Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

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Imam MuhammadShirazi

What is Islam?;

Beliefs, Principles and a Way of Life

Translated byAbdelmalik Badruddin Eagle

www.alhassanain.org/english

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Second English edition, 2002

Third edition, 2003

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Table of Contents

Translator’s note 7

Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad al-Husayni al-Shirazi (1928-2001) 8

A biographical sketch 8

Foreword by the Author 11

1-The Islamic Faith - an Introduction 12

2-THE BASIC BELIEFS OF ISLAM 16

THE ONENESS and UNITY of GOD (TAWHID) 16

1-Oneness of Essence: 16

2-Oneness of Attributes: 16

3-Oneness of His Works: 16

4-Oneness of Worship: 16

PROPHETHOOD 16

RESURRECTION 18

PARADISE 20

HELL 20

TH 21

TH 21

IMAMATE 21

3-ISLAMIC MORAL QUALITIES, ETHICS AND IDEALS 25

1-Honesty in Word and Deed: 26

2-Trustworthiness in Speech and Character: 26

3-Courage: 27

4-Generosity: 27

5-A Sense of Honour: 27

6-Cooperation in Good Works: 27

7-Effort and Joy: 28

8-Organization: 28

9-Reform: 28

10-Cleanliness: 28

11- Moderation: 28

12-Justice: 29

13-Prudence: 29

14-Affability and Amiable Conduct: 29

15-Piety: 29

16-Knowledge: 29

17-Fondness and Friendship: 29

18-High-mindedness: 30

19-Perseverance: 30

20-Adherence to the Highest Standards in the Treatment of Others: 30

4-AN ISLAMIC LIFE-STYLE 31

5-WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM 34

6-ISLAMIC ACTS OF WORSHIP 37

PRAYING 37

FASTING 39

KHUMS and ZAKAT 40

JIHAD 42

HAJJ 43

2-Economic Benefits: 45

3-Psychological Benefits: 45

4-Social benefits: 45

5-Spiritual benefits: 45

7- SOME ASPECTS OF THE SHARI‘A 46

PURIFICATION IN ISLAM: 46

ABLUTIONS (WUDU’) 46

COMPLETE WASH (GHUSL) 47

TAYAMMUM 47

PLACES for WORSHIP 48

HOLY SHRINES 48

SUPPLICATION 50

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER (SALAT AL-JAMA’A) 51

ENJOINING WHAT IS GOOD and FORBIDDING WHAT IS REPREHENSIBLE 52

I‘TIKAF 53

PROPAGATING GOOD 54

COMMEMORATIONS 54

TAWALLI and TABARRI 56

8-Freedom in Islam 58

THE LIMITS TO FREEDOM 58

KINDS OF FREEDOM 58

9- ISLAMIC ECONOMICS 61

10-PEACE IN ISLAM 64

11-POLITICS IN ISLAM 66

12-SOCIETY IN ISLAM 70

13-ISLAMIC RULINGS 72

14-A LIFE OF HAPPINESS UNDER THE BANNER OF ISLAM 74

Other Publications by fountain books 76

Teachings of Islam 79

Notes 80

Translator’s note

(a) This is a translation of Ma-huwa ’l-Islam?from its 3rd printing in Beirut in 1414/1993. The book was first published in mid 1960’s.

(b) In the transliteration of Arabic words I have generally followed current academic usage but I have, however, deliberately avoided macrons and diacritics which might only confuse the non-specialist, (hence al-Rida , without a dot beneath the d, which would indicate one of the letters which have no parallel in English). Also, the Arabic letter (written like the emphaticta ’ with a dot), I have rendered asdh but solely as a compromise: henceKadhim ,dhuhr (noon), ‘adhim (great), sinceKazim ,zuhr and ‘azim without diacritics give little idea of the correct pronunciation.

Theta ’marbuta at the end of a word is rendered byan a not ah, as, for instance,balagha notbalaghah , except in a construct when it is written as a t, e.g.ma‘rifat Allah. The Arabic lettershamza and ‘ayn throughout are rendered by (’) and (‘) respectively.

(c) The holy cities of Mecca and Medina are rendered according to their original Arabic:Makka and al-Madina , respectively.

(d) The Arabic text has a few footnotes. These were not the work of the author. I have revised them, sometimes adding to them as well as adding new footnotes of my own.

(e) In references from the Holy Qur’an, the number of thesura (chapter), in italics, precedes that of theaya (verse).

(f) Whenever the author mentions Imam Amir al-Mu’minin , he is referring always to ‘Aliibn Abi Talib .

(g) Where two dates are given, theHijri (Islamic) date precedes the CE (Common Era) one: i.e. the current year would be rendered 1422/2002.

NB Throughout this book, man and the pronoun herefer to mankind in general (men and women) and frequently translates the Arabicinsan . This is to avoid the tedious repetition ofhe/she and so on. Similarly Muslim/the Muslims, as in Arabic, refers to Muslim men and women in general.

Grand AyatollahSayyid Muhammad al-Husayni al-Shirazi (1928-2001)

A biographical sketch

Grand Ayatollah Muhammad al-Shirazi , who died in Qum on 17 December 2001 at the age of 73, was one of the most prominent Muslim scholars and spiritual authorities (maraji ‘, sing.marja ‘) of modern times.

He was a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (God's blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) and his genealogy can be traced back throughZayd "al-Shahid ", a son of the fourth imam of theAhl al-Bayt , Imam ‘AliZayn al-‘Abidin . For more than a century and a quarter theShirazi family, so called because of the long association of their ancestors with the city of Shiraz in south-western Iran, have played an outstanding role as religious scholars (‘ulama ’, sing.‘alim ) jurists andmaraji ‘. A famous member of the family isMirza MuhammadHasan Shirazi , known as al-Mujaddid ("therenewer ") because of his outstanding learning, who played a leading role in the so-called "Tobacco Rebellion" of 1890-1. His sonMirza ‘AliAgha was also amarja ‘. AnotherShirazi and a leadingmarja ‘Mirza MuhammadTaqi , the maternal uncle of AyatollahShirazi’s father, was, along with his son MuhammadRida , in the vanguard of the revolt of 1920 against the British occupation of Iraq. A brother-in-law of AyatollahShirazi's father,Mirza ‘Abd al-Hadi al-Shirazi , was an ‘alim and well-known poet who became amarja ‘ briefly after the demise of Grand AyatollahSayyid Burujirdi in 1961.

