STEPS | Misconceptions on Taqlid - A summary  In this video, we present an overview of what we have been discussing in the last 5-part series on Ijtihad and Taqlid.  We learnt the essence of taqlid and how it is innate to our being. With the help of the Holy Qur’an and ahadith we established the relevance of taqlid and how it was a practice put in place by the representatives of God himself.  We discussed the role of common sense and we also explored the consultative method of...

STEPS | The Consultative Ijtihad System | Series 3, Episode 5 Do the Mujtahids function in a bubble, isolated from each other, or are they engaged in a “collective, consultative system” in which they work with one another AND with experts in other fields when they issue verdicts? Do they take into account the modern-day breakthroughs in science or are they looking at issues with 6th-century lenses on?  Watch Series 1, 2 and 3 of STEPS here: https://www.world-federation.org/steps

STEPS | Taqlid Vs Common Sense | Series 3, Episode 4 What is “common sense”? What happens when a religious ruling appears to contradict what we “feel” is right? What do we do? Hasn’t the common collective intellect of humanity sometimes been “wrong”? Does Allah expect us to “blindly” follow the verdict of a religious scholar, or would He rather than we follow our “gut instinct” and do what WE feel is right? Watch Series 1, 2 and 3 of STEPS here: https://www.world-federation.org/steps

Living in an increasingly complex world, we look to the senior scholars to provide guidance on contemporary issues in the fields of bioethics, business and finance, social interaction and other areas, however they insist on conducting ijtihad on “past issues” like prayers, fasting, etc. What is the need to delve on the past – should we not look towards the future? Watch Series 1 and 2 of STEPS here: https://www.world-federation.org/steps

As the hadith are the secondary source of Islamic teachings, what does this body of text say about “following” others? Traditions seem to contradict each other in this area, so how do the senior scholars resolve this apparent inconsistency? Do we have examples in the history of the Prophet or Imams encouraging their companions to guide others by issuing edicts? Watch Series 1 and 2 of STEPS here: https://www.world-federation.org/steps

Taqlid – An Innate Human Practice  If religion and the journey to God is a purely personal experience, then why the need to refer to so-called ‘experts’ on matters of faith? Why do scholars insist on taqlid? Can’t we make the trek to God by way of our own intuition? Does the Quran tell us that we need to seek guidance from others in matters of religion?  Watch Series 1 and 2 of STEPS here: https://www.world-federation.org/steps

As Muslims who follow the balanced teachings of Islam as carried by the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, we do not use morally wrong actions to achieve morally right outcomes – our acts must be in line with our teachings. Following in this Qur’anic ethos and one which we derive inspiration from is the movement of Imam Husayn and his stance on the Day of Ashura. How can we ensure that we are principled, ethical, and upright believers while living in a sea of falsehood, corruption and...

Every day, we leave the house to go to work or school – confident that we will return home at the end of the day to be with our loved ones; however the reality is that we don’t know what will happen. This is where we need to develop yaqin – certainty – in our hearts of the world to come and that our time here is limited. This will help us chart out the time we have here to ensure that we make the most of this life, leaving a positive legacy for others to remember us by.

In Islam, there are no dead-ends. Just because one is a sinner today, does not mean that they must remain so forever. We all sin – either intentionally or unknowingly – but the goal is to realise our erroneous ways, and turn back to God before it is too late. Our Merciful Creator has given us many examples of people in the past whose repentance was accepted – and Kerbala itself presents us with the greatest paradigm of turning back to Him. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram under...

They say that behind every successful man, there is a strong woman – but in Islam, that woman is not only ‘behind’ the man, but ‘alongside’ him. This is seen from the lives of women such as Khadijah binte Khuwaylid, Fatima al-Zahra, Zaynab al-Kubra, peace be upon all of them, and the great women of Kerbala. The women of Kerbala did not only encourage the men in their lives, rather, they were there shoulder to shoulder with them in the struggle. Today, how can couples work together to serve...

The Qur'an paints a picture of previous prophets and both their supporters and those who rejected the Divinely sent – to teach us that we must struggle to recognise the rightful representative of God in every era. This knowledge must lead us back to God and to our religious responsibility. How do we continue the journey of Islamic knowledge to recognise the Imam of our Time? Subscribe to our podcasts and always be the first to listen to our latest episode. Find us on Twitter, Facebook and...

It is one thing to give to others from the ‘excess’ that we have; it is yet another thing to give to others when we find ourselves in times of difficulty. Do we regard others as our own selves? Do we feel the pain of the suffering of others? Are we ready to share our time, energy, wealth, knowledge – all that God has given us to those around us? How do we cultivate empathy in our hearts and our next generation? Subscribe to our podcasts and always be the first to listen to our latest...

Day four our #BecomeHusayni series and we will look into understanding good deeds. A believer is one who is always working to spread goodness and kindness in society – no matter how “small” it may be. However sometimes, we don’t find the “opportunity” to do good – what is referred to as tawfīq ­– the ability to do as we intend. Reflecting on one of the heroes of Kerbala who was given tawfiq and did good, through his life, we study how we can attract this important trait in our lives. Learn...

In today's podcast we will look into the reality of acquiring Sabr. Being creations of two dimensions – physical and spiritual – we are constantly concerned with our physical health, but do we pay the same concern to our spiritual well-being? Living in an era of instant gratification, how should we understand the sacred trait of sabr ­– patience and fortitude, how can we use this trait in our daily lives and what are the benefits of maintaining a life of fortitude? Learn more about our...

Our second podcast will focus on the importance of Salaat. The daily prayer is the foundational pillar of Islamic worship and if accepted, all acts of worship will be accepted, however if they are rejected, everything else is declined. It is easy to pray when at the religious centre, but how do we juggle our religious responsibility when we are at work or at school? Like the companions of Kerbala, do we long to speak to Allah? When times are tough, do we turn to Allah or our vices? Learn...

Listen to our first podcast on the 1st Muharram 1441. One podcast to be released every day for the first 10 days of Muharram. Today we will talk about the actions of Imam Husayn, peace be upon him, before he left for Kufa,  and how he clarified his stance – he refused to pledge allegiance to a tyrant like Yazid. To him, this was nothing more than humiliation and ran counter to the ethos of the past Prophets. He would rather his body cut to pieces than his principles shred to bits. As...

As with all walks of life, professionals must be acknowledged and vetted by their peers before they can practice. What are the requisites for the scholar we want to follow? If we say that we do not need to follow a Mujtahid and that we can “work it out on our own”, then what are the alternatives? More information can be found here: Learn more about STEPS here: https://lnk.wf/STEPS Sign up here: http://lnk.wf/StepsSignUp Watch all the STEPS videos here:...

Our Maraji’ are individuals who play the role of a father to the shi’i community. Under their guidance and diligence, the school of Ahlulbayt (as) has averted many calamities. They selflessly work to benefit humanity at large and constantly provide order, unity and structure for their followers to enable them to live on the right path. In this episode, we highlight just a few examples of these. More information can be found here: Learn more about STEPS here: https://lnk.wf/STEPS Sign...

What do we do when we can’t figure something out in life? We tend to go to the experts to seek their professional advice. In the sphere of Islamic teachings, what do we do if we find verses which condemn and encourage “blind following” of others? In this episode, we review the Qur’anic position on “Taqleed”. #Qur’an #BlindFollowing #Scholarship More information can be found here: Learn more about STEPS here: https://lnk.wf/STEPS Sign up here: http://lnk.wf/StepsSignUp Watch all the...