Related Posts

Poem for Milad un-Nabi

The Prophet’s Legacy Listen, O brothers! In the ocean of faith, the Qur’an is the most precious pearl of Muhammad. Just as every king keeps his treasure concealed, the Qur’an is the hidden treasure of Muhammad. Observer well, who do you see as the custodian of this treasure and the trustee of Muhammad? Just as you leave your treasure to your children, there is a legacy for the children of Muhammad. Do you not see that the pearls of faith cannot come from anyone except the children of Muhammad? This treasure was entrusted to one person only, worthy of being…

Friedman on Sistani and the Nobel

See here. Friedman, like most commentators, acknowledges Sistani’s Shi’ism, but fails to understand what that means. “People power” as he describes is what the Ithna’shari conception of the state was/is prior to Khomeinism taking center stage. The idea of jurists leading the state, vilayat-e faqih, is a relatively new concept, but it’s already become normative for even op-ed writers who supposedly have the time to be able to think.

Moses At Sinai

The following quote is a commentary on the nature of God by a major Shi’ah thinker, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS), who is also considered an important mystical figure. Moses (AS) is a major figure in the Muslim tradition, and symbolically is used to reference legalism and law. His interaction with the Divine helps to establish our understanding of God. As far as we can tell, the first major development of the concept of divine speech was the work of the sixth imam of the Shi`ah, Ja`far al-Sadiq (d. 148/765). Respected for his piety and wisdom by all Islamic sects, Ja`far…