Extended Beliefs: Holy Books,Angels and Qad'r

Apart from what was mentioned in earlier posts, Shia Muslims also believe in Holy Books, Angels, Fate(Qadr) and After life however they have not included them in their Aqeedah. Sidrat al-Muntaha, Seven Heavens, Jannah (heaven) and the Jahannam (hell) also form the eternal part of Shia Belief

1.       HolyBooks (Kitab al-Shareef): The Islamic holy books are the records which most Muslims believe were dictated by Allah to various Islamic prophets. They include:

a.       The Tawrat (Torah) of Musa

b.      The Zabur (commonly the Psalms) of Dawud, According to the Twelver Shia, the original and uncorrupted Zabur is contained in al-Jafr, which is presently in the keeping of Imamah Muhammad al-Mahdi.

c.       The Injil (the original Gospel of Jesus), and

d.      The Qur'an.

2.       Angels (Malāīkah): Shia Muslims believe in all angels mentioned in Quran viz:

a.       Hamalat al-'Arsh, Those who carry the 'Arsh (throne of Allah)

b.      Jibraaiyl/Jibril (Judeo-Christian Gabriel), the angel of revelation, who is said to be the greatest of the angels. Jibraaiyl is the archangel responsible for revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibrayil is known as the angel who communicates with (all of) the prophets.

c.       Israfil/Israafiyl (Judeo-Christian Raphael), who will blow the trumpet twice at the end of time. According to the Hadith, Israafiyl is the angel responsible for signaling the coming of Qiyamah (Judgment Day) by blowing a horn and sending out a Blast of Truth. The blowing of the trumpet is described in many places in Qur'an. It is said that the first blow will destroy everything, while the second blow will bring all human beings back to life again to meet their Lord.

d.      Mikaaiyl (Judeo-Christian Michael),^[5] who provides nourishments for bodies and souls. Mikaaiyl is often depicted as the Archangel of mercy who is responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth. He is also responsible for the rewards doled out to good persons in this life.

e.       'Azrael/'Azraaiyl a.k.a Malak al-maut (Judeo-Christian Azrael), the angel of death. He is responsible for parting the soul from the body. He is only referred as malak al-maut, meaning angel of death, in the Qur'an.

f.       The angels of the Seven Heavens.

g.      Hafaza (The Guardian Angel):

                                                              i.      Kiraman Katibin (Honourable Recorders), two of whom are charged with each human being; one writes down good deeds, and the other writes down evil deeds.

                                                            ii.      Mu'aqqibat (The Protectors) who keep people from death until its decreed time and who bring down blessings.

h.      Munkar and Nakir, who question the dead in their graves.

i.        Darda'il (The Journeyers), who travel in the earth searching out assemblies where people remember Allah's name.

j.        The angels charged with each existent thing, maintaining order and warding off corruption. Their number is known only to Allah.

k.      Maalik is the chief of the angels who governs Jahannam (Hell).

l.        Zabaniah are 19 angels who torment sinful persons in hell.

m.    Ridwan is the angel who is responsible for Jannah (Paradise).

3.      Qadr(Fate):  Shi'a also believe in predetermined fate similar to the sense defined by the Sunnis. The Shi'ah believes that an individual is responsible for his action and that he or she has 'free will' to carry out his or her actions. But this free will is not something that excludes Allah's authority. Rather the free will itself is created by Allah. Their faith includes:

                                                              i.      The Decree of Allah that is written in Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuud before the creation of the universe. This destiny written in the preserved tablet is never changed and encompasses everything that will be.

                                                            ii.      Allah made a divine decree after the creation of Adam. Allah took out all of the progeny of Adam (i.e. all of the humans from the beginning of time until the end of time), and asked them "Am I not your Lord?" and all of the humans responded "We testify that You are our Lord!" Then Allah decreed to them who shall go to paradise and who shall go to hell.

                                                          iii.      The Life-time decree. This occurs when a person is in the womb of the mother, specifically 120 days after conception. Allah sends an angel to put a soul into the person, and the angel writes down the decree that Allah has made; his life-span, his sex, his sustenance (how much he will earn throughout his lifetime) and whether he will be a dweller of paradise or a dweller of hell.