Sayyid Muhammad was born in Najaf in Iraq in 1928. He was the son of the renownedmarja ‘ Grand AyatollahMirza Mahdi al-Shirazi . His mother wasAlawiyya Halima, a distant cousin.At the age of nine, the family moved to Karbala’, 50 miles to the north. There at theHawza (Religious Academy,plur .hawzat ) he went through the various stages of the traditional education necessary in order to become amujtahid (one competent to make independent juridical decisions). Among his principal teachers at the highest stage calledBahth al-Kharij numbered his own father, and the Grand AyatollahsSayyid MuhammadHadi al-Milani (the future renownedmarja ‘ of Mashhad in Iran),Shaykh MuhammadRida al-Isfahani ,Shaykh Muhammad al-Khatib andSayyid Zayn al-‘Abidin al-Kashani . The youngSayyid Muhammad excelled in his studies to such an extent that before he had reached the age of 20 he had become amujtahid (one competent to make independent juridical decisions) and, not yet 30, he began to teachBahth al-Kharij . After his father’s death, in February 1961, he published his own collection of juridical edicts (hisrisala ‘amaliyya ), a necessary step if one wishes to be amarja ‘, and soon afterwards he wasrecognised as one. Not long after theBa‘th Party had gained supreme power in Iraq, the first of the ‘ulama ’ to be arrested for their outspoken criticism of the regime wasShirazi’s brother AyatollahSayyid Hasan who, in the spring of 1969, was imprisoned in Baghdad and savagely tortured. After his releaseSayyid Hasan fled to Lebanon (where a decade later he was assassinated by the Iraqi regime) andSayyid Muhammad, forced into exile, left Karbala’ along with his family for Kuwait. In 1979 he moved to Qum in Iran.

Shirazi has written more than 1000 works. These deal with every branch of Islamic studies. His greatest scholarly contribution is perhaps in the field offiqh (jurisprudence). Up to his time the most popular work onfiqh in thehawzat wasNajafi’s Jawahir al-Kalam in 44 volumes which dates from the early 19th century.Shirazi’s monumentalencyclopaedic work onfiqh , which he commenced when only 25, amounts to 150 volumes, all of which have been published. For the first time subjects like the environment, economics, politics, freedom, the system of government in Islam have been studied using strictly the criteria of jurisprudence.Shirazi believed in the concept of an Islamic State governed by a consultative system of leadership (shura ). Since he also encouraged freedom of expression andfavoured political pluralism he was against a one-party state. He eschewed violence and coercion calling vehemently for a policy of non-violence to be exercised in every aspect of life: private and public.

Shirazi maintained that Islam was essentially a message of peace and tolerance to all mankind, stressing that it was better to forgive one's enemy rather than vilify him or seek revenge.Shirazi promoted the institution of marriage and traditional family values; was concerned for human rights and the dignity of the individual, whether Muslim or non-Muslim; emphasized the concept of justice, which is a fundamental one in Islam, and the need to have special care for the environment. His house in Qum became in effect aHawza where ‘ulama ’ and students alike would come to attend his lectures inBahth al-Kharij .Shirazi had followers throughout the world, especially in Kuwait, the Gulf States, the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, Europe, the UK and North America.

AyatollahShirazi was buried in the mausoleum of FatimaMa‘suma (a sister of the eighth Imam, ‘AliRida ) in Qum. He is survived by his wife who bore him 6 sons and 6 daughters.

Shirazi had always encouraged outstandingmujtahids to publish their ownrisala ‘amaliyya . Among thesemujtahids figured his own brother,Sayyid Sadiq . During his lifetimeShirazi , both orally and in writing, had urged the believers to have recourse toSayyid Sadiq and to profit from his knowledge in all aspects of jurisprudence but the latter had declined to publish hisrisala out of deference to his elder brother. However, now after the demise ofSayyid Muhammad it has surprised no one thatSayyid Sadiq should berecognised as amarja ‘, bearing in mind that his late brother had made it clear that he was eminently qualified for this great task.

Grand AyatollahSayyid Sadiq al-Shirazi was born in Karbala’ in January 1942 and among his teachers were the Grand Ayatollahs, his own fatherMirza Mahdi , his brotherSayyid Muhammad,Sayyid MuhammadHadi al-Milani andShaykh MuhammadRida al-Isfahani . He became amujtahid in his early twenties and for over 20 years he has taughtBahth al-Kharij and many well-knownmujtahids of the present-day had attended his lectures.

Sayyid Sadiq has already written more than 80 compilations among which figure his commentary on the monumental work onfiqh , al-‘Urwa alwuthqa , by the late 19th century/early 20th centurymarja ‘Sayyid Tabataba’i Yazdi . He began to write it in Karbala’ 35 years ago and the first volume onijtihad andtaqlid , published in Beirut in the 1970s, illustrates admirably both the depth ofSayyid Sadiq’s learning and his deductive powers. The remaining 20 volumes, on prayer, have yet to be published. HisBayan al-usul on the fundamentals of jurisprudence runs into 10 volumes and its fifth volume (la-darar wa -la-dirar : which is the Islamic principle that “one must do no harm or receive harm”) has been published and has been printed at least three times. Grand AyatollahSadiq resides in the holy city of Qum from where he directs the affairs of theMarja‘iyya and of course is in constant touch with his representatives worldwide. He is also busy teachingBahth al-Kharij (higher studies) both inusul al-fiqh (fundamentals of jurisprudence) andfiqh and also gives public lectures on a whole range of topics. Daily, sitting in the same office that his brother used, he receives visitors who come to Qum to seek his advice and spiritual guidance or who ask for a fatwa in a particular juridical matter.

