Leaderboard

How are you all holding up with regards to time spent reading the news and scrolling X and YouTube? Me personally; I want to be informed however I need to self-correct the 1-2 hours a day I have been following current events since the war began. Maybe listening to audio might be better.

You're not alone sister, I'm a recovering addict myself, specifically from methamphetamine and I remember first accepting Islam during my addiction and seeing the truth and I'll say this: Relapse is a part of recovery. But don't give up. Remember the Dua from Surah 18:10. "O our Lord! Give us mercy from Yourself and guide us rightly through our predicament." Ramadan Mubarak sister

I haven't turned on the TV at all. Have not heard from family members in Iran. Only heard the radio news at the top of the hour. Yesterday morning at work, I had an incident where my heart was hurting and I chewed four baby aspirins and kept working. My stress is sky high. I also don't watch any youtube videos about this. I just read some news on the Internet or what I see here at ShiaChat. I cannot imagine the people in Iran, how they are feeling, being unjustly attacked and having their leaders and family members killed, insulted in the world media, and accused of being terrorists and sleeper cells, etc. Ya Allah

trigger warning: discussion of drugs, violence, suicide, sex trafficking, family estrangement, and the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei Hello all, I am having a really hard time right now, and I feel very alone in it. I am an American revert of about 4 years with a pretty traumatic background, serious health issues, disability, a broken family, history of addiction, being abused since a very young age, lost close friends to drugs, violence, and suicide, survived a suicide attempt when I was about 10 years old, and recently have been working in therapy through trauma related to sex trafficking (not to the extent of what we see in the news lately, but something similar enough that it's been really triggering and difficult for me to function especially lately hearing everyone talk about it all the time and still coming to terms with my own history). Over ten years ago today, something really horrible happened to me when I was 16 years old. When this happened it happened to me at a time in my life when I was, probably for the first time, at least that I can remember, starting to feel like I wanted to live sometimes, and thinking optimistically that maybe in a few years once I was able to get out of the environment I was in I could live a happier life and not be plagued with so much pain and difficulty. Then this happened and it utterly shattered me and put me back on a bad path. It took almost ten more years for me to get back on the right path and honestly it got worse before it got better. Eventually I had another near death experience which changed the way I thought about things and gave me hope and determination to get out of the situation I was in, and later accepted Islam, which saved me. At times I felt guilty, because I left behind some family members who were abusing me, but they were having such a horrible effect on me and my life and after I left them and stopped being controlled and influenced by them so directly I became stronger and more sane, and even stopped feeling suicidal. I still have close ties with some family members, but not with my mother, or most of the people on her side of the family, due to physical and psychological safety issues, addiction, and some of them are hostile to religion. I wrote to Ayatollah Khamenei's (may Allah have mercy upon him and place him in the highest ranks of Jannah) office about my situation and received a letter back relieving me from the obligation to maintain those family ties, given the circumstances, and with prayers for my success. I can't really describe what that meant to me, because honestly, I have felt so alone in my decision, I haven't fully explained it to many people at all, and so many people would say, well she's your mother, it doesn't matter what she does or how she makes you feel, you should just be stronger, or just speak to her once in a while, or call her sometimes. I wish it were that simple, and I wish I was physically and psychologically stronger, and that I knew how to change things. In my letter, I didn't even go into a lot of graphic details, as I worried I was wasting their time, and I didn't give them graphic details or even ask to be relieved from the obligation, I said, I understand this is my obligation, here are my fears, here is what I've tried and how it has backfired, how do I fulfill my obligation and also keep myself safe and avoid falling back into haram? It was like a miracle to me that someone on the other side of the world with so much else to worry about cared enough to pray for me and answer my fears and try to comfort me, understood, and didn't judge me as a bad person for being terrified to walk back in to an abusive situation. I have felt completely gutted since I heard of his martyrdom. I know that for him it is the best reward but for me, I can't begin to describe how I feel. My father and my siblings, although we are close, they don't understand why I'm so upset about the death of someone who they have only known through lies and Western propaganda. My therapists who have helped me for years are supportive but I can tell that they also don't get what I am going through right now. I don't really have friends because I struggle to make and maintain friendships on account of the PTSD and just like, paranoia. There was a majlis and memorial for him and the schoolchildren that I wanted to attend but I don't have a car and I could have gotten a ride except I am terrified to get into anyone's car even when I know they won't do anything to me. I keep everyone I know at an arms length because I am afraid to open up about my life and be treated with alarm or pity or misunderstanding, or to answer everyone's question "What led you to Islam?" in depth when it's frankly a messed up story. I don't know what to say to people if they ask me about my mother, it already feels like I've amputated a limb, and even though I felt that I had to do it, that doesn't make it easier. Also being disabled and chronically ill adds another layer of complexity to relationships. And I am sad and embarrassed that I can't fast for Ramadan without making myself sick. I have support groups, political organizing, and volunteering, but I don't feel like I can bring my grief about this into those