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Surprised would be a more fitting word. The same people who take the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide seriously will give credence to Ahmedinejad's denial of the holocaust- people who are willing to deny historical atrocities to further their political agenda. The rest of us will take it with a grain of bs. I am not irritated about the time it took to compile this book. I am irritated by the fact that he is compiling a book. He is upset by the implications of the holocaust? He feels it is used to oppress the Palestinians? All his concerns are arguably valid and can be debated academically without sounding like a moron. However his outright denial of the holocaust is ludicrous and only defend able by people who are so blinded by their political agenda that they refuse to be rational. What once had the potential of being an academic debate degenerates into a ranting fanatic who has absolutely no idea what he is on about and who does nothing but take away credibility on an international scale. I might be reading this wrong, but it sounds like you are saying Ahmedinejad is a loony whose mental instability is irrelevant because he poses no threat internationally? 1) I agree he is unstable 2) I believe his instability has its implications

The line of poetry in my 'interests' came from a quatrain of Omar Khayyam as rendered into English by FitzGerald. It's been there for ages and no one from the mod team objected to it. But I was asked to remove it because hey presto it had become unIslamic. This is really not my problem if people want to turn poetry into an invitation for haram but you do know that is not what it is intended for don't you. There are countless references to wine and women in Persian poetry. Most in fact all of it is metaphorical with a sufi background. It is your choice if you want to agree with certain Orientalists and declare Khayyam et al as Hedonists. He was anything but. Anyway, in case you did not know, poetry readings, including those with references to wine and women, are taught in the classes of literature in hawzahs. I hope you wouldn't mind that. There are references to wine in the ghazals of Sayyed Khomeini of all people. I hope you also don't find that offensive. He was more Shia, and aware of the tradition of Persian poetry and its meaning, than all of us put together. SC is like a drawing room, or a meeting place, frequented by mostly Shia Muslims and everything, religious or otherwise, gets discussed here. Look at Off-topic and Sports subforums. Urdu section wouldn't exist if it wasn't for poetry. I would accept your point if SC was a mosque or a hussainiyah for it wouldn't be appropriate to talk about anything other than religion at a place of worship. I don't understand what is so secular (or non-secular) about poetry and literature. To avoid giving offence to the brittle senses of 'observant' Muslims, I tried to Islamise Khayyam from "A book of verse, a flask of wine and thou" to "A book of hymns, a flask of non-alcoholic wine and a mutah with thou" but it wouldn't permit me for the lack of space. Not very funny I admit. The outrageous literalism of Salafism and cheapening of the label 'unIslamic' has well permeated into Shia mindset. This is a sorry state of affairs to say the least.

(salam) He needs to just drop this Holocaust stuff all together. I know he's trying to break the legitimacy of the state of Israel, but the creation of Israel had little to do with the Holocaust in the first place. Zionism predates World War 2, and the creation of Israel was almost entirely a separate event. Israel did not even officially commemorate the Holocaust until years later. Read Norman Finkelstein's book "The Holocaust Industry" and you'll know what I mean - the Holocaust was picked up as a pretext for the state much later, as it best convinces the masses that these persecuted people deserved a state. But what happened in Germany should have nothing to do with the Palestinians, they did nothing to deserve any of this persecution they've been facing for 60 years. Ahmedinejad loses more of his credibility every time he denies that the genocide had taken place; instead he needs to focus on talking about how the Holocaust does not matter to Israel, and how Israel is oppressing innocent people.

^This hadith is sahih. This one also has strong sanad [hasan/muwaththaq-sahih]. w/s

If you lack the common sense required to answer this question.. maybe we are being unfair to the girls in Dar.

Salam, I am the sort of person who loves being married (long term and committed relationship), I got an arrange marriage when I was only 17 year old which lasted about 7 years but unfortunately it ended in divorce when I turned 24 because not only my ex was controlling and violent but also I discovered he was cheating on me throughout our marriage. Since I got divorced I’ve been wanting to get married again but unfortunately the right person has not came to propose to me, I did have proposals but I didn’t think there’re right for me so I rejected them, I think my divorce made me more aware. This year I’ve turned 30 years old so I bit worried about not finding my soul mate; you might think I don’t have a life but I do, I’m studying, working and living with my lovely family but I feel there’s something missing in my life.

