مملأا ةيدهم لىع ملاسلا Salutation upon Mahdi of the Nations

01/06/2015
Issue N0 14
Contents of the Issue








The Quran, Prophet
and Ahlul Bait (as)
Worshiping
Youth, and morals
You and the society
Education and Empowerment.
Islamic teachings
Women and children
Platform of scholars
Inside this issue:
2
Biography of Imam 2
Mahdi (as)
Imam Khomein‟s
view on Women
2
Concept of Wilayatul 3
Faqih
Know your Jurisprudence
4
Meet the promi- 4
nent ancient schol-
‫ السالم عىل مهدية األمم‬Salutation upon Mahdi of the Nations
CONSCIOUSNESS OF MAHDIYAH DOCTRINE
AL- Mahdi is a spiritual nature, and a model to a particular goal which humanity has been striving to achieve as a natural
inspiration through which people came
to realize, in spite of their different
faith and means of access to the unseen.
hence there is an appointed day on
earth, when the Divine messages will be
fulfilled in their great significance
and final objective, when the exhausting
march which humanity took in the
course of history will lead to stability
and security, after a long struggle.
However, the awareness of this expected future is not limited to those
who believe in the unseen from a religious perspective, but it has extended to others and has even been reflected
in those ideologies which strongly
denied the existence of the unseen and
any of its aspects, such as dialectical
materialism, that interpreted history in
terms of contradictions, but at last
admitted the fact that there was an appointed time in which these contradictions would be resolved when peace
and harmony would prevail on earth.
It is a source of generosity, since belief in
al-Mahdi in its reality is protesting
against all forms of oppression and tyranny although they still prevail in the
world. It is also a source of strength and a refutation that cannot dwindle, since it is a ray of light that is continually struggling
against despair within people and keeping the flame of hope ablaze within their hearts in spite of the gloomy conditions and
the might of oppression under which they live, because the appointed day confirms the fact that justice can challenge a world
filled with transgression and tyranny, that it can shake its foundations. If the idea of al-Mahdi is older and wider than Islam,
the detailed outlines, which the latter has fixed for it, have proved more satisfactory to all those ambitions that have been
seeking its realization since the dawn of history as well as a more generous gift and a stronger prediction for the feelings of
those who have been persecuted and op pressed in the course of history. This is because Islam has turned the idea from the
unseen into reality, and from an aspiration for a savior the world would produce in the distant and unknown future into the
conviction that he actually exists looking forward with other people to that day and the right circumstances that would make
it possible for him to assume his great role. Thus, al-Mahdi (peace be upon him) is no longer an idea waiting to be materialized nor a prophecy that needs to be substantiated, but a living reality and a particular person, living among us in flesh and
blood, who is sharing our hopes, suffering, sorrows and joys, actually witnessing all the sufferings, sadness and transgression
that exist on the surface of the earth, who is affected with all this from near or far, who is waiting for the appropriate moment when he can stretch his hands to every oppressed and needy person and eradicate the tyrants. However, it has been
decreed that this expected leader is not to reveal anything concerning his life or person to other people, although he is living
amongst them, waiting for the appointed moment. It is obvious that thinking in terms of these Islamic indications narrows the
gap of the unseen between the oppressed people and the expected savior and reduces the psychological distance between
him and them, no matter how long the expectation may last.
COMMEMORATION OF 26TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE DEMISE OF IMAM KHOMEIN
Khamenei said the “intellectual, political and social” thoughts of Imam Khomeini set the “roadmap” for the Iranian nation to achieve such lofty objectives
as justice, progress and authority, emphasizing that “without an accurate and
non-distorted knowledge of the Imam,
persistence of this roadmap would not be
possible.” Referring to the prominent
jurisprudential, mystic and philosophical
aspects of the late Imam‟s personality,
the Supreme Leader said Imam Khomeini‟s
character was realization of Quranic
verses describing genuine combatants of
the God‟s path, who have accomplished
their mission of jihad. Ayatollah Khamenei
said, “The high-profile Imam of the Iranian nation overthrew the rotten and wrong
regime of hereditary monarchy through
a unique development in the history of this
land and the Muslim world, and established the first Islamic government since
the advent of Islam and wholeheartedly
accomplished the mission of Jihad in the
path of God The Supreme Leader said
a second specification of the Imam Khomeini school of thought was its being upto-date, adding, “By relying on his cohesive
intellectual mindset, the Imam offered
solutions to problems that the Iranian society and human societies were suffering from, and the nations realized the value of
these solutions and that is why the Imam‟s school was expanding among nations.”
