By: Reza Naqavi | Translated by Sayyid Ali Imran Abstract The issue of “birth luck” is one of the important questions that arises from the broader problem of religious diversity. According to its proponents, this challenge applies not only to devotional (taʿabbudi) religious beliefs but also even to non-devotional, first-hand religious beliefs, confronting both with … Read more

By Shaykh Muhammad Andalib Hamedani The history of superstition creation and removal goes back to the past of human culture and civilization. There have always been people whose lives are not centered around reason and knowledge, but rather, their existence is spent in the prison of ignorance and in the captivity of futile and false … Read more

The following is an abridged translation of an excellent article written by a researcher in Qum, Shaykh Rūḥullāh Malekiān, linguistically analyzing Sūrah Shūrā verse 23, the famous verse known colloquially as “Āyah al-Mawaddah.” The original article is entitled, “Kalimah Ḥawl Āyah al-Mawaddah fī al-Qurbā.”[1] The linguistic analysis provided by Shaykh Malekiān is excellent, although we … Read more

The following is a translation of some excerpts from an interview that Shaykh Ḥaydar Ḥubbullāh had with the Baḥrainī newspaper al-Ayyām about contemporary religious thought. Although this is roughly a decade-old interview now, the issues discussed continue to be relevant today. We have selected two particularly interesting questions that were asked of the Shaykh with … Read more

The following is a translation of a philosophical rebuttal by the grand luminary Shaykh Muḥammad Husayn al-Khorasānī (1336-1406 AH; may God have mercy on him) against the seven theoretical contentions of Satan. We have translated the below excerpt from his Persian work, “An Encyclopedia of Islamic Precepts: In Commentary on The Raḍawī Sermon of Tawḥīd” … Read more

The below piece is a translation and summary of a lecture given by the contemporary Saudi Shī’a scholar and polemicist, Shaykh Aḥmad Salmān al-Aḥmadī, on the topic of how to approach and dispute with atheists. Among the challenges facing religious thought today is the overshadowing of atheism into our societies and youth. We see that … Read more

By Shaykh Haider Hobbollah Translated by: Faisal H, Moussa al-Rufayie, Shayan Question: I have a great deal of confusion regarding the issue of tawassul through the Prophet, his Ahl al-Bayt, and others. Can you clarify the difference of opinion in this issue for me? This topic has confused many of us, and there is much … Read more

This is a response to Sayyid Murtaḍa’s treatise on Who is Responsible for an Imam’s Ghusl al-Mayyit by Sayyid ‘Abdullah Shubbar (1188/1774 – 1242/1827) in his Maṣābīḥ al-Anwār, vol. 2, pg. 250. What we have transmitted from al-Ṣadūq in his al-‘Uyūn with his chain in a lengthy narration from al-Riḍā (a) who said: “No one washes … Read more

What follows is the translation of a very short treatise written by Sayyid Murtaḍa (d. 436/1044) on who is responsible for an infallible Imam’s ghusl after their demise. This became a significant issue after the martyrdom of Imam al-Kāẓim (a), when the Wāqifīyya began casting doubt on the Imamate of Imam al-Riḍā (a) by saying … Read more

Introduction As Muslims we believe that every aspect of our life has been governed by God and that He has not left any area of human life without consideration. It is a core belief, taken to be axiomatic, that humans have not been left to their own fate or will but rather God has sent … Read more

By Dr. Hassan Ansari Contrary to their appearances, bāṭinī (esoteric) movements have generally been political projects; a kind of opposition and rebellion against the predominant political and theological movement. The premise of these movements is that the religious interpretation (tafsīr) of the predominant movements is only congruent with the ẓāhir (exterior) of the Sharīʿa and … Read more

This is an abridged translation of an article that appeared in the journal, Nussūs Muāserah (49), and was originally authored by Dr Syed Redha al-Musawi. To read the original in Arabic, click here. This article aims to critically assess 4 broad claims made by Dr Hossein Modaressi regarding the life of Imam al-Sadiq (A) in … Read more

Crises of succession in the institution of Imāmate were the prime source of division in the early Shiite community, and their affects have remained definitive till this day. The doctrine of Imāmate “evolved gradually” during the first Islamic century, and was given a “definitive shape” by the death of Jāʿfar b. Muḥammad as-Ṣādiq (d. 148 … Read more

A “visitation text” (ziyāra) is an Islamic liturgy that is recited in dedication to a deceased saint. It can be recited both at the graves of saints and from afar. A ziyāra usually acknowledges the station of a saint and their righteousness before God; whilst requesting the saint’s intercession. Ziyārat al-Jāmiʿa al-Kabīra (“The Major Comprehensive … Read more

By Hamid Reza Tamaddon Translated by Shayan The various dimensions of the Prophet’s (s) personality have always been a subject of consideration by Prophetic biographers. In the last century in particular, more attention has been paid to it than ever before, especially in the Arab world where various interpretations of his life have been presented. … Read more

