Sirius_Bright

No Shi'a Muslim in their right mind would say that 'Ashhadu anna Ali Wali Ali' is wajib to say when taking the Shahahdah. Shi'as like to say it to prove their loyalty to Ali (as) as he was Rasuallah's (saw) successor and for years tyrants paid people to curse Ali's name on the mimbar. How could anyone say anything against Ali, the man who gave everything to this faith? And addition, why is it seen as bad to praise Ali in this way? Wallahi if any man deserves honour it is Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (as).
In fact, I know of reverts to Shi'a Islam who didn't even mention Ali's name in the Shahadah.
I don't understand why you have a problem with Muhammad's name in the Shahadah either - like others have stated if you don't mention your pledge of allegience to to Muhammad (saw) then you are no different to the Jews and Christians who don't believe he was a Prophet. And Allah (swt) says numerous time in the Qur'an to obey Him and obey his Prophet (saw) so there is nothing wrong here. 

True that. 
If we examine Iranian serials and other series then it's good to see they (Iranian cast) are in full hijab, opposite gender don't shake hands or other kinda vulgar stuff. But at the same time, as you said, women apply too much makeups, no serial is completed without love story, almost every program has some kind of quarrel/fights among them, Which are not our type of thing. The only thing they shoot under Islamic guidlines under the watch of ulamas are Islamic Movies. 

True that. 
If we examine Iranian serials and other series then it's good to see they (Iranian cast) are in full hijab, opposite gender don't shake hands or other kinda vulgar stuff. But at the same time, as you said, women apply too much makeups, no serial is completed without love story, almost every program has some kind of quarrel/fights among them, Which are not our type of thing. The only thing they shoot under Islamic guidlines under the watch of ulamas are Islamic Movies. 

Love is one of the strongest feelings, inner a human. When someone falls in love with else, he (or she) may does strange and dangerous things to attain his (or her) beloved.
Imam Ali (a.s):
«وَ مَنْ عَشِقَ شَيْئاً أَعْشَى بَصَرَهُ وَ أَمْرَضَ قَلْبَهُ فَهُوَ يَنْظُرُ بِعَيْنٍ غَيْرِ صَحِيحَةٍ وَ يَسْمَعُ بِأُذُنٍ غَيْرِ سَمِيعَةٍ»
Whoever falls in love with something, that thing, will make his (or her) eye blind, and his (or her) heart sick. Then he sees with a morbid eye and listens with a morbid ear.
Nahj Al Balaqa' (Sobhi Salim), P 160

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

ღAllah Humma Salle Ala Muhammadin Wa Aal-e-Muhammad, Wa Aj'jil Faraja Humღ 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

Asalamalekum,
Before i used to think that iranian dramas or movies would be under islamic guidelines. But after watching few of them, i notice they are not really following religious guidelines, for example, womans in the dramas and movies apply to much make up which is prohibted by marajas. I know it is entertainment media, and that is a norm. But after all it is being made in a iran and not pakistan. I am actually surprised they don't make dramas and movies with all male cast. If we can have segregation based on gender in majalis, schools, why not in entertainment if they are not going to make something under islamic guidelines?

Allahumma salli ala muhammadin wa ahli muhammadin wa aj'jil faraja hum.

I've been thinking about how I would decorate my future house one day. I think I'd keep it simple. And I would place wall art like this around the rooms.

That looks so good! I've got some nice pieces of Islamic art from Ebay and Etsy. It really gives my room a nice touch.
In addition (me being a book worm) I would love a collection like this:
 

I had heard the name of this program, but didn't really know what it was about until a few weeks ago when some celebrity Shi'a speaker in the US posted about something that happens on the show on his FB and people snapped on him for watching this show. So then I asked around some of my friends and became informed of what it entails.
From what I know, there is a heavy amount of nudity in this series and the type of nudity is essentially soft-core and maybe border line hard-core pornography. Those who watch it can testify themselves to the horrendous nature of it (since apparently there are some weird scenes and rape in it as well). Stats are showing that when GoT is aired, traffic on popular pornography websites decreases by millions. 
Regardless of what excuse one may make regarding the good story-line (the Shi'a speaker's excuse was that you learn a lot about Islamic themes through it, such as about the battles of of the Ahl ul-Bayt...the justifications people come up with today are beyond me...), the fact that people (Muslims and non-Muslims alike) are watching such filth on television shows the sorry state of affairs in the world.
It is really difficult to believe that people are not getting exposed to the nudity even if they want to forward such scenes. It is impractical. Not to mention the fact that if you have young guys (and even girls) who know full well about these scenes, they will get curious enough to watch them (and thus not look away or forward such scenes). This is like a gate-way to start watching full-fledged pornography (for the handful who still have some self-dignity left within them). 
I have issues with much of what is shown on television today and the detrimental qualities it has. But something like this - something that helps in diminishing human dignity and morals on a societal level, making pornography socially normal - is really, just not acceptable. Not to mention, viewing such material is shar'an haram as well and thus directly detrimental to your soul and subsequently your hereafter.
Please have some fear of God and stop falling prey to this culture of consumerism and stop deceiving yourselves.
Wassalam

Wa alaikum salaam,
 
Allamah Majlisis  (ra) book is very good, but it does seem a bit outdated & the translation I have doesn't have the references to the hadith's - but he reasons the shi'ite position so thoroughly & isn't afraid to condemn hypocrisy & corruption  :) it's not "ecumenical", which is good since only/mostly shi'ites reads books describing islam by shi'ites anyway.
 
