Essays Worth to Study

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

و صلی الله علیک یا ولی العصر(عج الله تعالي فرجک)

ادرکنا و ارشدنا

HADI VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY

www.hadi.ac

Affiliated to :

INTERNATIONAL COLLEGES

For ISLAMIC STUDIES (ICIS)

Essay Subject:

المعارف الالهیة  

العدل الاهیة المقدمة الاوّل

Divine Justice

Introductory Notes No. 1

Ver Feb 2023

Monotheism in Ahlul Bait علیهم السلام’s School of Thought:

Man is born upon Monotheistic Nature الفطرة التوحیدیة from mother because they have met and conversed with Allah the Almighty in the worlds of particle عالم الذَّر. At the beginning by stepping down on Earth, man has forgotten the event and the covenant of the former worlds. On earth, man is advised and persuaded to turn to Allah التوجهُ الی الله . By following Divine Prophets and their Successors الانبیاء و الحجج الاهیه, man finds out that their intellect is activated. Then man pays close attention to the signs and symbols and effects of Allah such as in themselves and the world الآیات الانفسی و الآفاقیة and in disasters and other unwelcomed events. Finally,

سنریهم آیاتنا فی الآفاق و فی انفسهم حتی یَتَبیَّن لهم انه الحق

It is Allah the Almighty’s choice to introduce Himself to man or not. There will be Recognition of Allah the Almighty through His signs and symbols معرفة الله بالآیات و العلامات.

But, Man is ordered to avoid imagining Allah. It is narrated that:

*- وَ مِنَ التَّوْحِيدِ أَنْ لَا تَتَوَهَّمَه

*- كلما ميزتموه بأوهامكم في أدق معانيه مخلوق مصنوع مثلكم مردود إليكم

 و لعل النمل الصغار تتوهم أن لله تعالى زبانيتين فإن ذلك كمالها

و يتوهم أن عدمها نقصان لمن لا يتصف بهما و هذا حال العقلاء فيما يصفون الله تعالى به‏

*- من تفکر فی ذات الله فقد تزندق

*- لا تتفکروا فی ذات الله و لکن تفکروا فی آیات الله

There are two Characters for Man to remind Him about Monotheism as well as Divine Justice:

One:

To be a Made-Up and Originated entity طور المصنوعیة – الشیء المصنوع و المحدَث  is the most important character of Man which is the greatest sign of Allah آیةٌ لِلهِ in Man. Men find themselves absolutely needy and dependent فقیر الذات و بالغیر. Otherwise, Man would like to keep their perfections and repel unwelcomed events, nut they cannot.  Such attention makes man to avoid denying Allah. Finally, it is Allah who decides to introduce Himself to man. Such character “to be needy and dependent” is reminded by an Arabic phrase:

کمالٌ جلالیٌّ انفعالیُّ لِنَفسِ الانسان

Admitting & Suffering Perfection of Self (human)

This fact is talking about man’s realization upon which they find that someone else is controlling, managing and regulating them in this world. The regulator is not similar to them.

In the next course: “Divine Justice” Man’s acts as well as the Divine acts will be discussed more.

By letting man realize such character, Allah introduces His Sovereignty to man.

Two:

کمالٌ جمالیٌّ فِعلیٌّ لِنَفس الانسان

Sovereignty & Subjective Perfection of Self (human)

This phrase is reporting about: man’s power and knowledge which maintains their sovereignty over some limited entities. It also implies that man has a kingdom in which they act like a king with power and knowledge over their subordinates.

The one who has priorly found their needfulness and dependency, can also find:

1- their ability over a set of limited entities,

2- their knowledge about some limited facts,

3- that they are autonomous المختار to do or not to do some certain acts,

4- that the source of their perfection is out of themselves.

By letting man realize such a character, Allah the Almighty introduces His “Justice” to man as well as, man’s Autonomy in some limited acts.

