Questions Archive(Tag:place)
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Do eyebrow tattoos invalidate wudhu?
8430 2011/08/29 Laws and JurisprudenceThe following answers have been received from the offices of grand jurists: Office of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei ( may Allah grant you long life ) : If it forms obstruction for water preventing it from
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Do tattoos affect wudhu, ghusl and Hajj acts?
26291 2011/08/29 Laws and JurisprudenceMost of the grand jurists have said in regards to having tattoos: If tattoos are mere color or they are done under the skin and there is no substance on the skin to prevent water from reaching the ski
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What is the timing of fast, when does it start and when does it end?
9183 2011/08/29 Laws and JurisprudenceThis question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer.
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Is it possible for more than one eternal being to exist?
7409 2011/08/23 TraditionalEvery being in this world except - God Almighty – is dependent upon God in its initial phase of existence in addition to its continuance. The doctrine of Tawhid implicates a single being which is inde
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How is it that the government of the caliphs was successful whereas the rule of Imam Ali (as) wasn’t?
7338 2011/08/20 تاريخ کلامA few components of this inquiry, despite being claimed and mentioned by the inquirer, seem to be unacceptable; they are noted below:1. One must note that, supposing that the ahadith that rule a numbe
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What is the validity and implications of the ahadith regarding akhar al-zaman in Qom?
8277 2011/08/18 Contextual studyAfter searching in hadith sources we found an number of ahadith pertaining to Qom that some say that Qom will be safe while others imply that it will be ruined and demolished. Some of them are general
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“کلّ شیء هالک إلا وجهه”; it has been said that Imam Ali is wajhullah. What does this mean?
19191 2011/08/18 TraditionalWajhullah is the countenance by which God appears before his creatures with and they look to and consider when wanting to remember Him. So, wajhullah is His noble qualities such as life, knowledge, po
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How is it possible to entitle someone (Wali Faqih) with the authority of God, His prophet and the Imams who has nothing to do with wahy or infallibility?
7155 2011/08/18 TheologyWhat is intended by the welayat of a just faqih being the welayat of the prophets is the aspect of political welayat ( meaning the government and management of the affairs of the people ) which is par
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How can perfection be attained?
6817 2011/08/15 PracticalThis topic needs to be discussed in three parts.1. Definition of Kamal ( Perfection ) and How It Differs from Tamam ( Completion ) and ProgressCompletion applies when speaking about the parts of a thi
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What is the reality of sin and how does it affect the soul and psyche of the human being?
9041 2011/08/15 PracticalThe above question must be answered in four parts.The Reality of SinSin, which in ‘Arabic is referred to as ithm and ‘isyan, means to disobey the order of the Master and to slip in complying with His
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Did Adam commit a sin? What about the question of the infallibility of the Divinely sent prophets?
14350 2011/08/15 TraditionalIn order to arrive at the answer, a few preliminary points must be considered. It must first be pointed out that the Divine prophets and their deputies enjoy lofty spiritual and existential stations i
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What are the conditions that guarantee the fulfilment of a prayer?
11279 2011/08/15 PracticalThe word du’a ( supplication ) literally means “to call”, “to request a favour”, “to seek help” and in some cases it is used to denote the general meaning of calling. But in its [ popular and ] techni
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We know that some angels do nothing but worship Allah (awj). Is this worship of theirs performed of their own freewill? If not, does Allah (awj) have need of such worship?
7997 2011/08/15 TraditionalNo benefit from any creature’s worship—whether it has freewill or not—reaches Allah ( awj ) . Rather worship that is offered out of freewill is the cause for the spiritual advancement of the worshipp
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How is it possible for some of the Imams to reach Imamate while still children?
7797 2011/08/15 The infalliblesAccording to the undisputed belief of Imami Shi’ism taken from numerous verses and Prophetic traditions, the Imamate is a Divine position. So if it is established that someone has been divinely appoin
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How does Satan influence our thoughts?
10729 2011/08/15 TraditionalBefore we can investigate the influence of Satan on our thoughts, we must gain an understanding of who Satan is. Lexicographers differ over the linguistic root of the word shaytan ( satan ) . The stro
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Why do you limit the Ahlul Bayt (ع) to a few people?
7498 2011/08/15 TraditionalThe limiting of the Ahlul Bayt ( ع ) to the fourteen infallibles is not a human decision; it is an exclusivity understood from the Divine words in the Verse of Purification and the traditions of the
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Regarding verse 80 of Surah al-Kahf, where Khidr (ع) explains his reason for killing the young boy- in view of the Divine principle of not recording evil deeds or punishing people for them before they have taken place, some questions arise…
11605 2011/08/15 ExegesisThis question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer.
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Please explain what religious pluralism is and the difference between it and the interpretations of religion.
7837 2011/08/15 Modern1. Pluralism is multiplicity. It has different meanings in the philosophy of religion, ethics, law, political science, etc. The common factor that is true for all of these is to acknowledge multiplici
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Why is the blood money of a woman half of that of a man?
8583 2011/08/15 Laws and JurisprudenceAccording to jurisprudential and historical studies, blood money is an economical matter. It has been legislated in order to compensate for the loss incurred by the injured. From another point of view
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Why is the inheritance of women half that of men?
