Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION. 12
TRANSLATOR’S NOTE. 20
The Translation. 20
AUTHOR’S PREFACE. 22
LESSON ONE: CONCEPT OF RELIGION 24
The principles of religion and its branches 24
a. Worldview and Ideology. 24
b. Divine and Materialistic Worldviews 24
c. Revealed religions and their principles 25
Questions: 26
LESSON TWO: INQUIRING INTO RELIGION 27
The drive to investigate 27
a. The significance of inquiring into religion. 28
b. Resolution of a doubt 28
Questions: 29
LESSON THREE: THE CONDITIONS NECESSARY TO LIVE AS HUMAN BEINGS 30
Introduction. 30
The above result depends upon three preliminaries: 30
a. Man’s perfection is achieved by following the intellect. 30
b. The practical rules of the intellect require the basis of speculation. 31
c. Results to be achieved. 31
Questions: 32
LESSON FOUR: THE WAY OF RESOLVING FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES 33
Introduction. 33
The different types of epistemology. 33
a. Different types of worldview. 33
b. Criticism and research. 34
c. Results to be achieved. 35
Questions: 35
LESSON FIVE: KNOWING GOD. 37
Introduction. 37
Cognition through knowledge by presence and knowledge by acquisition 37
Cognition through intrinsic nature 37
Questions 38
LESSON SIX: THE SIMPLE WAY OF KNOWING GOD 40
The ways of knowing God. 40
a. Specialties of the simple way. 40
b. Familiar signs. 41
Questions: 42
LESSON SEVEN: PROOFS OF NECESSARY EXISTENT 43
Introduction. 43
Text of the proof 43
Possibility and necessity. 43
a. Cause and effect 44
b. The impossibility of an endless chain of causes 45
c. Affirmation of the argument 45
Questions: 46
LESSON EIGHT: ATTRIBUTES OF GOD 47
Introduction. 47
The eternal nature of God. 47
a. Negative attributes 47
b. The cause that bestows existence 48
c. Peculiarities of the cause that bestows existence 49
Questions: 49
LESSON NINE: ATTRIBUTES OF ESSENCE 51
Introduction. 51
Attributes of essence and attributes of action. 51
Proofs for the attributes of essence 52
a. Life (Hayāt) 52
b. Knowledge (‘ilm) 52
c. Power (qudrah) 53
Questions: 54
LESSON TEN: ATTRIBUTES OF ACTION 55
Introduction. 55
a. Creatorship (khāliqiyyah) 56
b. Lordship (rubūbiyyah) 56
c. Divinity (ulūhiyyah) 57
Questions: 57
LESSON ELEVEN: ADDITIONAL ATTRIBUTES OF ACTION 58
Introduction. 58
Will 58
a. Wisdom. 59
b. Speech. 59
c. Truth. 60
Questions: 60
LESSON TWELVE: ANALYSING THE REASONS FOR DEVIATION 62
Introduction. 62
Reasons of deviation. 62
a. Psychological reasons for deviation. 62
b. Sociological reasons for deviation. 63
c. Intellectual factors for deviation. 63
Campaign against the elements of deviation. 64
Questions: 64
LESSON THIRTEEN: RESOLVING SEVERAL SPURIOUS DOUBTS 65
Believing in an intangible existence 65
a. The role of fear and ignorance in belief in God. 65
b. Is the principle of causation, one universal concept? 66
c. Achievements of sociology. 66
Questions: 67
LESSON FOURTEEN: THE MATERIALISTIC WORLD VIEW AND ITS CRITICISM 68
The principles of the materialist worldview. 68
a. Investigating the first principle 68
b. Investigating the second principle 69
c. Investigating the third principle 69
d. Investigating the fourth principle 69
Questions: 70
LESSON FIFTEEN: DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM AND ITS CRITICISM 71
Mechanical materialism and dialectical materialism. 71
a. The principle of contradiction. 71
Criticism of the principle of contradiction. 72
b. The principle of the quantum leap. 72
Criticisms of the principle of the quantum leap. 73
c. The principle of negating the negation. 73
