A Religious Perspective on the Phenomenon of Migration and Human Capital Flight (Brain Drain) This is a summary of a speech delivered by Ustad Soroush Mahallati in University of Tehran. The topic of the conference was National and Religious Foundations of Migration. Positive Migration Migration is discussed in Islamic texts with a positive outlook and … Read more

The friend could not distinguish from the foe, Blindly he played the dice, not knowing where to go. Your enemy is none but your own self, Blame not the innocent with false stealth. This ill-fate seems a fortune in your eyes, But it strikes like a whip, a sharp demise. If you do not turn … Read more

By Mehdi Kohan Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi wrote Nasirean Ethics (Akhlāq-i Nāsirī) while residing in Qohestan, serving the ruler of the region, Nasir al-Din Abdur Rahim, an influential Ismaili leader. The ruler, who had invited Khwaja to join his circle, requested that he translate Tahdhib al-Akhlaq and Taharat al-A’raq by Abu Ali Miskawayh into Persian. … Read more

By Ustad Husayn Norozi; translated by Sayyid Ali Imran I went over this poem with our middle school students at the end of the academic school year. Students were introduced to the concept of a Hashiyah or a Ta’liqah, which are marginal notes or gloss annotations. Traditionally, a hashiyah was written by students and scholars … Read more

This is a partial translation of a speech delivered by Sayyid Khamenei to the youth in Northern Khorasan province on September 14th, 2012. The Farsi for the full speech can be accessed here. I have translated this part as I have used it in a presentation on the topic of what constitutes religiosity. One of … Read more

In our lives, we encounter people who no matter what you say to them, will interpret you through their own minds. You will say one thing, but they will understand another thing from your words. Why? Because their minds are not clean or purified. If their minds were pure, they would understand the speaker in … Read more

Translated by Muhammad Jaffer and edited by Sayyid Burair Abbas   Unfortunately, a trend that has been becoming increasingly prevalent within the English-speaking Shī’ah community has been the character assassination of unorthodox scholars. While establishing a healthy environment of critique is important, we ought to abstain from employing ad hominem and personal disparagement. Attempts to … Read more

Imam ‘Alī (a) said: A lady came in the presence of Fāṭima al-Ṣiddīqa (s) and said, “I have an elderly mother, and she has gotten confused over a ruling in prayers. She has sent me to you to ask about it.” She (s) answered her question, so the lady asked her a second time. She … Read more

Building off of a previous post regarding the halo and horn effect in the way we observe and interpret historical personalities, another manifestation of this cognitive bias occurs when we wish to engage in academic evaluation or criticism of a person’s views or behaviour. One of the ways opponents and enemies of prophets & messengers … Read more

The land on which a mosque is built is no different than any other piece of land before it is dedicated for worship. These lands are inherently the same until we come and tie the piece of land to God and the servitude of people. The fact that this land then builds a relationship between … Read more

Originally posted on Mind In Momentum بسمه تعالى My good friend, Sayyid Ali Imran, produced an article providing new insights into the supplication of Rajab as well comments and observations on some of the arguments I made in my earlier writing about this matter. In this piece – with the help of God – I … Read more

I was in the middle of writing an article on the supplication of Rajab when my good colleague from the seminary Ali Safdari informed me he had already written one on the topic. His article was published today here. Please read the article before reading mine, as in this paper I am only adding a … Read more

Originally posted on Mind In Momentum In this writing, I will discuss: whether swaying the finger is part of the supplication of Rajab whether the gestures should be performed from the beginning or only at the end provide explanations for these symbolic gestures Before the above, I present a short introduction on the nature of … Read more

In the middle of one of my Muharram lectures a few years ago as I was making some point, I made a quick side remark about how Khalid b. Walid was a successful war strategist during the conquests. That is all I said and moved on with the rest of my talk. After the lecture, … Read more

