Conditions to the Fulfillment of Prayer

Question: What are the conditions that guarantee the fulfilment of a prayer?

Brief Answer
The word du’a (supplication) literally means “to call”, “to request a favour”, “to seek help” and in some cases it is used to denote the general meaning of calling. But in its [popular and] technical sense, it refers to the act of making a request from Allah (awj). The word du’a and its derivatives have been used in the Qur`an in approximately thirteen different meanings.

As supplication is a form of worship, it has like all other forms of worship certain requirements, the fulfilment of which makes the supplication effective in that Allah (awj) grants the supplicant’s request and elevates him to higher stations of proximity to Himself.

It is important to note that the acceptance of supplication does not mean that the request will be instantaneously granted, and that its consequences will become immediately manifest. Hence, in some cases, the result of the acceptance might appear after some forty years, or in yet other cases Allah (awj) may postpone the granting of the request for the hereafter, wherein He will bestow on the supplicant blessings many times greater than what he had asked for, and this experience will so overwhelm the blessed believer that at that moment he will wish that none of his other requests had been granted in the world.

Scholars of Islamic sciences have extracted from the Qur`an and the ahadith of the Infallibles (ع) certain conditions which, if respected, will guarantee the acceptance of the supplication. Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani enumerates ten such requirements. Ten other requirements have been recorded in ‘Uddatul Da’i, while seventeen conditions have been put forth in Du’aha Wa Tahlilat-i-Qur`an.

By studying the various phrases that are recorded in the ahadith relating to this topic, it is possible to formulate the conditions that guarantee the acceptance of one’s supplications, such as: not asking for a request that is in contradiction with the “best universal order” that governs the world; the immutable Divine will (in which case the supplication will be disregarded); beginning and ending the supplication with blessings upon Prophet Muhammad and his household (ع); possessing a thorough knowledge of Allah (awj), putting our trust only in Allah (awj) and no other but Him; being sincere and feeling desperately in need of Allah (awj); the harmoniousness of one’s heart and tongue in supplicating; being disposed to carry out our duties and refrain from committing what Allah (awj) has forbidden; pleading for forgiveness of one’s sins; being persistent in beseeching Allah (awj) without loosing hope; knowing that Allah (awj) hears His servants and heeds their supplications; asking Allah (awj) to take care of one’s needs the way He deems appropriate and in accordance with what is best for him, [not what he himself whimsically desires]. If all these conditions are met, the supplicant should have no doubt that the request will be granted, although it be at a later time.

Detailed Answer

Before venturing to answer the question, the meaning of du’a and the reason for its necessity from the perspective of the Qur`an will be examined briefly.

The necessity of supplication is not an issue confined to Islam; it was also a given among the religions of the ancient prophets, and thus they informed their people regarding this issue. Moreover, there are many instances where the supplications of the ancient prophets have been recorded, one of which is Ibrahim’s (ع) supplication and its acceptance recounted in Surat Ibrahim, verse 37. Another instance is Musa’ supplication related in Surat Taha, verses 25-28. Allah (awj) in many verses exhorts the believers to supplicate Him (See, among others 2:186 and 40:60).

The literal meaning of du’a (supplication) is “calling”, “asking a request”, and “pleading for help.” Although in some contexts it denotes merely “calling.”

In its religious usage however, it refers to asking a favour from Allah, the Exalted. The word du’a and its derivatives that appear in the Qur`an hold approximately thirteen different meanings, some of which are: “calling”, “supplicating”, “asking Allah”, “hollering for someone”, “to invite to a cause or to someone”, “pleading for help”, “worship”, etc.

From some verses and ahadith, it can be inferred that supplication is a form of worship of Allah (awj). Furthermore, in some ahadith, we come across phrases like “Supplication is the core of worship.” In this light, it becomes clear that supplication, like all other forms of worship, has certain positive and negative conditions. In other words, in order for a supplication to be valid and complete and therefore conducive to Divine proximity, the supplicant must furnish certain prerequisites and conform to certain manners and pay heed to certain obstacles. It is after realizing these conditions that it becomes clear why some supplications are not accepted. For Allah (awj) is most wise and knowledgeable and, as such, all His actions are based on wise and reasonable grounds, and thus His granting a request is contingent on whether or not it is conducive to the well-being of the supplicant.

To better understand this; let us imagine a generous and benevolent individual who tells people that he will grant any request that is made to him. Now, if someone approaches him and asks him for something that is detrimental to the his own well-being or something that will entail his certain destruction—wrongly thinking that it is advantageous to him—in such a case, it is obvious that the appropriate response on the part of the generous and benevolent individual should be the rejection of the request. On the contrary, to grant the request in question would be an act of oppression against the requester [in spite of the latter’s feelings]. And it should be noted that most of the requests that human beings make to Allah (awj) are harmful for and disadvantageous to them.