Questions: 74
LESSON SIXTEEN: ONENESS OF GOD 75
Introduction. 75
Proofs for the Oneness of God. 76
Questions: 77
LESSON SEVENTEEN: THE MEANING OF THE ONENESS OF THE GOD 78
Introduction. 78
The negation of plurality. 78
The negation of composition. 78
a. The negation of attributes as additional to the essence 78
b. The unity of Divine actions 79
c. Independent effectuality. 79
d. The two important results achieved. 80
e. The resolution of a doubt 80
Questions: 81
LESSON EIGHTEEN: FREEWILL AND DETERMINISM 82
Introduction. 82
The explanation of human volition. 83
a. The resolution of spurious doubts concerning determinism. 84
Questions: 85
LESSON NINETEEN: DIVINE DECREE AND DESTINY 86
The concepts of destiny and decree 86
Objective determination and epistemic-determination. 86
The relation of destiny and decree to human volition. 87
a. Different types of influences from distinctive causes 88
b. Resolution of a doubt 88
c. The influence of belief upon destiny and decree 89
Questions: 89
LESSON TWENTY: DIVINE JUSTICE 90
Introduction. 90
The concept of justice 91
a. The proofs for Divine justice 92
b. The resolution of certain doubts 93
Questions: 94
LESSON TWENTY-ONE: THE ISSUES CONCERNING PROPHETHOOD 95
Introduction. 95
1. The purpose of discussing this section. 95
a. The method of investigation in theology. 96
Questions 97
LESSON TWENTY-TWO: THE NEED FOR REVELATION AND PROPHETHOOD 98
The necessity for the nomination of prophets 98
a. The limitations of human sciences 98
The benefits of the nomination of prophets 99
Questions 100
LESSON TWENTY-THREE: RESOLVING CERTAIN SOURIOUS DOUBTS 101
Resolving certain spurious doubts 101
Questions 104
LESSON TWENTY-FOUR: INFALLIBILITY OF THE PROPHETS 105
The necessity of the immunity of Revelation. 105
Other Cases of Infallibility. 106
Infallibility of the prophets (a) 107
Questions 108
LESSON TWEWNTY-FIVE: THE REASONS FOR THE INFALLIBILITY OF PROPHETS 109
Introduction. 109
Intellectual reasons for the infallibility of prophets (a) 109
Traditional reasons for the infallibility of prophets (a) 110
The philosophy behind the infallibility of prophets (a) 111
Questions 112
LESSON TWEWNTY-SIX: RESPONSE TO CERTAIN DOUBTS 113
Introduction. 113
Why does an infallible person deserve reward? 113
Why did the infallible Prophets and Imams (a) confess to committing sins? 113
How is Satan’s influence on the prophets (a) in agreement with their infallibility? 114
Attributing forgetfulness and rebelliousness to Adam (a) 114
Attributing lies to some of the prophets (a) 115
Moses’ (a) murdering of a Qobti 115
Prohibiting the Prophet (s) from casting doubt on his mission. 115
The Prophet (s) is described in the Qur’an as committing some sins 116
Reports concerning the marriage of the Prophet (s) with the divorced wife of Zayd 116
Questions 117
LESSON TWENTY-SEVEN: MIRACLES 118
Ways of proving prophecy. 118
The definition of a miracle 118
Extraordinary events 119
Divine extraordinary acts 119
Characteristics of the miracles of the prophets’ (a) 120
Questions 120
LESSON TWENTY-EIGHT: RESPONSES TO CERTAIN DOUBTS 121
Responses to certain doubts 121
Do miracles contradict causality? 121
Do extraordinary acts indicate changes in Divine customs? 121
Why did the Prophet of Islam (s) refuse to present miracles to the public? 122
Can miracles be accepted as intellectual or convincing evidence? 123
Questions 123
LESSON TWENTY-NINE: CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PROPHET 125
The plurality of the prophets 125
The number of prophets 126