                                                          iv.      The yearly decree. This is during the Night of Qadr (Night of Decree) where Allah sends down his decrees from heaven to earth, in it he destines the actions (deeds, sustenance, births, deaths, etc.) of creation for the next year. The word Qadar should not be confused with Qadr; Qadar is destiny, Qadr is that which has been destined, i.e. decree, thus the translation – Night of Decree.

                                                            v.      The Daily Decree. Allah decrees the daily actions of his creation.

Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn)

Once the roots of the religion is intact, the shia faith further demands Muslims to practice the religion and thus has the ten Ancillaries of the Faith (Furū al-Dīn).

1. Salāt (Prayer): A Muslim must perform five prayers a day, Shia Muslim combine prayers as per Quran. They offer Salat Fajr, Al-Salat Al Wusta (Combined Zuhar and As’r) and Salat Isha’a (Maghrib and Isha’a combined), Salat Fajr (Dawn Prayer) [Qur'an 24:58], Al-Salat Al-Wusta ( The Middle Prayer) [Qur'an 2:238][Qur'an 17:78], Salat Isha’a (Night Prayer)[Qur'an 24:58]. However they can offer prayers separately as well.
2. Sawm (Fast): A Muslim must fast during the month of Ramadhan.

O those who believe, the fasts have been enjoined upon you as were enjoined upon those before so that you be Allah-fearing. [Qur'an 2:183].

3.       Hajj (Pilgrimage): A Muslim must perform the pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime.

4.       Zakāh (Charity): Paying the poor-tax. A Muslim must perform his or her duty in charity by giving to the poor. 2.5% of a Muslim's wealth every year should go to the poor. Shia Doubles this to 5%.Eight categories of individuals may receive the zakat:

a.       The needy (Muslims) - Fuqara'

b.      Extremely poor (Muslims) - Al-Masakin

c.       Those employed to collect - Aamileen

d.      Those whose hearts are to be won - Muallafatul Quloob

e.       To free the captives - Ar-Riqaab

f.       Those in debt (Muslims only) - Al Ghaarimeen

g.      In the way of Allah - Fi sabil Allah - aka jihad

h.      Wayfarer (Muslims)- Ibnus-Sabeel

5.      Khums (One-fifth): A Muslim must pay a tax of 20%, levied on untaxed, from annual profit. Khums is tax paid to the Imam and poor/deserving saadat (descendents of Ahlul Bayt)—Saham-e-Saadat. The Items eligible for khums are referred to as Ghanima. Imams of Ahlu’l-bayt) lists seven items regarded as ghanima:

a.       the profit or the surplus of the income.

b.      the legitimate wealth which is mixed with some illegitimate wealth.

c.       mines and minerals.

d.      the precious stones obtained from sea by diving.

e.       treasures.

f.       the land which an unbeliever buys from a Muslim.

g.      the spoils of war.

6.      Jihād (Struggle): Struggling to please Allah. (Struggle/Striving) – Struggling to earn the favor of Allah. The greater jihad, "al-Jihad al-Akbar", is the struggle against the evil within one's own soul. The lesser jihad, "al-Jihad al-Asghar", is where one fights on the battlefield in defence of his religion when attacked also know as Jihad bis-saif. There are many types of Jihad.

·         "A commitment to hard work" and "achieving one's goals in life"

·         "Struggling to achieve a noble cause"

·         "Promoting peace, harmony or cooperation, and assisting others"

·         "Living the principles of Islam"

7.       Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf (Enjoining what is good): Amr-bil-ma'rūf is a Qur'anic commandment to enjoin what is good. This is done through living by the rules of Allah from the Qur'an and hadith. The command to "enjoin what is good" is given in several Qur'anic verses. [3.104][7.157][9.71]

