Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Faith and Reason

A Compendium of Fifty Questions and Answers Related to Islamic Theology, Jurisprudence and Other Themes

Answers to a series of questions often asked by young Muslims growing up in Western societies. The questions are on diverse topics ranging from Divine will, marriage, the role of women and the 12th Imam.

Author(s): Ayatullah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani

Translator(s): A Group of Muslim Scholars

Compiler(s): The Porch of Wisdom Cultural Institution

Publisher(s): The Islamic Education Board of the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Muslim Communities

Table of Contents

Foreword. 9

Note 11

Biography of Ayatullah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani 12

Note 14

Question 1: Divine Will and Human Will 15

Brief Answer 15

Detailed Answer 15

Notes 21

Question 2: Free Choice & Divine Seal & Lock upon the hearts of the Perverse 23

Brief answer 23

Detailed Answer 23

Allah’s (awj) seal on the hearts 24

Notes 26

Question 3: Possibility of knowledge of Allah  27

Brief Answer 27

Detailed Answer 27

Notes 33

Question 4: Misguidance from Allah. 35

Brief Answer 35

Detailed Answer 35

Notes 37

Question 5: Being Allah’s Servant 38

Brief Answer 38

Deatailed Answer 38

Notes 41

Question 6: Nearness to Allah. 42

Brief Answer 42

Allah’s (awj) nearness to things 42

Nearness to Allah (awj) in philosophical terms 42

Detailed Answer 43

Types of nearness in philosophical terms 43

Allah’s (awj) nearness to things 43

The way to get closer to Allah (awj) in a philosophical view. 44

Nearness to Allah from the view point of Qur`an and Hadith. 44

Notes 46

Question 7: Friends of Allah not having Fear 48

Brief Answer 48

Detailed Answer 48

Notes 51

Question 8: Allah, Love or Fear?. 52

Brief Answer 52

Detailed Answer 52

Notes 56

Question 9: Asking one’s need from other than Allah  57

Brief Answer 57

Detailed Answer 57

Notes 62

Question 10: The Light of Heavens and the Earth  63

Brief Answer 63

Detailed Answer 64

Notes 68

Question 11: Divine Tests 69

Brief Answer 69

Detailed Answer 69

Notes 72

Question 12: Allah’s Will in Human Guidance 73

Brief Answer 73

Detailed Answer 73

Conclusion. 75

Notes 76

Question 13: Non-muslims and Hell 77

Brief Answer 77

Detailed Answer 77

Notes 79

Question 14: Self-Confidence and Trust in Allah  80

Brief Answer 80

The Definition of Tawakkul 80

Detailed Answer 81

Analyzing the definition of self-confidence 81

Analyzing the definition of Tawakkul 83

Notes 85

Question 15: Attaining Perfection. 86

Brief Answer 86

1. Definition of Kamal (Perfection) and How It Differs from Tamam (Completion) and Progress 86

2. Human Perfection from the Point of View of Islam. 86

3. Different Views on Perfection. 86

Detailed Answer 87

Definition of Perfection. 87

Human Perfection from the Point of View of Islam. 88

The Ideology of Power 88

Philosophers’ Perspective on Human Perfection. 89

Mystics’ Perspective on Human Perfection. 89

Notes 91

Question 16: The Angels and free-will 92

Brief Answer 92

Detailed Answer 92

Notes 95

Question 17: Satan’s Influence 96

Brief Answer 96

Detailed Answer 96

Notes 99

Question 18: Power of Satan and Jinn  100

Brief Answer 100

Detailed Answer 100

The Etymology of Satan and Jinn. 100

The Etymology of Jinn. 101

The Relationship between Jinn and Satan. 101

The Limits of Satan’s Power 101

Satan’s Influence 102

Notes 104

Question 19: Resurrection. 105

Brief Answer 105

Detailed Answer 106

a. The Concept of Resurrection. 106

b. Possibility of Resurrection and its occurrence 107

c. Claims and descriptions of resurrection and the circumstances of its occurrence 107