This has been expressed in a sacred hadith; it reads, “There are those amongst My servants for whom only wealth is suitable [as opposed to poverty], and were I to consign them to anything else, they would have certainly perished. And indeed there are those amongst my servants for whom only poverty is suitable, and were I to consign them to anything else, they would have indeed perished.”[312]

At this point, a question might arise in the reader’s mind: Considering the fact that Allah (awj) knows what is good for us better than anyone else and that He will carry out what He wishes, so what need is there for supplication, to request something from Allah (awj)? In reply, it suffices to say that some of the Divine existential decrees (muqaddarat) are contingent on the supplication of the servant. That is, if the servant supplicates, that will be grounds on which the Divine will would allow the bestowal of the request, and if the servant does not supplicate, that ground would be lacking, and hence the request would not be granted. For instance, if one beseeches Allah (awj) to grant him eternal life, Allah (awj) will not accept such supplication, for it contradicts the Divine will as made clear in the Qur`an (3:185); or if one asks Allah (awj) to prevent him from ever being in need of anyone else, such a request would also be denied. It has been narrated that one day Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ع) overheard someone telling his friend, “May Allah never afflict you with any tribulation or mishap.” On hearing this, Imam ‘Ali b. Abi Talib (ع) addressed the person and said, “You just asked Allah for your friend’s death.” That is, as long as one is alive, one will be afflicted with tribulations and hardships.

In commenting on a hadith, ‘Allama Majlisi forwards some justifications as to why some supplications are not accepted:

1. Allah’s (awj) promise to grant the requests made to Him is conditioned on whether they are in accord with His will, for Allah (awj) says, He will remove that for which you supplicated Him, if He wished (6:41).
2. What is meant by “replying” in the hadith is the concomitant meaning; that is, to hear the supplication of the servant. Allah (awj) accepts the supplication right away but postpones granting the supplicant’s request so that the latter would continue in his supplication, for the believer is the beloved of Allah (awj) and He loves to hear His beloved.
3. Allah (awj) grants only those requests that are to the advantage of the supplicant, for Allah (awj) is wise and as such does not jeopardize what is advantageous to His servant and conducive to his felicity in trying to meet the whimsical wishes of His servant which are in actuality detrimental to his well-being. Thus it becomes clear that when such a promise (to grant the requests of those who beseech Him) is made by a wise being, it must be understood as to pertain only to those requests that are to the supplicant’s advantage.[313]

In Usul al-Kafi, four possibilities have been provided regarding the meaning of “reply” [i.e. Allah’s reply to His servants’ supplications]:[314]

1. Allah (awj) grants the supplicant’s request right away;
2. Allah (awj) accepts the supplicant’s request but postpones granting it for some time, as He likes to hear the voice of the supplicant;
3. Allah (awj) accepts the supplication but fulfils it not by granting what the supplicant had asked for but by erasing the supplicant’s sins, placing it as compensation for his wrongs;
4. Allah (awj) accepts the supplication but fulfils it not by granting what the supplicant had asked for but by reserving it for the supplicant as provision for the hereafter.

In some cases Allah’s (awj) acceptance of the supplication is by way of bestowing on the supplicant several times more than what he had asked for in the hereafter as he was not aware of what was really in his good, and so when he beholds what bounties Allah (awj) has granted him in lieu of what he had asked for, he will wish that none of his requests had been granted and at that point he will confirm that his supplications have been fully accepted.[315]

Up to here, the meaning of du’a and its importance have been illustrated. The conditions of the acceptance of supplication and why some supplications are not accepted were also analyzed. Now it is time to consider the question: under what circumstances are supplications accepted? Scholars of Islam and Qur`anic exegetes have, based on their understanding of the Qur`an and the ahadith, enumerated certain conditions for the supplication and the supplicant, which if observed would render the supplication effectual and thus the request would be granted.

In Du’aha Wa Tahlilat-i Qur`an, the author mentions seventeen conditions for supplication and the manners according to which it should be carried out, some of which are: knowledge of Allah (awj); the concordance of the supplicant’s heart and tongue; carrying out the obligatory duties and refraining from the forbidden acts; repentance; uttering the formula of blessings upon the Prophet and his household, etc.

Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani also provides ten conditions in Mahajjah al-Bayda’, in addition to the ten that he quotes from Ahmad ibn Fahd al-Hilli’s ‘Uddatul Da’i. They are, among others: determination in supplication; supplicating as a group; supplicating with a real devotion of the heart [and not perfunctorily]; relying solely on Allah (awj) in one’s needs, etc.

In the ahadith regarding the guaranteed acceptance of supplications, there are some phrases whose mention is not without benefit.

Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (ع) says, “Supplications are always behind veils that bar them from reaching the Divine Throne unless they are accompanied by blessings to the Prophet and his household.”[316]

It is narrated in another account that Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (ع) said, “Whenever any of you decides to supplicate his Lord, he should commence it by blessing the Prophet, for such a blessing is accepted before Allah and certainly Allah is not such that He would accept part of the supplication while rejecting the rest.”[317]

And yet in another narration, it is recommended that the supplicant bless the Prophet at the close of his supplication as well as at the commencement.