(bismillah) (salam) ÓõæۡÑóÉõ ÇáÝóÇÊöÍóÉ ÈöÓۡãö ٱááåö ٱáÑøóÍۡãóÜٰäö ٱáÑøóÍöíãö (١) ٱáۡÍóãۡÏõ áöáøóåö ÑóÈøö ٱáۡÚóÜٰáóãöíäó (٢) ٱáÑøóÍۡãóÜٰäö ٱáÑøóÍöíãö (٣) ãóÜٰáößö íóæۡãö ٱáÏøöíäö (٤) ÅöíøóÇßó äóÚۡÈõÏõ æóÅöíøóÇßó äóÓۡÊóÚöíäõ (٥) ٱåۡÏöäóÇ ٱáÕøöÑóٲØó ٱáۡãõÓۡÊóÞöíãó (٦) ÕöÑóٲØó ٱáøóÐöíäó ÃóäۡÚóãۡÊó Úóáóíۡåöãۡ ÛóíۡÑö ٱáۡãóÛۡÖõæÈö Úóáóíۡåöãۡ æóáóÇ ٱáÖøóÇٓáøöíäó (٧) Al-Fatiha In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful (1) Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, (2) The Beneficent, the Merciful. (3) Owner of the Day of Judgment, (4) Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. (5) Show us the straight path, (6) The path of those whom Thou hast favoured. Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. (7)

The Holocaust might be a 'non-issue' for some Iranians or others in the Middle East since not only it doesn't concern them but they have more mundane matters to worry about BUT, on the other side, it is pretty relevant to the recent historical conscience of Europe. It is reported in the West because it is directed at the West and it has implications for the West. It is just not about making your country 'look good' as you put it. It is more about the lack of sensitivity to the horrific crime of the last century and no desire on the part of the president to honour the history and support his cause at the same time. Here is a leader of an influential Muslim state in the ME running his mouth like a bloke in a pub down the road. Just as ardent Zionist take delight in misusing the Holocaust [refer to Finklestein's book], Ahmadinejad derives pleasure in labelling it a hoax. Not difficult to see how political agenda taint one's perspective. He could support Palestinian cause without insulting the millions of dead. His so-called Holocaust conference held in Tehran in [was it?] 2005 included participants like David Duke, the white racist and former Ku Klux Klan leader and David Irving, a Holocaust denier and a known adherent to the cult of Hitlerism. The latter has claimed that Hitler prophecised that an Englishman [irving] would come to 'clear' his name against the 'lies' told. I am happy for Iranians if they are happy with - to borrow from Robert Fisk - 'crackpot president' but don't expect the world, including Muslims in and outside the ME, to take him seriously.

Kadhim - Could it be possible you are over-reacting especially since you have not even read the book or know of its content? I mean should you not wait at least to read the book rather than judge it by its cover?

Overreact much? First of all, I doubt this story is true. Because if it was, the Western media would be all over it. Secondly, it's irrelevant to the concerns of the Iranian people. Thirdly, Iran's inflation is 7.4 percent: http://www.tehrantimes.com/Index_view.asp?code=207571 So that's not double digits. Moreover, I think this particular statistic has been abused too many times. Inflation rate is an aggregate of the average price increases of EVERY good and service in the country. Meaning, the price increases are not the same for every product. For example, rent costs have remained stable for the most part. Property costs, meanwhile, have skyrocketed. Bread and lentils are still cheap, while meat has become expensive. We need to acknowledge this: the people who now cannot afford to eat meat or buy an apartment could never afford to eat meat or buy an apartment. And the people who used to be able to afford those things, STILL DO for the most part. So I think the effects of inflation in Iran are grossly exaggerated. Yes it is a problem but it is not as bad of a problem as many suggest. And if you want to selectively post an isolated negative statistic (which is not even true, btw), one could easily post an isolated positive statistic. You can use statistics to convey anything you want to convey.

I never believed in apostate laws.

Oh ye naive little one...

noted world war 2 expert mahmoud ahmedinejad

What a collossal embarrassment this man is. For the sake of my wish to maintain a positive picture of the mental faculties of the Iranian people, I pray that the recent presidential election results were indeed fraudulent as suspected.

the fact that you say being depressed is a great sin and that one is depressed by his own will makes me think otherwise. in other words you just said a load of bull[Edited Out]

looks like the governments plan is working.

