19 March, 2024

9 Ramadan, 1445 H

"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?

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

Abstract

A brief look at the lives of the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh Imams.

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! Our current series is an introduction the 14 Infallibles of the Ahl al-Bayt (as).

In this lesson, we will be continuing with the lives of the infallibles. We have so far covered Imam Ali (as) and Fatima al-Zahra (as). Here we will continue by briefly discussing the lives of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq, Imam Musa al-Kadhim, Imam Ali al-Rida, Imam Muhammad al-Taqi, Imam Ali al-Naqi, and Imam Hasan al-Askari (peace be upon them all).

BODY OF TEXT

Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as)

The School of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) is sometimes known as the Jafari school of thought in Islam which takes its name from Imam Jafar al-Sadiq (as) who was born in 702 A.D.

It is called the Jafar school of thought because it was under Imam Jafar that the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) became a full fledged, self-contained school of thought in Islam. Why was this important? By the time Imam al-Sadiq (as) became an Imam, Islam had already faltered to many competing sects that diverged greatly from one another.

The importance of Imam al-Sadiq (as) at this time is perhaps best summed up by his companion Aban bin Taghlib who, when asked what Shi’ism (following the Ahl al-Bayt) meant to him, he said:

“When there are differences in terms of what the Prophet (s) taught, we take the version of [Imam] Ali, and when there are differences of opinion as to what Ali taught, we take the version of [Imam] Jafar al-Sadiq.”

As such, Imam al-Sadiq (as) completed the established of Shi’ism as both a legal and theological school of thought.

Imam al-Sadiq (as) died in the year 765 A.D

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as)

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) was the son of Imam Jafar al-Sadiq and was the 7th Imam of the Ahl al-Bayt (as). He was born in the year 745 A.D. Imam Musa was called al-Kadhim, which means “one who suppresses his anger.” Imam Musa was called such as he was a very patient man despite all the evil people had done to him.

Imam Musa (as) spent many years of his life in prison as the Caliphate at the time saw him as a threat. Despite this, Imam al-Kadhim (as) was not bitter. He was kind and generous to his enemies. Even prison guards expressed great admiration for him.

Perhaps one of the greatest legacies of Imam Musa (as) is how most Sayyids, that is, people who are descendants of the Prophet (s), come through Imam al-Kadhim’s (as) bloodline. Remember that it is thanks to the efforts of the Sayyids that the school of Ahl al-Bayt (as) managed to survive during those times.

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as) died in prison in the year 799 A.D. He was poisoned by the authorities.

Imam Ali al-Rida (as)

Imam Ali al-Rida (as) was the 8th Imam and the son of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (as). He was born in the year 766 A.D. By the time of Imam al-Rida (as), the previous Imams had established a fully functioning system of theology and law in Islam.

Imam al-Rida' (as) worked on this trend by expanding further into mysticism and spiritual ethics. During al-Rida (as)’s lifetime, many mystics had risen and Sufism was flourishing across Muslim lands. Al-Rida (as), making sure that mysticism and spiritual practices and beliefs stayed within the fold of authentic Islam, began teaching the subject.

Many students were appointed as his emissaries in spreading Islamic mysticism and spirituality in conformity with pure Muhammadan Islam.

Today, many spiritual groups trace their teachings back to Imam al-Rida (as).

Imam al-Rida (as) died of poisoning (at the hands of the Caliph of his time) during the year 818 A.D

Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (as)

Imam Muhammad al-Taqi (as) was the son of Imam al-Rida (as) and he was born in the year 811 A.D. He is also known as Imam Muhammad al-Jawad, which means “the generous” (al-Taqi means the “pious.”)

A distinguishing feature of Imam al-Taqi was the fact that he became an Imam when he was less than 10 years old. In fact, he had been appointed as his father’s representative at Madina at the age of 4. People were incredulous at this, but when they would ask him questions, they were amazed at his mature and scholarly answers. Imam al-Taqi (as) was to set the precedent for the 12th Imam who was to be an Imam at the age of 5.

Imam al-Taqi (as) died in the year 835 A.D by poisoning.

Imam Ali al-Naqi (as)

Imam Ali al-Naqi, also known as Imam Ali al-Hadi, was born in the year 829 A.D. Like his father, he became an Imam at a very young age (around 7 or 8). The powers that be at his time had tried to steer him away from the Imamate by appointing a teacher for him to brainwash him away from the religion of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) However, the teacher was shocked at the Imam’s knowledge at such a young age who knew more than his teacher and was able to outsmart him in any Islamic topic.

Again, the Imam’s young age was setting a precedent for the community for the coming of the 12th Imam who was to be an Imam at the age of 5.

Imam Hasan al-Askari (as)

Imam Hasan al-Askari (as) was the son of Imam Ali al-Naqi (as) and was born in the year 846 A.D. Al-Askari means someone who is in house arrest in a military garrison.

An unfortunate characteristic of the 11th Imam’s time was that the Qur’an’s meaning was in disarray. Some people questioned the Qur’an’s integrity, and others deviated its meaning for the sake of their own interests. Despite being in house arrest for much of his life, Imam al-Askari (as) took the pains to restore the Qur’an and its true meaning in the Muslim community.


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

Sayyid

Descendent of the Prophet

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Muslim
God
Allah
Ahl al-Bayt
14 Infallibles
Muslim Community
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq
Imam Musa al-Kahdim
Imam Ali al-Rida
Imam Muhammad al-Taqi
Imam Ali al-Naqi
Imam Hasan al-Askari
Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi
Imam Mahdi
6th Imam
7th Imam
8th Imam
9th Imam
10th Imam
11th Imam
Shi’ism