Imam Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Mujtaba (ع) says, “If a person is vigilant to prevent temptations and thoughts that are displeasing to Allah from entering his heart, I will guarantee that he would be mustajab al-da’wah [i.e. that Allah will grant all his requests indiscriminately].[318]

Imam Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Sadiq (ع) has been related as having said, “Sever all ties of hope from other-than-Allah until it [i.e. your hope] relies on no other power but Allah, then supplicate, for then surely it will be accepted.”[319]

Also, it has been narrated that the supplication of the oppressed, who has no other refuge but Allah (awj), is certainly accepted.

Thus if the supplication is made in the tone of seeking help, the supplicant will not be repelled and his request will be granted. For, the Agent Who overlooks the affairs of the creatures and He Who grants the requests is perfect and beyond perfect, and His blessings are also perfect and beyond perfect, and so if the blessing is not manifest and does not affect the creatures, it is due to the defective capacity of the receptacle. Thus if the recipient be capable of receiving the blessings, which gush forth from an endless reservoir that never shows any sign of scarcity, the infinitely abundant and rich mines of Divine grace will pour down on him.

Hence, it has been said that human affairs are of three types: one type are those which are willed by Allah without any need for supplication, in which case whether or not the recipient supplicates, he will receive what has been allocated for him; the next type are those which will not be willed by Allah (awj) regardless of whether or not the individual supplicates, in which case even if the individual supplicates his request would not be granted; the third group are those which Allah (awj) wills, provided the beneficiary supplicates, and as such Allah (awj) will not will it without the beneficiary’s supplication. In the latter case, Allah’s (awj) granting the request is contingent on the supplication of the beneficiary, and as the human being is ignorant of the advantageousness or disadvantageousness of what he desires, he must not fail to supplicate for all he wants. Although, he must not be disappointed if it is not granted, for he should know that it was not to his benefit.

Moreover, as mentioned earlier, supplication is a form of worship, rather it is of the best forms of worship, and as such, is very effective in gaining proximity to Allah (awj), which is of the most valuable achievements that can be sought through worship [and thus the supplicant should not be so much concerned as to whether his request is granted or not].

After raising one’s hands in supplication, it is recommended, according to the ahadith and the traditions of the Infallibles (ع), that he rub his hands on his face, for Allah’s (awj) grace has replied to those hands [although it might appear that the supplicant’s request has not been granted]. The hands which have been extended toward Allah (awj) in supplication will definitely be blessed and so the supplicant will not terminate his supplication empty handed, and the hands that have been blessed by Allah (awj) are sacred. Thus, it is recommended that the supplicant rub his hands on his face.

Notes:

[312] al-Kafi, vol. 2, pg. 352:
[313]Mir’at al-’Uqul,vol. 12 pg. 19-20
[314]al-Kafi, vol. 1, pg. 330
[315]Mir’at al-’Uqul, vol. 12 pg. 1-5
[316]al-Kafi, vol. 2, pg. 491
[317]Amali, Shaykh Saduq, vol. 1, pg. 157
[318]al-Kafi, vol. 2, pg. 67
[319]Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, pg. 107


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Ref: Hojjat al-Islam Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani
www.ahlulbaytportal.com

How was the Qur'an, the Final Word of God, Acquired?

It is a well-known historic fact that every religious Scripture revealed before the Holy Qur'an suffered alterations, additions and subtractions; some have even disappeared altogether.

Leaving aside the ancient ones, take for instance the case of Jesus, the most recent of the Apostles of God before the Holy Prophet Muhammad. What is available today is a collection of mere stories told by different persons at different times based upon often contradictory records. And even this has undergone revision, with various translations of the text, hailed by some and contested by others; for example the Douai Bible of the Catholic Church, the King James Version of the Protestant Churches and the Diaglott of the Watchtower Society, etc. This destructive activity by man was tolerated by the Almighty Providence while the Scriptures were being tampered with, awaiting the Final and All-Comprehensive revelation which was yet to be given to the human race. This was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Last of the Messengers and Warners from God. This Final Word of God, the Qur'an, was sent down with a challenging Under taking and assurance that none thereafter shall ever be able to tamper with it, meddle with it, as the Omnipotent Author of the Word and its Revealer Himself would take care of its Originality, Arrangement, Completeness and Security:

Verily, We have sent down the Reminder (the Qur'an), and verily We (Ourself) for it will certainly be the Guardian. (15:9)

On Us is its (Qur'an's) Compilation, its Recitation and its Explanation.

Before leaving this world, the Holy Prophet declared:

I leave among you Two great (very important) things, the Book of God and my Ahlul-Bait; should ye be attached to these Two, never, never shall ye go astray, and verily never, never shall these Two be separated from one another.

This Apostolic announcement clearly states that:

1 The Holy Qur'an was there in the form of a complete Book.

2 It was there in the hands of the people, for the Holy Prophet says, "I leave among (or in the midst of) you".

3 To avoid going astray, people should hold fast to both, the Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bait, and not to others.

4 The Ahlul-Bait will always be with the Qur'an, and the Qur'an in its original form and with its correct meanings will be only with the Holy Ahlul-Bait.

5 As the Holy Prophet says, these Two will never be separated from each other. As long as the Qur'an is there in this world, there will be one of the Ahlul-Bait (the Imam of the age).