In His Name, the Most High Salaams Ayatullah al-Udhma Fadhlullah(HA) is a Marja', like Ayatullah al-Udhma Sistani(HA) and Imam Khamenei(HA) (who is the Wali Amr al-Muslimeen as well as a Marja') and there are many many other Maraj'e - alhamdu lillah, the Shia are blessed with a multitude of Maraje'. Hizbullah is a Resistance Movement and a Political Party, that takes it's inspiration from the true Islam of Muhammad(S), as expounded by Imam Khumayni(A) and others following the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Those who are members of (or sympathisers and lovers of) Hizbullah from amongst the Shia, are duty bound to make taqleed of a Marja' Taqleed. Some make taqleed of Imam Khamenei(HA), others make taqleed of Ayatullah al-Udhma Fadhlullah(HA) others Ayatullah al-Udhma Sistani(HA) and so on. Since Hizbullah follow the line of Wilayat al-Faqih, they have a loyalty and allegience to the Wali Faqih - Imam Khamenei(HA), however that doesn't mean that they all make taqleed of him - however as I have said some do. It should be noted that we as Shia, do not have this strange concept of "Spiritual" Leader, we have the Leadership. The Marja'iyyeh and the Wilayah - both of which can be encompassed in the Imamah of Imam al-Hujjah(AJ) following his return, insha Allah soon. Also; for those who have problems with Ayatullah al-Udhma Fadhlullah(HA), be careful. Don't cross red lines. Hope that helps. With Salaams and Dua's Shabbir

Neither the global Shia community, nor the Shia ulama were ever solidly completely behind this 'Islamic' Republic to begin with. So I'm not sure what you're talking about, more nonsense possibly.

I dont know specifically about aloe vera. However if it was tested and proven to have some beneficial effects, of course it shoud be used. However what if, as with so many "alternative/traditional/voodoo etc" therapy, they are tested and do absolutey nothing, YET they are still sold and peddled by con men to desperate people. I would question whether thats even halal, can you sell someone a product, knowing that it doesnt work? certainly you cant do that in the UK, because its a fraud/false , and hence why such products are only available on the internet. Thats what I object to, you seem to think there is some conspiracy to encourage western medicine, I would say the opposite, the eastern traditional products, some of which proven to do absolutely nothing, are being used. Your not alone in your beliefs, I see it all the time from people from asia, and the middle east. I have relitives who buy medication from the pharmacy with out even knowing what its for, they just use it because their neighbour does. This kind of backwardness is one reason why muslim countries are so far down the life expectancy list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

ShiaChat hijacked because people have different opinions of a country?

Iranians are protesting against the goverment in order to be free from repression. when some of the protesters are arrested, they are sent to evin prison, most are never heard of again. Guards rape both men and women, and take away their pride. why are you guys, who may or may not be iranian say that the protesters are the scum and dirt. why dont we talk about the punishments of the basij, riot guards, prison guards, and the "supreme leader"?

^^^^ Forgot to add to the above – Part of taking care of yourself, is to make sure that all monies earned by you or given to you as gifts are housed in bank account in your name only, as all monies accrued by you are for your choice of use. Leave this money in case you need it. Allah will protect you. Practice the rights given to you.

(bismillah) (salam) Sura: Al-Muminoon وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ [٢٣:٥] Who abstain from sex,

http://hasnain.wordpress.com/2008/01/07/modern-benefits-of-wearing-aqeeq-u-have-itwear-it/ Check this out! and this... http://www.islamtheabsolutetruth.com/gem.html Also, it is stones from the earth, so it helps keep you grounded...According to the sites above it helps your eyesight thru the suns rays. :D

Please don't strain whatever brain cells you have in an admirable attempt to dignify my post. I am very familiar with the chivalrous connotations of "Arabism," which was often used in political pan-arabism to justify the degradation of non arabs who were deemed lesser. Anyway I don't believe that the core of Arab character is "honour, courage, etc." I don't believe this is the core of any ethnicity, but I won't digress. Anyway my issue was not with her using that word, my issue was with her misrepresentation, attacks, and the fact that this, much like recruitment videos, is blatant propaganda and treating it as anything more is laughable to those who have the ability to think critically.

(bismillah) (salam) Sura: Al-Muminoon æóÇáøóÐöíäó åõãú Úóäö ÇááøóÛúæö ãõÚúÑöÖõæäó [٢٣:٣] Who avoid vain talk;

