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A Summary of Islamic Beliefs
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In the Name of Allah
Imam Ali (A.S.) said:
Your brothers are of three kinds:
1. A brother of yours from one father and mother.
2. A brother of yours following your religion.
3. A brother of yours who is common in creation like you.
In the global charter of human rights all the human beings are considered equal and the national and racial discrimination are rejected. Authoritarianism and colonization are condemned, rational foundations are valued and criteria of superiority is given to reasoning, logic and rationalism and for this basis the freedom of thought and reasoning and the freedom of _expression and writing are considered as the ways of reaching this sublime and ideal goals. Therefore, it is up to us to declare our thoughts and doctrines and it is up to the possessors of knowledge and thinking that if they find it according to their pure nature should contemplate and investigate them and finally the word of truth and path of reality should be chosen.
Tawhid (Oneness of God "Monotheism") and Knowing God:
We believe the world we live in is full of beauty and place of amazement and wonder and is the proof of discipline and system dominating this world and proves the knowledge and power of the creator of this world. It is impossible to think that the source of creation of this universe is unwise nature and the creation of this universe was due to an explosion and vague incident. The laws dominating this world which the human beings have been able to unravel it demonstrates the signs of the extraordinary power which has created the beings in the world and these wonders of knowledge cannot be attributed to non-scientific source.
Based on these findings, we believe that the creator of the world is a being, with absolute perfection and do not have any defect or in need of any other being and the name of this absolute perfection is known as God. He is the source of creation of this world and every movement takes place according to His will and power. He after creation of this world of nature had dominated special laws based on cause and effect and every work takes place according to this basis. We believe that the necessary existent is the prime cause and effect of the beings and possesses all the absolute perfection and has complete sovereignty over the existing worlds and nothing is hidden from Him. He is Wise because He possesses perfect knowledge and power and He possesses all the positive attributes because He is absolute perfection. He does not have any negative attributes because He is away from any defect and disability because He is absolute perfection, He is rightful and worthy of worship and His praise is incumbent on every human being.
2- Resurrection
We believe that God is Wise and has a purpose in creating the human being and has also informed the human being with its goal and during their life has asked them to tread in the way of the true goal and that goal is the perfection and prosperity of the human beings.
The limited life in this present world is only a step in reaching the eternal world. This world is the place of trial and gathering provisions for the next world. That promised day is the day when all the human beings should answer to their deeds and words and those with pious deeds will be awarded with heaven and those with evil deeds will be confined in the hell. The heaven is the place where the human beings will enjoy all the blessings and beauties which he was willing in this world and hell is the place where its inmates will get all the chastisements and tribulations from whom he was running away in this world.
We believe that belief in the world hereafter and the account of our deeds gives a meaning and direction to the human beings because if there is no belief in the world hereafter then the strength of oppressors and tyrants will increase and all the good values will be condemned and rejected. In that situation anybody will say to himself that in this world when we are living for some days so we should not lag behind in this worldly competition of power, attaining wealth and satisfying carnal human desires. In this way the world gets transformed into a hell where human beings with deception terror and horror will bring about complete mistrust. We say that Wise Creator of this present world has not even created this world in vain or for watching the good and bad scenes of this world but has a sublime and holy goal and purpose in the creation where this world as a step for the next world. In the world hereafter everybody will be benefited according to his provisions of this world and will be punished according to the degree of his evil deeds.
3- Prophethood
We believe that God has created human beings to live a prosperous life in this world and hereafter and He is a Wise and Merciful creator and thus it is necessary that He should assist the human beings in attaining the desired perfection because human beings while having all the virtues and possessing different sciences have many deficiencies in them. This is a fact which is accepted by all the prominent scholars in the world. How can this weak human being with such a condition achieve the prosperity of this world and the hereafter? For this reason we believe that Almighty God for explaining the knowledge of religion and guiding the human beings to right path and reality has sent prophets who receive these sciences and commandments from God and explain them to the human beings.