Abdelmalik Badruddin Eagle

London

August 2002

Foreword by the Author

Praisebe to God the Lord of the Worlds and peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and his pure progeny and may God curse their enemies until the Day ofJudgement .

In today’s world we see that materialism has rushed in from all sides and spurious values prevail in every quarter and peace of mind andtranquillity now barely exist. Revolution and wars throughout the world have caused everyone to be apprehensive and people feel that they have been robbed of their security and sense of stability. Many are beginning now to seek a way-out from this state of anxiety and alarm which would bring them contentment and inner peace and are looking for a cure to thisallpervasive disease and a way to rid themselves of mental and spiritual pain and disquiet.

For a long time I have been thinking that if people only lived according to Islam as it has been revealed by the God of the Universe, they would find therein a complete cure which would remove every anxiety and unease and quench this thirsting for inner serenity. Islam is indeed a way of life, a religion of light, equanimity and peace, for the Almighty says in the Holy Qur’an:“ … … when He calls you to that which gives you life” [8: 24] and speaks of those who follow “the light which has been sent down” [7: 157].

God Almighty also says: “surely by remembering God, hearts find rest” [13: 28] and in anothersura (chapter), “With it [the Qur’an] God guideswhomsoever follows His pleasure into the ways of peace” [5: 16].

Moreover Islam can cope with all the problems of life and indeed the Almighty says “He [Prophet Muhammad] makes lawful for them the good things and makes unlawful for them things which are bad and rids them of their burden and the fetters that were upon them” [7: 157].

However large numbers of Muslims are not aware of these things (and so what must be the case with those who are not Muslims?) and therefore suffer all this distress just like someone who lives on top of treasure but does not realize it and is in a state of hunger, misery and nakedness.

Thus it is essential to introduce people to Islam and perhaps this will lead them to accept it which means happiness in this world and the reward of paradise, whose breadth is the heavens and the earth, in the hereafter.

This is what induced me to write this little bookWhat is Islam? (ma-huwa ’l-Islam?)and since my aim was merely to introduce Islam I have been succinct and concise throughout so that it can be easily read by all.

I pray God Almighty that it will meet His pleasure and that He will make it a means through which people are guided, for He it is who grants success and upon Him do we call for help.

The holy city of Karbala’,

Muhammad

1-The Islamic Faith - an Introduction

Question:

What is Islam?

Answer:

Islam is both a faith and a legal system (shari‘a ) which provides for all the needs of a human being at every stage of his or her life.

Question:

Who established Islam?

Answer:

Islam did not come into being through human deliberation. On the contrary, it has been revealed by God Almighty as something perfect and complete without any defect.

Question:

Can Islam survive forever and is it valid for every time, place and nation?

Answer:

God Almighty has revealed Islam to be the faith of all mankind forever, relevant in every age, place and nation.

Question:

Onwhom was Islam revealed?

Answer:

God Almighty revealed Islam to the last of his prophets, the Prophet Mohammad (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa-alihi wa-sallam , God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny).1

Question:

At what time did the Prophet of Islam live?

Answer:

He lived fourteen centuries ago, that is nearly five centuries after Jesus Christ (peace be upon him), and this present year, which is 1387/1967, one thousand and four hundred years have passed since Islam was established.

Question:

What is the difference between the Islamic faith, and the Christian, Jewish and other faiths?

Answer:

Religious systems that have been revealed by God Almighty aremany, each of them being suitable for its own time, and whenever a new religion came the older faith would be abrogated. So is the case with Islam which is the last religion revealed by God for the guidance and leadership ofmankind. It can be said that the difference between religions is similar to the difference between today’s educational institutions: elementary school, secondary school and university in that as mankind advanced a new religious system would be revealed appropriate to the stage which had been reached, until the time came when Islam was proclaimed as the religion of mankind for all time.

All religions share the same common essence and their difference lies in details and certain characteristics which have developed according to the advancement of the human race.

Question:

Does Islam develop or not?

Answer:

Islam has two aspects:

1. The fixed and unchanging aspect of Islam in which there is no place for development, and in which if changes were to take place there would only be insanity and confusion. In this category falls the exhortation to the telling of the truth and trustworthiness; finding repugnant oppression and miserliness; the prohibition of hoarding and murder; the obligation to pray and fast and to seek the consent of both parties in a sale or purchase and so on.

2. The second aspect of Islam is where change and alteration are legitimate. Islam has enunciated overall principles that can be applied to matters that undergo development. For example, means of transport have changed fromfourlegged animals to carriages and have then developed further to motorcars and trains, and then toaeroplanes and missiles. The means of lighting have gone from candle to oil lamps and from there to electricity and nuclear power.

Islam allows such developments and in fact encourages them in all these spheres.

Question:

Is Islam sufficient for all man’s needs? And how are those needs fulfilled?

Answer:

Islam is sufficient for all man’s needs because it is a faith that God has revealed in such a manner that it can be applied to all aspects of life.

You ask, how can Islam be all sufficient? This is because the Holy Qur’an and the sunna2 have set out two types of laws:

1. Laws which relate particularly to a specific issue such as forbidding the drinking of wine.

2. Laws which establish a general principle such as the one forbidding the imbibing of anything that intoxicates.

Question:

How can you say that Islam is sufficient for all man’s needs seeing that now new matters and problems have arisen which are not mentioned in the Qur’an orSunna such as banks or insurance? Such things did not exist at the time of the advent of Islam?

Answer:

Since Islam is the Faith revealed by God for the guidance of mankind for all time and God is omniscient, Islam therefore enters into all man’s affairs even those of recent manifestation.

The two examples that you mentioned are also covered by general principles enunciated in Islamic Law.

Banking operations consist of various matters which have been dealt with by theShari‘a as, for instance, borrowing money, security on a loan and a transference transaction. Insurance is covered by theQur’anic verse: “… except that it be trading by your mutual consent”[ 4: 29]. Elsewhere it is stated: “… fulfill [your] contracts”[ 5: 1]. These orders depend upon conditions that have been described in the books on Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh ).

