Tuhaf Al-Uqoul (The Masterpieces Of The Mind)

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Tuhaf Al-Uqoul (The Masterpieces Of The Mind) Author:
Translator: Badr Shahin
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
Category: Various Books

Tuhaf Al-Uqoul (The Masterpieces Of The Mind)
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Tuhaf Al-Uqoul (The Masterpieces Of The Mind)

Tuhaf Al-Uqoul (The Masterpieces Of The Mind)

Author:
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought


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MAXIMS OF IMAM AL-KADHIM

The following maxims and words of wisdom are related to the honest Imam Abu Ibrahim (or Abul-Hasan) Musa bin Ja’far Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him)

Imam Al-Kadhim’s Commandment for Husham and the Depiction of the Mind

God the Elevated portends good to the people of reason and understanding in His Book. He says:

Give the glad news to those of Our servants who listen to the words and only follow the best ones. Tell them that they are those whom God has guided. They are the people of understanding. [274]

O Husham bin Al-Hakam, God the Majestic has certainly submitted His arguments to people perfectly through minds, explained everything completely to them, and led people to His godhead through the guides. He says:

Your Lord is the only Lord. There is no God but He, the Beneficent and Merciful. The creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of nights and days, the ships that sail in the sea for the benefit of the people, the water that God sends from the sky to revive the dead earth where He has scattered all kinds of animals, the winds of all directions, and the clouds rendered for service between the sky and the earth are all evidence (of His existence) for those who use their reason.[275]

O Husaham, God the Majestic provides the people’s having a Manager as the evidence on the acknowledgement of Him. He says:

God has made the day and the night, the sun and the moon, and all the stars subservient to you by His command. In this there is evidence of the truth for people of understanding. [276]

God says:

Ha Mim. I swear by the illustrious Book. We have made it an Arabic reading text so that perhaps you may understand .[277]

God also says:

Also, of the evidence of His existence are His showing you lightening which gives you fear and hope and His sending water down from the sky, which revives the earth after its death. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the people of understanding .[278]

O Husham, God then preaches to the people of reason and makes them desirous to the world to come. He says:

The worldly life is but useless amusement and sport (compared to) the life hereafter, which is far better and is only for the pious. Will you not then understand? [279]

God also says:

Whatever you (people) have been given are only the means for enjoyment and beauty of the worldly life, but the means of enjoyment (which you will receive from God) in the life to come will be better and everlasting. Will you then not take heed? [280]

O Husham, God then warns the unintelligent against His chastisement. He the Majestic says:

Then We totally destroyed the others. You pass by (their ruined town) in the morning and at night. Will you then not understand? [281]

O Husham, God then expounds that mind is always favoring knowledge. He says:

These are parables, which We tell to human being, but only the learned ones understand them .[282]

O Husham, God then dispraises those who are incapable of understanding. He says:

When some people are asked to follow the revelations of God, they say, "We would rather follow what our fathers have followed," even though their fathers had no understanding and could not find the true guidance .[283]

God says:

The wickedest beasts in the sight of God are the deaf and the dumb who have no understanding .[284]

God says:

If you ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth," they will certainly say, "God has created them." Say, "It is only God who deserves all praise, but most of them do not know. [285]

God then dispraises the majority. He says:

Most of the people in the land will lead you away from God's guidance if you follow them .[286]

…But many of them are ignorant .[287]

Hence, most of them have no feeling.

O Husham, God then praises minority. He says:

Very few of My servants are grateful .[288]

… Except for the righteously striving believers who are very few .[289]

No one believed in him, except a few .[290]

O Husham, God then mentions the people of the reasonable understanding in the best way of praise and describes them in the best wording. He says:

God gives wisdom to anyone whom He wants. Whoever is given wisdom, certainly, has received much good. Only people of reason can grasp this .[291]

God also says:

This is a reminder for everyone who has a heart .[292]

‘Heart’ in the previous Verse stands for the capability of understanding.

God also says:

We gave wisdom to Luqman .[293]

‘Wisdom’ stands for understandability and intelligence.

O Husham, Luqman said to his son: “Show modesty before the right and you will be the most reasonable. O son, this world is a deep ocean in which many people have sunk. God-fearing should be your ship in this ocean, faith the cargo, depending upon God its sail, reason its captain, knowledge its guide, and patience the anchor.”

O Husham, everything has its evidence. The evidence of being intelligent is pondering (over things) and the evidence on pondering is silence. Likewise, everything has its pack animal, and modesty is the pack animal of the intelligent. It is sufficient ignorant to ride on that which you are told not to ride.

O Husham, if people tell that you have a pearl in your hand while you are sure it is a nut, not pearl, this should not advantage you. If people tell that you have a nut in the hand while you are sure it is a pearl, not nut, this also should not harm you.

O Husham, the main reason beyond God’s sending prophets and apostles is that people will understand the commandments of God and His apostles. The best responsive people will be the most understanding, the most knowledgeable of God’s commandments will be the most intelligent, and the most intelligent then will be the most high-ranking in this world and the world to come.

O Husham, for every servant (of God), there is an angel invested with full power over him. Whenever that servant shows modesty for the sake of God, the angel will elevate him, and whenever he shows arrogance, the angel will humiliate him.[294]

O Husham, God has two arguments against people - one is explicit and the other is implicit. The explicit arguments of God are the apostles, prophets, and imams. The implicit arguments are the minds.

O Husham, the true intelligent is he whose legal-gotten provisions do not divert him from thanking God and whose illegal-gotten provisions do not divert him from being tolerant.

O Husham, as for those who extinguish the illumination of thinking with the long expectations, erase the novels of wisdom with the curious wording, and extinguish the lights of learning with the personal whims, they will back their whims to ruin their brains. Those who ruin their minds will surely devastate their worldly and religious affairs.

O Husham, how come do you expect that God will accept your deeds while you are involving your mind with matters that are away from God’s commandments and you are complying with your whims and letting them overcome your mind?

O Husham, the steadfastness against seclusions is a proof on willpower. He who understands the commandments of God, the Blessed the Exalted, will surely withdraw from the people of the worldly pleasures. He will also be desirous for that which God has promised and will regard God as the sociable in seclusion, the companion in loneliness, the fortune in poverty, and the supporter instead of the clan.

O Husham, the creatures have been formed for obeying God. No safety is obtained without obedience. The course of obedience is knowledgeability and the course of knowledgeability is learning. Learning is possible through mind. There should be a godly scholar who is the source of knowledge. Such scholars can be recognized through the mind.

O Husham, the few deeds of the intelligent will be accepted and doubled, while the many deeds of the followers of passions and the ignorant will be rejected.

O Husham, the true intelligent is that who agrees to have minimum worldly needs with wisdom. He does not agree to have little wisdom with all of the worldly pleasures. Therefore, his trade has been profitable.

O Husham, if you think it is fortunate for you to have only what suffices you then you will be sufficed with the least needs of this world. If you think it is not sufficient for you to have the minimum needs of this world then all the worldly pleasures will not suffice you.

O Husham, the intelligent have left the pleasures of this world. How is it then for the sins? The abstinence from the worldly surplus pleasures is recommendable while the desistance from committing sins is obligatory.

O Husham, the intelligent have abstained from the worldly pleasures and desired for the world to come because they have known that world, as well as the world to come, is demanding and demanded[295] . The world will surely trace the seeker of the world to come to give him his provisions perfectly. The world to come will trace the seeker of the worldly pleasures when death overcomes him to deprive him of the pleasures of this world and the world to come.

O Husham, as for those who desire for being rich without fortune, having peace of mind against envy, and enjoying safety of the religion, they are advised to beseech to God imploringly for granting them perfect intelligence, for the intelligent will surely satisfy themselves with only what is sufficient for them. Consequently, he who satisfies himself with only what is sufficient for him will be surely rich. Those who do not satisfy themselves with what is sufficient for them will never obtain richness.

O Husham, as describing the manners of virtuous people, God the Majestic mentions that they are used to saying:

Lord, do not cause our hearts to deviate from Your guidance, and grant us mercy. You are the Most Awarding One .[296]

This is because they realized that hearts might be deviated or might regain their blindness and ruination.

He who does not understand God’s commandments will not fear Him. Similarly, he who does not understand God’s commandments will not have a mind that is founded on constant knowledge that he considers and finds its factuality. Except those whose words and implicit beliefs agree with their deeds and appearances, no one can enjoy the previous characters. God has referred to the implicit affairs of the mind only through indicative appearances.

O Husham, Amirul Muminin used to say: “The most favorable way of worshipping God is the intelligentness”[297] .

Mind is not perfect for a man unless he enjoys many qualities: he should save people from his atheism and evil and make them expect his reason and good. His wealth should be offered and he should avoid useless wording. His food should be his share from the worldly pleasures. He should never stop seeking knowledge. He should prefer humility and modesty with God to credit and honor with others. He should regard any favor that he does as little and see all people better than him and he is the most vicious among them. The enjoyment of such qualities is surely the perfection of intelligence and the perfection of personality.

O Husham, the deeds of the truthful will be purified, the provisions of the well-meaning will be increased, and the age of those how treat their friends and folks charitably will be elongated.

O Husham, do not speak wording of wisdom before the ignorant so that you will not wrong it. Do not prevent the wise from receiving the wisdom lest you will wrong them.

O Husham, as they left wisdom for you, you should leave the worldly pleasures for them.

O Husham, those who lack personality are surely lacking the religion and those who are unintelligent are surely lacking personality. The most high-ranking people are those who disregard the worldly pleasures completely. Paradise is the only price of your bodies; do not sell them with anything other than Paradise.

O Husham, Amirul Muminin (peace be upon him) used to say: “No one should sit in the forefront of a session except those who can answer when they are questioned, speak when others cannot, and own the most successful opinion. He who does not enjoy these three characters and allow himself to sit in the forefront of a session is surely idiot.

Al-Hasan bin Ali (peace be upon him) used to say: ‘You should seek needs only from their proper people.’ ‘O son of the Messenger of God,’ some asked him, ‘Who are the proper people of needs?’ He (peace be upon him) answered:

They are those whom God mentions in His Book and says about them:

Only the people of reason take heed .[298]

They are the owners of mind.

Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) used to say:

To sit with the virtuous will invite to virtue, to sit with the scholars will increase the mind, the obedience to the just rulers is the perfection of honor, the investment of the wealth is the perfection of personality, to guide the seeker of counsel is fulfillment of the rights of favors, and the desistance from harm is a sign of the perfection of mind. It will, sooner or later, achieve physical relaxation.

O Husham, the intelligent should not talk to the individuals that they anticipate they will belie him, ask from individuals that they anticipate they will not give, promise of things that they cannot do, hope for things that harm them, or take the initiative in doing what they anticipate they will not be able to accomplish.

Amirul Muminin (peace be upon him) used to say to his companions:

I command you to fear God in secret and in public, be fair in both states of satisfaction and rage, earn provisions in richness and poverty, regard them who ruptured their relations with you, pardon them who oppressed you, and treat them who ignored you kindly. All your sights should be learning lessons, all your silence should be pondering over things, all your wordings should be mention of God, and all your nature should be generosity, for no stingy will be in Paradise and no generous will be in Hell.

O Husham, God will compassionate them who feel properly embarrassed from Him by keeping the head with what it contains (like the eye, the ear, and the tongue) and the abdomen with what is in it, retain death and misfortune, and realize that Paradise is surrounded by misfortunes and Hell is surrounded by the appetites.

O Husham, for those who abstain from engaging themselves in people’s honors, God will protect them from slipping on the Day of Resurrection. For those who save people from (the results of) their rage, God will save them from His wrath on the Day of Resurrection.

O Husham, the true intelligent should never tell lies even if it accords his whim.

O Husham, in the wisp of the Prophet’s sword, there is written:

The most insolent of people is that who beats other than the one who beat him and kill other than the one who killed him. He who votes for other than his true masters is disbelieving in what God has revealed to His Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him and his family). As for those who bring a heresiarch matter or shelter an originator of a heresy, God will not accept their remuneration or apology on the Day of Resurrection.

O Husham, after the acknowledgement of God, the best acts of the offertory to God are the prayers, piety to the parents, and evasion of envy, self-conceit, and pride.

O Husham, get ready for your coming days and prepare the answers for them. You will be inevitably judged and interrogated. Learn lessons from this world and its people. This life is surely long and short. You should act as if you can see the rewards of your acts in your hands, so that you will be urged acting so more importunately. Understand God’s commandments and learn from the changeability of this world and its manners. The coming days of this world are certainly as same as those which passed away; therefore, you should take examples from these days.

Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) used to say:

All things that are under the sunlight in the east and west, in oceans and lands, and plains and mountains; all these are just like a shadow for the true disciples of God and the people of the acknowledgement of Him. Is there no free man who will leave this valueless world to its people? Paradise is the only price of your bodies; hence, you should avoid selling them with any other price. He who satisfies themselves with the worldly pleasures is surely satisfying himself with the worthless.

O Husham, all people look at the stars, but no one can realize their ways and places except those who have full acquaintance with astronomy. In like fashion, you all study wisdom, but no one can benefit by it except those who apply it practically.

O Husham, the Christ (peace be upon him) said to his disciples:

O bad servants, the height of a palm tree terrifies you as you remember its thorns and the difficulty of climbing it, but you forget its good fruits and benefits. The same thing is said about the world. As you remember the supplies of the acts of the world to come, you remember its long time and forget the bliss, illumination, and fruits that you will obtain there. O bad servants! To find the sweetest taste of wheat, you should first cull its grains, clean, and mill them properly. The same thing is said about faith. To find the best taste of faith and to benefit by its results, you should first have it as sincere and perfect as possible.

Truly I say to you: If you have found a torch the fuel of which is tar, in a gloomy night, you will surely seek its light disregarding its malodor. In a like manner, you should receive the wisdom from anybody with whom you find it, disregarding the scope of his desire for it.

Truly I say to you, O slaves of this world! You will not attain the honor of the world to come unless you abstain from whatever you desire. Never postpone repentance to tomorrow. Before tomorrow, there is a day and a night during which God’s act is coming and going.

Truly I say to you: Those who are not indebted are surely less grievous than the indebted even if they defray their debts properly. In the same way, those who avoid committing sins are more relaxing and less grievous than the committers of sins even if they purely repent and return to God. The insignificant sins are the traps of the Shaitan who persuades you to disregard such sins until they are amassed and surround you.

Truly I say to you: In wisdom, people are of two kinds; one is that who says the wisdom utterly and applies it to his deeds, and the other is that who says it utterly but wastes it through his evildoings. How difference between the two! Blessed are the scholars by deeds. Woe to the scholars by words.

O bad servants! Betake the mosques of your Lord as prisons of your bodies and foreheads. Make your hearts the residences of God-fearing. Do not make them the shelters of lusts. The most intolerant against misfortunes will be certainly the fondest of the worldly pleasures, and the most tolerant is the most abstinent.

O bad slaves! Do not behave like the swift gledes, the sly foxes, the perfidious wolves, or the wild lions with their preys. Your conducts with people are in this form. You hurry to some, cheat others, and betray others.

Truly I say to you: It is useless to have a sound physique while the interior is corrupted. Hence, your sound bodies should not admire you when your hearts are tainted. It is also useless to purify your skins when your hearts are dirty. Do not be like sieves that let the good flour pass and hold the bran. Likewise, you should not speak of wisdom while treason is filling in your hearts.

