بیشترلیست موضوعاتDownloading the EncyclopediaIntroductionVERSION 2.0
Chapter 1.a
VERSION 2.0Quran and Ahlul-BaytWhy
School of Ahlul-Bayt?
Who are Ahlul-Bayt?
Part iPart iiPart iiiPart ivPart vPart viPart viiThe Word House (Ahlul-Bayt) in QuranSunni Feedback on the Issues of Infallibility
and Ahlul-Bayt
Chapter 1.b
VERSION 2.0Who Offended the Blind?
Infallibility of the Prophets
Part iPart iiPart iii
Leadership and Infallibility
Part iPart ii
The Twelve Imams
Part iPart iiThe Holy Quran and the Pure ImamsThe Reward of Loving Ahlul-BaytHow to Send Greetings to Prophet
Muhammad?Is Being a Member of a Party Forbidden in
Islam?The Term "Shia" in Quran and
Hadithal-Azhar Verdict on the Shia
Chapter 2
VERSION 2.0The Last LuminarySunni Documentation on Imam al-Mahdi (AS) Special specifications of Imam al-Mahdi (AS)
Necessity of the Existence of Imam al-Mahdi
(AS) More on Imam al-Mahdi (AS) The Knowledge of the Unseen & the
Knowledge of the BookSome Traditions on the Virtues of Imam Ali
(AS)
Chapter 3
VERSION 1.5
Caliphate of Imam Ali (AS)
The Major Difference Between the Shia and
the Sunni
Ghadir Khum
Part iPart iiPart iiiCertainly your Master is .Who is the successor of the Prophet
(PBUH&HF)?The Prophet Announcing His Successor in
His First PreachHow is This Possible?The Opinion of Imam Ali (AS) on
Caliphate
Chapter 4
VERSION 1.5Respecting the Righteous CompanionsA Shi'ite View of the CompanionsThe Tragedy of ThursdayConspiracy Against Imam Ali (AS)Attacking the House of Fatimah (AS)Usurping the Land of FadakLady Fatimah (AS) protests against Abu Bakr's
ActionsMore Facts on FadakA short history of Fadak after the
Martyrdom of Fatima
Chapter 5.a
VERSION 1.5Muawiyah and Abusing Imam Ali (AS)More on MuawiyahDevelopment of History and Hadith
Collections
Islam of Abu Talib (Parts I through IV)
Part iPart iiPart iiiPart ivWas Azar the Father of Prophet Abraham?Who was Umm Kulthum the wife of Umar?On the Companions who Murdered UthmanThe Innovations of the Early CaliphsAre Munafiqeen Counted Among the Sahabah?Shia vs. Iran
Chapter 5.b
VERSION 1.5Imam Husain (AS): A brief Description and
AnalysisSome Traditions on Imam al-Husain (AS)Reasons Behind the Commemoration of Imam
al-Husain (AS)Did Imam al-Husain (AS) Know He Would Be
killed?The Martyred Ones
Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis
Part iPart iiPart iiiPart ivPart vPart viPart viiPart viiiPart ix
Chapter 6.a
VERSION 2.0
Temporary Marriage in Islam:
Part 1: Evidences From Quran and the Sunni
CommentariesPart 2: Evidences From the Sunni Hadith
CollectionsPart 3: Evidences From the Sunni
History/Fiqh/Misc. BooksPart 4: Some Contradicting ReportsPart 5: Purpose of Marriage; Prohibition of
Illegal Sex & AlcoholPart 6: Similarities and Differences of
Mut'a and Regular MarriagePart 7: The Necessities and the
Advantages of Mut'aPart 8: Some Frequently Asked Questions on
Mut'aDebate on the Legitimacy of Mut'a:
Chapter 6.b
VERSION 1.5
al-Taqiyya/Dissimulation
Part iPart iiPart iiiKhums (one fifth)Tawassul (Resorting to Intermediary)Evidence for Tawassul by a Sunni WriterDid Muhammad Receive Revelation by
Mistake?!