Commanding the good is of two types. One of them is obligatory, which is commanding religious duties (al-fara'id) when someone neglects them (dayya`aha), and the other is supererogatory (al-nafila), which is commanding supererogatory acts of devotion when someone omits to do them (tarakaha). As for prohibiting evil, all of it is obligatory because all evil is ethically wrong (qabih). It is necessary, if possible, to reach a point where evil (al-munkar) does not occur in the easiest of circumstances or lead to something worse, for the goal is for evil simply not to happen. And, if it is possible to reach the point where good (al-ma`ruf) occurs in the easiest of circumstances, then preferring the difficult circumstances would be impermissible. Similarly, Allah has said: “If two parties among the believers fall into a quarrel, make peace between them; but if one of them transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then fight against the one who transgresses until he complies with the command of Allah; then, if he complies, make peace between them with justice, and be fair: for Allah loves those who act fairly” (Qur'an 49:9). Thus, prohibiting evil is obligatory only if the view does not prevail that prohibiting a particular evil would lead to an increase in disobedience, and if a preference for what was harmful were not predominant. If such a view does prevail, prohibiting evil would not be obligatory, and avoiding it would be more appropriate.

8.       Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Forbid what is evil): Nahi-anil-munkar is a Qur'anic commandment to "forbid what is evil". This can be done by refraining from the sins mentioned by Allah in the Qur'an and the sins which the Prophet Muhammad stated in hadith. Al-munkar means "the rejected". The following verses from the Qur'an are said to command the believers to forbid what is evil: [3.104][7.157][9.71]

9.       Tawalla (To love the Ahl al-Bayt and their followers ): Loving the Ahlu l-Bayt and their followers.

10.   Tabarra (To disassociate from the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt): Dissociating oneself from the enemies of the Ahlu l-Bayt.

To believe in Allah, and in the hereafter, and in Malaika (angels or Allah’s forces), and in the Book, and the Prophets." Quran (2:177)

Apart from this Shia muslims also believe in Holy Books, Angels, Fate(Qadr) and After life however they have not included them in their Aqeedah. Sidrat al-Muntaha, Seven Heavens, Jannah (heaven) and the Jahannam (hell) also form the eternal part of Shia belief

We will discuss each of these in details thru further posts.

Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)

First we will discuss about the Roots of the Religion, as the root is what is responsible for strength, life and sustenance  of any belief:

Islam's fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawhīd. Allah, later will be referred as Allah, is described in chapter 112 of the Qur'an as:"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him."

1.       Shia faith starts with Tawhid , as the first of the Usūl al-Dīn of the Shia Aqeedah.

Tawhid doctrine of Oneness Allah. It holds Allah is one (wāḥid) and unique (Ahad).There are three categories of Tawhid:

1.       Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah: It pertains to Allah,and His lordship.Rububiyyah is from rabb. The Islamic definition of rabb; Allah is the one who creates, sustains, and owns the entire creation.

2.       Tawhid al Asma was Sifat: Tawhid al Asma was Sifat is the understanding that Allah is named or qualified only by that which has been revealed in the Qu'ran and the Sunnah and that ONLY those names and qualifications can be used and be testified against the chapter 112 of the Qur'an

3.       Tawhid al-Uluhiya: Tawhid al-Uluhiya is the understanding that none has the right to be deified and worshipped except Allah.

2.       The second of the five Usūl al-Dīn  is Adalah: means justice and denotes The Justice of Allah. The Shias believe that there is intrinsic good or evil in things, and that Allah commands them to do the good things and shun the evil. They believe that Allah acts according to a purpose or design, and human reason cannot comprehend this design or purpose in its entirety (though man must always strive to understand as much as he can).

