Shia Theology
"Every day is 'Ashura and every land is Kerbala"
Imam Ja'far ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq (A.S.)
The life of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam,
(saw) and that of the members of his family, whom he brought up,
and whom he educated, represent the perfect model of Islamic life
style. The Itrah or the family of the Prophet, through whom his
traditions and his Sunnah became manifest, and were transmitted,
exemplified the practical application of the principles of Holy
Quran, par excellence. Their words, their practices and their
confirmations, remain next to Quran itself, the most important
source of Islamic knowledge. The concept of Imamah in Shia
theology is rooted in such an understanding of the role of
'Itrah'. The Imam or the leader of in Shia theology does not
derive his authority from public consensus; he derives it from
the fiat of the Prophet of Islam (saw). All Muslims must obey him
and follow him because he is the representative of the Prphet
(s.a.w.) The Imam is the leader of the community of the Muslims
in every sense of the term. He is as much a political leader as
he is a religious and spiritual leader. The political and
religious aspects of life in Shia theology calesce, and remain
inseparable. If the people or most of the people do not
acknowledge him as their Imam, he still remains an Imam because
he was designated by the Prophet (s.aw.), and beacuse of his
unique qualitie. He is like a highly qualified physician whom
some patients do not wish to consult for reasons unrelated to his
professioanl ability and excellence. The First Imam of hte Shia
Muslims was Ali
ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son in
law of Muhammad, the Messener of God, and the first and the
youngest male to accept Islam. He embraced Islam when he was only
ten years old, and since the Prophet of Isalm, may God bless him,
himself had brought him up, he was very much attached to him, as
a child his parent. At an early age, he mastered all the exoteric
as well as esoteric aspects of Islam. The Messenger of God himelf
bore testimony to his extraordinary accomplishments in his
traditions two of which are as follows:
1. "I
AM THE CITY OF KNOWLEDGE AND ALI IS ITS GATE."
2. "ALI IS IN THE SAME
POSITION TO ME AS AARON WAS TO MOSES, EXCEPT THAT THERE WILL BE
NO PROPHET AFTER ME."
Fundamentals of Islam
Usool -ad-Deen (Roots of Religion)
- Tawheed - (Oneness
of God) -
The most fundamental aspect of all beliefs revolves
around the total acceptance of the Absolute and Perfect
Creator. Belief in the Originator of all causes and
effects with no effect on Him and that He is One,
Everliving, Beneficent and Merciful. He has neither a
colleague nor a partner. He begets not, nor is He
begotten, and there is none like Him. The Almighty God is
Unique and is Absolute in the Absolute sense. No entity
in His Universe can ever comprehend His true state and
none should even bother to try for it will lead to
futility and insanity. Yet there is no doubt in any sane
mind that His existence precedes all and His presence is
Absolutely ubiquitous (everpresent). For anyone to say
that God does not exist is a liar and a fool because such
a person can NEVER disprove His existence, whether
scientifically or philosophically, or for that matter in
any method known. Because He is Absolute and none is like
Him, no one in the relative world can ever physically
define Him, and thus all idol worshippers and those who
ascribe a shape or a body to Him are wrong. Ascribing a
shape to the One who is beyond our limited perceptions
would be tantamount to lying and giving a false
appearance and a false representation. In addition, to
believe that one can see God in the physical sense of
sitting on a throne like some mythical being is certainly
an untrue statement and should never be accepted. The
Almighty Creator brings to existence everything with
utmost Perfection and nothing in His Universe is
imperfect. Thus to state that the Creator has created
imperfect things is certainly a false statement. He is
the One and Only and is Absolutely independent of
anything and everything that exists. Glorified be His
names, the Most High!
- 'Adl - (Justice) - Essentially part of Tawheed.
Belief that God is Just. He will reward or punish any
person according to his deeds and thus the notion of
predestination (where all decisions are God's and not any
one else's) in one's deeds does not exist. It is
absolutely forbidden in Islam to believe that the
Almighty, Merciful Allah planned our destiny and that the
good and the bad are just His Will and there is no choice
for us between them (God forbid!). Those who ascribe to
such lies do so because they want to blame their own
evils on Allah and claim the good for themselves!
Although the attribute of Allah's Justice is not a
separate entity of Allah for certainly the Almighty God
can never be compartmentalized nor defined in any
relative terms, it is nonetheless absolutely compulsory
to believe and fully understand the importance of this
attribute in Islam so as not to allow the evil
suggestions of Iblees (curse of Allah be upon him and his
progeny) and his companions from leading us astray.
- Nubuwwat -
(Prophethood)
- Belief in the Prophets (PBUT) of God who excel all
other persons for whom they are sent for. All prophets of
Allah are perfect and sinless (ma'soom). Prophet Muhammad
Mustafa (PBUH&HF) is the last of the prophets sent by
God and the sealer of prophets for NO more are to come,
EVER! The total number of prophets (PBUT) that were sent
by God to mankind is 124,000 and every nation on earth
was given guidance through them. In fact, all major
religions today on earth can be traced to have these
divinely guided teachers as their original propagators of
the Truth of Allah. The best of His messengers all came
from the same tree i.e. family lineage and many of them
are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an which describes who they
were and what their mission on earth was. It is important
to note that no prophet on earth ever negated or rejected
any of the other divinely ordained prophets and thus
their message was always the same and one in purpose.