The historic recital of the Qur'an by the severed head of Husain, the King of Martyrs, at Karbala, proved that a member of the Ahlul-Bait, even when killed, is the custodian of the Qur'an and can deliver it to the world.

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Reference: Haji Mirza Mahdi Pooya Yazdi
www.ahlulbaytportal.com

Why it is forbidden to read the deviated books?

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: When Islam is the religion of knowledge why does it forbid reading deviated books?
Answer: Without any doubt Islam is the religion of learning and knowledge and it encourages people to acquire and spread knowledge. The progress of a person or society depends upon acquisition of knowledge but side by side Islam pays attention to the basic point that just as there are dangerous factors of materialism in society e.g. to protect from it, it is necessary; in the same way to protect the mind and spirit from factors of going astray is also necessary.
In today’s culture people are free, to accept any belief or view with the only condition that it should not be against the material principles of the society. This is not so in Islam. Islam wants that such a society, which comes into existence, should progress spiritually and ethically. This aim will not be realized unless and until it fights against the factors against ethics and spirituality, and that it should not have effects on the lives of the people. By paying attention to this basic point, we come to know that those books which are strayed and which spoil right thinking, faith and healthy ethics have been banned. If all the people are given the freedom to read these types of books what is the guarantee that their thinking and ethics would be safe? We should not underestimate propaganda and the power of propagation. There are many youths who after reading strayed books, and novels based on love, sex and crime have fallen in the pit of bad manners and unethical practices.
That is why Islam has not permitted publishing of strayed books freely so that all can read them. Although Islam encourages knowledge and its acquisition, it has not forbidden those people who have the ability to differentiate between right and wrong with the help of their powerful intelligence. Islam has not banned the learned people from reading these books but it is wajib for the scholarly and learned people so that they can understand the logic of those people and then refute them. By acquainting themselves with the ways of propagation and logic of the enemies and they can find appropriate ways to rebut them.
There were many discussions in the history of Islam between the religious leaders and followers of other faiths. The author of Ihtejaj Tabarsi[1] and many other authors have collected such types of discussions in books. This is itself an example that Islam has not banned the strayed books for the learned people and has not opposed knowledge. The religious leaders have always answered this type of faith not by killing those who follow that faith but by logic and free discussion.
Notes:
[1] Ahmad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib writing who died approximately in 550 Hijri. This book was published many times and shows one aspect of knowledge of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).
Reference: ImamReza.net

Music from the Islamic point of view

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: Why has Islam prohibited music, and what is the philosophy in prohibiting it?
Answer: Music has become so common that most people are not ready to think about music in its proper perspective (about the bad evil effect of the music) and follow ferociously this wrong way of thinking according to which whatever is in common practice is seen to be without blemish. They are not ready to study the evil and pernicious effects of music. To the extent that the people who are realistic are not content to this condition also, and in spite of those things being common they always endeavor to understand the reality and are engaged in research.
Music from many viewpoints is worth investigation.
(1) It causes harm to the physics of human body and leaves a bad effect on the nervous system. Keeping these factors in mind a Professor of Columbia University, Dr. Wolf Adler says:
The best and most fascinating tunes of music leaves the worst kind of effects on the nervous system of humans and especially when the climate is hot; then the unpleasant effects are too much.
The famous French expert Dr. Lycus Carl says:
It is possible that the fulfillment of beastly lust might be having some importance, but there is nothing unfair than this that the life passes in fun.
The general deficiency of intelligence and understanding is the effect of alcohol and in the end it is the result of indiscipline in the habit. There is no doubt in it that films, radio, television are partner to the worrisome moment.
Generally music should be counted as something which has narcotic effect (which causes benumbing of sense), because, its benumbing cannot be denied by any means. There are many types of benumbing and a person can numb his nerves in different ways.
Sometimes numbness comes by food. For example alcoholic drinks create great numbness in the nerves and render ineffective the power of thinking and senses. Sometimes something is inhaled through the nose that creates numbness; for example heroine, which is absorbed in the body through the nostrils, which for a certain period of time makes one intoxicated and many such patients who require anesthesia by such matter, is injected into their veins.
Sometimes this numbness comes through the ears by listening to music and concert. This effect sometimes is so strong that it takes out the person out of reality like a dazed one. And his attention is withdrawn from everything.
Keeping this point in mind, you will agree that music is nothing but numbness and it is the bearer of all or most of the vices and damages of intoxication.
Mainly people get so much pleasure and entertainment from music because of this numbing effect. Sometimes this effect is so powerful that, a person loses his senses and brain to the extent that he starts behaving in a strange manner.
For example when the benumbing effect of music becomes severe a person’s power of making right decisions is curtailed. Then he cannot perceive correctly between good and bad, right and wrong, because most of the time he is under the effect of music and his mind, thoughts and strength of his senses, manners becomes prisoner of intoxication of the fierce tunes of the music. Hence he commits such uncultured actions, that in normal conditions doing such things he will think that it is against his status and contrary to human behavior.
We think that, this part of our conversations is not in need of any example or model, because every sensible person knows that, in those dinner parties where stranger males engaged in dances with unrelated stranger females, always they are consistent with loud keynotes of music, and the vibration of tunes of music puts curtain on the mind and understanding of the people in such a way that, for them doing every despicable act and all such acts which are below the dignity of humans, to perform them becomes so easy and simple for them.
What greater intoxication can be there other than this when the voice of music affects the mind of a person, a kind of indolence takes over his nerves? And that foolish person cannot think of anything from human imagination, except sex. On his intelligence and on his power of comprehension a curtain is drawn in such a way that he forgets the sacred concepts of life like mercy, benevolence, kindness, chastity, modesty, trust, integrity, equality, brotherhood, greatness, eminence and magnificence, making efforts and hard work to fight for the attainment of the purpose and to be steadfast.
There is no second opinion that, right from day one, alcohol and music had been the greatest factors of encouraging sexual promiscuity for the lustful males and females and they on special occasions for intoxicating their nerves take help of these (i.e. alcohol and music).
It is correct that Islam never restrains man from his natural pleasures, but it prohibits those temporary and artificial entertainment created by intoxicating the nerves and arousing lustful desires and it takes away man from his natural condition.
Ethical limits of music
Is there is any doubt that among the factors of moral deterioration are these writings and the heart-rending tunes of music do not spread its wings for propagating of arguments contrary to chastity? Do not the fascinating voice of women and girls along with musical tunes arouse lust, create fervor for lovemaking in the youths? And the heart, which is packed with lustful songs and amorous writings, does it have any for remembrance of Allah? Does that heart, which is drowned in the whirlpool of loving voices and vibrations of music, can think regarding the needy and the poor?
As a principle it should be seen that what are the ingredients and occasions of musical parties. And what are the demands of and different kinds of stimulations? In those gay dance and music parties is there anything else except sexual promiscuity, wine and tasty foods? And the thing, which causes these evil consequences, can be allowed by a heavenly law?
The conclusion is that musical tunes have pernicious effects with regard to numbing of the nerves. And from the ethical point of view also it arouses lustful desires in the human beings.
By way of protecting health also it is proved that, in our time, there are different factors and causes of increase in the number of unexpected and sudden deaths, one of which is the craze of music, because music creates excitement and excitement damages the balance of nervous system.
People who are day and night bombarded by songs and music are prone to heart failure and brain hemorrhage.
However much is not necessary to show that nerves very soon becomes unserviceable because of continuous excitement.
This was one side of the harms of music.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Circumcision

