as well as Practices (Sonan). They are also known as Ideology, Jurisprudence and Ethics. Through these three pillars one can attain the Divine vicinity; each has also its own role in building the human personality.
Ideology orients the human mind to the right direction away from myths and superstitions, ignorance and perversity. Jurisprudence is interested in the relation between mankind and their Creator in addition to the relation between people themselves. Ethics tries to refine the human soul from vice and to beautify it with virtue.
This book – This Is My Faith – comes to highlight the first science which is Ideology in a simplified dialogue-based style. All can understand its content as it is free from complicated reasoning and difficult demonstration. Some texts have been changed for the sake of simplification as the definitions to the five Principles are also provided. Thus, here we offer you this book in the form of dialogue-based serial stories between two friends seeking only truth and knowledge.
Sheikh Ali Al-Fatlawi
Symposium 1
Preface
“I saw you by accident on my way back from work”, said Anwar to his friend Hasan. “Do not say by accident”, Hasan replied, “Coincidence is rejected in Islam. Say unintentional meeting”.
Anwar:Why doesn’t Islam recognize coincidence?
Hasan:Because coincidence means occurrence of events with no reason!
Anwar:What is wrong with things happening with absolute no reason?
Hasan:It is against the law of life.
Anwar:So, what is the law of life about that?
Hasan:That there is reason behind everything. All Imams referred to the fact that Allah insists on events take place for a reason. This is also supported by logic
and reason; that is why we have this rule that says there is always a cause for an effect!
Anwar:But, when I said ‘by accident’, I did not mean to refute the reasons; I just did not plan to see you when I left work.
Hasan:So, we better call it ‘unintentional meeting’ that took place for its own reasons.
Anwar:What is this coincidence that is rejected by Islam?
Hasan:It is what the materialists say about raison d'etre and that there is no creator or no reason behind the whole existence.
Anwar:May I raise some questions as long as we have this ideological conversation?
Hasan:You’re most welcome! I always encourage believers to ask about their religion. The Hadith says, “ask about your religion until you are called lunatic”, and there is no shame in seeking knowledge, especially when it comes to every day issues.
Anwar:So, please listen to my questions with patience.
Hasan:I am all ears. No one can claim that they know
everything, but I think I have enough of Islamic culture to hopefully answer your questions, Inshallah.
Anwar:I hear that religiously following a clerk (Taqlid) is not permitted when it comes to the Principles (Osul Al-Din). Why is that?
Hasan:First of all, you need to know about these Principles (Osul Al-Din).
Anwar:Yes, with all pleasure!
Hasan:There are five fundamental elements on which the religion of Islam is based on. Each of them is called a Principle (Asl).
The first Principle is Monotheism (Tawhid) and it means to believe that Allah is the only God Who is unmatched, Who has no associates and Who holds the entire superior and perfect qualities. This is emphasized by the Noble Quran in one of its chapters which is also named after this principle:
﴾Say: He is Allah, the One۞Allah, the eternally Besought of all۞He begetteth not nor was begotton۞And there is none comparable unto Him﴿112; 1-4
The second is Justice (‘Adalah) which means to believe that it is impossible that Allah treats his creatures unjustly as it is mentioned in the Noble Quran:﴾Allah is no oppressor of His bondmen﴿.3; 182
Prophecy (Nobowa) is the third principle. It is to believe that Allah sent the Prophets and the messengers to guide mankind. The Glorious Allah says in the Noble Quran:﴾And verity We sent messengers to mankind before thee﴿.13; 38
The fourth is Imamate (Imamah). This principle means that Allah has placed a number of Imams([1]) for the messengers and the Prophets to preserve and carry on their messages. This is mentioned in the Noble Quran:﴾And We made them chiefs who guide by Our commands﴿.21; 73
The fifth principle is the Hereafter (Mi’ad). It is to believe that the Glorious Allah will gather people for the Judgment (Al-Hisab) in a certain day as He puts it in the
[1]Shiite believe there are twelve imams (PBUT) after the prophet (PBUT);
1- Commander of The Faithful Ali bin Abi talib (PBUT). 2- Al-Hasan Bin Ali (PBUT) .
3- Abu Abdullah Al-Husain Bin Ali. 4-Ali Bin Al-Husain.
5- Abu Ja'far Mohammad Bin Ali. 6- Abu Abdullah Ja'far Bin Mohammad Al-Sajad.
7-Mosa Bin Ja'far Al-Kadim.8-Ali Bin Mosa Al-riza. 9-Mohammad Bin Ali Al-Jawad.
10- Ali Bin Mohammad Al-Hadi.11- Al-Hasan Bin Ali Al-Askari.
12 – Abu Al-Qasim Bin Al-Hasan Al-Mahdi.
Noble Quran:﴾He Who hath given thee the Quran for a law will surely bring thee borne again﴿.28;85
Religious Scholars (‘Olama) have indicated that every individual has to know these Principles and that they are not allowed to religiously follow the clerks in these issues.
Anwar:But how do we expect those Muslims who cannot read or write to know these believes?
Hasan:The matter of belief has nothing to do with reading and writing; it is about understanding and accepting, and they can learn them through listening. Those who are able to read can definitely find it printed. Imam Ali (PBUH) says:“Knowledge is either heard or printed”. I would actually like to carry on our conversation to give some proofs to the existence of the Creator; this is if you have time.
Anwar:I would love to know.
Hasan:Once, an Arab of the desert was asked about the existence of the Glorious Creator. The answer was that the camel dung refers to its camel, the trail refers to the pathway and the heavens and earth refer to the Most Kind with a full authority.
An old woman, who was spinning her wool, was also asked the same thing. ‘My spindle proves it!’ she said, ‘it moves when I spin it and when I leave it, it stops, and so is the existence; it has to have a Creator who moves it!’ The Bedouin and the old woman apparently did not get this knowledge through reading but obviously through thinking and understanding. This is again what the Noble Quran refers to:
﴾In the creation of the heavens and the earth and in the difference of night and day are tokens of His sovereignty for men of understanding۞Such as remember Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, and say: our Lord! Thou createdst not this in vain﴿.3;190-191
There are so many other Holy Verses that invite us to think.
Anwar:All right! What you just said was very sound and solid, and now I want to know something about religiously following a clerk (Taqlid) and also about ideological matters on Monotheism.
Hasan:Of course, but we’ll do that next time, Inshallah.
Symposium 2
Following a Religious Scholar (Taqlid)
Anwar:Salam ‘Alaykom, Akhi (brother) Hasan! Are we still going to carry out what we agreed on?
Hasan:‘Alaykom As-Salam Wa Rahmatollah Wa Barakatoh! Yes, Inshallah.
Anwar:So, talk to me about following a religious scholar (Taqlid).
Hasan:Taqlid linguistically means to put a collar on one’s neck. But from a religious point of view, it means to practically following a religious scholar or clerk in religious matters. So, if you give practical effect to a Fatwa – formal religious opinion – issued by a Mujtahid