Introduction In a paper published by the recently launched Ayaan Institute, titled Creating a New Civilisation of Islam written by Jahangir Mohammed, the author offers a 12-point plan with practical working principles required to work towards the formation of an Islamic civilization. The very first principle mentioned is the idea of uniting through connectivity. The … Read more

One reason that causes many Muslims today to be so untuned with Islam altogether is their distance from classical Arabic. Perhaps some of my classmates will remember the first day of ‘Ilm al-Balāgha class (the science of eloquence and rhetoric) with one of our favourite teachers a number of years ago. As the class began … Read more

One of the most famous traditions in both Shī‘ī and Sunni books is the ḥadīth of dividing one’s day into multiple parts and allocating a certain portion of it for specific tasks. This narration is found in dozens of primary and secondary sources, with various different chains of transmission, attributed to the Prophet (p) and … Read more

The following is a translation of the last page in Shahīd Mutahhari’s article titled Ilhāmī az Shaykh al-Tā’ifa, (Inspirations from the Shaykh of the Sect, Shaykh Tūsi) where he vents his frustration at the adverse circumstances facing the Islamic society and the desperate need for a reviver (mujaddid) to solve many of the doubts, questions … Read more

This is a transcript of a lecture given on the role of ease in Islam and Prophetic practice by Shaykh Mahallāti. The original lecture can be listened to here.  —-  The legal practice (sharī’a) that the Prophet (p) brought has numerous traits and distinctions. For example, one of these favourable distinctions is that this legal … Read more

This is a translation of pages 83-101 of the book Risālah Salām Madhhabī (Memorandum of Religious Peacemaking) written by Shaykh Haider Hobbollah. For a brief biography of Shaykh Haider in English, please click here and scroll down. This book was published in 2015 and is addressing both Shī‘ī and Sunnī audiences. It is not an … Read more

A millennium and some centuries after its compilation, the Qur’an continues to occupy a unique status for a significant number of the world’s population. The book is arguably read by a more diverse audience than any other in history. It has not only drawn the attention of adherents to Islam, but also the critical exploration … Read more

It is reported that one day Imam Sajjād (a) – ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn (a) – passed by a man who was sitting at the doorstep of another man. He (a) said to him, “What makes you sit at the door of this self-indulgent cruel man?” He replied, “Calamity.” He (a) said, “Then I will show … Read more

It was almost impossible to predict how the events of the coronavirus pandemic would unfold. To many, what began as propaganda or scaremongering soon morphed into a living nightmare – some eventually even losing their lives to it. A virus that ravaged China, eventually set its sights on Iran, and in the space of a … Read more

وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَٰنًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ [15:47] We will remove whatever rancour there is in their breasts; [intimate like] friends, [they will be reclining] on couches, facing one another. Though Muslims do not generally participate in Christmas celebrations, they do tend to enjoy the winter holiday season, especially the opportunities that … Read more

An epidemic harming our communities is the general inability, hesitance & fear of engaging in dialogue with one another. In fact, in recent years, it appears there has been a significant increase in our communities engaging and initiating inter-faith dialogue, yet we do not see this phenomenon within our own communities. This is while we … Read more

There is no doubt that apologizing and seeking forgiveness for having done something wrong is an ethical act. It is something we should all do for any of our mistakes and shortcomings that became the cause of harm and nuisance to others. Apologizing shows us that the individual has intuitively realized the flaws of a … Read more

The Golden Rule is an ethical principle dictating how one should behave towards others. Most proponents of the principle say this ethical principle is innate to humans – it is fiṭrī – and perhaps this is why the maxim has appeared in the teachings of many different religions and is often worded in both affirmative … Read more

Many Muslim theologians in their discussions on the Problem of Evil have argued that existence in the material realm and the systems that govern it are the best possible systems (al-niẓām al-aḥsan) that could have been created and that they enjoy excessive good (ziyādah al-khayr) as opposed to excessive evil. Thereafter, Allah (swt) based on … Read more