I've read the "code of practice for muslims in the west" by Ayatullah Sistani (may God prolong his life) & other books concerning spirituality written by shi'ite scholars but I think I've missed many of the fundamentals & hence I felt the need to find a book that summates both the beliefs & the practices / do's & dont's of islam in imamiyya & then move on to the more philosophical stuff 
 
I can't find anything by Nasir al Din al Tusi except by Awsaf al Ashraf nor by Allamah Hilli in english :/
 
I narrowed it down to these books, taking your recommendations into concern & what I've found myself:
 
Wahid Khorasan - Usul Al-Din: Principles of Faith
Mesbah Yazdi - Theological Instructions
Allamah Majlisi - Haqqul Yaqeen
Allamah Tabatabai - Islamic Teachings in Brief
Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini - Introduction to Islam
 
Alhamdulillah, there's a lot of work available in english. But it's hard to find the most essential works one should read because there's so much available!
 
Maybe I should start by reading Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini's Introduction to Islam? His book Self-Building has a very good reputation

By the usage of reasonable mindset, GOT shouldn't be watched. It's better for our Islamic life to not watch sexual scenes. 
And yes, you may skip the scenes... but do you know when they come? What if you watch a haraam scene, then skip, but you find yourself still in that scene? Rubbish. 

I am so confused if you have really converted!!
This issue is undoubted in shia sources and there are plenty of ahadith which prove these people involved in Lady's martyrdom ( or more than involvement).Also there are some sunni proofs in this regard and even Ibn Taymiyah admitted so tried to vindicate(minhaj ussunna 8:291)  . I do not want to bring narrations to this thread but i give you only some sources:
Almusannaf 7:432
Tarikh Tabari 3:202,430
Alighdulfarid 5:13,2:254
Alimamh wassyasah 1:18
By the way let us not talk about her martyrdom , would you please tell me her idea about these people?was she satisfied with them?
refer to these books and find the answer:
sahih albukhari 4:42
musnad ahmad 1:6
sunan bayhaghi 6:300
Regarding what you mentioned about companions I accept that many people helped prophet and I do not talk about their intentions but that does not mean we should not hate them regarding dirty work they have done to Ahlulbayt.Let me give you an example :
Talhah and Zubayr helped Islam a lot but we hate them since they have established a war against their Imam to whom they have paid homage.Every Muslim including people you mentioned paid homage to Ali as on Ghadir they broke their word though.Let us see what quran says about such people:
فَبِما نَقْضِهِمْ ميثاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَ جَعَلْنا قُلُوبَهُمْ قاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَواضِعِهِ وَ نَسُوا حَظًّا مِمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ وَ لا تَزالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلى‏ خائِنَةٍ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ قَليلاً مِنْهُمْ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَ اصْفَحْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنينَ
Then, because of their breaking their covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard: they pervert words from their meanings, and have forgotten a part of what they were reminded. You will not cease to learn of some of their treachery, excepting a few of them. Yet excuse them and forbear. Indeed Allah loves the virtuous(5:13)
وَ الَّذينَ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ميثاقِهِ وَ يَقْطَعُونَ ما أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ وَ يُفْسِدُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أُولئِكَ لَهُمُ اللَّعْنَةُ وَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ الدَّارِ
But as for those who break Allah's compact after having pledged it solemnly, and sever what Allah has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the earth it is such on whom the curse will lie, and for them will be the ills of the] ultimate [abode(13:25)
إِنَّ شَرَّ الدَّوَابِّ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ الَّذينَ كَفَرُوا فَهُمْ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذينَ عاهَدْتَ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ يَنْقُضُونَ عَهْدَهُمْ في‏ كُلِّ مَرَّةٍ وَ هُمْ لا يَتَّقُونَ 
Indeed the worst of beasts in Allah's sight are those who are faithless; so they will not have fait.Those with whom you made a treaty, and who violated their treaty every time, and who are not God wary(8:56)

@Ali-F, Salam. I  skipped many of the episodes up till last year's season.I ended up reading the synopsis online..This time around, I would definitely look for a halalifed version, but I doubt I'll be watching it any time soon-I'd rather spend my 45 mins doing/watching something else.

Don't watch this disgusting and dirty series.

Panjtan e Pak! Is it 5?  

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ
Allahumma salle ala Mohammediw wa ale Mohammed wa ajjil farajahum wal an aa'dahum ajmaeen. 

اللّهُمّ صَلّ عَلَى مُحَمّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمّدٍ

lets say that the hadiths are true, whatever. so what? what does it prove? does it mean that they did not steal fadak?