O slaves of this world! Your like is the lamp when it gives light to others and burns itself.

O sons of Israel! Compete with each other in attending the scholars’ sessions even if you will have to kneel. God will surely enliven the dead hearts by the illumination of wisdom like the rainfall when it enlivens the derelict lands.

O Husham, the following is written in the Bible:

Blessed be those who treat each other mercifully, for they will be treated mercifully on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed be the makers of peace between people, for they will be exclusively favored on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed be the pure-hearted, for they will be the pious on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed be the modest in this world, for they will be scaling the pulpits of majesty on the Day of Resurrection.

O Husham, fewness of wording is a great wisdom. You should keep silent, for it is a good charity, a little burden, and a lightness of the sins. Fortify the door of self-possession because patience is the door of self-possession. God the Majestic surely hates those who laugh motivelessly and those who walk aimlessly. The rulers should be acting like the shepherds whose eyes are not turned away from their herd. They also should not treat their subjects arrogantly. Be ashamed of God in secrets in the same way you feel ashamed from people in public. You should know that the wording of wisdom is the believers’ lost. Adhere to the knowledge before it is removed. The removal of knowledge is the absence of its people.

O Husham, learn whatever you ignore and teach the ignorant your knowledge. Respect the scholars for their knowledge and avoid disputing with them, and disrespect the ignorant for their ignorance and do not dismiss them. You should approximate and teach them.

O Husham, the favors that you do not thank God for them are as same as the sins for which you will be punished. Amirul Muminin (peace be upon him) said:

There are the slaves of God whose hearts are broken due to fearing Him. Hence, they keep silent while they are eloquent and intelligent. They compete with each other on offering the pure deeds to God. They do not content with their many deeds and do not accept for themselves the few deeds. They see themselves as vicious while they are good and virtuous.

O Husham, pudency is a part of faith and faith is a part of Paradise while obscenity is a part of aversion and aversion is in Hell.

O Husham, speakers are one of three: winning, safe, or perishing. The winning speakers are those who mention God. The safe speakers are those who keep silent. The perishing speakers are those who are engaged in bad wording. God has certainly forbidden Paradise from including the impudent speakers of bad wording who do not care for what they say and what is said about them.

Abu Tharr (God please him) used to say:

O seeker of knowledge, the tongue is the key to both good and evil. You should seal your mouth as you seal your gold and currencies.

O Husham, the worst servants (of God) are those who are two-faced and two-tongued. They are those who praise their friends when they meet them and backbite them when they are absent. They envy their friends who obtain graces and disappoint them when they are suffering a misfortune.

Charity is the foremost in rewarding and oppression is the foremost in punishment. The most vicious slaves of God are those whom you hate to sit with for their obscenity.

Except the harvest of the tongues, nothing overturns people on their noses in Hell.

To leave what does not concern you is a sign of the proper Islam - submission to God-.

O Husham, you will not be true believer unless to are fearful (of God’s punishment) and hopeful (for God’s reward). You will not be true fearful and true hopeful unless you avoid what you fear and work for what you hope.

O Husham, God the Majestic says:

I swear by My majesty, glory, might, potency, magnificence, and elevation, for the servants who prefer My biddings to their biddings, I will install opulence in their minds, make the world to come their concern, take the charge of saving their livelihood, make their provisions in the heavens and the earth, and guarantee their shares of profits in every transaction.”

O Husham, anger is the key to every evil. The most perfect faithful believers are the most well-mannered. If possible, you should associate only with those whom you have done favors.

O Husham, lenience is felicity and clumsiness is evil portent. Lenience, charity, and well mannerism boom the lodgings and increase the provisions.

O Husham, God says:

Can any thing else be a response to a favor but a favor?[299]

This holy saying is applicable to the believers and the disbelievers and the charitable and the lecherous.

He whom has been done a favor should reward for it. To do favor to that who did you favor is not a suitable reward, because he will have the merit of commencing with doing the favor before you.

O Husham, the like of this world is the snake - it is soft to the touch but bearing poison in the interior. The intelligent men fear the snake while the boys hurry to take it by the hands.

O Husham, be tolerant in the acts of obedience to God and be steadfast against the acts of disobedience to Him. This world is no more than an hour. You will not find the pleasures of what has passed away and you will not be able to recognize what is coming. Be patient in that hour and you will attain bliss.

O Husham, the like of this world is the seawater - it leads the thirsty to more thirst until it kills him.

O Husham, beware of arrogance. He who feels arrogant, even if as small as a grain of mustard seed, in the heart will not see Paradise. Pride is God’s dress and God will surely overturn those who try to take off His dress on the faces in Hell.

O Husham, he who does not settle an account with himself every day, so that he would seek more of the good deeds and seek God’s forgiveness and acceptance of repentance for the bad deeds, is not one of us.

O Husham, the world came to the Christ (peace be upon him) in the form of a blue lady. He asked her, ‘How many men did you marry?’ ‘Many,’ answered the world. ‘Did they all divorce you?’ asked the Christ. ‘No,’ she replied, ‘I killed all of them.’ the Christ said, ‘Woe to the rest of your husbands. Why do they not learn lessons from the past ones?’

O Husham, the light of the body is in the eyes. If the sight is luminous, the whole body will be bright. The light of the spirit is in the brain. If the servant is intelligent, he will be having acknowledgement of his Lord. If he has acknowledgement of his Lord, he will see his religion obviously. If he ignores the affairs of his Lord, he will be having no religion. Like the body that does not live without a living soul, the religion does not live without the true intendment. The true intendment is proved through mind only.

O Husham, plants grow in plain, not rocky, lands. In the same way, wisdom will grow in the hearts of the modest, not the arrogant, because God has made modesty the instrument of the mind and made arrogance the instrument of ignorance. Do you not notice that he who raises the head to the ceiling will have his head broken? Likewise, he who hands down will enjoy the shades and the protection of the ceiling. Similarly, God will disgrace those who do not behave humbly to Him and will exalt those who humble themselves for Him.

O Husham, how ugly poverty after richness is! How ugly the commitment of sins after religiousness is! Moreover, to leave the adoration of God after worship is uglier than the previous.

O Husham, except for either a heedful listener or a speaker of knowledge, life is surely worthless.

O Husham, God has not distributed among the servant anything better than intelligence. The sleep of the intelligent is preferred to the staying up of the ignorant. God specified intelligence as a qualification of the prophets so that their minds will be preferred to all of the efforts of the diligent ones together. A servant will not fulfill any of God’s rights before he understands it.

O Husham, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said:

You should approach the silent believer, because he will surely provide you with wisdom. The faithful believer should talk very little and act very much. The hypocrite talks very much and acts very little.

O Husham, God the Exalted revealed to David the prophet (peace be upon him):

Ask My servants not to make between them and Me scholars that are seduced by the worldly pleasures. They will surely preclude the servants from mentioning Me and block the way to My adoration and supplication. Such scholars are the bandits of My servants. The least thing that I will do to them is that I will take the charm of My adoration and supplication from their hearts.

O Husham, the angels of the heavens and the angels of the earth will curse those who feel self-conceit. He who treats his friends arrogantly and haughtily is certainly opposing God. He who claims falsely is dragging himself away from his good.

O Husham, God the Exalted revealed to David the prophet (peace be upon him):

O David, warn and advise your companions against the fondness of passions. The hearts of those who are fond of passions are certainly screened from Me.

O Husham, beware of showing pride to my disciples and using your knowledge against them lest, God will hate you and, then, neither your world nor will your world to come stead you. Regard this world as a temporary lodging that you are waiting for leaving it.

O Husham, to sit to the religious is the honor of this world and the world to come and to counsel with the intelligent and the well-wishers is good omen, blessing, rationality, and success from God. Beware of opposing the advise of the intelligent and the well-wishers so as to avoid perdition.

O Husham, beware of associating with everybody except the intelligent and the trustful. You should be friendly with these two persons only. You should escape the others like escaping from beasts. The intelligent should be too ashamed from God to associate others in the intent of his deed, because God is the only endower of the graces. If you encounter two matters that you ignore which of them is the most correct and acceptable, you should leave the matter that is more favorable to the whim. The very much rightness lies in opposing the whims. Beware of challenging the wisdom and giving it to the people of ignorance.

Husham said: I asked the Imam (peace be upon him), ‘What should I do if I find somebody seeking wisdom but his mind is too narrow to receive it?’ He answered:

You should, in this case, deliver wisdom to him so kindly. If his heart is too narrow to receive it, you should avoid seditious matters. You should also avoid the answers of the arrogant. Knowledge will be disgraced if it is given to the unconscious.

Husham said: ‘What should I do if I cannot find a person who asks about wisdom properly?’ said I to the Imam (peace be upon him), and he answered:

You should take the opportunity of the ignorance of wisdom so as to be saved from the seditious wording and the great sedition of the answer. You should also realize that God did not elevate the modest people measure of their modesty, but He elevated them according to the measure of His might and glory. He did not secure the fearful according to their fear, but He secured them out of His compassion and mercy. What do you think about the Compassionate the Merciful Who curries favor with those who harm His disciple? How will He then behave to those whom are hurt due to their adherence to Him? What do you think about the Oft-Returning the Merciful Who accepts the repentance of His enemies? How will He then behave to those who accept Him and suffer people’s enmity for His sake?

O Husham, the fear of the world to come will remove from the hearts of those who favor the worldly pleasures. He who favors the worldly affairs whenever he receives more knowledge will be remoter and remoter from God and God will consequently intensify His wrath on him.

O Husham, the true intelligent is that who avoids what he cannot do. Most of correctitude lies in opposing the passions. For those who depend upon hopes, their deeds will be worse.

O Husham, if you consider the march of the death, you will be diverted from hopes.

O Husham, beware of greed. Never expect having what is in people’s hands. Deaden your expectation from the creatures. Certainly, greed is the key to humiliation. It reduces the mind, kills the acts of personality, soils the honors, and cancels knowledgeability. Abide by adherence and depending upon God. Strive your whims so as to prevent your essence from ruination. This is as obligatory as striving the enemies.

Husham said: I asked the Imam (peace be upon him) about the kind of enemies whom should be striven before others. He answered:

You should begin with the nearest to you, the most inimical, the most harmful, the most aggressive, and the most hidden despite his closeness to you. It is Eblis who is instigating your enemies against you and the source of the hearts’ ill inspirations. You should regard him as the most antagonistic enemy and you should be more tolerant in striving him than him as he is trying to lead you to perdition. He is surely less supported than you are and less harmful despite his great evil, provided that you cling to God so as to be guided to a straight path.

O Husham, God is surely doing great favors to those whom He endows with a mind that controls their whims, knowledge that controls their ignorance, and opulence that controls their poverty.

O Husham, beware of this world and its people. People are four classes: one is falling behind as he is embracing his whims, one is self-conceited due to his knowledge and the more he learns, the more arrogant he becomes. He towers up conceitedly before the less knowledgeable due to his being more learned. One (of the four classes) is ignorant worshipper who looks disgracefully to the less dutiful and desires for being respected and reverenced. The fourth is heedful, knowledgeable, and knowing, but he cannot drag people to the straight path because he is either powerless or beaten. He is also grievous because he cannot practice his knowledge. This one is the most ideal and the most intelligent of people.

O Husham, discern the mind and its soldiers and the ignorance and its soldiers and you will be guided.

Husham said: I said, ‘May God make me your sacrifice. We will not know unless you instruct us. Hence, the Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

O Husham, the first thing of the mystical creatures that God created was the mind. He was on the right side of the Divine Throne. As God asked him to go, he went. As He asked him to come, he came. Hence, God the Majestic said: I created you as great and preferred you to all of My creatures.

Then God created ignorance from the gloomy salty ocean and asked it to go, and it went. But when God asked him to come, it refused. Hence, God cursed it because it had behaved arrogantly.

God then arranged seventy-five soldiers for the mind. The ignorance, seeing what God had given honorably to the mind, felt malicious and said: O God, this is a creature as same as I, but you honored and supported him while I, its opposite, am powerless. Support me with soldiers like him.

God the Exalted answered: Yes, I will, but if you disobey Me, I will take your soldiers and you out of My mercy.

As the ignorance agreed to the condition, God gave it seventy-five soldiers.

Within the seventy-five soldiers of the mind was goodness, which is the supporter of the mind. In the other side, God made evil as the supporter of the ignorance.

The soldiers of the mind and the ignorance are faith and disbelieving, belief and unbelief, sincerity and hypocrisy, hope and despair, justice and prejudice, satisfaction and displeasure, thanks and ingratitude, moderation and greed, trust and acquisitiveness, compassion and rudeness, knowledge and ignorance, chastity and profligacy, abstinence and desirousness, lenience and clumsiness, self-respect and taunt, modesty and arrogance, deliberation and rashness, composure and imprudence, silence and chatter, submission and challenge, compliance and defiance, pardon and malice, mercy and coarseness, conviction and suspect, forbearance and bigotry, overlooking and revenge, opulence and neediness, pondering and inadvertence, consciousness and oblivion, relation and alienation, contentment and avidity, giving and deprivation, amicability and enmity, loyalty and betrayal, obedience and disobedience, succumbing and daring, affluence and scarcity, understanding and idiocy, recognition and denial, humoring and nastiness, purity and cheating, concealment and divulging, piety and irreverence, factuality and falseness, favor and bad turn, circumspection and publicizing, fairness and injury, God-fearing and envy, cleanness and dirtiness, pudency and insolence, temperance and excess, rest and fatigue, ease and difficulty, good health and ailment, sufficiency and overindulgence, wisdom and capriciousness, sense of worth and levity, pleasure and grief, repentance and insistence, attention and negligence, supplication and disdain, activity and laziness, delight and discontent, harmony and disagreement, and courtesy and foolishness.

O Husham, these good attributes cannot come together in a personality other than the personalities of the prophets, their successors, or faithful believers who passed God’s exam of faith. The other believers should have some of the soldiers of the mind so that they will have a perfect intelligence and get rid of the soldiers of ignorance. Only then, they may catch the highest rank of the prophets and their successors. God may lead you and us to His obedience.

Imam Al-Kadhim’s Words of Wisdom

It was related that Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) had said:

The nafilas are the offertories of every believer to God.

Hajj is the jihad of every weak.

Everything has its tax and the tax of the body is the recommendable fasting.

After the acknowledgement of God, the best worship is expecting the Relief.

He who supplicates to God before he praises Him and blesses the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is as same as throwing an arrow without the existence of a string.

He who is certain of the reward will give generously.

The moderate will never be needy.

Moderation is the half of the livelihood.

Amicability is half of the intelligence.

Very much care drives into senility.

Hastiness is the true clumsiness.

Fewness of the dependants is one of the two facilities.

To depress the parents is impiety to them.

As for those who beat the hand on the thigh or strike the hands together in misfortunes, their rewards will be cancelled.

No one will gain the reward of suffering a misfortune unless he who forbears it and says: We are Allah’s, and to Him we will return[300] .

Favors are worthless unless they are done to the highborn or the religious.

God aids inasmuch as the need and endows with steadfastness inasmuch as the misfortune.

The graces will persist for the moderate and the satisfied.

The graces will be removed from the immoderate and the exaggerative.

The fulfillment of the trusts and honesty bring earnings, while treachery and fabrication cause poverty and hypocrisy.

