Shi’ism Essay Example

Shi’ism Essay ‘What is Shi’ism?’ The origin of ‘Shi’ism began after the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) with respect to the followers of Ali Ibn Abe Talib (as), the First Imam or the vicegerent of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In order to understand Shi’ism, we have to comprehend the meaning of a ‘Shi’a’.   The 5th Imam of the ‘Shi’a’ faith, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (pbuh) once told a student of His, by the name of Jabir Ibn Abdullah Ansari,â€Å"Is it enough for a person to embellish himself as our shia (follower) by professing love for us, the ahl al-bayt?   Nay!   By Allah, a person is not our shi’a unless he fears Allah and obeys Him.   Our followers are only recognized, O Jabir, by their humility; submission; honesty; abundant praise of Allah, fasting and prayers; goodness to their parents; attention to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans living nearby; speaking of the truth; recitation of the Quran; holding their tongues except for good words; and trustworthiness towards relatives in all affairs† 1Thus, Shiism is consorting to the way of the Holy Quran and the tradition of Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as passed on by his Progeny whom he (pbuh) authorized (the ahl al-bayt).1 Al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, 2:74`What would you say, overall, are the main characteristics of Shi’ism? `, In accordance to the Shi’a faith, Islam is established on five pillars; Tawheed (Oneness of ALLAH), Adl / Adalat (Justice), Nabuwat / Risalat (Prophet hood), Imamat (Divine appointments), Qayaamat (Judgment Day). Among these 5 pillars, the Shi’a faith differs with the other schools of thought of Islam only in the Imamat (Divine appointments). The Shia faith upholds the conviction that all the messengers of Allah, from Adam (pbuh) to Muhammad (pbuh), with the twelve descendants to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his daughter Lady Fatima al-Zahra (pbut), were infallible all through their whole existence and by no means committed any kind of offense that would displease Allah. The Holy Quran and accepted knowledge mutually demonstrates the significance; the Holy Quran cites infallibility thirteen times.   Allah speaks to Satan: Certainly you shall have no authority over My servants except those who follow you and go astray. 2, to which the Satan replies,† Satan says back to Allah: By Your might, I will surely mislead them all, except Your chosen servants among them (the messengers and the imams).† (Quran 38:82)Another Shi’it belief is ‘intercession’ (shifaah). Shifaah is not to request the Prophet (pbuh) or the imams (pbut) for security or deflect misfortune or to fetch for contentment and triumph.  Instead, it is to reach to Allah, the Almighty in the name of those who are close to Him, like the prophets and the imams.The Shi’a believe the Imam (a.s) to be in ‘Hiding’. Ghayb’ is used in th e context of ‘that isn’t visible’, it does not signify the end of existence. The presence of an Imam in each era is imperative. Thus, if he cannot intuitively be seen then he is in Ghayb and is concealed in the guise of nature. The Shi’it belief of ‘ahl al-bayt-e-Muhammad (pbuh)’, which includes Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s.), Fatima al-Zahra (pbut), Hasan Ibn Ali (a.s.), Hussein Ibn Ali (a.s.); this is being referred to those people who were not just related to the messenger of Allah specifically by blood but also most significantly by principles and beliefs. Allah only desires to keep away uncleanliness from you, O People of the House (ahl al-bayt), and to make you as pure as possible.(Qur’an 33:33)2 Quran 15:42‘Does Shi’ism have a distinctive spirit, and what is it that exemplifies that spirit?` Essence of Shi’ism is the same as the essence of true Islam. Shi’a Asna Asharyi or the followers of the 12 Imams have t he same beliefs as to what the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) preached. The Shi’a faith is the lone fiqah that considers Allah (swt) to be chaste, free from making malevolence, immortal, he holds never-ending knowledge, He (swt) is free from embodiment, has no associates is self-governing and controls all. Imam Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s.) in his book of sermons, says that,† Praise be to Allah for Whom one condition does not proceed another so that He may be the First before being the Last or He may be Manifest before being Hidden. Everyone called one (alone) save Him is by virtue of being small (in number); and everyone enjoying honor other than Him is humble. Every powerful person other than Him is weak. Every master (owner) other than Him is slave (owned).† (Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 65)In the farewell sermon at Arafat Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated, I am leaving you two weighty things, if you follow them you will never go astray, they are the Quran and my ahl al-bayt . (Sah ih al-Tirmidhi, v5, page 662-663) The only ‘fiqah’ of Muslims that have adhered to the mentioned two basics as an everlasting form of direction are identified as the Shia. It is in honor of the Shia of Ali that Allah (swt) sent the subsequent revelation: Those who believe and do righteous deeds are the best of the creatures. Their reward from their Lord shall be everlasting gardens, below which flow rivers, they will abide there forever. Well pleased is God with them and they are well pleased with Him.† (The Holy Quran 98:7) A number of Sunni researchers have confirmed that when this verse was sent down the Holy Prophet proclaimed,† I swear by the one who controls my life that this man (Ali) and his Shia shall secure deliverance on the day of resurrection.3`What would you say are the highlights or major turning points in Shi’it history?` One cannot pin-point a single period for this; for that one has to go back to the time of ‘Migration to Medin a’ from Makkah. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made brothers of himself and Imam Ali (a.s.). He said,’ You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron was with Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me. 4 The battle of Khyber, when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) gave his flag to Ali (a.s) and Allah blessed victory at his (a.s) hand for Allah and His Messenger loved him. The events of Mubahila and Ghadeer-e-Khum, declaring Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s)’s succession and infallibility of the ‘ahl al-bayt’.   The occasion of Ghadeer has a lot of significance in the Shi’it history, for it was when the succession to the Prophet hood was bestowed on Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s). O Apostle! Deliver what has been sent down to you from your Lord; and if you dont do it, you have not delivered His message (at all); and Allah will protect you from the people (Quran 5:67)   and after the declaration of Imam Ali (a.s.)’s successor ship the 2nd ayat was revealed, â€Å"Today I have completed for you the religion, and favored you with my bounty, and accepted Islam for you as the religion. (Quran 5:3 )3   Tafsir Ibne Jarir, Volume 33 page 146 (Cairo edition) narrated from Hadhrath Muhammad bin Ali (as)4 Sahih Bukhari, Book on Outstanding Traits, hadith #3430; Battles hadith #4064The events that occurred after the death of Holy Prophet (pbuh) divided Islam into 2 factions; one of Amir Muwa’yah and the other of Imam Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s.). The atrocities against the ‘ahl al-bayt’ , led to the event of Karbala, which signifies the sacrifice of a leader, who forfeited his household and the lives of his dear ones to save Islam from the clutches of Yazid Ibn Muwa’yah. Shi’ism took a new turn in history in the time of the 6th Imam of Shi’a Fiqah, Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.) who lived from 83 h. to 148 h.   The 6th Imam was presented with a golden chance to put together and reach to the masses with the tradition of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his family (pbut).   Once, four thousand scholars, Quranic commentators, historians, and philosophers were his students in Medina. Thus, he passed down the genuine traditions of the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and resolved in what is now al-fiqh al-jafari, the Jafari jurisprudence.`What is the difference between Sunni and Shi’a, and why is there so much trouble between them?` The Shi’a and Sunni schools of thought hold opposing views chiefly in jurisprudence and hence the basic teachings differ from each other. Though both schools of thought believe in the Oneness of Allah, Justice, Prophet Hood, Day of Judgment, the Holy Book, but their teachings differ in many ways. The discipline of ahl al-bayt upholds that the succession to prophet hood or the office of imamah is a divine office – signifying that the imam or khalifah has to be chosen and declared by Alla h unswervingly, as this office embraces the equal implication as that of prophet hood.   People are as a result ruled by Allah to follow exact heir (imams) subsequent to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  Further schools of thought articulate that the imamah is decided by shura (election) and that this system was used to decide the succession to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  In contrast, the Shia fiqah believes that the notion of shura was by no means completely endorsed.   Now, Shi’a are those who consider Imam Ali (a.s.) as the First Imam and Rightful successor of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and follow the 12 infallible Imams. While Sunnis follow the 4 Caliphs, among whom the First one is,   Hazarat Abu Bakr Siddique (rz), Second is Hazarat Umar Farooq (rz), third is Hazarat Usman Ghani (rz), and lastly the fourth Caliph, Ali Ibn Abe Talib (a.s). Several verses in the Holy Quran submit to the reality that, all the way through history, Allah alone has the right to declare an imam or a khalifah for humanity. And remember when your Lord said to the angels, â€Å"Verily, I am going to place [mankind] a successor (khalifah) on the earth. (Quran 2:30)While a learned Muslim researcher has said, those who dare to cause dissection between the Shia and the Sunnis are neither Shi’a nor Sunni. Owing to a deficiency of apparent information, the Shia imamiyyah school of thought has till now been a phenomenon to a lot of Muslims. A number of Muslims have been pleased to ascertain the reality of Shi’a Islam from trustworthy resources.   On the other hand, the adversaries of Islam have established that the greatest approach to defame Islam and upset the tranquility contained by the Muslim population is to support the splitting up of both factions and sectarianism.   Thus,   innumerable unconstructive and fake anecdotes with no foundation in the genuine manuscripts of the Shi’a school of thought have been broadcasted. These anecdo tes have two sources:   hostility towards Islam in connection with those who formulate them, and lack of knowledge in connection with those who accept as the truth and broadcast them.’ And when it is said to them, Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, they say, Enough for us is that which we found our fathers following, even though their fathers had no knowledge whatsoever and no guidance.’   (Qur’an 5:104) ‘When it is said to them, Follow what Allah has sent down, they say, Nay!   We shall follow what we found our fathers following.   Would they do that even though their fathers did not understand anything, nor were they guided?’   (Qur’an 2:170)ConclusionLastly, I would like to say that historical information or jurisprudential disparities ought to put off Muslim harmony as the greater part of Muslim scholars from all schools of thought have the same opinion on alike historical facts. Discrepancies amid the academi cs, researchers and intellectuals of the schools of thought can be moreover productive or disparaging.   If they show the way to the disintegration of the Muslim nation, then they are intolerable, since the Holy Quran says: But they have broken their religion among them into sects, each group rejoicing in its belief† (Quran 23:53)