Yes it is doubtful that many are who they say who are or if they simply ate the Haram bread of corrupt logic and believe because they have a passport or greencard, unquestioned military allegiance to that government or country is accepted. The Muslims, a high almost absolute amount of the Muslims have established that the Western governments in Iraq, Afghanistan are either (1) Occupiers (2) Oppressors in the foreign countries they occupy (2) Rapists and scoundrels All of them qualifies as unjust, Allah condemns those who side with the unjust, 11:113 And do not incline towards those who are unjust, lest the fire touch you, and you have no guardians besides Allah, then you shall not be helped. Mohammad Mozaffar included in the "Shiite Aqidah" various chapters to non-cooperation with unjust actions of governments, those who form ties with, help or cooperate with oppressors at any price, even to the extent of half a date. Imam Zain el Abedin said: The reason they ask for you is only to use you as a grinding stone, a bridge whereby they can progress to their evil aims, a ladder to their deviations, so that you may be an agent and a propagandist for their crimes. Through you, they can hide their affairs from wise men, and attract the ignorant to themselves. Neither their own ministers nor their followers can disguise their faults as you can; what little will they give to you compared with what they take away. Take care of yourself, examine yourself and reckon your actions as a responsible person. SobhanAllah the Imam says these alleged Muslims will be agents and propagandists, and propagandize for them, but in fact we know as the Muslims that they do not seek our interest Azghadi: they want to occupy the Muslims politically and economically sign deals and contracts for their sake promote Mcdonaldisation, Mcfreedom, Sex and Porno make our people consumer oriented push forward homosexuality and segmentation of races and ethnic groups They do not care about Islam or Muslims They know the clock is ticking and the Muslims grow, demography is changing they want to secure their power and interests deploy the Uncle toms among the Muslims so they have unpaid PR men on fora's and elsewhere who they persuade with words like freedom and democracy They want to sustain their own empires and use among us the tools to persuade, from Maghreb to Indonesia let us recognize them as Islam evolves and merges into politics, the Muslims will be their greatest rivals Where the Muslims of Al-andalus and the advance in Vienna ended the Muslims of France, Belgium and UK will continue This time without the sword of violence .

Sorry brother I misunderstood. As for aliunwalliulla wajib, brother, I actually read your posts, and you did the classic malang move. You made constand assumptions about hadiths and stories that probably dont even exist, and if they do have been brutally translated for you. If you have no actual evidence for your comments, just say so, if you do have evidence please show us, perhaps you are right, but saying things like this: "i was going to log but let me give you an example this is from authentic shia books i dont remember the name " I was bored so I went to your site, the article didnt have any evidence for it, just looked like assumptions again im afraid.

(salam) I know ....its insanity!

This thread is quite funny. It's obvious to any Muslim that half the members of this forum aren't Muslims at all. A Muslim supporting the wars of aggression against Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, murdering, torturing and raping countless numbers of people? LOL could only be on Shiachat.

^people like abu bakar,usmaan and umar .....inshallah

LOL I was merely reporting. I do not hold on to this view. This is crazy to me. Bro, my mother is a product of sayyedah/non-sayyed marriage. So calm down. Maybe I should have made it clear in the post. Someone neg repped it :(

(bismillah) (salam) Sura: Al-Ikhlaas Þõáú åõæó Çááøóåõ ÃóÍóÏñ [١١٢:١] Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Çááøóåõ ÇáÕøóãóÏõ [١١٢:٢ Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; áóãú íóáöÏú æóáóãú íõæáóÏú [١١٢:٣ He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; æóáóãú íóßõäú áóåõ ßõÝõæðÇ ÃóÍóÏñ [١١٢:٤] And there is none like unto Him

(bismillah) (salam) Çáã [٢:١] A.L.M. A.L.M. Ðóٰáößó ÇáúßöÊóÇÈõ áóÇ ÑóíúÈó ۛ Ýöíåö ۛ åõÏðì áöáúãõÊøóÞöíäó [٢:٢] This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah;

My goodness I would love to see you beaten. I don't know what this woman would see in such a weakling as yourself unless she likes to domineer her man. Grow an ounce of manhood will you and stop sniveling as a wretched coward.

(wasalam) If the namazes performed earlier in the day were performed while you were pak then those namazes are in order as the state of janabat has come after the prayers.

^Also mentioned in Rijal Najashi Pg. 378 . . . وقال أبو جعفر الكليني: كل ما كان في كتابي عدة من أصحابنا عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، فهم محمد بن يحيى وعلي بن موسى الكميذانى وداود بن كورة وأحمد بن إدريس وعلي بن إبراهيم بن هاشم.

