Miscellaneous Articles

The love of a person who loves another is not confined to the heart and soul only. As has already been mentioned, love requires a practical application. The practical application of love is a source of manifestation in a person’s life, and it follows...

The love of a person who loves another is not conf...

Special or particular proofs The hadiths which we have so far mentioned refer to love for the Ahl al-Bayt (as) in general. There is another group of hadiths which allude to love and affection for some of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) in particular. We will n...

Special or particular proofs The hadiths which we...

We can deduce from logic and from evidence that has been transmitted to us in traditions that loving certain people is incumbent and binding upon man. 1. Allah Allah, the Exalted, is the first of those for whom love is intrinsically incumbent upon ...

We can deduce from logic and from evidence that ha...

One of the most effective ways to prove people’s beliefs is inciting their sentiments. Stirring up people’s feelings is an important way of explaining or justifying their political and social beliefs. Man is more liable to be influenced when he looks...

One of the most effective ways to prove people’s b...

With recourse to sound reasoning, we come to know that holding mourning ceremonies for Allah’s awliya’, especially the master and leader of all the martyrs Imam al-Husayn (as), is in accordance with logic because honoring Allah’s awliya’ through vari...

With recourse to sound reasoning, we come to know ...

Some say that entrusting the application of the shari‘ah in some instances to common sense will result in deriding and making fun [istihza’] of the shari‘ah. And because it is incumbent upon every Muslim to protect the honor of the shari‘ah, it is th...

Some say that entrusting the application of the sh...

Some people say that performing certain rites and celebrating certain signs of Allah will bring about a lot of harm for Islam and Muslims, especially holding mourning rites for Imam al-Husayn (as) the performance of which necessitates bearing a lot o...

Some people say that performing certain rites and ...

The doubters say that if those things pertaining to the laws of Islam are entrusted to people to decide, it will lead to irreverence [hatk-e hurmat] and insult to the foundations of Islam as well as the pillars of the shari‘ah. It is clear that this ...

The doubters say that if those things pertaining t...

The skeptics also ask the following questions: if holding religious ceremonies and honoring the signs of Allah has been entrusted to people to decide, what difference is there with the different topics and instances of the shari‘ah? We know that com...

The skeptics also ask the following questions: if ...

Some sceptics say that if Allah has ceded the command of holding religious ceremonies and other religious customs to common sense and wisdom, there will be mistakes in distinguishing what is unlawful [haram] as proscribed by Islamic law from the lawf...

Some sceptics say that if Allah has ceded the comm...

Some doubters say that if the Divine Lawgiver entrusts the matter of deciding when and how to hold religious rites to common parlance it follows that Allah has delegated religious lawmaking. They contend that this type of relinquishment is null and v...

Some doubters say that if the Divine Lawgiver entr...

Some sceptics of holding religious ceremonies say, “Every ceremony that is based on religion has to be devised by the Divine Lawgiver (Allah). In cases where Allah has not devised a religious ceremony, holding such ceremonies will amount to innovatio...

Some sceptics of holding religious ceremonies say,...

When Allah, the Divine, has not intervened in the meaning of a given word, it means that the Divine Legislator has entrusted the duty of applying the meanings and themes of that word as is deemed relevant according to common parlance, common wisdom a...

When Allah, the Divine, has not intervened in the ...

1. Khalil ibn Ahmad Farahidi says, “Sha‘artuhu (from the same root as sha‘a’ir) means: I contemplated and reasoned it out and I understood it…”15 2. Jawhari says, “Sha‘a’ir are the deeds and rites of the hajj, and anything which is a standard...

1. Khalil ibn Ahmad Farahidi says, “Sha‘artuhu (fr...

People who believe that it is permissible and even desirable to hold religious ceremonies have resorted to a number of proofs. We will now refer to some of them: A. Verses of the Holy Qur’an that permit ceremonies There are many verses in the Holy ...

People who believe that it is permissible and even...

Religious rites, which have been subject to objection or disagreement by certain sects of Islam, are of diverse kinds listed as follows: 1. Celebrating the birth anniversaries of the great personalities of the religion, such as birth anniversaries o...

Religious rites, which have been subject to object...

I have noticed tempers flaring up on both sides of debate in how the Islamic Republic of Iran is dealing with the Bahā'is in that country. I would just like to draw the attention of our brothers that if a Bahā'i is prosecuted in Iran, it does not aut...

I have noticed tempers flaring up on both sides of...

"There are numerous narrations relating to the Istikhara, and it in itself (the Istikhara) is something that is good to perform. Many successful results have been seen from it, as long as thinking and contemplation, and seeking the advice from others...

"There are numerous narrations relating to the Ist...

"Regarding the instances in which one should perform an Istikhara ‑ after seeking advice from those people who are well informed and knowledgeable, if there still remains doubt, then and only then should one perform an Istikhara. The various types a...

"Regarding the instances in which one should perfo...

"Istikhara literally means to `ask the best' from Allah . O' Allah! I am perplexed and do not know if Your pleasure is in this task or not (which I wish to perform). I ask You to make apparent Your pleasure upon me. However, in this state, it is nec...

"Istikhara literally means to `ask the best' from ...