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: What is the philosophy of circumcision with reference to personal hygiene?
Answer: The answer to this question is absolutely clear, because:
(1) Many people who are not circumcised have a lot of smegma in their foreskin and circumcision is the remedy to this problem.
(2) Statistics show that those who are not circumcised are more prone to the Cancer of penis. However it should be kept in mind that, those infants who are circumcised very early the wound could remain on the tip of their penis if it is not attended to properly the urine tube becomes very narrow. So care should be taken that these children along with getting the benefit of this religious ritual, should not be subjected to agony and suffering which is possible due to negligence.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Why the animals should be slaughtered in a particular way?

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: In Islam, some rules and regulations are stipulated for slaughter of animals. For example, all the four veins in the neck should be cut and to say Bismillah etc. If these conditions are not fulfilled, meat of that animal is not fit for eating. Though many people in the world overlook these rules and use the meat of such animals and there is no harmful effect on them. Explain what is the purpose of these regulations?
Answer: It seems that by these regulations Islam wants to fulfill three purposes:
First is to get away from the traditions of idol-worshippers, who use to cut the throat of their animals by taking the name of the idol. That is why taking the name of Allah was considered to be essential part of this slaughter.
The main function of which is to destroy the thought of idol-worship and secondly to drain out blood from the animal so that it does not remain in the layers of meat, and should not be eaten along with the flesh. Medical science of today has discovered so many harms in food containing blood. Other than this, blood is always contaminated with different kinds of germs. It is also proved by experience that food items having blood create such mentality and peculiarities in the humans, which are not preferable. Feebleness of sensitiveness, tyranny and hardheartedness is included in these.
The third purpose is that the animal should die as soon as possible and it should not suffer agony for a longer period. As this is against the spirituality, i.e. soul of humanity. This purpose is possible by cutting four veins of the throat of the animal.
This is the summary of the three purposes with regard to animal slaughter prescribed by Islam and that those purposes can be achieved by implementing these rules.
Reference: ImamReza.net

