Lady fatima al-zahra (a): Truth patience and revolutionary struggle

Words fall immeasurably short when describing the greatness of certain personalities. Their sheer perfection is enough to startle minds and in turn lead to a form of inner silence when tasked with their description. This, indeed, is the quality of great beings. The beloved daughter of the Final Messenger (s), Lady Fatima Al-Zahra (sa), stands at the pinnacle of such personalities. In the course of her short life, which spanned approximately twent ... more

 Lifeless days


This year has passed so fast! -I don’t believe already two months has passed since..! -Seems just like yesterday! We all hear these sentences over and over during our days. We either say them ourselves or hear them from other people around us but why do we feel this way? Why do we hear these sentences so often? It seems to me that these sorts of expressions were not used in the past as much as they are used now; the feeling of day ... more

 Nowrouz in Islam

The word `Nowruz` is a compound word; No and Ruz together mean New Day, and it is the name of the first day of the first solar month, `when the Sun in Aries`. In the original Pahlavi (ancient language of Iran) word it means the tip of ruch or the tip of the day. Abū Rayhān al-Bīrūnī in his definition of Nowruz says: `It is the first day of the month of Farvardin and the reason it is called N ... more

 Imam Hasan al-Askari (as): Faith, Vision and Firm Will

The fourth month of the Islamic calendar coincides with one of the reported dates of birth of the eleventh Shi''i Imam, Imam Hasan al-Askari (a). Ambiguities concerning the life of the Imam extend not only to relatively meagre issues like historical dates, but unfortunately, much of his life - just as with his noble father, Imam Ali al-Hadi (as) and Grandfather, Imam Muhammad al-Jawad (as) -has been lost to history, and veiled from his ... more

 On the 33rd Anniversary of the Victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran

The coverage of political events is not normally within the scope and expertise of this newsletter; however we do not subscribe to the notion that politics and religion are to be two separate activities. In fact from an Islamic perspective there are political events that are part of our centuries hold Islamic heritage. One of such events is the Islamic Revolution of Iran which took place in 1979. The event can now be considered as part of the mod ... more

 Islam and social responsibilities: the way of the Prophet (s)

Men of faith define the present times in precarious terms. Beneath the glamour of technological progress, any deeper assessment of the general human condition presents a far more sombre reality. ‘What is to blame for our current perils?’ one may ask. In essence, we are living the after-effects of the key intellectual battles of the twentieth century that pitched individual against society.

Although seemingly abstract, the implic ... more

 Muslim women in the modern world

Muslim women in the modern world

By Ayatollah Mohsen Araki

Muslim women are currently facing two antithetical circumstances: one being the legacy of past cultural traditions and the other being the outcome of the Western secular culture, both of which do not agree with Islamic values. In light of this, Muslim women share the following obligations: - To expand their awareness of the aforesaid circumstances and deep ... more

 The Methodology of Imam Khomeini (r) in the Purification of the Soul

The Methodology of Imam Khomeini (r) in the Purification of the Soul
By Mirza Abbas

The main purpose of any seminary is to train its students to become true human beings and all the other sciences which are taught are, in reality, means of achieving this main purpose. Those who study in the hawza (seminary) must reach a point where they are capable of providing this training (tarbīyah) to their communit ... more

 `Islamic Brotherhood`

`Islamic Brotherhood`
There are different forms of brotherhood in Islam, just as there are various forms of unity in Islam. The first form of brotherhood is familial brotherhood like two brothers or two sisters. Or any two people who are related through their mothers and fathers, they are all sisters and brothers. The second form of brotherhood has to do with nursing. If two infants who do not have familial relations breastfeed f ... more

 What is Arbaeen ?