Question:

Why do we need Islam?

Answer:

Islam, as mentioned before, is a faith andshari‘a .

Islamic faith is firstly the unchanging reality: one who does not believe in it has believed in something that is based on a fiction.

Secondly, a great loss in the hereafter will be the lot of one who does not believe in Islam. Moreover, anyone not bound by the IslamicShari‘a , will not obtain true happiness in this world to say nothing of the punishments of the hereafter. Indeed the IslamicShari‘a is the best of all legal systems, better than man-made laws which also seek to improve man’s lot at every stage of his life. In brief, the happiness of man in this world and the hereafter is conditional upon whether or not he has believed in IslamQuestion:

Firstly, how do we know that after this life there is another existence called the hereafter and that the happiness of man depends upon whether or not he is a Muslim? Moreover, what is your proof that the IslamicShari‘a is superior to all laws and codifications and thus is able to deal best with man’s condition, whereas other religions do not possess such capability?

Answer:

The proof of the existence of the hereafter after this world can be obtained from the arguments set out in the books of Islamic Philosophy (kalam ). Similarly modern psychological fields of knowledge like magnetic hypnosis, hypnotism, spiritualism (recalling the spirits of the dead) and so on prove that after death the spirit remains eternal.3

Moreover, proof of the superiority of the IslamicShari‘a and its being better than all other laws and codifications can be seen by comparing how Islamic laws and all man-made legal systems deal with man's various needs.4

Question:

What is the total number of Muslims today in the world?

Answer:

The exact figure is not known, but according to statistics found in certain books and journals this figure is as high as “800 million”.5

Question:

Where do Muslims live?

Answer:

There are Muslims in nearly all the countries of the world but themajority of them live in Asia and Africa.6

Question:

Are Muslims of the belief that their religion will finally become the religion of all the people on earth?

Answer:

Yes, Muslims are of the belief that their religion will become the religion of all those on earth and the time will come when there will no longer be even one non-Muslim. The Qur’an has also promised the same and proclaims “that He may make it (Islam)

prevail over all the religions”[48: 28].

In several hadiths7 that have been quoted from the Prophet and the pure Imams, it has been made clear that at the end of time a man from the Prophet’s descendants by the name of “Imam al-Mahdi ” (peace be upon him) will appear and will consequently spread Islam throughout the whole world.8

Question:

How does Islam see this life? Is Islam a religion concerned for the material life or just about the spiritual life, or about both?

Answer:

The Islamic viewpoint about this life and the material and spiritual aspects of man's existence are summed up in the Almighty’s words in the Qur’an where He says:

“And among them is he who says: ‘O Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire’”[ 2: 201].

The Prophet Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says: “One who renounces his worldly affairs for the life of the hereafter is not from among us, and one who renounces the life of the hereafter for his worldly affairs is also not from among us”.9

He also says: “Strive for your world in such a manner as if you will livefor ever and for the life of the hereafter act in such a way as if you will die tomorrow”10 .

Question:

What were the boundaries of the Islamic World in the previous centuries and what are they at the present time? How did Islam spread?

Answer:

Information about these two topics requires extensive study of various books but a summary can be found by a perusal of the study of a map of the Islamic World and the book “Invitation towards Islam”.

2-THE BASIC BELIEFS OF ISLAM

Question:

What are the basic beliefs of Islam?

Answer:

There are three fundamental beliefs as well as beliefs that follow from these three fundamentals.

THE ONENESS and UNITY of GOD (TAWHID)

Question:

What are these three fundamental beliefs?

Answer:

Firstly, the faith that this world has an omniscient, omnipotent, wise, all-hearing and all-seeing God, who has no beginning or end and who possesses all qualities of perfection and is free from any fault or deficiency. This God isOne and has no partner, and none of His creation resembles Him, and there is absolutely no possibility of seeing Him, either in this world or in the hereafter.

The oneness of God can be proved.

Question:

What is the meaning of oneness?

Answer:

The oneness of God can be considered to have four aspects:

1-Oneness of Essence:

This means that God is one and has no partners. He is not like man who consists of several parts for God does not possess any parts at all.

2-Oneness of Attributes:

This means that God’s attributes are identical to His essence:

hence there is no duality between His attributes and His essence. In other words, God is not like man whose knowledge is separated from his essence and whose strength is something separate from him, but in fact the essence of God, His knowledge, His power and so on are one and the same thing.

3-Oneness of His Works:

This means that everything in the universe is of His creation.

4-Oneness of Worship:

This means that only God Almighty has the right to be worshipped.

PROPHETHOOD

Question:

What is the second fundamental from among the fundamental beliefs in Islam?

Answer:

It isprophethood . This means that God Almighty has sent prophets to mankind in order to guide him to the truth and the right path.

Question:

Who is the first prophet?

Answer:

The first prophet is our father Adam (peace be upon him). God created him from clay; then created him a companionHawa (Eve)

-peace be upon her. Then God blessedHawa with two sonsHabil (Abel) andQabil (Cain). Then God created two girls, not from the stock of Adam andHawa , but as a new creation.Habil andQabil married these two girls and from them children were created, and consequently cousins married each other and so the human race started to increase.

Question:

Who is the last of all the prophets?

Answer:

The last prophet is the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny).

Question:

How many prophets are there?

Answer:

Their number is 124,000. From among them areNuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and ‘Isa (Jesus). These four prophets together with the Prophet of Islam are superior to the rest of mankind.

Question:

What is the difference between prophets and other human beings?

Answer:

The difference is that the prophets receive direct revelation from God Almighty and are given commands either concerning their own affairs or commands to be proclaimed to other people. The rest of humanitydo not receive such divine revelations. On the contrary, they are charged to follow the prophets.

Question:

How do we know that one who claimsprophethood is telling the truth?

Answer:

We know the truthfulness of the claimant ofprophethood by means of miracles. Miracles consist of supernatural feats that a prophet performs which indicate that he is from God, since if he were not he could never perform such acts.

Question:

Give examples of miracles.

Answer:

For example:

1- Ibrahim (peacebe upon him) was cast into the fire but did not get burnt.

