1. Whole Humanity - One Family

There could be no greater effort to unite mankind into one single brotherhood, than making man believe that humanity as a whole, is one single family and all men and women are the children of one and the same parents.

انَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ وَأَنْزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ بَغْيًا بَيْنَهُمْ فَهَدَى اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِ وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

“Mankind was but one people; and God sent apostles as bearers of good tidings and warners and sent doom with them the Book with the Truth that it might judge between men in that wherein they differed; and none differed therein; but those very (people) whom it was given unto, after clear signs had come unto them, through revolt among themselves; whereupon God guided those who believed, by His Will, regarding that which the people differed about the Truth and verily God guideth whomso He willeth to the Right Path” (2:213).

Besides this, there are the other verses declaring man and woman having been created of one single self. It can easily be imagined as to how far the belief in the truth about the unity of the human race, would go to sublimate the animal in man, to create in him the fellow feeling for the others of his kind and thus to establish the human brotherhood on earth. Unfortunately, even today the West, i.e., the Christian world, believes in the Colour Bar and in the East, i.e., our Hindu brethren observe the Caste Restrictions. Of the sacred scriptures of the religions of the world, the Holy Qur’an is the first and the only one to declare the unity of the human race and Islam is the only religion which lays the strongest stress on it.

2. The Mystery Of The Individual Differences And The Unity Of Purpose

Though man has been gifted with the provisions physical as well as mental, necessary for his life and progress, all men are not gifted in equal measure. Some are gifted with certain things and energies while the others are not given the same. It is a well-known fact that some excel the others in physical strength while the others have been gifted with mental powers, in extraordinary degrees. People differ even in their individual aptitudes and the degree of intelligence. Some are gifted writers, and some are orators, some are wonderful artists, and some are enchanting poets, some are inventive scientists and mathematical calculators, and some are powerful administrators.

It is an undeniable fact that all these distinguishing factors are the gifts of the Omnipotent Creator, and these are the intuitive mysteries endowed in the nature of man. The point underlying is quite obvious, that the members of the human family, had been destined to be dependent on each other, otherwise with the equal distribution of these natural gifts, man would never have been communicative with his fellow beings for none would have needed the help of the other and there could never have been any social life on earth. There would have been nothing but wars, not only between groups of men but also between each individual man and man.

Thus, in the unequal distribution of the native endowments, in the variety of the individual capacities and the aptitudes effecting the interdependence among the members of the human family, along with the infallible and fully controlled working of each component particle of the great organism of the universe, has been masterly vested the design of the establishment of the wonderful society of the human family on earth and its successful, harmonious, continuous, and amazing development.

Thus, man needs his other fellow men of variant faculties, knowledge, and experience for his life on earth. He also needs someone with special faculties, to inform him of the very mystery of his life and the correct way to his welfare in this life and in the hereafter (i.e., after death). None could fulfil this need save those informed by the Creator Himself, deputed by Him for the purpose, and they are the prophets or the apostles of God and the Imams (the Guides).

3. From God Alone Could Come Guidance

It is no secret to need any disclosure, nor is it a problem that needs any solution, but a fact known to every human being with common sense that man did not create himself. He was created by some Self-Existing Sovereign Power, an Omnipotent Independent Wilful Authority, and was brought into a world which was already there, with native endowments of a progressive nature. Man left to himself, could never have by himself, been able to guide himself. The ever-extending universe with the wonderful things and astonishing energies, functioning therein with perfect and unfailing harmony, by itself suggests the causative will to be Omnipotent and All-wise, and the functioning of the whole organism to be mysteriously purposeful.

The inter-dependence of each and every part constituting the universe and the perfect harmony between the functions of the various components, things, and energies, suggests a definite purpose behind the creation of each and every particle constituting the great organism and the creation of man with all the exclusively superior endowments and wonderful potentialities, could never reasonably be purposeless. The knowledge of the purpose of his creation with the knowledge of everything around him, is essential for man, without which he cannot live a purposeful life, adjusting himself in harmony with his environment, drawing the due benefit from his fellow’ creatures and profiting them in return. Hence man could get knowledge from his Creator Lord and from none else.

Referring to the purposefulness of the creation of the universe, the Holy Qur’an says:

الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ

“Those who remember God standing and sitting and reclining on their sides and think (seriously) in the creation of the heaven and the earth, saying ‘O’ Our Lord! Thou hast not created (all) this in vain! Glory be to Thee! Save us then from the torment of the (Hell) fire” (3:191).

4. All Man-Made Distinctions Annihilated

Islam and no other religion in the world, gave the most imperative halt to all man-made distinctions in the human society. All distinctions of caste, colour, community, and race, were, annihilated once for all, in one stroke of the declaration:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“‘O’ ye people! Verily We have created you of a male and a female, and made you in nations and tribes, that ye may recognise each other; Verily the most honoured of you with God is the one of you who guardeth (himself) the most (against evil), verily God is All-Knowing, the All-Aware” (49:13).

The above declaration clearly says that the distribution of the human family into tribes and families, is only for identification and the actual distinction among the members of the human race, shall be based on the degree of the piety and the personal excellence in each individual man or woman.

5. The Sources Of Knowledge - And Man Specially Equipped

Man has been blessed with special powers, faculties, capacities, and the abilities which no other creature on earth owns. These extraordinary gifts of the special equipment’s of the progressive mental faculties, themselves suggest the purpose of the creation, to be extraordinary or especially progressive. Like the other animals, man also is given the eyes to see, the ears to hear, nose to smell and breathe, tongue to taste and speak, the skin all over the body with the sense of touch. Which are the doorways through which man acquires the knowledge, but only of the sensual world. In addition to these gifts, in common with the other animals, man has been exclusively gifted with the special equipment of intellect with an unlimited potentiality which none on earth has been granted.

This is to enable him to ponder over the mystery of life and work out in this life, his welfare or perdition, as he chooses, in the life hereafter. If man controls the other gifts of sensual nature with the great gift of conscience and reasoning, he succeeds, and if this great award, i.e., the conscience is allowed to be ruled by the degrading forces, he loses the game of life. In this lies the Test.

6. God Is The Nearest To Everything

Man is cautioned that God is nearest to man, nearer than his own Life-Vein:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ

“And indeed, We created man, and know We whatever thoughts whispereth his self-unto him, and We are nearer to him than his (very) life-vein” (50:16).

7. Man Directed To Seek The Medium To Reach The Lord

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَابْتَغُوا إِلَيْهِ الْوَسِيلَةَ

“‘O’ ye who believe! Fear ye God! and seek ye the medium of approach unto Him (God)” (5:35).

Who else can be the medium, save the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt, the purified by the Lord Himself1.

8. No Compulsion In Faith

Since the truth has been clearly revealed against falsehood, through the Holy Qur’an, the Final Word of God, Islam has sounded an open warning against any compulsion in faith:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“No compulsion be in religion; Indeed, truth has been made manifest distinct from error; therefore he who disbelieveth the rebels (false deities) and believeth in God, hath indeed laid hold on the strongest handle no break is for it; and verily Cod is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (2:256).

9. Good And Evil Promised To Be Individually Rewarded And Punished

Islam charges every individual man and woman with one’s own personal responsibility to make his or her own way to heaven or hell, by being good and doing good or by being evil and doing evil in this life. The life on earth, has been announced to be the season for the cultivation of the life hereafter. As one would sow here, so shall he or she reap in the hereafter, (i.e., in the life after death). As the right way to the eternal bliss has been made clearly manifest, every human soul, has been warned through the following decree about what actually will take place on the Day of the Final Requital:

Chapter 99 of the Holy Qur’an:

يَوْمَئِذٍ يَصْدُرُ النَّاسُ أَشْتَاتًا لِيُرَوْا أَعْمَالَهُمْ

“On that day shall come out people (from their graves) in groups, to be shown their (own) deeds” (99:6).

فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ

“Then he who hath done an atom-weight of good shall see it” (99:7)

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ

“And he who hath done an atom-weight of evil shall see it” (99:8)

Any man or woman with common sense, can easily judge what a great encouragement it is for him or her, to be good and to do good, and what an alerting warning and caution it is, to shun evil and keep away from it.

10. No Physical Eye Can Ever See God

لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

“Vision perceiveth Him not, and He perceiveth (all) vision; He is the Subtle, the All-Aware” (6:103).

Hence the belief in seeing God in His Person, at any time in this life or in the hereafter is an impossibility.

11. The Word Of The Holy Prophet Is Final

وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُبِينًا

“And it is not for a believer man or woman to have any choice in their affair when God and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeyeth God and His Apostle, indeed he hath strayed off a manifest straying” (33:36).

12. Annoying Or Hurting The Holy Prophet

The following is the verdict of the Lord about those who annoy God by hurting the feelings of the Holy Prophet in any manner whatsoever, be that acting against His will or command or by hurting the Holy ones like the killing of the issues, the members of the Ahl Al-Bayt of the Holy Prophet, the Holy Imams, and their devotees:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا مُهِينًا

“Surely those who hurt God and His apostle, God hath cursed them in this world and the hereafter and he hath prepared for them a Chastisement disgraceful” (33:57).

13. Importance Of The Choice Of The Leader

On the Day of Judgment, everyone will be called along with his ‘Imam’ or the leader whom he followed in his life:

يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ فَمَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ فَأُولَٰئِكَ يَقْرَءُونَ كِتَابَهُمْ وَلَا يُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا

“Remember the Day (of Judgment) when We will summon every people with their Imam (Leader): then whosoever is given his book in his right hand, these shall read their books (with pleasure), and they shall not be dealt with (even) a shred unjustly” (17:71).

Who will be better than the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt whom God Himself purified2. The Imam is he, in whom all things have been encompassed. The Holy Prophet declared:

أنا مدينة العلم و عليّ بابها

‘Ana Madinat ul-‘Ilm, wa Aliyun Babuha’

I am the City of knowledge, and Ali is its Gate.3

The Qualities Of A God Appointed King

نَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Verily God has chosen him (to last) in preference to you and has increased him abundantly in knowledge and physique and God granteth His Kingdom to whomsoever He pleaseth, and God is Ample Giving, All Knowing” (2:247).

Ali is the Gate of the City of Knowledge and the ever-triumphant Lion of God - the distinctions exclusively held by Ali and none else.

14. The Identification Of A Genuine Heavenly Guide

If man sincerely seeks the help of his Creator Lord, in finding out the genuine heavenly guide from among the claimants to guidance among the men, there is His Final Word the Holy Qur’an to guide him and it is the declared promise of the All-Merciful Lord, to show the right way to those who sincerely endeavour for it. The first condition, is the sincerity in seeking the divine help in this regard:

وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“And those who strive hard in Us, certainly will We guide them in Our ways; And verily God is (always) with those who do good” (29:69).