But certainly the prophets should possess great ethical and spiritual characteristics and these virtues are the ground for their selection to this
spiritual position.
The most important marks of distinction of the divine prophets are as follows:-
1 � Infallibility: It means they are away from every form of error, sin, fault and evil and this is a condition because in that position they will be accepted and trusted by the general people and it is a ground for receiving revelation and connection with God.
2 � Knowledge: The prophets are superior to all other people in knowledge and science and know whatever he needs and whatever people wants from him.
Number of Prophets:
We believe that Almighty God in each time and in proportion to each place and nation sent prophets to perform the great responsibility of guiding the people.
The greatest prophets with their limit of responsibilities includes the whole world and all the people and contained special Shariat (sacred law) were five Arch-prophets , Hadrath Nuh (Noah) ( A.S.), Hadrath Ibrahim (Abraham) (A.S.), Hadrath Musa (Moses) (A.S.), Hadrath Isa (Jesus) (A.S.) and Hadrath Muhammad (S.A.W.).
The followers of each of these prophets became famous by different names: The followers of Hadrath Nuh (A.S.) were known as "Saba'in" (Sabaeans), the followers of Hadrath Ibrahim were called as "Hanif" and these two prophets at present do not have any followers, the followers of Hadrath Musa ( A.S.) are known as "Jews", the followers of Hadrath Isa (A.S.) are named Christians and the followers of Hadrath Muhammad (S.A.W.) are famous as Muslims.
Finality of the Prophethood:
We believe that with the advent of one of the Arch-prophets the sacred laws of the previous prophets are abrogated and followers of the previous prophets should follow the new prophet that is with the advent of Hadrath Ibrahim ( A.S.) all the followers of Hadrath Nuh (A.S.) should follow Hadrath Ibrahim (A.S.). The followers of Hadrath Ibrahim (A.S.) should follow Hadrath Musa (A.S.) and with the advent of Hadrath Isa (A.S.) the followers of Hadrath Musa ( A.S.) should follow Hadrath Isa (A.S.) and with the advent of Hadrath Muhammad (S.A.W.) all the followers of Hadrath Isa (A.S.) should follow Hadrath Muhammad (S.A.W.). Thus, all the religions finally end in Islam.
We Muslims, to prove the finality of the Holy Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W.) have proofs which have been mentioned in our books of creed and the researchers can refer to them.
4. Imamat (Leadership):
After the death of the Holy Prophet of Islam (S.A.W.), the Muslims were divided into two big groups:
First Group: They believe that after the death of the Holy Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W.) there is no need of any prominent leader who should possess knowledge, infallibility and other conditions. But any of the followers and companions of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) can become the religious leader. Basically in the issue of government one who merely claims to be a Muslim can claim the power and administration of the society and it is incumbent on the Islamic nation to follow him as the Caliph of the Muslims. This group came to be known as Ahl-Sunnah(Sunni).
Second Group: The second group is the people who believe that the Holy Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W.) was the last and final prophet sent by God and who by his prophetic mission brought a perfect religion for the humanity. After his death the connection between God and people has been cut off and it is one of the reasons for the comprehensiveness and finality of the religion of Islam. But after the passing away of the Holy Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W) it is necessary for the Islamic nation to follow such persons who have superiority in all the human and Islamic attributes from all the other people of their time that means they should be superior in knowledge and science from every body and should be away from every error and fault. Thus, the religious leaders after the Holy Prophet ( S.A.W.) should possess two basic conditions of knowledge and infallibility and only those persons possessing these two qualities deserve to be the Imam and leader of the Muslims. This group of Muslims is known as "Shia."
Shia
Now we are expressing ourselves to you as we are the followers of this doctrine and thought and to authenticate our beliefs which we have mentioned them with proofs in our books of creed.