2- Musa (peacebe upon him) would throw down his staff and it would turn into a huge serpent. Then when he picked it up it would return to its original condition.

3- ‘Isa (peacebe upon him) would heal the blind and lepers and by the will of God would bring the dead to life.

4- Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) split the moon into two and brought the Qur’an the like of which man has been incapable of producing.

Question:

Howis it that man has been incapable of producing something like the Qur’an?

Answer:

The Qur’an itself has challenged mankind and invited him to bring forth something like itself. “Say: If men and jinn should meet together to bring the like of this Qur’an, they could not bring the like of it, even if they came to the aid of one another” [17: 88].

And when they were incapable of producing the like of the whole Qur’an, they were challenged to produce only tensuras (chapters) like thesuras in the Qur’an: “Bring you then ten forgedsuras like it…”[ 11: 13].

And when again they remained incapable, they were challenged to bring forth only onesura like aQur’anic sura : “Then produce asura like it”[ 2: 23].

But men of that day, even though they were eloquent and spoke the purest Arabic and were outstanding poets and masters of rhetoric could not meet these challenges and in the end fought the Prophet since they could not produce even the like of the smallestsura , al-Kawthar [no. 108], which says:

“In the Name of God, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate.

Verily, we have granted you [Oh Muhammad] al-kawthar .

Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him].

For he who makes you angry will be cut off.”

Question:

What are the special attributes of the prophets?

Answer:

Prophets, Imams and angels all share the same quality, namely they are free from error and every transgression or sin.

Throughout their entire life they never disobey God Almighty or commit a sin, since they are aware of the majesty of God Almighty, and at the same time are also utterly aware of the detestable nature of disobedience: both these factors prevent them from committing any transgression. Similarly the Prophets and the Imams possess the finest of virtues like courage, generosity, sense ofhonour , noble-mindedness and so on and they are free from every ignoble trait. They have to be absolutely the best of the people of their time and therefore it is incumbent upon people to follow them.

Question:

Do Prophets and Imams possess some degree of divinity just as Christians have claimed regarding Christ?

Answer:

Absolutely not, for Prophets and Imams are human. However they receive guidance from God Almighty and possess the quality of freedom from error and from every transgression and sin as well as possessing all the other virtues. Christ too was nothing but a human being: Almighty God created him from his mother without a father, just as God Almighty created Adam andHawa without father or mother.

RESURRECTION

Question:

What is the third fundamental from among the Islamic fundamental beliefs?

Answer:

The third fundamental belief of Islam is resurrection: this means that after the destruction of the world, and after the death of everything alive, God Almighty will again bring people to life, so that He may give them the recompense for what they did in this life - one who has believed and done good deeds, his recompense be paradise, and as to one who did not believe or was disobedient, hell shall be his end.

Question:

Many people do not know the truth being either incapable of finding it out because their powers of understanding are weak, like the mentally deranged or the mentally retarded, or because they are far from thecentres of religion and therefore, since they have little contact with the truth, have not heard about the true faith. Are such people unbelievers and will therefore go to hell?

Answer:

Not at all. No one will enter the fires of hell except those who have received clear knowledge about Islam, so the mentally deranged and those incapable of finding out the truth will be examined at the resurrection on the day ofjudgement . Those who pass the test on that day will go to heaven but as to those who fail, their lot will be hell.

Question:

If man dies does he stop functioning until the day of resurrection?

Answer:

No, for when man dies his body decays but his spirit stays alive.

If he is a believer and has done good deeds in this life he will be in a state of happiness after death.However if he was an unbeliever and disobedient to God's commands, his spirit will undergo suffering.

Question:

What is the name of the world after this life, but before the day of resurrection?

Answer:

Its name is “Barzakh ”. In this way man, from the beginning to the end, encounters six worlds:

1. The world prior to being human, for every man is first dust,then becomes plant or animal, and then when maneates of them his seed will be formed.

2. The world of humanity, which starts with the implantation of the sperm in the mother’s womb until a human is born into this life.

3. The physical world, in which we are at present and where we have obligations to perform. It is how we carry out these duties and obligations thatdetermines our future destiny.

4. The world ofBarzakh .

5. The world of resurrection (day of recompense) the duration of which, according to the Qur’an, is fifty thousand years.

6. The final world which will be paradise or hell.

Question:

Is there proof for the survival of the soul?

Answer:

The survival of the soul has become a widespread subject for study and special courses have been drawn up in western countries and elsewhere. The book by AbuMadyan , and many other works that have been written about the soul and the spirit, the summoning up of souls, dreams and similar phenomena can be profitably referred to.

This is from the experimental and ocular point of view but from the philosophical and auditory angle there are numerous proofs for the survival of the soul and for the resurrection that have been set out in books of Islamic philosophy.

PARADISE

Question:

What is paradise?

Answer:

Paradise is a place which God Almighty has prepared for the believers who perform righteous deeds and which man enters after his soul returns to the body he had in this life. In paradise there is every kind of pleasure: gardens and mansions and pure breezes, vitality, chaste wives, delectable foods and delicious beverages.

If man enters paradise he shall remain there forever and there does not exist in it anything that troubles mankind in this life like poverty, disease, fatigue, jealousy, tribulations, oppression, incapacity, hunger, nudity, thirst, distress, enmity and animosity.

The inhabitants of paradise shall remain young forever, in a state of bliss and happiness.

Paradise is extensive and vast, so much so that every man is given a palace bigger than the whole world. He will be put in charge of companies of angels, but greater than all those blessings is that God will be pleased with him: “and best of all is God's goodly pleasure”[ 9:72].

In this way, it is incumbent upon man throughout his life to strive for that place and that he should only get from this world what suffices him, and on no account should he perform impious deeds or disobey God, so that he does not lose that eternal and everlasting recompense.

HELL

Question:

What is hell?