The Qur’anic lead to a sincere seeker towards the genuine heavenly guide, is given in the following verses:

قُلْ هَلْ مِنْ شُرَكَائِكُمْ مَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ قُلِ اللَّهُ يَهْدِي لِلْحَقِّ أَفَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لَا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَنْ يُهْدَىٰ فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

“Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) ‘Of your associates is there anyone who can guide unto truth? ‘Say thou! ‘It is God alone Who guideth unto truth; Is then He Who guideth unto truth more worthy to be followed or he who himself goeth not aright unless he is guided? What then hath befallen you? How (ill) ye judge?” (10:35).

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

“What! is he who goeth along grovelling on his face, better guided or he who walketh upright upon the straight path?” (67:22).

Thus, a genuine heavenly guide is he who never needs any education or guidance from any mortal in this world. He is sent into the world divinely conditioned with guidance, as were all the apostles from God, the Last one of them the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the holy Thirteen of his godly family, i.e., the Twelve Holy Imams and the Holy Lady of Light Fatimah Zahra (the only daughter of the Holy Prophet, who was the wife of the First Holy Imam Ali Ibn Ahi Talib, and the mother of the other Eleven Holy ones).

15. Blind Following

Professing a creed, blindly following a crowd, or joining any religious order for any material benefit, i.e., for any worldly advantages, is quite different from adopting a faith with genuine conviction, knowing the truth therein, after a thorough study of its fundamentals, and reasoning them out against their counter arguments. Islam totally discredits any blind following and abhors exploiting of the ignorance of the poor illiterates among the poverty-stricken helpless masses in the slums and is vehemently opposed to attracting anybody or bribing anyone with the bait of any material benefits or any kind of the worldly advantages or any social or economic uplift, just to inflate the number of its adherents to swell its ranks.

The one and only aim of Islam, is to educate the members of the human family, with the truth about the Absolute Sovereignty of the Only True God and the natural demand, of every creature’s willing submission or voluntary surrender to the All-Supreme Authority of the Creator Lord of the Universe. Islam invites every awakened mind of the human world, to a serious study of the mystery of the start of life, and the truth about its Omnipotent Originator, with a divinely prescribed code of life on earth to enable him, to raise himself from the abyss of the material degradation to the sublime heavenly heights of eternal spiritual bliss. Islam accepts only an independent judgment on the part of each individual by himself and for himself, without the least coercion, compulsion, inducement, or pressure of any kind whatsoever, save the dictates of the conviction of one’s own conscience.

16. Man Charged With Personal Responsibility Of Getting Guided Aright

Man had been deluded by the false imagination of the unconditional escape from the requital of his evil and wickedness through a vicarious atonement in return for the belief in some imaginary deities and man-made gods and goddesses. Islam rendered a death blow to such false imagination which gives the human mind the impunity to act freely as it likes, without any restriction or any restraint, with the confidence in the redemption through his belief in the imaginary gods, goddesses and the imaginary sons and the daughters of God. Islam has charged man with the personal and the individual responsibility of holding the right or the correct faith and every individual soul bearing its own burden:

مَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا

“Whosoever getteth guided aright, verily he getteth guided aright for his own self; and he who goeth astray, verily he goeth astray against his own self; nor shall the hearer of a burden bear the burden of another; And we chastise not (any people) until We raise an apostle (among them)” (17:15).

وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ وَإِنْ تَدْعُ مُثْقَلَةٌ إِلَىٰ حِمْلِهَا لَا يُحْمَلْ مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ إِنَّمَا تُنْذِرُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ بِالْغَيْبِ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَمَنْ تَزَكَّىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَتَزَكَّىٰ لِنَفْسِهِ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ

“And no bearer shall bear the burden of another; and if the heavy-laden one should cry for (another bearer to carry) its burden, (even) aught of it shall not be carried, and even if he be near of kin; Thou canst but warn those who fear their Lord unseen and keep up regular prayer; And whosoever purifieth (himself), he only purifieth for his own self; And unto God (alone) is the destination (of all)” (35:18).

17. The Individual Liberty Or The Freedom Of Choice, Announced

Having shown the right way against the wrong one, every human soul has been given the freedom of choosing one’s own way to the life hereafter:

إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا

“Verily have We shown him the (Right) way, be he grateful or ungrateful” (76:3).

Let those who blindly criticise Islam and its Holy Founder, attributing compulsion to the spread of the Qur’anic faith, dispassionately judge and impartially say out, in view of the above Qur’anic declaration and also with the verse 2:256, if there is left any room for any such doubt against the mission of the Holy Teacher.

18. The Individual And Personal Responsibility Of Every Man And Woman

Islam charges man with the individual responsibility of going aright in the walk of one’s life on earth, declaring that whatever a soul does here, be that good or evil, is for or against the soul itself:

مَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّىٰ نَبْعَثَ رَسُولًا

“Whosoever getteth guided aright, verily he getteth guided aright for his own self: and he who goeth astray, verily he goeth astray against his own self; nor shall the bearer of a burden bear the burden of another; and We chastise not (any people) until We raise an apostle (among them)” (17:15).

إِنْ أَحْسَنْتُمْ أَحْسَنْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ لِيَسُوءُوا وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا الْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا مَا عَلَوْا تَتْبِيرًا

“If ye do good, ye do it for your own selves; and if ye do evil it is (in like manner) for your own selves; So when came the second promise (warning to be fulfilled) (We roused your enemies to) sadden your faces, and that they may enter the Mosque as they entered it the first time, and to destroy whatever they conquered (with) total destruction” (17:7).

This warning has been repeatedly sounded in the Holy Qur’an:

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَسَاءَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِلْعَبِيدِ

“Whosoever doeth good, it is for his own self and whosoever doeth evil, it is against it; and thy Lord is not unjust unto the servants” (41:46).

فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّ اللَّهَ الَّذِي خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ

“And as to the people of Ad, they prided in the land without right, and said they: ‘Who is mightier than we in power?’ What! Beheld they not that God Who created them is mightier than they in power? And Our signs they used to deny” (41:15).

By the above verses, man is not only warned against the sure retribution of the evil, but also encouraged with the divine promise of the just reward or the sure return for goodness in this life and the hereafter.

19. The Qur’anic Formula To Be On The Right

In a single clause, only of a few words, the Holy Qur’an gives man the formula and shows him the right method of a sure and an unfailing following of the Right Path.

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“No compulsion be in religion; Indeed, truth has been made manifest distinct from error; therefore he who disbelief eth the rebels (false deities) and believeth in God, hath indeed laid hold on the strongest handle no break is for it; and verily God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing” (2:256).

An intelligent study of the above verse of the Holy Qur’an will disclose it to be the best and the only solution to fight against the deceptive devilish attractions which lead man astray. With the disbelief in Satan, man will never fall a victim of any attraction of any evil, and with the sincere belief in God, and faithful devotion to Him, what is the goodness which man will not adorn himself with.

20. The Decree Of The Holy Imam - A Note From A.P.

“The decree of the Masoom, (i.e., the Sixth Holy Imam) in this respect which is about ‘Ijtihad’, is not the only tradition but there are many undisputed traditions also of the other Imams establishing the institution of ‘Ijtihad’ prescribing the minutest details of its functioning, only a very brief outline of which is given below.

“Of the many declarations of the other Imams in this respect, two of them are the most outstanding. One from Hazrat Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq, known as the ‘Maqool- el-’Umar-Ibn Hanzala’ (the tradition of ‘Umar Ibn Hanzala) and the other is from the Eleventh Holy Imam Husayn al-Askari”

21. ‘Taqlid’ - A Note From A.P.

“The only, the greatest and the best protection afforded in Shi’ism, against the continuous as well as the occasional raids by Satan and his disciple missionaries is the ordinance about ‘Taqlid’4 (or to always abide by the ‘Ali’m’ or the most learned one, called the ‘Mujtahid’. This course guides one always to the right or the correct way of the practice of the faith and protects him from committing any excess and from shortcomings, and at the same time the individual from being exploited by the instigations of the satanic forces”

‘Taqlid’ has also been misinterpreted into the innovated institution of the Mureeds blindly following the Peers. Be it known that being guided by a ‘Mujtahid’ in matters of doubt about the practice of the faith, has nothing in common with it, and can never be compared to any such unwarranted blind following. Taqlid is only being attached to anyone of the greatest scholars who has reached the level of ‘Ijtihad’, (i.e., the ability to derive the required correct inference from the Holy Qur’an or the genuine traditions of the Holy Prophet) in matters of doubt about any articles of the practice of the faith ‘Furu al-Deen’, ‘Taqlid’ or any kind of following anyone in the articles of faith, i.e., ‘Usool al-Deen’ is ‘Haram’, (i.e., prohibited). As every one of the adherents of the faith cannot be expected to know all the minutest details about the practice of the faith, or be able to draw the correct inference about any doubts, from the Word of God, the Holy Qur’an, and the Hadith or the Sayings of the Holy Prophet, the divinely prescribed course to keep a Muslim always on the right course of his practised life, as well as to protect him from getting astray by the misgivings from the ill-informed or less- informed one, is Taqlid by which one chooses of his own independent discretion anyone of the accredited scholars who, in his considered opinion, is the greatest one of the most learned and the most pious ones of the age, and is always guided by the directive of such a scholar in all matters of the individual’s doubts regarding any matter of the practice of the faith. By this course one is not only assured by the best possible guidance to the right course, by the highest intellect of the age but also of the safety against his getting deluded by the unqualified, mis-qualified, or purposeful misgivings by any self-assumed authority”

“Since the practice of the faith by any adherent, unbounded by this course of ‘Taqlid,’ cannot doubtlessly be free from irregularities hence it will naturally be unacceptable”

“The question of following the highest authority in knowledge and piety, is only in the case of ‘Fatwa’ or the opinion of the Scholar about the law and not about the application of the law for which ‘Ijtihad’ is sufficient. The caution that Shi’ism, the Islam-Original, has sounded against the ruinous effects of unqualified administration of justice, is worthy of note here, for the information of the sincere adherents of Islam, (i.e., the special importance Shi’ism attaches to Justice being meted out in the proper manner, and to the extraordinary care taken against any unqualified and defective administration of it.) The following is the decree of the Sixth Holy Imam, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq the Regulator of the Shi’a faith: ”

“None shall take this seat save a Prophet of God, the Successor to the prophet or the evil one”

“This declaration clearly warns any unqualified one without any authority from the Holy Prophet and the Holy Imam, who assumes the seat of ‘Qaza’at’ or (Justice) will be none but the evil one. Hence a ‘Qazi’ (a judge) can be none but a ‘Mujtahid’ who gets himself qualified under the declaration of the Imam reported above”

“While condemning the yielding to the rule of ‘Taghoot’, i.e., an authority without the divine sanction, the Sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq said that instead of submitting to such a tyrant, seek the greatest of the scholars among you, who has learnt our traditions and gained deep insight into our sanctions and prohibitions and who knows our rulings well and accept him as your Judge (i.e., Qazi) and your Ruler, as I have appointed him to rule over you. And if he gives a ruling and if it is not accepted by anyone, it will be the contempt of God’s Sovereignty, which is almost ‘Shirk’, i.e., the recognition of an authority beside God’s”.