Allah the Almighty is praised in the Holy Quran as well as the Traditions as follows:

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَ هُوَ السَّميعُ الْبَصير

إِنَّ اللَّهَ خِلْوٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَ خَلْقَهُ خِلْوٌ مِنْه‏

فَكُلُّ مَا فِي الْخَلْقِ لَا يُوجَدُ فِي خَالِقِهِ وَ كُلُّ مَا يُمْكِنُ فِيهِ يَمْتَنِعُ مِنْ صَانِعِه‏

 The above narrations can be employed to refute Mysticism and Sufism fabricated claims about Allah and creation order نظام الخلقة. They have collected their theories in their manuscripts. In their school of thought, leaders are obeyed like deities because of their uniting with God. They have claimed that the world is a colorful manifestation of God. They also claim that there is no entity in the worlds except God. They believe everything to be illusion and unreal. Their claims were discussed in detail in Monotheism lessons.

According to Ahlul Bait علیهم السلام’s teachings, Allah the Subtle the Sublime has already introduced Himself, His prophet and Guardians to man, in the world of particles. Souls of human are descended to this world, by birth and there are signs, symbols and signatures of Allah all around them for reminding them of their Lord.

In this world, they find their ups & downs and they recognize that they are not on their own, they require a maker الصانعeven if they have not met the maker. They find their helplessness الفقر الذاتی undoubtedly.

انَّ اَساسَ الدّینِ التوحیدُ و العدلُ

The principles of Islam is Monotheism and Divine Justice.

Prophethood and imamates are branches of Monotheism. While the belief in the Resurrection Day (the Day of Judgement) is based upon Divine Justice.

قَالَ الصَّادِقُ علیه السلام لِهِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَم‏ ألاأُعْطيكَ جُمْـلَةً فِي الْعَدْلِ وَ التّوحيد؟ قالَ بَلیٰ جُعِلتُ فِداكْ، قالَ: مِنَ الْعَدْلِ اَلّا تَتَّهِمَهُ وَ مِنَ التُّوحيدِ اَلّا تَتَوَهَّمَهُ

It is narrated from Imam-us-Sadiq ^{علیه السلام} that He tols Husham Ibn Al Hakam:

“don’t you want me to give you a statement about Monotheism and Divine Justice?” He said, yes please! Imam ^{علیه السلام} said : “and of Justice is that, you do not accuse Him (Allah) and of monotheism is that, you do not form an image for Him (Allah).

All because, Allah has provided power and knowledge to man, it is not fair to ascribe their illogical and harmful acts to Him, instead of blaming themselves.

اَمَّا التُّوحيدُ فَأنْ لاتُجَوِّزَ عَلی رَبِّكَ ما جازَ عَلَيْكَ وَ اَمَّا الْعَدْلُ فَأنْ لاتَنْسِبَ إلیٰ خالِقِكَ ما لامَكَ عَلَيْهِ

And of Justice is that, you should not attribute to your creator, what you have done and you are blamed for

وَ مِنَ التَّوْحِيدِ أَنْ لَا تَتَوَهَّمَه

وَ مِنَ العَدِلِ أَنْ لَا تَتَّهِمَه

In Arabic language “ الوهم“ is the root of “ تَتَوَهَّمَه “ & “ تَتَّهِمَه “. The tradition العَدِلِ أَنْ لَا تَتَّهِمَه explains man’s Justice in regards with Allah. The expression “ لاتَتَّهِمَه “ means “ Do not accuse Allah for what unwelcome and unpleasant deeds you do!”  

Examples of man’s accusing Allah will be discussed in Divine Justice Course. Accusations such as: unbearable assignments التکلیف لما لا یُطاق, punishment without prior warning for an undefined sin   العقاب بلا بیان, punishing a compelled doer/ punishing someone who was forced to do something wrong مجازات المجبور, breaking a promise خلف الوعدة and oppression, Cruelty and Tyranni الظلم,

Among what will be discussed in the course, are: man’s autonomy الاختیار الانسان, determinism الجبر, non-deposable entrusting التفویض, neither this nor that الامر بین الامرین, intention المشیة, will الاراده, measurement التقدیر, ordain القضاء, execution الامضاء, new intention البداء, accepting a request التَرَدُّد , divine knowledgeالعلم الاهیة  ,

The Course includes اهل البیت علیهم السلام’s as well as philosophers’ and mystics’ point of view, about the above titles.