Imamat vs. Prophethood
Part iPart iiFinality of the Prophethood
Chapter 7
VERSION 1.5
The Shia/Sunni Jurisprudence:
Shia ScholarsThe Rules of Modesty (according to five
Schools)Fasting (according to five Schools)Call for Prayer (Adhan) and Ablution
(Wudu)Joining Prayers and Other related
IssuesPrayer (according to five Schools)
Chapter 8
VERSION 1.5
Shia/Sunni and Quran:
Belief of Shia in the Completeness of
QuranDifferent Arrangements of QuranSome Sunni Reports on the
Incompleteness of QuranThe Quran Compiled by Imam Ali (AS)Tabarsi and incompleteness of QuranThe Book of Fatimah (AS)Can ANY human do that?Early Debates on the Integrity of the
Quran (Incomplete)
Chapter 9
VERSION 1.5Outline of DifferencesTraditions which falsely allege physical
attributes to AllahAbu Huraira vs. PaulSimilarities of Jews/Christians/MuslimsIbn Taymiya and his WorksThe Wahhabis
Chapter 10
VERSION 1.5
Abdullah Ibn Saba
Part iPart iiPart iiiPart ivPart v
Kaab al-Ahbar
Part iPart iiPart iii
Chapter 11
VERSION 1.5Kumail's Invocation and other
SupplicationsFree Will and FatalismDivine Justice and the Problem of EvilSome traditions from al-Kafi on the place of
reason in religionSome stories on Imam Ali (AS)Islamic Scientistsتوضیحاتافزودن یادداشت جدید The Rules of ModestyAccording to Five Islamic Schools of LawBy: 'Allamah Muhammad Jawad MaghniyyahThis issue is one of those from which numerous bylaws are derived, such as those specifying the parts of one's body that must be covered ('awrah) and the parts of another person's body which it is haram to look at, those relating to the difference between maharim (relatives through lineage or marriage with whom marriage is prohibited) and non-maharim persons in this regard, the difference in this regard due to sameness or difference of sex, the difference between looking and touching and similar rules which are discussed below.1.Looking at One's Own body: The schools differ concerning covering of one's 'awrah (private parts) from one's own view and whether it is haram for one to uncover one's 'awrah in privacy.The Hanafis and the Hanbalis observe: In the same way that it is not permissible for a person to expose his 'awrah in the presence of anyone for whom it is not permissible to look at it, it is not permissiblefor him to expose it when alone without necessity, as arises at the time or bathing or answering the call of nature.The Malikis and Shafi'is say: It is not unlawful but reprehensible (makruh) to be bare without necessity.The Imamis, state: It is neither haram nor makruh when no one else is looking at.2.Woman and Her Maharim: The schools differ concerning the parts of the body a woman must cover in the presence of her maharim (except the husband) and Muslim women.(6) In other words, what constitutes the 'awrah of a woman in the presence of Muslim women as well as her maharim, both through lineage and marriage?The Hanafis and the Shafi'is say: It is wajib for her to cover the area between the navel and the knees in their presence.The Malikis and the Hanbalis observe: She must cover the area between the navel and the knees in front of women, and in the presence of her maharim, her whole body except the head and the arms.Most Imamis state: It is wajib for her to cover her rear and private parts in the presence of women and her maharim; to cover other parts as well is better though not wajib, except where there is a fear of sin.3.Women and 'stranger': About the extent of the body to be covered by a woman in the presence of a 'stranger' (any male apart from the mahrim), the schools concur that it is wajib for her to cover her whole body except the face and hands (up to the wrists) in accordance with the verse 31 of Surat al-Nur:.And reveal not their adornment save such as is outward; and let them cast their veils over their bosoms (24:31)considering that 'outward adornment' (al-zeenah) implies the face and hands.The word 'al-khimar' (whose plural 'khumur' occurs in the verse)means the veil which covers the head, not the face, and the word 'al-jayb' (whose plural 'juyub' occurs in the verse) means the chest.The women have been commanded to put a covering on their heads and to lower it over their chests.As to verse 59 of Surat 'Ahzab:'0 Prophet, say to your wives and daughters and the believing womenthat they draw their veils close to them..., (33:59)the word 'al-jilbab' (whose plural jalabib occurs in the verse) means a veil covering the head; rather it is a shirt or garment.4.Man's 'Awrah: The schools differ concerning the parts of man's body which it is haram for others to see and for him to expose. The hanafis and the Hanbalis state: It is wajib for a male to cover the area between the navel and the knees before all except his wife.It is permissible for others, irrespective of their being men or women maharim or strangers, to look at the rest of his body when there is no fear of sin.The Malikis and the Shafi'is say: There are two different situations for a male with respect to the extent he can expose his body:the first, in the presence of men or those women who are his maharim; the second, in the presence of women who are not his maharim.In the former instance he is only supposed to cover the area between the waist and the knees, while in the latter it is, haram for a woman stranger to look at any part of a man's body.Though the Malikis exclude the face and the arms if looked at without any sensual motive, the Shafi'is do not permit any exception (al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al'arba'ah, vol.mabhath satral-'awrah).The Imamis differentiate between the parts of other person body which can be looked at and those parts of one's own body which ought to be covered.They observe: It is wajib for a male to cover only his rear andprivate parts, though it is wajib for women who are not his maharim toabstain from looking at any part of his body except his head and hands (upto the wrist).To summarize the Imami opinion, it is permissible for amale to view the body of other men and his female maharim except the rearand private parts provided no sensual motive is involved.Similarly, awoman can view the body of other woman and her male maharim excepting therear and private parts provided no sensual motive is involved.5.Children: Concerning the body of a child, the Hanbalis say: It is notprohibited to touch or look at the body of a child below seven years.Itis not permissible to look at the rear and private parts of a male childbetween the age of 7 to 9 years, and for 'strangers' the whole body of afemale child above the age of seven.The Hanafis