“The definition and the requirements of ‘Ijtihad’ and ‘Taqlid’ given below, are those that have been prescribed by the ‘Masoom’, i.e., the Twelfth Holy Imam, as ordained by the Holy Qur’an and the ‘Sunnah’ as a part and parcel of the whole system of the Divine Sovereignty and the Absolute Theocracy which is implemented in the very term ‘Islam’ which means acceptance of the Absolute Sovereignty of God and complete submission to His will. It is on this basis that the institution of apostleship is established. God communicates His will to mankind through the chain of the apostles, which was consummated in the apostleship of the Holy Prophet of Islam through whom was presented the Final Word of God, in the form of the Holy Qur’an, and his own apostolic sayings. And in the continuation of that sovereignty and the institution of apostleship, the Holy Prophet declared Ali and the Eleven Imams in his descent, as the authority joined with the Holy Qur’an representing his as well as God’s will”.

“When the period of the codification and the consolidation of the ‘‘Kitab’ and ‘Sunnah’ was completed, the age of the Imamah for that legislative purpose came to its conclusion. Hence the seclusion of the Twelfth Imam was affected though his hidden existence continues as a necessity, as a medium factor between God and His creatures, in the process of the Creative administration of the universe. The Imams declared the institution of ‘Ijtihad’ as given below, as the sole directive authority on their behalf, in leading mankind on the right path of submission to the sovereignty and the will of God, in all the practical aspects of the covenant which the ‘Kitab’ and the ‘Sunnah’ had already dealt with”.

“In short, ‘Ijtihad’ and ‘Taqlid’ are the supplementary institutions to ‘Imamah’ which in turn, is supplementary to ‘Risalah’ (Apostleship) which as a whole is the manifestation of the Divine Sovereignty. There is no room left for any individual view or choice except that the door is left open for every human being irrespective of any racial or geographical bias or restriction, to qualify one’s self in knowledge and piety to the level of ‘Ijtihad.’ The decree of the Holy Imam about the institution of ‘Ijtihad’ is as follows”.

* Amma Hawadisal Waqi’aat, Far ‘jeoo ila rimate Aliadeesena fa innahom hujati alaikum wa ana Hujjatullah.

“In all the events of life, refer ye to those who bear our traditions, they are the authority over you on my behalf, and I am the authority on behalf of God”

22. The Definition Of ‘Ijtihad’ - A Note From A.P.

“‘Ijtihad’ literally means an all-out effort to interpret and explain explicitly the divine orders, rules and regulations from the denotations, the connotations and the implications contained in the Holy Qur’an and the authentic sayings of the Holy Prophet and the apostolic Imams. ‘Ijtihad’ does not mean the use of one’s discretion in the findings, parallel to the Qu’ran and the ‘Sunnah.’ Anyone who has the capacity of understanding the details of the Divine Laws, Rules, and Regulations from the Qur’an and the ‘Sunnah’ of a ‘Masoom’ as given above, is a ‘Mujtahid’ provided he is of outstanding learning, knowledge, and piety. Any one short of that standard of knowledge and piety, be he a good scholar in certain branches of the Islamic literature, is termed as a layman in regard to the field of religion. A man who has not reached the stage, to take decisions in every detailed point of the laws of Islam, on the authority of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah, is a layman, and he has to follow a person who has definitely reached that standard, and whoever has reached that standard has to follow his own decision, and it is forbidden for him to follow anyone else”

“In case there are several men of equal standard, and they differ in their decisions, the layman has the choice to follow anyone of them and in case the ‘Mujtahids’ differ in degree of their accomplishments, the best among them is to be followed. In case one is better in knowledge and the other in piety, the latter is to be followed”

“As to how to find the best one among the ‘Mujtahids’ the layman should refer to the evidence of the competent pious scholars of Islamic Theology who have no claim to ‘Aalamiat’ or to the evidence of the ‘Mujtahids’ of the approximate standing about the best next to them. By the collection of all these evidence, one can easily consider for himself as to who is the best. This is the best method followed throughout the history of the ‘Niabat’ of the Imam after the Ghaibat”

“There is no room for any election or the counting of votes of any class or group to appoint one as the ecclesiastical head as used in the Papal system of Christianity, nor is it the ‘Peeri’ and the ‘Mureedi’ practised in the mystic system which is an unwarranted innovation among a section of the Muslims, carried as a counter or parallel to the institution of ‘Imamah.’ Be it known that the qualifications for ‘Ijtihad’ are known, recognised and measurable and the qualifications for a ‘Peeri’ is only fanciful heresy blindly accepted and neither fixed nor measurable”

“It is to be noted that the question of following the opinion of the best in knowledge and piety is confined to such questions where the Mujtahids differ, and the question of following any ‘Mujtahid’ does not arise in matters unanimously accepted by all ‘Mujtahids’”

“It is to be noted that for the administration of the theological centres and the other religious and ecclesiastical services, any pious ‘Mujtahid’ is competent for the undertaking, and if any pious ‘Mujtahid’ offers himself to shoulder the task the other ‘Mujtahid’ should not stand in his way, on the other hand he must help him”

23. Mere Verbal Profession Of The Faith Will Not Do

Everyone will be tried in his faith - to prove to himself the bonafide of his professing the faith:

أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَنْ يُتْرَكُوا أَنْ يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ

“What! Do people imagine that they will he left off on (their) saying: ‘We believe! and they will not be tried?” (29:2).

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنْفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ

“We will surely test you with something of fear, and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits; and give glad tidings to the patient ones” (2:155).

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُمْ مُصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

“Who when, misfortune befalleth them, say, ‘Verily we are God’s and verily unto Him shall we return” (2:156).

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

“Those are they on whom are the blessings from their Lord and (His) Mercy: and they are the ones that are (rightly)guided” (2:157).

The value of mere verbal declaration given out:

إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ

“When come unto thee the hypocrites, say they ‘We bear witness that verily thou art God’s Apostle’ and God Knoweth that thou art surely His Apostle, and God beareth witness that the hypocrites are certainly liars” (63:1).

24. The Real Islamic Piety Explained

To all hypocritic show of the formal observances of the faith, void of sincerity in the practical interpretation of it, Islam has rendered a deathblow, with the following decree:

لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

“It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces towards the East and the West, righteousness is rather one who believeth in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Book, the apostles, and giveth his wealth out of love for Him to the kindred and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer and the needy and for those in bondage; and established prayer and payeth the poor-rate; And those who fulfil their promise when they make a promise and the patient ones in distress and affliction and in the time of war these are they who are the Truthful and these are they who are the pious” (2:177).

Let the readers themselves say if there can be a better definition of piety and how glorious would be the soul which gets itself imbibed with these godly qualities in their fullness.

25. To Be Always With The Truthful

Man ordained to always be with the Truthful ones, i.e., those who never utter a lie. The greatest lie is ‘Shirk’, i.e., the belief in anyone else besides God and worshipping the false deities. Who else can be the Truthful ones besides the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt who never in their life, bowed to anything besides God and who are the only ones, God says that He Himself purified5:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

“O’ ye who believe! Fear ye God and be ye (always) with the Truthful ones” (9:119).

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُوا وَجَاهَدُوا بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَأَنْفُسِهِمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الصَّادِقُونَ

“The believers are only those who believe in God and His Apostle, they doubt not thereafter, and strive (fight) they with their wealth and their lives in the way of God; they are the truthful ones” (49:15).

The qualities of a Truthful one is also given:

لَيْسَ الْبِرَّ أَنْ تُوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَالْمَلَائِكَةِ وَالْكِتَابِ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ وَآتَى الْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينَ وَابْنَ السَّبِيلِ وَالسَّائِلِينَ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَى الزَّكَاةَ وَالْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَاهَدُوا وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ

“It is not righteous that ye turn your faces towards the East and the West, righteous is rather one who believeth in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Book, the apostles, and giveth his wealth out of love for Him to the kindred and the orphans and the poor and the wayfarer and the needy and for those in bondage; and established prayer and payeth the poor-rate; And those who fulfil their promise when they make a promise and the patient ones in distress and affliction and in the time of war these are they who arc the Truthful and these are they who are the pious” (2:177).

26. Taqiah

Hiding the faith - giving out a mere verbal profession otherwise to save one’s life or life interest. This is a Qur’anic ordinance.

The one who hides in faith at its proper occasion is praised in the Qur’an - Viz. The ‘Mu’min aale Fir’awn.’

وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ أَتَقْتُلُونَ رَجُلًا أَنْ يَقُولَ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ وَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَإِنْ يَكُ كَاذِبًا فَعَلَيْهِ كَذِبُهُ وَإِنْ يَكُ صَادِقًا يُصِبْكُمْ بَعْضُ الَّذِي يَعِدُكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي مَنْ هُوَ مُسْرِفٌ كَذَّابٌ

“And said a man who was a Believer, from among the people of Pharaoh: who used to conceal his faith: ‘What! slay ye a man for sayeth he ‘My Lord is God’, and indeed he hath brought unto you clear proofs (of his mission) from your Lord? While if he be a liar, on him will be his life, and if he be truthful, then wilt afflict you some of what he warneth you (with); Verily, God guideth not him who is extravagant (and) a liar” (40:28).

وَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَقْصَى الْمَدِينَةِ يَسْعَىٰ قَالَ يَا مُوسَىٰ إِنَّ الْمَلَأَ يَأْتَمِرُونَ بِكَ لِيَقْتُلُوكَ فَاخْرُجْ إِنِّي لَكَ مِنَ النَّاصِحِينَ

“And there came a man from the remotest part of city, running (and) said he: “O’ Moses! verily the chiefs are consulting to slay thee, Begone (from here at once)! Verily, unto thee I am of the sincere advisers” (28:20).

مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَٰكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

“He who disbelieveth in God after his having believed, not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of faith - but he who open his breast (heart) for disbelief - they shall have a grievous chastisement” (16:106).

