Table of Contents Frame in Islamic Teachings In Brief

Islamic Teachings In Brief

By: Ayatullah Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i
Translator: Muzhgan Jalali
Editor: Sayyid Khadim Husayn Naqavi
Published by: Ansariyan Publication

Table of Contents
Preface
Religion
1. Beliefs
2. Ethics
3. Commandments
Is it necessary for man to follow a religion?
Conclusion
The advantages of religion
Human civilization
The need for regulations in the society
Man is not free against regulations
Weak point in the implementation of regulations
The original source of the weakness of laws
The advantage of religion over other laws
Seeking a remedy by others
A resume of the history of religions
The religion of Islam
The importance Islam attaches to man's comfort
Comparison of Islam with other religions
Comparison of Islam with other social systems
BELIEFS
Affirmation of the Creator
Theism and peoples
The effect of this inquisitiveness in man's life
Theism from the viewpoint of Qur'an
Qur'an's teachings about the Creator of the world
Qur'an and Tawhid
The Almighty Allah possesses all attributes of perfection
Why doesn't man accept this truth at times?
The power and knowledge of Allah
Justice
Blessing
Other attributes of perfection
Nubuwwah (Prophethood)
The logic in Nubuwwah
The difference between man and other creatures
Attributes of prophet
Prophets among people
Ulul 'azm Anbiya' (arch-prophets) and all other prophets
(1) Prophet Nuh (AS) (2) Prophet Ibrahim (AS) (3) Prophet Musa (AS) (4) Prophet 'Isa (AS) (5) Prophet Muhammad (SA) ibn 'Abdillah
The incident of monk Buhayra
The story of monk Nestorius
Good tidings given by the Jews of Madinah
Qur'an's reference to prophetic tidings
From Al-Bi'that al-Nabawiyyah to the Hijrah
A trip to Ta'if
The Hijrah of the Holy Prophet (SA) to Madinah
The Battle of Badr The Battle of Uhud The Battle of Khandaq Battle with the Jews - the Battle of Khaybar Inviting the rulers and kings to Islam The Battle of Hunayn The Battle of Tabuk Other battles
Ghadir Khumm and the issue of succession
The settlement of the Holy Prophet (SA) in Madinah and the advancement of Islam
A glance at the intellectual and spiritual personality of the Holy Prophet (SA)
The spiritual personality of the Holy Prophet (SA) was extraordinary
The character of the Holy Prophet (SA)
The Holy Prophet's (SA) last will to the Muslims
The Holy Qur'an
The Holy Qur'an is a miracle
Accusing the Holy Prophet (SA)
The Holy Qur'an challenges the mushrikin
Prophet Muhammad's (SA) Ahl al-Bayt (AS)
The expressly stated virtues of 'Ali (AS) and all the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)
Imamah
The logic for Imamah
The Imam is indispensable
The Holy Prophet's (SA) statement about wilayah
Appointment of a successor by the Holy Prophet (SA)
The 'Ismah of Imam
The moral virtues of Imam
The knowledge of Imam
The Fourteen Ma'sumin
The guiding Imams (AS)
The names of the infallible Imams (AS)
The general life-style of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)
The root cause of the differences of the Imams (AS) with contemporary governments
An exceptional point in the policy of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)
Al-'Imam 'Ali (AS)
Al-Siddiqah al-Kubra Fatimah (AS)
Al-'Imam al-Hasan (AS) and al-'Imam al-Husayn (AS)
Were the policies of al-'Imam al-Hasan (AS) and al-'Imam al-Husayn (AS) different?
Al-'Imam 'Ali al-Sajjad (AS)
Al-'Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS)
Al-'Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (AS)
Al-'Imam Musa al-Kazim (AS)
Al-'Imam 'Ali al-Rida (AS)
Al-'Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (AS), al-'Imam 'Ali al-Naqi (AS), and al-'Imam al-Hasan al-'Askari (AS)
Imam al-'Asr, Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Maw'ud (AS)
The moral conclusion derived from policy of the leaders of religion
Ma'ad (Resurrection)
Ma'ad, religions and faiths
Ma'ad, as in the Qur'an
From death to the Yawm al-Qiyamah
The meaning of death from the viewpoint of Islam
The world of Barzakh (interval between death and Ma'ad)
ETHICS
Difference of opinion in the identification and specification of duties
Dutifulness
(1) The duty of man towards Allah (cognizance of Allah)
The worship of Allah
(2) The duty of man towards himself
Physical health
Mental health
Receiving education and knowledge
The value and importance of a student from the viewpoint of Islam
The importance of a teacher and an instructor
Paying respect to the learned men
The duties of teachers and students
Two important masterpieces in the teachings of Islam
Abstaining from free thinking and expression of truth
Conclusion
Ijtihad (deduction of commandments based on Islamic fundamentals) and taqlid (following a mujtahid in practising Islamic laws)
(3) The duty of a man towards others
The duty of a man towards his parents
The rights of parents
The rights of children on parents
Respect for the elders
Man's duty towards his relatives
Man's duty towards his neighbours
Man's duty towards the inferior and the poor
Man's duty towards the society
Justice
Individual iustice
Social justice
Tyranny and oppression
Sociability
Teasing people and mischievousness
Association with the good people
Companionship with the bad people
Truthfulness
The disadvantages of falsehood
Backbiting and libel
Damaging the prestige of people
Self-respect and honesty
Benevolence and helping the needy
Cooperation
Arranging charities and reliefs
Self-sacrifice
Generosity and donation of money
The generalities of jihad
The instances of war in Islam
Escaping from jihad and defence
Defending the Islamic domain
Fighting with the internal enemies of the society
Defending the truth
Homicide
Infringing upon the property of orphans
Disappointment for the blessings of Allah
Anger and wrath
Bribery
Theft
Selling underweight
The general penalty of sins in Islam
The essentiality of employment and the importance of trade and industry
Denouncement of idleness
Agriculture and its advantages
Self-confidence
The disadvantages of relying on others
COMMANDMENTS
Reciting salat
Wajib salawat
Prerequisites of salat
(i) Taharah
Najis substances
Mutahhirat (purifiers)
Wudu' and its precepts
The instructions for wudu'
Mubtilat of the wudu'
The ghusl
The tayammum
Procedure for tayammum
The precepts pertaining to tayammum
(ii) Time
(iii) Dress
(iv) Place
(v) Qiblah
Mandatory acts while reciting the salat
The rukns of the salat
(i) Niyyah
(ii) Takbirat al-ihram
(iii) Qiyam
(iv) Ruku'
(v) Sujud
Tashahhud and salam
Salat al-Ayat
The procedure for reciting the Salat al-Ayat
The salat of a traveller
Salat al-jama'ah (congregational prayer)
Conditions concerning salat al-jama'ah
The precepts concerning salat al-jama'ah
The sawm
Ramadan - the month of Allah
The sawm leads to taqwa
Muftirat which render the sawm batil
The bay' (selling)
The irrevocability of bay'
The bay' on cash, credit, and on advance payment
Confession
Eatables and drinkables
First type: animals
Second type: inanimate objects
Important note
The ghasb (usurpation)
Some of the precepts concerning ghasb
The shuf'ah (preemption)
Re-cultivation of barren lands
Luqtah (picked up articles)
Glossary of non-English Terms