MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
Besides what was said in the previous chapters about our BELIEF; there are
other specialities in our ideas that will follow in this chapter
56- THE RATIONALE GOODNESS AND BADNESS .
WE BELIEVE that human wisdom can appreciate many good things to distinct
from the bad ones, and the right from wrong; by his blessful power of
distinction which God has given him. Even before
coming of the prophets with the LAW, Man could rationally distinguish many
good and bad. For instance he could Esily understand that justice is good and
oppression is bad. Man could know that some ethics like: truthfulness,
honesty, bravery and generosity are good deeds; and that, lying, betrayal and
jealousy are bad morals. But as the wisdom is not able to comprehend all that
is good or bad, and his knowledge, whatever, is limited, The prophets were
sent with book for guidance and the LAW to improve man's faculty and
morals, helping his wisdom in that Of course we deny not the value of the
independent WISDOM which comprehends the facts.
If so; the Monotheism, the prophetic missions, and the Divine religion, will all
be futile! For all these
important tenets are basically oroved by the reasonings of the wisdom. It is
evident that the LAW and the commandments are only acceptable when the
principles which are Monotheism and prophethood have been proved to us
through wisdom, and by the religion itself
57 _ GOD'S JUSTICE .
So do we believe in God's JUSTICE, and we say it is impossible for God to
oppress any creature of His at the least amount, or to punish His servants
without any reason or to forgive them without a reason. It is also Impossible
that God may leave His promises unfulfilledWe also know it to be impossible
that God may abandon His servants without giving them necessary
guidencesAll these are ugly and indecent, of which the Omnipotent God is far
and clear
58_ MAN'S FREEDOM .
So do we believe that God has created Man free.
He has given us FREE WILL, and we have options to do what we may do. If
not so, why should He punish a sinner who is supposed to be compelled to do
so.? .
To make it short, rational good and bad as mentioned above, and independent
wisdom are bases for the acceptance of divine Religion, Scriptures, and the
prophets, but not enough, because we have a limited wisdom, by which we can
not grasp all that we need. So we have to have divine guidance for improving
our WISDOM and understanding
59_ WISDOM SERVERS AS A REFERENCE IN OUR RELIGIOUS
JURIS-PRUDENCE .
Following what we mentioned above, one of the principle refernces in Islam
is wisdom's reasoning. The wisdom comprehends something definitely and
then judges. For instance; if we find no reason or proof in the book or in the
prophet's methodical way, (SONNAT) to show us that OPPRESSION,
BETRAYAL, LYING and committing MURDER, are too bad and unlawful
deeds, We would certainly reject them by the reasoning of our wisdom, and
we make sure that God never likes us to do such things. This is why we
conclude that the wisdom too, is a DIVINE BASE of our religious
judgementsThe Holy QURØN is full of verses showing the importance of the
wisdom as a base or reference for the judgements in religious researches.:- .
"In the creation of the heavens, and the earth, and the alternation of DAY and
night, there are indeed SIGNS for men of wisdom and understanding." .
QURØN _ S3: 190 .
Some reveal the aim of sending the scriptures to improve the power of
wisdom and understanding of Man:_ .
"See how have we explained our SIGNS variously so that they may
understand." .
QURØN _ S6: 65 .
"We have sent it down as an Arabic QURØN, in order that you may use your
wisdom."
QURØN _ S12: 2 .
Some of the verses urge people to use their minds so as to distinguish good of
bad .
"..... Say can a blind be held equal to one who can see?
why don't you then think?" .
QURØN _ S6: 50 .
And the worst of the moving creatures in the sight of God are those who do not
use their common sense so as to understand:
".....For the worst of BEASTS in the SIGHT OF GOD,
are those who are deaf and dumb, not using their wisdom to under stand!"
QURØN _ S8: 22 .
So how can we ignor the importance of the wisdom, understanding, and
thinking in Islam? .
60_ MORE ABOUT GOD'S JUSTICE .
As we have already mentioned we BELIEVE that God is JUST and He never
oppresses; because cruel acts are indecent and unbecoming to Him:_ .
".....And thy LORD will treat no one with injustice." .