Ayatollah
Editorial The Guardianship
Kampala Plaza. Suite,
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P.O Box 73892 Kampala
Page 2 The Guardianship
‫الوالةل ل ال ل‬
ADVENT OF IMAM MAHDI (AS)
Muhammad Al-Mahdi (Peace be on him)n Name: Muhammad.Title: al-Mahdi, alQa'im, al-Hujjah, al-Gha'ib, Sahibu'z-Zaman, Sahibu 'l-Amr. Agnomen: Abu 'lQasim.Father's name: al-Hasan al-`Askari.Mother's name: Narjis.Birth: In Samarra',
on Friday, 15th Sha'ban 255 AH.He is still living and will appear before the end of
the world. Minor Occultation: 8th Rabi`u1-awwal 260 AH.Major Occultation: 10th
Shawwal 329 AH. There existed a good deal of harmony and uniformity between the
aspects pertaining to the births of Prophet Muhammad, the last Apostle of Allah and
Imam al-Mahdi, the last Apostolic Imam. Just as the coming of the Holy Prophet was
prophesied well in advance by the preceding prophets, similarly the impending news
of the gracious birth of Imam al- Mahdi was foretold by the Holy Prophet. The promised Mahdi, who is usually mentioned by his title of Imamu'l-`Asr (the Imam of the
Period) and Sahibu'z-Zaman (the Lord of the Age), is the son of the Eleventh Imam.
His name is the same as that of the Holy Prophet. He was born in Samarra' in
255/869 and until 260/874 when his father was martyred, lived under his father's
care and tutelage. He was hidden from public view and only a few of the elite among
the Shi'ah were able to meet him. After the martyrdom of his father he became
Imam and by Divine Command went into occultation (ghaybah). Thereafter, he appeared only to his deputies (na'ib) and even then only in exceptional circumstances.
The Imam chose as a special deputy for a time `Uthman ibn Said al-`Amri, one of
the companions of his father and grandfather who was his confident and trusted
friend. Through his deputy the Imam would answer the demands and questions of
the Shi'ah. After Uthman ibn Said, his son Muhammad ibn `Uthman al`Amri was
appointed the deputy of the Imam. After the death of Muhammad ibn `Uthman,
Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ruh an-Nawbakhti was the special deputy, and after his
death Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri was chosen for this task. A few days before the
death of Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri in 329/939 an order was issued by the Imam
stating that in six days `Ali ibn Muhammad as-Samuri would die. Henceforth the
special deputation of the Imam would come to an end and the major occultation
(ghaybatu'1-kubra) would begin and would continue until the day God grants permission to the Imam to manifest himself. The occultation of the Twelfth Imam is, therefore, divided into two parts: the first, the minor occultation (ghaybatu's-sughra) which
began in 260/872 and ended in 329/939, lasting about seventy years; the second,
the major occultation which commenced in 329/939 and will continue as long as God
wills it. In a hadith upon whose authenticity everyone agrees, the Holy Prophet has
said, "If there were to remain in the life of the world but one day, God would prolong
that day until He sends in it a man from my community and my household. His
name will be the same as my name. He will fill the earth with equity and justice as it
was filled with oppression and tyranny." On the Appearance of the Mahdi: In the
discussion on prophecy and the Imamate it was indicated that as a result of the law
of general guidance which governs all of creation, man is of necessity endowed with
the power of receiving revelation through prophecy, which directs him toward the
perfection of the human norm and the well-being of the human species. Obviously, if
this perfection and happiness were not possible for man, whose life possesses a social
aspect, the very fact that he is endowed with this power would be meaningless and
futile. But there is no futility in creation. In other words, ever since he has inhabited
the earth, man has had the wish to lead a social life filled with happiness in its true
sense and has striven toward this end. If such a wish were not to have an objective
existence it would never have been imprinted upon man's inner nature, in the same
way that if there were no food there would have been no hunger. Or, if there were to
be no water there would be no thirst and if there were to be no reproduction there
would have been no sexual attraction between the sexes. Therefore, by reason of
inner necessity and determination, the future will see a day when human society will
be replete with justice and when all will live in peace and tranquility, when human
beings will be fully possessed of virtue and perfection. The establishment of such a
condition will occur through human hands but with Divine successor . And the leader
of such a society, who will be the savior of man, is called in the language of the hadith, the Mahdi. In the different religions that govern the world such as Hinduism,
Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam there are references to a
person who will come as the saviour of mankind. These religions have usually given
happy tidings of his coming, although there are naturally certain differences in detail
that can be discerned when these teachings are compared carefully. The hadith of
the Holy Prophet upon which all Muslims agree, "The Mahdi is of my progeny," refers
to this same truth. The opponents of Ahlul Biat(as) protest that according to the
beliefs of this school the Hidden Imam should by now be nearly twelve centuries old,
whereas, this is impossible for any human being. In answer it must be said that the
protest is based only on the unlikelihood of such an occurrence,
not its impossibility. Of course, such a long lifetime or a life of a longer
period is unlikely. But those who study the hadiths of the Holy Prophet and
the Imams will see that they refer to this life as one possessing miraculous
qualities. Miracles are certainly not impossible nor can they be negated
through scientific arguments. It can never be proved that the causes and
agents that are functioning in the world are solely those thawe see and
know and that other causes which we do not know or whose effects and
actions we have not seen nor understood do not exist. It is in this way possible that in one or several members of mankind there can be operating
certain causes and agents which bestow upon them a very long life of a
thousand or several thousand years. Medicine has not even lost hope of
discovering a way to achieve very long life spans. In any case, such protests
from "Peoples of the Book" such as Jews, Christians and Muslims are most
strange for they accept the miracles of the prophets of God according to
their own sacred scriptures. The opponents of Ahlul bait(as) also protest
that, although Shi'ism considers the Imam necessary in order to expound
the injunctions and verities of religion and to guide the people, the occultation of the Imam is the negation of this very purpose, for an Imam in occultation who cannot be reached by mankind cannot be in any way beneficial
or effective. The opponents say that if God wills to bring forth an Imam to
reform mankind, He is able to create him at the necessary moment and
does not need to create him thousands of years earlier. In answer it must
be said that such people have not really understood the meaning of the
Imam, for in the discussion on the Imamate it became clear that the duty
of the Imam is not only the formal explanation of the religious sciences and
exoteric guidance of the people. In the same way that he has the duty of
guiding men outwardly, the Imam also bears the function of waldyah and
the esoteric guidance of men. It is he who directs man's spiritual life and
orients the inner aspect of human action toward God. Clearly, his physical
presence or absence has no effect in this matter. The Imam watches over
men inwardly and is in communion with the soul and spirit of men even if
he be hidden from their physical eyes. His existence is always necessary
even if the time has not as yet arrived for his outward appearance and the
universal reconstruction that he is to bring about. al-Imam al-Hujjah, peace
be on him, said: Rest assured that no one has a special relationship with
Allah. Whoever denies me is notvmy (follower). The appearance of the
Relief (al-faraj) depends solely upon Allah; therefore, those who pro-
pose a certain time for it are liars. As to the benefit of my existence
in Occultation, it is like the benefit of the sun behind clouds where
the eyes do not see. Indeed, my existence is an amnesty for the
people of the earth. Pray much to Allah to
IMAM KHOMEINI’S VIEW ON WOMEN
Imam Khomeini's views on woman is of high importance and value.
Several scholars have been attempting to analyze some problems of
women‟s status in contemporary societies as well as in Islam based on
the Imam‟s views. The founder of the Islamic Republic also encouraged
to women to play active role in the Muslim society shoulder to shoulder with men. The great Imam used to encourage women to follow
footsteps of Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her), the daughter of the
holy prophet of Islam, in order to accomplish real social achievements
and spiritual salvation. Imam views on women role in the society gain
more significance as Iran has held an international summit on Imam
Khomeini‟s wife, the Late Khadija Saqafi commemoration Meanwhile,
a Muslim politician scholar praised women's role in Islamic society and
family. Stressed active presence of Muslim women both in society and
family, furthermore He said that Imam Khomeini introduced real political Islam which has the potential to manage the world today. President hailed Muslim women's role in the revolution and post-revolution
era and asked them to help execution of resistance economy policies.