7685 2011/08/15 Laws and JurisprudenceThe fact that a woman’s inheritance is half that of a man’s has enticed many to delve into the rationale behind this rule. In the answers that have reached us from the leaders of religion, the followi
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Do animals possess souls and if so how does the animal soul differ from the human soul?
9510 2011/08/15 Islamic PhilosophyBefore embarking on the answer to this question, it must be noted that the answer provided below is based on the school of Transcendent Theosophy, i.e., Sadrian philosophy. In this light, the answer w
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Explain the infallibility of the prophets. Why is it that some verses of the Qur`an contradict their infallibility?
11760 2011/08/15 TraditionalThe answer to these questions can be summarized in the following points: 1. Infallibility is a state of the soul that makes an infallible person shun sins or any unpalatable acts and protects him from
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What is the relationship between man’s efforts and the sustenance that has been measured out for him?
12544 2011/08/15 TraditionalThere are two kinds of sustenance. There is a sustenance that we go after and a sustenance that comes after us. In the traditions, the sustenance that comes after us is called “the sustenance that see
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The Qur`an mentions the fact that there is no fear or sadness for the friends of Allah (Surat Yunus (10), Verse 62). If this is the case, then why do we read the following prayer in the Du’a of Friday (addressing Imam al-Zaman (ع)): “Peace be upon you O Pure one who is afraid!”
9640 2011/08/15 PracticalFear is of two types: praiseworthy and blameworthy. Blameworthy fear, like fearing for ones’ life or fearing people and creatures is meaningless for the friends of Allah ( awj ) . This is why Imam Ja
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If Allah (awj) is omniscient, why does He need to test mankind?
9492 2011/08/15 TraditionalAs implied by the question, because Allah ( awj ) is omniscient, the purpose of His tests is not to unveil something hitherto unknown. Rather, the Qur`an and ahadith suggest that these tests serve tw
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Isn’t there a discrepancy between Islam’s view of the human being as a creature endowed with free choice and assertation of the Qur`an that Allah (awj) shuts the hearts, ears and eyes of some to the truth?
7539 2011/08/15 TraditionalIn many verses there is mention of the unbelievers’ and hypocrites’ hearts, eyes, and ears being sealed and of the sinful and perverse being misled. Khatm and tab’ [ both meaning “seal” ] denote endin
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On the one hand, in the sciences of education and psychology a great deal of emphasis is placed on self-confidence, but in Islamic teachings, ethics, and gnosticism (‘irfan) on the other hand, it is stressed that one must trust only in Allah (awj) and not in oneself. Is their a contradiction between the two perspectives?
7554 2011/08/15 PracticalTo apprehend whether there is a conflict or not, one must first have a clear definition of the two terms. There are two ways of understanding self-confidence:1. Comprehending ones’ abilities, potentia
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Is it possible for humankind to know Allah (awj)? If yes, to what degree and what is the value of such knowledge?
10711 2011/08/15 TraditionalThe human being can attain knowledge of Allah ( awj ) through various ways. This knowledge can come about through the medium of the intellect or of the heart. At times he—as in the case of the sage a
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What is the relationship between Divine will and human will?
7490 2011/08/15 TraditionalThe human being is a contingent existent who derives his existence and existential qualities from Allah ( awj ) . Allah ( awj ) has, by His generative will ( irada takwini ) , created him as a voliti
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Is it not polytheistic to ask for one’s needs from anyone other than Allah (awj) such as the Prophet (ص) or the infallible Imams (ع) since it is Allah (awj) who is the Fulfiller of Needs?
8222 2011/08/15 TraditionalIf one reveres, refers or takes recourse to, or seeks one’s needs from these personages with the intention that are separate from Allah ( awj ) and independent of Him in fulfilling our needs, such an
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What is nearness to Allah (awj)? How many different kinds of nearness are there? How can we gain nearness to Allah (awj)?
8876 2011/08/15 PracticalIn lexicographical terms, “qurb” means the nearness of one thing to another. This can be in space or time. Of course in commonplace usage, “qurb” also applies to being the centre of attention and to
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If a person falls ill, should he seek treatment a) with a doctor, or b) by eating dust from near Imam al-Husayn’s grave, or c) through supplication?
7656 2011/08/15 ModernEach of the aforementioned actions could potentially cure his illness independently or by combining with the other two. However, the best course is to accompany all our actions—among which are medical
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What is the “sharaban tahuran” mentioned in the Qur`an (sometimes translated as “pure wine”)?
52888 2011/08/15 Traditional“Sharab” means something which can be drunk and “tahur” means that which is in itself pure and uncontaminated and also makes other things pure. We can gather from various verses that in heaven there a
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Did religion come to imprison us or to set us free?
8296 2011/08/15 ModernFreedom, from the point of view of religion, can be studied under two headings: spiritual freedom and socio-political freedom. From the spiritual perspective, man’s essence or immaterial self is free
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Should the remembrance of Allah (awj) evoke fear or love?
9079 2011/08/15 PracticalThe co-existence of fear and hope, and in some cases love, in respect to Allah ( awj ) , should not be a source of confusion as this phenomenon permeates all relationships of love to varying degrees.