Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

The Core of Islam

Author: Sayyid Fadhil Milani
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
Category:

• Editor's Note
• Foreword
• Conventions
• Chapter 1: Muhammad's Cultural Context
• 1.1 Broadmindedness
• Regarding justice, fairness and impartiality
• Regarding openness to criticism
• Regarding forbearance and patience
• Regarding remaining receptive to a variety of opinions
• 1.2 Emphasis on the doing of good and the condemnation of evil
• 1.3 Mercy as the basis of all action
• 1.4 Education
• 1.5 Focus on the 'eternal' rather than the 'temporary'
• Notes
• Chapter 2: Core Beliefs of the Faith
• 2.1 The Universe and its Creator
• 2.2 It is the Creator who makes the law
• 2.3 Messengers are human beings inspired by divine knowledge
• 2.4 Humanity is en route to eternity
• 2.5 Islamic jurisprudence - Shariah - is to guarantee justice
• Notes
• Chapter 3: What Is Sacred To Muslims?
• 3.1 The Holy Mosque in Makkah
• Qur’anic references to the Ka bah
• 3.2 History of the Holy Mosque
• Regarding the change of Qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah
• The significance of Makkah itself
• 3.3 The Divine Final Scripture (the Qur’an)
• Vis-a-vis monotheism
• Vis-a-Vis Prophethood
• Socio-ethical teachings of the Qur’an
• Vis-a-Vis justice
• Vis-a-Vis The condemnation of miserliness
• Vis-a-Vis Qur’anic evidence and scientific fact
• 3.4 Muhammad - Guide and Exemplar
• 3.5 Acts of Devotion
• Notes
• Chapter 4: Social Behavior
• 4.1 Respect for Elders - Parents in Particular
• 4.2 Charity
• From the Qur’an
• From Ahadith
• Commentary
• 4.3 Care of others - Orphans and the Destitute in particular
• 4.4 Honesty
• 4.5 Fairness and Justice
• From the Qur’an
• From Ahadith
• Commentary
• 4.6 Repelling evil and exemplifying good
• 4.7 Relationship with other faiths
• Notes
• Chapter 5: Position of Women in Islam
• 5.1 Gender Equality
• 5.2 Preparation for motherhood
• Contemporary society
• Pregnancy
• Substances
• Caffeine
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Illegal drugs
• 5.3 Hijab is to protect, not to isolate
• What the Qur’an and ahadith teach us about hijab?
• Does Hijab hinder the freedom of women?
• Different styles of Hijab
• The fuss over covering the hair
• Mark of a woman
• 5.4 Share of inheritance
• 5.5 Women jurists and scholars
• Notes
• Chapter 6: Main Groupings
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Shiah
• The summoning of his family
• His appointment of a deputy each time he had to leave Madinah
• Ghadir Kumm
• a. Authenticity
• b. General meaning of the word 'mawla'
• c. Specific meaning of ‘mawla’ in the above context
• Protection from error
• 6.2.1 The Twelvers - Ithna Ashariyyah
• 6.2.2 Zaydis
• 6.2.3 Dawoodi Bohras
• 6.3 Sunni
• Succession to the Prophet (S)
• Principles of faith
• Four Schools of Law
• The Hanafi School
• The Maliki School
• The Shafii School
• The Hanbali School
• Differences in opinions
• 6.4 Sufi
• Historic reports
• Notes
• Chapter 7: Key Issues for Contemporary Muslims
• 7.1 Muslim identity
• 7.2 Are cultural practices binding?
• 7.3 Modernization, not Westernization
• Administrative systems
• Education
• Industry
• 7.4 Ijtihad as means for modernization
• Conditions of ijtihad
• Examples of contemporary ijtihad
• Insurance
• In Vitro Fertilization -IVF
• 7.5 Secularism versus Fundamentalism
• Notes
• Chapter 8: Days to Remember
• Salat al-Jumuah
• The Month of Ramadhan
• Memorial of Khadijah -10th Ramadhan
• Birthday of the second Imam, al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (a.s.) - 15th Ramadhan
• Memorial of the first Imam, Ali ibn Abu-Talib (a.s.) 21st Ramadhan
• Laylat al-Qadr 29th, 21st, 23rd, and 27th Ramadhan
• The last Salat al-Jumu’ah of Ramadhan
• Id al-Fitr 1st Shawwal
• Memorial of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.) 25th Shawwal
• Memorial of the ninth Imam, Muhammad al-Taqi al-Jawad (a.s.)
• Memorial of the fifth Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) 7th Dhul-Hijjah
• Hajj 9th Dhul-Hijjah
• The Day of Arafah 9th Dhul-Hijjah
• Id al-Adha 10th Dhul-Hijjah
• Id al-Ghadir 18th Dhul-Hijjah
• Id al-Mubahala 24th Dhul-Hijjah
• 1st Muharram
• Memorial of the third Imam, al-Husayn (a.s.) - 10th Muharram - Ashura
• Memorial of the fourth lmam, Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.) 25th Muharram
• Birthday of the fifth Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) 3rd Safar
• Birthday of the Seventh Imam, Musa al-Kadim (a.s.) 7th Safar
• Memorial of the eighth Imam, Ali Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) 17th Safar