spaces. I have some surface level friendships but I don't feel particularly close with people because it's hard for me to unguard my heart or relate and then I feel guilty for not wanting anyone around. Even when I want to be friends with people I get in my head and then I am an unreliable friend or I make people think I don't want to talk to them because I just go mute sometimes or I don't say the right thing. I am also autistic so I always manage to put my foot in my mouth and be rude unintentionally because I don't pick up on social cues that well. I know I'm not the only one in the world with PTSD, or with autism, or health problems, and I am very aware that my life could have been much much worse, and at the same time, I have spent most of my life picking up pieces of myself just to try to go on, and I am so tired and so sad. I don't want to be so consumed with myself and my pain right now when I know there's much worse things happening in the world and I am in a much better place than I used to be. I am grateful for my life and where it has led me even with all of the pain, but every year this is a really hard time for me, my body remembers what happened and I feel so ashamed and violated even if I manage to avoid consciously thinking about it for a little while. And then once I do think about it I tend to spiral and keep thinking about all of the times I ever felt like I couldn't escape or like my body didn't belong to me and it's like I'm either having flashbacks or I'm completely numb or having out of body experiences and still trying to go on like nothing is wrong with me. And with his martyrdom, this year I feel even more alone than usual. My house is a mess, I am forgetting to eat and drink even though I'm not even supposed to be fasting, and then sometimes overeating even though it's Ramadan, I am behind in my schoolwork, I am distracted in prayer, praying late because I am dissociating and not feeling time pass, just trying not to invalidate my prayers by crying about my life, I am not sleeping enough and having nightmares again even though they stopped for a while, I am struggling even to shower because of what it reminds me of, which has already been exacerbating some of my health issues. Normally this goes on for a week or two weeks every year around this date and then it gets better but with the war happening, Epstein stuff in the news, I am worried about getting stuck in a state of fight/flight/freeze for longer or not being able to catch back up. I am trying to remind myself that I'm not in that place any more but then I get frustrated that it feels like I bring it with me everywhere I go and I get scared that it will always be like this. I get mad at myself that I am still afraid of something that happened over a decade ago as if it's happening to me now. I am mad at myself that I didn't get better sooner, that I internalized every horrible thing that happened to me and continued to inflict it upon myself and get myself in the same situation over and over for so many years after that. I am mad at my mom because of how she fed me to the wolves and sometimes I'm even mad at my dad because he didn't stop her. I have these very shameful early childhood memories I am STILL confused and terrified by, despite many years of therapy, and I have gaps in my memory that I am even more scared of. I want community, I want friends and a family someday, but I am so afraid of burdening anyone and I feel like my existence is a burden so I just stay home, and my brain is so conditioned to think that when people say they want to see you it means they will trick and take advantage of you, and I know this is wrong, but I don't know how to get past the panic or the paranoia. I meet other Muslims who are so kind and welcoming, who want to know me and would probably never dream of doing the things that were done to me, and I feel like I don't belong here, that type of community is for people who haven't seen what I've seen or done what I've done, or had done to them what was done to me. Or worse sometimes I think how would I know these people aren't also capable of doing the same thing to me as what others have done. I know that most of the world is not like what I have known, but I also know that the type of violence I have known happens in the dark corners everywhere and even in many places in public, though people don't realize it. I know people of all backgrounds who have been through what I have been through or even worse so it's hard for me to truly believe that there is anywhere or anyone who is safe, and places that seem safe are almost like the scariest to me because this is gonna sound crazy but if something looks bad at least I know what I'm getting into. It's harder to be around people who are kind to me because I feel like I am just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Most of the time I only feel safe when I am home alone. I have been taking baby steps towards getting to know people but I don't know how to actually open my heart. I feel like if I did a bunch of sickness and sadness would just come out. I feel like people expect some inspirational story from reverts, and while I really do feel like it's a miracle that I found Islam, and my life has improved so drastically because of it, if I try to share my story without disclosing too much, it feels fake, and I don't want to disclose so much either because it's disturbing and deeply personal. Normally I am pretty optimistic despite everything but this time of year and this day in particular pulls me into the darkest parts of my memory and I feel like I just have to hold my breath as long as possible to keep from drowning. Please pray for me, for my faith, for my physical and mental health, for the healing of my family, and most of all for our beloved Sayyid, that he may reside in Jannah al-Firdous among the best of believers. Please also be gentle with me and with your advice, if I knew how to fix my family situation, I would, and I have tried a lot already. I am sorry if this is not a good place to post this, or if it's inappropriate, I don't know who to talk to and today in particular has been really hard for me. If you have read this far, thank you for your prayers and for reading.

I read a news headline that an Iranian group hacked a US medical system. I think it would be much more effective if someone were to hack the US banking system and remove all debts below a million dollars. That would terrify the wealthy who love war, and win the hearts of all the regular working people.