27. Intercession Available

Intercession for redemption against the earned punishment available, not by one of man’s fancied gods and the false deities whom man worshipped as the Creator Lord - but by those divinely qualified to do it:

مَنْ ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ

“Who is he who can intercede unto Him but by His Permission” (2:255)

إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مَا مِنْ شَفِيعٍ إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ إِذْنِهِ ذَٰلِكُمُ اللَّهُ رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Verily, Your Lord is God Who created the heavens and the earth in six days (terms) and is firmly established on ‘Arsh’; He regulateth everything; No intercessor can there be save after His leave; This is God, your Lord, Therefore Him (alone) worship ye; What! will ye not then mind?” (10:3).

لَا يَمْلِكُونَ الشَّفَاعَةَ إِلَّا مَنِ اتَّخَذَ عِنْدَ الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَهْدًا

“They shall not own intercession, save he who has made a covenant with the Beneficent God” (19:87).

يَوْمَئِذٍ لَا تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَرَضِيَ لَهُ قَوْلًا

“On that day shall avail not intercession (of any) save (that of) whom hath permitted God, and whose word He is pleased with” (20:109).

يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلَّا لِمَنِ ارْتَضَىٰ وَهُمْ مِنْ خَشْيَتِهِ مُشْفِقُونَ

“Knoweth He what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede but for him whom He approveth, and they, of His fear, tremble” (21:28).

وَلَا تَنْفَعُ الشَّفَاعَةُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا لِمَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ

“And will avail not aught any intercession with Him save of him whom He hath permitted” (34:23).

28. Killing Of Even A Single Believer

وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِنًا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَجَزَاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَغَضِبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذَابًا عَظِيمًا

“And whosoever killeth a believer intentionally his recompense shall be Hell, he shall abide therein, and God’s wrath shall be on him and His curse, and (there) is prepared for hint a great torment” (4:93).

مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَٰلِكَ كَتَبْنَا عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَلَقَدْ جَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ ثُمَّ إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْأَرْضِ لَمُسْرِفُونَ

“For this reason did we prescribe unto the children of Israel that he who slayeth anyone (man), without (that being for) murder, or for mischief in the land, (It shall be) as though he hath slain mankind as a whole; and he who saveth it (a human life), shall be as though he hath saved mankind as a whole; and certainly our Apostles came unto them with clear evidences and yet verily, many of them even after that certainly commit excesses in the land” (5:32).

Man has to judge under the above ordinances of the Lord the position of those who killed the very beloved ones of God, the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt. History is there to testify the fact that none, save the Fourteenth one of the Holy ones, did escape the murder at the hands of those who called themselves Muslim and ruled the States calling themselves as the Caliphs. See the chart about the Holy Fourteen under Imamah.

29. The Dead In The Way Of The Lord Are Alive

The following declaration of God through His Final Word, the Holy Qur’an, says that those who lay their lives in God’s way are alive and not to be counted as dead. Thus, the Shi’as believe in the martyrs being alive and revere their unforgettable memory:

وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَنْ يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَٰكِنْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ

“And say not of those who arc slain in the path of God that they are dead; Nay (they are) living, but ye perceive not” (2:154).

وَلَا تَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ قُتِلُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتًا بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ يُرْزَقُونَ

“Reckon not those who are slain in the way of God, to be dead; Nay! alive they are with their Lord being sustained” (3:169).

الَّذِينَ هَاجَرُوا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ قُتِلُوا أَوْ مَاتُوا لَيَرْزُقَنَّهُمُ اللَّهُ رِزْقًا حَسَنًا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَ

“And those who migrate in the Way of God and are then slain or die, certainly will God provide them with an excellent sustenance; and Verily, God is the Best of providers” (22:58).

30. Reverence Or Respect To The Signs Of God

Everything in the Universe is a Sign of God particularly those associated with godly objects and the men of God:

إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ حَجَّ الْبَيْتَ أَوِ اعْتَمَرَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَطَّوَّفَ بِهِمَا وَمَنْ تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

“Verily, ‘Safa’ and Marina’ are among the signs of God; whoever therefore maketh a pilgrimage to the House or performeth ‘Umra’ Therefore it shall be no blame on him to go round them both; and whoever of his own accord doeth anything good indeed, verily God is Grateful, All-Knowing” (2:158).

وَالْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَاهَا لَكُمْ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللَّهِ

“As (as for the Camels) We have made them for you, of the Signs of God” (22:36).

ذَٰلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ شَعَائِرَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ تَقْوَى الْقُلُوبِ

“That shall be so, and whosoever respected the Signs of God, then that verily is the outcome of the piety of heart” (22:32).

Mere common sense is needed to know that if mounds of Safa and Marwa and the animals of sacrifice are worthy to be the Signs of God, the token of the Emblem or the Standard of Islam with which Husayn fought and established the Truth will be the greatest sign of God, i.e., the Sign of the Religion revealed by the Lord and respect and reverence to it cannot be but the Sign of the piety of the individual. Be it known that the Shi’as, the followers of the Qur’anic faith, the Islam- Original are more careful against ‘Shirk’ than any other school they regard the ‘Alam al-Husayny’ neither as God nor as Husayn but as a token of the Standard of Islam.

31. Mourning For The Martyrs

فَمَا بَكَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ وَمَا كَانُوا مُنْظَرِينَ

“So wept not on them the heavens and the earth nor were they respited” (44:29).

Qur’an clearly declares that heaven and earth also mourn. When they do not mourn for the wicked, it naturally infers that they do it on the righteous.

Thus, mourning for the righteous, particularly for those who have laid their lives in the way of the Lord is a heavenly conduct.

There are authentic traditions of the Holy Prophet shedding tears for the prophesied massacre of Husayn even before the event had actually taken place.

There is The Qur’anic evidence of Jacob’s weeping for his son Joseph who had only disappeared from his sight to the extent of his losing his sight, although as an apostle of God, he knew that his son Joseph was not dead.

Thus, mourning for Husayn or any other martyr of the House of the Holy Prophet is following the apostolic tradition.

32. Breast-Beating For The Martyrs

The breast-beating which is generally done by the Shi’as, for the martyrs of the House of the Holy Prophet, the Ahl Al-Bayt, is not a part of the Shi’a faith. It is an active expression of the sorrow and the grief for the holy ones, no doubt a violent outlet of the climax of the emotion of grief, identifying with the sufferers in the way of the Lord. There is a similar conduct in the history of Islam on the part of Owais Qarani who hurt himself breaking his own teeth in feeling for the Holy Prophet who suffered in Ohad, which is not only perceived by the Muslim world but also recognised and regarded by the Holy Prophet himself. Thus, though not a part of the religion, breast-beating is tolerated.

The phenomenon behind the degree of feeling by one for another, is the degree or the extent of the individuals’ identifying with the personal interest of one another. The intensity of the feeling will be according to the intensity of the attachment. The violent expression of the feeling by the Shi’as for the martyrs of the Holy ones of the House of the Holy Prophet, is nothing but the natural consequence of their identification and attachment to them. When a man dies, the others will not feel as much as his sons, or his nearest relatives would do. If an issues of any departed soul weep or mourn and behave even violently, in their bereavement - the others do not condemn them but console and express their own sympathy.

Similarly, the Shi’a - attachment to the holy ones, is closer than that of the others, and the Shi’as actually regard the holy ones as their spiritual parents. The same did the Holy Prophet declare: “I and Ali are the two fathers of this people”

33. Reverential Prostration

A reverential Prostration before any sacred object is not prohibited by Islam. People not knowing the difference between a mere reverential prostration to a respectable object and the Prostration of Supplication and Submission to God, wrongly termed the act as ‘Shirk.’’ Iblees or the Lucifer was outcasted for not prostrating to Adam:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

“And when said We unto the angels ‘Prostrate ye before Adam!’ they all prostrated save Iblees, he refrained and was puffed with pride and was turned into one of the disbelievers.’” (2:34).

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ صَوَّرْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنَ السَّاجِدِينَ

“And indeed, We did create you, then We did fashion you, then said We unto the angels; ‘‘Prostrate yourselves unto Adam;’ so they all did prostrate themselves except Iblees; he was not of the prostrating ones” (7:11).

فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ

“So when I complete him and breathe into him My spirit, fall ye down unto him prostrating (in obeisance)” (15:29).

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ

“When said We unto the angels ‘Prostrate ye in obeisance unto Adam!’ they did prostrate in obeisance save ‘Iblees’, he refused” (20:116).

Jacob being the Apostle of God, prostrated along with other sons to his own son on the throne of authority:

وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُمْ مِنَ الْبَدْوِ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ نَزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ

“And raised he his parents to the throne, and they fell down unto him prostrating and said he ‘O’ my father! this is the interpretation of my dream of aforetime! Indeed, my Lord hath made it come true; and indeed He was kind unto me when He took me out of the prison and hath sown Satan dissension between me and my brothers: Verily my Lord is Beneficent unto whomsoever He willeth; verily He is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (12:100).

34. Every Muslim Is Not A Mu’min, A Genuine Believer

The following verse of the Qur’an clearly gives the actual position of a Muslim and a Mu’min - the term Muslim is used for the one who submits himself to the faith, Islam, be that forced by circumstances or sincerely. But the term ‘Mu’min’, i.e., a believer, is he who has earned the genuine conviction in the truth:

قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَٰكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَا يَلِتْكُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ

“Say the desert Arabs ‘We believe.’ Say thou (unto them): ‘Ye believed not, but say ye, “We submit, for faith hath not yet entered your hearts: and if ye obey God and His Apostle, He will lessen to naught of your deeds; Verily God is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful” (49:14).

35. Respite Given to the Disbelievers

The respite given to the disbelievers is not in fact good for them:

وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ خَيْرٌ لِأَنْفُسِهِمْ إِنَّمَا نُمْلِي لَهُمْ لِيَزْدَادُوا إِثْمًا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ

“Let not those who disbelieve think that Our giving them respite is good for their selves; We only give respite to them that they may increase in sins, and for them is a disgraceful chastisement” (3:178).

36. Hoarding of Wealth

The following is the verdict of the Lord about those who hoard up wealth and do not spend it in His way:

وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنْفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُمْ بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“And as for those who hoard up gold and silver and spend not in the way of the Lord, announce unto them a painful chastisement” (9:34).

يَوْمَ يُحْمَىٰ عَلَيْهَا فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَتُكْوَىٰ بِهَا جِبَاهُهُمْ وَجُنُوبُهُمْ وَظُهُورُهُمْ هَٰذَا مَا كَنَزْتُمْ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ فَذُوقُوا مَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْنِزُونَ

“On the day when it shall be heated in the fire of hell their foreheads and their sides and their hacks shall be branded with it saying: this is what ye hoarded up for yourselves, so taste ye what ye hoarded” (9:35).