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Please help me understand your Islam. First of all, since when listening to music and shaving beard have become BASIC religious obligations of a Muslim? Our basics are Usool-e-din (relating to Iman) and Furoo'-e-deen (relating to 'amal). I have never seen shaving one's beard and listening to music in either of the two category. So that discounts both as being basic. This is my point. Why would you so much bother about, as you put it, "simple laws" when there are sooo many important things to look for in a potential spouse? Is it not making much ado about nothing? You should worry about core and not-so-simple laws of religion which truly define a person's faith and religiousness. I mean, besides following the basics of religion [as defined by religion itself, not you sis], you need to see if the guy fulfills huqooq-al-ibaad. Is he fair with others? How does he treat his family and friends? Is he mean, arrogant, self-obsessed, holier-than-thou, angry womaniser OR a humble, easy going person with an open heart who will value your opinion, take care of you and love you? Is he a different person from inside than his portrayal of himself to the world? Does he earn through halal means? These are SOME of the questions which will define a man's personality, his iman and his 'amal. Putting extra emphasis whether he has hair on his chin and jaws, whether he likes the tune of flute and watches Al pacino classics (I've been doing that lately) is making your life difficult. If you want to marry a person who thinks like you, FINE, but I find it demeaning when girls come on here and complain that there are no "good" guys out there. Because their definition of goodness is that a guy should have a beard (as long he is not a hippie), a total abstainer from music/movies (as long as he is not a Wahhabi) and other such trivial things. They are worried about his face and ears. They won't question his heart and soul. I believe Bonafide has hit the nail right on the head with this red-coloured line. So many Muslims are messed up because they can't figure out their priorities. It's just a matter of chance that male posters (at least me and bonafide) on this thread happen to think differently from females ones on the issue of a person's religiosity. Otherwise, normally on this issue, the gender spread is pretty randomly distributed.

No one is perfectly religious or we would be infallibles, so it pays off to give space to the person for their shortcomings/failures in keeping up to your theoretical standard as long as you are fine with their core religiosity. Liking your husband less for not having a beard sounds good in theory but that is not how your marriage will work if your future husband is a Gillette user. One can develop a pre-marriage criteria and stick to it such as the guy must have shar'i beard - like girls are required to be hijabis - but when you finally choose a husband, don't take these little bits further or it can cause friction in a relationship. This, specifically, I called haram-halal policing.

It is desirable to be a religious person and good for you to seek one. But I think there is a difference in how we project our religiousness to ourselves and others. Personally speaking, I wouldn't want to be tied to a woman for life who sounds like a conscript of Iranian morality police. No haram-halal policing. "You shave your beard? I won't marry you. You listen to Mehdi Hassan ghazals? Hell what a great sin". No way.

LOL I wasn't only talking about guys. We have the same problem with girls too. Good guys and good girls are in enough supply but it's our out-of-the-world expectations that give us the impression that good guys/girls are rare. Read bro labaik_khamenie's posts on the forum. He has similar grievances against girls. I find it funny that so many youngsters in the community (including some who visit this site) are searching for a spouse like crazy but don't seem to find one - and the reason they give for this is that, they (good girls or good guys), are rare. WOW.

I clearly understand the downside of wanting to choose (once in a lifetime) spouse for yourself. We attach too much importance to many less important things, something we wouldn't normally do in an arranged marriage.

I agree with this. I can't imagine approaching a girl only due to her looks/hijab without ever having an opportunity to talk or to get to know her.

You need some straightforward opinions from guys instead of philosophisical lectures from girls. So here is one. NO, I wouldn't do a mutah even if my hormones are running crazy making my johny go wild. WHY NOT? Because my search is over, I have found the girl and we have committed to get married, if that is so difficult to understand? I trust the girl I am 'engaged' to and believe that she is looking forward to marriage instead of taking interest in random guys. She also has your trust. She also thinks that her man-to-be wouldn't be eying on other girls for a quickie. The trust you both have in each other will go well beyond the signatures on your marriage contract. SO RESPECT! Trust is sine qua non for a healthy and stable relationship. How much affection or romance or love (or whatever) you put in to make your relationship sweeter isn't my business. Alternatively, look at it like this. Suppose the girl you intend to marry is infatuated with a guy and finds it terribly hard to control her desires. She comes to you and asks, "since we are not getting married soon, can I just do a mutah with the guy if that is okay with you?" ANSWER THIS. Or, suppose, she DOES mutah with someone in order to "avoid falling into haram". She then marries you later with you not having a faintest clue that the girl had practiced full-sex mutah with another guy. You find this out later in marriage. What would be your reaction? ANSWER THIS AS WELL. SO WHAT TO DO? - Practice self-control. It is a skill you can transfer to other areas of life when faced with a difficult situation. It's not only for your johny. SO MAN UP. However, it is a different matter if you want to dump your girl and perform a temporary bang up with the girl you are infatuated with. THIS is your choice now.

