Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? (Part 1)

According to most authentic traditions in collections of both Sunni and Shi’a, Ahlul-Bayt (People of the House) of the Prophet are one of the two most precious Symbols of Islam after the departure of the

Prophet (S). There are numerous traditions in the collection of both schools that the Prophet (S) has reminded us to stick to these two weighty things (al-Thaqalain), namely Qur’an and Ahlul-Bayt, in order not to go astray after him.

The Messenger of Allah also informed us that these two weights are non-separable and are with each other till the day of Judgment. This requires us that for understanding the interpretation of Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (S) we should refer to those who are attached to it, namely Ahlul-Bayt.

Good Behavior

"The best people among you are those whose behavior is the best, those who are friendly and whom people consider to be friendly."

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Explanation: The best people are those who treat people best. These people have a friendly face which encourages the others to be friendly with them. However, this tradition does not mean that those who are well-behaved but do not feel committed to their religious duties are preferable to those do perform their religious duties but are not jovial. On the contrary, it means that believers who do their religious duties and are well-behaved are superior to the believers who are not well-behaved.

Explanation by Grand Ayatollah Khamenei

Le paradis sur terre

L'islam demande aux êtres humains d'être bons les uns envers les autres, de se soucier du destin et des intérêts d’autrui, de partager le chagrin d’autrui, de prier les uns pour les autres, de se traiter avec bienveillance : 

«و تواصوا بالمرحمة»
« Et ils s'enjoignent mutuellement la compassion» Coran 90:17

de faire preuve d'amitié, d'affection, de bienveillance et de bonté entre les frères, les sœurs, les amis et les membres de la communauté islamique. Ce sont des caractéristiques saillantes et très importantes. Nous devons renforcer ces qualités en nous-mêmes. L’une des pires caractéristiques humaines consiste à faire de soi et de ses intérêts matériels, le pivot de tout, d'assouvir nos désirs personnels et nos besoins personnels au détatriment des autres exposés par-là, aux difficultés et au malheur. 

Une société sans envie, sans avarice, sans injustice, sans crime, sans cupidité, sans suspicion, sans conspiration et sans malveillance est en effet, un paradis terrestre. C’est le cas dans une société purement islamique.

Grand Ayatollah Khamenei

ORPHANS IN ISLAM

Article written by: Jafar Hasan

The existence and thanksgiving of parents is generally not realized till the time when one becomes a
parent too. Or sometimes till the time when one starts earning hard-earned money and becomes financially independent. In many cultures, the value of parents is never appreciated. However there is a group which treasures the love of parents much more than anyone. That group is of the Orphans. An orphan is the child or the minor who, by the will of Allah, has no parents or just one parent. In Islam, the absence of a father either by death or abandonment or any other reason results in the child becoming an orphan. The child remains an orphan till he/she reaches the age of maturity or puberty. Because orphans are minor, they are physically weak in the society and are mostly challenged by poverty. In today’s world, the situation of the orphan depends on the geographical location of the child. For example, an orphan in Africa or Latin America or Asia is more likely to be under-fed as well as poor in comparison to the orphans in Western countries. Often, orphans in poor regions get widespread diseases too because of improper hygiene and lack of availability of proper food.

There is no doubt that supporting the orphans is emphasized by all the religions as well as the rejecters of religions. But Islam is the only faith that has extensively mentioned orphans in the Quran and also in the traditions of the Prophet and the Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them). In fact, the word ‘orphan/s’ (Arabic word Yatim) has been mentioned more than 20 times in the Holy Book indicating the importance that Islam lays down for the parentless children. The many merciful verses, besides giving hope to the orphans, also prove a point that Allah has not taken away the parents just because He hates those children but because it is a test for the believers including the orphans. Let us understand how Islam wants to test and teach us.

Quran & Mary

When ‪#‎Quran‬ provides examples for believers, the examples aren't always men but also two women; one of them is ‪#‎Mary‬, Mother of ‪#‎Jesus‬(pbut).

Mary stood like a mountain against people's false accusations and held up Jesus like a beacon of guidance in the darkness of that time.

Quran considers Mary as an honurable and chaste woman who stood against all material values and ‪#‎God‬ bestowed her the merit to be Jesus' mother.

According to Quran, Mary (pbuh) is among those ‪#‎women‬ who made the world full of light.

Ayatollah ‪‎Khamenei, 5/27/05

Human Rights in Islam (Part 2)

 ::Writer: Grand Ayatollah Khamenei::

Click Here To Read Part 1

(1- The UN: Impotent and Ineffectual)

The first question is whether the efforts made during the decades since the Second World War in the name of human rights have been successful or not. The addresses, the assemblies and the sessions held in the United Nations, and the claims made regarding human rights: have they succeeded in bringing man closer to his genuine rights, or to at least the major portion of deprived humanity? The answer to this question is not so difficult, for an observation of the present conditions is enough to prove that these attempts have not been successful until now.

A glance at the conditions of the underdeveloped societies of the world, who form the major part of the human population, is sufficient to reveal the fact that not only the major part of humanity could not achieve their true rights during the last fifty years, but the methods of encroaching upon the rights of the deprived nations have become more sophisticated and complex and more difficult to remedy.

 We cannot accept the claims made by those who claim to be champions of human rights, while the bitter realities of the African and Asian nations and the millions of hungry human beings are before our eyes, and while we observe constant violation of the rights of many nations.

Islamic Teachings in Brief (Part 1)

Religion refers to the beliefs and a series of practical and moral instructions that the prophets have related on behalf of Allah to guide and lead human beings.

Believing in these tenets and performing these instructions result in man's prosperity and happiness in this world and in the world Hereafter.

So if we abide by religion and follow the orders of Allah and the Prophet (S), we will become prosperous not only in this short life, but also in the everlasting and endless world Hereafter.

We are aware that a happy and prosperous person is one who has a true objective in his life and who does not live in misdeed and aberration. He possesses a good and praiseworthy demeanor and performs good deeds and has a confident, strong, and peaceful heart in this turbulent world.