The reason of strictness in proving certain sins

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: Why are four witnesses required to prove a sexual crime? Doesn't this strictness cause increase in such crimes?
Also when a sane person confesses that which is detrimental to himself, that admission with be efficacious that law that kind does not exist here. And if a person himself confesses to have committed adultery then for three times his confession is not accepted and is accepted only after he confesses the fourth time?
Answer: In principal, regarding sexual crimes the laws of Islam have special conditions in which many points are taken into consideration. On one hand there are very severe punishment prescribed for such kind of crimes, which start with lashes and exile and at times ends with capital punishment.
But on the other hand, it had been made difficult the way to prove this sin. For example to prove this sin, the number of witnesses required are double than those required in other types of crimes and any person confessing the crime once is not considered sufficient.
These two views getting reciprocally linked (i.e. the punishment to be severe and strictness in case of proving the sin) gives a special status to these penal laws. And in that way these laws prevent people from perpetrating this type of crime. These laws create psychological barrier in the followers and they keep away from performing such acts. But then too for all practical purposes these laws do not include many people in this punishment.
In other words the real purpose of these types of laws is to prevent people from perpetrating the sin but not to give them death penalty or to finish them off. This effect is created because of the punishment being so severe because the person who commits this sin always every moment has the scene of severe punishment in front of his eyes. And thinks that as a result of some unexpected situation his sin would be proved. On the basis of this he gets frightened and terrified and this fear and apprehension prevents many people from committing such a sin.
Mostly it is seen that for committing a greater sin (e.g. to sell intoxicants and drugs) in special circumstances severe punishments such as death penalty are prescribed. Though these punishments are prescribed in some special situations. But the apprehension of has sufficient effect in the minds of the perpetrators of those sins.
The conclusion of this discussion is that these types of penalties are prescribed to effectively prevent crimes and sins and along with that it does not entangle too many people in its grip. As a result death penalty may be given to only one or a few persons, but it causes great effect in the minds of other potential criminals and this fear is enough that one day they might also get caught.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Why an unbeliever is impure?

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: What is the logic behind the Islamic point of view that followers of other religions and in short the Kuffar are impure and they cannot keep social contacts with Muslims although in cleanliness they are ahead of some Muslims? Apparently it is wrong to reply that mixing with disbelievers might misguide a Muslim and with their discussion and sayings they might deviate the Muslims and boycotting them would bring them towards Islam. This should be removed as Islam is the religion of broad-minded, it is a religion in which eyes and ears are closed.
Answer: Firstly it is true that Islam is broad-minded faith and not of where eyes and ears are closed, but if the purpose is that Islam belongs to only one group, then naturally it is not so because Islam is the religion of the whole mankind and if the purpose is that broad minded and intellectuals are more acquainted with Islam, then it is true. But this cannot become its proof that Islam turns a nelson's eye towards people with less knowledge or educated people and should not consider their state.
Now we are coming towards the real question. As it has been pointed unbelievers are unclean by a type of spiritual impurity, whose body is also unclean and they are impure, it is to protect the beliefs of people, who very soon accept the effects of others and get astrayed and this is not something new. Preachers have always recommended to the common people to keep away from polluted and astrayed people and after all Islam has announced that unbelievers are impure.
We do consider that Islam under certain conditions gives the permission for economic, business relations but has not given the permission for eating together or in other words Islam wants that Muslims may keep relations with them and make profit and side by side remain protected from their beliefs and ethics, which can reach to the people while intermingling with them.
Here it should be not misunderstood. We are not saying this that broad minded and educated people, who do not fear that by socializing with the unbelievers there will be no danger of going astray, or spoil their ethics, they can stay with them completely and are exempted from the above rule. No, it is not like that. The orders of Islam do not have any special angle for anyone and to be sure that the limits of Shariat are protected. It is necessary that for the generalization of this order be maintained, because if it is not like that, then every person will assume himself to be educated and maintain relations with unbelievers and the laws and orders of the Shariat will be subverted. (Think for a while.)
Many unbelievers do not refrain from impure things like blood, pork and alcoholic drinks; and naturally their whole life is unclean. To remain keep from those impurities Islam has announced that they are najis, so that those Muslims who by intermingling with them have the possibility of becoming impure may remain safe.
Reference: ImamReza.net

What is the Philosophy of bathing the dead body?

