Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Masumeen Islamic Centre
February 7th, 2012
 Overview
 Books
of Rules
used:
• Muhaadharat fil Ilahiyat – Sheikh Ja’far Subhani
• Theological Instructions – Ayatullah Mohammad
Taqi Misbah Yazdi
• Usool al-Aqaid – Ayatullah Hakim

Week One: Introduction
• Concept of Religion; Importance of Ijtihad in matters of Usool;
Necessity of Inquiring into Religion

Week Two: Tawheed – Oneness of God:
• Knowing God - Fitree and Irtikazee
• Proofs of His existence - Wajib, Mumkin, Mumtani’

Week Three:
• Oneness of God - Tawheed fi Dhaat; Sifaat; Khaliqiyah; Rububiyah;
Ibadat
• Attributes of God

Week Four:
• Attributes of Essence – Hayat, Ilm & Qudrah
• Attributes of Action – Khaliqiyah, Rububiyah & Uluhiyat

Week Five:
• Additional Attributes – Iradah, Kalaam, Sidq
• Negative Attributes

Week Six:
• Analyzing the reasons for deviation; The Materialistic Worldview
 Question:
• What is Religion?
‫دين‬
 The Arabic term for Religion is
• Lexical: Obedience and Recompense
• Technical: To have a belief in the ‘Creator’ of man and the universe.
The prescribed actions that accompany such a belief also fall within this
definition.
 Therefore, Religion
things:
encompasses two
• Fundamentals : Usool ud-Deen
• Practical Rules : Furoo ud-Deen
 Question:
• What are our fundamental principles?
 FP
of all Monotheistic Religions:
• Belief in One God (Tawhid)
 Justice of God (Adalat)
• Belief in the prophets of God sent to guide
human beings (Nabuwat)
 Vicegerency (Imamat)
• Belief in eternal life in the hereafter:(Ma’ad)
 Taqleed
not allowed
• Why?
 Because the answers are available for all of us to find
 It requires individual certainty – we are responsible
for ourselves
 Question:
• Why is it necessary to inquire about Religion?
 Fitrah:
• Intrinsic nature of human beings to seek and
become aware of Reality


ِ
ِ
ِ
ِ
ِ
َّ
َّ
ِ
ِ
‫َّاس َعلَ ْيه ََا ََل‬
‫ن‬
‫ال‬
‫ر‬
‫ط‬
‫ف‬
‫ىت‬
‫ل‬
‫ا‬
‫ه‬
‫ل‬
‫ال‬
‫ت‬
‫ر‬
‫ط‬
‫ف‬
‫ا‬
‫ف‬
‫ي‬
‫ن‬
‫ح‬
‫ن‬
‫ِّي‬
‫لد‬
‫ل‬
‫ك‬
‫ه‬
‫ج‬
‫و‬
‫م‬
‫فَأَق‬
ْ
َ
َ
ً
َ
َ
ْ
َ
َ
ْ
َ
َ
َ
َ
ِ‫تَب ِديل ِِل ْل ِق اللَّ ِه َذال‬
ِ ‫ِّين الْ َقيِّ ُم َو ََلكِ َّن أَ ْك َثر ََ الن‬
‫َّاس ََل‬
‫الد‬
‫ك‬
َ َ ْ
ُ َ
‫يَ ْعلَ ُمو َن‬
So set your face upright on the religion as a people of pure faith, the
origination (nature) of Allah according to which He originated mankind.
There is no altering Allah's creation; that is the upright religion, but most
people do not know (Ar-Room:30).
 Desire:
• To protect oneself from eternal punishment and
harm
 ‫دفع للضرر المحتمل‬
• Desire to accomplish worldly or materialistic
bounties
 To
thank the provider
• ‫شكر المنعم‬
 Question:
• Why do people deny the existence of Religion?
 The intrinsic nature (Fitra’) which is inherent in man
does not necessarily mean it is always active and
alert
 Understanding religious realities are vast, difficult
and sometimes out of reach
 Laziness, apathy or complacency