37. A Goodly Loan To God Has A Multiple Return.

Spending in the way of God, is lending the amount or the commodity or the endeavour, to God and that, not only gets a multiple return, but also forgiveness of sins:

إِنْ تُقْرِضُوا اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا يُضَاعِفْهُ لَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ شَكُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

“If ye lend God a goodly loan, He will double it unto you and will forgive you; And God is Most Appreciating, the Most Forbearing” (64:17).

لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ وَمَنْ قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنْفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا

“Let him with abundance spend of his abundance and he on whom is straitened his subsistence, let him spend of what God hath given him; (for) God layeth not on any soul a burden save to the extent to which He hath given it; God will soon bring about case after difficulty” (65:7).

38. Self-Defence Prescribed

While preaching, to return what is Best against evil, Islam is not an impracticable ideal. Islam wants man to resist evil as best one could do it, with all means of goodness and when the aggressor crosses the limits of reasonability and exploits the goodness on the part of the resistant one, then the man is commanded to defend himself with equal measures of strength and power but to be always just and reasonable and never to cross the limits.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الْقِصَاصُ فِي الْقَتْلَى الْحُرُّ بِالْحُرِّ وَالْعَبْدُ بِالْعَبْدِ وَالْأُنْثَىٰ بِالْأُنْثَىٰ فَمَنْ عُفِيَ لَهُ مِنْ أَخِيهِ شَيْءٌ فَاتِّبَاعٌ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَأَدَاءٌ إِلَيْهِ بِإِحْسَانٍ ذَٰلِكَ تَخْفِيفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ فَمَنِ اعْتَدَىٰ بَعْدَ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَهُ عَذَابٌ

“‘O’ ye who believe! Retaliation is prescribed for you in the matter of the (unlawful) murdered, the freeman for the freeman, the bondman for the bondman, the woman for the woman; but if any remission is made (to anyone) by his (aggrieved) brother then the recognised course be adopted, and payment made to him in handsome manner. This is an alleviation and a mercy from your Lord, and whosoever transgesseth the limit after this, then for him shall be a painful chastisement” (2:178).

The above is the ordinance of the Holy Qur’an and the Bible preaches to turn the other cheek if the one is already smitten and to surrender the coat also if the cloak is taken away, a comparison between these two commandments will disclose to any intelligent mind which is cent per cent practical and practised, and which is adored only in the recitation of it and could never be practised even by the staunchest Christian power on earth viz. Rome in Italy. Any man with common sense can easily judge as to which of the ordinances can be helpful to maintain peace, security, safety, and order and which will let loose the mischievous elements to do the worst under the ordinance of self-surrender preached by the Christian Church, which the people of the Church themselves do not practise and they can never practise it, at all.

39. A Believer Described

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

“Indeed, successful are the believers” (23:1).

الَّذِينَ هُمْ فِي صَلَاتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونَ

“Those who in their prayers are humble” (23:2).

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَنِ اللَّغْوِ مُعْرِضُونَ

“And those who, from what is vain, keep (themselves) aloof” (23:3).

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِلزَّكَاةِ فَاعِلُونَ

“And those who act for purification” (23:4).

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ

“And those who guard their private parts” (23:5).

إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

“Except from their wives or those whom their right hands possess, for then verily they are not blameable” (23:6).

40. Gender Segregation

Let those who are madly devoted to, and vehemently advocate the unwholesome and the disgraceful immoral traffic, licensed by the modern social freedom with the label of the false plea of individual liberty with the grossly deceptive and tempting bait to innocent womanhood, of equality with man, to encourage woman to enter the beastly realm of immorality, hear what one of the greatest and the renowned reformers of the modern society Mrs. Anne Besant says about her knowledge and experience of the present state of womanhood and the fate of poor woman in the hands of the voluptuous modern society particularly of the western model6.

Let every intelligent gentleman and respectable woman, judge if this could ever be the object of the creation of the chaste beauty and the glorious life of gentle womanhood, to be ruined in the public streets and to be torn and shattered in the slaughterhouses of morality labelled as clubs and hotels. Woman has been created for the healthy communion of pure and chaste sexual love, with a moral purposeful sacred mingling for the fulfilment of the divine plan of the continuity of the wholesome human progeny and never for any immoral traffic in any of the walks of human life on earth.

It is now for the world of gentle womanhood as a whole to rise in an irresistible revolt against the agents of Satan in the garb of the modern immoral fashionable manhood, and combat with the firmest possible determination to defeat the forces of the vultures of the wilderness of immorality, never allowing them any’ more to invade the holy domain of gentle and chaste womanhood. Islam, through its prescribed restrictions, aims at keeping both the sexes apart at a healthy distance to keep them safe against any evilly stimulated approach to each other, under any delusion from Satan who is ever active through all possible means and methods to gain sway over the children of Adam and drag them into vices of every kind.

Women, the gentile women in particular, have to be specially guarded, in these modern days of ours, against the grossly’ deceptive ways the devils in human form who have gained a strong sway over the affairs of womanhood under the pretext of chivalry and sympathy for women promising and advocating the freedom which is nothing but a master device to drag chaste and modest women out of their homes into immoral ways through the modern methods and the current devices of amusement and enjoyment in the clubs and the mixed parties in the hotels.

It is now left to woman, either to get deluded and be shattered by the vultures of the wilderness of immorality or to guard and protect the purity of her chastity and the grace of her modesty and preserve and maintain the greatness of her value and the glory’ vested in her by the All-Merciful Creator Lord. It is to help woman, to succeed in this regard, Islam has prescribed its own ordinances so that she may’ be safe without much strain on her part against the strong and the atrocious move of the evil hands and the corrupt intentions of the wicked manhood.

41. The Hijab Or Purdah – Veil For The Beliving Women

وَقُلْ لِلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِنْ زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“And say unto the believing women that they cast down their gaze and guard their private parts and they display not their adornment save what is apparent of it; and to draw their veils over their bosoms and they display not their adornment save to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husband’s, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands or their brothers, or their brother’s sons, or their sister’s sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants void of sexual stimulant, or the children who have not yet attained the carnal knowledge of women’s nakedness, and let them not strike their feet (in walking) that what they hide of their adornment gets apparent; and turn ye (repentant) unto God all of you, O’ ye believers! that ye may be successful” (24:31).

Our women are our jewels, invaluable ornaments - The more valuable is a thing, more secured we keep it and it is not displayed to one and all in the market or to all those who visit us. The first or the most attractive part of a body is the face. It is the facial features and the mould of the body that stimulate the animal passion in the sexes.

Thus, hiding of the face and the mould of the body of a woman, depends upon the value she herself assigns to her own personality and position - and to the extent she desires herself to be seen by the others or otherwise. In her hiding herself, lies her own safety and value. Though she might remain pure but with man as well as the woman, is always the devil to inspire evil intentions and stimulates the rebellious carnal desires. A good virtuous lady would never like her beauty to be polluted by the lusty glances of the devilish eyes and herself to be the genetic cause of unhealthy attraction and of stimulating devilish passion to pollute her pure and chaste fairness.

Some ladies, argue saying ‘What do we care, what happens to the others, but the answer is ‘Why should they become the tool of Satan to create evil?

The believer ladies who faithfully follow the Holy Lady Fatimah Zahra, need no directions save following the Godly Model of Chaste Womanhood on earth.

42. Adultery

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَىٰ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا

“Go not nigh unto fornication, verily it is an indecency; And evil is the way” (17:32).

43. Wedlock Or Marriage - Man Told To Marry

There is no Celibacy or Monasticism in Islam - man has to marry - The following verse will give the actual position of the ordinance about Wedlock:

وَأَنْكِحُوا الْأَيَامَىٰ مِنْكُمْ وَالصَّالِحِينَ مِنْ عِبَادِكُمْ وَإِمَائِكُمْ إِنْ يَكُونُوا فُقَرَاءَ يُغْنِهِمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“And marry ye those among you who are single and those who are righteous ones your male slaves and your female slaves; If they be needy, God out of His grace will make them free from want; and God is All- Bounteous, All-Knowing” (24:32).

The Holy Prophet declared: “Wedding is my ‘Sunnah’ (i.e., Tradition) and he who turns away from my ‘Sunnah’ is not of me” “Wed and meet and multiply yourselves, for on the Day of Judgment I shall be proud of the number of my followers compared to those of the other peoples”

The First Holy Imam Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib says:

“A prayer (Namaz) consisting of (the minimum of) only Two ‘Rak’ats’ (i.e., units) offered by a wedded pair, is better than the seventy ‘Rak’ats’ offered by the single ones”

44. Mut’a – Temporary Marriage - The Timed Wedlock

What the Holy Prophet invalidated, shall be invalid for ever and none shall validate it, and whatever he validated, shall be for ever valid and none shall invalidate it. ‘Mut’a’ or the Timed-Wedlock is valid by Qur’an and was so during the lifetime of the Holy Prophet and also in the time of the first Caliph Abu Bakr - and even for about half the regime of the Second Caliph ‘Umar - but later, ‘Umar at his own discretion which is unwarranted both by the Qur’an and as per the Holy Prophet - invalidated it. The Shi’as - as they follow the Holy Qur’an guided by the Holy Prophet, hold ‘Mut’a’ as valid.

Besides Ali when he became a Caliph re-validated it and none thereafter invalidated it. Hence, even by the verdict of the Caliphate, it is valid:

الْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُمْ مَا وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَنْ تَبْتَغُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ مُحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ فَمَا اسْتَمْتَعْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَاضَيْتُمْ بِهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الْفَرِيضَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا

“And (all) protected (married) ones of the women (are forbidden unto you) save those whom your right hands possess. (This is) God’s written ordinance unto you; And it is allowed for you, (all women) besides these that ye may seek (them) by means of your wealth taking (them) into marriage and not committing fornication; and as such of them, ‘ye hath Mut’a’ with them, give them their dowries as a fixed reward; and it shall not be a sin on you, in whatever ye mutually agree (to vary) after the fixed reward; Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Wise” (4:24).

Forbidding by anyone what is made lawful by God is not allowed:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُحَرِّمُوا طَيِّبَاتِ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ

“O’ ye who believe! Forbid not (yourselves) the good things which God hath made lawful unto you -” (5:87).

Judge under the above ordinance the forbidding of ‘Mut’a’ by ‘Umar.

45. Polygamy And Islam

People without knowing what actually Islam says about Polygamy blindly criticise it. Be it known that Islam never started Polygamy but controlled it. There is no religion which has protected woman and given her the maximum desirable individual rights, as Islam has done; rather Islam is the first and the only religion which has recognised the individuality of woman in the human society.

The Verse permitting polygamy does not order a Muslim to be polygamous; on the other hand, Islam warns man that he would not be able to have more than one woman as his wife, maintaining the strict equity essential for harmony between them. Hence only with the strict observance of equity, Islam permits man to marry, up to four and at the end warns that if he could not maintain justice, he should marry only one:

فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً

“Then marry those who seem good to you, two, or three or four, and if ye fear that ye shall not deal justly (with so many) then (marry) one only” (4:3).