When God wills to punish a worm, He gives it two wings so that it will fly and a bird will kill it.

The believers’ favors are worthless unless they are disregarded, veiled, and provided as soon as possible. He who disregards his favors is surely revering his friend to whom he has done the favor, he who considers his favors is surely disgracing his friend to whom he has done the favor, he who covers up the favors that he does is surely honoring his deeds, and he who fulfills his promises as soon as possible is surely giving pleasant gifts.

Imam Al-Kadhim’s Wording to Harun ar-Rashid

Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) visited Harun Ar-Rashid[301] who had intended to arrest him for accusations that were forged against the Imam.[302] Ar-Rashid gave the Imam (peace be upon him) a long roll that contained many sayings that were falsely ascribed to Shiism.

After he had read the content, the Imam (peace be upon him) spoke:

O Amirul Muminin, we are the household who had to face fabricated lies. Our Lord is forgiving and coverer. He does not accept to reveal the secrets of His servants before the day when He will settle the account with them. “The day on which property will not avail, nor sons. Except him who comes to Allah with a heart free from evil .”[303]

My father told me that his father told him that Ali told that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: “When two individuals of the same family touch each other, their kinship will be stirred up and them relax.” Now, Amirul Muminin can cause our kinship to stir up by shaking hands with me.

As soon as he heard these words, Ar-Rashid jumped from his seat and extended his hand to the Imam (peace be upon him). Then he took him from the right hand, embraced him, and asked him to sit to his right. He then spoke, “I declare that you are honest, your father was honest, your grandfather was honest, and the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) was honest. When you first visited me, I was the most malicious and enraged with you because of what has been said to me about you. But when you uttered your words and shook hand with me, I was relieved and my rage was changed into satisfaction.

After a while, Ar-Rashid said to the Imam (peace be upon him), “I would like to ask you why was Ali preceded to Al-Abbas[304] in the matter of the heritage of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), while Al-Abbas was the Prophet’s uncle and his father’s brother. The Imam asked the caliph to release him from answering this question. “No,” insisted the caliph, “By God, I will not allow you avoid answering this question. You should answer it, now.” Therefore, the Imam said, “If you will not free me from answering this question, will you then guarantee my safety?” “Yes,” said Ar-Rashid, “I guarantee your safety.”

The Imam (peace be upon him) spoke:

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) did not bequeath those who did not migrate (to Medina) while they were able to migrate. Al-Abbas, your father, believed but did not migrate, while Ali believed and migrated. God says:

The believers who did not leave their homes are not your guardians until they too leave their homes. [305]

The color of Harun’s face changed. Hence, he asked, “Why are you not ascribed to Ali your father, but ascribed to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) who is your grandfather?”

The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

God ascribes Jesus to Abraham the intimate (peace be upon them) from the side of his mother the Virgin Mary - whom was never touched by any human being-. This is clear in God’s saying:

We gave (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob. Both had received Our guidance. Noah received Our guidance before Abraham and so did his descendants: David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus is the reward for the righteous people. We also gave guidance to Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Elias, who were all pious people. [306]

God ascribes Jesus to Abraham from the side of his mother only. In the same way, God ascribes David, Solomon, Job, Moses, and Aaron to Abraham from the side of both their fathers and mothers so that God will give Jesus an exclusive characteristic and an elevated standing for his mother alone. This is in God’s saying about Mary (peace be upon her):

"Behold," the angels told Mary, "God had chosen you, purified you, and given you distinction over all women .[307]

God gave Mary distinction over all women by the Christ who was born without the means of a father.

Likewise, our Lord chose Fatima (peace be upon her), purified her, and gave her distinction over all women by Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein (peace be upon them), the masters of the youth of Paradise.

Harun was confused by what he had heard. Therefore, he asked the Imam, “How do you claim that an illegitimacy may occur on the part of women or fathers to the man who does not settle the Khums?” The Imam (peace be upon him and his family) said:

Except you, no ruler, including Taim (Abu Bakr), Edi (Omar), and the Umayyads at all asked such a question. No one of my fathers was asked about such a question; therefore, do not cause me to divulge it.

Harun threatened, “I will cancel my pledge of safety to you if I know that you have divulged it.” “I agree,” said the Imam (peace be upon him).

Harun asked, “Numbers of the miscreants are increasing in Islam. The miscreants whom are brought to us are ascribed to you. For you, the Prophet’s family, what is the miscreant?” The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

The miscreants are everyone who rejects God and His Messenger. They are those who oppose God and His Messenger. God says:

You will not find any people of faith in God and the Day of Judgment who would establish friendship with those who oppose God and His Messenger, even if it would be in the interest of their fathers, sons, brothers, and kinsmen. God has established faith in their hearts and supported them by a Spirit from Himself. [308]

They are also the apostates who deviated from monotheism into atheism.

Harun asked the Imam about the first one who apostatized and became an atheist. The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

The first one who apostatized and became an atheist in the heavens was Eblis the cursed. He showed arrogance and took pride in himself against Adam (peace be upon him) the choice and confidant of God. The cursed said - as it is mentioned in the Quran-:

I am better than Adam, for You have created me out of fire and Adam out of clay. [309]

Thus, he rejected the Lord’s orders and became atheist. His offspring inherited atheism from him.

Harun wondered whether Eblis has offspring. The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:

Eblis has offspring. Listen to God’s saying:

When We told the angels to prostrate before Adam they all obeyed except Eblis. He was a jinn and he sinned against the command of his Lord. Why do you (people) obey him and his offspring instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? How terrible will be the recompense that the wrong doers will receive! I did not call (the unjust) to witness the creation of the heavens and earth nor to witness their own creation nor did I want to be helped by those who lead people astray. [310]

They mislead the offspring of Adam through their false vanities and lies. Meanwhile, they declare that there is no god but Allah. God describes them in His following saying:

If you ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth," they will certainly say, "God has created them." Say, "It is only God who deserves all praise, but most of them do not know." [311]

This means that they declare so only with their tongues because they used to say so as one of their customs. He who does not believe, even if he declares with the tongue, will be suspicious, envious, and resistant. The Arabs therefore used to say: “He who had no knowledge of something will antagonize it, and he who cannot attain something will dishonor and disbelieve in it.” This is because he is ignorant, not knowledgeable.[312]

Then Harun Ar-Rashid requested, “By the right of your forefathers I beseech you, brief for us comprehensive statements regarding what we have discussed.” The Imam agreed. An inkwell and papers were fetched. The Imam (peace be upon him) recorded:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

All the matters of the religions are gathered in four forms:

First, there is the unanimous matter. It is the consensus of the umma on the necessary matters that they have to face.

Second, there are the generally accepted narrations. All the suspicious matters are advanced to such narrations, and every result is extracted from them, for they are the consensus of the umma.

Third, there is the matter that may be doubted or denied. Such a matter should be treated through providing evidence, from the Book of God, provided that its interpretation is unanimous, or evidence from the Prophet’s tradition provided that it is unanimously accepted.

Fourth, there is the law that the intelligent accede to its justice and neither the scholars nor the ordinary people can suspect or deny it. These two matters relate to the question of monotheism and whatever comes below and the question of the retaliation of a scratching and whatever comes above. The previous has been the matters to which the religious affairs are advanced. You should opt for only what is proved evidently and should shun what is suspected or obscure. Any of these three matters (the Book of God, the Prophet’s tradition, and the logical law) is the final authority to which God refers in His saying:

Say, "Final authority belongs only to God. Had He wanted, He would have given you all guidance. [313]

The final authority is attained by both the ignorant through his ignorance and the knowledgeable through his knowledge. This is because God is Just and He will never treat anybody wrongly. He provides to His creatures attainable arguments and call them to what they know, not ignore or deny.

Harun Ar-Rashid offered gifts to the Imam (peace be upon him)…

Short Maxims of Imam Al-Kadhim

1- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Anyone who acknowledges God should not complain when his earnings are delayed and should not accuse God of His acts.

2- As a man asked him about conviction, Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) answered:
The conviction is to depend upon God, submit to Him, consent to His acts, and entrust Him with the affairs.

3- Abdullah bin Yahya said: Within the supplication that I wrote to Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him), there was the sentence, ‘Praise be to God as much as the utmost of His knowledge.’ The Imam answered my missive saying:
Do not say, ‘the utmost of His knowledge,’ because His knowledge has no limits. You may say, ‘the utmost of His satisfaction.’

4- As a man asked him about the munificent, Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) answered:
Your question has two references. If you refer to the created munificent, I can tell you that he is the one who fulfills what God has imposed upon him, while the miserly is the one who withholds what God has imposed upon him. If you refer to the All-munificent God, I can tell you that He is the All-munificent whether He gives or not. If He gives, He gives you what is not yours, and if He does not give, He deprives you of what in not yours.

5- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said to one of his adherents:
Fear God and say the truth even if it will cause you to perish, for your salvation lies in telling the truth. Fear God and leave the wrong even if it will save you, for your perdition lies in telling the wrong.

6- As his agent swore he had not betrayed him, Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said to him:
To betray me and waste my wealth are the same. However, betrayal is more harmful for you.

7- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Beware of depriving anyone in fields of obedience to God lest, you will lose two folds in fields of disobedience to God.

8- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
The believer is like the two pans of a balance - the more faith he enjoys the more misfortunes he faces.

9- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said as he stopped near a grave:
It is quite proper to leave the first of a matter the end of which is this (grave). It is also quite proper to fear the end of a thing the first of which is this (grave).

10- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
He who speaks in the Essence of God will perish, he who seeks power will perish, and he who feels self-conceited will perish.

11- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
The supplies of this world and the religion are difficult. Whenever you extend your hand towards any source of the worldly supplies, you will found out that a sinful has preceded you there. When you intend to obtain a source of the religious supplies, you will not find anyone helping you.

12- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Four deeds are originated from extreme solicitude. They are eating soil, crumbling the clay, clipping the nails with the teeth, and biting the hair of the beard. Looking at three things improves the sight. They are verdure, flowing water, and handsome faces.

13- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Good neighborhood is not abstinence from harm. It is to tolerate the harm (of the neighbors).

14- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Do not take liberties with your friend. You should keep any quantity of respect among you lest you will lose pudency.

15- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said to one of his sons:
O son, let not God see you committing an act of disobedience against which He warned you, and let Him not miss you in an act of obedience to Him of which He ordered you. Keep serious and do not convince yourself that you are worshipping and obeying God perfectly, because no one can achieve perfection in the fields of worshipping God. Beware of joking because it extinguishes the illumination of your faith and disgraces you personality. Beware of indolence and laziness because they both prevent you from receiving your shares of the pleasures of this world and the world to come.

16- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
When injustice predominates over the right, it is unacceptable to expect good from anybody before investigation.

17- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Kissing on the mouth is not acceptable except from the wife and the little child.

18- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Try to divide your time into four parts. The first part should be dedicated to (secret) supplication to God, the second to seeking earnings, the third to associating with the friends and the trusty people who show you your defects and treat you sincerely, and the fourth to your legal pleasures. Through this part, you can manage the other three parts. Do not think of poverty and long age. He who thinks of poverty will be stingy and he who thinks of long age will be acquisitive. Offer a share of the worldly pleasures to yourselves by enjoying moderately the legal pleasures that do not injure your personality. Make such pleasures help you fulfill your religious duties perfectly. It is said that, “As for those who neglect the legal worldly pleasures completely and adhere to the religious duties or neglect the religious duties and adhere to the worldly affairs, they are not from us.

19- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Learn the religious question, for jurisprudence is the key of intelligence, the perfection of worship, and the means to the high standings and the respectful positions in this world and the world to come. The priority of the knowledgeable over the worshipper is as same as the priority of the sun over the stars. God will not accept the deeds of those who avoid learning the religious questions.

20- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said to Ali bin Yaqttin:
The expiation of working with the (unjust) rulers is to treat the friends with kindness.

21- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Whenever people perpetrate unprecedented sins, God will inflict upon them unexpected misfortunes.

22- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
In the time of the just ruler, you should thank and he will gain rewards. In the time of the unjust ruler, you should tolerate and he will burden the punishment of the sin.

23- Abu Hanifa related: After I had performed the hajj I went to Medina to visit Abu Abdillah As-Sadiq (peace be upon him). I entered his house and sat in the entrance waiting for his permission. After a while, a male toddler went out. “O boy,” I asked, “where should the stranger excrete in your country?” The boy asked for a respite before he sat to a wall and spoke:
You should be away from riversides, places were fruits fall, yards of mosques, and roadbeds. You should also hide against a wall, lift up your dress, avoid turning the face or the back to the kiblah, and then you can excrete anywhere.
I was highly admired by the wording of that boy. I therefore asked about his name. “I am Musa bin Ja’far bin Mohammed bin Ali bin Al-Hussein bin Ali bin Abi Talib,” answered he. I then asked him about the source of the acts of disobedience to God. He answered:
The source of any sin is unquestionably one of three: either the God, the God and the servant, or the servant. If God is the source of sins - yet He is not-, then it is improper for Him to punish the servants for what they did not commit. If God and the servants are together the source of sin - yet this is not accurate-, then it is improper for the stronger partner to wrong the weak partner. If the servant is the source of the sins - and this is quite accurate-, then the Lord may pardon out of His generosity and liberty or punish for the commitment of such a sin.
After I had heard so, I left before I could meet Abu Abdillah since that wording was sufficient for me.

24- Abu Ahmed Al-Khurasani asked Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) whether atheism preceded polytheism or the opposite. ‘You have not been accustomed to ask such questions,’ answered the Imam, ‘I do not know that you intrude yourself in the theological discussions.’ Abu Ahmed confessed that it had been Husham bin Al-Hakam who ordered him to put such a question before the Imam. The Imam, then, answered:
Atheism preceded polytheism. The foremost atheist was Eblis about whom God says:
He refused and he was proud, and he was one of the unbelievers - atheists-. [314]

Atheism is one thing while polytheism is not. Polytheism is to believe in one (god) and associate others with him.

25- As he noticed two men reviling at each other, Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) commented:
The first person to revile is the more wrongful. He should burden - the inconvenience- of his sin as well as the sin of the other unless the other was the aggressor.

26- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
On the Day of Resurrection, a caller will summon those whose rewards should be presented by God individually. Except those who forgave and reformed themselves, no one will attend.

27- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
The liberal well-mannered ones are in the shelter of God Who will not abandon them until they reside in Paradise. Prophets of God are all liberal. My father incessantly commanded me to hold on liberality and noble manners until he departed.

28- As-Sindi bin Shahek [315] narrated: When Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) was dying, I offered to enshroud him. He answered:
We, the Prophet’s family, should cover the expenditure of our first pilgrimage, the dowries of our women, and our coffins from our legal fortunes.

29- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said to Fadhl bin Younus:
Convey the good, say the good, and do not be yes-man.
“What is yes-man?” asked Fadhl, and the Imam instructed:
Do not say, ‘I am with people,’ or ‘I am like others,’ for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: “O people, they are only two ways - either good or evil. Do not prefer the way of evil to that of good.”

30- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) passed by an ugly villager, greeted him, sat with him, talked with him for a considerable time, and then asked him to settle his needs when he will be in need for him. Some said, “O son of God’s Messenger, how do you sit with this one and ask him to settle your needs while he is in need for you?” The Imam (peace be upon him) answered:
He was one of God’s servants, a brother in the Book of God, and a neighbor in the lands of God. He and we enjoy the same best father - Adam (peace be upon him) and the same best religion that is Islam. Perhaps, our need will someday be in his hand and we will have to sit modestly before him.
Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) then recited a poetic verse:
We regard even those who do not deserve our regard so that we will not be friendless.

31- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Asking for - financial- help is acceptable only in blood money that is imposed on an insolvent, heavy debts, and extreme poverty.

32- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
The best kind of almsgiving is to help the weak.

33- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
The astonishment of the ignorant at the intelligent is greater than the astonishment of the intelligent at the ignorant.

34- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
For the steadfast, the misfortune is one, while it is two for the impatient.

35- Imam Al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) said:
Only the sufferers of injustice can realize its intensity.

CHAPTER ONE: THE IDEOLIGICAL CONSTQUCTION

The first Topic: liberating Man’s mind:

The view of the Islamic Ideology relies the fact that Man is an honored creature: (And surely we have honored the Sons of Adam and We carry them in the land and the sea and We have given them of the good things and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created) [17-7-].

He is the “Chaliph (i. E representative) of Allah on earth, he has the abilities which enable him to ascend to high degrees in sublimity and elevation: “And when your Lord said to the angels I am going to create in the earth a Kaliph, they said!What! Wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy Holiness? He said; surely I know what you don’t know.” [2:30]

Likewise, He can stoop and demean himselftill he reaches the rank of animal: “He clung to the earth and followed his law desires so his parable is as the parable of the dog, if you attack him he lolls out his tongue and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue…” [7:176].

“Then he falls down more and more till he reaches the rank of a solid body! Then your hearts hardened after that so that they were like rocks rather worse in hardness” [2;74 ].

So the Islamic ideology faces in consideration takes the strong and weak sides together in the human being as Man has been described in the Holy Book as has been created weak, dismayed and rash, he is surely in ordinate, and that he oppresses and is ignorant-[1]

On thisbasis the Islamic legislation does not attempt to overburden him by heavy incumbents which exceed his psychological and bodily abilities, Allah (be exalted) has said:

“Allah Does not impose on any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability”[2]

The prophet (s.w.a.): “Nine things from my nation are not requited: the mistake, forgetting, the thing to which they are obliged, what they do not know, what they do not endure, what they do under necessity jealously and evil omen, and thinking with a sense of misgiving about creation unless it is uttered[ 3]

He also said “The pen had been lifted (i-e it doesn’t write) from three persons “the mad person who has lost his mind till he restores it, the sleeping person till he wakes up, and the young boy till he reaches sexual maturity”[4]

The Islamic belief, then, considers the sides of weakness in man as a natural state caused by his human construction and it does not consider it as very complicated to the degree that Man loses with it his ability to build and move, and to choose freely.

More than that the Islamic belief has attempted - while its motivating to construct and develop human being-to agitate in him a deep feeling of the positive side in his presence.

Sin is accidental:

From another side, the Islamic ideology considers sin as an accidental matter to human being and not on original subjective matter.So when Man falls into the holes of sin he is not changed into a devil whose develish nature prevents from returning to the vastnesses of humanity, rather Man remains a sinful person who can strive to repent, correct his fault and can rise from his misstep.

This is the secret of the greatness of the Islamic view point to man as it doesn’t put him under the mercy of the feeling of an imposed original sin as Christianity does, rather it tries to save him from the mud of sin and make him know his ability to progress, remind him always of Allah’s pardon and His vast mercy and not to feel disappointed of it.

There is no “confessional chair” in Islam as it is there inChristianity, rather the leaders of religion and theologians attempt to veil the defects and sins of people as much as possible because Allah loves concealing sins.

It is related from Assbagh Ebin Nabaatah that he said: A person came to Ameeral Mu’amineen and said: O Ameeral Mu’amineen, I have committed adultery so purify me (i-e punish me), Ameeral Mu’amineen turned his face away from him then he said to him: “Sit down, then Ali “A.S.” turned to his people and said: Poes the one of you fail to conceal his sin when he commits it as Allah Has concealed his sin?! …”[5]

Man is an honored creature:

From another side the Islamic ideology attempts to make Man feel-always- that he is an honored being who has his important position in this universe through the duty of “Caliphate which he should adopt and he has nothing to do but to carry out the duty of caliphate” (Allah’s representativeness on earth in the best way, to thank his Creator for his honor, enabling and guidance to the right religion.

A person asked Ameeral Mu’amineen (A.S.) about his love to meet Allah (be glorified), he said how do you love the meeting of Allah? He (Ali) said “When I found that He has chosen foe me the religion of His angles, apostles and prophets I knew that He has honored me with this does not forget me so I loved his meeting,[ 6]

The symptoms of liberating:

The Islamic ideology played an active role in liberating Man on different axes:

Firstly: It has freed man from political dictatorship

No one in Islam can dictate to another person, nor is there any exploitation of a class or a nation over an other one (religion has been along the Islamic history one of the most prominent factor of the appearance of liberation movements whatever the view point of the researcher towards religion he can not exclude the religious factor and its influence in building the revolutionary awareness during this era of Islamic history.

Abbizer’s and Alhussain’s (A.S.) revolutions had been nothing but a starting point of a concious tendency to correct the deviation in the history of Islam. In spite of all deviation from which Moslems had suffered along their long history they hadn’t lost in any era of this history a strong revolutionary tendency which strives to restore Islam to the runs of life to eliminate oppression, exploitation and to restore the rights of the Moslem and his dignity”. [7]

The Islamic ideology has released Man from “defying people” such as worshipping monarchs and dynasties. This habitwas prevented by some ancient nations like ancient Egyptians. Islam has abolished the theories of discrimination against any oneon the basis of race or language or color or wealth or power. The measure of superiority is restricted within moralmatters which are piety and virtue, Allah “be exalted” Has said: (O you men! Surely we have created you of a male and a female and made you tribes and nations that you may know each other, surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most pious! Surely Allah is knowing aware)[ 8]

Islam has preceded the French revolution in announcing the doctrine of liberty with ten centuries.

Ameeral Mu’amineen Ali (A.S.) says in one of his sermons (O people, Adam has not born a slave or a girlmaid all people are free…)[9]

But Islam has not made this granted freedom for Man unlimited so that man is free to do whatever he wishes. Rather it set controllers and curbs for freedom least it results in anarchy.

Hence, the difference between the Islamic ideology, which connects human freedom with slavery to Allah and the conscious and voluntary submission to His authority and between thelegislation which throw Man in amazement that doesn’t accord with his ability and his nature.

From this, there must be a balance between freedom and servitude, there is no a balance in this concern which releases Man’s energies and preserves his nature at the same time but what we find in Islam; a servitude to Allah and liberty from other servitudes, these slave’s freedom does not become complete except through his servitude to Allah, his servitude to Allah does not become complete except through his freedom from worshipping other than Him, so there is a clear balance and consistency between the social side and the tiducial side in the character of Moslem through the way of freedom as Islam views it.[10]

In the light of what has preceded, the ideology settles a basic truth which is the essence of the true freedom is the servitude to Allah because it means the freedom from all deviated authorities while in the servitude to Allah there is not any disgrace for human’s dignity rather it, on the contrary, consolidates his character and protects his dignity.

The prophet “s.w.a.” has been proud of his being a slave of Allah, he liked to be called the slave of Allah and refused the exaltation, which may lead to the false deity, as it had happened to “Ahlil Kitaab” (Christians and Jews) in spite of Allah’s warning them not to raise the personalities of their prophets, Allah said: “O followers of the Book! Don’t exceed the limits in your religion and don’t speak (lies) against Allah but speak the truth the Messiah Isa son of Maryam is only an apostle of Allah and His word, which he communicated to Maryam and a spirit from Him…”[11]

The School of “Ahlil Bait” (A.S.) refuses strongly the idea of apotheosizing people through concentrating on the feature of servitude for sometimes…

Ameeralmu’amineen Ali (A.S.) said “I am the slave of Allah and the brother of His prophet”[12]Alimaam Alreza (A.S.) said: “I am proud of being Allah’s slave”[13] . The idea of apothessizing people has been prevailing among other nations then it sneaked to the followers of heavenly religions and mixed with the beliefs of some of them.

Christianity for example claims AlMasseiah’sdeity, Judaism claims that Auzair is the son of Allah!

Therefore Imam Ali’s wisdom and foresight becomes clear in his concentration on the feature of “servitude” and his challenge to withstand all the claims of exaggeration which attributed him to deity. It is narrated in “Hadeeth” that “some people came to Ameeral mu’amineen (A.S.) and said: Salutations be to you, our God! He called them to repent but they didn’t, he dug for them a hole, he kindled fire in it then he dug another hole beside it and connected them when they didn’t repent he threw them down in the hole and kindled fire in the other hole till they died.[14]

In this concern hesaid: “In me two kinds of men perished an exaggerating lover and an extravagant hater”[15]

Secondly:

Secondly: The Islamic ideology has released Moslem from his lusts after it has connected his heart with Allah and the next abode and itdidn’t connect him with his wishes and caprices. The Islamic ideology has supplied the Moslem’s mind and will with the protective immunity from deviation or preferring the transient world to the remaining everlasting life. The spirit - according to Ahlilbait’s instructions- is the place of danger, so it took most of their attentions.

Thus, we find that the speech about the “spirit”, the necessity of controlling it, occupies a vast area of Ameeral Mu’amineen’s sayings, maxims and preachments, he didn’t miss any chance without speaking about the “soul” because it is the pivot of the mill in building the human being.

The Holy Qur’an has told us: “Allah has never changed a favor which He has conferred upon a people until they changed their own conditions”[16] , so what is noteworthy is that Imam Ali (A.S.)-during the days of his just government- was ordering his governors and leaders to take control over their wishes, although he has chosen them precisely from virtue and that most of them had a recommended merits, from alter he (A.S.) wrote to Alashtar when he appointed him as a governor of Egypt: “this is what Abdullah Ameeralmu’amineen ordered Maalik bin AlHaarith Alashtar…he ordered him to fear Allah and to prefer His obedience… he ordered him to break his devotion to lusts…as the spirit longs for evils, except what Allah’s mercy helps…so take control over your wishes, keep your wishes back of what is not permitted to you as taking control of the spirit is the equity of what she loves and hates and feel sympathy to your subject. [17]

From a commandment to Shureih Ibna Haani, one of his millitary leaders when he appointed him on the vanguard of his army to Alsham: “…know that if you don’t hold yourself back from so much of what you like your wishes will guide you to so much damage. So would you prevent yourself and deter it..[18] .

From a letter he wrote to Muaweia, he uncovered to him the secret of his mutiny against the legal leadership i-e his psychological deviations, he said to him- your spirit (wishes) has driven you in evils, pushed into sin, has led you to perils and has guided you through rough passageways”[19]

Psychological deviation has serious consequences especially from those who take power without legality and qualification.

“Ahlilbait” with their known infallibility were asking Allah to help them take conrol over their wishes in order to teach and refine others” some of what is cited in a supplication of Imam Zeinala’abideen (A.S.) “…And weaken our strength to do what enrages you to us, do not let our souls alone with its choice as it chooses false option except what You help, longs for evil except what you lead with Your mercy”. [20]

from all that we deduce that Man cannot be built except by taking control over the soul “wishes” about which we will speak later.

Thirdly:

Thirdly: the Islamic ideology has released Man from worshipping nature and sanctifying its phenomenon, and fear of it, Allah says: “of His signs night and day, sun and moon don’t kneel to the sun and to the moon…”[21]

Man has passed through the stage of confusion, inquiry and fear of the phenomenon of nature about him, he does not know any thing of its secrets and changes of its conditions so he began to sanctify it and sacrifised to it generously thinking that- he can feel safe of its bursting volcanos, destructive earthquakes, sweeping floods and its burning thunder bolts. So the ideology worked towards purifying minds of their veils, opened the vast way to make use of nature and to make peace with it when it removed the thick veils between Man and nature, it has became clear to him that nature and what it includes of creatures and happiness are all emanated from Allah (be exalted), they are exploited creatures to serve him, he (Man) has nothing to do but to make use of them, think of them and their origin in order to reach through them to the Creator: “will they not then consider the camels, how they are created? And the heaven how it is reared aloft, and the mountains how they are firmly fixed and the earth how it is made a vast expanse?[22]

We must point out here that the procedure of the ideology in building human being is a “comprehensive procedure” it arranges Man’s relationship with himself, his creator, and nature around him. Every establishment or development in the relationship between man and his Creatorwill be reflected positively on the relationship between Man and nature, which is drudged by the hands of Allah.

So it grants the faithful man with blessings and benevolences.Hence the prophet “Hood” asked his people - who had deviated from the procedure of Heaven so it didn’t rain for three years till they were about to perish- to ask Allah’s forgiveness for their past sins and to repent to Him by correcting their course and arranging their relation with Allah (be exalted) then their relation with nature will be organized and it will grant them with rain and benevolences he said to them: “And, O my people’ ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him, He will send on you clouds pouring down abundance of rain and add strength to your strength, and don’t turn back guilty”[23]

So, real worship should be to Allah alone, fear should be of guilts, whichcause Allah’s rage and revenge, so He uses nature as a means to punishment, as Allah Has drowned pheroons into the sea, send the destructive wind which damaged the people of Aaad.Hence we find that most of the punishments which afflicted infidels had been fulfilled by the powers of nature which reveals to us the correlative relationship between Man an nature, in this concern Imam Al-Baaqir says: “we have found in the Book of the prophet (S.W.A)…when people abstain from praying “Zakaat” earth abstains its blessings such as plants, fruits and metals”[24] His son Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) says “when adultry spreads out earthquicks appear, when “Zakaat” is not paid cattle perish, when judges decide unjustly rain doesn’t come down from heaven…”[25]

In brief, human fear must coneentrate on sins and misbehavior, which cause the destruction of societies and prevent heavenly blessings. As to the fear of nature, the belief that some of its phenomenons are evils whichdon’t harmonize with the worldly prevalent order firstly and with its wisdom and justice secondly it is originated from their limitedly narrow viewpoint to these issues.

Had they looked out to these incidents in the framework of the universal common order they would have given in to the idea that they are all good things. At the firstlook these incidents appear to be evil and disastrous, but he who contemplates deeply finds that they are motives for good and reform and they are not outside wisdom, justice and order.Dealing in detail with the subject of the philosophy of evils and aflictions in this world is related to the (Scholastic theology) but what is connected with our research we reemphasize that the Islamic ideology has restored the molding of man’s mind towards the nature around him in a way which makes him much freer, more interacting and feeling in peace with it.

Fourthly:

Fourthly: releasing Man from legendries and myths in belief and behavior in order to eradicate the fantastic deterrents, which prevent the right use of the energy the mind. Man in the pre-Islamic era e.g. had been regarding a good or a bad omen of the movements of bird, so he went optimistically to do some thing when bird takes the rightdirection and retreats and gives up the work when the bird takes the left direction.The class of parsons and diviners occupy the position of forefront in the social ladder and were cheating people by claiming that they know the unseen. Telling bad omen were chaining people with the ropes of fanaticism and prevent them from work and traveling, also the use of “azlaam” i-e if one wants to do something he takes three arrows writing on one of them (do) on the second (do not do) and leave the third free he stretches his hand to take one of them, if the first comes out he advances to his work, when he hits the second he does not do this work if the third comes out he repeats once again! Magic also has been prevalent among people foreshadowing a serious evil, the Islamic ideology made war against thesephenomenons, it has been a cause for opening the minds and elevation of spirits and to bring people out of the darknesses of illusion and legendry to the light of science and truth.

