Islam Fundamental Principles and Teachings

Modern Medicine

Q. Has modern medical science not made a significant progress?

A. There is no doubt about progress in the modern medical science, however, the basic foundations that we have mentioned, which are the principle pillars of general health and wellbeing, have been destroyed, and thus we see mankind is afflicted with all sorts of diseases at an astonishing level to the degree that the huge numbers of physicians, hospitals, and health care facilities are not enough to maintain the health of the general public.

We still remember our fathers who used to enjoy – because of the observing the Islamic teachings on general health – excellent health, total wellbeing, and complete fitness until the last days of their lives, whereas today we see that every household has one or more people suffering from a certain illness and many people suffer from one or several medical complications.

Q. What is the remedy then?

A. The remedy is to seriously strive to bring back to existence the general guidelines and the fundamental principles of Islamic teachings on health, and to implement them in our societies, as well as using all the useful facilities of modern medicine and new discoveries, while abandoning the Islamically unlawful issues and the harmful ones amongst them. Furthermore the way for the tried-and-tested herbal medicine should be opened up so that both traditional and modern medicine could complement one another, and in this way mankind will be saved from the grip of diseases and ailments, and that humanity will not suffer under the yoke of destructive diseases.

Islamic Culture

Q. Does Islam have any a cultural/educational program?

A. Yes, in fact it has the best of programs.

Q. What are those programs?

A. Islam has made it compulsory for every Muslim, male and female, to acquire knowledge224, and it identified the [categories of] knowledge the seeking and acquisition of which is mandatory upon the people as being in three categories;

The knowledge of Os}ool al-Deen; the fundamental principles or beliefs of Islam, The knowledge of Foroo’ al-Deen; the essential rulings and practices of Islam, The knowledge of Akhlaq & Adab or the Islamic ethics and etiquettes.

Furthermore Islam encourages the seeking of the rest of the sciences, considers it a virtue and an honour for the individual, promotes the implementation of knowledge in practice, provides the means for it, and it has made it compulsory for the government to support the educational program in all aspects.

224 This stems from the teaching of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family who said, “The seeking and acquisition of knowledge is an obligation upon every male Muslim and female Muslim”. Mostadrak al-Wasa’el, vol.17, p249, Bih}a>r al-Anwa>r, vol.1, p177.

Q. What you have mentioned should bring about the development and excellence of the Muslims, but why are they instead backwards and underdeveloped?

A. They remained behind when they did not adhere to the teachings of Islam on knowledge, and from the day they abandoned the policy of Islam on education. At the time when the Muslims were adhering to its teachings and acting according to Islam, their culture exceeded that of the West today, and there is no better proof for this than the West and westerners own acknowledgements of this fact.225 The relative number of their books, libraries, schools, and educated people – given the facilities of those days – were much more than the relative number of books, libraries, schools and educated people they have today despite all the progress in the means and facilities available.226

Modern Means of Education

Q. What is Islam’s stance in relation to modern educational means? In other words, does Islam prohibit schools and colleges, 225 The Islamic culture revived Muslim societies where everyone benefited. The Islamic culture came in various realms and domains of the human life.

An example of Islam’s economic culture is “land belongs to Allah and whoever develops it”, as taught by Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and his family, al-Ka>fi, vol. 5, p 279. This is the kind of culture that is not seen even in today’s so-called civilised worlds. An example of Islam’s social culture is .If ye do good, ye do good for your own souls. [17:7] which encourages people to do good. On Islam’s culture on the family, we have the encouragement of keeping strong bond between members of the family, and in particular the bond of parents and the off spring; .And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word.. [17:23] or the Prophetic hadith “Paradise is beneath the feet of the mothers” Wasa>’el al-Shi‘ah, vol. 15, p180, and the Prophetic hadith “he who has three daughters and raises them a fine upbringing, paradise would be obligatory for him.” al-Ka>fi, vol. 6, p6. Editor.

226 For example one of the libraries that was established in Cairo by the Fatimid dynasty, who reigned North Africa 909-1171 CE, contained more than one millions books.

newspapers and magazines, radio and television, cinemas and theatres, satellite channels or the internet? A. Islam encourages everything that helps disseminate understanding and bring about awakening amongst the people, and globalise, publicise, and make widespread humanist culture amongst the nation.227 Of course it prohibits any kind of corruption, decadence, and evil temptation in these mediums, if they are free of those; Islam is amongst the strongest supporters of these media.