This is nothing but a strictly restricted permission for exigencies.

Let the critics listen to what the great scholar viz., Lady Annie Besant and the others opine:

Annie Besant declares:

“You can find others stating that the religion (Islam) is evil, because it sanctions a limited polygamy. But you do not hear as a rule the criticism which I spoke out one day in a London hall where I knew that the audience was entirely uninstructed. I pointed out to them that monogamy with a blended mass of prostitution was a hypocrisy and more degrading than a limited polygamy. Naturally a statement like that gives offence, but it has to be made, because it must be remembered that the law of Islam in relation to women was until lately, when parts of it have been imitated in England, the most just law as far as women are concerned, to be found in the world. Dealing with property, dealing with rights of succession and so on, dealing with cases of divorce, it was far beyond the law of the West, in the respect which was paid to the rights of women. Those things are forgotten while people are hypnotised by the words monogamy and polygamy and do not look at what lies behind it in the West - the frightful degradation of women who are thrown into the street when their first protectors, weary of them, no longer give them any assistance.

“I often think that woman is more free in Islam than in Christianity. Woman is more protected by Islam than by the faith which preaches monogamy. In Al-Qur’an the law about woman is more just and liberal. It is only in the last twenty years that Christian England, has recognized the right of woman to property, while Islam has allowed this right from all times. It is slander to say that Islam preaches that women have no souls”7

James A. Michener says...

“Western writers have based their charges of voluptuousness mainly on the question of women. Before Muhammad, however, men were encouraged to lake innumerable wives; he limited them to four only, and the Koran is explicit that husbands who are unable to maintain strict equality between two or more wives, must confine themselves to one. . “8

J. E. Clare McFarlane writes...

“Whether the question is considered socially, ethically, or religiously, it can be demonstrated that polygamy is not contrary to the highest standards of civilization... The suggestion offers a practical remedy for the problem of the destitute and unwanted female; the alternative is continual and increased prostitution, concubinage and distressing spinsterhood9

Suppose the wife of a man becomes incurably sick or she is proved barren, or she becomes incurably insane, should the poor soul for no fault of hers, be discarded or under such circumstances the husband be miserable for the whole of his life without any home member. Under such circumstances, even then, if the husband can fulfil the condition laid down in the verse, may have another wife.

46. Birth Control

وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلَاقٍ

“Slay not your children for fear of poverty” (6:151).

47. Reward For Shunning The Greater Evils

Shunning the greater evils gets the other sins wiped out:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَحْسَنَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

“And (as for) those who believe and do good, certainly will We do away their evil deeds, and certainly, will We reward them the best of what they were doing” (29:7).

48. Intoxicants And Gambling

When man gets sunk too deep in sinning, he begins to delude his own self i.e., his corrupted conscience, with self-deceptive arguments in favour of his straying conduct, justifying his sinning as acts not forbidden by the law. It is argued that liquor and gambling has not been forbidden in the Qur’an. While Qur’an has used the most vehement terms with regard to liquor and gambling, prohibiting even going near it:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْسِرِ قُلْ فِيهِمَا إِثْمٌ كَبِيرٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَإِثْمُهُمَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ نَفْعِهِمَا وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنْفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“They ask thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) concerning wine and lots (gambling and games of chance); Say, in both these is great sin and also (some) profits for men; but their sin is greater than their profit; And they will ask thee (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) as to what they shall spend (in alms); Say, ‘whatsoever can be spared’; thus doth God maketh clear for you the signs so that ye may ponder” (2:219).

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“O’ ye who believe! intoxicants and games of chance (dedication of) stones (i.e., idols) and (divination by) arrows, are only an abomination of Satan’s handiwork, so be ye away front it so that ye may be successful” (5:90).

There cannot be a more vehement expression prohibiting the use of a thing or act, than saying “Go not nigh unto it”

49. Niggardliness

A niggard is niggard to his own self - for whatever he owns he will leave here and go away without earning any good for the hereafter by spending his wealth in the right way:

وَمَنْ يَبْخَلْ فَإِنَّمَا يَبْخَلُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ

“He who is niggardly is verily niggardly to his own self” (47:38).

For God says:

لَنْ تَنَالُوا الْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنْفِقُوا مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنْفِقُوا مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ بِهِ عَلِيمٌ

“Never shall ye attain to righteousness until ye give away (in the way of your Lord) of what ye love; and of whatsoever ye give, Verily, God knoweth it” (3:92).

50. Behaviour With Parents

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا

“And commanded thy Lord hath that thou shall worship not (anyone) but Him, and goodness to parents; if either or both of them reach old age with thee, utter not unto them (even so much as) ‘Fie’ nor chide them, and speak unto them a generous word” (17:23).

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“And We have enjoined on man goodness unto his parents; and if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to associate (others) with Me (in worship) of which thou hast no knowledge, then thou obey them not; Unto Me is the return of ye (all) and then will I inform you of what ye were doing” (29:8).

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

“And We did enjoin upon man concerning his parents; beareth him his mother in weakness upon weakness and his weaning taketh two years (and) saying: ‘Be thou grateful unto Me and unto thy parents’; (and remember thou that) unto Me is the ultimate return (of all),” (31:14).

وَإِنْ جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“And, if they contend with thee that thou should associate with Me what thou hast no knowledge of, (then thou) obey them not, and consort kindly, with them in the world, and follow thou the path of him who turneth (repentant) unto Me; then unto Me is the return of ye (all) and then will I inform you of what ye were doing” (31:15).

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ إِحْسَانًا

“We have enjoined on man the doing of good to parents” (46:15).

51. Usury - Charging Interest On Any Lending

الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ الرِّبَا لَا يَقُومُونَ إِلَّا كَمَا يَقُومُ الَّذِي يَتَخَبَّطُهُ الشَّيْطَانُ مِنَ الْمَسِّ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا الْبَيْعُ مِثْلُ الرِّبَا وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا فَمَنْ جَاءَهُ مَوْعِظَةٌ مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَانْتَهَىٰ فَلَهُ مَا سَلَفَ وَأَمْرُهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَمَنْ عَادَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ

“Those who swallow interest will not (be able to) stand (in resurrection) except as standeth one whom Satan hath confounded with his touch; this because they say, trade is only like (earning) interest, whereas God hath decreed trade lawful and hath forbidden interest, wherefore whosoever (after) the admonition hath come unto him from his Lord desists, shall have what hath gone before; and his affair rests with God, and whoever returneth (to it even after the admonition); They are the inmates of the (Hell) fire, therein shall they abide” (2:275).

52. Life Of This World

إِنَّمَا الْحَيَاةُ الدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ

“Verily the life of this World is only an idle sport and play” (47:36)10

53. None Knows Where On Earth He Will Breathe His Last

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Verily, God is He with Whom is the knowledge of the Hour and He sendeth down the rain, and knoweth He what is in the wombs; and knoweth not any soul what he shall earn the morrow; and knoweth not any soul in what lands he shall die; Verily God is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (31:34).

54. Khitan - Circumcision

Circumcision in Islam is ‘Sunnah al-Muwakkada’ - a tradition insisted upon (very near compulsory). Its origin comes from the time of Abraham - and it is the token of Abraham’s Everlasting Covenant with the Lord. It is reported that the Holy Prophet and all the Holy Imams of his House (i.e., Ahl Al-Bayt) were born duly circumcised. Sometimes, for old age Converts like earliest Companions of the Holy Prophet, this was not insisted upon and hence they were without it:

Abraham

“This is my covenant which ye shall keep between me and you and thy seed after thee. Every man child among you shall be circumcised”

“And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin: and it shall be a token of the covenant between me and you”

“And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in you generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money to any stranger, with is not of thy seed”

“He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money must needs be circumcised: and covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant”

“And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant” O.T. Gen. 17/10-14

Isaac

“And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded hint” Genesis 21:4

“And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said into him” Genesis 17/23

Jesus

“And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb” Luke 2/21

55. Following The Crowd Blindly

أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

“Thinkest thou that most of them do hear or understand? They are not but like the cattle; Nay! they are farther astray from the (right) path” (25:44).

People are warned against being enamoured of any hugeness of any crowd, in the matter of faith or right thinking for the majority had always been deluded by the satanic temptations and those who avoid the wrong path and been on the right one, had always been in minority. Among the men, the learned ones are few, among the learned, those with special intellect are fewer, among the intellectuals, the godly are fewer, among the godly, the saints are fewer, among the saints those chosen ones of God to be His messengers are fewer, among the messengers of God those with Scriptures or the Law Givers are fewer and among the Law Givers the Final Law Giver the Holy Prophet, is One.

This order of strength or number is there in every specie of creation. Take for instance, among the stones the costly are few, among the costly the more valuable are fewer, among the valuables, the precious ones are fewer, among the precious, diamonds are fewer and among the diamonds the Kohinoor is not known where it is now. Among the followers, the wild ones are innumerable, among the wild ones, the colourful are fewer, among the colourful those with fragrance are fewer, among the fragrant the selected species are fewer and among the selected ones, roses are fewer and among the roses those of special quality are the rarest. Take the birds. The crows and the other wild birds are innumerable, among the birds the beautiful ones are few, among the beautiful ones those with sweet voice, are fewer and the sweet-singer bird the nightingale is the rarer.

Thus, by the following verse man is warned against the actual intrinsic value of men in general:

أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا

“Thinkest thou that most of them do hear or understand? They are not but like the cattle; Nay! they are farther astray from the (right) path” (25:44).

Thus, man should not blindly be deluded by the majority for majority has always been discrediting any minority for their right thinking, simply because of their being lesser in number.

56. The Position Of The Majority Of The People

Man warned against following the crowd, influenced by multitudinous number:

وَلَقَدْ ذَرَأْنَا لِجَهَنَّمَ كَثِيرًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالْإِنْسِ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ لَا يَفْقَهُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا وَلَهُمْ آذَانٌ لَا يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا أُولَٰئِكَ كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْغَافِلُونَ

“Indeed, We have created for hell many of the jinn and the men; They have hearts (hut) they understand not with it; and they have eyes (but) they see not with it; and they have ears (hut) they hear not with it; they are like cattle, nay, more astray; These are they the heedless ones” (7:179).

57. Misappropriating The Property Of Orphans

وَآتُوا الْيَتَامَىٰ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَتَبَدَّلُوا الْخَبِيثَ بِالطَّيِّبِ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا أَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَمْوَالِكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حُوبًا كَبِيرًا

“And give unto orphans their property, and substitute not (your) worthless things for (their) good ones, and devour not ye their property, along with your own; for verily it is a great crime” (4:2).