Prophets and God’s Messengers 127
The prominent prophets 127
Some Points 128
Questions 128
LESSON THIRTY: PROPHETS AND PEOPLE 130
Introduction. 130
The people’s reaction against the prophets (a) 130
Reasons and motivations behind the opposition of the prophets (a) 130
Behaviour towards the prophets (a) 131
Contempt 131
Slander and unjust accusations 131
Dispute and chicanery. 131
Threats and allurement 132
Violence and murder 132
Some heavenly approached in ruling societies 132
Questions 133
LESSON THIRY-ONE: THE PROPHET OF ISLAM 134
Introduction. 134
The establishment of the prophethood of the Prophet of Islam (s) 135
Questions 136
LESSON THIRY-TWO: THE MIRCULOUS NATURE OF THE QUR’AN 137
The Qur'an as a Miracle 137
The miraculous aspects of the Qur’an. 137
a. Its eloquence and rhetoric 138
b. The illiteracy of its Messenger 138
c. Its harmony and lack of contradiction. 139
Questions 140
LESSON THIRY-THREE: THE IMMUNITY OF THE QUR’AN FROM ALTERATION 141
Introduction. 141
Lack of addition in the Qur’an. 141
Lack of deletion from the Qur’an. 142
Questions 142
LESSON THIRTY-FOUR: ISLAM IS UNIVERSAL AND ETERNAL 144
Introduction. 144
1. The universality of Islam. 144
a. Qura’nic proofs for the universality of Islam. 145
The Eternity of Islam. 145
The resolution of certain doubts 145
Questions 146
LESSON THIRY-FIVE: THE SEAL OF PROPHECY 148
Introduction. 148
1. a. The Qur’anic proofs for the seal of prophecy. 148
b. The traditional proofs for the seal of prophecy. 148
2. The secret behind the seal of prophecy. 149
3. The answer to a spurious doubt 149
LESSON THIRTY-SIX: IMĀMAH. 151
Introduction. 151
1. The Concept of Imāmah. 152
Questions 153
LESSON THIRY-SEVEN: THE NEED FOR AN IMAM 154
Introduction. 154
The necessity of the existence of an Imam. 154
Questions 156
LESSON THIRTY-EIGHT: THE APPOINTMENT OF AN IMAM 157
The appointment of an Imam. 157
Questions 159
LESSON THIRTY-NINE: THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE INFFALIBILITY OF THE IMAM 160
Introduction. 160
The infallibility of the Imam. 160
The Knowledge of the Imam. 161
Questions 163
LESSON FORTY: IMAM MAHDI 164
Introduction. 164
A Divine World Government 164
The Divine Covenant 165
a. Examples from the traditions 165
b. Occultation and its secret 166
Questions 167
LESSON FORTY-ONE: THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING DAY OF JUDGEMENT 168
Introduction. 168
The significance of believing in the Resurrection. 168
The importance given by the Qur’an to the issue of Resurrection. 169
Conclusion. 170
Questions 170
LESSON FORTY-TWO: THE DEPENDENCE OF THE ISSUES OF RESSURRECTION UPON THE ISSUES OF THE SPIRIT. 172
The criteria of unity in a living existent 172
The role of the spirit in the existence of man. 173
Questions 174
LESSON FORTY-THREE: THE IMMATERIALITY OF THE SOUL 175
Introduction. 175
Intellectual reasoning upon the immateriality of the soul 175
Proofs from the Qur’an. 176
Questions 177
LESSON FORTY-FOUR: PROVING RESSURRECTION 178
Introduction. 178
Proving Resurrection through Wisdom. 178
Proving Resurrection through Justice 179
Questions 180
LESSON FORTY-FIVE: RESSURECTION IN THE QUR’AN 181
Introduction. 181
Denial of Resurrection is baseless 181
Phenomena resembling Resurrection. 182
a. Plant life 182
b. The sleep of the people of cave 182
c. The coming back to life of certain animals 182
d. The coming back to life of certain humans 183
Questions 183
LESSON FORTY-SIX: THE QUR’ANIC RESPONSE RESSURRECTION TO THE DOUBTHS CONCERNING. 184
The argument for the return from non-existence 184