Each established the law of the One and Only God and
showed the way of life for humans to observe. From the
very first creation of mankind, there was always a
prophet on earth which was Prophet Adam (PBUH). This
guidance from the Merciful Allah to establish His
complete laws continued to the last Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH&HF) who exemplified the letters of the law in
his most perfect behavior. He completed and perfected the
one and only True religion, Islam. With the revelation of
the last Holy Book, the Qur'an, which is the most
protected and perfect book of God with us, he established
as part of his mission, every concievable and practical
law for mankind to follow in order to attain spiritual
perfection. Great prophets such as Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim
(Abraham), Ismail (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Yaqoob
(Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), Dawood (David), Sulaiman
(Solomon), Musa (Moses), Yahya (John), and Isa (Jesus), -
(Peace be upon them all) - all came from the one blessed
lineage of Prophet Adam (PBUH) and ended with the last
Messenger, Muhammad (PBUH&HF). It is also important
to note that anyone who ascribes imperfections or
mistakes to these divinely guided personalities is
ascribing it directly to Allah who is certainly free from
such. Acceptance of such ideas is also rejection of the
message of Allah entirely. Thus with prophethood, a
believer has to accept in their complete message without
any reservations of possible errors or mistakes.
- Imamat -
(Guidance)
- Belief in the divinely appointed leadership after the
death of the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HF) to protect and
guide mankind with the revealed Truth, the Holy Qur'an
and the true practices of the Holy Prophet himself. The
roles of these leaders is an integral part in the
protection of all the Messengers and their divine
Messages. The Almighty Allah appointed through the Holy
Prophet himself, twelve Guides (Imams) to protect mankind
from misrepresenting and misinterpreting the Truth.
Belief in this is most important in Islam and no doubts
about their positions should be allowed. They are indeed
sinless (ma'soom) and perfect in the highest sense of the
word. The Imams have direct knowledge from God, and their
verdict is the verdict of God. After the Holy Prophet,
only they can interpret and guide mankind in every aspect
of life and death and all believers must acquire guidance
from them or else they will certainly be lost. They do
NOT bring any new laws nor do they ever innovate their
own laws. They always exempliy and elucidate the
practical (Sunnah) and the written (the Holy Qur'an). It
is also important to note that they NEVER disagree with
each other in their manners and duties nor in their
representations of the Divine Laws. They are from the
best and the most blessed and purified lineage of the
last Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUT) and their names are as
follows: (1) Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib, the cousin and
son-in-law of the Holy Prophet who called him his only
brother in this world and in the next, (2) Imam Hasan son
of Ali, (3) Imam Husain son of Ali, (4) Imam Ali son of
Husain, (5) Imam Muhammad son of Ali, (6) Imam Ja'far son
of Muhammad, (7) Imam Musa son of Ja'far, (8) Imam Ali
son of Musa, (9) Imam Muhammad son of Ali, (10) Imam Ali
son of Muhammad, (11) Imam Hasan son of Ali, and the last
and living Imam Muhammad son of Hasan, the establisher of
the Truth till the end of this world (PBUT). There is no
successor to the Twelfth Holy Imam Muhammad ibnul Hassan
(PBUH) and he is LIVING today but is in occultation and
appears only to those who are most in need and to those
who are most virtuous and pious. By the Command of Allah,
he will reappear to all when he will establish true
justice on earth and will rule mankind compassionately
with utmost perfection as is the Will of the Almighty
Allah. He will abolish the evil establishments on earth
and mankind will live under true guidance as should have
been many centuries ago!
- Qiyaamat -
(Resurrection)
- Belief in the Day of Judgement when all human beings
shall be raised from the dead and all their good and bad
deeds shall be ultimately judged and recompensed
accordingly. This belief is most essential WITH the
belief in the One True God. The Day of Judgement will
prove to all in this Universe that the Almighty Allah is
the Creator of all from nothing and is the Absolute
Master. His divine presence shall be most apparent on
this important Day for all to witness. It is a judgement
Dayfor His creatures to know themselves and their
relationship to the Creator Allah. Just as pursuit for
justice is inseperable in any society on earth, so is the
Ultimate Day of Justice inseparable for mankind.
Furoo-ad-Deen (Branches of Religion)
- Salat (Prayers)
- Saum (Fasting)
- Hajj (Pilgrimage)
- Zakat (Poor Rate)
- Khums (Wealth Tax)
- Jihad (Striving)
- Amr-Bil-Ma'roof (Enjoin
what is good)
- Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid
what is wrong)
- Tawalla (To love and
respect the Ahl-ul-Bait and their friends)
- Tabarra (To disassociate
from the enemies of the Ahl-ul-Bait)