The one-day conference on Imam Khomeini‟s wife commemoration
held this year at Tehran Summit Conference Hall and a book on the
life of Imam Khomeini‟s wife which includes her documents, autobiography, poems and unpublished pictures displayed on the sidelines of
the conference.
Page 3
The Guardianship
THE CONCEPT OF WILAYATUL FAQIH (GUARDIANSHIP OF A JURIST)
WILAYAT AL-FAQIH: ITS MEANING AND SCOPE
ByThe Word „Wilayat‟ in the terminology of
of referring
the Terminology.
theAppearance
Shari‟ah when
to the authority of
in the Holy Qur'an, the words wila‟, muwalat, and
thetawalli
Faqihare
involves
thetimes.
following
used many
Icertainterms:
mattersWali
are
(one
enjoysthese
Wilayat
or and,
authority).Muwla
setwho
out under
headings,
on the whole,
'alayh
(those
subject
to this authority).Wilayat.
it can
be seen
from contemplation
of this purified
that from
theterm
vantage
point'alayh
of Islam
there
Thetext
authority.
The
Muwla
refers
to
two kindsgroups,
of wila': or
negative
andwhen
positive.
on
theare
individuals,
society
Wali‟s
the other
hand. "Wila",
affirmative
and Islamic,
is
Wilayat
is applied.
'Wilayat'
is the office,
power
turn of two kinds: general wila‟, and special
andinauthority
of the Faqih established on legal
wila‟. This special wila‟ is also of several different
grounds.The
functions of Wilayat are authoritakinds. These are: a wila' of love, a wila' of Imamtiveate,
rules
on the
basis of
religiousand
evidence
a wila'
of social
leadership,
a wila' or
of
from
reason.This
universal
disposal.discussion
Here briefly,and
we the
shall related
discuss
issues
dealt with in a number of seceachwill
one be
of these.
1.
Negative
"Wila': Qur'an strongly warns
tions.
Muslims
accepting
fellowship
with, and
Wali,
Theagainst
Qualified
Faqih.
In Arabic,
the
protection
non-Muslims:
that it takes
word
"Faqih"from,
literally
means not
someone
whoa
bad view ofwell".
love forThere
other human
beings, or supunderstands
is a difference
beports hatred by Muslims against non-Muslims in all
tween
the
two
following
forms
of
derivatives
as
circumstances, or is against kindness towards
'Fiqh', 'fahm', "‟ilm' and the like and the derivathem. The Qur‟an explicitly says:﴾Allah does not
tives as 'Faqih', 'fahim' ' "‟alim' and the like. Since
forbid you respecting those who have not
in addition to expressing the characteristics of a
noun the later group of words denotes experience, specialty and perpetuity of the related
quality and trait, thus, Faqih is one who is an
expert in the science of Fiqh. The same is true
of Hakim, a philosopher or physician, that refers to someone who is well versed in Hikmah,
philosophy, and medicine (Tibb). In the present
study, therefore, the term 'Faqih' does not refer
to any knowledgeable man or expert, it only
refers to a particular class of experts who specialize in the science of Fiqh. Thus 'Faqih' is one
who specializes in Islamic law, Fiqh and jurisprudence and is a Mujtahid, qualified to give expert
opinion (Fatwa) in the matters of Shari‟ah, the
Islamic laws. The purpose of this article is to
establish, on the basis of theology and Shari‟ah
the right and the limits of the authority and the
Wilayat of such an individual. 2. The Islamic
teachings, and, in fact, the teachings of all heavenly religions consist of three parts. There is
the theoretical, the theology and the practical
aspect that form the laws and the ethical theories. It is harmonious with human nature, for
whose instruction and development prophets
and scriptures have been sent. Man from another point of view can also be considered of three
WHY DO PEOPLE BELIEVE?
aspects: such as body, soul and spirit. Each section of such teachings is meant to purify, guide,
and bring about perfection to the related dimensions of human nature. The section related to
man's intellectual dimensions is the section consisting of the basic doctrines of the faith. The
section concerned with man's emotional and
moral qualities and attitudes is ethics, while the
section dealing with man's physical actions consists of the practical laws and commandments of
religion. An expert in the first aspect of the
teachings is called Mutakallim (theologian); an
expert in the second aspect is called akhlaqi
(moralist); and one who specializes in the third
aspect is called a Faqih, a scholar of Fiqh. This
discussion is about the third kind of expert, the
individual who specializes in the subject of the
practical laws and commandments of Islam.