la Comida essays

la Comida essays Una grande parte de la cultura latinoamericana es la comida. La comida es muy importante en los eventos de cultura. Muchas personas viajan a Mxico y a otros paà ­ses hispanos por la comida.  ¡La comida es muy buena! Me gusta la comida de los latinoamericanos. Los tacos y las quesadillas son muy buenos. Por eso, mi pregunta es  ¿Por qu los restaurantes de los Estados Unidos han escogido la comida de los latinoamericanos ms pobres para representar la comida hispana? Yo pienso que la comida es comà ºn en los paà ­ses. Tambin, la comida es famosa y muy sabrosa. A los Americanos les gusta esta comida porque ella es rpida y fcil. Tambin, los restaurantes latinos en los Estados Unidos son muy buenos. Por ejemplo, los restaurantes incluyen El Rodeo, La Hacienda, y El Cerro Grande. Voy a hablar con personas y usar el Internet para encontrar la respuesta. Tambin, voy a leer muchos libros. La comida latinoamericana es muy importante porque hay muchas fiestas. La comida es muy importante en las fiestas. El tema es muy interesante para mà ­ porque por mucho tiempo he querido ir a Mxico para comer la comida. Me gusta estudiar sobre las culturas de otros paà ­ses. Un dà ­a tendr mucho di nero, y yo viajar a Mxico y participar en la cultura de los mexicanos.  ¡Todas las culturas son diferentes! La comida latinoamericana es muy importante para la cultura. Es posible que yo participe en la cultura en el futuro porque ella es muy interesante. Esta tarea es muy divertida porque yo puedo estudiar la cultura de los latinoamericanos. ...

Models of Object Recognition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Models of Object Recognition - Essay Example This is simply 'object recognition'. When a lion approaches us, we realise through prior knowledge that the animal is known to be ferocious, dangerous and sometimes doesn't hesitate to kill. With this information we are able to make instant decisions as to the next course of action. A meal at a dinner table tells us it is edible and we can approach it. This 'spatial localisation' is the establishing of where objects are in the surrounding space and time, and is also an important aspect for survival. Another factor necessary for survival is 'perceptual constancy'. This is when objects, although the eyes perceive them to be in motion, are kept constant in terms of appearance. Object recognition, spatial localisation and perceptual constancy are the three main characteristics of perception. One theory that aims to explain object recognition and constancy is Marr's theory which concerns itself with visual processing. It is also called the computational approach which involves taking two dimensional images and extracting valuable three-dimensional information from them. This theory requires examining the levels of grey in an image, creating a rough sketch, then a 2.5D sketch and representing the image as a 3D model. Marr's model of object recognition is concerned with drafting out representations of objects with increasing amount of information. The first step in this representation is creating the raw or full primal sketch. Raw primal sketches contain data regarding the light intensity variations of a shape or scene. A full primal sketch makes use of this data to determine how many outlines and objects are contained within the scene. The light intensity changes provided in the raw primal sketch gives the level of grey representation contained within the pixels of the i mage. Computation on the properties shape can begin when it has become coloured i.e. detached from the background. Properties like symmetry, centre of mass, size aspect ratios are likely to offer clues as to the object's identity. The centre of mass or medial axis from the skeleton of the object is crucial to analysing the shape of the object. The use of structural primitives and spatial relationships to represent an object lies in the determination of the medial axis. This would enable us to construct a 3D model of the object. Marr explains that a 2.5D surface sketch helps to represent the visible surface. A computer vision system could reconstruct the surface with this process. Boundary detection is difficult even with advanced edge locators, but can be achieved by surface reconstruction. The other model is Biederman's 'recognition by components' theory views all object and forms as being comprised of basic geometrical forms or 'geons'. Pattern recognition therefore is the simple identifying of these separate components. But objects need not necessarily be comprised of different components for them to be recognisable. Simple line drawings may suffice. The drawings of matchstick men, or outlines of cars or buildings, are still recognisable. Additional information such as size, colour, orientation, surface quality paints the whole picture, but it is the overall shape that is of primary importance (Biederman in Atkinson 2000, pp 164). When a silhouette of a four legged animal is shown, it is fairly easy to identify