d. Proof of Resurrection. 108

Notes 110

Question 20: Heaven and Hell 111

Brief Answer 111

Detailed Answer 111

Notes 115

Question 21: The infallibility of the Prophets in the Qur’an  116

Brief Answer 116

Detailed Answer 117

Qur`anic evidence in support of infallibility. 118

Qur`anic verses that seem to contradict the infallibility of the prophets 120

Notes 125

Question 22: The Original Sin of Adam and Eve 127

Brief Answer 127

Detailed Answer 128

Notes 133

Question 23: Purpose of Religion. 134

Brief Answer 134

Detailed Answer 134

Notes 139

Question 24: Purpose of Creation. 140

Brief Answer 140

Detailed Answer 140

Notes 144

Question 25: Signs for the re-emergence of Imam al-Mahdi 145

Brief Answer 145

Detailed Answer 145

a. The Social Factors 145

b. Religious and ideological factors 147

c. Natural factors 147

d. The individual and miraculous signs 147

Notes 149

Question 26: Issues such as marriage, place of residence etc etc, concerning the life of the Twelfth Imam   150

Brief Answer 152

Detailed Answer 153

Prayer for the Health of the Twelfth Imam. 153

Notes 155

Question 27: The qualities of human society after the re-appearance of Imam al-Mahdi - the state of Justice, oppression, poverty and sin. 156

Brief Answer 156

Detailed Answer 156

After the reappearance of Imam Mahdi (ع), how long will it take for him to establish the rule of justice? 156

Will any needy individuals remain after his rule has been established? 157

After Imam al-Mahdi (ع) establishes his rule, will there be any oppressors remaining in power? 158

Will sin be totally annihilated after Imam Zaman’s (ع) rule has been established? 158

Notes 160

Question 28: Role of Women in the government of Imam al-Mahdi 161

Brief Answer 161

Detailed Answer 161

Notes 164

Question 29: The reason for Imam al-Zaman’s prolonmgued age 165

Brief Answer 166

Detailed Answer 168

The Blessings of the Presence of Imam al-Mahdi (ع) during the Period of Occultation  168

Notes 171

Question 30: Possbility of Decline in Imam al-Mahdis government 172

Brief Answer 172

Detailed Answer 172

Question 31: Difference in blood money between man and a woman in Islamic Jurisprudence 174

Brief Answer 174

Detailed Answer 174

Question 32: Difference in inheritance of women and men in Islamic Jurisprudence 178

Brief Answer 178

Detailed Answer 178

Notes 182

Question 33: The role a person plays in obtaining his sustenance 183

Brief Answer 183

Detailed Answer 183

Notes 187

Question 34: Treatment of Illness and Supplication  188

Brief Answer 188

Detailed Answer 188

Notes 191

Question 35: Canonization of the Qur’an  192

Answer 192

Note 193

Question 36: The names of the Imams in the Qur’an  194

Brief Answer 194

Detailed Answer 195

Notes 200

Question 37: Imamate at Childhood. 201

Brief Answer 201

Detailed Answer 201

Notes 205

Question 38: Conditions to the fulfilment of Prayer 206

Brief Answer 206

Detailed Answer 207

Notes 211

Question 39: Sin: Reality, effect on Soul and Psyche 212

Brief Answer 212

The Reality of Sin. 212

The Effects of Sin. 212

The Cause of Sin. 212

The Way of Salvation. 212

Detailed Answer 213

Sin: The Snare of Satan. 213

The Consequences of Sin. 213

The Social Effects of Sin. 214

The Cause of Sin: Ignorance and Obliviousness 215

The Way of Redemption from Sin. 215

Notes 216

Question 40: Kiramah (Magnanimity): Stations and Meanings 217

Brief Answer 217

Detailed Answer 217

Magnanimity from the Infallibles’ Viewpoint 217

Notes 220

Question 41: Pure Wine in the Qur’an  222

Brief Answer 222

Detailed Answer 223

Notes 225

Question 42: Pre-requisites for understanding the Qur’an  226

Brief Answer 226

Exoteric: One must have a firm grasp on. 226

Esoteric 226

Detailed Answer 226

Notes 230

Question 43: al-Khidr’s actions in the Qur’an  231

Answer 231

Notes 236

Question 44: Existence of spirits within animals and its differnce from that of the Human Being  237

Brief Answer 237

Detailed Answer 238

The Existence of Spirit in Animals 238

The Outward Manifestations of the Soul in the Animal 238

Proofs for the Existence of Spirit in the Animal 239

The Difference between the Animal Soul and the Human Soul 240

Note 243

Question 45: Limiting the Ahlul Bayt to a few individuals 244

Brief Answer 244

Discursive and textual proofs 244

Traditional proofs 245

Detailed Answer 245

Discursive or Textual Proofs 245

Traditional Proofs 247

Notes 249

Question 46: Compatibility of Religion and Politics 250

Brief Answer 250

Detailed Answer 250

Note 253

Question 47: Relationship between governance of a jurist and the authority of a jurist 254