3. To understand the term „Faqih‟ and the requirements thereby (faqahah) properly one must
first see what its definition is? One must also
consider what qualifications a student of religious
studies must acquire to become a recognized
Faqih? Secondly, what are the preliminary stages,
which a student must go through before qualifying for this designation? A Faqih may be de-
fined as "an individual who possesses the
ability to find most or all of the general
rules and legal commandments of Shari‟ah
from the original sources." In other words,
he should have sufficient training in the preliminary requisites to establish proper inference and reasoning. Given all the necessary
means, he should be able to establish proper inference and deduce any one of the
rules of the Shari‟ah through investigating
and examining the sources, should he be
required to do so. In this aspect, the position of the Faqih is exactly like that of the
physician, who can diagnose a disease if he is
in possession of the necessary means, or
that of the surgeon, who can perform surgery if he has access to the necessary instruments and means. Then qualification, which
forms the basis of the aforementioned definition of „Faqih‟, is indicative of potential
abilities to form logical inference and deduce
the rules of Sharia's from the proper sources. It
also does not say that one should have actually
found all the relevant rules from the original
sources and hold them ready in his memory for
instant presentation. The expertise of a Faqih is
comparable to the kind of expertise required
of a physician or an engineer in his own field;
the difference being that the tools used by the
Faqih are different, just as the job performed
and the results obtained are also of a different
class. The Prerequisites to Become a Faqih
1. Linguistic skills It is necessary to have good
command over the Arabic language to correctly understand the meaning of the material constituting the Holy Quran and the traditions of
the Ma'sumin (a.s). 2. Some logical rules and
philosophy of language: It is necessary to have
sufficient understanding of the various usage of
Arabic words and the structure of sentences to
have a clear idea of the meaning of the texts of
the holy Quran and other original sources.
3. ‟Usul al-Fiqh To know this discipline is the
most important requirement to become a Faqih. It consists of a number of general principles, which guide the Mujtahid in the formation
of logical inference and deductions of proper
results from the original sources of law. This
discipline, therefore, has a direct bearing on the
process of deduction of the rules („Ahkam) of
the Shari'ah on grounds of the principles ofreason, the holy Quran and the Sunnah. 4. „Ilm
al-Hadith (The Science of Hadith)From this discipline one learns to investigate Hadith, to distinguish
the weak (da'if), the unreliable from the authentic
(Sahih) and reliable Hadith. The authentic and reliable ones are accepted and what is otherwise is rejected.
Sermon of the Month
Imam Ali (as) said: Praise is due to Allah whose worth cannot be described
by speakers, whose bounties cannot be counted by calculators and whose
claim (to obedience) cannot be satisfied by those who attempt to do so,
whom the height of intellectual courage cannot appreciate, and the diving
of understanding cannot reach; He for whose description no limit has
been laid down, no eulogy exists, no time is ordained and no duration is
fixed.
A human being has two main types of attributes, natural attributes and acquired attributes. Natural attributes are those that all humans are born with, such as to love, to thirst for water, to breath, to think, to desire,
to laugh etc. Acquired attributes on the other hand are those that people have to make an effort and be trained in order to a cquire them, such as training to be a motor mechanic, to be a driver, to be a scientist etc. People therefore believe because it is in
their nature to believe in some reality. So belief is a natural attribute of human beings because: Belief is found among all human
beings, both those trained and qualified and those without qualifications. It is found throughout the history of human being s, not
only in the era that followed the arrival of foreign religious missionaries and it was not invented like other acquired attributes It is
found in all places and countries where human beings are found, not only in those countries with religious teachers Like thirst for
water, it cannot be completely destroyed. The Soviet Union tried in vain for 70 years to destroy belief in a transcendental power
among people, claiming that it was similar to drug addiction. This natural inclination for humans to believe is called Fitrat (See
Surah 30, Rum, verse 30). Even those who claim not to have a belief that is still their belief. Prophets were not sent to tea ch people how to believe, because people by their nature already held certain beliefs and as a result were worshipping the sun, fire,
stones, idols, money, people, animals etc, with the hope that these would ward off calamities and bring them success in this life
and after death.
