About The Author
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His work extends far enough to include West Africa and the Middle East. Two important Islamic schools of thought had been in disagreement and dispute for centuries. While on a lecture tour of West Africa and the Middle East, in 1959, Imam Chirri called upon the head of the sunni school, Sheikh Al-Azhar in Cairo, to recognize the other school.
In response to Imam Chirri's call, the majority leader issued a historical declaration which stated that the teachings of both schools are equally sound, and that Muslims have the right to choose either one.
Hence the religion, which is harmonized with the intellect, by the way of which the human should find the salvation for his spiritual and physical troubles, and by which the happiness and the spiritual calmness should be achieved, so it is authorized with the man to study it, but he should spend much of his time and endeavor, in order to be aware about its fundamentals, and branches, and what is supposed to Muslims to do indeed, the man is the main purpose according to the Islamic view. Within these communities, their creator honored them, and employed every thing in serving them. But Allah distinguished between the good and harmful deeds through this present life so that he should learn and commanded him by the good deeds following, and that which is allowable, and He prevented him from the harmful deeds comittion which are prohibited. He domonstrated all that on the tongue of his apostles and prophets, who are the bearers of good news and warners, so he should be rewarded by the ever lasting paradise, in case that he behaved according to the teaching of Allah "s.w." and His commands, and he should be punished by the flame of the Hell if he followed his desirance and apitancy, violating his Lord's commands; indeed we never
Hence, this book is between your hands, was written by the late Ash-Shaikh Muhammad Jawaad Shirri, who is an American popular, he studied Islam near its pure sources in Najaf Ashraf, he liked Islam, since he found all his needs of belief in it, indeed he purposed to serve his brothers by the way of his calm and quite invitation towards them, so that they could search about the oppressed fact calmly and wisely, then they could find their intention, but he already went on his style of pure argumentation within this book, which is far from the fanaticism with doctor Wilson using the clear Islamic evidence and the Holy verses and illustrated the evidences of the Holy Quran as means to receive the purpose of the argumentation and knowing the truth, then the submission to it.
Whereat this book between your hands is of the famous and important books, which illuminated the way of the people guidance in America, Europe and other countries concerned the mass and necessary demands, which Imam Ali foundation, the main branch in Qom took upon it self this book republish, while it considered it as one of its duties to republish it for the purpose of the common benefit.
Hence, we ask Allah to include the late chirri into his a bundent Mercy, and to accept this work for his contentment.
For a verity of reasons many a Muslim took Europe, an America and other contries that are predomintly non-Muslim for residence, be it temporary or permanent.
By virtue of such domicile, Muslims have to meet with non-Muslims at work, study, places of worship, or socially.
Such encounters' may entail discussion on different matters, including religious issues, where Muslims and non-Muslims alike may quiz one another about their respective faiths.
Since many people are genuine in their search for the truth, especially in matters of spiritual purity and faith, people of different faiths try to leave an impact on their fellow human beings. However, those who embrace the sublime truth, that man should eventually acknowledge, are the ones who prevail.
The story of the late Sheikh Mohammad Jawad Chirri is such that it left an endelible mark on the history of
Sheikh Chirri, who was educated in the Islamic seminary at Holy an-Najaf, Iraq, immigrated from Lebanon to the States in the early 1950s and settled in Detroit. His new home and environment led him to engage in debate on Islam and Christianity, with Dr. Wilson H. Guertin of University of Florida.
"Inquires About Islam" records the topics debated by the two men. It is a true and honest account of what took place. Thus, it could serve as an ideal reference for all and seekers of truth and pristine faith.
Many a Muslim, especially youths approached Imam Ali (a.s.) Foundation in London to provide them with material to help them conduct fruitful dialogue. The Foundation consulted a number of experts in the field. They suggested that this book, written by Sheikh Chirri, ranks among the best in its class and subject matter. It is known for its direct style and exquisite discourse.
Thus, we took the initiative to seek the permission of the Islamic Center of Detroit, U.S.A. to reprint the book, they obliged.
