Ahlul-Bait, as a Quranic, traditional, and theological term means the Prophet’s family (s). This term has been used to mean this in the verse of purity (33:33): “Verily, Allah desires to rid you of all impurities, Ahlul-Bait, and purify you a thorough purification.” («انما یرید الله لیذهب عنکم الرجس اهل البیت و یطهرکم تطهیرا») Commentators of the Quran say regarding this verse that what is meant by Allah’s desire is a natural desire (Al-Mīzān (Farsi edition), v.16, p.467) because Allah’s legislative desire has been coupled with the purity of all humans. Everyone is able to reach purity from sin by obeying the teachings and rulings of Allah,Read More →

DID SATAN HAVE CHILDREN, AND IF SO, ARE THEY CURSED AS WELL?

Just like human beings Satan also has offspring. This has been pointed out in the Quran and in narrations from the Ahlul-Bait (P.B.U.T.). “When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis. He was one of the jinn, so he transgressed against his Lord’s command. Will you then take him and his offspring for guardians in My stead, though they are your enemies? How evil is a substitute for the wrongdoers!” (Sura Kahf – Ayah 50: …Will you then take him and his offspring for guardians in My stead…) In Allameh Majlisi’s book, “The Heavens and the Earth”, which is one of theRead More →

WHAT IS ISLAM’S VIEW ON DINOSAURS?

The Quran is a book of guidance and everything which supports this goal [of guidance] has been mentioned in this Holy Book. The method used in expressing matters is: focusing on the general aspects and less on the details and particulars, and the reason for that may be the unimaginable amount of specific topics and Islamic laws. (For more information, see: “Vicegerency and Religiosity”, Studies in Islamic Political Thought: Dr. Mehdi Hadavi Tehrani – Pages 47-57.) In the Quran, even though much has been mentioned about the reality of life, various creatures, classification of living organisms into plants (Sura An’aam (The Cattle) – Verse 99:Read More →

WHAT ARE THE RELIABLE SOURCES OF RELIGIOUS THOUGHT IN ISLAM?

Needless to say religious thought, like other forms of thought, must have reliable sources from which the raw material of its thought originates and upon which it depends. Similarly, the process of reasoning necessary for the solution of mathematical problems must have a series of established mathematical facts and principles.The single source upon which the divinely revealed religion of Islam depends and upon which it is based, inasmuch as it is based on a revelation of celestial origin is none other than the Holy Quran. It is the Quran which is the definitive treatment of the universal and ever-living prophet hood of the Prophet andRead More →

The best approach in proving the Imamate of Imam Ali (as) for followers of the Sunni school of thought is through means of what has been mentioned in the Quran and narrations which have been mentioned in their own sources. In order to do this, one should thoroughly understand that which is presented in verses of the Quran. Meaning, the content of the verse, the context in which it is introduced, instances it refers to, etc. should all be considered in detail. In the Holy Quran there are many verses which make reference to and establish the Imamate of Ali (as) and the other Imams.Read More →

WHY DO THEY CALL PROPHET ISA “THE SPIRIT OF ALLAH”?

There is a verse in the Holy Quran that introduces this prophet of Allah’s as such: “إِنَّمَا الْمَسیحُ عیسَى ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَ کَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقاها إِلى‏ مَرْیَمَ وَ رُوحٌ مِنْه (Nisa:171.) (Jesus, son of Mary, is only a Messenger of God, His Word, and a spirit from Him whom He conveyed to Mary). It is also relying on this verse that Ruhullah or the “Spirit of God” has been counted as one of his names in Islamic literature. On one hand, we must note that the issue of the spirit is one that, according to the explicit assertion of the Quran, we cannot understandRead More →

HOW CAN THE CONTRADICTION BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY ABOUT GOD HAVING A SON BE RESOLVED?

In surah Tawhid we read: “Allah is Samad (He is the One whom all turn towards in need) (Tawhid:2.), neither did He begat nor was He begotten”. Some commentators of the Quran believe the verse “neither did He begat nor was He begotten” to be the interpretation of the term Samad in the previous verse. (Farsi translation of Al-Mizan, vol. 29, p. 672; Tafsir Nemouneh, vol. 27, p. 439.) That is to say, what is meant by Allah being Samad, is that no one can be begotten from Him, nor can He be begotten from anyone. Logically, it is impossible for a Allah who is Samad, to have the trait of begetting or being begotten,Read More →