19 April, 2024

10 Shawwal, 1445 H

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"Silence saves you from regret"

- Imam Ali (as) -

Learning
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Core Curriculum
Section 1 - God, Religion and Islam: An Introduction

  • Topic 1.1 - God, Allah and Religion

  • Topic 1.2 - What is “Religion” and What’s the Point of it Anyways?

  • Topic 1.3 - Introduction to Islam

  • Topic 1.4 - A Brief Introduction to the Prophet Muhammad (s), the Prophet of Islam

Section 2 - Foundations of Islam - Theology

  • Topic 2.1 - Satan, Jinns and Angels: Their Influence in the World

  • Topic 2.2 - The Islamic Concept of the Nafs: Battling the Human Ego

  • Topic 2.3 - The Sharīʿa: Purpose and Practice

  • Topic 2.4 - Nubuwwa: The Purpose of Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 2.5 - Tawhīd: The Unity and Oneness of God in Islam

  • Topic 2.6 - The Usūl al-Dīn: The Fundamental Beliefs of Islam

  • Topic 2.7 - Adala: Divine Justice in Islam

  • Topic 2.8 - Entering Islam: The Shahada

  • Topic 2.9 - Maʿād: The Day of Judgment in Islam

  • Topic 2.10 - Imāmah or divinely guided leadership in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad.

Section 3 - Foundations of Islam - Obligatory Acts

  • Topic 3.1 - Accepting Islam: Putting Faith into Action

  • Topic 3.2 - The Furūʿ al-Dīn: The Fundamental Practices of Islam

  • Topic 3.3 - Salāt: Obligatory Ritual Prayers in Islam

  • Topic 3.4 - Fasting in Islam, its Purpose, Dos and Don’ts

  • Topic 3.5 - The Hajj Pilgrimage

  • Topic 3.6 - The Purpose of Zakat and Khums in Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.7 - Jihād in Islamic Law and Spirituality

  • Topic 3.8 - Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil in Islam

  • Topic 3.9 - Tawalla and Tabarra, its Basics and Purpose

  • Topic 3.10 - The Five Categories of Islamic Law

  • Topic 3.11 - Niyya: Religious Intention as the Foundation of Islamic Practice

  • Topic 3.12 - Ritual Purity in Islamic Law: Understanding Tahāra and Najāsa

  • Topic 3.13 - Other Obligatory and Forbidden Acts in Islam

Section 4 - Prophethood in Islam

  • Topic 4.1 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Childhood (PART I of III)

  • Topic 4.2 - Bio: The Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet of God (PART II of III)

  • Topic 4.3 - A Brief Biography of the Prophet Muhammad (s): The Prophet’s Character (PART III of III)

  • Topic 4.4 - The Prophet Muhammad (s) as Messenger and Teacher

  • Topic 4.5 - The Prophet and his Relationships

  • Topic 4.6 - The Prophet’s Sunnah and Hadith

  • Topic 4.7 - Ghadīr and Arafah: The Two Last Sermons of the Prophet

  • Topic 4.8 - Jesus and Mary in Islam

Section 5 - The Qur'an and Hadith

  • Topic 5.1 - Islam and Other Religions

  • Topic 5.2 - What is the Qur’an? A Short Introduction to Islam’s Holy Book

  • Topic 5.3 - The Structure of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.4 - The Quran and Islamic law

  • Topic 5.5 - The Qur’an, Allah and Humankind

  • Topic 5.6 - Hadith and Sunnah, difference and variations

  • Topic 5.7 - The Reliability of Hadiths

  • Topic 5.8 - A Reflection on Verses of the Holy Qur’an

  • Topic 5.9 - Hadith al-Thaqalayn

  • Topic 5.10 - Imam Ali (as) and Nahj al-Balagha.

  • Topic 5.11 - Taqlid and Tawḍih Al Masail Genre of Literature

Section 6 - Measuring Good and Bad in Islam

  • Topic 6.1 - Guidance According to Islam

  • Topic 6.2 - Life and Death in Islam

  • Topic 6.3 - Heaven and Hell in Islam

  • Topic 6.4 - The Effects of Our Actions in this World

  • Topic 6.5 - The Gray Areas of Islamic Law and Morality

  • Topic 6.6 - Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

  • Topic 6.7 - Good and Bad Deeds: The Spiritual Consequences of our Choices

  • Topic 6.8 - The Effect of Culture and Environment in Shaping our Religious Choices

  • Topic 6.9 - Fate and the Consequences of our Choices in Islam

  • Topic 6.10 - Trivializing the Harām

  • Topic 6.11 - Sinning Against Others and their Delayed Punishment

  • Topic 6.12 - The Three Kinds of Rights in Islam

  • Topic 6.13 - Major Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.14 - Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins in Islam

  • Topic 6.15 - Kufr in Islam

  • Topic 6.16 - Why Allah Allows People to Sin

Section 7 - The Legacy of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 7.1 - Islam and Knowledge: the Importance of Islamic Education