Brief Answer 254

Detailed Answer 254

Note 258

Question 48: Legal imitation of a Jurist (mujtahid) 259

Brief Answer 259

Detailed Answer 259

Note 260

Question 49: Difference between hukm and fatwa  261

Brief Answer 261

Detailed Answer 261

Notes 262

Question 50: Religious Pluralism and different Interpretations of Religion  263

Brief Answer 263

Detailed Answer 264

A Brief History of Religious Pluralism. 264

A Review of Religious Pluralism. 265

The Various Interpretations of Religion. 266

A Review of Gadamer 267

Some Points Worth Mentioning Regarding The Different Interpretations Of Religion  267

Other Publications by the Islamic Education Board  269

How to Order/Contact Information. 270

Foreword

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Islam espouses an enlightened mind and hence, it has been termed as the path of knowledge. In the Qur`an the number of verses in which ‘ilm (knowledge) or its derivatives and associated words are used is 704. The aids of knowledge such as the book, pen, ink, etc. amount to almost the same number while other words associated with writing occur in 319 verses.1

By responding to the call of the Qur`an to ponder over creation in order to understand the greatness of Allah (awj) and reflecting this honored the pursuit of knowledge, considered a meritorious duty, Muslim scholars have amply demonstrated that knowledge elevates the sincere seeker.

In response to a person who posed him a difficult question, Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ع) said: “Ask in order to understand, and do not ask in order to find fault, for surely the ignorant man who wants to learn resembles a man of knowledge, and surely a man of knowledge who wants to be difficult resembles an ignorant man who wants to find fault.”In response to a person who posed him a difficult question, Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ع) said: “Ask in order to understand, and do not ask in order to find fault, for surely the ignorant man who wants to learn resembles a man of knowledge, and surely a man of knowledge who wants to be difficult resembles an ignorant man who wants to find fault.”

This then should be the spirit of inquiry as we are faced with many challenges in this day and age. In particular, young Muslims growing up in Western societies are crying out for rational and convincing explanations in matters of their faith. In schools and colleges they are confronted by their peers as much as professors, who engage them on debates about reason and faith - in particular, whether faith is a valid means for acquiring knowledge or the limits of reason in explaining one’s faith.

This book, aptly named ‘Faith and Reason - A Compendium of Fifty Questions and Answers Related to Islamic Theology, Jurisprudence and Other Themes’ is timely, in offering some explanations.

The questions on such diverse topics as Divine Will and Human Will, free choice Allah’s (awj) Will in human as well as Angels and free-will give enlightening answers. In particular, questions relating to Imam al-Mahdi (ع), address issues such as his marriage, place of residence, as well the role of women in the government of Imam al-Mahdi’s (ع) and the possibility of a decline in Imam al-Mahdi’s (ع) government.

It is hoped that this latest offering by the Islamic Education Board of the World Federation will enhance the readers’ understanding of some critical and relevant issues, which are rarely discussed in general.

As Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ع) has said: “The man of knowledge is the one who recognizes that what is known is very little compared to what is not

known, and as a result he considers himself ignorant, and accordingly he increases his efforts to know more by going out in search of knowledge.”

    رَبِّــي زِدْنِي عِلْماً

“My Lord! Increase me in Knowledge”

Hasnain Walji

Plano, Texas

July 4th, 2006 ce / 7th Jumada II, 1427 ah

Note

1. Dr. Sayyid Wahid Akhtar, The Islamic Concept of Knowledge, al-Tawhid, vol. xii, no. 3

Biography of Ayatullah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani

Ayatullah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani was born in 1961 in the city of Tehran. After finishing elementary and middle school, he proceeded to high school. He graduated from Kharazmi High School, which was a well-known and accredited high school at that time, in mathematics and physics as an honor roll student. In the SAT’s, he scored a high rank and was accepted at Sharif University of Technology where he studied Electrical Engineering.