QURØN _ S18: 49 .
If some people are punished in this world or in the Hereafters, it is due to their
own deeds:_ .
"It is not God who oppresses them, but they wrong their own soul." .
QURØN _ S9: 70 .
Not only Man, but rather no creature in the world is ever oppressed by God:_ .
"Allah wants no injustice to any of His creatures." .
QURØN _ S3: 108 .
All these verses are some how a guidance towards making use of our wisdom
REJECTION OF WHAT YOU CANNOT DO .
WE BELIEVE that God will never oblige a duty to any one who cannot do it:_
.
"Allah will not charge a soul with a duty that cannot be fulfilled by him." .
QURØN _ S2: 286 .
61 _ THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE PAINFUL ACCIDENTS .
WE BELIEVE that the painful accidents that sometimes occur, such as the
earthquakes, calamities,
and misfortunes, might be that of God's punishment, as it was with the case of
the people of LOT:_ . "When our decree was issued, we turned (THEIR
CITIES) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones, hard as baked
clay, spread layer on layer."
QURØN _ S11: 82 .
And about the ungrateful and rebellious people of SABA, GOD says:
"But they turned away (FROM THEIR LORD) and we sent against them the
flood from the DAMS."
QURØN _ S34: 16 .
Some other painful incident are to admonish people and to teach them lessons:
"Mischief has appeared on land and sea by what the hands of MAN have
earned, that Allah may give them a taste of some of their deeds, in order that
they may return back from evil
QURØN _ S30: 41 .
Other pains are what our hands make it and are due to our ignorance and
carelessness:_ .
"Whatever good,(O.MAN!) happens to you is from Allah: but whatever evil
happens to you; is from yourself." .
QURØN _ S4: 79 .
62_ THE EXISTENCE IS RULED BY THE BEST OF ORDERS .
WE BELIEVE that the created world, or the world of creation is the scenery
on which the bests of orders act. In other word, the exisiting order that
controls the world is the best one that can possibly exist. Here, every thing has
an account of its own. There is nothing in contrast to justce and goodness; and
if bad is seen, it belong to people, or the creaturesWe repeat again that God's
justice is one of the most important bases of Islamic insight, without which the
tenets such as the MONOTHEISM, PROPHETHOOD and DOOMSDAY will
be endangeredWe have a tradition that Emam Sadiqe has emphasized on
Monotheism and God's justice as the main principles of the religion and then
he adds:
"Whatever is becoming and fit for you, is not allowable to God. Justice is that
you do not relate something to God, which doing it puts a blame upon you."13
63_ THE FOUR SOURCES OF OUR RELIGIOUS JURIS PRUDENCE .
Our religious jurisprudence and researches are based on four sources:_ .
FIRST:_ QURØN, the BOOK of Allah is the Main Source and the principle
document of all the Islamic commandmentsSECOND:_ The prophet's
Methodical way, the so called SONNAT, and also that of the Innocent
ImamsTHIRD:_ Agreeing in openion or determination, formed by
UNANIMITY of all the juris prudents, and the learned, suposing to be
comptent to Imam's viewsFOURTH:_ It is the WISDOM, by which absolute
reasons of the wisdom we intend, and not
cojectures and surmisesWhen the teacher of LAW believes on some thing to be
done which is not found in the scripture or Sonnat, he cannot propose his ideas
as a divine decree. So also grasps to analogies and conjecturs in relatoin to
religious laws is not accepted by usBut in cases where a man is quite sure of
some thing, as we are all sure that theft, lying, betrayal and offence are bad
and evil; here we can aceept that, what is lawful by wisdom is also lawful by
religioin scriptures and traditon, in all fields such as economical, social,
political, ethical and other matters that make us free of want to go here and
there and to do this way and that way by our fancies and conjectures, forming
an openion without good means of knowledge or sufficient evidenceAs for
some newly appeared problems we can also find general commandments in
the book and sonnat, by which we need not to use our imaginations
64_ THE DOORS OF RESEARCH ARE ALWAYS OPEN .