I dont think the application of this PDA law is any different for married or unmarried. Good example.

We are supposed to follow the laws of the land - the couple(s) didnt. Actually, I am surprised a(n) (unmarried?) couple thought they could publically find privacy in such a crowded city....what if her father or brother had been walking by :cry: ...or worse - some gossip who told her father and with the usual embellishments, half of the neighbourhood, as well. We are taught never to be alone with a man - I am sure the reverse is taught. It is a slippery slope from there...most likely leading to regret. However, I dont think you need a police state where men lurk in bushes :wacko: :sick: :wacko: looking for any couples who want to sit on a bench holding hands...sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel. A married couple should be allowed to sit close together and enjoy the beauty of their relationship through nature. Peace, romance and tranquility are good for a society.

Syed Khoei changed his opinion about the narrators of Kamil al-Ziyarat. أن السيد الخوئي رجع عن هذا الرأي في أواخر حياته وقال بتوثيق مشايخ ابن قولويه دون بقية السند see: It doesn't make sense to me to blindly rely on the narrators mentioned in these books. Esp when we know that Tafsir al-Qummi has reached us through weak sanad (b/c of majhool narrator al-Abbas b. Muhammad) and also b/c as you mentioned too that there are clear weak narrators in these books. w/s

TO THE OP, here"s some useful copy paste stuff regarding the Islamic basis for supporting a ring........ It is Sunnate Muakkedah (highly commendable) for men and women to wear ring rings on the right hand. A Hadith from Hadhrat Salman Farsi(ra) states that the last Prophet(SAAW) requested Imam Ali (AS)to wear a ring on the right so that he may be listed among the Muqarrabeen (those near to Allah). The Imam asked the Prophet as to who the Muqarrabeen were, to which the Prophet replied Janabe Jibreel and Janabe Mikaiel. Then the Imam inquired as to which stone should he wear. The Prophet replied Aqiq (cornelian), as this red stone had accepted the Oneness of Allah, the Prophethood of the last Prophet, and the vicegerency of Ali ibne Abi Talib, and the heavens for Ali's friends and Shias. The 8th Imam was once asked why the 1st Imam wore his ring on the right hand. The Imam replies that Imam Ali is the leader of the Ashabe Yameen, and the Ashabe Yameen are those records of actions will be given on the right hand. And secondly, the last Prophet also wore his rings on his right hand. The Shias will identified by these symbols, having the ring on the right hand, praying 5 times a day at the right timings, giving Zakat, distributing among his religious brothers his belongings, ordering good actions and keeping people away from evil. The 6th Imam had stated that the last Prophet used to wear his ring on the first finger and has prohibited wearing of a ring on the middle finger. Also according to the 6th Imam, a ring should be worn at the very end of the finger, where it joins with the palm. One should recite the following Dua, while wearing a ring. 'O Allah, let the signs of faith be the cause of my recognition. Let my end be worthwhile and let there be good for me even in the world to come. It is well-known that Thou are All Mighty, All Wise and All Generous. It is Sunnat to have a silver ring. Of course, gold is haraam for men. Wearing iron, steel or brass ring is Makrooh for both men and women. Therefore, according to the 6th Imam, the Prophet wore a silver ring. According to another tradition, the Prophet asked men not to wear an iron ring while praying and strictly prohibited the wearing of brass ring. The 9th Imam stated that Aqiq takes away the poverty and dissolves differences in one's heart. The 6th Imam stated that Aqiq brings safety while traveling. According to the 9th Imam, wearing the ring of Yakoot (ruby), stops worries. According to 8th Imam, Yakoot eases difficulty. The 8th Imam stated that the ring of Zaberjad (jade) eases difficulties. He also stated that the emerald ring turns poor into rich, and that whosoever wears the ring set in with yellow ruby will never become poor. The 6th Imam stated that those who wear a Firoza (turquoise) ring, will never become dependent. Someone visited the 8th Imam and noticed the Imam wearing a ring set in with Firoza with the following engraving: 'Lil Lahil Mulko' - Allah, Master of the Kingdom. (3:189). As the person continued to stare, the Imam asked him what he was looking at, to which he replied at the ring. The Imam asked him if recognized the engraving, to which he said no. The Imam explained to the person that this stone was brought down by Janabe Jibreel as a gift to the Prophet from the Heaven, and who then in return gave to the 1st Imam. Since then, it has been carried down. The 8th Imam stated that the 1st Imam once noticed the Prophet come out of his house with a ring of Jaze Yamani, while on their way to attend the Jamaat prayers. After the