds of fetters, restrictions and legislations that deprive the masses from the great many boons which Allah favoured His people such as cultivating the earth and developing it.

[For more on this matter see endnote #5 in the endnotes section beginning on page 243.]

376: Even though Imam Ali, peace be upon him, is ma‘soom and does not err and does not oppress, he provided freedom, pluralism, and freedom of expression; imagine what [would be the outcome] if a non-ma‘soom ruler practices dictatorship and usurping power.

377: We have in Islam the best kinds of freedoms, about which the world has never dreamt of within the realm of the world’s finest civilisations.

378: Under an Islamic government everyone is free with his or her writings and ideas, speeches and books, forming associations and societies, political groups and parties, raising or giving donations, publishing newspapers and magazines, setting up broadcasting stations, etc.

379: Freedom is a grand divine blessing the use of which should be seized in the best manner.

Peace and Violence

Introduction

Islam is inherently based on peace and it does not resort to war unless it is absolutely necessary, it is in self-defence, and when there is no other alternative; just as one only undergoes a medical operation when it is absolutely necessary to do so. The last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad peace be upon him and his holy family, never engaged in any battle unless he was forced to do so - in self-defence. Even then, he never started a battle and always used to wait until his opponent attacked him first. Furthermore, the Prophet used to ensure the level of engagement was kept to an absolute minimum. He used to ask his companions to respect the defeated side and used to say:“Amongst the best moral values in this world and thereafter is to forgive he who did harm to you, speak well to him and be generous to him when you have power over him.” It is therefore a major duty of the Islamic government to do all it possibly can to put an end to“the arms race” and“military coup d'état” or any other form of regime change in which the world is trapped. As a result, wars and military coup d'état have become widespread and arms production and export have become the biggest money generators in the world. The end result is that humanity is trapped between the nightmare of war and that of poverty. From M Shirazi,“al-Fiqh series” , vol. 99,“The Rule of Islam” , pp 133-136. Editors.

380: The roots of violence lie in ignorance and fanaticism, in a twisted understanding of the religion, in despotism, dictatorship and social deprivation, oppression on behalf of governments and individuals, which result in violence and the restriction or shutting down of the channels of constructive dialogue and debate.

381: Violence is detrimental to the great sacred goals in the long term, even if it makes some quick gains in the short term.

382: Islam is the religion of peace and safety, and works to spread peace and security throughout the world, and endeavours to extinguish the flames of war, and eliminate its primer amongst the people, by uprooting the factors which cause wars, and by instilling the factors which promote love and harmony, peace and serenity, and to abandon wars, and to accept the truce even if the enemy calls for it in deception.[70]

383: Islam prohibits violence and terrorism, treachery and assassination, and fights anything that leads to panic and fear, or horror and confusion amongst the people.

384: Islam is the religion of peace, but if anyone encroaches upon the people, or wages war against the Muslims, Islam would not stand idly by, but would fight for the sake of justice and truth, repelling transgression and alleviating oppression.

385: Islam considers it mandatory to restore security, at home and abroad; for the case of internal security, Islam eradicates crime, and for the external, it does not encroach on anyone, and would resist the aggressors.

386: Islam uproots crime and addresses its causes; for the causes of crime are: poverty, temptations, ignorance, complications, and suchlike, and Islam addresses them until they are eliminated. If these causes are eradicated crime would subsequently vanish.

387: Islam considers no value for manmade law, and the real law is only the heaven’s law. Therefore, many of the current legal crimes are not crimes from the Islamic viewpoint, for which those who commit them would be imprisoned. As for what Islam considers to be crimes - such as theft and adultery - it has set swift stern punishment for, and that is not imprisonment.

388: Islam never assaults anyone, and whichever countries incline to peace, Islam would incline to it too, and if it is attacked it would defend itself and the nation in an immaculate manner. If a country attacks it, Islam would respond to that aggression with the least means necessary to put a stop to that aggression.

389: Given the importance of human morals in Islam, the holy Qur’an follows up some of the rulings on punishments with forgiveness; describing forgiveness as being closer to piety.

390: It is possible to combat violence through the dissemination of non-violence culture in society, and through explaining that violence is a fire that incinerates all and does not exempt anyone, and by pointing out the harms of psychological, societal, and religious violence. This is also achieved through facilitating freedom for society, establishing the foundations of social justice, provision of opportunities for all, see to the needs of the needy and the impoverished, protecting the community from those who promote violence, and establishing channels for constructive debate and dialogue between members of the community.

391: Jihad is not aggression, and therefore it is not a manifestation of violence.

392: It is obvious that jihad and the penal code are not particular to Islam, but rather they are two notions that exist in all divine religions, and in manmade laws too, though the terms and expressions for them may differ.

393: Amongst the harmful effects of violence, it distorts the image of Islam; it gives the pretext to the enemies to label Islam with violence, barbarism and brutality, and therefore enables them to build a psychological barrier between Islam and the masses.

394: Islam takes into account most seriously the results and consequences of practicing violence, to the extent that Allah’s messenger, peace be upon him and his holy family, occasionally refrained from applying some of the penal codes to avoid negative publicity against Islam, because the standing of Islam is of greater importance [than punishing individuals].

395: There is no doubt that people are different, but the familial upbringing, the societal environment, and the governing regime have the greater influence on raising the stake of violence in individuals, and igniting the ember of violence in society.

