Wearing of the Veil

The following article is written by Mr A. Bazargan. It should be mentioned that what Mr. Bazargan says about Hijab (Veil) is his views and there are more moderate as well as conservative views on Hijab in Islam (or I should say at least in Shia). Some believe that covering the hair is not part of the Hijab meant by the God. They give sound reasoning for their claim and site many historical views in support of this viewpoint. On the other hand, some conservatives take harder views and believe that Hijab is more restricted than what some practice.

Among Shias, almost no one believes on covering the face, as it is practiced in some Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia today. On the contrary, they mention that this is against what Islam meant. They highly forbidden face covering.

Except some politicians, almost everyone in Iran believe that Hijab, regardless of our viewpoints, is not mandatory. People should be free to choose it or not to choose it. Actually, this moderate view is based on Quran where God calls on the freedom of choice in believing in religion. They believe that freedom is the cornerstone of any faith. Based on this view, what the governments of some Muslim countries are doing (forcing women to wear veil), has nothing to do with the true Islam as it was addressed by the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)!

The Meaning of Islam

Islam

Basic meaning: Islam has taken its root from the word Selm. Selm means being without any physical and spiritual , bodily and mental, outward and inward disorder.

Islam: The word Selm changes its form to Islam in chapter “Efa’ l”. Chapter Efa’ l is always used to make words transitive. So we can define the word Islam in this way:

“Keep yourself and the others from any outward and inward disease or from physical Or spiritual disorders.”

Salam : The person who is purred and freed from any deficiency or disorder. This word has been brought up as one of God’s names. In peoples meeting saying salam [Hello] in fact is a kind of health wish for the other.

Supplication in Asking for the Best

Sahife Sajjadia
By Imam Zain-al-Abideen

God,
I ask from Thee the best in Thy knowledge,
so bless Muhammad and his Household
and decree for me the best!

———————————

Fatima is Fatima, By Ali Shariati - Part 5/5

I do not know what to say about her or how to say it? I wanted to imitate the French writer who was speaking one day in a conference about the Virgin Mary. He said, “For 1700 years all of the speakers have spoken of Mary. For 1700 years, all philosophers and thinkers of various nations of the East and West have spoken of the value of Mary. For 1700 years, the poets of the world have spent all of their creative efforts and power in their praise of Mary. For 1700 years, all of the painters and artists have created wonderful works of art showing the face and form of Mary. But the totality of all that has been said and the efforts of all the artists and thinkers throughout these many centuries have not been able to better describe the greatness of Mary than the simple words, ‘Mary was the mother of Jesus Christ.”‘

And I wanted to begin in this manner with Fatima. I got stuck. I wished to say, ‘Fatima was the daughter of the great Khadija,’ but I sensed this would not fully describe Fatima. I wished to say, ‘Fatima was the daughter of Mohammad,’ but I sensed this would not fully describe Fatima. I wished to say, ‘Fatima was the wife of Ali,’ but I sensed this would not fully describe Fatima. I wished to say, ‘Fatima was the mother of Hassan and Hussein,’ but I sensed this would not fully describe Fatima. I wished to say, ‘Fatima is the mother of Zaynab,’ but I still sensed this would not fully describe Fatima.

No, these are all true, and none of them is Fatima.

Fatima is Fatima, By Ali Shariati - Part 4/5

CHAPTER TEN

The Confinement
The black and difficult years of hunger began in the valley of Abu Talib. The Hashimi and Abd al-Muttalib families were imprisoned-with the exception of Abu Lahab who has joined the enemies. Men, women and children were placed in this hot, dry valley. A notice was written by Abu Jahl, in the name of all the wealthy people of the Quraysh, and it was placed on the Kabah wall: aNo one should have any contact with the Hashimi tribe. All relationships with them are cut-off. Do not buy anything from them. Do not sell anything to them. Do not marry any of them.”

Are Men More Noble/Superior to Women in the Eyes of God?