The prophet (S.W.A.) said:“ he is not of us who sees an evil omen or is told about evil omen, and he who foretold or was foretold, or made magic or was made to him[26] . He (A.S.) also said that He who gives up his work because of bad omen is a polytheist.[27]

Al Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) said:“ bad omen is as you consider, if you regard it unimportant it becomes as such, if you regard it serious it becomes as such, if you regard it nothing it becomes as such too”[28]

From another side the Islamic ideology released the Moslem’s mind from the deductions of soothsayers as it considered a soothsayer like a foreteller, both of them try to restrict Man’s movement in life and to cheat his mind.

It is related from Abdilmalik bin A’ayon that he said: I said to Abiabdula (A.S.): I have been afflicted with this science-he means divinations- so when I look in the horoscope and I see the horoscope of evil I sit down and don’t go and if I see the horoscope of good luck I go to fulfill what I need he said to me: do you gain your need? I said: yes he said to me burn your books[ 29]

We must state here that the Divine school of Ahlilbait (A.S.) does not criticize the stars as a natural science Man can discover by it the features of the sky which shadows him in order to discover through that the greatness of the creator, but it finds fault with these who claim that they know through them (stars) the unseen future.

One of the witnesses which reflects Ahlilbait’s striving to release Moslem human being from the habit of soothtelling which remained to a late centuries, what Ameeralmu’amineen said to some of his companions when he decided to setup to confront “Khawaarij” as it is said to him! If you setup in this time we fear that you will miss your aim through the science of stars. He (A.S.) said: “Do you claim that you guide to the hour where every one set up would avoid evil?And you threaten of the hour where every one sets up would suffer damage? He who believes you, then, has accused Qur’an of telling lie and has dispensed with depending on Allah in getting the wanted and getting of evil…. Then he (A.S.) turned to people and said:

O people’ beware of knowing the science of sooth telling except what is used to know the directions in land and sea- till he said to them- go on depending on Allah (be exalted).[30]

The second topic: BuildingMan’s Thought:

Mind has an important significance in the Islamic religion. It is a source to attain the right belief,it is one of the evidences of deriving laws (i- e- “ijtihaad”) the honored prophet (S.W.A.) said : “every thing has a prop the prop of religion is mind”[31]

From another side mind composes the prop of the faithful human being, the prophet (S.W.A.)said “he who has a mind has a religion and he who has a religion he entered paradise”[32]

The texts of “hadeeths” which deal with drawing attention to the role of mind reached hundreds we can discover, through a general look at thesetexts, that the procedure of Islam in giving mind its actual role passes through two stages, it begins with releasing it then it shifts to direct its energies.

Liberating the mind:

This is the first step of the mentioned Islamicprocedure which we can discover through the texts that have been directed to give up the bonds which enchain mind and confine its real activity and so lead it to serious errors. Thiscan be found in two clear examples:

The first: is giving up blind imitation: its examples in the Holy Qur’an are very much, we can read them in many verses and scenes..

While Qur’an emphasizes that they have not the smallest proof of what they believe of worshipping idols and false creeds it concentrated that all of their plea is that they have found their fathers worshipping these idols so they adhered to that…“Nay! They say: we found our fathers on a course and surely we are guided by their footsteps”[33]

Then it emphasizesthat this is the habit of this kind of people who has shut all the vents on his mind… “And thus we did not send before you any warner to a town but those who led easy life in it said: surely we found our fathers on a course and surely we are followers of their footsteps.”[34]Thus Qur’an recounted their plea twice in two successive verses to show the disintegration it contains and the inherited rooted ignorance in which they are drowned to the limit that they do not listen to any right call nor obvious proof rather they have no more than repeating their plea “ Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers upon ” [35]

Even though a challenger came to them showing that what they follow is an error (Hesaid: what! Even if I bring to you a better guide than that on which you found your fathers? [36]

Even with such evocation they do not search for a proof nor do they open a vent to discussion, rather they insisted on their first fogy nature, “Surely we are unbelievers in that with which you are sent” and “They said that on which we found our fathers is sufficient for us”[37] , Qur’an repeats its condemnation of those in other positions because Qur’an confronts in its epistemic project theories that have been consolidated and taken roots wit successive nations and it is not far that there would be extended to the future of nations too. This theory has exceeded the excellent of knowledge and beliefs to the spheres of behavior and interactions. “And when they commit an indecency they say: we found our fathers doing so”[38]and “They say: Nay, we found our fathers doing so”[39]

Then Qur’an states the punishment which waits those people who took this course pointing out that people must beware of such a course…” so we inflicted retribution on them, then consider how was the end of the rejectors”[40]

DIRECTING THE ENERGY OF THE MIND:

After Islamic ideology has released human mind from the chains which capture it, its ends it out onwards directing its energies through drawing attention and pondering over the universe and life in order to establish a complete building religiously and for this world…

We can state some groups of the Qur’anicverses which direct the mind towards several vast horizons, some of them are as follows:

Firstly: pondering on the evidences of Allah (be exalted) in horizons and souls:

“Most surely in the creation of heavens and earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord Thouhast not created this in vain! Glory is to Thee: save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[41]

“And in the earth there are signs for those who are sure and in your own souls too will you not then see?”[42]

“Say look what is there in heavens and earth.. [43]

“Let Man then think over of what he has been created”[44]

“Let Man then look at his food”[45]

“Will they not then consider the camels, how they are created and the heaven how it is reared aloft and the mountains how they are firmly fixed. And the earth how it is made vast expanse, therefore do remind for you are only a reminder”[46]

What is noticeable here is Qur’an’s great attention to mention the scenes of the universe through repeating their show in more than one “Surah” i-e (chapter) in different ways and its call for the human being to ponder on and contemplate them, to mediate on the run of its happenings, the most important of that Qur’an made this universe as starting point to reach to Allah (i- e to deduce His existence and to know Him) the creator and originator.

It is narrated from the prophet (S.W.A.) that he was reciting “most surely in the creation of heavens and the earth and he alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand, those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain Glory be to Thee, save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[47] , he says “woe to him who reads it without contemplating it” and in another narration “woe to him who chewed it between his jaws without contemplating it”.

And it is related to Ameeral muamineen Ali (A.S.) that he said: “when the prophet (S.W.A.) wakes up at night he cleans his teeth then he looks at the sky then he says “most surely in the creation of heaven and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand, those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth our Lord: Thou hast not created this in vain Glory be to Thee save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[48]

The purified Imams (A.S.) used the way of setting the proofs of the existence of Allah through intellectual contemplation of the universe and what precise order and wonderful harmony it contains whichis the proof called by scholars “the proof of order”.

Ameeral mu’amineen Ali (A.S.) said: Had they thought of the greatness of His power and the plentiness of benevolence they would have returned to the path and feared the chastisement of burning but minds are ill, hearts are disordered. Do they not see the small-created things He has created, how He had consolidated its creation, mastered its composition, opened to it hearing and sight and made to it bones and skins!Look at the aunt in its small body, delicate form which is difficult to be seen by the eye and to be recognized by realizing mind, how it has crept on its land and stored its sustenance…if you think of the runs of her food, its upper and lower part, what its balley includes of epigastriums” its head of eye and ear you will be full of amazement at its creation and feel tired of its description…

So look at the sun and the moon… the burst out of these seas and the plentiness of these mountains, the length of these deserts and the diversity of these languages and tongues.

So woe towhom he denies the predeterminer and rejects the designer, they alleged that they are like plants without a planter and there is no maker for their different images while they didn’t give any proof of what they claimed and no inspection in what they adopt…

“And can there be a building without a builder or a crime without a criminal!”[49]

From another side the Holy Qur’an draws forth in the minds the motives of sincere and fruitful thinking through what it displays of knowledge, one time it uses the interrogatory question, such as His saying (Be Glorified) “What! Did you then think that we had created you in vain[ 50] , and by disavowal of shallow conceptions another time such as His saying (be Glorified) “And we didn’t create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain* we didn’t create them both but with the truth but most of them do not know”[51]

Itis known that according to the school of “Ahlilbait” (A.S.) thinking of the kingdom of the heavens and earth is a kind of worship, rather the best degree of worship. Imam Alsaadiq says: “the best worship is the continuous thinking of Allah and His omnipotence[ 52]

The followers of this high school and its disciples were making much of this intellectualworship which plays a very important part in constructing the human being and enables him to reach very high Gnostic degrees. Forexample most of Abbizar’s (may Allah be mercy with him) worship was thinking and taking lessons, his mother was asked about Abbizar’s worship she said: “During his day time he was thinking away from people”[53]

It must be known that the general view point about being to which the two “rare things” (Althaqalain) guide - The Qur’an and “Ahlilbait”- is the origin from which all intellectual behavioral view points stem and it is the foundation of the diversion of civilizations and cultures.

Secondly: meditating on the laws of history:

the Islamic ideology has called us to ponder on the incidents of history with a shrewd sight, an inspecting intellect in order to discover the reasons which had led societies to destruction, the flourishment or down fall of civilizations, Allah Has said: “indeed there have been examples before you, therefore travel in the earth and see what was the end of the rejecters”[54]

Allah (be glorified) also said: “Do they don’t consider how many a generation we have destroyed before them, whom we have established in the earth as we haven’t established you and we sent the clouds pouring rain o them in abundance and we made the rivers to flow beneath them, then we destroyed them on account of their faults and we originated after them another generations”[55]

Allah (be glorified) also said: “And certainly we did destroy generations before you when they were unjust, and their apostles had shown them clear argument and they wouldn’t believe; thus do we recompense the guilty people.”[56]

It is a call which insists on people to move the wheel of their minds, to look in the history of their ancestors least they become like strayed herd that moves without a shepherd towards the unknown, it is a call with a drawn procedure in order to benefit from the practices of previous civilizations and to study the reasons of their down fall, especially that history repeat its courses, Allah (be glorified) Has said: “Such has been the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah”[57] we have to state here that, “The role of religion and its responsibility in Man’s life is to create the environment of appropriateness and harmony between Man’s thinking and behavior with the courses of Allah (i- e the laws Allah Has set in this universe to move with their course) and to direct the run of Man’s life to the current of these divine course which Allah Has set as an order for his creatures and creating in this universe.” [58]

So religion directsMan’s thinking towards the deep aimful look.Certainly there is a big difference between the superficial unsophisticated look to life and history and the deep examining look which is not satisfied with noticing the thing or the incident but it penetrates into its depths and observes its necessities and evidences in order to deduce the historical law which is applied to it, for example a tourist may pass through the pyramids of Egypt so he feels astonished at the marvelousness of its construction, and its highness and enjoys the beauty of its outer appearance and every thing ends.

As to the conscious thinker who is armed with belief, when he passes through the pyramids so many questions rise into his mind: about Man’s abilities, the injustice which was prevailing during those days through the phyrons’ exploitation of a great number of people to work in building these pyramids and what they had suffered of tiredness, weariness and chastisements. He also deduced the phyroon’s wrong concept of death and resurrection. Rather the believer, after having those pieces of knowledge deduces the beneficent lesson as he looks to their wreckages so he wonders where are their inhabitants and what was their fate?!

Therefore Ahlilbait (A.S.) draw the attention to the importance of the aware note and the deep look which is not restricted to the external matters it penetrates through the depths and sizes the dimensions they include as well as and implicational or correlative significances.

Itis narrated from Alhassan Alsaiqal that he said: I said to Abi abdulah (A.S.): thinking for an hour is better than worshipping for a night? He said: Yes, the prophet (S.W.A.) said: thinking for an hour is better than worshipping for a night. [59]

When Ameeralmu’amineen passed by the ruins of Almadaaen he gave his companions a lesson about the example of history in which, he (A.S.) said: those people had been heirs then they became testators, those people violated the immunities of Allah so they had been afflicted with His revenge, so do not violate Allah’s immunities so that you suffer His vengances”[60]

And He (A.S.) said: So take lesson from what the previous arrogant nations afflicted with of Allah’s agony, assaults, combats and examples.. [61]

Imam Ali (A.S.) went farther than that when he pointed out that the historic law is applied to all people, in every time and place and that it is not restricted to destroying infidels and the arrogant, rather it is applied to believers too, if they do not adhere-practically- to the Devin procedure in life and when they deviate from the right path when they disagree and dispute and controvers. In thisconcern he says:

“And reflect on the circumstances of the believers before you how were they in the state of examination and misfortune…so look in their circumstances when their wishes were unified and had the same aims; so look then their last circumstances when disagreement and dispute took place their wishes and hearts changed, they disputed and conflicted making war against one another, Allah has taken the cloth of His honor out of them and deprived them of His benevolence, there remains with you the stories of their narrations as lessons to their seekers”[62]

Some of his golden will to his son AlHassan (A.S.) in which he urges him on thinking of the circumstances of ancient nations which is called today “the philosophy of history” it is stated: “O my son’ although I haven’t lived as long as those before me had lived, I pondered on their actions, thought of their narrations, walked in their ruins till I have become one of them rather I have become - because of what I knew of them…as if I lived with their first till their last…” [63]

Thirdly: Thinking about the wisdom of the legislation:

The aim of that is to affirm Moslem’s certainty of his legislation, itsrightness and stating its applicability to every time and place in order that the clouds of suspicions, aroused by the enemy of Islam, fade away.If some of Islamic legislations are obligatory which call the Moslem to submit to them, and there is no benefit from pondering on them such as the worshipping matters; yet there are some legislations in Islam which have social dimensions, and the Qur’an has revealed to us the concealed wisdom of their legislations as there is social benefits related to the individual and the society as well such as His saying (be exalted): “And there is life for you in the law of retaliation, o men of understanding that you may guard yourselves.” [64]

And His saying (be exalted) ‘Allah doesn’t want to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you”[65]

The “Sunnah” also has uncovered somay sides of the wisdom of the legislation.For example, Imam Ali Ibna Moussa Alrezza (A.S.) wrote to Mohammad Ibna Sinaan answering some of his questions: “Allah Has prohibited killing the human being because it leads to corruption and perhaps their extinction and chaos of order…Allah Has prohibited adultery because it leads to many kinds of corruption such as killing others and intermixing of peoples’ decendence, leaving children without bringing - up, the corruption of heritage …and other sides of corruption like these”[66]

Fourthly: directing the mind to consider, to be deliberate in one’s opinion and to be independent in thinking and determination:

The Prophet of Allah (S.W.A) said:

“Don’t be blind imitators who say: when people dogood we do good and when people oppress we do so but strive to do good when people do good and not to oppress when people do so”[67]

Allah Hassaid: “Do they not then reflect on the Qur’an? Nay there are locks on their hearts.”[68]

Here is a serious call to consider and think by first disapproving those shallow -minded, absent -minded, and stubborn people firstly, then secondly through severe scolding of those kinds of people.