He first started his Howza studies unofficially and in 1980, he started his official Howza studies in the Holy City of Qom. He went back to Tehran where he studied ‘Arabic literature and logic under Ayatollah Khoshvaqt. After his return to Qom, he finished the Sath (intermediate level studies) in five years, during which he was many times ranked top student in the Howza exams. He then started his advanced studies under great scholars such as Ayatullah al-’Uzma Shaykh Jawad Tabrizi, Ayatullah al-’Uzma Sayyid Wahid Khorasani, Ayatullah al-’Uzma Shaykh Muhammad Taqi Bahjat, Ayatullah al-’Uzma Shaykh Nasir Makarim Shirazi, Ayatullah Mirza Hashim ‘Amuli and Ayatullah Shaykh Ja’far Subhani. Moreover, he mostly studied under Ayatullah Sayyid Kadim Ha’eri, and benefited from his classes.

In philosophy, he studied under eminent figures such as Ayatullah Ansari Shirazi, Ayatullah Hasan Zadeh Amoli, and Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi and for many years he picked off the branches of Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli’s wisdom. In addition, since the early days of his stay in Qom, he started his relationship with Ayatullah Baha’o Dini, the great ‘Arif. Eventually, he gained a closer relationship which he maintained until Ayatullah Baha’o Dini’s demise. Not only did he practice ‘Irfan and Akhlaq under Ayatullah Baha’o Dini, but he also studied Fiqh, Tafsir and Hadith under this great ‘Arif and Faqih.

Ayatullah Hadavi has had the chance to teach all the beginner and intermediate level courses in the Howza. He has been teaching advanced level courses of Fiqh and Usul since 1990. His method of teaching, a new method in which he compares the topics and discussions in Islamic jurisprudence with that of modern law, has attracted much attention from numerous scholars and researchers. In addition, he has been and still is teaching different issues of Logic, Philosophy and Theology. Some of his written works are a product of the research which is in your hands.

Other than teaching in the Howza, Ayatullah Hadavi has kept up an academic relation with the different universities and institutions of higher education. He is a member of the Council for Revising Humanities Text Books in the Ministry of Sciences, Research and Technology. He is the chairman of the Jurisprudence and Law Group in this council. In the Sharif University of Technology, he is a member of the Postgraduate Scholarly Council of the Philosophy of Knowledge.

Ayatullah Hadavi has done extensive studies and research on modern sciences such as economics, modern theology, philosophy of knowledge and philosophy of art. Some of his studies and research has been published in the form of books and articles.

The Ayatullah is fluent in English and Arabic and knows French and German to a great extent. His knowledge of English and computers has enabled him to be the first scholar in Iran to answer questions on Islamic issues on the InterNet.

Ayatullah Hadavi has been in contact with and visited Islamic centers all over Asia, Europe and Africa. In addition, he has participated in the founding of Islamic Organizations such as the Ahlul Bayt Association in Switzerland, the Mohammadia Association in Thailand, and the Islamic Center of Holland. He has also participated in the establishment of the World Council of Religious Leaders (WCRL).

He is a member of the Supreme Council of the Ahlul Bayt World Assembly, the Islamic Banking and Finance Consulting Committee, the WCRL’s Board of Directors, and the head of the Academic Staff of Ayatullah Khamenei’s delegation to hajj.

Ayatullah Ayatollah Hadavi currently has 10 books published in the fields of Logic, Rijal1 , Modern Theology, Qur`anic Sciences, Economics, Islamic Political Thought, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Ethics and Education. These books are:

1) The Chest of Wisdom (two volumes)

2) Tahrirul Maqal Fi Kulliat ‘ilmul Rijal (‘Arabic)

3) Wilayatul Faqih (principles, proofs and jurisdiction)

4) The Theological Bases of Ijtihad (Recognized as book of the year in 1999 by the Howza in Qom)

5) Islam’s Economic Doctrine and System

6) Governance and Religion: Essays on the Islamic Political Thought

7) Beliefs and Questions

8) The History of the Principles of Jurisprudence

9) To the Heavens with the Youth

10) The Green Tryst

He also has a number of works that have not yet been published and are in the process, such as Hermeneutics and Religious Scripts, New Horizons in the Howza, Al-Hidayah: A Commentary on Bidayat-ol-Hikmah, The Laws of Property and Ownership, The Laws of Contracts, Art and Religion. These books have been written on topics in the fields of Theology, Philosophy, Principles of Jurisprudence and its history, The History of Hadith, Jurisprudence and Law.

The scholar can be contacted at m_hadavi@yahoo.com or ravaq_hekmat@yahoo.com. For more information on Ayatullah Hadavi, you can refer to his website at www.hadavi.info

Note

1. The study of transmitters who have narrated the sayings of the Noble Prophet ( ص) and the Imams ( ع).