Rights of Women in Islam

By A. Bazargan

Hypothesis:

Verse 34 of Chapter Al-Nesa, according to the following description, is clearly discriminatory with respect to inherent mental superiority of men over women, with men being more worthy of dominance over women and their leading role in the family, and that it requires women to submit to and take orders from their husbands!

الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ فَالصَّالِحَاتُ قَانِتَاتٌ حَافِظَاتٌ لِلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ وَاللَّاتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband’s) absence what God would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For God is Most High, great (above you all). (1)

Fatima is Fatima, By Ali Shariati - Part 3/5

CHAPTER SIX

What Role Did Women Play In The Attack?
Women in Islamic countries held a power whereby they could have changed the traditions, social relationships, ethics, spiritual values and, most important of all, the pattern of consumption in the same way that they held a power to preserve all this. Why? Because of the sensitive spirit of the East. It tends to accept the luxuries of civilized life and new products quickly more easily. This is especially true when confronted by bright, new, eye-catching things of beauty especially when opposed to these, they find nothing but ugliness.

Fatima is Fatima, By Ali Shariati - Part 2/5

CHAPTER FOUR

What should be done?
Islam distributes freedom. People are in love with Islam and yet, the young intellectuals realize the weakness and decline of Islam’s followers. The main reason for this contradiction is ‘not having come to know’. It is coming to know which has value. Love and faith have no value if they precede coming to know and precede chose or commitment. If the Quran is read but not understood, it is no different from a blank book. The Prophet gave his followers awareness, greatness, chastity and freedom when they came to know who he was. When one reads a book miss understating the Prophet’s character or when a book of his sayings is not given to his longing people, what effect can loving him, praising and eulogizing him have?

Eternal Poetry of “Heydar Baba” by Shahryar

LISTEN TO THE WHOLE CITATION BY POET

1 Haydar Baba when it thunders,
Floods rush down
Girls stand back and watch,
I hail your glory and your people,
May you remember our names too.

2 When your partridges take flight,
When the rabbits hop out of the bushes,
When your gardens have burst into blossoms,
May you remember our name too,
And make our depressed hearts happy.

3 When Nowruz gales uproot garden shelters!
And Nowruz flowers and snow drops blossom!
When the clouds wring out their clothes!
Greetings to those who remember us,
Let our sighs turn into mountains.

4 Haydar Baba may the sun warm your back,
Make your smiles and your springs shed tears,
Your children collect a bunch of flowers,
Send it with the coming wind towards us,
Perhaps my sleeping fortune would awaken!

5 Haydar Baba may you be fortunate!
Be surrounded with springs and orchards!
May you live long after us!
The world is paved with events, deaths and losses!
This world has long been childless and an orphan!

Fatima is Fatima, By Ali Shariati - Part 1/5

The words you are about to read are from a lecture I gave at the Husseiniyeh Irshad. To begin with, I had wanted to comment upon the research of Professor Louis Massignon concerning the personality and complicated life of Fatima. I had wished to refer to the deep and revolutionary influence her memory evokes in Muslim societies and the role she has played in the breadth of Islamic transformations. These remarks were intended particularly for my university students participating in ‘History and Knowledge of Religions’, ‘The Sociology of Religions’, and ‘Islamology’.

As I entered the gathering, I saw that, in addition to the university students, many others had come. This spoke of the need for a more urgent response to the problem. I agreed to answer the pertinent question of womanhood so extremely important today for our society.

Women who have remained in the ‘traditional mould’ do not face the problem of identity while women who have accepted the ‘new imported mould’ have adopted a foreign identity. But in the midst of these two types of ‘molded women’, there are those who can neither accept their hereditary, traditional form5 nor surrender to this imposed new form. What should they do?

They want to decide for themselves. They want to develop themselves. They need a model, an ideal example, a heroine. For them, the problem of ‘Who am I? and who do I become?’ are urgent. Fatima, through her own ‘being’, answers these questions.