The argument for the material body having the ability of new life 184
The argument with respect to the strength of a creator 184
Questions 185
LESSON FORTY-SEVEN: GOD’S PROMISE REGARDING THE RESURRECTION 186
Introduction. 186
The inevitable promise of God. 186
Examples of intellectual arguments 186
Questions 187
LESSON FORTY-EIGHT: CHARACTERSTICS OF THE NEXT LIFE 188
Introduction. 188
Characteristics of the next life from an intellectual viewpoint 189
Questions 190
LESSON FORTY-NINE: FROM DEATH TO RESURRECTION 191
Introduction. 191
All men will die 191
The one who takes the soul at death. 191
Dying with difficulty or ease 192
The non-acceptance of faith and forgiveness at the time of death. 192
The value of returning to the world (dunyā) 192
Questions 193
LESSON FIFTY: THE IMAGE OF RESURRECTION IN THE QUR’AN 194
Introduction. 194
The conditions of the earth, sea and mountain. 194
The condition of the sky and stars 194
The trumpet of death. 194
The trumpet of life and the beginning of resurrection. 195
The Divine court of justice 195
Towards the eternal residence 196
Paradise 196
Hell 197
Questions 198
LESSON FIFTY-ONE: A COMPARISON BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE HEREAFTER 199
Introduction. 199
The finiteness of this World and infiniteness of the Hereafter 199
Isolation of Blessing from Punishment 199
The nobility of the Hereafter 200
Questions 201
LESSON FIFTY-TWO: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND HEREAFTER 202
Introduction. 202
This world is the fertile land for the Hereafter 202
The worldly benefits (blessings) will bring no prosperity in the Hereafter 203
Worldly benefits (blessings) will not lead to adversity in the Hereafter 203
Conclusion. 204
Questions 205
LESSON FIFTY-THREE: THE TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THIS WORLD AND THE HERE AFTER. 206
Introduction. 206
True or conventional relationships 206
Qur’anic Evidence 207
Questions 207
LESSON FIFTY-FOUR: THE ROLE OF FAITH AND BLASHEMY IN ONE’S ETERNAL PROSPERITY OR ADVERSITY. 209
Introduction. 209
The nature of faith and disbelief 209
The norm of faith and disbelief 210
The effect of faith and disbelief on eternal prosperity or adversity. 211
Evidence from the Qur’an. 211
Questions 212
LESSON FIFTY-FIVE: THE INTER-RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND DEEDS 213
Introduction. 213
The relationship between faith and disbelief 213
The relationship between deeds and faith. 213
Conclusion. 214
Questions 215
LESSON FIFTY-SIX: SOME IMPORTANT POINTS. 216
Introduction. 216
Man’s true perfection. 216
Intellectual clarification. 217
The role of motivation and intention. 218
Questions 218
LESSON FIFTY-SEVEN: THE MISCARRIAGE BY EVIL ACTS (Habt) AND REMITTANCE OF SINS AFTER GOOD DEEDS (Takfīr) 219
Introduction. 219
The relationship between faith and disbelief 219
The relationship between good and evil deeds 220
Questions 221
LESSON FIFTY-EIGHT: PRIVILEDGES OF THE BELIEVERS 222
Introduction. 222
Increase in reward. 222
Forgiveness of minor sins 223
Receiving benefits from the deeds of others 223
Questions 223
LESSON FIFTY-NINE: INTERSSESION 224
Introduction. 224
The concept of intercession. 224
Conditions of Intercession. 225
Questions 227
LESSON SIXTY: RESPONSES TO CERTAIN SPURIOUS DOUBTS 228
Doubt 1: 228
Response 1: 228
Doubt 2: 228
Response 2: 228
Doubt 3: 228
Response 3: 228
Doubt 4: 228
Response 4: 229
Doubt 5: 229
Response 5: 229
Doubt 6: 230
Response 6: 230
Doubt 7: 230
Response 7: 230
Questions 230
Glossary of Terms 232
Epestimology. 232
Endnotes 235