Allah Has also said: “Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful”[69]

So there is no value of a claim without aproof, and if Al-Zamakhsharri had seen in that text the most destructive call for the course of imitators”.[70]It has what is more than that for the (word) maybe directed to those accustomed to imitations but this Qur’anic verses is applicable to the whole of human thinking with all of its parts and sides, as thinkers may fall in - and so often they had fallen in - serious errors because of their dependence on some general concepts which they thought to be axioms that do not need a proof while they had been no more than imaginations emanated from fantasies or falling short of mind. This happens so many times with the errors ofdisputants, rather it sometimes happens with those engaged with practical sciences when they consider some deductions to be scientific affirmed laws while they are deductions based on incomplete notices.

Hence we feel a wider range of the Qur’anic call to advance the complete proof for every concept and case weather they are in the mental or practical sciences.

It is doubtless that the field of thinking and contempt acting is as wide as the wideness of knowledge and attitudes, and here we state two important effects:

One of them is general such as the generality of the mentioned Qur’anic text: although it aimed generally at the imitative mind like the people whoare dominated with imitation in their faiths and attitudes.

The second effect, which was seen as a special kind of imitation, is the blind imitation of some people, who have gained an affirmed high positions in peoples’ hearts, whereas the role of mind and its function in thinking, viewing and criticism has vanished, as if those people had become in them-selves the measure for right, so it is not right to weight their speeches and actions or to be subjected to judgment and criticism. This kind ofimitation which had been and still the source of so many kinds of dangers in beliefs and attitudes…Ameeralmu’amineen uncovered the secret of the error in this imitation and showed the right way to learn knowledge, this happened when some people were astonitioned at seeing Talha, Zubair and A’aisha standing in one line against Ameeral mu’amineen, so he denied that people like those agree on some thing wrong, so he mentioned that to Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.), and he (A.S.) replied beginning his answer with the source of false imagination then shifting to give him the right method in knowledge, he (A.S.) said: “You are deceived, Allah’s religion is not known by men, rather by the evidence of rightness: so do know the right then you know its followers”[71]

Fifthly: directing Man to attain science and knowledge:

It is indisputable that the Islamic religion urges on attaining science and knowledge.He who contemplates on the verses Qur’an finds that repeated clearly or by hint: “Say are those who know and those who do not know alike?

Only the men of understanding are mindful[ 72] .

“Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees, and Allah is aware of what you do[ 73]

“Say: O my Lord’ increase me in knowledge”[74]

“Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge”[75]

because of the importance of knowledge Allah Has taken the covenant of “Ahlilkitaab” to reveal it to people and not to monopolize it: “Allah Has made a covenant with those who were given the Book you should certainly made it known to people and don’t hide it”[76]

After the verses ofQur’an there come the “hadeeths” of the prophet (S.W.A.) and his purified progeny (A.S.) as they lead to this direction, and state that knowledge is the pillar of religion and the life of Islam is in it.

They prompt to gain it, uncover its merit, so the ink of scholar is superior to the blood of martyrs, and the superiority of a scholar to a worshiper is such as the superiority of the moon to other stars. In thisconcern the prophet (S.W.A.) says:

“Seeking knowledge is prior-with Allah- to prayer fasting “hajj” and striving in the path of Allah”[77]

it is enough to quote Ameeralmu’amineen’s (A.S.) saying:

“The value of every person is what good he does[ 78] ; it gives evidence to Ahlilbait’s prompt to get science and knowledge.

Look closely at the excellent comparison which Imam Ali (A.S.) made for Kumail Ibn Zeyaad Alnekhaei about the superiority of knowledge to funds and money He (A.S.) says: “O Kumail’ knowledge is better than funds, knowledge guards you while you guard funds and money becomes less when you spend it while knowledge flourishes when you spend it and the favor done by wealth vanishes with its vanishing.

O Kumail bin Zeyaad’ attaining knowledge is a religion followed, withit one can achieve the course of Allah’s obedience in his life, and the good remembrance after his demise, knowledge is a governor while money is governed.

O Kumail, the treasurers of funds perished while they are alive, while Scholars are alive as long as there is time, their bodies are absent and their statues in the hearts are present. [79]

Because of this rich epistemic sustenance the Moslem set off, being released from the shackles of ignorance and retardation, to the wide horizons of knowledge so he began to contemplate the universal phenomenon discover the secrets of nature through the empirical manner to which his ideology had directed; and this is the procedure on which modern science has been built.

Gebb says in his book “The modern directions in Islam”: “I think that it is agreed on that the detailed precise observation which Moslem researchers practiced had helped to achieve the scientific development in the material field, and that through these notices the empirical procedure had reached Europe in the middle ages”[80]

Man has the right to be astonished at the greatness of the Islamicideology which had brought in that civilizational revolution in the souls of the desert inhabitants till they have become the pioneers of the whole world in science and knowledge and other sides of civilization and culture.

Knowledge and faith:

It worthies stating that the ideology connects knowledge with faith, as knowledge without faith is like a plant without fruit. Knowledge calls to faith and faith prompts to knowledge.To separate one from the other leads to serious dangers. The martyr Murtaza Mutaharri says:

“Historical practices proved that separating knowledge from faith had resulted in damages which couldn’t be madeup, faith must be known in the light of knowledge faith draws for a way from legends in the light of knowledge. By separating knowledge from faith, faith changed into languidness and blind fanaticism, movingQuickly round itself without reaching anywhere. In theplace which is empty of science and knowledge the ignorant believers are turned into a tool at the hand of the big hypocrites and this was what we had seen of the examples of “Khawaarij” in the first period of Islam and the following ages in different forms.

Knowledge without faith is a torch at the hand of a thief at midnight to steal the best merchandise, so the person of knowledge without faith today doesn’t differ from the ignorant person without faith yesterday in the least difference concerning the nature of manners, practices and their essence”[81]

So knowledge needs faith as the body needs spirit because knowledge alone is unable -by its nature-to build the perfect human being, pure scientific education builds a half human not a perfect human, it can make a human being who may be powerful and able but he is not necessarily virtuous, it creates a human being with one dimension which the material dimension. As tofaith it molds one’s personality in its different dimensions.

Europeans’ deception by science has reached the limit of deification and worshipping although they did not perform its rituals in their churches and because religion depends on unseen foundations outside the extent ofmaterial they considered it to be an unscientific phenomenon.

On this basis the disease of separation between religion and knowledge appeared, this is a strange inclination to Islam “Nothing gives more evidence to this cohesion between religion and science than this urgent call by religion to get knowledge and to get more of it in all stages of the age and in all circumstances… and from this high evaluation of knowledge and Scholars by religion.

If there had been a conflict between religion and science in some eras of history, as it happened with the history of Christianity, that conflict had no connection with religion. Rather it had been a sort of deviation from religion, and religion is not responsible for the deviations people commit by its name”[82]

It is sorrowful that some voices rise here and there calling to separate religion from knowledge on the pretext that Europe had shun religion then it developed and we adhered to religion we failed. The minds of those people are either incapable of realizing the function of science which is a tool to uncover the objective truths and to give a neutral, precise and deep interpretation of the reality, or that those minds are ignorant of the Islamic procedure which doesn’t cease to inspire people to get knowledge. Most probably that they are mercenaried minds echoing the allegations of the grudged enemies of Islam and they overlook the serious spiritualresults which stemmed from separating science from religion:

“The clearest example of that is the age in which we live, the age in which the scientific and material development has reached its summit, and in which humanity had reached its lowest point in brutal fighting and enmity which severs the relations of humanity and makes it live in a lasting horror and fear of destruction, as it also has reached the lowest level in their depiction of the aims of life and the raise d’être of humanity restricting them to lust and enjoyments, reaching its lowest level -as a result of that thinking- of moral corruption and sexual disorder from which the animal abstains.”[83]

So the procedures of education bear a big obligation to the Islamic ideology for its insistence on the role of faith and knowledge in building Man’s personality. By separating knowledge fromfaith Man becomes like a magnetic needle swinging between the north and the south; therefore he needs a power which can stimulate a revolution in his conscience and give him a moral course that can actualize his humanity, this is a task which science can not perform without religion.

CHAPTER ONE: THE IDEOLIGICAL CONSTQUCTION

The first Topic: liberating Man’s mind:

The view of the Islamic Ideology relies the fact that Man is an honored creature: (And surely we have honored the Sons of Adam and We carry them in the land and the sea and We have given them of the good things and We have made them to excel by an appropriate excellence over most of those whom We have created) [17-7-].

He is the “Chaliph (i. E representative) of Allah on earth, he has the abilities which enable him to ascend to high degrees in sublimity and elevation: “And when your Lord said to the angels I am going to create in the earth a Kaliph, they said!What! Wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy Holiness? He said; surely I know what you don’t know.” [2:30]

Likewise, He can stoop and demean himselftill he reaches the rank of animal: “He clung to the earth and followed his law desires so his parable is as the parable of the dog, if you attack him he lolls out his tongue and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue…” [7:176].

“Then he falls down more and more till he reaches the rank of a solid body! Then your hearts hardened after that so that they were like rocks rather worse in hardness” [2;74 ].

So the Islamic ideology faces in consideration takes the strong and weak sides together in the human being as Man has been described in the Holy Book as has been created weak, dismayed and rash, he is surely in ordinate, and that he oppresses and is ignorant-[1]

On thisbasis the Islamic legislation does not attempt to overburden him by heavy incumbents which exceed his psychological and bodily abilities, Allah (be exalted) has said:

“Allah Does not impose on any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability”[2]

The prophet (s.w.a.): “Nine things from my nation are not requited: the mistake, forgetting, the thing to which they are obliged, what they do not know, what they do not endure, what they do under necessity jealously and evil omen, and thinking with a sense of misgiving about creation unless it is uttered[ 3]

He also said “The pen had been lifted (i-e it doesn’t write) from three persons “the mad person who has lost his mind till he restores it, the sleeping person till he wakes up, and the young boy till he reaches sexual maturity”[4]

The Islamic belief, then, considers the sides of weakness in man as a natural state caused by his human construction and it does not consider it as very complicated to the degree that Man loses with it his ability to build and move, and to choose freely.

More than that the Islamic belief has attempted - while its motivating to construct and develop human being-to agitate in him a deep feeling of the positive side in his presence.

Sin is accidental:

From another side, the Islamic ideology considers sin as an accidental matter to human being and not on original subjective matter.So when Man falls into the holes of sin he is not changed into a devil whose develish nature prevents from returning to the vastnesses of humanity, rather Man remains a sinful person who can strive to repent, correct his fault and can rise from his misstep.

This is the secret of the greatness of the Islamic view point to man as it doesn’t put him under the mercy of the feeling of an imposed original sin as Christianity does, rather it tries to save him from the mud of sin and make him know his ability to progress, remind him always of Allah’s pardon and His vast mercy and not to feel disappointed of it.

There is no “confessional chair” in Islam as it is there inChristianity, rather the leaders of religion and theologians attempt to veil the defects and sins of people as much as possible because Allah loves concealing sins.

It is related from Assbagh Ebin Nabaatah that he said: A person came to Ameeral Mu’amineen and said: O Ameeral Mu’amineen, I have committed adultery so purify me (i-e punish me), Ameeral Mu’amineen turned his face away from him then he said to him: “Sit down, then Ali “A.S.” turned to his people and said: Poes the one of you fail to conceal his sin when he commits it as Allah Has concealed his sin?! …”[5]

Man is an honored creature:

From another side the Islamic ideology attempts to make Man feel-always- that he is an honored being who has his important position in this universe through the duty of “Caliphate which he should adopt and he has nothing to do but to carry out the duty of caliphate” (Allah’s representativeness on earth in the best way, to thank his Creator for his honor, enabling and guidance to the right religion.

A person asked Ameeral Mu’amineen (A.S.) about his love to meet Allah (be glorified), he said how do you love the meeting of Allah? He (Ali) said “When I found that He has chosen foe me the religion of His angles, apostles and prophets I knew that He has honored me with this does not forget me so I loved his meeting,[ 6]

The symptoms of liberating:

The Islamic ideology played an active role in liberating Man on different axes:

Firstly: It has freed man from political dictatorship

No one in Islam can dictate to another person, nor is there any exploitation of a class or a nation over an other one (religion has been along the Islamic history one of the most prominent factor of the appearance of liberation movements whatever the view point of the researcher towards religion he can not exclude the religious factor and its influence in building the revolutionary awareness during this era of Islamic history.

Abbizer’s and Alhussain’s (A.S.) revolutions had been nothing but a starting point of a concious tendency to correct the deviation in the history of Islam. In spite of all deviation from which Moslems had suffered along their long history they hadn’t lost in any era of this history a strong revolutionary tendency which strives to restore Islam to the runs of life to eliminate oppression, exploitation and to restore the rights of the Moslem and his dignity”. [7]

The Islamic ideology has released Man from “defying people” such as worshipping monarchs and dynasties. This habitwas prevented by some ancient nations like ancient Egyptians. Islam has abolished the theories of discrimination against any oneon the basis of race or language or color or wealth or power. The measure of superiority is restricted within moralmatters which are piety and virtue, Allah “be exalted” Has said: (O you men! Surely we have created you of a male and a female and made you tribes and nations that you may know each other, surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most pious! Surely Allah is knowing aware)[ 8]

Islam has preceded the French revolution in announcing the doctrine of liberty with ten centuries.

Ameeral Mu’amineen Ali (A.S.) says in one of his sermons (O people, Adam has not born a slave or a girlmaid all people are free…)[9]

But Islam has not made this granted freedom for Man unlimited so that man is free to do whatever he wishes. Rather it set controllers and curbs for freedom least it results in anarchy.

Hence, the difference between the Islamic ideology, which connects human freedom with slavery to Allah and the conscious and voluntary submission to His authority and between thelegislation which throw Man in amazement that doesn’t accord with his ability and his nature.

From this, there must be a balance between freedom and servitude, there is no a balance in this concern which releases Man’s energies and preserves his nature at the same time but what we find in Islam; a servitude to Allah and liberty from other servitudes, these slave’s freedom does not become complete except through his servitude to Allah, his servitude to Allah does not become complete except through his freedom from worshipping other than Him, so there is a clear balance and consistency between the social side and the tiducial side in the character of Moslem through the way of freedom as Islam views it.[10]

In the light of what has preceded, the ideology settles a basic truth which is the essence of the true freedom is the servitude to Allah because it means the freedom from all deviated authorities while in the servitude to Allah there is not any disgrace for human’s dignity rather it, on the contrary, consolidates his character and protects his dignity.

The prophet “s.w.a.” has been proud of his being a slave of Allah, he liked to be called the slave of Allah and refused the exaltation, which may lead to the false deity, as it had happened to “Ahlil Kitaab” (Christians and Jews) in spite of Allah’s warning them not to raise the personalities of their prophets, Allah said: “O followers of the Book! Don’t exceed the limits in your religion and don’t speak (lies) against Allah but speak the truth the Messiah Isa son of Maryam is only an apostle of Allah and His word, which he communicated to Maryam and a spirit from Him…”[11]

The School of “Ahlil Bait” (A.S.) refuses strongly the idea of apotheosizing people through concentrating on the feature of servitude for sometimes…

Ameeralmu’amineen Ali (A.S.) said “I am the slave of Allah and the brother of His prophet”[12]Alimaam Alreza (A.S.) said: “I am proud of being Allah’s slave”[13] . The idea of apothessizing people has been prevailing among other nations then it sneaked to the followers of heavenly religions and mixed with the beliefs of some of them.