Q. What is the major difference between Islam’s educational program and the Western educational program today?

A. The general difference is: Islam combines knowledge with faith, education with morality and virtue, whereas Western education today lacks faith, morality and virtue, and as a consequence knowledge, which is the best means for progress and advancement, and education is the strongest tool for achieving understanding and coexistence, peace and security within the nation – or rather throughout the entire world, has become the means of degradation and ignorance, and the tool of disseminating fear, terror, anarchy, distress, war and destruction in the community – but rather in the entire world.

Peace in Islam

Q. Is Islam a religion of war or a religion of peace?

A. Islam is the religion of peace, as the Almighty says, .O ye who believe enter into peace all together.228. However, if any one would commit an act of aggression against the people, or wages war against the Muslims, then Islam would not standby like 227 The values of humanist culture of respecting and dealing with other human beings, are those such as “the people are one of two; they are either your brethren in religion, or your equal in creation”, as taught by Imam Ali, peace be upon him, the prophet’s first appointed successor. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 75, p 251. 228 The Qur’an, The Heifer (2): 208

someone whose hands tied behind him, but rather it would rise in defence to protect justice and the truth, and to repel the aggression and alleviate oppression.

Q. How does Islam support peace?

A. Islam considers it necessary to let complete peace prevail – both internally and externally. Inside the country it abolishes crimes, outside the country it does not commit any act of aggression against any one, and it confronts the aggressors.

Q. How would Islam abolish crimes?

A. Islam abolishes crime at its roots, and treats its causes. The causes of crime are: poverty, evil temptations, ignorance,

animosity, problems, and suchlike. Islam fights against all of such elements until they are eliminated, and when they are eliminated, crimes will subsequently be abolished.

For example, a destitute person steals to see to his needs, lewdness and liquor lead to adultery, and drunkenness leads to crime. Ignorance causes transgression, and animosity causes fighting and war, and family problems cause tribulation and crime.

Islam, because of its correct ways and appropriate programs, abolishes poverty and enriches the destitute, teaches the people about the harms of lewdness and the decadence of liquors and thus they would refrain from lewdness and liquors with conviction. Islam publicises knowledge and education, eradicates the causes of animosity and hatred, and settles disputes and problems with easy judgments and quick decisions. In this way Islam is able to uproot the causes of crime, and plant the seeds of love and affection, unity and peace between the nation, and throughout the entire world.

Prosecution and Punishment of the Criminals

Q. How are the criminals punished in Islam?

A. After abolishing the causes of crime from society and providing a tranquil environment, Islam lays down the punishment for the criminal, and that is because he has committed crime due to his evil and deviation, and for his departure and transgression against his society and innocent members of his nation. The criminal mars the purity and sparkle of his society, and destroys the security of his fellow citizens and denies them their safety and tranquillity. Through a stern punishment, which is swiftly executed, Islam sterilises the environment so that the crime is not repeated.

Needless to say, Islam does not allow for the penal codes alone to be upheld and implement without all other law – as it is commonly seen in some Islamic countries today – for Islam considers that in itself a crime in its own right, for this entails distortion to its reputation and gives the excuse to some to accuse it of violence and cruelty.

The Punishment of Imprisonment

Q. What would Islam do with prisons?

A. Islam does not recognise any of the statute, man-made laws at all. The only laws are the divine laws only. Therefore, many of the crimes today, as per the statute law, are not crimes according to Islam for their perpetrators to be jailed for them. As for what Islam considers a crime, like theft or fornication, it has set stern swift punishments for them, and that is not imprisonment.

However, for very few crimes Islam has prescribed imprisonment – such as the well off who refuses or delays to pay his debt. Jail in Islam is when a judge asks an individual to keep a criminal, who must be jailed, in a room in his house for example. Therefore, there is no prison in the conventional sense in Islam at all, if there were exceptional requirement for prison, the building will be nothing more than a simple building, which is in fact a school for the rehabilitation of the criminal, and educating him the correct human culture.

Peace for All

Q. How will Islam keep peace outside the country and with everyone?

A. Islam does not commit aggression against anyone at all. Any country that inclines to peace, [the government of] Islam inclines to that too, Almighty Allah states, .and if they incline towards peace, then you incline towards it [too].229, and if aggression is waged against it, Islam would defend itself and the nation in the most decent manner the like of which history has never witnessed. If a country commits aggression against it, Islam will repel its aggression, with the minimum that is required to stop the aggression.