By: Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani
Question: What is the philosophy behind bathing the dead body and the bath for one who has touched the dead body? What is the reason that when a person dies he should be given a bath in a special way and before being bathed if a person touches the dead body he also has to take a ritual bath (Ghusl)?
Answer: As we have told many times the logics behind some laws are not clear to us, but due to the passage of time and due to intellectual advance of mankind and progress of knowledge some logics are cleared to us and it is possible that in future as knowledge increases the Islamic laws will become clearer to us.
As for the point raised in this question: We can say that the necessity of ritual bath to the dead body, one of its reasons could be that as all communities respect the living people the same respect is accorded to their dead.
Although Islam has removed all superstitions about the dead from the past people and Ummah, it accords respect to the dead by bathing, shrouding and burial. In this way bathing the dead body is a kind of respect.
In other words Islam gives importance to the extraordinary value of a person and it has doubled the value of the person due to its different resources and sayings, and this status remains for a person after his death also and according to Islam no one can insult the dead body of a Muslim, so much so that no one should even insult the grave of a Muslim.
To give bath, shrouding and burying a dead body is the sign of a respect for him, such a respect in which there is no superstition.
According to Islamic point of view, death is not the complete end of the life of a person but it is a new world, new life, and it is one of the doors to reach the merciful Allah. That is why He orders to clean the dead body and make him wear a simple and clean cloth and bury him under the Earth, so that this action becomes the sign of the eternity of the real life and a sign of continuity. This is the philosophy of the ritual bath (Ghusl-e-Mayyit).
Now the bath of a person who touches the dead body: Before we give its real answer, it is necessary to mention some points:
(1) When a person dies, there is sadness and depression in the near and dear ones and they cannot see their relations cut off from them suddenly. The relatives who have love and attachment to the dead person, after his death also they like to kiss him and take him on their lap.
(2) This point is also clear that due to illness or due to the end of defensive power, different types of poison are released, generally the dead body is mixed with different types of bacteria and to go near the dead body has some effects on the health of a person.
(3) Islam has never waged a war against emotions and feelings of a person and never turned a nelson's eye to a person's natural movements. Islam has guided towards a special way.
After pondering on the above points we can conclude the following:
To save all the people especially all the relatives from different types of bacteria and diseases, which can penetrate to the people from the dead body and side by side if Islam prohibits to touch the dead body, it will hurt the feelings of the relatives, Islam has put a condition on them, it means that those who come in contact of a dead body, should take a bath.
There is no doubt that this condition restricts the living to come in direct contact of the dead body, at the same time it is not hurting the sentiments of the people. And due to this religious condition, if people touch the dead body then perform the bath by which the possible bacteria will be removed, which is a simple and best way.
It is possible that some people may object that due to the touching of the body, Ghusl becomes wajib and its purpose is to stop diseases and impurities, then why after giving the Ghusl to the dead body, Ghusl mas-e-mayyat, does not become wajib? But this objection seem to be very baseless and its answer is crystal clear, because the dead body is given bath with water mixed with berry leaves and then with water mixed with camphor and finally with plain water, it is a way to clean the dead body from its contagious effects and due to this the dangers which were there before giving the bath are not present any more. After sometime the dead body is buried and there is no possibility of new bacteria coming into existence and penetrating into the human body.
Whatever is said about the bath to the dead body and bath for touching the dead body is one side of the philosophy. It is possible there may be other points also, which at present are invisible to us.
Reference: ImamReza.net

Why do tragedies take place?