396: It is not appropriate to use violence, which could be used as a pretext to attack Islam, even in order to confront violence.

397: Violence is to use aggressive force.

398: If one does not use aggressive force, that would not be considered violence.

399: It is permissible to use force if there was a necessity, like when a vicious enemy invades the country, for then there is no objection to resorting to use force to repel it, if other peaceful means such as mass strikes and demonstrations do not help. In that case, resorting to force is not considered violence, but legitimate and admissible defence, and thus all governments resort to that to confront the invader without being stigmatised by violence.

400: In the history of the Islamic nation we find shining examples of non-violence, seen in the biography of Allah’s Messenger and those of the holy Imams, peace be upon them all.[71]

401: The reason some of the Muslims pursued the policy of violence is because they had become distant from the teachings of Islam, and because of their ignorance of the history of Prophet Muhammad and the holy Imams, peace be upon them all.[72]

402: It is known that the word Islam means peace and non-violence, but today the acts of violence, killing, and assassinations are branded to Islam; so does the reason for that go back to Islam or the Muslims?

403: The reason that the acts of violence committed these days are attributed to Islam is because of irresponsible conduct of some groups, and the biased global mass media that try to distort the image and reputation of the Muslims and try to cause a barrier between the Muslims and the world that is proactively seeking salvation, and began to take Islam as the saviour from the psychological, spiritual, and social crises.

404: It is crucial to avoid conducts like skyjacking and abduction, violating human rights, suppressing the opposition’s thinkers and intellectuals, arresting the writers, researchers, and academics, as well as spreading rumours of fear and terror, which are manifestations of violence.

405: The approach of debate and dialogue, firstly, and peaceful demonstrations and strikes, secondly, are the most useful and have the most praiseworthy outcome in the endeavour to achieve reform and change, and distant history, as well as near history, there are many examples that confirm this.

406: Submitting to one’s anger signifies one’s weakness vis-à-vis psychological impulses, and vindictiveness, whereas reining in on one’s power of anger reflects one’s strength and bravery in confronting the natural human weakness when in a state of agitation.

407: The culture of non-violence, the liberation from the force of anger and outrage, and the ability to control one’s reckless impulses are fundamental constituents for non-violence.

408: The global notion of non-violence covers all the people, and it will for ever stay prevalent, and it will not be restricted to a particular geographic location or a nation, but rather it will include all humanity; because it provides the grounds for constructive debate between mankind and secure life free from all manifestations of violence and cruelty.

409: Islam preceded all in the call to non-violence.

410: Islam makes particular emphasis on non-violence both in terms of theory and practice.

411: All the battles in which Allah’s messenger, peace be upon him and his holy family, engaged in were in self-defence, and that the total number of all the casualties of these battles, which exceeded eighty, was only about one-thousand, and that was on both sides. Furthermore, when the holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, conquered Mecca, [which was achieved without any bloodshed] he pronounced a general amnesty, and declared:“Whoever stays put in his house is safe” and [when the warmongers and leaders of the vicious campaigns waged against the Prophet in the course of ten years were brought before the prophet, he said to them:]“Just go! For you’ve been set free!” In fact the Prophet went further and said;“whoever enters Abu Sufyan’s house is safe” , this is despite the fact that Abu Sufyan was the leader of the oppressive military campaigns against the Muslims and the Prophet for many years.

412: The shining Islamic history is flourished with many examples which allude to the principle of non-violence in Islam. Just as the most Honourable Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, forgave the killer of his vitally supportive uncle Hamzah, from whom the prophet received much needed help, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, peace be upon him, also forgave those who fought him in the battle of the Camel, saying:“I showed the people of Basra favour just as Allah’s Messenger showed the people of Mecca favour.”

413: Violence is a culture, just as it is an influence, and perhaps the role of upbringing in violence is no less than that of culture.

414: It is not plausible to consider defence of the realm, religion, property, and lives as causes of violence, provided all other peaceful options fail to give results.

415: Extracting admissions from a suspect through torture is absolutely prohibited in Islam; it is not permissible to torture any suspect at any stage of interrogation.

416: In the process of issuing judgement practiced by the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali, peace be upon him, in order to uncover the truth and the culprit without any resort to torture and suchlike, there are great many examples, and similarly, there are many such examples practiced by our sanctified scholars, Allah’s blessing be upon them.

417: There are cases where it is not appropriate to overlook the criminals, as this would lead to chaos and corruption in the social order.

418: Non-violence, in general, has a positive output, but it should be noted that criminals do not manage to exploit the tolerance to spread chaos and corruption in the society.

419: Non-violence has a great role in curtailing the activity of violence.

420: Some of the means available for the struggle within the policy of non-violence are: spreading the culture of non-violence throughout society, explaining the outcomes for the individual and the community, organising seminars to debate the theory of non-violence - developing it into practice - and consecrating the essence of“consultation” in the community - theoretically and practically - setting debating channels between individuals and groups. And finally, highlighting and fixing the spotlights on the shining Islamic history that is filled with leniency and forbearance, especially the history of the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him and his holy family, and the Commander of the Faithfull Imam Ali, peace be upon him.

421: Non-violence has a great role in stabilising the state of coexistence between members of the community, which in turn forms a steady foundation for the building of a consultative system of governance.