Answer:

Hell is the opposite of paradise. It is a place that God has made ready for unbelievers and the disobedient and therein exist a variety of physical and psychological tortures. Man in hell is in a state of torment and punishment and has to deal with chains of fire and unquenchable flames - flames that will never ever be put out. Therein he is in a despised and lowly state and God has destined that one sent to hell shall spend his time in eternal torment and shall not die: “As often as their skins are roasted through we shall change them for other skins”[ 4: 56].

Therefore it is obligatory upon man that he should strive in this world with all his strength so that he does not enter into hell. That place is for the obstinate of whom God says: “But if they returned [to the world], they would revert to that which they were forbidden”[ 6: 28].

TH EDA YOF JUDGEMEN TQuestion:

What is the Day ofJudgement ?

Answer:

After man dies he remains for a long time in the state ofBarzakh and then God Almighty brings him to life for God’s court of justice. Therein all created beings will gather and each will be given his own dossier and in it all his pious and bad deeds will have been recorded. “So, he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it”[ 99: 7,8].

When he looks at his record of deeds and sees that all his actions, hidden and apparent, have been written in it, and even his thoughts and the misgivings of his heart have not been omitted, he is surprised and says, “Ah! Woe to us! What sort of book is this! It does not omit a small thing nor a big thing but numbers them (all)”[ 18: 49].

Then the scales are set up and the Prophets and their successors and the martyrs stand up to intercede at the trials andjudgements :

whoever was a true believer and did good acts, his lot shall be paradise and, as previously mentioned, the day of resurrection will be equivalent to fifty thousand years.

TH EJUSTIC EOF GO DQuestion:

What are the remaining beliefs that are fundamental to Islam?

Answer:

They are justice; the imamate;qada ’ andqadar ; compulsion or free will.

Question:

What is meant by justice?

Answer:

Justice means that God is fair and is not unjust to anyone, and does not commit any shameful act. Whatever oppression, cruelty and evil we see in the world is from human kind. For example, if one man kills another this murder is an evil act and an injustice that has been committed by man, not by God.

Question:

It is true that an aggressive act committed by an individual on another is not from God, but how do you account for natural disasters like floods, storms, earthquakes, diseases and so on that humans have no hand in, and which, in the main part, result in death and misery for innocent people?

Answer:

These matters which people have no hand in can be explained in this way: for the transgressors it is a chastisement, and for the innocent it is a warning, and they will be recompensed in the hereafter.

IMAMATE

Question:

What is the imamate?

Answer:

The meaning of the imamate is that the greatest of all the prophets, Muhammad (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) appointed by the command of God Almighty successors to take his place after his demise in guiding the people and showing them the true path. Their number is twelve, in succession.

Question:

Who are the 12 Imams?

Answer:

1. Imam ‘Ali, Amir al-Mu’minin

2. Imam al-Hasan

3. Imam al-Husayn

4. ImamZayn al-‘Abidin

5. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir

6. ImamJa‘far al-Sadiq

7. Imam Musa al-Kadhim

8. Imam ‘Ali al-Rida

9. Imam Muhammad al-Jawad

10. Imam ‘Ali al-Hadi

11. ImamHasan al-‘Askari

12. Imam al-Hujja al-Mahdi

Question:

What are their characteristics?

Answer:

These Imams, as is of course the case with the Prophet Muhammad and his daughter Fatima al-Zahra’, are all protected by God from every sin and transgression and they stand at the highest level of virtue and holiness. The difference between the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams is that the Prophet was the recipient of revelation direct from God himself whereas this was not the case with the Imams.

Question:

What distinguishes the Imams from great discoverers and inventors?

Answer:

Apart from the fact that the Imams are God’s deputies (khulafa ’

Allah) on earth and are at the highest peak of humanity, they also laid out the bases for a happy life and followed the correct way which would make such a life a reality. They showed clearly the path to a true humanity so that were people only to follow it, they would experience happiness in this world before they did so in the next. Is it not reasonable that whoever indicates the way to attain such a life should have a higher status than someone who introduces to mankind lighting or a new means of travelling about?

Question:

Explain the distinction and difference.

Answer:

A life of well-being and happiness, before anything else, depends on peace and security, freedom from want, knowledge, health and virtue. In contrast, war, poverty and ignorance, disease, crime and depravity in all its forms, result necessarily in distress. Secondly it depends upon factors that make life more comfortable likeaeroplanes for travelling, electricity for lighting and elevators for getting up into high buildings. These ways to make life easier are to be contrasted with the use of animals for travelling and candles for lighting, and so on.

It is clear that these means alone cannot be the means of welfare and prosperity for man unless life is so structured that it will bring about happiness and well-being. What is better, having peace, even if man lights a candle to see, or having electricity, when man at the same time is plagued by wars and anarchy?

The Prophets and Imams made clear to the people the way to a life of well-being which is the most important thing. Thus it is a mistake to compare the virtues of anyone else to their virtues even though hebe an inventor or a scientist.

Question:

Is it correct that Muslims believe that the twelfth imam, Imam al-Mahdi is still alive? If so, what is the use?

Answer:

Yes. The truthful Prophet and the Imams have testified that he remainsalive, to appear at the end of time and fill the world with justice after it had been full of oppression. He will establish peace everywhere as well as bringing prosperity, knowledge, health and virtuous living which will turn this world into a small paradise.

Question:

Is it possible for anyone to have such a long life?

Answer:

It is indeed possible, for history has related that some people have lived for centuries. Also modern knowledge has proved the possibility of survival. So much so that in the west at the present time research is being specifically carried out to this end. And more than all this, is the truth that God Almighty is omnipotent and all-powerful.

Question:

What is the meaning ofqada ’ andqadar ?

Answer:

Just as an engineer draws out plans for a building, provides the necessary equipment and materials, and gives the workers the necessary instructions for carrying out the work, similarly God too has drawn out a wise plan for this world calledqadar .

Thereafter, he has also provided the equipment andmaterials by means of which work may be carried out, that isqada ’. After that, He ordered people to dogood and forbad them from doing evil and now whoever does a good thing will be rewarded for it, and whoever does something bad will be punished.

Thus God in the Holy Qur’an says: “If you do good, you do good [only] for yourselves, but if you transgress [you transgress] against yourselves”[ 17: 7].

