Categoreis

The Imams (A.S.) played a significant role in the area of educating the public, setting examples in educating through the example of one's own conduct; therefore, their methods of education were not confined merely to spreading awareness through the ...

The Imams (A.S.) played a significant role in the ...

The Imam (A.S.) did not have the chance to rule for any period of time so that we may discuss his practical style of government, but we can still be acquainted with that through reviewing his statements to some of his followers who very much desired ...

The Imam (A.S.) did not have the chance to rule fo...

In a dialogue with al-Bazanti, the Imam said: "Anyone who receives a boon is in danger: He has to carry out God's commandments in its regard. By God! Whenever God blesses me with something, I continue to be in extreme apprehension till (and here he m...

In a dialogue with al-Bazanti, the Imam said: "Any...

The patience and perseverance of the Imam manifest themselves clearly when he had to face psychological and emotional crises. When he went to say his farewell at the Ka'ba, Mecca, upon being ordered by al-Mamoon to be present at his court in Khurasan...

The patience and perseverance of the Imam manifest...

Imam al-Rida (A.S.) was endowed with a readiness to respond coupled with the strength of argument and oratory to which extra-ordinary expressions freely submitted without making the over-all meaning too difficult to comprehend. His arguments with the...

Imam al-Rida (A.S.) was endowed with a readiness t...

There is no doubt that, generally speaking, the Imams (A.S.) were more distant than anyone else from the alluring wares of this vanishing world, and most distant from its ornamentations and allurements. But the concept of asceticism according to them...

There is no doubt that, generally speaking, the Im...

He inherited the knowledge of his grandfather the Messenger of God (S.A.W.), thus becoming its pioneering fountainhead that quenched the thirst of those who were thirsty for knowledge. History narrates a great deal of his scholarly stances and intell...

He inherited the knowledge of his grandfather the ...

The attitude of the then rulers towards Imam al-Rida (A.S.) and the other Imams may provide us with a clear view of the distinctions which raised their personalities to the zenith. And it is essential to explain the phenomenon of the government's att...

The attitude of the then rulers towards Imam al-Ri...

Disputes exist also regarding the number of his offspring and their names. A group of scholars say that they were five sons and one daughter, and that they were: Muhammad al-Qani', al-Hassan, Ja'fer, Ibrahim, al-Husayn, and 'Ayesha. Sabt ibn al-Jawzi...

Disputes exist also regarding the number of his of...

Historians disagree a great deal about the year of his birth and even in determining the month as well, and they also disagree about determining the year and the month of his death. Their disagreements are not confined to the limit of a short span of...

Historians disagree a great deal about the year of...

Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)Having studied Mantiq, those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the philosophy of Islam will study Falsafa. This typical starts with Allama Tabatabai's Bidayah al-Hikmah followed by his Nihayah al-Hikmah. The first...

Falsafa (Islamic Philosophy)Having studied Mantiq,...

'Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)'Irfan is generally divided into theoretical (nadhari) 'irfan and practical ('amali) 'irfan. Theoretical 'Irfan is the study of Islamic metaphysics and 'Transcendent Philosophy'. The latter is usually a discussion around the...

'Irfan (Islamic Mysticism)'Irfan is generally divi...

Lugha (Language Studies)Arabic is the language of the Qur'an and hadith. No amount of English translation will help you truly appreciate the Qur'an and hadith. They simply have to be read and understood in their original language, if they are to be f...

Lugha (Language Studies)Arabic is the language of ...

Aqaid (Theology)Aqaid (theology) is also called 'Ilm al-Kalam or Usul al-Din. The latter title is rarely used in Hawzas, perhaps to avoid confusing it with Usul al-Fiqh (which is at times called 'Ilm al-Usul). Shi'ah theology usually discusses issues...

Aqaid (Theology)Aqaid (theology) is also called 'I...

'Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)'Ilm ar-Rijal is, literally, "The Science of People". Any tradition (hadith) is usually made up of two parts: a header (called isnad or sanad) and the main text or narration itself (called matn). The header lists t...

'Ilm ar-Rijal (Science of Narrators)'Ilm ar-Rijal ...

'Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)'Ilm al-Hadith (or the Science of Hadith) is not about the narrations or traditions themselves; rather it discusses the history of traditions, their compilation and classification, their collection and preserva...

'Ilm al-Hadith (The Study of Traditions)'Ilm al-Ha...

'Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)Unlike Tafsir al-Qur'an which explains and discusses the 6000+ verses of the Qur'an themselves, this science studies the Qur'an holistically. For example, the Qur'an's history, how it was revealed, the reasons that pr...

'Ulum al-Qur'an (Qur'an Sciences)Unlike Tafsir al-...

Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)'Ilm al-Tafsir, or "the science of Qur'an exegesis" is usually a systematic (either sequential or thematic) exegetical study of the Qur'an's verses. This subject is widely studied by all Hawza students and one who ch...

Tafsir al-Qur'an (Qur'an Exegesis)'Ilm al-Tafsir, ...

Fiqh (Jurisprudence)Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is a major (if not 'the major') science around which most of the other subjects revolve. The study of the practical laws of Islam and how to derive them is divided by areas of jurisprudence such as purificatio...

Fiqh (Jurisprudence)Fiqh (Jurisprudence) is a majo...

Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)In the early days of Islam, scholars only relied on the Qur'an and hadith to understand the practical laws of Islam. They grouped all the traditions at their disposal based on jurisprudence issues. It has the...

Usul al-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)In the e...

Mantiq (Logic)Mantiq or Islamic Logic is a similar science to what is called Traditional Logic at Western universities (as opposed to Modern Logic that is taught as a field of Mathematics).In the past, the text used at hawzas for mantiq was the Sharh...

Mantiq (Logic)Mantiq or Islamic Logic is a similar...