Audio is a great way to stay informed but ensure you don't get burned out or overloaded. There are some really informative and up to date podcasts such as Electronic Intifada, The Cradle, Breaking Points, and Dropsite News. I try (emphasis on try), to listen to a podcast once a day, and check the Telegram news feeds 1-2 times max at the end of the day. Rest of time I try to stay focused on making dua, because me worrying or being hyper-informed about every breaking detail is not going to help anyone.

Salam may tonight's prayers, supplications, visitations, praises, and efforts be beautiful. May we secure the best and the best in all categories and matters may we do the worship act for last Friday and the last day then take to the streets for international Jerusalem day and Friday Prayers

I have been praying after every namaz that the hearts of the people in the resistance exposed to the conflict gets softer not harder through what they witness.. among other wishes.

Salam alaikum brothers and sisters... it’s been so long since I’ve logged on here and scrolled through the forums. It saddens me because I remember when I reverted I spent so much time on here connecting with other Muslims, learning and sharing - I was filled with inspiration and excitement and LOVE for Allah. I could not help but cry almost daily because I was so grateful to be guided to Islam, I felt whole and new - the world transformed and tears welled up in my eyes just seeing the sky, the earth, the plants, all the things Allah has created and knowing He had the power to create such a perfect world. However things have gone very very downhill... I am an alcoholic and got sober after reverting. I didn’t crave or consume a drop of alcohol for over a year. I relapsed and one thing led to another and I suddenly found myself in the midst of an even stronger and scarier addiction. Methamphetamine. The relapse with alcohol and my current active addiction to meth has DESTROYED my relationship with Allah. I have turned my back on all my duties and responsibilities as a Muslim, I have committed further sins as a result of being under the influence of meth constantly. I have turned away from Allah and instead have tried to seek comfort from meth/my addiction/other sins. I am DEEPLY ashamed and recently have been trying to remember Allah, trying to ask Him for guidance and for forgiveness and the strength to fight my addiction. I have taken full responsibility for my addiction I think. I do not blame anyone for it, I made the choice to try it the first time and seek it out the second time. I was naive and unaware of how powerful it was and I unfortunately met a dealer who pulled all the tricks (that I was ignorant to) to get me HOOKED on this drug very very quickly. However I know he wouldn’t have even had that chance had I not sought the drug out, had I been stronger in my faith and obeyed Allah’s commandments I wouldn’t be in the situation I am now, this addiction wouldn’t have had a chance to begin. I am getting help, going to go into detox and then look into rehab programs. Will Allah forgive me...? What can I do to rebuild my relationship with Allah and use the strength and love and faith Islam teaches/Allah provides, to aid me in my recovery? I am ashamed yes for committing haram acts. But I also do not want to hide my sins especially addiction because I think it’s important to talk about it and encourage all Muslims struggling with addiction to seek help and turn back to Allah immediately... advice would be appreciated. Any inspirational stories of recovery relating to Islam would also be very very helpful. Can I do this? Will I be able to find Allah again and follow His guidance? I’m scared. I am scared to stop using and scared to keep using. Oh Allah please forgive me and help me find my way back to the straight path! Please make dua for me & for all addicts and ALWAYS trust Allah’s judgement and commandments brothers & sisters because He is never wrong. He knew that using addictive substances can lead to addiction and that’s why he made even using them once or a little bit HARAM. Trust our Creator. He knows how weak human mind/human nature can be. Don’t make my mistakes. Strengthen your bond with Allah so that your Imam is STRONG and not susceptible to such evils...

I was informed that today NIACouncil youtube channel said in a live broadcast that not only have people in Iran been martyred, and infrastructure bombed, there are UNESCO sites in Iran have been bombed. I googled to see Which unesco sites in iran have been bombed? It's already there, and it says: These sites are protected under international law, and their damage has raised international alarm. Golestan Palace (Tehran): Suffered damage to its hall of mirrors, with shattered intricate mirrorwork, broken windows, and damaged molding due to shockwaves and debris from nearby strikes. Chehel Sotoun Palace (Isfahan): Experienced damage to its 17th-century structure, including broken latticework and shattered windows. Masjed-e Jāme (Isfahan): The country's oldest Friday mosque sustained damage. Khorramabad Valley: Structures in the vicinity of this prehistoric site were affected. Nagsh-e Jahan Square (Isfahan): Images showed plumes of smoke near this World Heritage site following air strikes.

