Characteristics of the Reformation

Reformation Steps
October 19, 2023
6. Deficiency of the structure of the Imami fiqh’s legacy and the scarcity of its tools
October 25, 2023

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Characteristics of the Reformation

 

It is binding upon every Shia participant in the Reformation, whether with his wealth, pen, tongue, or effort to know that the characteristics of the Reformation are as follows:

  1. Absolute commitment to return to the period of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the pious predecessors, and Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam in fundamentals of din, pillars of Islam, and its branches.
  2. Adhering to the Fiqhi school of thought of Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad al Sadiq.
  3. Discarding the innovations and fibs incorporated into our belief system and falsely and incorrectly attributed to Imam al Sadiq and other Imams, like Taqiyyah, Mut’ah, fanaticism, disparagement of the pious predecessors [Sahabah], and other issues we clarified in our book al Shia wa al Tashih [*] and our book Aqidat al Shia al Imamiyyah fi Asr al Aimmah wa Badahum.
  4. Viewing other schools as Fiqhi schools with which we differ in Fiqhi issues only, just like a Hanafi differs with a Maliki or a Shafi’i differs with a Hanbali, as long as the source of the verdicts is the Glorious Qur’an, the Sunnah of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the Consensus of the Ummah, and pious predecessors, Intellect, according to us, and Qiyas (Analogy) which is the product of intellect, just as [believed] by other Islamic schools. Our slogan ought to be: All of us are on the truth and there is no dispute between us except in secondary Ijtihadi issues—the one who is correct receives double reward while the one who errs receives a single reward, as promised by Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
  5. The status of the Jurists in our sight is the status of the specialists in other sciences. None of them have sovereignty over us. We Shia are free to adhere to the view of any specialist scholar in Fiqh, whether alive or dead, without there being between us any servitude or obedience to their commands.

The Shia ought to decisively reject handing their wealth to the Jurists in the name of Khums in their earnings. The Jurist ought to earn his food through work he carries out. If he desires to be dependent on the Shia, he ought to be content with that which suffices him and his dependents.

  1. Awakening the naïve and dimwitted sons of the Shia Imamiyyah is a basic requirement in the path of Reformation. The promoters of Reformation ought to speak the truth clearly and draw from its power. The truth is the sound of Allah which trumps every sound and every falsehood.

The Shia should know with certainty that the Khums from the profits of earnings is innovated by the Jurists. Here is Sheikh Hurr al ‘Amili in his voluminous book, Wasa’il al Shia—considered a substantial source from the sources of deduction according to us, the Shia Imamiyyah—narrating from Imam ‘Ali, Imam al Sadiq, and Imam al Rida manifest reports that the Khums is only obligatory in the spoils of war. The narrations as appears in Wasa’il al Shia are:

 

عن علي عليه السلام الخمس يجري من أربعة وجوه من الغنائم التي يصيبها المسلمون من المشركين ومن المعادن ومن الكنوز ومن الغوص

Ali ‘alayh al Salam stated, “Khums (fifth) is applicable in four instances: from the spoils of war which the Muslims obtain from the polytheists, mines, treasures, and pearls.”[1]

 

محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده قال سألت أبا عبد الله (الإمام الصادق) عن الخمس فقال الخمس إلا في الغنائم خاصة ويضيف الشيخ العاملي … ورواه الشيخ في إسناده (أي الشيخ الطوسي) عن الحسن بن محمد وفي الوسائل أيضا عياشي في تفسيره عن سماعة عن أبي عبد الله وعن أبي الحسن عليهما السلام (الإمام الرضا) ليس الخمس إلا في الغنائم

Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain reports through his chain, “I asked Abu ‘Abdullah (Imam al Sadiq) about the Khums.”

He answered, “The Khums is only in spoils of war.”

Sheikh al ‘Amili adds: Sheikh (i.e. Sheikh al Tusi) narrated it with his chain from Hassan ibn Muhammad.[2]

And also in al Wasail, ‘Ayyashi in his Tafsir from Sama’ah – from Abu ‘Abdullah and from Abu al Hassan (Imam al Rida), “There is no Khums except in spoils of war.”[3]

 

وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوْا فَسَيَرَى اللهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُوْلُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ

Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers.[4]

 

Allah, the Grand, has stated the truth.

 


[*] An English translation of this book can be downloaded from https://archive.org/details/shiahacriticalrevision/mode/2up

[1] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 320, 322, Najaf.

[2] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 383, Najaf.

[3] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 342, Najaf.

[4] Surah al Tawbah: 105.

