Monthly Archives: June 2021

Dunyā is a place of worship for malāʾika. As such, the sanctity of the earth is underscored by the fact that entities that have transcended all physical confines and cannot be perceived by the senses, descend here in order to worship their Creator. The word musallā can be used interchangeably with masjid, however, it is more commonly used in the context of the open space where the Eid namāz takes place. Though both are places of worship, a masjid is [...]

The seal and the final of the Prophets, Nabi Mohammed SAW proclaimed, ‘I have been bestowed with three things that no prophet before me has been honoured with: the ability to instil great awe and fear, the spoils of war are permitted for me and the land in its entirety has been made a masjid for me and its earth pure.’ Rasul Allah SA also stated that Allah had made him his ḥabīb (dearest, most beloved, sing. of aḥibba). Like [...]

This verse dwells upon the following excerpt from Amirul Mumineen, Maulana Ali bin Abi Talib’s AS khuṭba mubāraka: Dunyā is an abode of truth for the truthful, a sanctuary for those who learn from it... ‘Truthful’ or ‘well-being’ - as used to describe dunyā - are not words that are often associated with the way most people perceive and think of the temporal world. Therefore in order to understand these two assertions, the concepts of ‘truth’ and ‘well-being’ first need [...]

Verses 33 to 38 outlined the necessary conditions for the creation of a peaceful and stable society and the building blocks for human prosperity and development. Over the next five verses (40-44), through the prism of a khuṭbah (sermon) delivered by Amirul Mumineen, Maulana Ali bin Abi Talib AS, the author further delineates man’s relationship with the temporal world. A distinct feature of Amirul Mumineen’s AS sermons is his reproval of the ways of this world, his belittlement and scorn [...]

The similarity in construct of the Arabic word for twins, tawʾam (توأم), and the word for peace and harmony, wiʾām (وئام), hints towards the need to consider the spiritual and temporal realms as twins for peace and harmony to prevail in the world. The commentary on the previous verse underscored the importance of man’s relationship and need for interaction with society at large. In addition to this, each individual is required to further comprehend that in order to be able [...]

The previous verse affirmed that if dunyā were to function in accordance with the tenets of dīn, balance and harmony would prevail in this world. The outcome of this balance, as stipulated in this verse, is a better quality of life for humanity, both individually and collectively.  Despite great technical advances the quest for an enriched quality of life for all humankind is an ongoing pursuit and remains somewhat elusive. How one defines ‘quality of life’ is also contested as [...]

In this verse, the author asserts that dunyā will only prosper and flourish if it adheres to the tenets exemplified by dīn. As mentioned previously, dīn: entails the obedience of one, is nothing but muḥabba, consists of a set of beliefs which require expression through words and deeds and is considered as the path that leads us to the hereafter. Thus, obedience, muḥabba and a set of beliefs and praxis, all carried out with the intention of reaching the hereafter [...]

  The relationship between faith and society has always been a matter of keen debate. There are those that have valued faith for the ethical and moral authority it yields, while others have singled it out as a source of conflict and bloodshed. Using the definite article, the author asserts that, according to Fatimi philosophy, the spiritual and temporal worlds are like twins. In order to understand this relationship, it is first necessary to comprehend what dīn is, and how [...]

In this verse, the author stipulates that if laws and statutes fail to align themselves to fiṭra - the natural order, then they will be susceptible and ultimately collapse. The use of the metaphoric winds of destruction razing a structure can be said to allude to the Quranic parable of a tribe named ʿĀd and a City of Pillars called Iram. Allah states, ‘Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with ʿĀd? [and] with Iram, [a city] of lofty [...]

In this verse, three propositions are made: the natural world functions in a well-defined and orderly manner, a system is required to govern mankind’s life in this world and the more these laws conform to the natural order, the more facilitative they will be and the easier they will be to uphold. The initial verses of this ‘Philosophical Discourse’ reveal the existence of a clearly defined natural order. In verses 6 and 7, the parallel drawn between the intellect’s capacity [...]