  • Topic 7.2 - The Ahl al-Kisa

  • Topic 7.3 - Imamah in the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.4 - Fatima al-Zahrah (as)

  • Topic 7.5 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam al-Hasan until Imam Muhammad al-Baqir)

  • Topic 7.6 - A Brief Look at the Lives of the Imams (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq until Imam Hasan al-Askari)

  • Topic 7.7 - A Brief Look at the Life and Importance of Imam al-Mahdi (aj)

  • Topic 7.8 - Salawat and Atonement in Islam

  • Topic 7.9 - The Companions (Sahaba) of the Prophet According to the Qur’an

  • Topic 7.10 - Clerical Hierarchies in Muslim Communities

  • Topic 7.11 - Mosques in Islam

  • Topic 7.12 - The Philosophy of Karbala and Majalis

  • Topic 7.13 - A Brief Biography of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as)

  • Topic 7.14 - The Battle of Karbala: A Brief History

Section 8 - Islamic Relationships, Sects and Conflicts

  • Topic 8.1 - Islam and Rights

  • Topic 8.2 - Islam and Religious Conflicts

  • Topic 8.3 - Major Sects of Islam

  • Topic 8.4 - Sunnism and Shi’ism, beginnings and historical developments.

  • Topic 8.5 - Misconceptions about Shi’ism

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Special Topics
Section 9 - Independent Topics

  • Topic 9.1 - Muslim Converts – Welcome to Islam!

  • Topic 9.2 - Basic Dos and Don’ts of Being a Muslim

  • Topic 9.3 - Halal Food and Zabiha

  • Topic 9.4 - Modesty in Islam

  • Topic 9.5 - Family, Parents and Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.6 - Marriage in Islam

  • Topic 9.7 - Islam and Sex

  • Topic 9.8 - Women’s Menstruation in Islam

  • Topic 9.9 - Music, Alcohol, Drugs and Pork in Islam

  • Topic 9.10 - Islam and Science

  • Topic 9.11 - A Reading List of Islamic Knowledge

  • Topic 9.12 - Islam and Sufism

  • Topic 9.13 - Ritual Prayers and Supplications in Islam

  • Topic 9.14 - Death & Burial Rituals in Islam

  • Topic 9.15 - The Battle of Armageddon: An Islamic View

  • Topic 9.16 - The Muslim Calendar

  • Topic 9.17 - Muslims and non-Muslims in the Shariah

  • Topic 9.18 - A Timeline of Major Events in Islamic History

  • Topic 9.19 - Introducing the Qur’an: Why it is the way it is

  • Topic 9.20 - The School of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq

  • Topic 9.21 - Major Fields in Islamic Studies

  • Topic 9.22 - The Caliphate in Sunni and Shia Islam

  • Topic 9.23 - The Spread of Islam: After the Prophet until the Ottoman Empire

  • Topic 9.24 - Islam, Racism and Anti-Semitism

Section 10 - Islam, Religion, and Modern Controversies

  • Topic 10.1 - Modern Fallacies about God: where Theists and Atheists Agree

  • Topic 10.2 - Tawhīd: The Muslim God according to the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bayt (as)

  • Topic 10.3 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Being (Wujūd)

  • Topic 10.4 - God’s Existence: The Kalam Cosmological Argument

  • Topic 10.5 - God’s Existence: The Argument From Design

  • Topic 10.6 - The Problem of Evil, Suffering and Pain

  • Topic 10.7 - Why did God Create Us? The Purpose of our Creation

  • Topic 10.8 - Why Humans Need Religion according to Islam

  • Topic 10.9 - Jahl and Spiritual Ignorance in Islam

  • Topic 10.10 - Faith in Islam: Belief without Evidence?

  • Topic 10.11 - Do Non-Muslims Go to Hell?

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Benefits of Islamic Law in this World

Abstract

Islamic law services to order our lives in this world and give us discipline. It also helps balance our lives in various areas, including family relationships as well as keeping us away from harmful activities or substances, like drinking alcohol. 

INTRODUCTION 

 

Bismillāhir Rahmānir Rahīm, As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh. Peace be upon you brothers and sisters. 

 

Welcome back to the Muslim Converts Channel! In Islam, the effects of good deeds and bad deeds don't only happen in the Hereafter only.  The good deeds that Allah asks us to do in this world and the bad deeds He asks us to refrain from also benefit us in this world.  

 

In this lesson, we will look at some good and bad actions in Islam that directly affect our material lives in this world.  

 

BODY OF TEXT 

 

Everything we do in this world, every action we undertake inevitably affects our souls. Directly or indirectly, these actions play a role in our salvation. The purpose of our lives is to worship Allah. 