Allahumma salli ala muhammadiw wa ali muhammadin wa ajjil faraja hum Rabbinee lima azalta ilayya min khayrin faqir Allahumma innee urreedu an atazawwaja faqaddir lee minan nisaa-I a'fihunna farjajan wa ah'fadh'ihunna lee fee nafsihaa wa awsa-i-hunna lee rizwan wa a-dhamahunna lee barakatan fee nafsihaa wa maaleee faqaddir lee minhaa waladan tayyiban tajaluhoo Khalafan saalihan fee hayaatee wa ba`da mawtee. Oh God! I desire to marry, so arrange for me a woman from those who willingly abstain from what is unlawful and who safeguards her soul for my sake and because of her, not only my means of sustenance will increase, but also make there be in it abundance and also make it sure that she will give me a virtuous son, who will be a noble successor in my life and after my death. Ya Rabb, help me in finding a good wife in the same boat as me, who also understands and accepts me as I am. May she find peace and be filled with joy wherever she goes. May she have the strength and courage to find me, love me and live with me. May she find and be filled with much wisdom and clarity in her words and from her experiences. May she, in her kindness, share these experiences with me and help us grow together. Verily with hardship comes ease. (Indeed, with hardship comes ease - 94:6) O Rabb, You alone know what is truly in my heart. You alone know my struggles and pain, Al-Wadud. I feel unbearably lonely and do not wish to incur Your displeasure by remaining unmarried, Al-'Aziz!

Allah Humma Salle Ala Muhammadin Wa Aal-e-Muhammad, Wa Aj’jil Farajahum

An important part of the calculus You can argue about the number of Iranian aircraft that have or haven't been destroyed or how many American soldiers have or haven't been killed. But something that cannot be fudged is the price at the pump that Americans are paying for gas. And that has political consequences for the administration.

They said that since the war started, praying it’s fake news.

Inflatable tanks is just a joke. Or cheap decoys to waste enemy ammunition.

Salam These are the links to the most important books about the issue of Imam Mahdi as that have been translated to English Now as to the one website if somebody cries the Akhbari are Imamiyah Shia and our brothers if they follow a slightly different methodology of jurisprudence, that is fine. The main point is they have translated a lot of useful books. The translations of themselves are not bad just some of the articles you have to be careful. The translated books are fine. wallahu Alam https://shiapdfresources.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/bihar-al-anwar-vol-51-52-53-the-promised-mahdi-english-translation-part-1.pdf https://hubeali.com/online-books/online-english-books/bihar-al-anwaar/ see vol 51 52 53 here as well https://al-islam.org/mikyal-al-makarim-fi-fawaid-al-dua-lil-qaim-vol-1-sayyid-muhammad-taqi-musawi-isfahani https://al-islam.org/mikyal-al-makarim-fi-fawaid-al-dua-lil-qaim-vol-2-sayyid-muhammad-taqi-musawi-isfahani https://archive.org/details/the-shooting-star-an-najmus-saqib-ahwaal-e-imammul-ghaaeb-s-athar-hussain-rizvi https://al-islam.org/life-imam-al-mahdi-baqir-shareef-al-qurashi https://www.amazon.com/Asr-Zahoor-Description-related-Humanity/dp/B0DJK4ZRQK This one is one of the other most important boxes. It’s only available online for free and Urdu, but I want everybody to know it’s available so I put it up here.

Salam, And this is great, there is so much in your last response that I appreciate and that I did not know before. And thanks for the food recommendation, I have not tried tahini so I will give that a try. So I looked up your quote in Qur’an 4:54, and this is very interesting. This is all new to me. In the biblical tradition the promise of the kingdom under the Messiah is tied to the covenant with David and the coming Messiah from that line. It seems from this verse there is recognition of the kingship of the earlier times of covenantal Israel, if I understand this correctly. “Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But We had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.” Qur’an 4:54. In Samuel, David is promised a covenant of kingship in his lineage: “When your days come to an end and you are laid to rest with your forefathers, then I will raise up your offspring after you, your own son, and I will firmly establish his kingdom.” 2 Samuel 7:12. Now the interesting thing is that it continues to speak of that kingship covenant as eternal: “Your house and your kingdom will be secure forever before you; your throne will be firmly established forever.” 2 Samuel 7:16. In later scripture, both in the prophets like Daniel and in Luke’s gospel, the kingdom is associated with the Messiah. Is there a relationship or any commentary on the relationship between that Davidic kingship and the role of the Mahdi? Or was the kingdom mentioned above strictly understood as referring to ancient Israel before its exile to Babylon? Next I want to address the primordial light and the reference to John 1. This is very interesting and close to me here. First off, I DO NOT believe in a trinity or that Jesus is somehow co-equal with God. I respect strict tawhid, and that is not what John was saying anyway, and you seem familiar with that verse already. However, John was talking about Jesus there, as he had been with him closely. I am interested in this understanding of the “light,” though in relation to the logos, 'word'. You see that as the 14 infallibles sharing one light. So is this a primordial light across all sacred history, from Seth and Enoch all the way through the prophets and the Imams? As though all history is refracted through this light? Or is this strictly from the Prophet Muhammad and the Imams culminating in the return of Al-Mahdi? I am wondering because the whole Hebrew canon, as I understand it, is pointing toward the Messiah in the figure who appeared as Jesus, and the earlier prophets are like partial reflections of that light that reveal aspects of the Messiah. If that makes sense, how is the continuity and unity through all human history seen in Shi‘i theology? This is where my study through Henry Corbin, not sure if you are familiar, resonated with me. I understand Biblical scripture as portraying Christ’s kingdom in multiple places (Daniel, Revelation, and elsewhere) as beginning in heaven, and his presence marking the end of the age. His guidance is both visible and invisible through this time, and this strikes me as a possible convergence. I suppose the light you are describing culminates in Al-Mahdi, toward which all creation is moving. Is that correct? And is reaching perfection tied to the guidance through this light during occultation? Am I understanding that correctly? And if I follow with your references, yes, the world does reflect a deep spiritual sign of the end times in its violence, lawlessness, and wickedness. I would totally agree. Also you mentioned two phases of the Mahdi’s kingdom and also two deaths. I am not quite following that part. Could you explain what you mean there? Also thank you to Eddie Mecca for the additional explanation about the Mahdi and the shift of prophetic authority. I want to come back to that and think on it a little more, because there are some deep points there as well that I would like to explore. The question of prophetic authority and how different traditions understand that transition is very interesting, and I would like to think on this more before responding in detail. Thanks again, this is very interesting. Salam!