In the end, we pray to Allah, the Exalted to shower the soul of the late Sheikh Chirri with His mercy, and grant him abode in Paradise. May He reward him for his commendable work, Amen.
I am one of the many who have benefited from Imam Mohamad Chirri's teaching. I was his first "convert"; but never having been a believing Christian, it would be more exact to say that I came to believe in God for the first time through the path of Islam, patiently guided by my imam.
If you are a Muslim, read this book out of the obligation to acquire knowledge. If you are a Jew or Christian, read it for the same devout motive. Comparative study of religions may be unsettling if your belief in God is based upon non-rational grounds but can only have the ultimately desired result of strengthening your belief. The pervasive belief in God as represented in our motives must be the goal which
If you are unable to say that you believe in God, you can still find value in the study of religion. In the following pages of dialogue, you will be pursuing some of the most important concerns of mankind that can be traced back to the beginning of recorded history. The thoughts and historical events are important in their own right, and perhaps you will, as I have, find the way to a belief in God through them.
Colonial Britain has been more fortunate than we in America in having the history and teachings of Islam accessible. It is no accident that while no really great American has expressed his recognition of the value of Islam, three of the most famous British writers fully acknowledge the importance and value of Islam. They are: Arnold Toynbee, historian; Bertrand Russell, philosopher; and George Bernard Shaw, playwright. Out of respect for these figures, we will want to know more about that which they value so highly.
His interest in religion represents the interest of a scientist who thinks that religion, in general, contains some truth, in spite of being clouded by man's misunderstanding and misinterpretation.
We can hardly expect a scientist, who deals with facts and tries to unveil the secrets of nature and life, to believe in a religious teaching irreconcilable with the bare reality of nature, or with what had become an established scientific knowledge. A scientist, faced with a religious teaching opposed to the bare facts of the bare facts of nature or to an established scientific knowledge, is likely to take one of the following position: A. He may take a radical attitude by an outright rejection of religion in any form.
B. He may try to reconcile the religious concept with the established knowledge by interpreting the former in a way that will not clash with the latter.
Dr. Guertin took the third position and tried to find the truth by conducting a religious research in many religious avenues.
His research was intensive. He examined many kinds of religious teachings, and finally came to examine the teaching of Islam.
"I am a Christian by birth," he told me, "but ever since my early adulthood and extensive academic training, I have had doubts. As a scientist, I am no longer able to accept any religious doctrine that is inconsistent with a scientific knowledge. Having an inquisitive spirit, I tried to satisfy my doubt by looking into some religious teachings other than that of my own denomination. I tried many religious avenues, but I was never able to satisfy my doubt.
"Finally, I read some literature about Islam, and that made me interested in acquiring more information about it. Now as I come to you, I am hopeful that I will be able to have a better knowledge of your faith. I understand that you have a profound knowledge of Islam, and that you are specialized in this field. I would like to conduct a research on Islam with you, and I am confident that you will be able to answer my questions."
The questions which he directed to me may come to the mind of any person who tries to find the truth in Islam and about Islam. I thought, therefore, that those questions and their answers ought to be recorded and published, and that a book containing our dialogues might be useful to any individual who has doubts and wants to find answers toI know that a great number of people have similar problems, but they act indifferently. They keep their doubt and seek no guidance. Some of them turn their back on the whole religious issue, while others remain within their respective denominations with no earnest desire to seek the truth.
Distinguished, indeed, are those who feel thirsty for religious knowledge and energetic enough to try to quench their thirst. This book is aimed to inform these seekers of truth and to satisfy the curiosity of anyone that may read it. If it should help the reader to clarify his religious thought, if it should bring about a better understanding of Islam, and if it should create a closer cooperation among the major religions, then the author would feel most gratified and extremely rewarded .
As a matter of fact, Islam never advises one to avoid
The most rewarding and meritorious attitude, in the eyes of Islam, is to approach religious issues with the spirit of a scientist who welcomes any evidence that may prove or disprove his theory (or a theory to which he may subscribe).
Wilson: Does Islam have any specific rule or advice concerning religious research ?