By: Ali Adam
When calamity strikes, after the initial shock there usually comes a time for contemplation and examination. During this time questions such as, “Why did this have to happen to me?” commonly arise. In addition, latent religious beliefs are brought to the fore in an attempt to cope with such calamities. These beliefs are then examined in order to attempt to explain that which has occurred. A coherent explanation is, however, often seen as remote, particularly as emotions are often charged and rationality tends to lose out at times of trial and tribulation. In taking a step back it is possible to identify the essence of the problem. The problem arises out of a broader issue and that is the attempt to reconcile the occurrence of pain and suffering with the seemingly contradictory assertion that there exists a just, good and wise God. For surely such a God would intervene and prevent such things from happening? Whilst many books has been written on this, in the short space of this article, I shall limit the discussion to misfortune (ibtila’).
As Muslims, we believe in the existence of Allah (SWT) and that He is Just: these are the first two fundamentals of the religion of Islam. This being the case, how do we reconcile the misfortune that befalls us with our view of the justice of Allah (SWT)? Since all acts emanating from Allah (SWT) are just and cannot be questioned: “He (Allah) will not be questioned about his actions and they (His servants) will be questioned.” , we must re-examine our view of the nature and reality of such misfortune.
The Absolute Dominion of Allah (SWT)
Allah (SWT) as Creator and Sustainer of everything has absolute dominion (mulk) over everything: “To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what is between them; He creates whatever he wishes.” Given this fact, Allah (SWT) has the absolute right to act howsoever He wishes with regard to His creation because: “Any action of Allah (SWT) in this world is considered to be an action towards something which is from Him and belongs to Him, and no-one has any right or priority in relation to Allah.”
The Justice of Allah (SWT)
Allah’s absolute dominion and right of action over His creation does not entail that He should act unjustly towards it. On the contrary: “Allah is Just and does not act unjustly to anyone and does not do anything which goes against wisdom. So every act of creation, every provision of sustenance, every giving or withholding occurs from Allah (SWT) for good reasons even if we do not know or understand these reasons.”
The Qur’an in many verses refutes the idea that Allah (SWT) is unjust to His servants: “Whoever acts righteously it is for his own self and whoever acts ill it is against his own self and your Lord is not unjust to His servants.”
Imam Ali (AS) when asked about justice said, “Justice is that you do not accuse Allah.” This means that one cannot accuse Allah (SWT) of lack of wisdom in His acts, commands and prohibitions. An inkling of the way Allah’s justice works can be glimpsed from the story of Moses and Khidr in the Qur’an and from the following hadith about Moses:
“It is said that the Prophet Moses asked Allah to show him something of His justice that on the face of it seemed problematic. Allah ordered him to go to a well in the desert and wait to see what would happen. While he was waiting, a horseman came to drink at the well and as he was doing so, his money bag fell out onto the ground without him knowing. Then a child came and took the bag and left. Then a blind man came to make the ritual ablution at the well. The horseman returned and accused the blind man of stealing and it ended up with the horseman killing the blind man. When the horseman left, Allah revealed to Moses that the horseman had once stolen some property belonging to the father of the child and Allah wanted to return the property to the rightful heir who was the child. As for the blind man, he was the murderer of the father of the horseman and as the heir, the horseman carried out the retribution.”
The Issue of Misfortunes
There is no doubt that things exist in the world which are harmful to humanity. When such things afflict a person they are perceived as misfortunes.
One approach, popular amongst philosophers, has been to deny the reality of such misfortunes; they are merely the absence of good events. In certain cases this appears to be the case. Poverty and ignorance are actually states in which something else is lacking. Poverty is the lack of wealth and ignorance is the lack of knowledge. One does not say of a poor man that he owns something called poverty and when he becomes rich, he has lost that thing. Rather, we would say that he lacks wealth and that when he becomes rich he has gained something. Hence, scholars have reiterated that such misfortunes are non-entities.
As for other types of misfortune such as floods, earthquakes, wild beasts and poisonous creatures, they are only relatively unfortunate or are regarded as such because they lead to the lack of something else such as loss of life, limb or property.
Often the first type of misfortune is the cause of the second. For example, ignorance of the rules of basic hygiene leads to the spread of disease and microbes which, in turn, lead to illness and loss of life. It is one of the duties of humanity to use his God-given intellect to ensure that the effects of these are minimised. In the case of ignorance, for example, this would be by providing a suitable education system and in the case of poverty by providing a just social and economic system. Even the effects of earthquakes can be minimized by buildings built using technology to withstand them. If a comparison is made between Japan and Turkey, both of which are subject to earthquakes, we see that Japan has put this technology into practice and has succeeded in minimizing deaths from earthquakes. Turkey on the other hand, although having laws about the standards of buildings to be built, suffered greatly in recent earthquakes because corruption had made people ignore these laws and cut corners when erecting buildings.
Misfortune as Divine Retribution
The Qur’an brings forth many examples of this type of calamity. When people have been warned continuously by Allah’s messengers for going against divine laws or committing crimes, eventually Allah (SWT) punishes them in this world by destroying them.
Misfortune as a Test
“And We shall surely try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits; and give glad tidings to the patient ones, those who say when calamity strikes them: To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return.”
“He who created death and life to try you – which of you is best in deeds; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving.”
This world is the place of trial and testing. Just as gold is assayed and purified by fire to burn off all impurities, so the human nafs is tried in the fire of calamity and misfortune so that it may be purified, educated and reach its full potential and perfection. Imam Ali (AS) talks about this principle when he scolds one of his governors for attending the banquets of the rich people in Basrah. Imam Ali (AS) himself made do with two slices of bread as his ration, saying, “Perhaps in Yamamah or in the Hijaz there is a person who doesn’t have a hope of eating bread.” People were astounded by this, and said, “Ali ibn Abi Talib must eat more than this.” They could not understand how Imam Ali could be like this, given his strength in battle. In response, Imam Ali (AS) presented an example from nature to show that hardship brings about great benefits: “The tree of the desert is the hardest of wood, whereas the green well-watered trees of the orchards have the thinnest of skins. The plants of the desert make the best firewood, and are the slowest to burn out.”
Drowning in ease and luxury, far from difficulties, brings about weakness and the stagnation of the human spirit whereas, if the challenge is successfully met, difficulty spurs on the human spirit and hones it to act and progress towards perfection.
Misfortune as a Sign of Allah’s Love
When Allah (SWT) wishes to show kindness and love to one of His servants, He makes him susceptible to misfortune. In a hadith of Imam al-Sadiq (AS) it is stated that, “When Allah loves one of His servants He immerses him in calamity to the utmost.” This is to aid His servant on the road to perfection and also because Allah knows that when one of the believers is tested with calamity, he will turn even more towards Allah and abase himself in front of Allah begging for His mercy.
The lack of misfortune is a sign of being far from Allah’s kindness as in the following hadith: “Once the Messenger of Allah (SAW) was invited to the house of one of the Muslims. When he arrived, he noticed a hen laying an egg on one of the walls surrounding the house. The egg either did not fall or it fell but did not break. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was astonished at this. The man whose house it was said, ‘Are you astonished, O Messenger of Allah, for I swear by Allah who has chosen you as a Prophet, I have never been struck by any affliction.’ The Messenger of Allah (SAW) rose at once and left the house saying, “He who does not see calamity is far from Allah’s grace.”
Note%%%
1 The Holy Qur’an: The Prophets (21):23.
2 The Holy Qur’an: The Table Spread (5):17.
3 Divine Justice; Murtada Mutahhari; al-Dar al-Islamiyyah; Beirut; p.57.
4 Islamic Questions; Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Shirazi; Dar al-‘Ulum; Beirut 1994; p.10.
5 The Holy Qur’an: Verses Explained (41): 46.
6 Exposition of Nahj al-Balaghah; Sayyid Muhammad Shirazi; vol.4. p. 481-2.
7 Islamic Questions; Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Shirazi; Dar al-‘Ulum; Beirut 1994; p.10.
8 The Holy Qur’an: The Heifer (2):155-156.
9 The Holy Qur’an: The Dominion (67): 2.
10 Nahj al-Balaghah: Letter 45.
11 Divine Justice; Murtada Mutahhari; al-Dar al-Islamiyyah; Beirut; p.194.
Reference: ImamReza.net