WE BELIEVE that the doors of research are permanently open to all our
religious problems and inquiries; and all the juris psudents and scholars may
deduce their commandments out of the four above mentioned sources, so as to
convey it to those who are weak in comprehension even thou their newly
extracted VIEWS be different to that of the previous onesWE BELIEVE that
those who are not expert in the religious juris prudence should refer to an
alive expert who is also aware of the world affairs, and the problems of our
ageThose who know not, should imitate those who know well. We do not
admit primary imitation of those who are dead, and people have to imitate
some religious experts who are alive
65_ THERE IS NO VACANCY FOR LAW .
WE BELIEVE that in Islam there is no vacancy for LAW. That is to say: `Until
doomsday, all that might be needed, have been stated, sometimes especially
and some times generally, therefore, an Islamic juris prudent has no right to
legislate. Their duty is to deduce and extract the necessary commandment from
the forementioned four sources and convey to the believersdoes not QURØN
say through the last chapter that was revealed to the
prophet
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/frown.gif
MAAEDEH=S5):_ .
“To day I have perfected your religion for you, and completed my favour to
you, and have chosen for you, Islam, as your religion.” .
QURØN _ S5: 3 .
How can Islam be called perfect if it has no adequate and proper law to
satisfy all ages and times?
.did not our prophet say, in his speech that was made in his last
PILGRIMAGE OF FARE WELL;
that:_
"I have enjoined all that might approach you to the ARADISE, and I have
forbidden you all the evils which might take you nearer to the HELL.“14
“Imam Ali left nothing unwritten, of the commandments dictated by the prophet
even the mulct (BLOOD _ MONEY) for a small scratch.” With all that, there
is no turn for imaginations and openions with no sufficient evidence
66_ PRECAUTIONS IN RELIGIOUS MATTERS (DISSEMBLANCE) .
WE BELIEVE that when a man lives among a group of fanatic, stubborn, and
obstinate people; and if he reveals his ideas, he may fell in danger of loosing
his life, such a man has to hide his faith, not to loose his lilfe in vain. In our
religious juris prudence to this sort of precaution the term TAGHIEH' has been given that can be translated to: (DISSEMBLANCE)We extract this commandment from two verses in QURØN. One of them is about the believers in PHARAOH'S court who was hiding his faith to Moses. QURØN says:- has:_ . "And a believer from among the PHARAOH'S people who was concealing his faith said:_ Will you slay a man because he says’ My LORD is Allah? when
he has indeed come to you with clear signs:” .
QURØN _ S40: 28 .
Here, the phrase:_ CONCEALING HIS FAITH' shows the believer's DISSEMBLANCE. Was it right for him to reveal his faith and get killed for that, without doing anything useful? . So also some of the first believers in Islam who lived under the cruel pressure of the heretics, were permitted to hide their belief and be cautious "The believers do not take for friends or helpers, in preference to the faithful. He who does this, has nothing to hope from Allah, except by way of PRECAUTIONS, so that you may GUARD yourselves from them QURØN _ S3: 28 . Therefore precautions such as concealing the belief is permitted, when a believer is in dager of loosing his life or property for the sake of his belief. In such cases one should not endanger his life and power in vain. This is why we read in traditions that: "DISSEMBLANCE" is shield of a believer." That is to say: Such precautions
are the defesive weapons of the faithfulsThe story of AMMAR YASIR, a near
companion of the prophet, who pretended to have renounced Islam, is of a
wide fame among all groups of MuslimsFor a soldier, to hide arms and even
himself in the battle fields is something customary, and similar to the religious
DISSMBLANCESuch precautions are decreed by wisdom as well as by
religion which is observed by all Muslims and has nothing to do with SHIITE
in particular. Strange enough that some have taken it as a SHIITE instruction,
using it as an objection to us, while it is a clear cut matter in QURAN and
SONNAT
67_ THE PROHIBITED DISSEMBLANCE .
WE BELIEVE such suspicions arise by taking wrong informations from our
enemies, and what we explained above should be enough for sure. We of
course deny not that there are incidents in which one should not hide his faith
and openoin for any price, and dissemblance is prohibited thereIf the
principles, Islam or QURØN fall in danger those involved should not hide
their faith and have to declare their views although they loose their life for it.