Chirri: There are certain rules contained in the Holy Qur'an to be followed in religious research for the safety of any conclusion that may be reached.1. Never embrace a doctrine when evidence stands against it, nor should one follow a principle without evidence.
If God wants a person to believe in a principle, He should make it clear and evident. He is the Most Fair and Just. He knows that belief is not a voluntary thing; that is, it is not up to the individual. A person is not able to believe or disbelieve anything he chooses. The human body is at one's command but not the mind. I can obey a command that tells me to move my hand up or down, to walk or sit, even if such a command does not seem to be wise. But I am not able to obey a command, for example,
Our human knowledge comes from direct or indirect evidence, and it does not follow our own whim and will. An acceptable religious belief must be based on knowledge. When God wants me to know something, He should make such a knowledge possible by making its evidence available. Should He demand from me to believe something while evidence is standing against it, He would be asking me to do the impossible. This contradicts His justice.
Islam never condemns an individual when he does not believe in a principle because of lack of evidence; on the contrary, Islam blames a person when he follows a principle while groping in the dark without illuminating evidence, or when such a principle is not in accordance with the truth.
Following a principle against evidence, or with lack of evidence, is like a judgement of a court against a defendant without any evidence. Such an attitude is not to be praised; From the Holy Qu'ran:
2. Never accept popularity at face value. A religious researcher should not take the popularity of a religious doctrine in his society as an evidence of its truth. Many popular ideas have been proved wrong. At one time, it was believed that the earth is flat and that the sun revolves around the earth. People believed this for thousands of years, but now we know that neither of these ideas is true.
Furthermore, what is popular in one society may be
When the first prophet came to proclaim the concept of one God, his message was not popular in any society because the people of the world were either pagans or nonbelievers. The unpopularity of such a Divine message did not prevent that message from being true. As a matter of fact, all the prophets came to their societies with unpopular messages. Their aim was to correct the popular wrong and replace it with the unpopular truth. From the Qur'an:
3. Inherited religious principles should be examined. Islam advises every adult to examine the religion which he inherited. Inherited religion, like any other religion, is subject to proof.
One may rely on the judgement of his parents as long as he is a child and not capable of making his own decisions. When he becomes an adult, his religion becomes his own responsibility. Respect and honor towards parents is one of the Islamic commandments, but that does not mean accepting their opinions in important matters such as religion when their opinion is wrong.
As a matter of fact, when parents adhere to a wrong religious principle and demand from their children to follow them, they should not be obeyed because such action would
Islam commands the individual to examine its own teaching as well as any other teaching. By doing so, one may be able to value Islam more than ever before.
4. Doubters are not excused. When a person is not committed to any religion and doubts the whole religious concept, he should not be satisfied with his doubt. It is his duty to protect himself and his vital interests in this world from any harm and damage. Similarly, he has the same responsibility and duty in protecting his spiritual interest from being damaged. His serious inquiry about what may have a bearing on his spiritual life is as important as his inquiry about what may have a bearing on his physical life. In order to carry out his responsibility and to fulfill his obligation, it is necessary for him to inquire, and inquire seriously, about his religious doubts. There may be many accessible facts in the doubted area; therefore, he has to try to find them. When he conducts his research and exhausts all his means and fails to find the truth, he would be excused in the eyes of God. God asks the individual only to do what is possible for him to do. From the Qur'an:
5. When you conduct a religious research, let no one make decisions for you. Do not rely on the judgement of any other person, even if he is sincere and highly intellectual.
There are sincere and intellectual teachers in every faith. If a person allows them to make religious decisions for him, he will be lost because these teachers will undoubtedly contradict each other. If he relies on the judgement of teachers of only one faith, disregarding the teachers of other faiths, he will be biased. A sincere and highly intellectual teacher can be wrong, and one is not excused if he follows the judgement of this teacher. One's religion is his responsibility and after he makes his extensive inquiry, he is the sole judge to reach conclusions and form opinions. From the Qur'an:
Thus, we can see from these five Qur'anic verses that Islam is not afraid of being questioned or analyzed. Only those who fear failure forbid free discussion of their religious principles and avoid examination by researchers.