Question:

What is the meaning ofjabr andikhtiyar : compulsion and free will? Is man forced in his actions or does he possess free will?

Answer:

Jabr is the opposite ofikhtiyar . For example, a healthy person can choose to move his hand about at will but the movement of the hand of a person afflicted with a trembling ailment is involuntary.

Man has freedom of choice in his actions: he can dogood or do bad as he wishes. However, man has no freedom of choice in matters like being male or female, white or black, handsome or ugly and so on.

Question:

Is God Almighty involved at all in the actions of mankind?

Answer:

Yes, and the meaning of that is: means and materials are from God and the action is from man. For instance, if someone builds a house, thelabourers , the aptitude of the contractor, the land on which the house is to be built and the building materials are the result of God's creation whereas the actual process of constructing the house is the work of man. So it is with man's actions. If he does something good, prayer for example, he deserves a reward for that but if he does something bad, like adultery, he deserves to be punished.

3-ISLAMIC MORAL QUALITIES, ETHICS AND IDEALS

Question:

What are moral qualities or traits?

Answer:

They are of two kinds: those relating to the heart; those relating to parts of the body and the limbs.

Question:

Please provide examples for each kind.

Answer:

Moral traits relating to the heart are, for instance, tenderness of heart or, conversely, jealousy, and examples of traits relating to parts of the body are truthfulness or lying.

Question:

Moral qualities, as a whole, may be divided into how many kinds?

Answer:

They can be divided, on the whole, into two kinds:

1. Good moral traits, orvirtues, whose presence in man is commendable.

2. Bad moral traits, orvices, whose presence in man is found repulsive.

Question:

What is man’s responsibility as regards moral principles?

Answer:

Man is charged with adorning himself with “virtues” and avoiding vices, for virtues are perfection and vices are a deficiency. Man by nature seeks perfection and distances himself from defects.

Question:

Is it possible for man to adorn himself with virtues and keep away from vices?

Answer:

Yes, this is possible, for man’s soul is like a white sheet of paper which isreceptable to anycolour . The only thing is that it is difficult to be in command of one's soul which needs to be made tractable and, particularly with regard to acquiring virtues, it requires continuous vigilance until the praiseworthy quality becomes inherent in one’s nature. When such a quality becomes fixed within a person’s soul, he or she cannot help but dogood and does so without any hardship The soul, when it comes to ethics, is similar to man when he wants to learn or make things. A man needs to learn and apply continually his knowledge in order to become an artisan who almost automatically and without difficulty can perform his job.

In the same way man can acquire virtuesQuestion:

Give an example of this.

Answer:

If someone wants to be truthful he should tirelessly make an effort to speak nothing but the truth, and should do this time and time again until truthfulness becomes a part of his nature. The same applies to other qualities especially the most commendable which are more of a trial for the soul of man.

Question:

How does Islam regard having moral principles?

Answer:

Islam incessantly orders people to acquire virtues and forbids them from doing base deedsQuestion:

What is to be gained from tiring oneself to acquire virtues and of keeping away from bad things?

Answer:

Virtues and good deeds benefit both the individual and society, as opposed to base things which harm equally the individual and society. For example, activity, which is initself a virtue, makes man progress and strive harder and at the same time encourages society to develop more, whereas stagnation and laziness harm both man and society. Such is the case with all the virtues and vices.

Question:

Some say that ethical principles reflect a society divided by class.

Is this true?

Answer:

Not at all. Let us ask this group whether justice in the application of the law is a mere reflection of a particular society and so if the attitudes of that society were to change, injustice would become an admired quality? And is treason against the state such that if a different kind of society came about, treason would be counted lawful? A similar argument can be applied to all the other virtues.

Virtue will always be virtue and baseness will always be baseness and this is irrespective of how society is at a particular time or how it changes.

Question:

What are good moral traits?

Answer:

There are many good moral traits. We will here mention some of them:

1-Honesty in Word and Deed:

Man should be truthful in what he says and should be honest in what he does, in that his actions do not contradict what he really believes as in the case of a person who, out of outward show or flattery, is respectful to another although in his heart he thinks otherwise. Man should also be sincere in his actions. This means that he should not give the impression that he is intent on doing a particular thing whereas he really wants to do something else. He should also keep his promises and never break his word. He should avoid pretence and not make himself out to be something that he is not, like someone, for instance, who wears tattered clothes so that people will think that he is poor whereas in reality he is well-off.

2-Trustworthiness in Speech and Character:

Man should be sincere with his Lord and should not offend Him on any account. He should be honest in his dealings with others and not cheat anyone and should be trustworthy with regard to things that belong to other people and never betray their trust. He should acthonourably concerning the reputation of another and never do anything God has forbidden behind his back.

The importance of these two virtues, truthfulness and trustworthiness have been emphasized inhadith transmitted from the Holy Prophet and his pure progeny to the extent that one of the traditions relates that, “Every prophet sent by God was truthful in what he said and trustworthy in his dealings".11

Indeed an honest and trustworthy man is loved by others and by God and is successful in what he does, in contrast to a liar and one who cannot be trusted who wrecks his future even though he may benefit from some brief gain in the short term.

3-Courage:

Man should be courageous and intrepid, and in his affairs should not let fear near him, for the coward is always at the end of the line. Every prophet and reformer possessed this quality and this is enough to show how desirable it is. They could otherwise never have been able to change society from being a corrupt one to being righteous and lead it from decadence onto the path of upward development, since to confront people with what they do not want to hear even though it is for their own good requires the strongest kind of courage.

4-Generosity:

In society there are always poor and needy people, and there are always schemes which need help. [Those who give generously] are the mainstays of society upon whom the disadvantaged pin their hopes. Therefore man should be generous and give liberally. If the generous person is rich, his generosity will not be a cause of loss for him, and if he should be of average means his smaller contribution will also be accepted. According to the popular saying, “The best generosity is to give whatever you can”. The poet says:

If the world hasfavoured you dispense of its bounty

to others before it slips from your grasp,

If this bounty is coming your way generosity will not destroy it

and if this bounty is leaving you, miserliness will not hold it back

5-A Sense ofHonour :

Honour is a condition in man by means of which he protects those things which should be protected and guarded like religion, country,reputation and so on and is one of the virtues. If an individual orcommunity cease to havehonour their very nature comes under threat.