• Memorial of the Prophet Muhammad (S) 28th Safar
• Memorial of the eleventh Imam, al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.)
• Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad Mawlid-an-Nabi
• Birthday of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq (a.s.)
• Birthday of the eleventh Imam, al-Hasan al-Askari (a.s.)
• Memorial of Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s.)
• Birthday of Fatimah al-Zahra (a.s.) 20th Jumada al-Thaniyah
• Birthday of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Naqi (a.s.)
• Memorial of the tenth Imam, Ali al-Naqi (a.s.)
• Birthday of the ninth Imam, Muhammad al-Taqi, al-Jawad (a.s.)
• Birthday of the first Imam, Ali ibn Abu-Talib (a.s.)
• Memorial of the seventh Imam, Musa al-Kazim (a.s.)
• Laylat al-Isra wal Miraj
• Id-al-Mab’ath
• Birthday of the third Imam, al-Husayn (a.s.)
• Birthday of the fourth Imam, Zayn al-Abidin (a.s.)
• Laylat al-Bara'at 14th Shaban
• Birthday of the twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi (a.s.)
• Notes
• Chapter 9: Prayer
• 9.1 The significance of prayer
• Qur’anic ayat on the significance of prayer
• The significance of prayer from Nahjul Balaghahh
• Imam Sadiq (a.s.), on the significance of prayer
• 9.2 Introduction to prayer
• 9.3 Why we Pray
• The Significance of Prayer in Our Lives
• As individuals
• As families
• As a community
• As an ummah
• Historical aspects of faith
• The significance of prayer for Muslims today
• The ongoing relevance of discipline
• The ongoing relevance of unity
• The ongoing relevance of identity
• The fruits of remembrance
• The disadvantage of neglecting to remember Allah
• 9.4 Purity of Body and Soul
• The heart's presence during prayer
• The link between remembrance and prayer
• How to obtain the spiritual advantages of salat
• How to pray
• 9.5 Obligatory prayers
• Preparation
• Wudhu’
• Requirements of wudhu’
• Ghusl
• Menstruation - Hayd
• Non-menstrual bleeding - istihadah
• Childbirth - nifas
• Death - mawt
• Tayammum
• The substances that may be used for tayammum
• Requirements of tayammum
• Direction of the Kabah - qiblah
• Timing for obligatory daily prayer
• Rulings related to deficiencies during prayer -Salat
• Conditions to be fulfilled during prayer
• Six conditions apply to where prayer may be offered
• Six conditions apply to clothes that are wom during salat
• Covering of private parts - awrah
• Acts that invalidate prayer
• Prayer itself
• Adhan and iqamah
• The history of the adhan
• Intention - Niyyat
• Announcing that prayer has commenced
• Standing upright - Qiyam
• Prayer
• Qur’anic recitation
• Al- Fatihah - The Opener - Qur’an 1
• Al-Tawhid - Monotheism - Also Called Al-Ikhlas - Sincerity - Qur’an 112
• Bowing in deference - Ruku
• Prostration - Sujud
• Offering (the invocation) - qunut
• Bearing witness - tashahud
• Ending the prayer -Salam
• Special circumstances
• Prayer whilst travelling
• Effects of the prayer being shortened
• Prayer at the time of solar and lunar eclipse and at times of disasters that are secularly described as ‘Acts of God’
• How to offer such prayers
• Id Prayer
• How to offer Id prayers
• Al-‘Ala -The Most High - Qur’an 87
• Al-Shams - The Sun - Qur’an 91
• Congregational prayers
• Making up for missed prayers
• The prayer for the departing soul (Salat al-Janazah)
• How to offer Salat al-Janazah
• 9.6 Voluntary prayers
• The prayer related to Jafar, son of Abu Talib
• Al-Zilzal - The Earthquake - Qur’an 99
• Al-Adiyat - The Chargers - Qur’an 100
• Al-Nasr - Victory - Qur’an 110
• Al-Tawhid - Monotheism - Also Called Al-Ikhlas - Sincerity - Qur’an 112
• The prayer for protection offered after Jumuah or Dhurr on a Friday
• Prayer offered to implore the Lord for rain
• Prayer offered during each of the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah
• Prayers offered during the nights of the Holy Month of Ramadhan
• Prayer of greeting offered after entering any mosque
• Prayer offered on the first night after a burial (Salat al-Wahshah)
• Al-Baqarah - Qur’an 2- Verses 255-257
• Al-Qadr - Qur’an 97
• Prayer of ghufailah
• Al-Anbiya - The Prophets - Qur’an 21- Verses 87-88
• In the second raka’ah after al-Fatihah: Qur’an 6:59 Al-An’am
• Prayer on the first day of each month
• Al-Tawhid - Monotheism - Also Called Al-Ikhlas - Sincerity - Qur’an 112
• Al-Qadr - Qur’an 97
• Prayer offered on Id Al-Ghadir
• Prayer for the fulfillment of specific desires
• Ayat 22-23- 24 of Surah 59 - Al-Hashr
• Ayat 1-6 of Surah 57 - Al-Hadid
• Ayat 26 -27 of Surah 3 - Ali-Imran
• Prayer for istikhirah
• Notes
• Glossary