Arba’een or the fortieth marks the passage of forty days after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (as) – the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his seventy two friends and family, in the plains of Karbala. The fortieth day after the demise of someone is observed, particularly by Muslims from the Shi’a school of thought. In Iran which the majority is Shi’a, the fortieth day after the death of a beloved one is commemorated as much as the first anni ... more

 Imam Husayn (as) `s remembrance without blood

A Beautiful Remembrance of Imam Husayn (as)
The fact that human are subject to many kinds of hardship and suffering during the course of their worldly existence is all too evident; illnesses, accidents, corporal and mental poundings, are but a few of the conditions that we have to endure during life. Some of these are the effect of external causes outside our own control while others are brought about by our own actions. Religions i ... more

 Karbala: The consolidation of the Imamate

After the Prophet’s demise, having a custodian for the Divine Message, became of utmost importance. Within Islam there are two major divisions which have developed two distinct theories on what constitutes the permanent link between God and humanity. One is the Sunni view, which states the link is t Qur’an, God’s message, and other is the Shi’a, whom besides the Holy Book; believe the link is also represented by the existence of Twelve Ima ... more

 Imam Husayn's (as) mission

A. THE MESSAGE
Over one thousand three hundred and fifty years ago, on the 10th of Muharram, just before ''Asr, a man stood on a sand-dune at Kerbala. He was bleeding from several wounds on his body. He had lost everything. Since early morning he had carried several dead bodies into his camp. He had even buried his infant child.
He looked at the bodies of his loved ones. Tears flowed out of his eyes. He looked at the sky and seemed to d ... more

 Imam Jafar The Truthful (as) [82-148 A.H.]

Upon the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (as) the government of Bani Umayyah was shaken which turned the people into their enemy and pessimist about them. This opened the avenue for the formation of Bani Abbasid government. The gap between these two powers opened the way for the propagation of Shi’a ideology and school of thought. Imam Jafar- al- Sadeq (as) managed, through a learning movement, to propagate and extend the learning’s of Islam to a large ... more

 More trouble on the way!

In the first weekend of August we witnessed three days of violence and looting spread across some of London poorest neighbourhoods which led to arrest of many young people by the police. Young people sat fire to the buildings and the cars, and threw bottles and fireworks at the police. The violent riots were thought to be sparked by anger amongst the black community over shooting of a black 29—year old man by the police. These events which eventu ... more

 The one who was called Infallible


On the occasion of Lady Fatemah Ma`soomah (sa)’s birth anniversary (1 Dhu al Qi’dha – this year 29th September)

Three years of Harun’s caliphate had elapsed when Fatimah Ma''''soomah was born. Her father Imam Kadhim (as) had been under increasing pressure from Harun to become his successor. Imam was arrested and jailed. He was continuously shifted between different prisons, so his family and followers would not trace him. Harun ... more

 Starting University

Student’s life
Many youths throughout UK are getting ready to face a new challenge this year; starting life as a university student. For some the academic year at university will involve having to move out of the comfort of one’s family home and the daily care and attention of parents. For Muslim boys or girls the all process may even be more daunting, as they tend to live in closer family environments, making the transaction of living in un ... more

 Advice for a productive Ramadhan


Some words of advice for a productive and spiritually uplifting Ramadhan

By the time you are reading this article, the chances are that the blessed month of Ramadhan has already started or there is one of two days before it starts. In such case if you have not made special provisions for this month you are late. What I mean by special provisions is to have prepared mentally and physically for our spiritual practices during Ramadh ... more

 Sigh at the New Moon of Ramadhan

One of the most engaging activities
related to the coming of the blessed
month of Ramadhan is the sighting of the
new moon indicating the commencement
of the Holy Month.
Communities across the world appoint
experts and rely upon scholars to get
confirmation of the sighting. Over the last
few years there has been an increase in
discussions concerning the possibility to
bring about a ... more

 Al Mahdi (atf)* from Mohammad (S)’s progeny

The Prophet (S) said: `There will be twelve leaders `Khulafa` after me, all of them from Quraysh`.
A thorough examination of the history of Islam clarifies any doubt about the meaning of the word `Khulafa` used by the Prophet (s), which certainly does not refer to the Caliphs waho took temporal power after him. Neither the Caliphs of the Umayyeds or the Abbasids were twelve in number, and you can hardly say that tyrants, drunkards and ... more

 Sha’ban al-Aazam (the great); The month of Allah

The month of Sha’ban is the eighth month of the Islamic Calendar, and it is considered to be the second month of the spiritual season which stretches from the first of Rajab to the end of the holy month of Ramadhan. According to the Islamic traditions, this season is an extremely bountiful period by means of Allah’s blessing upon us. Allah has ordained multiplied value to our good deeds performed during its days and nights.
Positioned ... more

