AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH ISLAM

Title: AN ACQUAINTANCE WITH ISLAM
Author: Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini
Project supervisor: Translation Unit, Cultural Affairs Department, the Ahl al-Bayt (¡®a) World Assembly (ABWA)
Translator: Dr. Mahmud Farrokhpey
Editor: Iffat Shah
Proofreader: Rababeh Ghulami
Date de publication: 2012
All rights reserved.

PREFACE - 11
SECTION ONE
THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGION
The Principles of Religion - 15
The Role of Belief in One’s Prosperity - 15
The Means of Recognition - 17
Jurisdiction in Islam - 23
Jurisdiction at the Time of the Prophet (s) - 24
The Great Prophet of God (s) as the First Jurisprudent
(Waliul Amr) - 25
Wilayat after the Messenger of God (s) - 30
Wilayat at the Time of Occultation (Ghaibat) - 34
SECTION TWO
ETHICS IN ISLAM
Ethics in Islam - 39
The Methods of Teaching Ethics - 45
The Method of the Prophets - 45
The Scientific Method - 45
Ethics - 47
The School of Ethics in Islam - 47
Different Systems of Ethics - 48
Supplications - 51
Prayers in Islam - 59
SECTION THREE
ISLAM AND FAITH
Islam - 65
Faith - 69
Blasphemy (Unbelief) - 75
Decrees for the Unbelievers (kafirs) - 78
Hypocrites - 79
The Appearance of the Hypocrites - 79
First Group - 79
The Second Group - 80
The Third Group - 80
The Conspiracies of the Hypocrites - 80
Unity of the Muslim Ummah - 87
The Duties and Mutual Rights of Moslems - 93
1. Managing the Affairs of Moslems - 93
2. Brotherhood - 93
3. The Believers’ Mutual Rights - 93
4. Affection - 94
5. Gratifying Other Moslems - 95
6 .Satisfying a Believer’s Needs - 95
7. Giving Advice - 95
The Islamic Ummah: Its Tasks and Responsibilities - 97
SECTION FOUR
MAN IN THE EYES OF ISLAM
Man in the Eyes of Islam - 103
Man and Freedom of Will - 109
Man and his Tasks - 115
Man’s Responsibilities - 119
Man’s Responsibilities vis-à-vis God (swt) and the Messenger of God (s) - 119
Man’s Responsibilities towards himself - 120
Man’s Responsibilities towards Other Human Beings - 122
SECTION FIVE
THE TASKS AND RELIGION COMMANDS AND THEIR SOURCES
The Islamic Commands - 125
Obligatory commands and conventional commands - 125
Devotional Commands - 126
The Linking Commands - 126
Individual Duty and Necessary Duties - 127
Obligatory- with- Choice Tasks - 128
Prohibited Acts - 128
Other Commands - 128
Contaminations and Purifying Agents - 128
Transactions - 128
Family- Based Commands - 129
Guardianship of the Jurist and Government - 129
Commands Based on Eating and Drinking - 129
Sources of Islamic Religious Injunctions (Commands) - 131
The Quran: the First Primary Source of Islamic Commands - 131
The Prophet’s (s) Way of Life [Sunnat]: the Second Source - 136
The Traditions of the Infallibles (‛a): the Third Source - 139
The Distributors of the Prophet’s (s) Knowledge - 146
Ali (‛a) as an Encyclopedia of Knowledge - 150
The Recording of the Narrations - 152
Reason: the Fourth Source - 154
The Use of Reasoning - 156
Ijtehad and Taqlid - 158
The Qualifications for Ijtehad - 162
Taqlid (imitation) - 164
SECTION SIX
MINOR PRINCIPLES (FUNDAMINTAL PRINCIPLES APPLICATIONS)
Prayers - 167
Kinds of Prayer - 171
Fasting - 173
The Philosophy of Fasting - 177
The Pilgrimage - 181
Attention towards God and Purification of the Self - 181
The Universal Congress of Muslims - 186
A Demonstration of Unity - 188
Holy War (Jihad) - 191
The Early Jihad (The Lesser Struggle) - 193
The Greater Struggle - 195
Enjoining the Good Prohibiting the Evil - 199
Steps for Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil - 204
The Status of the World Moslems vis-a-vis our
Responsibilities - 204
Is the Prophet of God (s) Contented with the Present
Situation? - 206
Why did we Become Like this? - 206
What is the Solution? - 209
Who is Responsible? - 210
The Alms - 213
Possessions Subject to Alms - 216
The Expenditure of Alms - 218
One Fifth of One’s Wealth [Khums] - 221
The Application of Khums - 223