MY POST UPDATE: Here is the explanation of the all 4 senarios as per Ayatullah Sistani in Urdu langauage from the below youtube video : This explanation picture is from the below Youtube Video explaining Ayatullah Sistani Fatwa:

Salaam blessed iftar The insanity that invalidate prayer and fasting is the insanity that is to such a level that a person cannot distinguish between right and left male and female or right and wrong. It’s a total incomplete form of insanity even most bipolar, depressed, anxious people aren’t insane according to Islamic standard insane would be like a schizophrenic was in a full-blown episode We can interact as a different thing. This would be a person whose IQ is below 70 or even lower. They don’t have the intellectual capacity of adult understand things in the right way. Somebody who has a 70, 75 80 iq that’s lower but they can know right from wrong someone who’s bipolar whether they take their meds or not unless they’re having a full-blown manic episode. Someone who is depressed knows that killing himself is wrong. medicine helps people with mental illness dysfunction to make better decisions, but it doesn’t take away the religious responsibility their morality or their knowledge. I know plenty of bipolar people from the inner city PTSD people who have fit sacked up who fight with people but they’re not insane. These are personality and behavioral issues that often require therapy medication cognitive behavior, adjustment, etc.. mentally abnormal and insane are not the same thing in Islamic law wallahu alam

Didn't even hear of his passing. Look at them, they once ruled the world and eventually die as nobodys, with nobody mourning them. May he burn in hell with the likes of Sharon, Powell and Bush father. Ameen. Our martyrs are immortal.

salam sister I hope you have given up the addiction

Assalamualaikum, my sister. Many Muslims struggle with addiction, and the shame and guilt and despair that come with it. You are not the only one is going through this, nor are you too far gone to return to your Creator. I want to share with you two stories from people dear to me: My friend Amira reverted to Islam many years ago. She has endured many hardships, including the tragic loss of her granddaughter. She fell into addiction, to heroin and alcohol and perhaps other drugs. She has been clean and sober for more than two years now, even through the death of her mother and homelessness and poverty. Allah has blessed her with a beautiful grandson. She has some of the strongest iman I have ever seen. My husband reverted to Islam around 7 years ago. He was a heavy drinker before he reverted. He suffers from severe PTSD due to war and trauma. It took him years to become sober. He still craves alcohol, but alhamdulillah he has been sober for four years. He isn’t the best Muslim, but he tries. Addiction is a disease. The fact that you have chosen to seek help is testimony to your true character. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) would not give you a burden too big to bear. Though you may stumble on the Path (to recovery and to Allah), remember the Path is like a road, not a tightrope. If you fall down, you are still on the Path. Get back up, dust yourself off, and continue your journey. May Allah bless you and your child. Salawat

Your repentance will elevate your status too high in front of your Lord.. God loves a repentant servant more.. And all this love you've got inside is just because Allah has bestowed upon you His love. He has given you His hand. This time hold it really tight. And leave all the hands you are holding. Make your connection strong with Nabi (saws) and his Ahlulbayt. Make lots of duas and cry cry cry.. Crying is in itself a detox for your soul.

I’m here sorry. I was a bit overwhelmed with all the support I received here. Just reminded me of why I chose to revert to Islam. I’m sitting here right now crying, with regret at the choices I made that got me here but also with gratefulness. Made the appointment to get this recovery process properly started. They’ll get me into detox ASAP then a 6 month program in rehab. I feel this strength inside of me starting to grow and grow. For the first time in months I feel a desperate urge to pray. Going to try to grab hold of these feelings and not let them disappear or fade away. I’m ready to get well, I’m ready to trust Allah and submit again. I want to be proud to represent Islam again. I didn’t mention in my original post but I recently found out I am pregnant, just entered the 2nd trimester, I wish this child had been conceived under different circumstances but I believe it is a blessing regardless and Allah knows I will FIGHT with every bit of strength I have to give my children the life they deserve... this is not the life I was meant to have. I’m terrified but I think rehab will be one of the best experiences I will have. And with that and with Allah and Islam and my family and my kids I’m gonna recover. I’ll message some of the sisters on here too, I don’t have a strong Muslim community where I am so that’ll be very helpful just to have some extra support on here.