 Fatima (sa) the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (s)


13th Jamadi-al-Awwal, according to some historical reports, is the death anniversary of Hazrat Fatima Zahra(sa) - the beloved and only genetic daughter of Prophet Mohammad (s). However the more widely accepted date of her death is the 3rd of Jamadi-ul-thani.
The Prophet of Islam had only one blood daughter named Fatima (as) from Khadija. There were three other ladies in the Prophet household these were: Zaynab, Ruqayya and Umm Kulth ... more

 Let’s Be Counted - The 2011 Census

Let’s Be Counted - The 2011 Census

It has been ten years since the UK Government last conducted a survey of the whole UK population. This exercise is known as the Census. The term itself comes from Latin word cēnsēre, to assess, used by the Romans of 500 BC. However the Romans were not the first nation to do this kind of exercise, in fact records of census go as back to 4000BC.
In the modern times the census provides imp ... more

 A Hidden Hand - A Critique of blood matam

A Hidden Hand

A look into the historical, jurisprudential, and reactional aspects of blood matam in the general public and international media.

Translated by: Hamid Hussein Waqar


Introduction

اتقوا الله و آونوا زينا و لا تكونوا شينا جروا الينا آل مودة و ادفعوا عنا آل قبيح

Imam Hassan al-Askari (as) said: `Fear Allah and be an adornment to us. Do not be a cause of shame for us. With you ... more

 What is arba’een ?

Arba’een or the fortieth, marks the passage of forty days after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn
(as) – the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his seventy two friends and family, in the plains of Karbala.
The fortieth day after the demise of someone, is observed, particularly by Muslims from the Shi’a school of thought. In Iran which the majority is Shi’a, the fortieth day after the death of a beloved one is commemorated as much as th ... more

 11 February 1979 - The birth of a New Nation

Thirty two years ago the nation of Iran revolted against a despotic, incompetent king whose policies, dictated and formulated by the West, were designed to make Iran a “modern” country, by uprooting it from its Islamic roots. Much to the surprise of the political analysts,
a revolution flared up in 1979 spreading across the country like a river in full spate. The Islamic Revolution reached its final stage on February 1st, 1979, when the fath ... more

 ASHURA

Every year the Muslim religious calendar is marked by a particular commemoration, which although is not part of the religion itself, is of fundamental importance for Muslims in general, particularly for the lovers of the Ahl-ul-Bait (AS) (The Family of the Prophet).
The commemoration is centered on the remembrance of a historical event that took place in the year 680CE, equal to the year 61 of the Muslim era.
Historical Backgrou ... more

 A beautiful remembrance of Imam Husayn (as)

The fact that human are subject to many kinds of hardship and suffering during the course of their worldly existence is all too evident; illnesses, accidents, corporal and mental poundings, are but a few of the conditions that we have to endure during life. Some of these are the effect of external causes outside our own control while others are brought about by our own actions.
Religions in general have tried to make sense of the sufferings ... more

 A Timely Fatwa by our Leader


On the 2nd of October 2010 the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah
Seyyed Ali Khamenei, issued a fatwa which prohibits insulting the prophet’s
companions, and/or abusing the mothers of the faithful, the wives of the Prophet
Muhammad (S).
The brief statement reads as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

May the peace and mercy of Allah be with you. It is not pe ... more

 The Inimitbility (i’jaz) of Quran

Part 1
By Shaikh Abbas Mirza

According to the prominent Arabic lexicographer, al Raghib al Isfahānī (d. 425 AH), the word i’jāz is derived from the Arabic radicals ‘a j z which first literally meant `delayed` or to delay from executing an action after the command has been issued. It was then later used in the conventional (‘urf) of the Arabs to mean `to be incapable of, to be weak` (al Isfahānī 1992) ... more

 The Five levels of Knowing the Most Exalted Allah [according to the teaching of Imam Ali(as)]