Q. How will Islam keep peace between the government and the nation?

A. The government in Islam is the government of the people in the true sense of the word. What would people want other than the right to vote, self-sufficiency, education, freedom, security, health and virtue that Islam provides for them in the best form? That is why we see the correct governments of the Muslims had reigned for so long. This was because of the mutual love between the nation and the government, and the leader did not need “secret police”, “security services” and “bodyguards” and suchlike to protect him against the people.

Islam and the Family

Q. How does Islam view the family?

A. Islam views the family – after the individual – the primary building block for building a righteous society, and thus it is eager to see the family to be a righteous in order for the society to be so too, and for this reason Islam obligates the h}ija>b for women, as the 229 The Qur’an, Public Estate (8): 61

Almighty states, .and when you ask of them (women) of any goods, ask of them from behind a screen (h}ija>b).230 and in this way potential sins and problems are reduced, which in turn strengthens the relations between the husband and wife, and the family gains stability and clam, and settles in a happy and auspicious environment, filled with love, serenity, harmony, and conformity. Needless to say women’s h}ijab means that women must not reveal their hair and beauties.

Q. Does Islam prohibit women from learning and working? A. No, Islam does not prohibit women from any science or job, but rather it has on certain occasions made it obligatory for her to learn or work, while on other occasions encouraged her to do them. Islam has only prohibited indecency and lewd conducts, adorning and showing themselves off in public. Islam also prohibits women from the kind of works that contrary to their chastity and status.

Islam’s view of women

Q. What is Islam’s view of women?

A. Islam is the kindest religion and principle to women that history has ever known and experienced. It observes that family life is not complete without striving and hard work outside the home, and tranquillity and endeavour inside; and it has divided the tasks between the husband and wife in order to strengthen the bonds of love and cooperation between them, so it made the tasks outside the home for the man and the those inside for the woman. Islam assigns the tasks of inside the home and settling there for women because women are more suited to managing the affairs of the home than men, especially in relation to the raising of children and educating them the correct education. She is the best guardian for children’s growth and development – physically, intellectually, 230 The Qur’an, The Confederates (33): 53

and emotionally. Islamic wisdom views this that if women would start to undertake men’s jobs outside the home, this would ultimately put the burden of her home work on the men and this would constitute the waste of both capabilities, the virtue of women’s noble emotions, and the capability of men’s practical endeavour. In the latter case, the job is the same job, except with swapped roles, and consequently giving the undesirable results. Therefore, it is best for women to do the home work, and for men to do the hard jobs outside.

Marriage from Islam’s viewpoint

Q. What is Islam’s view of marriage?

A. Islam considers marriage permissible, emphasises upon it, commands to it, and encourages early marriages, and that [it is permissible] for the female after the completion of the age of nine with maturity, and after the male’s adulthood, which comes at the age of fifteen, as well as maturity. Islam encourages marriage at that so that they would not fall in indecency.

Q. What is the view of Islam about boys and girl’s mixing during different phases of life?

A. Mixing, in the view of Islam – that is eager about the health of society and its happiness – is not permissible at all, whether it is during recreational times, at swimming pools, at school, at cinemas, factories, social gatherings, clubs, and suchlike. Islam considers that such mixing leads to immorality and corruption, something that the society must be protected against, unless the mixing is with total observance of h}ija>b, protection and chastity, just as their mixing during the pilgrimage of Hajj or other honourable sites.

Q. What are the duties of both spouses in family life, in the view of Islam?

A. The husband must provide for all expenses and satisfy her bodily desire – as prescribed by Islam – and it is the duty of the wife to obey the husband about going out of the house231 and on sexual pleasures232. It is not of the duties of women to work around the house, but she is encouraged to do so, in a bid to keep the cooperation and love between them. Islam considers marriage not valid except with the consent of both of them, and made divorce – for social interests – is in the hands of man alone, unless specified otherwise in the marriage contract at the outset, when it will be in the hands of the woman too.

Q. What is the view of Islam about polygamy?

A. It is permissible in Islam to have up to four wives, but on the condition of maintaining justice and/or equality between them. And by this decree Islam solves the problems of unmarried women and widows, for it is known that in societies the number of women is greater than that of men, and if there is no solution for the difference in their number, this means many of the women remain unmarried.233

231 Except for . . . visiting parents or other routine things that have been agreed upon before hand such as going to work. . . 232 Unless . . . if she is ill, or it constitutes harm to her, or when she is going through the monthly menstruation period. 233 This issue becomes particularly acute when there is a war when normally many men are killed.