This is from Dua Abu Hamza At Thumali that our 4th Imam (as) teached him: O' my Lord! I did not disobey You when I did because I rejected Your divinity or because I belittled Your commands or that I was daringly challenging Your punishment or that I did not appreciate Your forewarning Yet the mistake has occurred, and my self misled me and my sinful desires won over me and my misery helped me to it and Your protective veil over my sins lured me For I have disobeyed You and opposed You with my own will Now, who can ever save me from Your chastisement? Tomorrow, who can save me from the hands of my rivals? Whose rope will I catch if You cut off the rope between You and me? Shame on me for my evildoings that Your Book has recorded Had it not been for Your generosity, the breadth of Your mercy as well as Your ordering me not to lose hope (in Your salvation), I would have despaired whenever I remembered it (my sin)

We believe that Imams (AS), despite having lofty divine positions, were still God's servants and that they had all of these virtues, acts of miraculous nature and positions by God's permission and His support. They depend on God in their essence as they depend on God in their attributes and are not independent of Him. Therefore proving these capabilities (these attributes) for them is not in contradiction with belief in divine unity; rather it is affirmation of divine unity. In fact the Imams' (AS) enemies exploited exaggerated beliefs about Imams (AS) and also made every effort to forge traditions to condemn their enemies in a bid to distort the real image of Shiites and their Imams (AS).

Very similarly, I wonder if Isa (AS) knew people would pray to him instead of praying to Allah. If some shias really pray to Imam Ali for help, then they have no room to criticize Christians for praying to Jesus (AS). While not exactly the same thing, it's pretty darn close.

Dear brother, I am making a very important point here. If you lived in Egypt, and the imam a.s made you a govener (and even wrote you letters), and you were in dire need at the moment, would you cry out to Allah swt to help you, or cry out to Imam Ali a.s to help you in that immediate moment? It has little to do with our holy imams a.s using the restroom. I am trying to emphasize they were humans like us, with the same biological functions - not immortal, omnipotent, overarching beings. Imagine if you cried 'Ya Ali madad' to Imam Ali a.s while he was showering or eating, and you were in egypt, if he was alive? Can you not see, dear brother, with the utmost respect how illogical a thing to do that would be ?

(باب المعبود) 1 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن محمد بن عيسى بن عبيد، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن ابن رئاب وعن غير واحد، عن أبي عبدالله (عليه السلام) قال: من عبدالله بالتوهم فقد كفر (1) ومن عبد الاسم دون المعنى فقد كفر، ومن عبد الاسم والمعنى فقد أشرك، ومن عبد المعنى بإيقاع الاسماء عليه بصفاته التي وصف بها نفسه فعقد عليه قلبه ونطق به لسانه في سرائره وعلانيته (2) فأولئك أصحاب أمير المؤمنين (عليه السلام) حقا. وفي حديث آخر: اولئك هم المؤمنون حقا. 2 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن النضر بن سويد، عن هشام بن الحكم أنه سأل أبا عبدالله (عليه السلام) عن أسماء الله واشتقاقها: الله مما هو مشتق؟ قال: فقال لي: يا هشام الله مشتق من إله والاله يقتضي مألوها والاسم غير المسمى، فمن عبد الاسم دون المعنى فقد كفر ولم يعبد شيئا، ومن عبد الاسم والمعنى فقد كفر وعبد اثنين، ومن عبد المعنى دون الاسم فذاك التوحيد أفهمت يا هشام؟ قال: فقلت: زدني قال: إن لله تسعة وتسعين اسما فلو كان الاسم هو المسمى لكان كل اسم منها إلها ولكن الله معنى يدل عليه بهذه الاسماء وكلها غيره، يا هشام الخبز اسم للمأكول والماء اسم للمشروب والثوب اسم للملبوس والنار اسم للمحرق أفهمت يا هشام فهما تدفع به وتناضل به (3) أعداء نا والمتخذين مع الله عزوجل غيره؟ قلت: نعم، قال: فقال: نفعك الله به وثبتك يا هشام، قال هشام فوالله ما قهرني أحد في التوحيد حتى قمت مقامي هذا. 3 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن العباس بن معروف، عن عبدالرحمن بن أبي نجران قال: كتبت إلى أبي جعفر (عليه السلام) أو قلت له: جعلني الله فداك نعبد الرحمن الرحيم الواحد ____________ (1) أي من غير أن يكون على يقين في وجوده تعالى وصفاته، أو بأن يتوهمه محدودا مدركا بالوهم وانما كفر لان الشك كفر ولان كل محدود ومدرك بالوهم غيره سبحانه فمن عبده كان عابدا لغيره فهو كافر. (آت) (2) في بعض النسخ في [سر امره]. (3) أي تدافع به أعداء نا، وأصل المناضلة: المرامات، يقال: ناضلة أي: رماه، ثم اتسع فيه فقيل فلان يناضل عن فلان إذا تكلم عنه بعذره ودفع عنه. (4) في اكثر النسخ [الملحدين]. [*] =============== (88) الاحد الصمد؟ قال: فقال: إن من عبد الاسم دون المسمى بالاسماء أشرك وكفر و جحد ولم يعبد شيئا بل اعبدالله الواحد الاحد الصمد المسمى بهذه الاسماء دون الاسماء إن الاسماء صفات وصف بها نفسه. I think everyone here is confused. Scholars usually explain this by starting with the argument of the limitation of the language, something that saintly hinted to. Allah is the creator. He created the ability to create. He created the man who can create. He created the material that human can use to create other things. He created the man who can be a prophet who can have authority on universe so much so that by the authority given to him by Allah , unanimated things can turn alive. Just because we don't have another word to describe Allah action of creation it dose not mean that Allah and his creation are on the same level of creative ability. This is called a limitation of our language. I can't recall a certain book in which this is explained well by a scholar but it is well known and largely accepted. It is implemented in this case and other cases related to Allah attributes.