The Five levels of Knowing the Most Exalted Allah [according to the teaching of Imam Ali(as)]
By S. M. Husayn Tabatabai
Imam Ali, peace be upon him, has said: “The foremost in religion is knowing
Allah, and the perfection of this knowledge is His acknowledgement, and the perfection of His acknowledgement is to believe in His Oneness, and the perfection of believing in His Oneness is to regard Him Pure, and the perfection of Hi ... more

 Love in The Relationship between God and Man

Love in The Relationship between God and Man
by Ahmed Haneef
Some of the great Islamic philosophers have said that love is the relationship we have with those things that contribute to the maintenance and completion of our existence. When we experience or meet such things we don’t like to be separated from them and we feel a great need for them in our lives. This attachment is what we call love.Thus we find ourselves loving food ... more

 Al Mahdi(atf) from Mohammd(s)’s progeny.

Al Mahdi(atf) from Mohammd(s)’s progeny.


The Prophet (s) said: “There will be twelve leaders Khulafa after me, all of them from
Quraysh”. A thorough examination of the history of Islam clarifies any doubt about the meaning of the word “Khulafa” used by the Prophet (s), which certainly does not refer to the Caliphs who exercised temporal power after him. Neither of those rulers were twelve in number, and you can hardly say th ... more

 “Mab’ath”Allah’stradition on Earth

“Mab’ath”Allah’stradition on Earth

This is the nature of Allah’s law. Moses (s) was raised on the lap of the Pharaoh and Muhammad (s) on the lap of the Quraish. In what circumstances and in which period of time the order of Allah was descended upon earth, could be the subject of a much detailed research in the historical texts. However, according to the well known historians, the Prophet was forty when he was appointed as the messenger ... more

 The reality of Death and its role in reforming the human soul

The reality of Death and its role in reforming the human soul
by Ahmed Haneef
With the general and inexorable decline of religious identity in modern society, comes a decline of the belief in the Afterlife. Most contemporary societies can be described as positivist, which sees only the reality accessible to the senses or to the instruments that supplement them as valid and scoffs at the Unseen as mere fantasy and myth. As such death is ... more

 Faith and Love: the foundation of family life in Islam

Faith and Love: the foundation of family life in Islam

Family is the holiest social structure as well as the initial core that establishes the human society. In establishment of a safe social relationship, mutual respect, protection of rights and duties of its members, consideration of morality and generosity, plays key role in safeguarding its consolidation, fluency and stability.
This structure, at the same time being the prima ... more

 The Describers of the Beloved

The Describers of the Beloved
The best introduction about a person or a thing can be given by the best introducer; and certainly the best introducer for Imam Ali (PBUH) is the Holy Quran and the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT). The Holy Quran recognizes Ali (PBUH) as the Wali (Master); whose Mastership is the final step for the perfection of religion, the completion of Allah’s (SWT) favor on mankind, and the formation of an Islam, which Allah (SWT) is co ... more

 Gender responsibilities

Gender responsibilities in the light of Allah’s Divine Attributes
By Ahmed Haneef
In commenting on Allah’s saying in the Holy Qur’an, “It is We who have distributed among them their livelihood in the life of this world.” (Q 43:32) Imam Ali (as) is reported to have said:“Allah the Exalted told us that employment is one of the means of people’s livelihood. He, in His wisdom, diversified their aspirations, motiva ... more

 The Birth of the Seal of Prophets Muhammad

The Birth of the Seal of Prophets Muhammad
Anushirvan, (the Sassanian King of Persia) tiered by the evening game of polo, retired earlier than usual to bed. Drawing his silken curtains to screen him from the women of his harem, he sank wearily on to his turquoise-studded bed, with its white silk mattresses padded with swan`s dawn.
Now the lamps were extinguished, only a few candles burning in their turquoise candle-sticks. The imperia ... more

 Nowrouz: The celebration of Nature’s rebirth

Nowrouz: The celebration of Nature’s rebirth
Across much of the non-Arab Muslim world, people will celebrate Nowrouz, the festival that marks the arrival of spring and the beginning of the New Year. The pre-Islamic holiday with roots in the Zoroastrian religion of ancient Persia - perhaps the world’s first monotheistic faith - is observed in Iran, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, parts of India, and among the Kurds. Nowrouz, whic ... more