Whether it should be legalized to genetically choose the feature of Research Paper - 1

Whether it should be legalized to genetically choose the feature of your own child - Research Paper Example Human rights advocates have also stepped in saying that it is unlawful for the initial genetic structure and composition of a child to be altered or interfered with in any way. Lastly, religious leaders have also come up strongly against genetic intervention basing their arguments on various religious books. Educated and experienced researchers have gone further to compile literary articles that have been used in research fields by students who have shown upending a solution to the above question interests in learning and finding the solution to the above question. This research question is very crucial as it forms the basis of comprehension and cogent reasoning of various intellects to come up with a rational conclusion. Human genetics has always raised fundamental questions across a wide range or variety of disciplines. Due to this, there has been a continuous infusion of capital, talent, and time in a bid to come up with certain important characteristics of human genetic composition. Over the past two decades, researches in various matriculation institutions, government based organizations and at individual level have been in progress with an aim of coming up with or targeting the same goal. As understood, research is not always perfect, these researchers and organizations have always centered their research on the original theses by other researchers. For instance, most of the researches that have been done in this field have been based on the findings of the Dutch Monk, Gregory Mendel’s Genetic Determinism, for instance, the law of inheritance (Edelson 28). An example of a nation that has taken the matter to a greater height compared to other countries is the US. Research reveals that its government has invested approximately $3 billion over the past one and a half decade in the Human Genome project. This project is aimed at decoding or comprehending the language of human genes. Its final aim is to come up with identification of the genetic components of

Banned Books Essay Example for Free

Banned Books Essay Throughout history, books have been the target of censorship. At times, these books are even banned from schools and public libraries because the content in them is thought to be too offensive. For this assignment, you will be reading one of these banned books. Which book you read is your decision, however you should keep in mind the appropriateness of your choice- make sure it is a book that your parents would not find objectionable. After you have read the book, you will be writing a persuasive essay defending whether or not the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library. Your essay should include a paragraph that summarizes the book as well as three logical, defendable reasons why the book should or should not be banned from a middle school library. While you may look up the reasons why the book has been challenged in the past, the thoughts expressed in the paper must be your own. You are expected to use the information about persuasive essays learned in class to format this paper. A rubric outlining the expectations will be posted on my Teacher Page. Your essay must be typed and follow the standard requirements for an essay: double-spaced, Times New Roman, one-inch margins. Any secondary sources or research that you use must be documented with in-text citations and included on a Works Cited page. If, at any time, you have questions regarding the book you are reading or the essay you are writing, please ask me.

Death of a Naturalist: A study of Seamus Heaney?s first book of poems.

