Bismillāh. 8 March 2024/27 Sha‘bān 1445 Have you registered for ALI 678: Daily Ramadan Reminder? See details below. أَعْمَالُهُمْ كَرَمَادٍ اشْتَدَّتْ بِهِ الرِّيحُ فِي يَوْمٍ عَاصِفٍ Their deeds are like ashes over which the wind blows hard on a tempestuous day. (Sūrat Ibrāhīm No. 14, Āyat 18) Figures of speech are usages of a word … Read more
Bismillāh. 1 March 2024/20 Sha‘bān 1445 وَإِنَّ عَلَيكُم لَحافِظينَ, كِرامًا كاتِبينَ, يَعلَمونَ ما تَفعَلونَ Indeed, there are over you watchers, noble writers, who know whatever you do. (Sūrat Al-Infitār, No.82, Āyat 10-12) When human becomes engrossed in the mundane aspects of this world, his/her belief in the day of judgement becomes obscured. Time and again, … Read more
Bismillāh. 23 February 2024/13 Sha‘bān 1445 وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍۢ فَسَأَكْتُبُهَا لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ وَيُؤْتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُؤْمِنُونَ My mercy encompasses everything. I will ordain mercy for those who are God Conscious, pay the zakāt and believe in Our signs. (Sūrat al-A‘rāf, No.7, Āyat 156) Mercy is the most important attribute of the Almighty. Such is … Read more
Bismillāh, 16 February 2024/6 Sha‘bān 1445 كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ Thus [it was], that We might turn away from him all evil and indecency. He was indeed one of Our purified servants. (Sūrat Yūsuf, No. 12, Āyat 24) A key belief of the Shī’ī faith is that divinely appointed leaders, … Read more
Bismillāh. يَمْحَقُ اللَّهُ الرِّبَا وَيُرْبِي الصَّدَقَاتِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ كَفَّارٍ أَثِيمٍ Allah does not bless usury but He makes charities flourish. Allah does not like any sinful ingrate.(Sūrat al-Baqarah, No. 2, Āyat 276) Aside from befriending the enemies of religion, there is no other sin that has been dealt with as harshly as … Read more
Bismillāh. بَلْ هُوَ ءَايَـٰتٌۢ بَيِّنَـٰتٌۭ فِى صُدُورِ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ ۚ Indeed, it (the Qur’an) is present as manifest signs in the chests of those who have been given knowledge. (Sūrat Al-Ankabūt, Ayah 49) This verse is an important argument for the Divine nature of the Holy Quran. Most literary masterpieces are produced after years … Read more
Bismillāh. أَمْ تَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ أَوْ يَعْقِلُونَ ۚ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ ۖ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا Do you suppose that most of them listen or exercise their reason? They are just like cattle; indeed, they are further astray from the way. (Sūrat al-Furqān, No.25, Āyat 44) Human beings who go astray from the right path and follow their desires become like … Read more
Bismillāh, اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِنْ شَجَرَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍزَيْتُونَةٍ لَا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّشَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is a niche wherein is a lamp—the lamp is in a glass, the glass as it were a glittering star—lit from a blessed olive tree, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost lights up, though fire should not … Read more
Bismillāh. فَلَبِئْسَ مَثْوَى الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ Evil is the [final] abode of the arrogant (Sūrat al-Nahl, No. 16, Āyat 29) One of the vices discussed in the books of ethics and noble character (akhlāq) is that of pride (takabbur). Pride is like self-conceit (‘ujb), but they differ in that pride is when a person sees themselves as being above … Read more
Bismillāh. 5 January 2024/22 Jumādā al-Ākhira 1445 وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ There is life for you in retribution, O you who possess intellects! Maybe you will refrain! (Sūrat al-Baqarah No. 2, Āyat 179) Criminal law in the Islamic tradition differs substantially from that which is found in the Common Law or Civil … Read more