English

SHAFAQNA- By: Ayatullah Murtadha Mutahhari AbstractIn part I of this article, Ayatollah Mutahhari elaborated on the definition, meaning, value, and effect of taqwa, or Godwariness, and self-restraint, as emphasized in the Qur’an and Nahj al-Balaghah. He demonstrated that 1) fear of God is, in fact, fear of His justice, 2) piety is more than merely performing religious duties, 3) taqwa is a freedom rather than a restriction, and 4) true perfection lies in a person’s freedom to do wrong and yet he or she refrains from doing so.In this article, Mutahhari offers an additional description of taqwa: it gives a person insight, or the ability to make correct decisions, and the strength to overcome ...

SHAFAQNA –If you thought the cancer of Terror under control, you most certainly did not read, or heard about Balochistan. But then again why would you when the lives of faraway Balochs weigh little in the balance of Weste politics? Quetta is no Paris! On August 8, 2016, a horrific suicide attack took place in Quetta, the capital of Pakistan’s province Balochistan claiming the lives of over 70 civilians, notwithstanding dozens upon dozens of casualties. Should such a violent and bloody attack had hit a Weste capital you can be sure the outpouring of grief and condemnation would have long flooded the world wide web – a grand righteous cry against the evil of Islamic terrorism. But like I said...

SHAFAQNA-What is the actual meaning of Eid? At first, it may be proper to seek the meaning of Eid in the books of the elders. (1) Eid is the day of special attention of Allah (SWT) to His servants, recalling them to His presence and the day of loving Him. Eid is the day of activeness, happiness, and granting of servant’s requests. This day, is the day of awarding and writing secure chit from hellfire for servants, further it is the time one may gather things that benefit him in the hereafter.Eid is a day, which Allah (SWT) showers His servants with His blessings and generosity. So at this time that the merciful Allah (SWT) extended his generosity, how great it would be for pious people and ...

SHAFAQNA –The question might sound childish … maybe even ignorant but what is Ramadan? By that I do not mean the mechanics of fasting – I am referring here to the religious symbolic of the holy month of Ramadan. Of all the many duties and obligations set upon us by God, only the month of Ramadan belongs to Him, and Him alone. While prayers, and charity serve us, as they help coect us to Islam by tangibly anchoring us in our faith, Ramadan remains God’s …. But that does this even mean? Many I’m sure will see in Ramadan an exercise in humility, a right of spiritual passage which enables us to experience empathy and mercy for others. A fasting of both the soul and the flesh, Ramadan also allow...

SHAFAQNA –If Yemen has been the forgotten war of our generation – the untold story of a violent war of theocratic occupation, Yemen has also suffered from much media bias, and political bigotry. In our day and age, military conflicts are as much fought on the ground as they are in through the airwaves – in this global community we all live in, perception is absolutely everything. Perception – or rather, the manipulation of reality, has allowed for Weste powers to play imperialism for well over a decade, while cloaking themselves in Democracy’s holy shroud. Perception today can tu war criminals into heroes, and freedom fighter into dangerous dissidents. Remember those words: dissident, rebel...

To clarify the meaning of verses 61 to 62 of Surah al-Waqe’ah, we have to study verse 60 of the same chapter as well; because these three verses are closely coected, in fact, they express the reason and wisdom behind ordaining death and resurrection of humans in the Hereafter. Therefore we must review these three verses in an orderly maer.1. In Surah al-Waqe’ah verse 60, God says: “We have ordained death among you and We are not to be overcome”[1] To handle the affairs of creatures with all their characteristics is a necessary component of creation and life-giving. When God grants existence to man, He grants him limited existence. From the very begiing of his conception to the end of his lif...

SHAFAQNA – The human beings do good deeds but then they remove all the (Divine) blessings they have gained from those good deeds with some other acts or sayings; like saying to someone else: First God and then you; which is considered as the hidden Shirk (ascribing others beside God) as mentioned in Ayah 106 of Surah Yusuf says: “And most of them do not believe in Allah (SWT) unless they associate (others) with God.” Commenting on the above holy verse, Imam Sadeq (AS) said: If the human being say: If it was not for such a person, I would have been destroyed or if it was not for such a person, my family would have been destroyed; can’t you see by saying these words, partners have been ascri...

SHAFAQNA-As shown by any dictionary of Qur’anic words, the word amr and its other derivations occur in 248 places in the Qur’an. On surveying all the instances of this word in the Qur’an, one comes to the conclusion that the word amr has been used in the following two basic meanings: firstly, meaning “order” or “command”, as in verse 77 of Surat al‑’A`raf: فَعَقَرُواالنَّاقَةَ وَعَتَوْا عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِمْ وَقَالُوا يَا صَالِحُ ائْتِنَا بِمَا تَعِدُنَا إِن كُنتَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ﴿الأعراف: ٧٧﴾ “So they hamstrung the she‑camel and revolted against their Lord’s command, and they said: `O Salih, bring on us what you threatened us with; if you are one of the apostles.” (7:77) The other mea...

SHAFAQNA-In verses 4 and 5 of Surat al‑Sajdah, it is said: اللَّـهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَىٰ عَلَى الْعَرْشِمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا شَفِيعٍأَفَلَا تَتَذَكَّرُونَ﴿٤﴾يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ… “It is God who created the heavens and the earth and what is between them in six days. Then He established himself on the Throne; you have not besides Him any guardian or any intercessor (you have no one who has authority of his own and who may do something for you, nor is there any one amongst you who can intercede of his own will between you and God and fulfil your needs]. Will you not t...

SHAFAQNA – Abu Hashim Ja’afary narrated: I heard from Imam Hassan Askari (AS) who said: One of the sins which will not be forgiven is that a human says: I wish I could not be questioned and punished except for this one sin. I was reflecting on this and was telling myself that every human being must take care in every case and do self-assessment. At this time Imam Askari (AS) added: O’ Abu Hashim, you thought right, be careful about any event and deed because committing “Shirk” (ascribing or considering partners with God; which is the greatest sin in Islam) by people is more hidden and more invisible than the ant walking on a shiny smooth stone at dark night or the movement of the ant on a ...