Zād al-Sālik (Provisions for the Traveller) by Mullā Fayḍ Kāshānī (1007-1091 AH / 1598-1680 CE) In the name of Allah – the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful All praise is for Allah, and peace be upon his chosen servants This treatise is known as Zād al-Sālik, written in response to a question posed by one … Read more

When you do an act that falls under the domain of worship (‘ibādah), you can either perform this action for Allah (swt), you can do it for someone or something other than Allah (swt), or you can do it for both Allah (swt) and another entity together. The latter two are called riyā’ (showing-off and … Read more

There are numerous ways to encourage one’s self to behave ethically. Scholars of all religions and ideologies have debated and offered different analyses on why people should behave ethically and how they can eliminate moral vices from their actions. For example, some argue people should act ethically because society appreciates and praises such behaviour, which … Read more

1400 years ago the Umayyads seized complete power of the Muslim world, ruling for 90 years and came to be recognized as one of the most damaging dynasties to take control of the Muslim world. The Umayyads were able to alter and enforce an interpretation of Islam on the newly developing Islamic nation that dictated … Read more

It is reported that on the 1st of Safar 61 AH, the head of Imam Husayn (a) was brought into Syria.   Imam Husayn (a) was someone who represented divine values and we ought to be mindful of the relationship a leader who represents divine values has with their followers, in contrast to the relationship … Read more

It has been transmitted that Zayn al-Abidin – Ali ibn al-Husayn (a) – passed by a man while he was sitting on the doorstep of a man. He (a) said to him, “What makes you sit at the door of this self-indulgent cruel person?” He replied, “Calamity.” He (a) said, “Then I will show you … Read more

‏مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً مِنْ ذَکَرٍ أوْ اُنْثَی وَ هُوَ مُؤمِنٌ فَلَنُحْیِیَنَّهُ حَیَاةً‏‎ ‎‏طَیِّبَةً   [16:97] Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female, should he be faithful, —We shall revive him with a good life   Imam Khomeini: According to this non-descript, the reason for why the word righteous act (ṣāliḥan) has been used in its … Read more

Istiṣḥāb is one of the most important practical principles of legal theory used in deriving law. For an introduction on the principle, read: Principle of Istishab and Its Types This brief post is a summary of some ethical observations made by Ayatullah Ali-Doost on the tradition used to derive the principle itself. “…He does not … Read more

Introduction Supplication is the means through which human beings can connect with the Divine and express their innermost desires and complaints. It is via the process of supplication that God gives attention to His servants, as alluded to in the verse [25:77] Say, “What weight would my Lord give you, were it not for your … Read more

By Bilal Muhammad – Originally posted on his official Facebook page. The New World Religion, being preached to you and your kids in school and in the media. It has 7 tenets: 1. Naturalism: Everything that exists is material. All that is true must be observable to the five senses, repeatable in a lab setting, … Read more

By Muḥammad Sorūsh Maḥallātī – one of the few jurists in Qom who has been giving advance classes on Islamic politics and governance for a number of years. Recently he published a book on the concept of Wilāyah titled, Wilāyat – Dar Mughālateh wa Muṣādareh. In our communities today, there are two perspectives taken by … Read more

The tradition being discussed in the article translated below is as follows: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ سِرْحَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص إِذَا رَأَيْتُمْ أَهْلَ الرَّيْبِ وَ الْبِدَعِ مِنْ بَعْدِي فَأَظْهِرُوا الْبَرَاءَةَ مِنْهُمْ وَ أَكْثِرُوا مِنْ سَبِّهِمْ … Read more

By Bilal Muhammad Originally written in October of 2016 While we start any da`wa project, it is important to understand our environment. A da`i should not just comprehend this religion, but should have a grounded understanding of the history of Western civilization (its Greco-Roman and barbarian roots, Christendom, the Enlightenment, Westphalia, the Renaissance, the French … Read more

The fact that many youth seem to see apparently contradictory ethical and moral admonitions in the Qur’ānic verses and traditions, often becomes the cause of confusion and a barrier to fulfill one’s moral duties correctly. Many traditions and verses concerning ethics appear to be defining general principles, or they may be conveying a causal relationship … Read more