An instance of this is what Imam Hussain did against the OMMAYIDS when
he in an unequal batlle lost his own life and that of his companions all, so as to
save Isalm
68_ THE ISAMIC WORSHIP .
WE BELIEVE in performance of all the worships that are decreed by Islam,
such as our five daily prayers for maintaining the relations between Man &
God, Or the FASTING OF the month Ramazan which improves the faith and
the pietyPerformance of the rites of pilgrimage (HAJJ), once in the life for
those who can afford it, is a must, and has to be done. Paying the TITHS and
the ONE FIFTH is an essential order and must be observedAlthough some
partial and insignificant differences we do have with other Muslims in this
field, yet it is of no importance, because the four main sects of the SONNIES
have the same difference among themselves
69_ COLLECTING THE PRAYERS .
If we perform our noon prayer simultaneously with the evening prayers, or we
do the sunset prayer and the night prayers together and at once, we believe it to
be with the permission of our prophetIn the famous book: SAHIH TERMAZI _
VOL.1 _ P.354 it is written that the prophet himself was doing the same
without being in danger, fear or rain! He used to do that because he didn’t want
hardship for his followers.
Now that our social life, particularly in the plants and factories have turned to
be complex, if some one has bound himself to perform his prayers in proper
time and separately, he may not be able to perform some of them at all. So to
make use of the remissions will make one more steadfast in his prayer and
worship
70_ THE PROSTRATION UPON THE EARTH .
WE BELIEVE that in our prayer the act of prostration should be reclining with
face on the earth in humble adoration, or on things that grow out of the earth
such as wood or leaf of trees, or stones. We don’t adimit of prostrations upon a
carpet or such. The soil is prefered for that purpose, and therefore to make that
easy, we take some clean soil, form it in a small circle mould, and keep it with
us for our prostration, and this is only because it is pure clean soil of the earth
and nothing elseOur reason for that is the prophet’s word who said:_ The earth
has been turned to a clean MASJID for me.15
We take MASJID here to mean prostration point, or place. One may say the
Arabic word `MASJID’ also means a temple wherein Muslim worship. True;
but the adjctive “clean,” helps to take the second meaning of the word, i.e.
Besides that; many other traditions we have received from our Imams, by
which we understand that, here, the soil is meant and not the
house of public religious worship
61 _ VISITING THE TOMBS OF THE APOSTLES AND IMAMS
(PILGRIMAGE) .
WE BELIEVE that pilgrimages for visiting the tombs of the Apostles and
Imams, as well as the scholars and the martyrs, is a definite religious precept
which has to be observed, although not a mustIn many books of the SONNI
Scholars, same as those written by SHIITES, many a traditin is narrated from
the prophet that he has recommended the precept or pilgrimage. To collect all
such traditions will make a voluminous book. Throughout the history of Islam,
our great scholars, and all groups of Muslims have done that with much care,
and books are written about the adventures of their pilgrimagesIt is evident
that no one takes his visiting a tomb for worship, which belongs only to God.
The purpose of visiting the tomb of a great man is to respect him and to pay
regards, andmeanwhile seeking their intercessionIt is also narrated that even
the prophet himself often went to visit theCEMETERY OF BAGHEEA and
saluted the deads in their graves. Therefore no one should doubt the
lawfulness of such pilgrimages in Islam
72_ THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE MOURNING CEREMONIES .
WE BELIEVE that the mourning ceremonies, for the martyrs, specially the
MARTYRS OF KARBALA will serve to maintain the monument of such dear
ones, and keep us aware of their self sacrifices for the sake of God and
IsalmIn some occasions, particularly the first ten days of Moharram, the period
in which Imam Hussain and his faithful companions were cruelly martyred, we
perfom the mourning ceremonies.
We explain their aims, and express our deep regards for them and by that
infuse new blood in our veinsIn the year; H.61, YAZID a sinful man and a
stranger with Islam, succeeded the throne of Islamic caliphateWhen he asked
Imam Hussain to take the oath of allegiance, Imam refused to swear fealty.