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ الْيَتَامَىٰ ظُلْمًا إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِي بُطُونِهِمْ نَارًا وَسَيَصْلَوْنَ سَعِيرًا

“Verily, those who eat away the properties of the orphans unjustly, they swallow (only) fire into their bellies; and anon shall they enter the blazing Hellfire” (4:10).

58. Repel Evil With What Is Best

Man should as far as possible be good and do good and if anyone does evil, to return the evil with that which is Best. The best, is a very comprehensive term to mean, as best as the individual deserves or the situation demands:

وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ

“And equals cannot he the good and the evil. Repel thou (evil) with what is the best, when lol he between whom and thee was enmity, shall be as though he were a warm friend” (41:34).

The aim of a Muslim, in the return for the evil, should be, to be good and to do good and to try to win over another heart by doing a good turn, even in return for an evil, rather than perpetuate the hostility and the evil.

The best and the greatest example of such a conduct was presented by Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib who commanded the drink brought to him, immediately after his being mortally wounded by Abdur Rahman Ibn Muljim, first to be served to his assassin and to attend first to his convenience. Innumerable similar examples are there in the glorious lives of all the Holy Imams and even their devotees.

59. Fitna - Mischief Is Graver Then Murder

وَالْفِتْنَةُ أَكْبَرُ مِنَ الْقَتْل

“Mischief (Fitna) is more Grievous than Murder” (2:217).

60. Merciful Pardon In Response To Sincere Repentance Promised

As the unreasonable false belief in the false hope of any unconditional vicarious atonement encourages a man or a woman to act as a freelance in his practical life in this world, and at the same time the dejection against a merciless requital makes one desperate in his wickedness. Islam while warning against the false belief in any vicarious atonement extends the hope of the sure merciful pardon of the All-Merciful Lord in response to a sincere repentance and thus encourages man to leave the evil way and to return to righteousness, with a determination never again to resort to the evil, seeking pardon for the past, and the All-Merciful promises His merciful Pardon to such sincere repentant ones:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنْفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

“Say thou (O’ Our Apostle Muhammad!) ‘O’ My servants! who have been extravagant unto their own selves, despair ye not of the mercy of God; verity God forgiveth sins al! together: verily He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful” (39:53).

Let man seriously ponder and impartially judge, which is reasonable, and helpful to a sinner, the false belief in the imaginary vicarious atonement which gives man the impunity to proceed fearlessly in sinning or the promise of the merciful pardon against a sincere repentance which invites and encourages man to leave off sinning and return to righteousness.

61. Every One’s Action Is Being Watched

وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوا فَسَيَرَى اللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

“And say thou (unto them) ‘Act ye as ye will, God beholdeth your deeds, and His Apostle and the believers and then ye shall be brought back to the Knower of the hidden and the Manifest” (9:105).

The above verse clearly declares that every one’s action is being watched, not only by God but also by the Holy Prophet and the Believers.

The ordinance to act is current for ever, until the Day of the Final Judgment and along with it the watch over the conduct of the people will be naturally current.

The above verse clearly means that by the will of the Lord, the Holy Prophet and some Believers also watch the actions of the people. The Omnipresence of God is indisputable, and the presence of the Holy Prophet is definitely declared but who else can be the Believers other than those purified by the Lord Himself, i.e., the Holy Ahl Al-Bayt.11.

The above verse clearly declares that in every age there will be a Believer (a member of the Ahl Al-Bayt) the Imam of the age and it has been declared by the Holy Prophet:

مَن ماتَ ولم يعرِفْ إمامَ زمانِهِ ماتَ ميتةً جاهليَّةً

"Man mata' wa lam yarifu imama zamanihi mata' maytatan jahiliyah".

He who dieth without knowing the Imam of his age, hath died the death of the age of ignorance12(as was Abu Jahil and Abu Lahab and the others of his kind).

Conclusion

The brief topical notes given above are just to give a general view’ of the religious and the moral ideology of the Original Islam which is identified as Shi’ism. These few leading points will be sufficient to a sincere seeker of truth to have a correct view as what Shi’ism actually means, whether it is the strict and the pure Qur’anic faith or otherwise.

This work had to be rushed through under peculiar circumstances which cannot be detailed here. I sincerely declare that it was not the work of anyone else but the fulfilment of the will of the Lord that this humble work has been brought out.

There might be some printing and the other mistakes for which I sincerely apologise, and they will certainly be avoided ‘InshaAllahu Ta’ala’ in the next edition. I request the work may be perused pardonfully to me.

Any enquiry about Islam or any Qur’anic factor will be gladly received and duly answered.

Enquiries to be addressed to:

21, Buddi Begum Street

Thousand Lights, Madras. 6

S. India. 26th Moharram 1384 A.H.

8th June 1964

S.V. Mir Ahmad Ali

The Wonderful Revolutionary Changes Effected By Muhammad The Last Apostle Of God Through The Qur’anic Teachings

The wonderful transformation, the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Last Apostle of God, so successfully effected within the short span of only twenty-three years of his apostolic mission, is itself the mightiest of the miracles the world had ever witnessed. He successfully attacked every problem of the wildest barbarism and the chronic paganism which prevailed in the world at the time of his advent and established a godly life of superb virtues, in its stead, effecting the following changes:

1. Humanity was united under One God.

2. A death blow was rendered to the misconception about the multiple number of deities.

3. All apostles of God were declared to be equally truthful, holy, and sinless. Thus, the Brotherhood of Religions was established.

4. Respect for the leaders of the other faiths was enjoined.

5. Truthfulness of all heavenly scriptures was declared and respect and regard to all heavenly scripture was ordained.

6. All kinds of worship to creatures in the place of the Creator was strictly prohibited.

7. All man-made distinctions of caste, colour and birth were eliminated.

8. Compulsory and regular congregational prayers (daily, weekly, and terminal), with the annual rehearsal of the Human Brotherhood in Hajj, were prescribed and firmly established.

9. Uniform methods of prayer at the fixed times, with the test of the verbal supplication to be recited, were prescribed to be strictly followed.

10. Idolatry of every kind was strictly prohibited and banned.

11. The rights of man and woman were prescribed in their details and were effectively enforced.

12. The minimum amount of regulated charity was made compulsory.

13. Celibacy was condemned, marriage encouraged, wedlock honoured.

14. Hays of a godly life in the world were shown and demonstrated with practical examples to be followed.

15. Woman was honoured; marriage was sanctified; parental rights were prescribed; widow marriage was legalized and commended.

16. Unlimited marriages and the institution of concubinage or the holding of unlimited number of wives was stopped and controlled through a strictly prescribed equity.

17. Polygamy as a curative measure was made strictly conditional, subject to perfect equality among wives.

18. Woman was given equal opportunity for spiritual elevation along with man.

19. The burial of female babies was stopped. The value of daughters was equalized to sons.

20. Sobriety and temperance were ordained. Use of all intoxicants was strictly prohibited.

21. Distribution of property was prescribed in detail and strictly enforced.

22. Place of worship was declared open to all worshippers, without any monopoly for any individual or community.

23. Nude dances were stopped, graceful dressing was prescribed.

24. Seeking of knowledge was made compulsory, both for man and woman, scholarship was encouraged, and scholars honoured.

25. Gambling and all games of chance were declared as crimes.

26. Adultery was declared as the most abhorred and the most severely punishable crime.

27. Slavery was abolished in the most practical and peaceful way, enjoining equal treatment to the slaves as compulsory, if slaves had to be maintained.

28. The law of ‘Maktabah’ to facilitate slaves get liberated was enforced.

29. Usury was strictly prohibited, loan without interest highly commended.

30. Socialistic pattern of society mas established through a commonwealth called ‘Bait-ul-mal.’

31. Accumulation of wealth was controlled through the Laws of Inheritance, and the annual taxations, with the prescribed rates.

32. Hoarding of food grains and other foodstuffs were declared as punishable crimes.

33. Just and the correct use of Weights and Measures, was ordered.

34. Cleanliness of body, thought, conduct and character was made compulsory.

35. Varieties of food and drinks and the limits of eating and drinking fixed.

36. Strictly regulated fasting was prescribed and declared compulsory.

37. Protection of travellers and helping them as much as possible, made obligatory and highly commendable.

38. Patronage of orphans and the destitute declared as one of the great virtues and a strongly commended quality.

39. Compulsion in faith strongly deprecated and strictly prohibited.

40. Man was given the liberty in the choice of his faith, with personal responsibility for a correct decision.

41. Reformation through many other characteristics and exclusively distinctive commandments was enforced through which human society was revolutionised and greatly profited.

The Various Titles Of The Holy Prophet Muhammad

The Various Titles, the Holy Prophet Muhammad has been referred to in the Heavenly Scriptures of Old and the Holy Qur’an:

The Holy Bible

	Prophet Muhammad’s Name	Reference
Old Testament	The Prophet	Deut. 18/15, 18
New Testament	The Parcelete	Dua
	The Awaited	John 1/21
	That Prophet	John 1/21
	The Comforter	John 14/16, 26 John 16/7, John 15/26
	The Spirit of Truth	John 16/13
	The Holy Ghost	John 14/26

Holy Qur’an

Prophet Muhammad’s Name	Reference
Muhammad	48:29
Ahmad	61:6
Rahmatun lil ‘-‘Alameen	21:107
Rasul	5:67
Nabi	33:56, 33:28
Basheer	25:56, 34:28
Nazeer	25:56, 34:28
Noor	61:8, 5:15
Mizan	57:25
Muzzammil	73:1
Muddaththir	74:1
Sirajan Muneer	33:46
Shaahid Shaheed	33:45
Daa’i ila Allah
Awwal al-Muslimeen
Awwal al-Abideen

Reference to Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib in the Holy Qur’an

1. Salih al-Mu’minin

2. Man-indaho ‘ilm al-Kitab

3. Man yashtari Nafsaho

4. Yo’toona az-Zakaat wahom Rake’oon.

Reference to Jesus In The New Testament

Jesus calls himself - Son of man - Luke 9/26.

The Arabic names used in the Holy Qur’an with their anglicised names used in the English translation of the Bible

Arabic	English
Adam	Adam
Ayyub	Job
Al-Yash’a	Elisha
Dawood	David
Fir’awn	Pharaoh
Haroon	Aaron
Ibrahim	Abraham
Imran	Amran
Ilyas	Elias
Injeel	Evangel - Gospel
Is-haq	Isaac
Isma’il	Ishmael
‘Isa	Jesus
Jibril	Gabriel
Jalut	Goliath
Lut	Lot
Luqman	Lok
Majuj	Magog
Maryam	Mary
Mika’il	Michael
Musa	Moses
Muhammad or Ahmad	Parcelete, That Prophet, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, Holy Ghost
Nuh	Noah
Qarun	Korah
Saba	Sheba
Sulayman	Solomon
Taurat	Torah
Uzair	Ezra
Talut	Saul
Yahudi	Jew
Yahya	John
Yunus	Jonah
Yusuf	Joseph
Zakariyya	Zachariah

Early Shi’a Qur’an Commentators

A few of the Shi’a Commentators who worked on Qur’an in First, Second, Third and the early part of the fourth century before the Ghaibah Al-Kubra.