Another problem is that no one, dead or alive, not even the prophets and imams possess(ed) comprehensive knowledge of Allah. It is also a definition of godhood that He remains unfathomable even to the reach of anyone's imagination. He has 99 attributes known to men. 1000 known to angels. And 1000 known to muqarribeen. My point is that since He has no toes nor do we know where they are, how can anyone very easily step upon them? Its not my intention to encourage the ghulat, but I don't wish to encourage takseer either.

It is impossible to give the Imams divine attributes, because in traditional Shi`i theology, the attributes of Allah are inseparable from Him. He is one and indivisible, and His names are simply indicators to Him. They are descriptions of His essence, and His essence is distinct from the creation. To say that Allah's essence is separate from His attributes is a form of shirk. Likewise, to say that Allah's essence is a part of the Imam is impossible, because the essence is uncreated and the Imam is created. The Imams did all that they can to protect the secret of Allah. That is to say, they emphasized that He is one, unseen, without physicality, and unimaginable. That being said, Allah is known through His signs in the creation, which act as His representation and His "face" in the world. This is not to be understood anthropomorphically - these signs are only indicators to Him, and may reflect certain qualities of His. The topmost sign is the Prophet and his Ahl al-Bayt, through whose example we can understand Allah's attributes. They are repositories of His light, which is His vehicle of guidance so that He may be better known and understood. They are also examples of His mercy, His justice, etc. By recognizing the Prophet, we recognize Allah, and none can have true cognizance of the Creator without having cognizance of His representative.