KNOW YOUR ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE
Imam Ali (as) said
“Failures are often the
results of timidity and
fears; disappointments
are the results of
bashfulness; hours of
leisure pass away like
summer-clouds,
therefore, do not waste
opportunity of doing
good.”
Meet prominent
ancient scholars
Ayatullah Swafi
Ghulbayghani he born
February 20, 1919) He
was born in Golpaygan,
Iran. He has studied in
seminaries of Najaf, Iraq
under Grand Ayatollah
Borujerdi. He currently
resides and teaches in
the Seminary of Qom,
Iran. He is a supporter
of the Islamic revolution
in Iran and is known for
his fatwa calling for the
death of rapper Shahin
Najafi for apostasy.His
father, the late Ayatullah
Akhund Mulla Muhammad al-Jawad as-Safi
was a well known 'Alim
and an 'Arif. He, along
with being a specialist in
Islamic studies, was also
a researcher, writer and
a teacher in various
fields of Islamic sciences
such as: Fiqh, usul,
Kalam, Akhlaq, Hadith,
and other areas. He was
also well versed in poetry, and calligraphy. His
Taqwa, love for the
Wilayat (of the Ahlul
Bayt), and his firm position of upholding the
concept of "Amr bil
Ma'ruf wa Nahi anil
Munkar" (Enjoining the
Good and Forbidding the
Evil), and taking a distinct stance against nonreligious people had a
tremendous effect on his
son. His father died on
the 25th of Rajab,1958,
The Guardianship
Phone: +256752678472
+256753241917
+256702308696
Salat Al-Jama'ah (Congregational Prayer)
It is highly recommended (Mustahabb) for all
Muslims to recite daily prayers (salat alyawmiyyah) in the form of Congregation. Allah's reward (Thawabu) for it is several thousand times
more than the reward for the prayer performed
individually. Its Conditions (i) the leader of
the congregational prayer (Imam al-jama'ah)
must be one who reached the age of maturity
and thus became responsible for performing the
Islamic duties (Mukallaf) a believer, just, and
born legitimately. He must recite the Opening
chapter (Suratul fatifa) and other Quranic chapters etc. correctly. If the follower who follows
the leader (Ma'mum) is a man, the Imam must
also be a man. A female must only lead a female
or females. While a male can lead female and
females. (ii) There should be no curtain, barriers, or obstacles between the Imam and his
Ma'mum, so that the Ma'mum is unable to see
the Imam. But if the Ma'mum is a woman, a
curtain and the like are permissible. (iii) The
place where the Imam stands must not be higher than that of his Ma'mum, but there is no objection if the place is slightly higher (about the
height of four fingers or less) than that of the
Ma'mum.(iv) The Ma'mum must stand behind
the Imam or in his row (most of the Jurists prefer that Ma'mum should stand behind the
imam).
The Precepts Concerning Salat Al-Jama'ah
(i) The Ma'mum Must Recite All Parts of the
Salat Himself, Except the Surat Al-Hamd And
Another Surah after It. But If His First and Second Unite of the Prayer (Raka'at) correspond
To The Third And Fourth Raka'at of the Imam's
Salat, He Must Recite the Suratal-Hamd and
another Surah As Well. If As A Result Of Reading The Other Surah, He Feels That He Would
Not Catch Up With The Imam In Ruku', He
Should Only Read The Surat Al-Hamd And Perform The Ruku' With Theimam Simultaneously.
If He Fails To Do So, He Should Complete His
Salat individually.(ii) The Ma'mum must perform
Bending at al-ihram and recite Salam only after
the Imam has done so.(iii) If one commences
follows (iqtida) the imam while he is in the state
of Ruku' and arches up with the imam in Ruku',
his Salat is correct and is counted as one Rak'ah
of Salat.
