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The Rightly-guided Caliphs and great Companions particularly those giving legal verdicts – as is known before – used to evade and fear narrating hadith from the Prophet. Rather in fact they were turning away from this act, since they were aware of th...

The Rightly-guided Caliphs and great Companions pa...

Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (may God’s mercy be upon him), reported from his father Amir al-Muminin (A), saying: Much clamour was raised about Merry the Coptic (Umm Ibrahim), regarding her Coptic cousin who used to visit and frequent to her. The Proph...

Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (may God’s mercy be upo...

The above-mentioned were excerptions of the utterances of the eminent religious leaders, in respect of showing the status of the Messenger’s speech regarding the religious affairs. Concerning his words regarding the worldly affairs, it is said about ...

The above-mentioned were excerptions of the uttera...

They (traditionists) made the spoken Sunnah in the third degree, following the practised Sunnah, which comes after the Qur’an, that reached us through successive chain (mutawatir), in a way no doubt can be ascribed to it. For this reason it is quite ...

They (traditionists) made the spoken Sunnah in the...

Another important cause of disagreement between the gnostics and others especially the jurists, is the special view that the gnostics hold about shari'at, tariqat and Haqiqat. The gnostics and the jurists agree that the rules of Islamic law are based...

Another important cause of disagreement between th...

At a number of places in the Holy Qur'an Allah has directed people to ponder over the contents of the Holy Book and not to pass by them cursorily In a large number of verses, the universe and the entire creation have been described as Allah's signs. ...

At a number of places in the Holy Qur'an Allah has...

Out of the companions of the Holy Prophet Imam Ali is known for the eloquent description of gnostic truths and the stages of spiritual life. His sayings on this subject are a treasure of knowledge. As for the other companions of the Holy Prophet, the...

Out of the companions of the Holy Prophet Imam Ali...

Both the practical and theoretical aspects of gnosis are closely related to Islam, for like every other religion or rather more than any other religion Islam determines and explains man's relation to Allah, to the universe and to other man. Now the q...

Both the practical and theoretical aspects of gnos...

We now come to the theoretical aspect of gnosis. The theoretical gnosis deals with the nature of the universe and discusses man, God and the world. As such this part of gnosis has a close resemblance to theosophy, for both of them interpret the natur...

We now come to the theoretical aspect of gnosis. T...

The science of gnosis is one of the sciences which were born and grew on the lap of Islamic culture. This science can be studied and investigated from two angles, one of them being sociological and the other scientific. There is one important differe...

The science of gnosis is one of the sciences which...

Imam Abul Qasim Muhammad al-Mahdi was born in 255 A.H. on the fifteenth of Sha'ban. The name of his mother was Umm Walad Narjis Khatoon. When he was five years old, his father passed away. He had two occultations, the first called Ghaibat-e-Sughra (L...

Imam Abul Qasim Muhammad al-Mahdi was born in 255 ...

Imam Hasan was given the title 'Askari' due to constant oppression meted out to him by the caliphs of the Abbasi dynasty. He was forced to remain in Saamarra, which was a military cantonment (askar). He was born in 231 A.H. About the greatness of thi...

Imam Hasan was given the title 'Askari' due to con...

Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) was born in Madinah in the year 214 A.H. and his mother was a slave girl named Samaanah. Contemporary Abbasi caliph Mutawakkil was very cruel and unjust. He was more evil than all other Abbasi caliphs were and his ill will toward...

Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) was born in Madinah in the ye...

Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s.) was born in the year 195 A.H. Abbasi caliph Motasim was his contemporary. He called the Imam from Madinah to Baghdad. Since he was, like all Imams, a picture of Imamate and prophethood, it was impossible that he could contin...

Imam Muhammad Taqi (a.s.) was born in the year 195...

After Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s.) his elder son Imam Reza (a.s.) was the Imam by the way of the will. His rank and greatness is so high that it cannot be explained in this small book. He was born in Madinah in 153 A.H. His mother, Umme Valad, was the mos...

After Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s.) his elder son Imam R...

Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s) was the son of Imam Ja'far Sadiq (a.s.). His mother was Hameeda. How much was this Imam harassed by his contemporary caliphs of Bani Abbas! It is a heart-rending story. It is truly said that there is a Moosa for every Pharaoh a...

Imam Moosa Kazim (a.s) was the son of Imam Ja'far ...

The greatness and preciousness of this Imam is beyond the power of the tongue and the pen to describe. His high rank of knowledge can be imagined from the fact that Jabir Ibn Hayyan Sufi, who was one of his brilliant students, has described his scien...

The greatness and preciousness of this Imam is bey...

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) was born in the year 55 AH. His mother was the daughter of Imam Hasan (a.s.) - Umme Abdillah. Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) is the first Alavi, who was born of an Alavi couple. Besides being the Imam of his time, he was also t...

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) was born in the year 55...

Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) was born in 38 A.H. and was only two years old when Amirul Momineen (a.s.) was martyred. His mother, Shaharbano, was from the race of Nausherwan, the Iranian emperor. His name was Ali. Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) then himsel...

Imam Zainul Abedeen (a.s.) was born in 38 A.H. and...

It is enough to say that the world has never seen a father like Ali bin Abi Talib (a.s.), a mother like Fatima and a graceful son like Husain bin Ali (a.s.). We are unable to mention even a thousandth of the noble and graceful features and high virtu...

It is enough to say that the world has never seen ...

Imam Hasan Mujtaba was born to Fatima Zahra (s.a.) in the second year of the Hijri. His kunniyat (agnomen) is Abu Muhammad. Amirul Momineen Ali (a.s.) said that in his natural disposition, Hasan is very much like his noble grandfather, the Prophet of...

Imam Hasan Mujtaba was born to Fatima Zahra (s.a.)...