Christianity for example claims AlMasseiah’sdeity, Judaism claims that Auzair is the son of Allah!

Therefore Imam Ali’s wisdom and foresight becomes clear in his concentration on the feature of “servitude” and his challenge to withstand all the claims of exaggeration which attributed him to deity. It is narrated in “Hadeeth” that “some people came to Ameeral mu’amineen (A.S.) and said: Salutations be to you, our God! He called them to repent but they didn’t, he dug for them a hole, he kindled fire in it then he dug another hole beside it and connected them when they didn’t repent he threw them down in the hole and kindled fire in the other hole till they died.[14]

In this concern hesaid: “In me two kinds of men perished an exaggerating lover and an extravagant hater”[15]

Secondly:

Secondly: The Islamic ideology has released Moslem from his lusts after it has connected his heart with Allah and the next abode and itdidn’t connect him with his wishes and caprices. The Islamic ideology has supplied the Moslem’s mind and will with the protective immunity from deviation or preferring the transient world to the remaining everlasting life. The spirit - according to Ahlilbait’s instructions- is the place of danger, so it took most of their attentions.

Thus, we find that the speech about the “spirit”, the necessity of controlling it, occupies a vast area of Ameeral Mu’amineen’s sayings, maxims and preachments, he didn’t miss any chance without speaking about the “soul” because it is the pivot of the mill in building the human being.

The Holy Qur’an has told us: “Allah has never changed a favor which He has conferred upon a people until they changed their own conditions”[16] , so what is noteworthy is that Imam Ali (A.S.)-during the days of his just government- was ordering his governors and leaders to take control over their wishes, although he has chosen them precisely from virtue and that most of them had a recommended merits, from alter he (A.S.) wrote to Alashtar when he appointed him as a governor of Egypt: “this is what Abdullah Ameeralmu’amineen ordered Maalik bin AlHaarith Alashtar…he ordered him to fear Allah and to prefer His obedience… he ordered him to break his devotion to lusts…as the spirit longs for evils, except what Allah’s mercy helps…so take control over your wishes, keep your wishes back of what is not permitted to you as taking control of the spirit is the equity of what she loves and hates and feel sympathy to your subject. [17]

From a commandment to Shureih Ibna Haani, one of his millitary leaders when he appointed him on the vanguard of his army to Alsham: “…know that if you don’t hold yourself back from so much of what you like your wishes will guide you to so much damage. So would you prevent yourself and deter it..[18] .

From a letter he wrote to Muaweia, he uncovered to him the secret of his mutiny against the legal leadership i-e his psychological deviations, he said to him- your spirit (wishes) has driven you in evils, pushed into sin, has led you to perils and has guided you through rough passageways”[19]

Psychological deviation has serious consequences especially from those who take power without legality and qualification.

“Ahlilbait” with their known infallibility were asking Allah to help them take conrol over their wishes in order to teach and refine others” some of what is cited in a supplication of Imam Zeinala’abideen (A.S.) “…And weaken our strength to do what enrages you to us, do not let our souls alone with its choice as it chooses false option except what You help, longs for evil except what you lead with Your mercy”. [20]

from all that we deduce that Man cannot be built except by taking control over the soul “wishes” about which we will speak later.

Thirdly:

Thirdly: the Islamic ideology has released Man from worshipping nature and sanctifying its phenomenon, and fear of it, Allah says: “of His signs night and day, sun and moon don’t kneel to the sun and to the moon…”[21]

Man has passed through the stage of confusion, inquiry and fear of the phenomenon of nature about him, he does not know any thing of its secrets and changes of its conditions so he began to sanctify it and sacrifised to it generously thinking that- he can feel safe of its bursting volcanos, destructive earthquakes, sweeping floods and its burning thunder bolts. So the ideology worked towards purifying minds of their veils, opened the vast way to make use of nature and to make peace with it when it removed the thick veils between Man and nature, it has became clear to him that nature and what it includes of creatures and happiness are all emanated from Allah (be exalted), they are exploited creatures to serve him, he (Man) has nothing to do but to make use of them, think of them and their origin in order to reach through them to the Creator: “will they not then consider the camels, how they are created? And the heaven how it is reared aloft, and the mountains how they are firmly fixed and the earth how it is made a vast expanse?[22]

We must point out here that the procedure of the ideology in building human being is a “comprehensive procedure” it arranges Man’s relationship with himself, his creator, and nature around him. Every establishment or development in the relationship between man and his Creatorwill be reflected positively on the relationship between Man and nature, which is drudged by the hands of Allah.

So it grants the faithful man with blessings and benevolences.Hence the prophet “Hood” asked his people - who had deviated from the procedure of Heaven so it didn’t rain for three years till they were about to perish- to ask Allah’s forgiveness for their past sins and to repent to Him by correcting their course and arranging their relation with Allah (be exalted) then their relation with nature will be organized and it will grant them with rain and benevolences he said to them: “And, O my people’ ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him, He will send on you clouds pouring down abundance of rain and add strength to your strength, and don’t turn back guilty”[23]

So, real worship should be to Allah alone, fear should be of guilts, whichcause Allah’s rage and revenge, so He uses nature as a means to punishment, as Allah Has drowned pheroons into the sea, send the destructive wind which damaged the people of Aaad.Hence we find that most of the punishments which afflicted infidels had been fulfilled by the powers of nature which reveals to us the correlative relationship between Man an nature, in this concern Imam Al-Baaqir says: “we have found in the Book of the prophet (S.W.A)…when people abstain from praying “Zakaat” earth abstains its blessings such as plants, fruits and metals”[24] His son Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) says “when adultry spreads out earthquicks appear, when “Zakaat” is not paid cattle perish, when judges decide unjustly rain doesn’t come down from heaven…”[25]

In brief, human fear must coneentrate on sins and misbehavior, which cause the destruction of societies and prevent heavenly blessings. As to the fear of nature, the belief that some of its phenomenons are evils whichdon’t harmonize with the worldly prevalent order firstly and with its wisdom and justice secondly it is originated from their limitedly narrow viewpoint to these issues.

Had they looked out to these incidents in the framework of the universal common order they would have given in to the idea that they are all good things. At the firstlook these incidents appear to be evil and disastrous, but he who contemplates deeply finds that they are motives for good and reform and they are not outside wisdom, justice and order.Dealing in detail with the subject of the philosophy of evils and aflictions in this world is related to the (Scholastic theology) but what is connected with our research we reemphasize that the Islamic ideology has restored the molding of man’s mind towards the nature around him in a way which makes him much freer, more interacting and feeling in peace with it.

Fourthly:

Fourthly: releasing Man from legendries and myths in belief and behavior in order to eradicate the fantastic deterrents, which prevent the right use of the energy the mind. Man in the pre-Islamic era e.g. had been regarding a good or a bad omen of the movements of bird, so he went optimistically to do some thing when bird takes the rightdirection and retreats and gives up the work when the bird takes the left direction.The class of parsons and diviners occupy the position of forefront in the social ladder and were cheating people by claiming that they know the unseen. Telling bad omen were chaining people with the ropes of fanaticism and prevent them from work and traveling, also the use of “azlaam” i-e if one wants to do something he takes three arrows writing on one of them (do) on the second (do not do) and leave the third free he stretches his hand to take one of them, if the first comes out he advances to his work, when he hits the second he does not do this work if the third comes out he repeats once again! Magic also has been prevalent among people foreshadowing a serious evil, the Islamic ideology made war against thesephenomenons, it has been a cause for opening the minds and elevation of spirits and to bring people out of the darknesses of illusion and legendry to the light of science and truth.

The prophet (S.W.A.) said:“ he is not of us who sees an evil omen or is told about evil omen, and he who foretold or was foretold, or made magic or was made to him[26] . He (A.S.) also said that He who gives up his work because of bad omen is a polytheist.[27]

Al Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) said:“ bad omen is as you consider, if you regard it unimportant it becomes as such, if you regard it serious it becomes as such, if you regard it nothing it becomes as such too”[28]

From another side the Islamic ideology released the Moslem’s mind from the deductions of soothsayers as it considered a soothsayer like a foreteller, both of them try to restrict Man’s movement in life and to cheat his mind.

It is related from Abdilmalik bin A’ayon that he said: I said to Abiabdula (A.S.): I have been afflicted with this science-he means divinations- so when I look in the horoscope and I see the horoscope of evil I sit down and don’t go and if I see the horoscope of good luck I go to fulfill what I need he said to me: do you gain your need? I said: yes he said to me burn your books[ 29]

We must state here that the Divine school of Ahlilbait (A.S.) does not criticize the stars as a natural science Man can discover by it the features of the sky which shadows him in order to discover through that the greatness of the creator, but it finds fault with these who claim that they know through them (stars) the unseen future.

One of the witnesses which reflects Ahlilbait’s striving to release Moslem human being from the habit of soothtelling which remained to a late centuries, what Ameeralmu’amineen said to some of his companions when he decided to setup to confront “Khawaarij” as it is said to him! If you setup in this time we fear that you will miss your aim through the science of stars. He (A.S.) said: “Do you claim that you guide to the hour where every one set up would avoid evil?And you threaten of the hour where every one sets up would suffer damage? He who believes you, then, has accused Qur’an of telling lie and has dispensed with depending on Allah in getting the wanted and getting of evil…. Then he (A.S.) turned to people and said:

O people’ beware of knowing the science of sooth telling except what is used to know the directions in land and sea- till he said to them- go on depending on Allah (be exalted).[30]

The second topic: BuildingMan’s Thought:

Mind has an important significance in the Islamic religion. It is a source to attain the right belief,it is one of the evidences of deriving laws (i- e- “ijtihaad”) the honored prophet (S.W.A.) said : “every thing has a prop the prop of religion is mind”[31]

From another side mind composes the prop of the faithful human being, the prophet (S.W.A.)said “he who has a mind has a religion and he who has a religion he entered paradise”[32]

The texts of “hadeeths” which deal with drawing attention to the role of mind reached hundreds we can discover, through a general look at thesetexts, that the procedure of Islam in giving mind its actual role passes through two stages, it begins with releasing it then it shifts to direct its energies.

Liberating the mind:

This is the first step of the mentioned Islamicprocedure which we can discover through the texts that have been directed to give up the bonds which enchain mind and confine its real activity and so lead it to serious errors. Thiscan be found in two clear examples:

The first: is giving up blind imitation: its examples in the Holy Qur’an are very much, we can read them in many verses and scenes..

While Qur’an emphasizes that they have not the smallest proof of what they believe of worshipping idols and false creeds it concentrated that all of their plea is that they have found their fathers worshipping these idols so they adhered to that…“Nay! They say: we found our fathers on a course and surely we are guided by their footsteps”[33]

Then it emphasizesthat this is the habit of this kind of people who has shut all the vents on his mind… “And thus we did not send before you any warner to a town but those who led easy life in it said: surely we found our fathers on a course and surely we are followers of their footsteps.”[34]Thus Qur’an recounted their plea twice in two successive verses to show the disintegration it contains and the inherited rooted ignorance in which they are drowned to the limit that they do not listen to any right call nor obvious proof rather they have no more than repeating their plea “ Have you come to us to turn us away from what we found our fathers upon ” [35]

Even though a challenger came to them showing that what they follow is an error (Hesaid: what! Even if I bring to you a better guide than that on which you found your fathers? [36]

Even with such evocation they do not search for a proof nor do they open a vent to discussion, rather they insisted on their first fogy nature, “Surely we are unbelievers in that with which you are sent” and “They said that on which we found our fathers is sufficient for us”[37] , Qur’an repeats its condemnation of those in other positions because Qur’an confronts in its epistemic project theories that have been consolidated and taken roots wit successive nations and it is not far that there would be extended to the future of nations too. This theory has exceeded the excellent of knowledge and beliefs to the spheres of behavior and interactions. “And when they commit an indecency they say: we found our fathers doing so”[38]and “They say: Nay, we found our fathers doing so”[39]

Then Qur’an states the punishment which waits those people who took this course pointing out that people must beware of such a course…” so we inflicted retribution on them, then consider how was the end of the rejectors”[40]

DIRECTING THE ENERGY OF THE MIND:

After Islamic ideology has released human mind from the chains which capture it, its ends it out onwards directing its energies through drawing attention and pondering over the universe and life in order to establish a complete building religiously and for this world…

We can state some groups of the Qur’anicverses which direct the mind towards several vast horizons, some of them are as follows:

Firstly: pondering on the evidences of Allah (be exalted) in horizons and souls:

“Most surely in the creation of heavens and earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand. Those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord Thouhast not created this in vain! Glory is to Thee: save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[41]

“And in the earth there are signs for those who are sure and in your own souls too will you not then see?”[42]

“Say look what is there in heavens and earth.. [43]

“Let Man then think over of what he has been created”[44]

“Let Man then look at his food”[45]

“Will they not then consider the camels, how they are created and the heaven how it is reared aloft and the mountains how they are firmly fixed. And the earth how it is made vast expanse, therefore do remind for you are only a reminder”[46]

What is noticeable here is Qur’an’s great attention to mention the scenes of the universe through repeating their show in more than one “Surah” i-e (chapter) in different ways and its call for the human being to ponder on and contemplate them, to mediate on the run of its happenings, the most important of that Qur’an made this universe as starting point to reach to Allah (i- e to deduce His existence and to know Him) the creator and originator.

It is narrated from the prophet (S.W.A.) that he was reciting “most surely in the creation of heavens and the earth and he alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand, those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth: Our Lord! Thou hast not created this in vain Glory be to Thee, save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[47] , he says “woe to him who reads it without contemplating it” and in another narration “woe to him who chewed it between his jaws without contemplating it”.

And it is related to Ameeral muamineen Ali (A.S.) that he said: “when the prophet (S.W.A.) wakes up at night he cleans his teeth then he looks at the sky then he says “most surely in the creation of heaven and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day there are signs for men who understand, those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth our Lord: Thou hast not created this in vain Glory be to Thee save us then from the chastisement of the fire”[48]

The purified Imams (A.S.) used the way of setting the proofs of the existence of Allah through intellectual contemplation of the universe and what precise order and wonderful harmony it contains whichis the proof called by scholars “the proof of order”.

Ameeral mu’amineen Ali (A.S.) said: Had they thought of the greatness of His power and the plentiness of benevolence they would have returned to the path and feared the chastisement of burning but minds are ill, hearts are disordered. Do they not see the small-created things He has created, how He had consolidated its creation, mastered its composition, opened to it hearing and sight and made to it bones and skins!Look at the aunt in its small body, delicate form which is difficult to be seen by the eye and to be recognized by realizing mind, how it has crept on its land and stored its sustenance…if you think of the runs of her food, its upper and lower part, what its balley includes of epigastriums” its head of eye and ear you will be full of amazement at its creation and feel tired of its description…

So look at the sun and the moon… the burst out of these seas and the plentiness of these mountains, the length of these deserts and the diversity of these languages and tongues.