3.       Nabuwwah is the third principle of the Usūl al-Dīn : Nubuwwah means "Prophethood" and denotes that Allah  has appointed perfect Prophets and Messengers to teach mankind the Allah’s religion. Muslims regard Adem (Adam) as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet. The Qur'an identifies 25 prophets by name, starting with Adam and ending with Muhammad, but only 14 of them were messengers of Allah. The Qur'an, like the quoted passage from the New Testament, may rank a messenger higher than a prophet. For example, whenever both titles appear together, "messenger" comes first. Crucially, a messenger delivers a new religious law (Sharia) revealed by Allah, whereas a prophet continues an old one. Islam considers five Prophet of supreme reverence viz:

1.       Nuh

2.       Ibrahim

3.       Musa

4.       Isa

5.       Muhammad

We have made some of these Messenger (Rasul) to excel the others among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank... [2.253]

4.       Imāmah means "leadership" and it is a part of the Shi'a theology. The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver or Ithna Ashariya branch of Shia Islam. According to the theology of Twelvers, the successor of Muhammad is an infallible human individual who not only rules over the community with justice, but also is able to keep and interpret the Divine Law and its esoteric meaning. The Prophet and Imams' words and deeds are a guide and model for the community to follow; as a result, they must be free from error and sin, and must be chosen by divine decree, or nass, through the Prophet.

According to Twelvers, there is always an Imam of the Age, who is the divinely appointed authority on all matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali was the first Imam of this line, and in the Twelvers' view, the rightful successor to the Prophet of Islam, followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah Zahra. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, with the exception of Husayn ibn Ali, who was the brother of Hasan ibn Ali. The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi, who is believed by the Twelvers to be currently alive, and in occultation.

5.       Yawm al-Qiyāmah "the Day of Resurrection" or Yawm ad-Din "the Day of Judgment" is believed to be Allah's final assessment of humanity. al-Qiyama is also the name of the 75th Sura of the Qur'an.

The Shia Aqeedha

Broadly the Aqeedah of the Shias is divided into two parts:

a)      Roots of Religion (Usūl al-Dīn)

                                I.            Tawhīd (Oneness): The Oneness of Allah.

                              II.            Adalah (Justice): The Justice of Allah.

                            III.            Nubuwwah (Prophethood): Allah has appointed perfect and infallible prophets and messengers to teach mankind the religion (i.e. a perfect system on how to live in "peace".)

                            IV.            Imamah (Leadership): God has appointed specific leaders to lead and guide mankind — a prophet appoints a custodian of the religion before his demise.

                              V.            Qiyamah (The Day of Judgment): Allah will raise mankind for Judgement.

b)      Branches of Religion (Furū al-Dīn)

                                I.            Salat (Worship) – The 5 daily prayers.

                              II.            Sawm (Fast) – Fasting during the month of Ramadan.

                            III.            Zakaat (Poor-rate) – Paying the poor-due.

                            IV.            Hajj (Pilgrimage) – Undertaking the pilgrimage to Mecca.

                              V.            Khums (20% of savings of which the first half (Sihmu 'l-Imam) must be given to the Imam of Ahlul-Bayt or his representatives

                            VI.            Jihad (Struggle/Striving) – Struggling to earn the favor of God. The greater jihad, "al-Jihad al-Akbar", is the struggle against the evil within one's own soul. The lesser jihad, "al-Jihad al-Asghar", is where one fights on the battlefield in defence of his religion when attacked.

                          VII.            Amr-Bil-Ma'rūf (Promotion) – Encouraging people to perform good deeds.

                        VIII.            Nahi-Anil-Munkar (Dissuasion) – Discouraging people from performing sin.

                            IX.            Tawallá (Love) - To love Muhammad and his Ahl al-Bayt

                              X.            Tabarrā' (Disassociation) - To disassociate from the enemies of God, his Messengers and his Ahl al-Bayt

 We will discuss these in details in the coming posts(Insha'allah)

The Shia Faith

To begin I would like point out about my faith, the Shia faith and how it is different from the regular tenet of Islam, Similar to other schools of thought in Islam, Shia Islam is based on the teachings of the Islamic holy book, the Qurān and the message of the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad. In contrast to other schools of thought, Shia Islam holds that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt ("the People of the House"), and certain individuals among his descendants, who are known as Imams, have special spiritual and political authority over the community. Shia Muslims further believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad and thus rejects the legitimacy of the first three caliphs. Thus to understand Shia faith better, we first need to understand the Shia Aqeedah – The Shia Theology,  We will discuss the Shia faith in detail in the near future (Insha'allah) over "The Geat Divide".