Page 4 The Guardianship
CONFESSION
The importance of confession: The role of confession in reestablishing people's rights which are being trampled upon and
are not being taken care of in a society is self-evident, because
an action - which is taken by the judicial organizations after a
great deal of efforts and pains, collecting evidence, calling the
people to witness as well as after depending on guess and conjectures - can be substituted by confession in the easiest and
most clear way with only a few words. In Islam, the confession
has a great importance from a personal point of view as well,
because it originates from an instinct which Islam has perfectly
endeavored to revive and employ and that is the human instinct
of admiring the right which is exactly the opposite of sensuality.
In His words, the Almighty Allah addresses those who believe
in Islam: "O you who believe! be maintainers of justice, bearers of
witness for Allah's sake, though it may be against your own selves or
(your) parents or near relatives...(4:135)."The Holy Prophet (S)
states: "Tell the truth, though it may be against your own interests." The meaning and conditions of confession: In Islamic terms, the
confession is a statement that substantiates the rights of others on the
confessor, for example, one who confesses might say: "I owe one
thousand Shillings to such and such a person." The confessor must be
mature and sane. He should confess out of his own free will. Thus the
confessions of a child, an insane person, an intoxicated person, an
unconscious person, a person who is asleep, and the one who is
forced to confess are not correct and valid.
GREATER SIN: SODOMY
Sodomy or homosexuality a greater sin. This is verified from the sayings of Imam Ja‟far as-Sadiq and Imam ar-Riďa (a.s.). In fact it is a sin
greater than adultery. Its retribution and punishment are more severe
than for adultery. Imam stated: “Penetrating the anal opening is a greater sin than penetrating the vagina. Certainly Allah destroyed a complete
Nation of Lut (a.s.) because they indulged in sodomy. However, Allah has not
destroyed even one man for adultery”. Prophet (sawa) said “A person who
commits sodomy with a boy will acquire such a Janabat (impurity) that even all
the water of this world cannot remove it. Allah will be wrathful at him and
curse him. (That is He will take away His Mercy from him and will award Hell
for him.) What a dreadful place it is! Then the Heavens shudder of it. And the
person who allows another to mount him from behind to commit sodomy,
then Allah puts him on the fringe of Hell (in extreme heat) and keeps him there
till He completes the reckoning of all the people. Then He orders him to be
put into Hell. One by one he is made to suffer all the punishments of Hell till he
reaches the lowest stage. Then he never comes out from there.” Sodomy is
Kufr (disbelief)
Amir ul-Mu‟minīn „Ali (a.s.) has said:“Sodomy is a Greater Sin and carries
punishment when a man mounts upon another man but does not penetrate. If he penetrates, it is kufr”. It means that one who considers
sodomy legal is a Kafir, because to consider sodomy illegal is one of
the requirements of faith. And one who disbelieves in any of the requirements of faith becomes a Kafir. However if anyone commits this act
knowing that it is Harām is deserving of punishment which is similar to the one
meted out to kuffar, and it is eternal. Sodomy is an Indecency Imam „Ali arRiďa (a.s.) has said; “Refrain from adultery and sodomy, and this sodomy is
worse than adultery. These two sins are the causes of seventy two ills of this
life and the Hereafter.”7 The Qur‟an has used the word „indecency‟ for adultery in the way it has also used it for sodomy. It is said in Surah al-Ar‟āf: “And
(we sent) Lut when he said to his people: What! Do you commit an
indecency which anyone in the world has not done before you?” “Most surely
you come to males in lust besides females. Nay you are a prodigal people”.
(Surah al-Ar‟āf 7:80-81) What could be more indecent than the act where
man squanders away his sperms in a way prohibited by Allah (S.w.T.) in-
stead of allowing them to reach the wombs of women to ensure the
continuation of the human race. Sodomy and homosexuality are denounced in Surah Hūd, Surah Al-‟Ankabūt, Surah Qamar, Surah anNajm in addition to Surah al-Ar‟āf; so that the people are fully
warned. Allah (S.w.T.) has strictly forbidden such a loathsome act.