Yazid insisted and Imam rejected and left Mecca for Iraq. In KARBALA,
Imam and his seventy two companions and household were surrounded by a
great many troops of YAZID. Imam and his companions defended their attacks
and fought their enemies boldly to their last breathe. All the men, (Imam
Hussain and his companions) were martyred, and their women and children
were taken captives. Soon ofter that the blood of Imam boiled and stirred
strange exitements among his contemporary Muslims. Groups revolted in turn,
aiming at vengeance for the blood shed. These frequent revolutions gave an
end to the nasty life of the Omayid dynasty. All the revolting groups had but
one slogan: “VENGEANCE FOR IMAM’S BLOODSHED.”
to day the rise and martyrdom of Imam Hussain is a pattern and a programm in
our daily life to make us stand firmly against any oppression and crueltySome
of our slogans that were taken from Imam Hussain’s bloody History like:_
“FAR BE ABJECTIONS FROM US” or:_ "LIFE IS FAITH AND
ENDEAVOUR"have been of immense use in our past and present, urging us
not to undergo any unjustified demand or oppressionsTo brief our word here,
paying regards to the reminiscence of the great martyrs of KARBALA, and
else, will infuse new blood of valiance, bravery and self_sacrifice into our
veins and will teach us how to live an honourable and proud life, and this is
why we try to revive the reminiscence of our martyrs by renewing the
mourning ceremonies every year better than the pastStrangers may not know
what we do and what are we driving at, by doing that. They think it over as a
mere historical incident that must have been forgotten and covered with the
dust of age: but we do know its importance and effect in our past and present
historyIt is written in all the famous Islamic histories that:_ "after the battle of
OHOD the prophet passed near a house from which the sounds of mourning
and wailing for the martyrs were heardThe prophet said:_
“But no one mourns for HAMZIH.” (THE MASTER OF MARTYRS) .
SAAD _ IBN _ MAAZ who was a near companoin of the prophet from the
group of HELPERS, heard that and ordered their women to go and mourn and
lament for HAMZIH the faithful uncle of the prophet who was mutilated in the
battle field of OHODevidently this lamentation was NOT some thing
speciallized to HAZRAT HAMZIH. It rather is a meanse of infusing new
blood into the veins of MuslimsNow it is ØSHOORA, Ioth MOHARRAM
1417 H.(1976) A .
great emotion and enthusiasm is seen throughout the SHIITE WORLD.
Children, teenagers, young and adult, man and woman have all worn black
suits and attended the mourning ceremonies of the MARTYRS OF
KARBALA. They are so strangely exited and have changed minds that if they
be invited to fight the enemies of Islam, they all will take arm and rush to the
battlefield and do not avoid any thing of self sacrifices.
It is just as if the blood of those martyrs flow in their veins, and that Imam and
his companoins have been slain just now. They sing epic songs, and poems full
of slogans against colonization, and oppression and in favour of proud and
exalteds death over an abject lifeWe hold this incident as a great moral capital
that we have to observe it and keep it safe
73_ THE TEMPORARY MARRIAGE .
WE BELIEVE that the temporary marriage is lawful; and in our religious juris
prudence, it is termed
“MOT - EH”. From this motive marriage is of two kinds:_ The permanent one
which has not a limited time: and the temporary marriage which is for a
limited period, which the couple will agree on thatIn many respects both of the
wedlocks are the sameAs for the dower; the freedom of the female spouse
from any impediments; and rules and regulations for the childrem; both of the
two marriages are similarThere are also some differences between the two
wedlock such that the male spouse has not to pay the ALIMONY, or that the
couple do not inherit each other (of course their children do imherit their
parents)However we have taken this order out of the HOLY QURØN:
"… All women other than those mentioned here are lawful for you provided
you seek them in marriage with your welth in a modest conduct(CHASTITY),
and not by fornicationGive them their dower for the enjoyment you have had
with them, as your duty, but it shall be of no blame on you to make any
agreement among yourselves; and Allah is All_knowing All_wise
QURØN _ S4: 24 .