So woe towhom he denies the predeterminer and rejects the designer, they alleged that they are like plants without a planter and there is no maker for their different images while they didn’t give any proof of what they claimed and no inspection in what they adopt…

“And can there be a building without a builder or a crime without a criminal!”[49]

From another side the Holy Qur’an draws forth in the minds the motives of sincere and fruitful thinking through what it displays of knowledge, one time it uses the interrogatory question, such as His saying (Be Glorified) “What! Did you then think that we had created you in vain[ 50] , and by disavowal of shallow conceptions another time such as His saying (be Glorified) “And we didn’t create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain* we didn’t create them both but with the truth but most of them do not know”[51]

Itis known that according to the school of “Ahlilbait” (A.S.) thinking of the kingdom of the heavens and earth is a kind of worship, rather the best degree of worship. Imam Alsaadiq says: “the best worship is the continuous thinking of Allah and His omnipotence[ 52]

The followers of this high school and its disciples were making much of this intellectualworship which plays a very important part in constructing the human being and enables him to reach very high Gnostic degrees. Forexample most of Abbizar’s (may Allah be mercy with him) worship was thinking and taking lessons, his mother was asked about Abbizar’s worship she said: “During his day time he was thinking away from people”[53]

It must be known that the general view point about being to which the two “rare things” (Althaqalain) guide - The Qur’an and “Ahlilbait”- is the origin from which all intellectual behavioral view points stem and it is the foundation of the diversion of civilizations and cultures.

Secondly: meditating on the laws of history:

the Islamic ideology has called us to ponder on the incidents of history with a shrewd sight, an inspecting intellect in order to discover the reasons which had led societies to destruction, the flourishment or down fall of civilizations, Allah Has said: “indeed there have been examples before you, therefore travel in the earth and see what was the end of the rejecters”[54]

Allah (be glorified) also said: “Do they don’t consider how many a generation we have destroyed before them, whom we have established in the earth as we haven’t established you and we sent the clouds pouring rain o them in abundance and we made the rivers to flow beneath them, then we destroyed them on account of their faults and we originated after them another generations”[55]

Allah (be glorified) also said: “And certainly we did destroy generations before you when they were unjust, and their apostles had shown them clear argument and they wouldn’t believe; thus do we recompense the guilty people.”[56]

It is a call which insists on people to move the wheel of their minds, to look in the history of their ancestors least they become like strayed herd that moves without a shepherd towards the unknown, it is a call with a drawn procedure in order to benefit from the practices of previous civilizations and to study the reasons of their down fall, especially that history repeat its courses, Allah (be glorified) Has said: “Such has been the course of Allah with respect to those who have gone before and you shall not find any change in the course of Allah”[57] we have to state here that, “The role of religion and its responsibility in Man’s life is to create the environment of appropriateness and harmony between Man’s thinking and behavior with the courses of Allah (i- e the laws Allah Has set in this universe to move with their course) and to direct the run of Man’s life to the current of these divine course which Allah Has set as an order for his creatures and creating in this universe.” [58]

So religion directsMan’s thinking towards the deep aimful look.Certainly there is a big difference between the superficial unsophisticated look to life and history and the deep examining look which is not satisfied with noticing the thing or the incident but it penetrates into its depths and observes its necessities and evidences in order to deduce the historical law which is applied to it, for example a tourist may pass through the pyramids of Egypt so he feels astonished at the marvelousness of its construction, and its highness and enjoys the beauty of its outer appearance and every thing ends.

As to the conscious thinker who is armed with belief, when he passes through the pyramids so many questions rise into his mind: about Man’s abilities, the injustice which was prevailing during those days through the phyrons’ exploitation of a great number of people to work in building these pyramids and what they had suffered of tiredness, weariness and chastisements. He also deduced the phyroon’s wrong concept of death and resurrection. Rather the believer, after having those pieces of knowledge deduces the beneficent lesson as he looks to their wreckages so he wonders where are their inhabitants and what was their fate?!

Therefore Ahlilbait (A.S.) draw the attention to the importance of the aware note and the deep look which is not restricted to the external matters it penetrates through the depths and sizes the dimensions they include as well as and implicational or correlative significances.

Itis narrated from Alhassan Alsaiqal that he said: I said to Abi abdulah (A.S.): thinking for an hour is better than worshipping for a night? He said: Yes, the prophet (S.W.A.) said: thinking for an hour is better than worshipping for a night. [59]

When Ameeralmu’amineen passed by the ruins of Almadaaen he gave his companions a lesson about the example of history in which, he (A.S.) said: those people had been heirs then they became testators, those people violated the immunities of Allah so they had been afflicted with His revenge, so do not violate Allah’s immunities so that you suffer His vengances”[60]

And He (A.S.) said: So take lesson from what the previous arrogant nations afflicted with of Allah’s agony, assaults, combats and examples.. [61]

Imam Ali (A.S.) went farther than that when he pointed out that the historic law is applied to all people, in every time and place and that it is not restricted to destroying infidels and the arrogant, rather it is applied to believers too, if they do not adhere-practically- to the Devin procedure in life and when they deviate from the right path when they disagree and dispute and controvers. In thisconcern he says:

“And reflect on the circumstances of the believers before you how were they in the state of examination and misfortune…so look in their circumstances when their wishes were unified and had the same aims; so look then their last circumstances when disagreement and dispute took place their wishes and hearts changed, they disputed and conflicted making war against one another, Allah has taken the cloth of His honor out of them and deprived them of His benevolence, there remains with you the stories of their narrations as lessons to their seekers”[62]

Some of his golden will to his son AlHassan (A.S.) in which he urges him on thinking of the circumstances of ancient nations which is called today “the philosophy of history” it is stated: “O my son’ although I haven’t lived as long as those before me had lived, I pondered on their actions, thought of their narrations, walked in their ruins till I have become one of them rather I have become - because of what I knew of them…as if I lived with their first till their last…” [63]

Thirdly: Thinking about the wisdom of the legislation:

The aim of that is to affirm Moslem’s certainty of his legislation, itsrightness and stating its applicability to every time and place in order that the clouds of suspicions, aroused by the enemy of Islam, fade away.If some of Islamic legislations are obligatory which call the Moslem to submit to them, and there is no benefit from pondering on them such as the worshipping matters; yet there are some legislations in Islam which have social dimensions, and the Qur’an has revealed to us the concealed wisdom of their legislations as there is social benefits related to the individual and the society as well such as His saying (be exalted): “And there is life for you in the law of retaliation, o men of understanding that you may guard yourselves.” [64]

And His saying (be exalted) ‘Allah doesn’t want to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you”[65]

The “Sunnah” also has uncovered somay sides of the wisdom of the legislation.For example, Imam Ali Ibna Moussa Alrezza (A.S.) wrote to Mohammad Ibna Sinaan answering some of his questions: “Allah Has prohibited killing the human being because it leads to corruption and perhaps their extinction and chaos of order…Allah Has prohibited adultery because it leads to many kinds of corruption such as killing others and intermixing of peoples’ decendence, leaving children without bringing - up, the corruption of heritage …and other sides of corruption like these”[66]

Fourthly: directing the mind to consider, to be deliberate in one’s opinion and to be independent in thinking and determination:

The Prophet of Allah (S.W.A) said:

“Don’t be blind imitators who say: when people dogood we do good and when people oppress we do so but strive to do good when people do good and not to oppress when people do so”[67]

Allah Hassaid: “Do they not then reflect on the Qur’an? Nay there are locks on their hearts.”[68]

Here is a serious call to consider and think by first disapproving those shallow -minded, absent -minded, and stubborn people firstly, then secondly through severe scolding of those kinds of people.

Allah Has also said: “Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful”[69]

So there is no value of a claim without aproof, and if Al-Zamakhsharri had seen in that text the most destructive call for the course of imitators”.[70]It has what is more than that for the (word) maybe directed to those accustomed to imitations but this Qur’anic verses is applicable to the whole of human thinking with all of its parts and sides, as thinkers may fall in - and so often they had fallen in - serious errors because of their dependence on some general concepts which they thought to be axioms that do not need a proof while they had been no more than imaginations emanated from fantasies or falling short of mind. This happens so many times with the errors ofdisputants, rather it sometimes happens with those engaged with practical sciences when they consider some deductions to be scientific affirmed laws while they are deductions based on incomplete notices.

Hence we feel a wider range of the Qur’anic call to advance the complete proof for every concept and case weather they are in the mental or practical sciences.

It is doubtless that the field of thinking and contempt acting is as wide as the wideness of knowledge and attitudes, and here we state two important effects:

One of them is general such as the generality of the mentioned Qur’anic text: although it aimed generally at the imitative mind like the people whoare dominated with imitation in their faiths and attitudes.

The second effect, which was seen as a special kind of imitation, is the blind imitation of some people, who have gained an affirmed high positions in peoples’ hearts, whereas the role of mind and its function in thinking, viewing and criticism has vanished, as if those people had become in them-selves the measure for right, so it is not right to weight their speeches and actions or to be subjected to judgment and criticism. This kind ofimitation which had been and still the source of so many kinds of dangers in beliefs and attitudes…Ameeralmu’amineen uncovered the secret of the error in this imitation and showed the right way to learn knowledge, this happened when some people were astonitioned at seeing Talha, Zubair and A’aisha standing in one line against Ameeral mu’amineen, so he denied that people like those agree on some thing wrong, so he mentioned that to Ameeralmu’amineen (A.S.), and he (A.S.) replied beginning his answer with the source of false imagination then shifting to give him the right method in knowledge, he (A.S.) said: “You are deceived, Allah’s religion is not known by men, rather by the evidence of rightness: so do know the right then you know its followers”[71]

Fifthly: directing Man to attain science and knowledge:

It is indisputable that the Islamic religion urges on attaining science and knowledge.He who contemplates on the verses Qur’an finds that repeated clearly or by hint: “Say are those who know and those who do not know alike?

Only the men of understanding are mindful[ 72] .

“Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees, and Allah is aware of what you do[ 73]

“Say: O my Lord’ increase me in knowledge”[74]

“Those of His servants only who are possessed of knowledge”[75]

because of the importance of knowledge Allah Has taken the covenant of “Ahlilkitaab” to reveal it to people and not to monopolize it: “Allah Has made a covenant with those who were given the Book you should certainly made it known to people and don’t hide it”[76]

After the verses ofQur’an there come the “hadeeths” of the prophet (S.W.A.) and his purified progeny (A.S.) as they lead to this direction, and state that knowledge is the pillar of religion and the life of Islam is in it.

They prompt to gain it, uncover its merit, so the ink of scholar is superior to the blood of martyrs, and the superiority of a scholar to a worshiper is such as the superiority of the moon to other stars. In thisconcern the prophet (S.W.A.) says:

“Seeking knowledge is prior-with Allah- to prayer fasting “hajj” and striving in the path of Allah”[77]

it is enough to quote Ameeralmu’amineen’s (A.S.) saying:

“The value of every person is what good he does[ 78] ; it gives evidence to Ahlilbait’s prompt to get science and knowledge.

Look closely at the excellent comparison which Imam Ali (A.S.) made for Kumail Ibn Zeyaad Alnekhaei about the superiority of knowledge to funds and money He (A.S.) says: “O Kumail’ knowledge is better than funds, knowledge guards you while you guard funds and money becomes less when you spend it while knowledge flourishes when you spend it and the favor done by wealth vanishes with its vanishing.

O Kumail bin Zeyaad’ attaining knowledge is a religion followed, withit one can achieve the course of Allah’s obedience in his life, and the good remembrance after his demise, knowledge is a governor while money is governed.

O Kumail, the treasurers of funds perished while they are alive, while Scholars are alive as long as there is time, their bodies are absent and their statues in the hearts are present. [79]

Because of this rich epistemic sustenance the Moslem set off, being released from the shackles of ignorance and retardation, to the wide horizons of knowledge so he began to contemplate the universal phenomenon discover the secrets of nature through the empirical manner to which his ideology had directed; and this is the procedure on which modern science has been built.

Gebb says in his book “The modern directions in Islam”: “I think that it is agreed on that the detailed precise observation which Moslem researchers practiced had helped to achieve the scientific development in the material field, and that through these notices the empirical procedure had reached Europe in the middle ages”[80]

Man has the right to be astonished at the greatness of the Islamicideology which had brought in that civilizational revolution in the souls of the desert inhabitants till they have become the pioneers of the whole world in science and knowledge and other sides of civilization and culture.

Knowledge and faith:

It worthies stating that the ideology connects knowledge with faith, as knowledge without faith is like a plant without fruit. Knowledge calls to faith and faith prompts to knowledge.To separate one from the other leads to serious dangers. The martyr Murtaza Mutaharri says:

“Historical practices proved that separating knowledge from faith had resulted in damages which couldn’t be madeup, faith must be known in the light of knowledge faith draws for a way from legends in the light of knowledge. By separating knowledge from faith, faith changed into languidness and blind fanaticism, movingQuickly round itself without reaching anywhere. In theplace which is empty of science and knowledge the ignorant believers are turned into a tool at the hand of the big hypocrites and this was what we had seen of the examples of “Khawaarij” in the first period of Islam and the following ages in different forms.

Knowledge without faith is a torch at the hand of a thief at midnight to steal the best merchandise, so the person of knowledge without faith today doesn’t differ from the ignorant person without faith yesterday in the least difference concerning the nature of manners, practices and their essence”[81]

So knowledge needs faith as the body needs spirit because knowledge alone is unable -by its nature-to build the perfect human being, pure scientific education builds a half human not a perfect human, it can make a human being who may be powerful and able but he is not necessarily virtuous, it creates a human being with one dimension which the material dimension. As tofaith it molds one’s personality in its different dimensions.

Europeans’ deception by science has reached the limit of deification and worshipping although they did not perform its rituals in their churches and because religion depends on unseen foundations outside the extent ofmaterial they considered it to be an unscientific phenomenon.

On this basis the disease of separation between religion and knowledge appeared, this is a strange inclination to Islam “Nothing gives more evidence to this cohesion between religion and science than this urgent call by religion to get knowledge and to get more of it in all stages of the age and in all circumstances… and from this high evaluation of knowledge and Scholars by religion.

If there had been a conflict between religion and science in some eras of history, as it happened with the history of Christianity, that conflict had no connection with religion. Rather it had been a sort of deviation from religion, and religion is not responsible for the deviations people commit by its name”[82]

It is sorrowful that some voices rise here and there calling to separate religion from knowledge on the pretext that Europe had shun religion then it developed and we adhered to religion we failed. The minds of those people are either incapable of realizing the function of science which is a tool to uncover the objective truths and to give a neutral, precise and deep interpretation of the reality, or that those minds are ignorant of the Islamic procedure which doesn’t cease to inspire people to get knowledge. Most probably that they are mercenaried minds echoing the allegations of the grudged enemies of Islam and they overlook the serious spiritualresults which stemmed from separating science from religion:

“The clearest example of that is the age in which we live, the age in which the scientific and material development has reached its summit, and in which humanity had reached its lowest point in brutal fighting and enmity which severs the relations of humanity and makes it live in a lasting horror and fear of destruction, as it also has reached the lowest level in their depiction of the aims of life and the raise d’être of humanity restricting them to lust and enjoyments, reaching its lowest level -as a result of that thinking- of moral corruption and sexual disorder from which the animal abstains.”[83]

So the procedures of education bear a big obligation to the Islamic ideology for its insistence on the role of faith and knowledge in building Man’s personality. By separating knowledge fromfaith Man becomes like a magnetic needle swinging between the north and the south; therefore he needs a power which can stimulate a revolution in his conscience and give him a moral course that can actualize his humanity, this is a task which science can not perform without religion.


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