The question of divine justice with regards to the punishment of the hereafter is one that has been debated for decades. It has always been a question as to how eternal or perpetual punishment can be justified for a sin that only took a limited span of time. It is known that man lives in … Read more

(The main ideas of this writing are derived from a lecture given by Sayyid Munīr al-Khabbāz with additions and deletions. The last section was produced after critical remarks brought forth by TheMuslimTheist). Originally published on Mind in Momentum. Why does God place some people in believing families and communities and others in disbelieving ones? More … Read more

By Shaykh Haidar Hobbollah | Translated by Shayan and Moussa Al-Rufayie The Prophet Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh ﷺ symbolises the greatest personality in Islam, for he possesses the divine message and bears news from God, the Exalted. He is our window to the celestial realm and our path to divine revelation; the one whose Sunna is … Read more

“Be on the lookout over your children so that the Ghulat do not corrupt them … the Ghali returns to us (i.e. from his heighty beliefs) but we do not accept him, while the Muqassir catches up to us (i.e. our real station) so we accept him …” – Imam al-Sadiq Originally posted on Shiitic … Read more

A group from our Shia will love us until they will say about us that which the Jews said about Uzayr and that which the Christians said about Isa b. Maryam, so neither are they from us, nor are we from them – Imam al-Sajjad Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction The original Ghulat did … Read more

Originally posted on Mind in Momentum. In this writing, I will present the views of Imam Khomeini, Shahid Mutaharri and Sayyid Munir al-Khabbaz on this matter. Imam Khomeini (d. 1989): Deficient disbelievers (qāṣir) are those who did not subscribe to God’s religion because external factors outside their control prevented them from doing so. These factors … Read more

Preface The purpose for this paper is to introduce the reader with the Kalāmī or theological perspective of Shiism on the theory of prophethood and leadership. This work is not in any sense a comprehensive work, and should not been seen as such. The goal is to introduce the heart of the subject, and a … Read more

By Shaykh Haidar Hobbollah Translated by Shayan Question[1]: Is there any rational evidence that proves the necessity of the Imām to know the unseen affairs, considering that the Imāms (upon them be peace) did not use this knowledge in many of their pursuits, but rather they acted according to their human nature? In other words, … Read more

This is a translation of a response by Shaykh Haidar Hobbollah to a question posed to him which can be found in volume 1 of his collection of questions and answers entitled Iḍāʾāt fī al-fikr wa al-dīn wa al-ijtimāʿ. For the original article please click here. Three Contemporary Approaches to Understanding the Imamah Question[1]: What … Read more

Originally published on Mind in Momentum. Was the Qur’ān sent down gradually over the span of the Prophet’s mission of twenty three years or was it sent down singularly, all at once (jumlatan), in the night of Qadr? We read in 97:1 “Surely we sent it (the Qur’ān) down in the night of Qadr”; in 44:3 … Read more

The original transcript of the lecture given by Ustad Mahallati in Farsi can be found here. — The discussions relating to Imam Zamān (a) can be split into two categories, one category relating to ideas and the other relating to matters of a more practical nature. One of the discussions that take place within the … Read more

وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ [42:52] …and indeed you guide to a straight path The 27th of Rajab is considered to be the day the Prophet (p) received the first revelation in the cave of Hira and marks the beginning of his (p) prophethood – the biʿthat. While prophethood is the most important subject of … Read more

Originally posted on Shiitic Studies. Introduction Not everyone in the Shi’i scholarly tradition has been on-board with the direction of travel of systematic theology, beginning as it does with the Kalam (rational theology) of the Mu’tazili influenced Baghdadi scholars in the Buyid era, passing by way of the Peripatetic influenced-thinking of Khwaja Nasir al-Din Tusi (d. 1274), and … Read more

قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ مُصَنِّفُ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عُمَرَ الْفُقَيْمِيِّ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‏ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِلزِّنْدِيقِ الَّذِي سَأَلَهُ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَثْبَتَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ وَ الرُّسُلَ قَالَ إِنَّا لَمَّا أَثْبَتْنَا أَنَّ لَنَا خَالِقاً صَانِعاً مُتَعَالِياً عَنَّا وَ عَنْ … Read more

Judgement Day- Ma’ād[1] Preface This paper is a summary of what the Imamiya school of thought or in other words the Shi’a Muslim theologians, mutakallimīn, say and believe about the Judgement Day. The topic of Judgment Day and the Resurrection, and what really happens to the world and human beings as we know it, and … Read more

This is a partial translation of a very lengthy interview given by Dr. Mohsen Javadi, that was published two years ago in Iṭelā’āt Ḥikmat wa Ma’rifat. I have edited and translated it in a way to make it as comprehensible as possible in English and though I translated the complete interview, I was not happy … Read more

By Saiyid Hasan Ali Rizvi The way Tawheed exists in the minds of Muslims can be broken down into 2 types.  The 1st type is a concept so simple, so undemanding, and so uncomplicated, that it becomes ‘childish’.  Think about it.  Isn’t that the 1st thing we teach our kids or were taught by our … Read more