Of course teachers of ethics have talked in detail about those things which are a matter ofhonour , as well as those things in which it would be harmful if a sense ofhonour were applied but that is outside the scope of this book.

6-Cooperation in Good Works:

Life is not shaped by the individual but, on the contrary, by individuals cooperating together. The greater this cooperation and mutual assistance, the more life will get better and the more society will progress. Cooperation is of various kinds: through intellectualendeavour , through money, work, and the various ways of cooperating as a community.

7-Effort and Joy:

Man loves pleasures and comfort which are the enemies of progress and advancement and cause laziness, indolence, backwardness and decline. Therefore effort and activity have become indispensable for mankind. Activity is incumbent upon mankind since it is a quality which moves him forward in all aspects of life. Anyone who is not active and does not make an effort will undoubtedly remain backward. Similarly, any nation which does not possess this quality is on the road to decline.

8-Organization:

Imam Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) says “By God I exhort you to organize your affairs".12

Man’s time is very scarce and the duties and responsibilities that he has in relation to himself, society, his future in this world and the afterlife are numerous. Therefore he should organize his tasks carefully and meticulously.

In this respect he should take an example from the phenomena of the universe. Everything has a special system otherwise the universe would be chaotic. Similarly if a government or administration does not have a system or division of work responsibilities, society will fall into disarray.

9-Reform:

The world whether it likes it or not tends towards disorder.

Time makes every new thing obsolete and destroys eventually anything that has been built. Tyrants corrupt nations and treat the people like slaves. Therefore, man must rise like a reformer and, according to his ability, make the world a better place to live in, make people more civilized, improve society by introducing into it ways by which it can progress and go forward, and reform conditions which have got out of order or been corrupted by the oppressors.

10-Cleanliness:

The Holy Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says, "cleanliness is a part of faith".

• Cleanliness is of four kinds:

• Cleanliness in speech, which means that man’sspeech should be free of idle talk, meaningless utterances, gossip, lies, poking fun at people and so forth.

• Cleanliness incharacter, that is not doing bad and nasty things.

• Cleanliness in every part of the body, which is fulfilled by washing thoroughly, removing dirt and grime, and by using perfumes.

• Cleanliness in one's clothes and in one's food and drink and so on.

11- Moderation:

Man should be moderate in all his affairs.For excess and over-indulgence cause fatigue and, consequently, destruction.

Wastage creates backwardness and decadence. God, in the Qur’an, states:

“Thus we have made you a moderate nation”[ 2: 143]. For example, if the safest speed fora a car is 100kms per hour, then the speed of 150kms per hour is excessive and the speed of 50kms per hour is too little.

12-Justice:

In all his dealings man must be just whether they are personal, family or social, whether he is a judge or ruling a country or anything else. In the heart of every man, God Almighty has placed a yardstick by which he can distinguish justice from injustice. Justice is one of the greatest virtues and personal qualities by means of which man can reach the highest levels of spirituality.

13-Prudence:

By this quality man can organize affairs according to wisdom and correctness, paying careful attention to matters that concern him personally: giving and receiving, bringing up his children, getting on with people, and, if he is the manager of a business or the like, how best to run it; similarly in all his affairs, whether they be personal or affect society as a whole, whether they be religious or worldly and so on.

14-Affability and Amiable Conduct:

This means he speaks to others kindly and maintains a pleasant countenance whether theybe his family or relatives,neighbours , his colleagues at work or anyone else. He should try to acquire the friendship of others through the interchange of visits and gifts, by participating in the happiness and sorrows of other people, by forgiving anyone who does him a wrong and by apologizing to anyone he may have offended.

15-Piety:

Man should fear God in all circumstances and in everything he does. He should not do anything which displeases God Almighty for he will not remain forever in this world. He will die and afterwards if he has done good he will receive a good reward but if has done bad he will be duly punished In addition to this, piety is one of the best ways by which both the individual and society will prosper in this world.

16-Knowledge:

Not, however, just a little knowledge: on the contrary, just as the Holy Prophet of Islam has stated, “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”. It is through knowledge that God Almighty raises the status of a human being in His sight for as He himself states in the Qur’an: “Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees”[ 58: 11].

Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (peace be upon him) also says: “The worth of a person is what he knows”13 .

17-Fondness and Friendship:

Man has been created a social being and so the more his friendship with his fellowcreatures increases, the more his own hidden merits and those of the community where he lives become apparent, and this is always perceived whenever a man loves other human beings and when people get on with each other in a spirit of friendship. Therefore we read in thehadith : “A believer is someone who is fond of others and so others become fond of him, and there is nothing praiseworthy to say about a person who is not affectionate towards others and so he himself is not the recipient of affection".14

18-High-mindedness:

It has always been high-aiming aspirations, which have raised man to the ranks of the great ones.

The poet in praise of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be upon him and his progeny) says:

He has aspirations the greatest of which there is no limit to it, and whose smallest one is more sublime than time itself.

19-Perseverance:

Man is perpetually confronted with problems, particularly if he strives for progress desiring advancement for society and wishing to work for the common good. So if he defies misfortune and continues in his work he will succeed but if he does not, he will be counted among the losers. As God states: “Verily, those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah’, and then they stand fast, on them the angels will descend [saying], ‘Fear not, nor grieve’……..”[41: 30].

20-Adherence to the Highest Standards in the Treatment of Others:

Such as, possessing humility, which is not being proud; having no arrogance; possessing forbearance and not flying into a rage. Also having patience and not being easily irritated; doinggood for other people and not hesitating from being a service to others, and so on.

There are many other virtues that scholars of ethics have mentioned in more detail in their books and which contain a greater number of verses from the Qur’an andhadith of the Holy Prophet and the pure Imams.