Examples of unwelcomed and evil are: Assigning an unbearable duty تکلیف ما لا یُطاق, Punishment without a prior warning عقاب بلا بیان, punishing someone who was forced to do something wrong مجازات المجبور, breaking a promise خلف وعده, oppression, الظلم

 One of the titles which will be discussed in the new course is:

Determinism[1] الجبر & Entrustment[2] التفویض

Both group of people who believe in Determinism or Entrustment, are accounted as oppressive to the Divine. The Hell is promised for them for committing the crime of accusing the Divine.

Another title which will be discussed in the new course is:

Autonomy & Free-will[3] الاختیار for both man and the Divine. It means: man should be condemned for their evil deeds.

The principles of Shiite Islam are five:

Monotheism التوحید, Divine justice العدل الهیة, Prophethood النبوة, Imamate الامامة and resurrection المَعاد لیوم القیامة. They are grouped as follows:

1. Monotheism – Prophethood - Imamate
2. Divine Justice - Resurrection

Whoever does not believe in one of the five, they are out of religion they are apostate[4] الــمُرتدّ. they are ritually impure and unclean النجس الشرعیة.

 .

The Importance of Discussion About the Divine Justice:

Satan لعنةالله علیه, with the help of human thinkers, has been successful to plant the greatest doubts in people’s minds regarding divine justice throughout human life.

Among the thinkers, philosophers, mystics and Atheists, had the greater role in generating and wide-spreading those doubts.

According to the Holy Quran, everyone believes in Justice, but they have their own justifications.  Divine Justice clarifies between Man’s affairs and the Divine affairs. Most of the doubts in religion is raised around Divine Justice. Atheists’ strongest protests against the religion and Allah, is regarding the Divine Justice. There is much denial in this field by some famous international figures. Even philosophers and mystics as well as Sufis have great mistakes in this field.

The table of content to be discussed in this field:

1. The history of Muslims’ belief in the Divine Justice from The Mutazilites and the Ash‘ari’s المعتزله و الاشاعره point of view.
2. Intellectual Goodness and Badness الحسن و القُبح العقلیَّة
3. Determinism الجبر & Irrevocable Entrusting, absolute delegation التفویض
4. The meaning of Voluntary deed: in Philosophical as well as Ahlulbait علیهم السلام’s School of thought
5. Enjoining & forbidding الامر و النهی
6. Divine Knowledge & Free-Will
7. Divine Intention & Free-Will
8. Divine Measurement & Ordain القضاء و القدر الاهیه
9. Evil & Evil doer الشرور و فاعلها
10. The world of Creation & Jurisprudent عالَم التکوین و التشریع
11. Divine Innovating Intention البداء الاهیة
12. Divine Approving Man’s Denial التردد الاهیة
13. Ability الاستطاعة
14. Success & Abandonment التوفیق و الخذلان
15. Felicity السعادة, Wretchedness الشقاوة, natural Disposition/Inclination الطینة
16. "the problematic or ambiguous Quranic verses and affiliated Hadiths", they are difficult to understand, or have ambiguous meanings requiring interpretation or explanation. الآیات و الروایات المشکلة

A few questions for practicing the learned concepts:

1- Explain:

” Sovereignty & Subjective Perfection of Self (human)” &

“Admitting & Suffering Perfection of Self (human)”

and elaborate the relation between them and Monotheism and the Divine Justice.

2- What is the definition of Monotheism & Divine Justice according to the Hadiths?

3- Explain the relation between human power and free-will on one hand and the Divine Justice, on the other hand.

4- Support the importance of the Divine Justice by setting up 3 arguments.

2. 5- Is there and conflict between the following two statements?
   “Fundamentals of Islam are 5.”
   “the basis of Islam are Monotheism and the Divine Justice”