prayers, the Prophet gave the ring to the Imam, and asked him to have it on his right hand while he prayed as a prayer with Jaze Yamani is equal to 70 prayers without it. The stone is always praying and reciting 'La Illaha Illalah' and 'Subhanallah', and its rewards reaches the one who wears it. Someone had married but no children were conceived. The person went to the 9th Imam to obtain his advice. The Imam told him to wear a ring set in Firoza with the following inscription: 'O My Lord! Leave me not alone (without an issue) though Thou are the best of heirs.' (21:89) Before the year ended, they were blessed with a son from the same wife. The Prophet stated that Allah finds it difficult not to listen to the prayers of those who have Aqiq and Firoza rings on their fingers, and feels hurt to negate their prayers. The 6th Imam stated on Durre Najaf, that all the Momineen and Mominaat feel happy when they sight this stone, and the pain of their eyes is relived. The Imam stated that he wants every Momin to have five rings. Yakoot ring is the best. The second is Aqiq as it is a stone which has affection for Allah and Ahle Bayt. Third is Firoza which gives strength to the eyes, expands the breast and strengthens the heart. Whenever a Momin goes for some work with a Firoza ring on his finger, his work is done. Fourthly one should wear the ring of Hadeed Cheeni but not always. Only when one is afraid of some mischief then he should visit that environment with this ring on at the stone keeps the devil away. And the fifth ring should be that of Durre Najaf which is found only in Najaf. When a person wears a ring of Durre Najaf, at his every glance towards it, Allah gives him the reward of Ziyarat, Hajj and Umrah, which are kept in his record of action. The reward is equal to the rewards of the Prophets and pious; if Allah had not been merciful towards the Shia, then every gem of Durre Najaf would have been costly but Allah made it readily available so that both rich and poor can wear it. When Hazrat Ibrahim was about to be thrown into the pit of fire, Janabe Jibreel became upset. When Allah asked him about it, Janabe Jibreel then asked Allah why he had made Haz. Ibrahim His friend, the only believer of Allah's oneness to face not only his enemies but also the enemies of Allah. Allah ordered Janabe Jibreel to be silent, and told him that a helpers person hastens his work like Jibreel and was afraid of loosing time. Haz. Ibrahim is Allah's creature and can free him whenever He likes. After being comforted, Janabe Jibreel went to the Prophet and asked is he needed help. The Prophet said that he did not need his help. At that time, Allah sent an Emerald ring on which was engraved: 'There is no god but one Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, there is no power and strength except with Allah, the Grand, the Great: I entrust my affairs unto Allah - Sufficient is for me Allah. Allah then revealed to him that he should wear the ring which will cool the fire. The engraving on the last Prophet's ring: 'There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.' Engraving on 1st Imam's ring: 'Allah is the Master of the Kingdom.' On the 2nd Imam's: 'Al Izzato Lil Lahe - Verily, All honor (as a whole) belong (only) to Allah.' (4:139) On the 3rd Imam's: 'Innal Laha Baligho Amrehi - Verily Allah accomplishes His purpose' (65:3) The 4th Imam and the 5th Imam wore the same ring as the 3rd Imam. 6th Imam's: 'Allaho Waliyi Wa Ismati Min Khalqehi - Allah is my Master and He will safeguard me from His creatures.' 7th Imam's: 'Hasbeyal Laho - Sufficient for me is Allah.' (9:129) The 5th Imam stated that if a person possesses a ring set in Aqiq and turns it towards his palm and then looks at it, and recites Sura Qadr (Chapter 97), then Allah keeps him protected the whole day, from trouble whereever they are descended from heaven or earth and, he will be protected until the evening by Allah, and Allah's friend who will guide him. According to another Imam, one who wears a ring of Aqiq with the following engraving: 'MUHAMMADAN NABI YUL LAHE, WA ALIYUN WALI YUL LAHE - MUHAMMAD (SAW) IS THE PROPHET OF Allah, AND HAZRAT ALI IS THE DIVINE VICEGERENT OF Allah,' Allah will then keep him from a horrible death, and he will remain on his faith. ==================================================== 6.5.13. Having a Ring in the Hand -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another etiquette of prayer is to put a ring of Turquoise (Firozeh) Red-chalcedony (Aqiq) in the fingers; it has been reported that Allah (the Glorious, the Exalted) has said: "I feel ashamed to reject the supplication of a supplicant having a ring of Turquoise or Red Chalcedony upon his fingers." Also Imam al-Sadiq [a] has narrated: "A hand with a Turquoise or Red-chalcedony ring raised in prayer is dearer before Allah than any other hand." ==================================================== Information for Haju re aqiq ring: Taken from "Tahdhib ul Islam" - P.E.T Publications Imam