observe: No part of the body of a boy of four yearsand below is prohibited from being looked at.Above this age only his rearand private parts are prohibited from being looked at as long as sexualdesire has not awakened in him.If he reaches the age of sexual desire,the rule applicable to adults will be applicable to him with respect toboth the sexes.The Malikis state: It is permissible for a woman to look at andtouch the body of a boy below the age of eight years, and only look at ittill the age of twelve.A boy above the age of twelve is consideredsimilar to an adult.It is permissible for a man to look at and touch thebody of girl below two years and eight months, and to look at, though nottouch, till she reaches the age of four years.According to the Shafi'is, the rules applicable to an adult applyto an adolescent male child.But if a child is below that age and is alsoincapable of describing what he sees, all parts of his body can be lookedat.But if he can describe what he sees with a sexual interest, he will beconsidered similar to an adult.As to a girl below the age of adolescence,only if she has developed sexual appeal will she be considered similar toa full-grown woman, not otherwise, though it will be haram for anyoneexcept someone who looks after her to look at her parts.The Imamiyyah observe: It is wajib to cover one's 'awrah infront of a child of discriminating age, who can describe what he sees,though it is not wajib before the one who is incapable of doing so.That was regarding the covering of the body in the presenceof a child, but with respect to looking at a child's 'awrah,al-Shaykh Ja'far in his book Kashf al-ghita' states: It is not unwise toabstain from looking at the parts of a child below five years, though itis absolutely impermissible to look at them with a sexual interest.From what I have been able to ascertain from the traditions of theAhlul Bayt, the age limit for the permissibility of looking at thechild's 'awrah is six years, not five.6.Woman's Voice: All the schools concur that listening to the voice of awoman is not prohibited, except where pleasure is involved or when there isa fear of sin.The (Imami) author of al-Jawahir, at the beginning of thechapter on marriage, has mentioned as his proof the continuing practice ofMuslims belonging to different periods and regions, the sermons of Fatimah(AS) and her daughters, the innumerable instances of conversations of thewives of the Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams, and also the holding of mourningand wedding ceremonies by women in the presence of men from early times,the conversations between opposite sexes while conducting transactions, aswell as the Qur'anic verse (Be not complaisant (attractive) with yourspeech, 33:32), in which not speech itself but its complaisant manner hasbeen prohibited.8.The difference Between Looking and Touching: Every part that is permissible to touch, may be looked at, and every part that is haram to be looked at may not be touched.Here there is a general consent among the schools because touching involves greater pleasure than looking, and no leggiest of any school claims concomitance between the permissibility oflooking and the permissibility of touching.Hence though it is permissible for a man to look at a female stranger's face or bands, it is not permissible for him to touch her except in an emergency such as formedical treatment or for rescuing her from drowning.The following tradition has been narrated from al-'Imam al-Sadiq (AS) (Al-'Imam al-Sadiq[A] was asked:) "Can a man shake hands with a woman who is not his mahrim?" The Imam (A) replied: "No, unless there is cloth in between.."The Hanafis exclude shaking hands with an old woman from prohibition.In the book of Ibn 'Abidin (v1, p284) it is stated: It is not permissible to touch the hands or face of a young woman even withthe assurance of absence of any sexual motive. As to an old woman who hasno sexual appeal, there is nothing wrong in shaking hands with her with the assurance of absence of a sexual motive.The Imamis and the Hanafis allow touching the body mahrim provided no sexual motive or pleasure is involved.The Shafi'is prohibit touching even those parts of a mahram's body which it is permissible to look at. It is even not permissible in their opinionfor a person to touch the belly or back of his mother, pinch her ankles or beet or kiss her face.Similarly, it is not permissible for a person to ask his daughter or sister to press his legs.9.The Difference Between Exposing and Looking at: The Imamis observe:There is no concomitance between the permissibility of exposing the bodyand the permissibility of looking at it.Hence it is permissible in their opinion for a man to expose the whole of his body except his rear and private parts, while it is not permissible for a non-mahram woman to look at it.I have not found anyone expressing this opinion in the numerous books of the four Sunni schools.10.Old Women: God Almighty says in the Qur'an: "And such women as are past child-bearing and have no hope of marriage, it is no sin for them if they put off their clothes, so be it that they flaunt no ornament; but to abstain is better for them, and God is All-hearing, All- knowing." (24:60)This noble verse indicates that it is permissible for old women who have no desire for marriage due to their old age "to expose their faceand a part of their hair and arms, and such other parts which aged women usually keep exposed.The traditions of the Ahlul Bayt (AS) also point to the same, on condition that such exposure is not with the intent of display.Rather, it is to allow them to come out for fulfilling their needs, though it is better for them to keep themselves covered."(7)This permission is with the assumption that it is not permissible to expose any of the above-mentioned parts of the body if there is fear ofits leading to something haram, because a woman, regardless of her elderly age, may remain sexually attractive.Therefore, if there is any likelihood of that kind, the rule applicable to her will be the rule applicable to young women.Islam is lenient with respect to elderly women and strict regardingyoung women.But in practice we observe the opposite of what the Qur'an has ordered.We see shamelessness and display of charms among some young women, while elderly women keep themselves covered and are reserved.So where God is strict, they are lenient, and where He is lenient, they are strict._________ The Numbers that follow some of the wordsrefer to notes that will appended in the coming issues in shaa Allah.