(bismillah) (salam) The majority of us do not give them attributes we shouldn't. Essentially shia's and our greatest ulema's past and present are of the consensus that the Imams a.s were human, ate, used the toilet, had sexual relationtions(if married/applicable), slept, were ill, and so on. Anyone that denies this has gone into ghuluw. I thank Allah swt for creating them as humans, because if he sent angels, imagine the ghuluw that would ensue? Alhamdullilah our imams a.s were mortals, had needs, felt sick. It is the thorn on the foot of every extreme devotee who exagerrates in their love. We also affirm that Allah swt is the one that controls the stars, the atoms, it is in his power and control and divine will everything happens. Now some people believe it is through the imams a.s he does this. I personally withold for now from such a belief, but i don't see it as shirk because in essence, Allah swt gives life and takes death through an angel, but it is when he commands, through his power, through him allowing. The imams a.s unfortunately, especially Imam Ali a.s through time have been the target of extreme devotion and ghuluw, and that toxic love has threatened to rot the core of our madhab from the inside out. It is only praise and thanks to Allah swt our imams a.s have warned us of those who perfom ghuluw. For example, there was those ghulaat who the imams a.s cursed who performed tafweed and said the Allah swt created the universe and left the imams a.s in charge of running it, delegating affairs. This is shirk, and you risk youur akhirah believing in this heresy. There are some who say the Imams a.s have more knowledge than they do. We shia's believe whatever knowledge they have is given to Allah swt , and while they are knowledgable and the most of all his creatures, Allah swt's knowledge is never encompassed and the Imams a.s are ignorant of many things Allah swt has not chosen to tell them of(through the Holy Prophet pbuh, i.e day of judgement). For instance, even during the time of the Prophet pbuh he was ignorant until revelation came, and he was given the knowledge by Allah swt. We have a hadith in Rijal Kashi: (Credit to brother Islamic Salvation) حمدويه، قال حدثنا يعقوب، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن شعيب، عن أبي بصير، قال : قلت لأبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) إنهم يقولون قال و ما يقولون قلت يقولون تعلم قطر المطر و عدد النجوم و ورق الشجر و وزن ما في البحر و عدد التراب، فرفع يده إلى السماء، و قال سبحان الله سبحان الله لا و الله ما يعلم هذا إلا الله 532. Hamdawayh who said: narrated to us Ya’qub from Ibn Abi Umayr from Shuayb from Abi Basir who said: I said to Abi Abdillah عليه السلام – they do say, he said: and what do they say? I said: they say that you know the number of the drops in the rain, and the number of the stars, and the number of leaves in all the trees, and the weight of what is in the ocean, and the number of sand particles, so he عليه السلام raised his hand to the sky and said: praise be to Allah, praise be to Allah, no by Allah, no one knows this except for Allah. Unfortunately, there are groups who go into extremism today saying things like the following: 1. For Imam Hussain a.s everything becomes permissible (utter lies) 2. When your wife is giving birth, you should scream Ya Ali (and therefore not Ya Allah) Every shia muslim must oppose statements like this. 3. Shia's getting tatoes of Imam Ali a.s 4. Shias never making dua to Allah swt. 5. Shia's self-mutilating themselves 6. Shia's abusing the concept of intercession, and i am not even regarding Ya Ali Madad as an abuse FYI. 7. The imams a.s are the beautiful names of Allah swt we must invoke. 8. Giving absolutely little importance to the seerah of Muhammed s.a.w. , little importance to the Quran, and being preoccupied in cursing and throwing lies even many ulema do not say(i.e X commited adultery), self-mutilation, barely making dua to Allah swt, and you'll find a number of people who can qualify for this by the way, which is no wonder sunni's look at us as a cult. No doubt there will be some who will feel threatened by what i posted, accuse me of going against the mainstream even though nothing in my post is really going against the mainstream, or be quite cynical towards me. But Allahu'alam, truth is clear from falsehood. May Allah swt cleanse our madhab from the extreme devotee's and guide them back , and make their efforts to turn away many from our madhab futile.

The Americans are claiming that they bombed the home of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and that he was killed

I think we need to be careful to differentiate the people who simply hate Trump out of partisan and ideological impulses, and who are looking for the latest issue (the war) as an excuse to hit the streets, vs. the people who actually care about Iran a lot of these idiots you see at these protests in the US don't even know where Iran is on a map, and think Iranians are Arabs. It is the same people who support the Palestinians without understanding anything about the situation in Israel the war is unpopular with the general population in the US, and it will become more unpopular as gas prices soar, casualties and chaos mount, and inflation takes hold. People don't like waking up to see a bloodbath in the newspaper and their stock portfolios tanking The Republican Party is largely split on the issue, which is not good for the administration where this all goes is very difficult to say--I don't know what condition the Iranian government is in, or who is really in charge. Eventually, some deal will be made

Please do not compare Imams (as) and their abilities to other humans. They (as) are in charge of the universe. They (as) are successors (خلفا) on the earth. Doing something does not prevent them (as) from doing other things. May Allah s.w.t. help us all, specially me, to gain more knowledge.

If I am CAPABLE of doing something, I will do it. If the Imam A.S made me governor, CLEARLY, he is and has helped me and guided me. Not only that, but he trusts me and thinks of me as CAPABLE. A vague question has no clear response. Yea everyone understands they were humans, but they were NOT like us. They were beyond mere vile humans. They were genetically human sure, but they had Allah swt 100% behind them. They were endowed with special responsibilities and abilities and had special servants by their side. By the will of Allah swt their calls were without a doubt heard with an immediate response. A man like Isa A.S who could cure the sick and bring back to life man was no ordinary being. Their significance as a human has no affect over their positions, except that it shows how far we can go if we truly believed. Imagine a hypothetical scenario? Is this how weak your rubbish arguments are? Well imagine, the imams were pure beings, from ANY impurity, as the quran says.

I will not stand by your avid disrespectful attitude any longer. I am sick and tired of your gabble on and on about thinking about our Imams astagfiurllah uses the rest room. Do you have not an ounce of respect. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING!?!? Do you not seek help from your parents because they use the bathroom? LIKE REALLY!!?!?!!? Do you not kiss your moms and dads hands for respect and love, because (I need to make this point clear so forgive me) they use the bathroom. How can you not still be banned with such garbage out of your mouth. Have some haya will you! This isnt a once thing, you keep repeating this over and over again. Can anyone imagine saying such a thing to the prophets or imams face? By the way, common sense really. If you have an IMAM living with you, NEAR you, you can easily ask someone or him, himself, to tell him to pray for you or help you with your needs. So this 200 miles away is a irrational argument.