ICEL

● Rajab is the Month of God...

If support accompanies someone, then that person is always successful. All of the present company have that support. If not, you would never be found in such an association. Why come? You might just as well go on as other people, happy with their material lives and their pleasures. But...

● Scientific Facts Revealed In The Qur'an ...

The Qur'anic precedence with such precise and comprehensive knowledge points to only one facet of the multifarious, miraculous nature of this Glorious Book, being the last Divine message.The Holy Qur'an is basically a book of guidance, revealed by the Creator to address areas that cannot be answered by the...

● UK Sisters Face the Challenges of Conversion...

● Why Islam completely forbidding the consumption of alcohol...

● It Pays to Be Just...

One of the most fundamental principles that the social moral system of Islam is based on is the exhortation to do good for oneself and for society at large. Islam, similar to previous monotheistic religions, sees society as one entity. While recognising individual privacy, it severely sanctions selfishness and...

● Why the Month of Sha'ban Is Deemed A 'Grand' Month?...

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...

● Muslims and Europeans...

For more than 900 years Europe has been the ideological confrontation ground of many nations and over the last decades has witnessed the formation of a new phenomenon: the birth of a `local` Islam. Islam is no longer a religion brought by immigrants often...

● Mab’ath: Allah’s Laws 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,...

● June 2012: Events from Islamic History (10th of Rajab to 10th of Shaaban)...

The birth Anniversary of Imam Muhammad bin Ali, Al-Jawad (as). Imam Jawad was born on 10th of Rajab of the year 195(AH) and was the only son of Imam Redha (as). He became an Imam at the age of nine. He lived at the time...

● Piety and Righteousness (taqwa)...

Mohammad Sobhanie  Piety and righteousness (taqwa) is a will power that shields and guards an individual from doing sin and disobeying Allah (swt). A pious person feels the presence of God in his life, and he is conscious, aware and careful...

● Lady Fatima al-Zahra (sa): 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...

● 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...

● Nowruz 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● Muslim women in the modern world...

Muslim women in the modern worldBy Ayatollah Mohsen ArakiMuslim 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...

● 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...

● `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...

● 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● Imam Husayn's (as) mission...

A. THE MESSAGEOver 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...

● 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...

● 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 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....

● Starting University...

Student’s lifeMany 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....

● Advice for a productive Ramadhan...

Some words of advice for a productive and spiritually uplifting RamadhanBy 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● 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...

● Let’s Be Counted - The 2011 Census...

Let’s Be Counted - The 2011 CensusIt 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....

● A Hidden Hand - A Critique of blood matam...

A Hidden HandA look into the historical, jurisprudential, and reactional aspects of blood matam in the general public and international media.Translated by: Hamid Hussein WaqarIntroduction اتقوا الله و آونوا زينا و لا تكونوا شينا جروا الينا آل مودة و ادفعوا عنا...

● 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...

● 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...

● The Epic of 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...

● 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...

● Ayatollah Khamenei's Timely Fatwa...

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...

● The Inimitbility (i’jaz) of Quran ...

Part 1By Shaikh Abbas MirzaAccording 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....

● 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 TabatabaiImam Ali, peace be upon him, has said: “The foremost in religion is knowing Allah, and the perfection of this knowledge is His acknowledgement,...

● Love in The Relationship between God and Man...

Love in The Relationship between God and Man by Ahmed HaneefSome 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...

● 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 fromQuraysh”. 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...

● “Mab’ath”Allah’stradition on Earth...

“Mab’ath”Allah’stradition on EarthThis 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...

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

The reality of Death and its role in reforming the human soulby Ahmed HaneefWith 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...

● Faith and Love: the foundation of family life in Islam...

Faith and Love: the foundation of family life in IslamFamily 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,...

● The Describers of the Beloved...

The Describers of the BelovedThe 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...

● Gender responsibilities ...

Gender responsibilities in the light of Allah’s Divine Attributes By Ahmed HaneefIn commenting on Allah’s saying in the Holy Qur’an, “It is...

● The Birth of the Seal of Prophets Muhammad...

The Birth of the Seal of Prophets MuhammadAnushirvan, (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,...

● Nowrouz: The celebration of Nature’s rebirth...

Nowrouz: The celebration of Nature’s rebirthAcross 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...