Many of the great commentators have explained that the above verse aims at
the TEMPORARY MARRIAGEIn TABARY’S COMMENTARY book it is
written that this verse indicates the temporary marriage and that many of the
prophets’s companions have testified thatIn many famous tradition books such
as SAHIH BOKHARI SAHIH MOSLIM and MASNAD AHMAD, there are
traditions about the temporary marriage declaring it a lawful religious act
which used to be done in the life time of the prophet.
There are also some narration in these books that deny and reject itSome
scholars believe that during the life time of the prophet it wes done, but after
the prophet it was forbidden by OMAR the second KHALIFIn the
famous book THE SONAN OF BEIHAGHI vol.7 _ P.206_ it is written that
OMAR the second khalif said:_ .
“TWO MOT.EHS were decreed by the prophet of God:_ Temporary marriage
and HAJ (spacial rites in pilgrimage) which I declare them both as unlwful!!” .
So the Sonni scholars have different ideas about that; some admit and some
reject, but the SHIITE
SCHOLARS take it to be lawful with unanimous approvalWe believe that if
temporary marriage be not misused, it will give an adeqate answer to many
questions of the young generation of our time, who cannot afford a permanent
wed lock, or those in long journeys either for economical or educational
purposesThose who work against the temporary marriage are cleaning the
road to fornication and obscene acts particularly in our time in which the age
of marriage is up and lustful means are abundantClosing the door of lawful
marriages, means to open the doors of fornication and evil sexual actsLet me
repeat once again that we reject all sorts of misuse in this respect such a
making a play toy out of it. or turning a woman into a means for lusts and
passions instead of a real wife. On the other hand, no one should leave a good
and useful law unattended, because some may use it in a bad way
74_ A BRIEF HISTORY OF SHIITE .
WE BELIEVE that the SHIITE SECT was founded in the life_time of our
prophet, and its name was taken out of HIS words and we have many clear
reasons to prove thatAs many commentators of QURØN believe the following
verse refers to Imam Ali and his sectarians. (SHIITE) .
"Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, are the best of creatures."
QURØN _ S98: 7 .
SOYOUTI, the famous commentator has narrated in his DORROL MANSOOR
that JABIR _ IBN _ ABDULLAH _ ALANSARI said:
"We were in presence of the prophet, when Imam Ali arrived there. As soon
as the prophet saw him he said:
`UPON HIM, TO WHOSE HANDS LAYS MY LIFE, ALI AND HIS SHIITE
(SECTARIANS) WILL HAVE SALVATION IN DOOMSDAY' .
Then the prophet; `added the narrator, `recited the above mentioned verse.
After that, whenever Imam Ali came to a gathering of prophet, we used to say:
`The best of God's creatures is come."
The above tradition with a little difference is also narrated by: IBN _
ABBASS. ABUBARZEH. IBNE _ MARDOOYED and also ATTIYEH _
OOFI.
Therefore the name SHIITE was given to the lovers and followers of Imam Ali
by the prophet himself and not by the SAFAVIES DYNASTY as some with
very low knowledge have said' .
We respect and esteem all the other Islamic sects, and stay in one line of
prayer with them, and perform the rites of pilgrimage as they do, and
cooperate with them in all common Isalmic goals and fields. Yet as a SHIITE
we do have some particularities which were noted by our prophet; and this is
why we have chosen this schoolSome of our enemise insist to connect SHIITE,
some how to ABDULLAH IBN SABA, as the founder of the sectIBN _ SABA
is said to have been a jew convert in the life of Imam Ali. This claim or
suggestion seems very strange to us! If you study all
the SHIITE'S BOOKS you find in them no least interst to have been shown to
the said man; and rather in contrast, all have declared him a misled heretic,
and in some traditions we read that Imam Ali himself has condemned the man
to death! After all IBN SABA'S very existence is under question, and some of
the scholars doubt if such a man did ever exist! Even if we don't take him as a
fictitious and imaginary man, he is of sure misled and astray in religion and far
out of the path of truth
75_ THE SHIITE'S GEOGRAPHY .
Important to say that IRAN has not always been a centeral group of the SHIITE
SECT. In the first
century of Islam. they had different centers in KUFEH, YEMAN and even in
MedinaContrary to the poisonous propagandas of the ommayids and B