We Shi'ites Muslims believe that after the Holy Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W.) only twelve distinguished personalities who possessed the characteristics of Imamat (leadership) like knowledge and infallibility one after another guided the people and their names in respect to their chronology of their lives and Imamat of these great personalities are a follows:
First Imam: Hadrath Ali bin Abi Taleb "Al-Murtada" (A.S.)
Second Imam: Hadrath Hasan bin Ali "Al-Mujtaba" (A.S.)
Third Imam: Hadrath Husain bin Ali "Sayyid-uz-Shuhada" (A.S.)
Fourth Imam: Hadrath Ali bin al-Husain "As-Sajjad" (A.S.)
Fifth Imam: Hadrath Muhammad bin Ali "Al-Baqir" (A.S.)
Sixth Imam: Hadrath Jafar bin Muhammad "As-Sadiq" (A.S.)
Seventh Imam: Hadrath Musa bin Jafar "Al-Kazim" (A.S.)
Eighth Imam: Hadrath Ali bin Musa "Ar-Reza" (A.S.)
Ninth Imam: Hadrath Muhammad bin Ali "Al-Jawad" (A.S.)
Tenth Imam: Hadrath Ali bin Muhammad "Al-Hadi" (A.S.)
Eleventh Imam: Hadrath Hasan bin Ali "Al-Askari" (A.S.)
Twelfth Imam: Hadrath Hujjat bin Hasan "Al-Mahdi" (A.S.)
5-Mahdawiyat (Islamic Eschatology):
As mentioned on the basis of their sublime human and spiritual attributes and divine nomination these twelve holy personalities after the great Prophet of Islam ( S.A.W.) had the guidance and leadership of people in their hands and they carried out their divine mission taking into consideration the exigencies of their time and the last among these personalities is Imam Mahdi (A.S).
Imam Mahdi (A.S.) was born in the year 255 A.H./ & nbsp; and after the martyrdom of his holy father he became the Imam of the Islamic Ummah. As this Imam is the Last Divine Treasure and possessing all the qualities and characteristic of Imamat, first had the "Minor Occultation" period which lasted for 69 years, in which his close followers had relations with him. After that the "Major Occultation" period started which is continuing till today. According to divine order the direct connection with the Living Imam of the Age is cut off but everybody is awaiting his reappearance and advent and the Promised Mahdi will establish the 'Universal Islamic Government' and will fill the world with justice and equity after his reappearance.
Indeed, during the period of "Major Occultation" the presence of the Hidden Imam has special benefits for the Islamic Ummah. It is mentioned in the traditions that the presence of Imam Mahdi ( A.S.) is like the sun hidden behind the clouds. The issue of Mahdawiyat is one of the important issues in the Shi'ite doctrine and has been discussed in detail in various books and those interested can refer to them.
6-Vilayat-e Faqih (The Guardianship of the Jurisprudent):
As per special order of Imam Mahdi (A.S.) and instructions of the Infallible Imams (A.S.) and recommendations of the religious leaders, the Muslims are incumbent during the "Major Occultation" period in all the religious, political, worldly and heavenly affairs to follow the jurisprudents that is a jurisprudent with all-embracing characteristics. In the Islamic government this personality is selected by the assembly of the jurisprudents and experts in religion called as "the Assembly of the Experts" and he addresses the questions and issues of the people and Islamic order.
The representatives of "the Assembly of the Experts" who possess high positions in knowledge and ethics and other potentials are elected by the direct vote of the people so that leader selected by this assembly should enjoy the popular support of the Muslim society and its people.
Maraje (the Leading Jurisprudents) :
In addition to the highest position of the Guardianship of the Jurisprudent (Vali-e Faqih) in every period there are also some other leading jurisprudents possessing high positions in knowledge and spirituality but they may not be possessing all the conditions for the major political management of the Muslim society. They are famous as the Maraje (the leading jurisprudents) who express their findings in jurisprudential issues and the Muslims can follow the edicts of any one of these leading jurisprudents in all their religious and personal affairs.
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