 

The Qur’an says: 

 

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me 

 

(Chapter 51, verse 56 of the Holy Qur’an) 

 

This verse does not mean that the reason Allah created us was to have people worship Him, it means that the goal of our life in this world is to worship Allah. In other words, the goal of our lives is not simply believing that God exists, but it is to have a good relationship with Him.  

 

As Allah is our Creator and Nurturer, He also wants us to live good lives in this world. A good life does not necessarily mean a life of luxury, but it does mean a life of dignity and honor. These are characteristics which either poor or rich can assume. Living a dignified and honorable life requires a certain degree of harmony in all aspects of our lives and in all our relationships.  

 

 Let’s take a look at some examples where Islamic law betters our life in this world: 

 

Marriage 

 

Marriage is one of the foundations of faith in Islam. It is highly encouraged, and if one is prone to sinning, it becomes obligatory. The Prophet Muhammad (s) taught us that marriage is half of our faith. It is half of our faith for multiple reasons. For one, it prevents fornication which is an act that pollutes the human heart and soul.  

 

It is also half of faith for it forces us to learn patience. Patience, as Imam Ali (as) once said, is the “head” of faith or īmān. With patience we are better able to tolerate the adversities of this world and thus grow closer to Allah.  

 

Marriage also has worldly benefits.  

 

One of the worst calamities to befall humans is a life of loneliness. There is only so much we can do with friends for in the end, they go back to their homes and we  go back to ours.  

 

Marriage on the other hand, if managed properly, can make us happier in life and make us live longer. According to various studies done on marriage, people who are happily married live 15 years longer than single people!! 

 

Having Children 

 

Having children is not an easy thing. Islam encourages procreation and having offspring. Islam teaches us that our righteous children will intercede on our behalf on the Day of Judgment and possibly save us from total damnation.  

 

 However, children also have worldly benefits. 

 

All young people will one day grow old. One of the greatest difficulties that the senior generations are currently facing at the moment is the crisis of loneliness. Many elderly people are forced into nursing homes or live alone in their homes. They seldom meet people and converse with them.  

 

The government may provide us with financial and medical help, but they can’t remedy our social needs. Having children is helpful in that one day they will hopefully grow up to take care of us when we are old just like we took care of them when they were young. It means that we may be surrounded by family in old age and continue to live a happy and fulfilled life.  

 

Not Drinking Alcohol 

 

Drinking alcohol is completely forbidden in Islam. The Qur’an teaches us that alcohol makes us more susceptible to Shaytān, forgetting Allah and committing immoral deeds. In short, alcohol, a ritually impure substance, pollutes our souls and endangers our salvation in the Hereafter.  

 

However, alcohol also has many bad effects in this world as well. According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, 2.5 million people die because of alcohol related illness and injury. Nearly 4% of deaths worldwide are related to alcohol.  

 

But this is just talking about deaths. There are countless people who are abused daily by family members because of alcoholism. Countless people make life changing mistakes because of alcohol and unfortunately, they have to live with their consequences for the rest of their lives.  

 

An important point must be made regarding all of these examples. A big mistake that Muslims often make is that they think the social and worldly elements of obligations and prohibitions are the primary reasons for Allah’s divine commands. This is completely false.  

 

The primary reason is always the salvation of humans in the Hereafter. It is the saving of souls through obedience to Allah. We perform deeds because we want to obey Allah and thereby establish a good relationship with Him. 

 

Although the worldly benefits of Allah’s commands concerning good deeds and bad deeds are important in themselves and benefit us in this world, they are not primary. This is important to keep in mind as not all examples of Allah’s commands have clear cut and direct benefits in this world that everyone can see and understand. It's not that Allah doesn't have reasons, its just that our knowledge is limited! 

 

Also, look at it this way. Our understanding of their negative or positive worldly benefits also change over time. For example, how many contradictory studies have you seen concerning the so called benefits or harms of wine? If we were to solely depend on that, then Islamic law would have to change every time a new medical article about alcohol is published!  

 

So make sure to always see the spiritual and Afterworldly effects of good deeds and bad deeds in Islam as primary. There are benefits to these rulings in this world, but they are not the primary cause of them! 

 

Until Next Time, Thank you for watching. As-salāmu ʿAlaykum wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh 

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Q1

Can we abstain from making a choice in religion?

 Abstaining is itself a form of choice

Q2

Does Islamic law only benefit us in the Hereafter?

No, it also benefits us in this world 

Q3

What are some of the benefits of Islamic law in this world?

Our mental wellbeing, family cohesion and giving us discipline 

Q4

What is the purpose of Islamic law?

 It is to discipline our lives and make sure that all we do is in accordance with God’s will. 

Q5

Who are the best sources for Islamic law?

Our Marjas, that is, experts in Islamic law 

Muslim
God
Allah
Hereafter
Religion
Salvation
sin
sins
faith
worship
marriage
alcohol
children

The Philosophy of Islamic Law by Nasser Makarem Shirazi