Jaa'far Sadiq stated that this stone ensures one's safety if worn during travelling. Imam Ali used to wear four rings on his hand - one of ruby (Yaqut) for beauty and dignity, the second of Turquoise (Firuza) for obtaining Divine help and victory, the thrid of Hadid Chini for strength and the fourth of Aqiq to protect himself against enemies and all types of misfortunes. From a tradition from Bashir Dahhan . . . if a Shia wears a ring of even one of the three aqias, he will derive its benefits, his sustencance (rizq) will be increased, and he will be protected from dangers, disasters, misfortunes and accidents. It will also be a protection for him in frightening and terrifying cirumstances, like facing the oppression of a tyrant. Another tradition states that praying two rakats Namaz (prayers) while wearing an Aqiq ring is better than praying a thousand rakats without it. I hope this is helpful. There is another hadith that had reciting surah al qadr and then a dua, for complete protection for the day ===================================================== It has been reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq as.gif: "The Messenger of Allah said: God says: a servant who raises his hands towards Me while wearing a ring with turquoise, I will be ashamed of returning him disappointed." Imam Sadeq as.gif has said: "There is no hand more beloved than one wearing a ring with agate raised towards God." It has been reported on the authority of Imam Reza as.gif: "Whoever wears a ring with an agate on it, firstly he will not become needy and secondly, what God has destined for him, will be good." One day one of the associates of Imam Reza as.gif along with a slave of governor passed by him. Imam Reza as.gif said: "Give him a ring with agate." The associates did so. They realized that man was never harmed in his life. Imam Reza as.gif said: "Having agate with you in trip, will safeguard you." It has also been related on the authority of Imam Reza as.gif "Whoever wears a ring with agate in his right hand, if he reverts the agate toward the palm of his hand in the morning before any one sees him, and recites the Quranic Chapter, Qadr and then say: I believe in Allah who has no partner, and deny other god, but I believe in what is hidden from and manifest to the progeny of Mohammad (SAW) and I believe in their leadership, God will keep him safe on that day from the earthly and heavenly evils and keep him under His own protection and keep him under His own protection till night." Amiralmomenin as.gif says: "Wear a ring with agate so that God will give you blessings and you will be safe from evils." A man came to the Holy Prophet (SAW) complaining of highwaymen. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: "Why weren't you wearing a ring with agate? This ring will safeguard man from all evil. Whoever wears a ring with agate will end up in god as long as he is wearing that ring and God will protect him forever. Whoever makes a ring with agate and the inscription: Mohammad, Messanger of Allah and Ali, friend of Allah, God will keep him from bad death and he will die a believer. No hand raised towards Allah is more beloved than a hand wearing a ring of agate. Should a man wearing a ring of agate draw lots, he will have a lion's share." God created agate following prophet Moses' invocations in Mount Sinai and said: "By Myself, I will not punish with Fire a hand wearing a ring of agate provided he believes in the leadership of Ali." God has said: "Performing two Rak'at of prayer with a ring of agate is equal to a thousand Rak'at without it."

(bismillah) (wasalam) Some scholars as far as I remember (warning: my memory these days is horrible) have called for this. http://www.aimislam.com/resources/22-juris...-marjaiyya.html http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/default.asp?url=ijtihad.htm (you will have to scroll down, just search for Council of Fuqaha on the page) A marja is a mujtahid who is followed by people (as I understand from what I was told). So maybe if folk stop following the mujtahid his marja status goes. :unsure: I think I will just post one of my previous posts explaining why it is not allowed. I dont want to type it all out again. http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?s=...t&p=1813296 (first paragraph after quote) You would be following contradictory academic principles if you followed more than one marja. Doesnt seem like it or even if there is let the marjas deal with it. :P Ayatollah Behjat (ra) was asked what irfan is. He went silent (yeah I think he did go silent even though I am not 100% sure because my memory has been horrible lately) and then he replied it (irfan) is to act on what you know. So if you know lying is haram then you dont do it. That is irfan. Anyways so my point is instead of making changes to an already stable system and worrying about it, lets first act on what we already know and try and bring changes to things we already know need to be changed (ourselves).