Death of a Naturalist: A study of Seamus Heaney’s first book of poems. Seamus Heaney, the famed Irish poet, was the product of two completely different social and psychological orders. Living on â€Å"a small farm of some fifty acres in County Derry in Northern Ireland† (Nobel eMuseum), Seamus Heaney’s childhood was spent primarily in the company of nature and the local wildlife. His father, a man by the name of Patrick Heaney, had a penchant for farming and working the land. Seamus’ mother Margaret, in contrast, was a woman born into a family called McCann, who’s major dealings were with business dealings, trade and â€Å"the modern world† (Nobel eMuseum). Patrick Heaney was a man of few words, and preferred the quiet life of a farmer to the vocal world of trade and industry. Margaret Heaney was in fact quite the opposite and believed in speaking out, being heard and was seldom shy in expressing her feelings (Nobel eMuseum). These two extreme contrasts were enormously influential in the shaping of Seamus as a man and as a poet, and his first book Death of a Naturalist is a testament to this. Death of a Naturalist focuses on nature and wildlife as well as human emotions, and using poetry as his medium, Seamus Heaney shows his readers with specific reference to love and death, the images of nature that are associated with his father, and intertwines them with the human feelings and emotions that are closely linked with his mother. Love is a prominent theme in Seamus Heaney’s first book of poems, and it is worthwhile noting that just one year after Heaney married the love of his life, a woman named Mary Devlin, that Heaney wrote and released Death of a Naturalist (Nobel eMuseum). It might be confusing for one to imagine a relationship between the wild and natural world and a human characteristic such as love, but Seamus Heaney manages to bring the two themes together in a deeply poetic and fitting fashion. In the poem Twice Shy, love is the governing premise. Twice Shy revolves around the idea of new lovers playing a game of hunter and the hunted, and with references to both nature as well as human emotions, Heaney displays the influences that were instilled in him as a young man by his parents. In the second stanza, the influence is unmistakable as Heaney describes a situation in which two lovers are trying to conform to the traditions of courting, but are consumed ... ...ons in drills.† (Heaney 23). The men aboard the drifting ship are starving to death and demand to be fed by the captain, but when he refuses them food, â€Å"in whines and snarls their desperation / Rose and fell like a flock of starving gulls† (Heaney 23). By describing the men’s eyes as being like â€Å"spring onions† and by comparing the men as being like birds, Heaney brings nature into a mix of human feeling once more, thus creating a poem where impending death can be a topic that is both animalistic as well as human and emotionally expressive. Within Death of a Naturalist, Seamus Heaney explores many different aspects of life in Ireland. With his constant references to both the natural world and the very different topic of human emotion, Seamus Heaney designed a book of poems that shows readers that a connection between the two can exist. Death of a Naturalist is a book that in a totally unique way bonds love, death, nature and emotion in a fashion that echoes both Patrick and Margaret Heaney’s dominant character traits. Works Cited Heaney, Seamus. Death of a Naturalist. Chatham, Kent: Faber and Faber Limited, 1999. â€Å"Seamus Heaney Biography† Nobel eMuseum. November 15, 2001.

Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Nowadays our life is getting more and more tense. People live under the press of different problems, such as social, ecological, economic and others. They constantly suffer from stress, noise and dust in big cities, diseases and instability. A person should be strong and healthy in order to overcome all difficulties. To achieve this aim people ought to take care of their physical and mental health. There are several ways to do it. The state of your body depends on how much time you spend doing sports. At least everybody must do morning exercises every day. The most healthy kinds of sports are swimming, running and cycling. Doing simple exercises every day can increase your health level and improve your immune system. Physical training strengthens your organism and allows effective fighting with illnesses. So if you are active, breathe fresh air and don’t stay too much time indoors you will not have problems with your health. Healthy food is also a very important factor. Overeating causes many dangerous diseases. The daily menu should include meat, fruit and vegetables, milk product, which are rich in vitamins, fat, proteins and etc. On the other hand modern diets are very popular especially among women. Diets may be harmful, if they are used in the wrong way. Food is a key element of our good health. Eating healthy, nutritious and vitamin-rich products can improve your health. Fruit and vegetables are natural resources of vitamins A, B, C and E and other useful substances. Bread, dairy products, nuts and low-fat meat give you a large amount of energy and nutritious elements. To be healthy, people should get rid of their bad habits. It’s necessary to stop smoking and drinking much. Everyone should remember that cigarettes, alcohol and drugs destroy both body and brain. Besides according to statistics most of crimes are committed by people under the influence of drugs and alcohol. A person with bad habits risks to get a lot of illnesses. Smoking cigarettes shortens your life and can cause cancer. Drinking alcohol ruins your organism, destroys your nervous sytem and leads to liver malfunction. Taking drugs causes addiction and a large number of such illnesses as cancer, AIDS and tuberculosis. If you want to live a long and healthy life you should give up all your bad habits. In addition it is recommended to watch TV less, avoid anxiety and observe daily routine. Certainly it’s hard to follow all these recommendations, but every person have to choose between healthy life style and numerous illnesses. – good and healthy sleep: Sleep is one of the main factors that influences our health. Every person needs to sleep about 8 hours to stay active during weekdays. Bad sleep can decrease your mental and physical abilities, and become a reason for illnesses and stress. At the end I’d like to conclude that without health our life is miserable. People should be more careful of their health and organisms. If you have great health you will easily achieve everything you want. Health is very important in life of every person. It depends on our lifestyle, products we eat and habits we have. Health is much more precious than money, gold or some other stuff. So what things allow us to preserve a high level of health?! In the next 10 years, our organization will create more than 1000 free sports complexes in which all work will be carried out by volunteers. Our workers will create the mini brochure in which all reasons will be specified, why it is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle.