Message of Ayatullah Sayyid Mojtaba Khamenei on the Occasion of Workers’ and Teachers’ Day
The Responsibility of Teachers and Workers in the Nation’s Progress The 11th and 12th of Ordibehesht (April 30th and May 1st) are…
Ethics & Psychology
Ritual Inflation – A Book Not Only About Rituals, But About Iran
Mohsen Hesam Mazaheri is an Iranian sociologist who has been pursuing a long-term research program on the study of Shi‘i rituals. Recently,…
The People’s Main Message to the Scholars
The People’s Main Message to the Scholars This is a translation of a special note written by the Editor-in-Chief of The Islamic…
An Analysis of Celebrity Culture and Its Critique from the Perspective of Islam
By Sayyid Husayn Sharafuddin – a professor and faculty member at the Imam Khomeini Educational and Research Institute. He is also a…
A Religious Perspective on the Phenomenon of Migration and Brain Drain
A Religious Perspective on the Phenomenon of Migration and Human Capital Flight (Brain Drain) This is a summary of a speech delivered…
Religious Awareness and Social Awareness by Shaheed Mutahhari
This is an excerpt from Shaheed Mutahhari’s speech titled Oratory and the Pulpit, delivered around the year 1380 AH / 1959 CE…
The Higher You Climb, the Harder You Fall
The friend could not distinguish from the foe, Blindly he played the dice, not knowing where to go. Your enemy is none…
From the Signs of the Laity
Reflections & Thoughts | For those interested in this new format called “Reflections & Thoughts”, please read the first two paragraphs in this post.…
Practical Code of Conduct for Muslims | An Overview of the Book Nasirean Ethics
By Mehdi Kohan Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi wrote Nasirean Ethics (Akhlāq-i Nāsirī) while residing in Qohestan, serving the ruler of the region,…
Stages of Human Growth – A Poem
By Ustad Husayn Norozi; translated by Sayyid Ali Imran I went over this poem with our middle school students at the end…
Law & Ethics – Determining the Differences
This was a single lecture delivered by Ustad Soroush Mahallati at Muassaseh Miftah-e Keramat on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023. The topic of…
The Importance of Progress in Our Lifestyle
This is a partial translation of a speech delivered by Sayyid Khamenei to the youth in Northern Khorasan province on September 14th,…
Four Idols of the Mind
In our lives, we encounter people who no matter what you say to them, will interpret you through their own minds. You…
Analyzing the Disparagement of Unorthodox Scholars (Part 2)
Translated by Sayyid Burair Abbas Edited and annotated by Muhammad Jaffer As a continuation of the previous discussion regarding the delegitimization of…
Analyzing the Disparagement of Unorthodox Scholars (Part 1)
Translated by Muhammad Jaffer and edited by Sayyid Burair Abbas Unfortunately, a trend that has been becoming increasingly prevalent within the…
The Crisis of Spiritual Decline: Analyzing its Reasons and Proposing Solutions
Translated by Muhammad Jaffer and edited by Sayyid Burair Abbas In the current materialistic age, one of the major causes of estrangement…
A Critical Analysis of Religious Discourse Today: Rescuing Our Youth
Translated by Muhammad Jaffer and edited by Sayyid Burair Abbas Religious adherents of Islām today struggle to maintain a strong sense of…
Humans in the Era of Awaiting
What is the nature of humans in the era of awaiting (intiẓār), or what ought to be their nature? If we were…
The Perseverance of Fatima (s)
Imam ‘Alī (a) said: A lady came in the presence of Fāṭima al-Ṣiddīqa (s) and said, “I have an elderly mother, and…
Part 2: Halo and Horn Effect & Insincerity in Our Critiques
Building off of a previous post regarding the halo and horn effect in the way we observe and interpret historical personalities, another…
Shahadah and Halakah
Reflections & Thoughts After a number of unforeseen circumstances brought life in the seminary for myself and a number of other brothers…
The Night of Qadr – The Night of Value
The land on which a mosque is built is no different than any other piece of land before it is dedicated for…
Answering Some Objections: On Holding the Beard and Swaying the Finger in the Supplication of Rajab (2)
Originally posted on Mind In Momentum بسمه تعالى My good friend, Sayyid Ali Imran, produced an article providing new insights into the…
Further Observations on the Supplication of Rajab and Swaying the Finger
I was in the middle of writing an article on the supplication of Rajab when my good colleague from the seminary Ali…
On Holding the Beard and Swaying the Finger in the Supplication of Rajab
Originally posted on Mind In Momentum In this writing, I will discuss: whether swaying the finger is part of the supplication of…