This is the translation and transcript of the first of 10 lectures given by Āyatullah Miṣbāḥ Yazdī in the city of Qom, in Ramaḍān of 2006. The topic of this series was: Prophet Muḥammad (p) in Light of Nahj al-Balāgha Due to this year being dedicated to the Prophet (p) and especially since the forthcoming days will … Read more

Attached below is a brief study carried out by Br. Yasar Ebrahim [a student at the Hawzah in Qom], which may benefit its reader. The work provides a practical program for the month of Ramaḍān, which is approaching soon, by focusing on the 44th supplication recorded in al-Ṣaḥīfah al-Sajjādiyah (supplication welcoming the month of Ramaḍān). … Read more

Preliminaries of Reflection by Shahīd Qadhi Ṭabāṭabāī (d. 1979) Source: اللّوامع الإلهیة في المباحث الکلامیة by Jamal ul-Din Miqdad bin ‘Abdillah al-Asadi al-Suyuri al-Hilli – with footnotes of Shahīd Ṭabāṭabāī Translated by Br. Mohammad Anwar – student at the seminary in Qom ——————————- To think and reflect (correctly) there are certain preliminaries that are necessary … Read more

Below is a translation from an excerpt taken from a book published last month, called The Messenger of Allah and Management of Tensions in Medina (رسول خدا و مدیریت تنشهای مدینه), by Hussain Qadhikhani (a history teacher in Qom), Pages 125-127 This is a really interesting book as it outlines the various phases of the … Read more

Below is a foreword from a book that was partially translated recently. Details about the translation can be read in the PDF file itself. Download Book: Lu’Lu wa Marjaan (Pearls and Corals): Treatise on the Condition of Sincerity Required by Religious Speakers, by Mirza Husain Noori (d. 1902). — The Shi’i communities in the Western world face numerous … Read more

This will be the last and the lengthiest post in this series on ‘Ujb (self-conceit). We will further explore how it effects us in various aspects of our lives and most importantly, discuss the cure for it. Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV — As mentioned in the previous post, the cure for conceit revolves around … Read more

In the third part of our series on `Ujb, we will be expanding on the subject a bit more. In this post we will discuss some of the effects of conceit and then begin discussing the  cure for it. Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV — We mentioned in the previous posts that … Read more

Continuing our series on ‘Ujb, in this part, we will be going over a number of narrations that deal with the subject matter. In the previous part we have already gone over the definition of  ‘Ujb and what it is. Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV — Hadith #1: The Prophet (pbuh) has … Read more

I will be publishing a 4-part series on the concept of ‘Ujb (self-conceit). The content will essentially be relying on the book Jami al-Sadaat, references from other works where relevant and personal comments on the various points that the author of Jami al-Sadaat (Ayatullah Mahdi Naraqi) raises in his work. Part I | Part II | Part … Read more

There is a book written by Ayatullah Mirza Jawad Maliki Tabrizi (d. 1924) titled المراقبات اعمال السنه (Al-Muraqabaatu ‘amaal il-sanah – Observation of the Yearly Devotions). Al-Muraqaba means to watch over, or to keep an eye over something. In Islamic literature and studies, it refers to being watchful of one’s actions and one’s soul and determine whether … Read more

In this day and age when obscenity, vulgarity and lewdness are becoming more and more a part of one’s life and persona, where immature youth feel the need to drop a few swear words every now and then just to fit in or sound cool or intimidating, I felt it important to share a few narrations that … Read more

A few personal notes I took from a Dars-e-Akhlaq held by Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi on February 27th, 2013 on the topic of Tawakkul. الشيخ أبو الفتوح الرازي في تفسيره: عن أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام)، أنه مر يوما على قوم، فرآهم أصحاء جالسين في زاوية المسجد، فقال (عليه السلام): (من أنتم؟) قالوا: نحن المتوكلون قال (عليه السلام): ((لا … Read more