 

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

 

Characteristics of the Reformation

 

It is binding upon every Shia participant in the Reformation, whether with his wealth, pen, tongue, or effort to know that the characteristics of the Reformation are as follows:

  1. Absolute commitment to return to the period of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the pious predecessors, and Imam ‘Ali ‘alayh al Salam in fundamentals of din, pillars of Islam, and its branches.
  2. Adhering to the Fiqhi school of thought of Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad al Sadiq.
  3. Discarding the innovations and fibs incorporated into our belief system and falsely and incorrectly attributed to Imam al Sadiq and other Imams, like Taqiyyah, Mut’ah, fanaticism, disparagement of the pious predecessors [Sahabah], and other issues we clarified in our book al Shia wa al Tashih [*] and our book Aqidat al Shia al Imamiyyah fi Asr al Aimmah wa Badahum.
  4. Viewing other schools as Fiqhi schools with which we differ in Fiqhi issues only, just like a Hanafi differs with a Maliki or a Shafi’i differs with a Hanbali, as long as the source of the verdicts is the Glorious Qur’an, the Sunnah of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the Consensus of the Ummah, and pious predecessors, Intellect, according to us, and Qiyas (Analogy) which is the product of intellect, just as [believed] by other Islamic schools. Our slogan ought to be: All of us are on the truth and there is no dispute between us except in secondary Ijtihadi issues—the one who is correct receives double reward while the one who errs receives a single reward, as promised by Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
  5. The status of the Jurists in our sight is the status of the specialists in other sciences. None of them have sovereignty over us. We Shia are free to adhere to the view of any specialist scholar in Fiqh, whether alive or dead, without there being between us any servitude or obedience to their commands.

The Shia ought to decisively reject handing their wealth to the Jurists in the name of Khums in their earnings. The Jurist ought to earn his food through work he carries out. If he desires to be dependent on the Shia, he ought to be content with that which suffices him and his dependents.

  1. Awakening the naïve and dimwitted sons of the Shia Imamiyyah is a basic requirement in the path of Reformation. The promoters of Reformation ought to speak the truth clearly and draw from its power. The truth is the sound of Allah which trumps every sound and every falsehood.

The Shia should know with certainty that the Khums from the profits of earnings is innovated by the Jurists. Here is Sheikh Hurr al ‘Amili in his voluminous book, Wasa’il al Shia—considered a substantial source from the sources of deduction according to us, the Shia Imamiyyah—narrating from Imam ‘Ali, Imam al Sadiq, and Imam al Rida manifest reports that the Khums is only obligatory in the spoils of war. The narrations as appears in Wasa’il al Shia are:

 

عن علي عليه السلام الخمس يجري من أربعة وجوه من الغنائم التي يصيبها المسلمون من المشركين ومن المعادن ومن الكنوز ومن الغوص

Ali ‘alayh al Salam stated, “Khums (fifth) is applicable in four instances: from the spoils of war which the Muslims obtain from the polytheists, mines, treasures, and pearls.”[1]

 

محمد بن علي بن الحسين بإسناده قال سألت أبا عبد الله (الإمام الصادق) عن الخمس فقال الخمس إلا في الغنائم خاصة ويضيف الشيخ العاملي … ورواه الشيخ في إسناده (أي الشيخ الطوسي) عن الحسن بن محمد وفي الوسائل أيضا عياشي في تفسيره عن سماعة عن أبي عبد الله وعن أبي الحسن عليهما السلام (الإمام الرضا) ليس الخمس إلا في الغنائم

Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn al Hussain reports through his chain, “I asked Abu ‘Abdullah (Imam al Sadiq) about the Khums.”

He answered, “The Khums is only in spoils of war.”

Sheikh al ‘Amili adds: Sheikh (i.e. Sheikh al Tusi) narrated it with his chain from Hassan ibn Muhammad.[2]

And also in al Wasail, ‘Ayyashi in his Tafsir from Sama’ah – from Abu ‘Abdullah and from Abu al Hassan (Imam al Rida), “There is no Khums except in spoils of war.”[3]

 

وَقُلِ اعْمَلُوْا فَسَيَرَى اللهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُوْلُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ

Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers.[4]

 

Allah, the Grand, has stated the truth.

 


[*] An English translation of this book can be downloaded from https://archive.org/details/shiahacriticalrevision/mode/2up

[1] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 320, 322, Najaf.

[2] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 383, Najaf.

[3] Wasa’il al Shia, vol. 6 pg. 342, Najaf.

[4] Surah al Tawbah: 105.