The Halo and Horn Effect in Studying Islamic Personalities & Events
In the middle of one of my Muharram lectures a few years ago as I was making some point, I made a…
Criticism – Basis, Legitimacy and Supportive Environment
By Shaykh Haydar Hobbollah – article here, video here. Introduction What I would like to briefly discuss is the culture of criticism…
Congregational Prayers and the Community in the Prophet’s (p) Sirah
Introduction In a paper published by the recently launched Ayaan Institute, titled Creating a New Civilisation of Islam written by Jahangir Mohammed,…
Reflections on the Religious Culture of Precaution
By Shaykh Haydar Hobollah [Source]. Question: The idea of precaution that is found within the religion is based on a number of…
Tasting the Mercy of God
One reason that causes many Muslims today to be so untuned with Islam altogether is their distance from classical Arabic. Perhaps some…
Introduction to the Forties Podcast
This podcast series is brought to you by Mizan Institute | Follow Mizan Institute on Facebook This podcast series is based on…
Divisions of a Day – A Reconstructed Narration
One of the most famous traditions in both Shī‘ī and Sunni books is the ḥadīth of dividing one’s day into multiple parts…
Our Century of Tragedy | Shahid Mutahhari
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…
Islam – The Religion of Ease
This is a transcript of a lecture given on the role of ease in Islam and Prophetic practice by Shaykh Mahallāti. The…
Memorandum of Religious Peacemaking: The Companions of the Prophet (p)
This is a translation of pages 83-101 of the book Risālah Salām Madhhabī (Memorandum of Religious Peacemaking) written by Shaykh Haider Hobbollah.…
Monopolizing and the Spirit of the Quranic Community
A millennium and some centuries after its compilation, the Qur’an continues to occupy a unique status for a significant number of the…
Supplications of Imam Sajjad (a) and Independence from People
It is reported that one day Imam Sajjād (a) – ʿAlī b. al-Ḥusayn (a) – passed by a man who was sitting…
Viruses and Certain Religious Beliefs: What is Deadlier?
It was almost impossible to predict how the events of the coronavirus pandemic would unfold. To many, what began as propaganda or…
The Grudge that Stole Christmas
وَنَزَعْنَا مَا فِى صُدُورِهِم مِّنْ غِلٍّ إِخْوَٰنًا عَلَىٰ سُرُرٍ مُّتَقَـٰبِلِينَ [15:47] We will remove whatever rancour there is in their breasts; [intimate…
Dialogue with Believers
An epidemic harming our communities is the general inability, hesitance & fear of engaging in dialogue with one another. In fact, in…
When Apologies Becomes Unethical
There is no doubt that apologizing and seeking forgiveness for having done something wrong is an ethical act. It is something we…
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you
The Golden Rule is an ethical principle dictating how one should behave towards others. Most proponents of the principle say this ethical…
Nurturing Our Best Selves
Many Muslim theologians in their discussions on the Problem of Evil have argued that existence in the material realm and the systems…
Zad al-Salik (Provisions for the Traveller) by Mulla Fayd Kashani
Zād al-Sālik (Provisions for the Traveller) by Mullā Fayḍ Kāshānī (1007-1091 AH / 1598-1680 CE) In the name of Allah – the…
Riya – A Journey towards the Self; Ikhlas – A Journey towards Allah (swt)
When you do an act that falls under the domain of worship (‘ibādah), you can either perform this action for Allah (swt),…
Repulsing the Basis of Moral Vices
There are numerous ways to encourage one’s self to behave ethically. Scholars of all religions and ideologies have debated and offered different…
Fasad and Expectations for the Ūlū Baqīyatin
1400 years ago the Umayyads seized complete power of the Muslim world, ruling for 90 years and came to be recognized as…
Divine and Pharaonic Leaders
It is reported that on the 1st of Safar 61 AH, the head of Imam Husayn (a) was brought into Syria. …
Removing One’s Dependency on Cruel Individuals
It has been transmitted that Zayn al-Abidin – Ali ibn al-Husayn (a) – passed by a man while he was sitting on…
A Righteous Act
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحاً مِنْ ذَکَرٍ أوْ اُنْثَی وَ هُوَ مُؤمِنٌ فَلَنُحْیِیَنَّهُ حَیَاةً طَیِّبَةً [16:97] Whoever acts righteously, [whether] male or female,…
Ethical Observations on Hadith of Istishab
Istiṣḥāb is one of the most important practical principles of legal theory used in deriving law. For an introduction on the principle,…
Reflections on Munajaat Sha’baniyyah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woXy377zz24 Introduction Supplication is the means through which human beings can connect with the Divine and express their innermost desires and complaints.…