I am indebted to Allama Raza Husayn Khan Rashid Turabi for providing me with these references - Most of these ancient Works are in his personal library.

For years, he is busy in a detailed Work on ‘Rijal’ a very great and useful venture when realised fully by this great Scholar and gifted orator, will be of immense value to those interested in the ‘‘Ilm al-Hadith’ for the scrutiny of the Traditions, i.e., the Ahadith. It will be a unique work of its kind which is imperatively needed in these days when people are deluded by the mere quotation of a ‘Hadith’ without knowing the actual position of it. It will be a yeoman service to the study of Islamic theology and the Qur’anic matters.

He has a wonderful collection of very rare and ancient basic authorities which are not commonly available even in big libraries - I could visit during my own venture all these years.

1. Maytham al-Tammar - 60 A.H.

2. Abdullah Ibn Abbas - 68 A.H.

3. TafsirAtiat Ibn Sa’d - 111 A.H. Atiat Ibn Sa’d Aufi Jadali Abul Hasan, one of the companions of the Fifth Holy Imam Muhammad Ibn Ali Al-Baqir.

4. Tafsir al-Sadooq - Muhammad Ibn Ali, Ibn Husayn Ibn Ali al-Qummi.

5. Tafsir al-Soddi - 127 A.H. Abu Muhammad Ismail Ibn Abdul Rahman Ibn Abi Kareemat Ibn Qoraishi.

6. Tafsir al-Zaid Ibn Aslam - 136 A.H. One of the companions of the Sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq.

7. TafsirHusayni - Husayn Ibn Syeed Hammad Ahwazi (The reporter from the Eighth and the Ninth Holy Imam Ali Ibn Musa Ar-Ridha’).

8. Tafsir Ismail Abi Ziad al-Sakooni - 150 A.H. His commentary based on Report from the 4th, 5th, and 6th Imams. Reporter from the 6th Imam.

9. Jabir Ibn Hyyan Koofi - 200 A.H. The celebrated Father of Chemistry who reports from the Sixth Imam.

10. Tafsir ul-Uza - 208 A.H. Yayya Ibn Ziadal Aqta’ Ibn Abdullah. The hands of his father were cut off on account of his being with Husayn Ibn Ali Ibn Hasan al-Musallas.

11. Tafsir al-Yminus - 208 A.H. Younus Ibn Abdul Rahman As-Siqatul Jaleel (Reporter from the Seventh and the Eighth Holy Imams, Musa Ibn Ja’far Al-Kazim and Ali Ibn Musa ar-Ridha’).

12. Tafsir al-Yaqteeni - 214 A.H. Abu Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Isa Ibn Obaid Ibn Yaqteen (A reporter from Abi Ja’far Thani al-Jawad).

13. Tafsir al-Maa’zani - 249 A.H. Abu Othman Ibn Bakar Ibn Muhammad Ibn Baqiatul al Maa’zani.

14. Tafsir al-Mankhal - Mankhal Ibn Jameel Asadi. (One of the companions of the Sixth Holy Imam Ja’far Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq).

15. Fazl Ibn Shazaan - 260 A.H.

16. Imam Al-Hasan al-‘Askari - (Partly this Imam but mostly by Sahl Ibn Ahmad Debaji).

17. Tafsir al-Wahaib - 263 A.H. Abu Ali Waheeb Ibn Hafs al-Jareeri.

18. Tafa Abu Haneef Dainoosi - 280 A.H.

19. Tafsir al-Al-Ghazari - 290 A.H. Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Abbas Ibn Isa.

20. Ali Ibraheem Qummi - 307 A.H.

21. Tafsir al-Furat - 307 A.H. Furat Ibn Ibrahim Ibn Furat al-Koofi.

22. Tafsir al-Qotaiba - 316 A.H. Qotaiba Ibn Ahmad Ibn Shoraih al-Bokhari Ashshiye (Not to be confused with the Sunni Scholar Ibn Qataiba Dainoosi).

23. Tafsir -al-Ka’bi - 317 A.H. Abul Qasim Abdullah Ibn Ahmad Ibn Mahmood al-Ka’bi al-Balkhi.

24. Tafsir al-Ayashi - 320 A.H. Abu Nazr Muhammad Ibn Masood Ibn Muhammad Ibn Ayashi Salmi Samarqandi.

If one goes through these most ancient and the basic works on the Original side of the Qur’anic knowledge on which is based the Original Islam identified as Shi’ism, one will find that nowhere in these foremost works on Islam, is the least mention of any Tahrif al-Makani or the shortage or any addition to the present Version of the Holy Qur’an which is in our hands. If at all there is anything found in these basic authorities, it is only about ‘Tawil’ i.e., Interpretation.

In the 10th volume of Bihar Al-Anwar of Mullah Baqir Al-Majlisi, there is the discussion between Abdullah Ibn Abbas and Mu’awiyah. Ibn Abbas in answering to the Amir Sham, against his command to stop praising Ali and the Ahl Al-Bayt - never speaks of any distortion or misarrangement of the verses in the Holy Qur’an or any portion having been dropped and not incorporated into it, nor of any additions but questions Mu’awiyah, challenging him, as to what he could do to the interpretation or the ‘Tawil’ of the verses of the Qur’an which directly and exclusively speak of Ali and the Ahl Al-Bayt. This is another clear evidence of the present Qur’an undoubtedly being the very same copy of the collection made during the time of the Holy Prophet at his command and presented by the earliest Scripts the leader of them being Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali Ibn Abi Talib - whose collection was with the special explanatory notes from the Holy Prophet and by himself regarding the external as well as the internal meaning of the Word of God.

Translations Of The Holy Qur’an Into English Language

Translations of the holy Qur’an into English language by our Christian brethren, kept in view

1. G. Sale.

2. Memoirs of the translation by G. Sale by R. A. Devonport.

3. Savary’s version of the Koran - Notes by E.M. Wherry.

4. Translation of Holy Qur’an by Dr. with short commentary notes 1905 Edition.

5. Translation of the Koran by J. M. Rodwell.

6. Translation of the Koran by E. H. Palmer.

7. Selections from G. Sale’s translation with notes by S. Lane-Pool.

8. Notes on Sale’s translation by J. Murdock.

9. Notes on Koran in his work The Religion of the Koran, by A. N. Wollaston.

10. Sir William Muir on the Koran (Notes).

11. Tisdale’s sources of the Koran.

12. The Teachings of the Koran by H. U. W. Stanton.

13. A. Mingana on the style of the Koran.

The Different Titles Of The Holy Qur’an

The Final Word of God (The Holy Qur’an) has been referred to with various titles:

Arabic Words	Translation in English	Related Verse(s)
Al-Kitab	The Book	2:2, etc.
Al-Huda	The Guidance	2:2, etc.
Al-Qur’an	The Recital, what is read	2:185, etc.
Habl Allah	The Rope, the Covenant of Allah	3:103
Al-Khair	The Goodness	3:104
Al-Bayan	The Explanation	3:138
Al-Burhan	The Proof, the Argument	4:174
Al-Muhaimin	The Protector, the Guardian (of previous revelation)	5:48
An-Nur	The Light	7:157
Al-Mau’izah	The Admonition	10:57, etc.
Ash-Shifa	The Healing, the Cure	10:57, etc.
Al-Hukm (other forms of the same word, being Hikmat, Hakim, Muhkam)	The Judgment, the Wisdom	13:37, etc.
Adh-Dhikr (other forms of the same word used being, Zikra and Tazkirah)	The Reminder	15:9, etc.
Al-Haqq	The Truth	17:81
Ar-Rahmah	The Mercy	17:82
Al-Qayyim	The Maintainer of Truth	18:2
Al-Hadith	The Saying	18:6, etc.
Al-Furqan	The Distinguisher - that which makes a Distinction between Truth and Falsehood	25:1, 25:32
Al-Tanzil Ar-Rooh	The Revelation The Spirit, the life	26:192, etc. 42:52
An-Ni’mah	The Bounty	93:11
Al-Mubarak	The Blessed, or the one with the blessings (whose blessings are never intercepted)	21:50, etc.

This shows that the divine revelation is not one sided, but it is a multi-purpose or a multifaceted Guidance from the Universal and the All-Enveloping Conscious, Merciful, Almighty - not for anyone purpose or one age but for all purposes of life as a whole, for all times to the last, i.e., until the Final Judgment. This makes it quite evident that the Holy Qur’an, is not a mere verbal expression of the Divine Will but it has its own inherent and latent value and worth to the human race as a whole. Its words convey the meanings, and its proper recital has its own spiritual blessings of conditioning the reciter’s soul to qualify it for higher regions of spiritual life of permanent value of the eternal bliss.

• 1. Vide 33:33.
• 2. Vide 33:33.
• 3. Al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, al-Mustadrak ‘ala as-Sahihayn, Vol.3, p. 126; Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, al-Isti’ab, Vol.3, p. 1102.
• 4. Vide 16:43.
• 5. Vide 33:33.
• 6. See p. 140.
• 7. Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras, June 1932, p. 3.
• 8. James A. Michener, “Islam: The Misunderstood Religion,” in the Reader’s Digest (American Edition) for May 1955, pp. 68-70.
• 9. J. E. Clare McFarlane, The Case for Polygamy London, 1934, p. 30
• 10. See also 6:32; 29:64; 57:20.
• 11. Vide 33:33.
• 12. References in Shi’a Books: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mat, al-Sheikh al-Saduq, p. 409-410; Kifayat al-Athar, al-Khazaz al-Qummi, p. 296; Wasail al-Shi’a (Al al-Bayt), al-Hurr al-‘Amili, vol. 16, p. 246; Mustadrak al-Wasail, al-Mirza al-Nuri, vol. 18, p. 187, and others.
  Sunni Books: Musnad Ahmad, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol. 4, p. 96; Majma’ al-Zawaid, al-Heithami, vol. 5, p. 218; Masnad al-Tiyalisi, al-Tiyalisi, p. 295; al-Ihsan Bi Tartib Sahih Ibn Haban, vol. 7, p. 49; Hilyat al-Awliya, vol. 3, p. 22 Sahih Muslim, v. 6, p.22 and Kitab Al-Sunnah by ibn Abi Aasim, p. 489 among others.