Reflections on the Daily Du’a of Rajab – Part 4
Click to read part three The third call in the supplication says: يَا مَنْ يُعْطِي مَنْ سَأَلَهُ O one who always bestows…
Reflections on the Daily Du’a of Rajab – Part 3
Click to read part two. The first call in the daily supplication of Rajab says: يَا مَنْ أَرْجُوهُ لِكُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَ آمَنُ…
Reflections on the Daily Du’a of Rajab – Part 2
Click to read part one. On the side of hope, there is the sense of immunity from Allah’s punishment and wrath from…
Reflections on the Daily Du’a of Rajab – Part 1
Sayyid Ibn Ta’us in his Iqbal al-A’mal records the popular du’a of Rajab – generally recited after each prayer as follows: يَا…
The New World Religion
By Bilal Muhammad – Originally posted on his official Facebook page. The New World Religion, being preached to you and your kids…
Levels of God-Awareness | Part 3 – From God-Awareness to Self-Awareness & Its Psychological Effects
Chapter 2 – Levels of God-Awareness & its Psychological Effects Awareness is one of the most sophisticated, elevated, and complex concepts within…
What Have We Learned from Ghadir and Wilayat
By Muḥammad Sorūsh Maḥallātī – one of the few jurists in Qom who has been giving advance classes on Islamic politics and…
Slandering in The Name of Religion
The tradition being discussed in the article translated below is as follows: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ…
Problems and Solutions in Da`wa
By Bilal Muhammad Originally written in October of 2016 While we start any da`wa project, it is important to understand our environment.…
The Deserted Quran
وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا [25:30] And the Apostle will say, ‘O my Lord! Indeed my people…
Dealing with Seemingly Contradictory Ethical Verses & Traditions
The fact that many youth seem to see apparently contradictory ethical and moral admonitions in the Qur’ānic verses and traditions, often becomes…
God-Awareness & its Role in Man’s Life | Part 2 – From God-Awareness to Self-Awareness & Its Psychological Effects
Read Part 1 here. God-Awareness & its Role in Man’s Life The Importance of God-Awareness in Man’s life Human beings have an…
From God-Awareness to Self-Awareness & Its Psychological Effects | Part 1
By Mas’ūd Nūr ‘Alīzādeh Edited by Saiyid Hasan Ali Rizvi The following is the 1st part of a series of translations of…
Prophet Muhammad (p) in Light of Nahj al-Balagha | Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi – Lecture 1
This is the translation and transcript of the first of 10 lectures given by Āyatullah Miṣbāḥ Yazdī in the city of Qom, in…
Supplication for the Beginning of the month of Ramaḍān
Attached below is a brief study carried out by Br. Yasar Ebrahim [a student at the Hawzah in Qom], which may benefit…
Preliminaries of Reflection by Shahid Qadhi Tabatabai
Preliminaries of Reflection by Shahīd Qadhi Ṭabāṭabāī (d. 1979) Source: اللّوامع الإلهیة في المباحث الکلامیة by Jamal ul-Din Miqdad bin ‘Abdillah al-Asadi…
Don’t Give Your Enemies an Excuse
Below is a translation from an excerpt taken from a book published last month, called The Messenger of Allah and Management of…
Sincerity (al-Ikhlaas): A Pre-Requisite for Religious Speakers
Below is a foreword from a book that was partially translated recently. Details about the translation can be read in the PDF file…
Self-Conceit (‘Ujb) – Details on Curing It [Part 4 of 4]
This will be the last and the lengthiest post in this series on ‘Ujb (self-conceit). We will further explore how it effects us…
Self-Conceit (‘Ujb) – Effects & Cure [Part 3 of 4]
In the third part of our series on `Ujb, we will be expanding on the subject a bit more. In this post…
Self-Conceit (‘Ujb) – Narrations [Part 2 of 4]
Continuing our series on ‘Ujb, in this part, we will be going over a number of narrations that deal with the subject matter. In…
Self-Conceit (‘Ujb) – What Is It? [Part 1 of 4]
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…
Self-Conceit in a Flawed Opinion that Appears to be Correct
This is a paragraph translated from the book Jami al-Sadaat by Ayatullah Muhammad Mahdi Naraqi. In the chapter of ‘Ujb (self-conceit), the author goes…
Wishing To Be Present In Karbala Sincerely
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…
Hitting, Swearing, Cursing and Taunting
In this day and age when obscenity, vulgarity and lewdness are becoming more and more a part of one’s life and persona,…
When we get, we give to others; when we do not get, we thank Allah [Tawakkul]
A few personal notes I took from a Dars-e-Akhlaq held by Ayatullah Misbah Yazdi on February 27th, 2013 on the topic of…
