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Salam, While discussing with some brothers about jinns and angels, a question came up that bugged a bit: It is known in the Quran and hadith that jinns are created of fire (or smoke) and Angels of light and that both are invisible to the eye. If they are creations they ought to be observable (eyes or not) with the technologies that we have or will have in the future. Or maybe the use of the words fire and light are metaphors and they are consisted of some energy (or matter) that we cannot observe (yet)? Or is it possible that they live in another dimension that we don't know of? Please feel free to give your thoughts or share with us some verses, hadiths about this topic. Thanks for your attention

Salam Alaikom, here this topic is about angels and to gather mainly material about angels for all of us to benefit from islamic sources. Have you ever thought why so little of speech in our communities about angels, are we not maybe, part angelic and part animal like, and maybe from spiritual realm perspective we are like this. Gathering of information is by this priority: From the Holy Quran Ahadith of Ahl al-Bait Peace upon Them What our Maraje say based on aql and naql of course Any speech from a scholar in your community, this includes your virtual community also, try to find one speech lo. Any books in any language is also welcome, on this topic both from Maraje and high scholars and other researches that is Muslims.

Salam alaykum, I was running through the lectures of Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussain of this Muharram which according to me are somewhat briging new paradigms into the field of qur'anic hermeneutics and his ideas within the shi'ite thought are remarkably innovative, specially considering the stagnation of the system of marja'iyya for two centuries. The need of a refreshing revaluation of our qur'anic interpretation and understanding was really necessary as we are already going through major crisis particularly inside Islam. And the efforts of Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussain in trying to satisfy this intellectual gap are valuable specially considering that the new generation of muslims in the West are higly educated and in a constant exigency of orginal and advanced knowledge. The shi'ite thought is certainly at the edge of a new revolution in terms of Kuhn's concept of scientific revolution. However, until now this revolution was not possible primarily because of our coercive dependency to the textual material belonging to the Ahlul Bayt ie. their eternal role in qur'anic interpretation and understanding. The concept of "essence and form" introduced by Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussain within the framework of hadith ath-thaqalayn is the master key that paves the way for the autonomy of qur'anic interpretation and understanding at a private and community level. The problem that could arise from a traditional point of view is certainly that of looking at the Qur'an and the Ahlul Bayt (the two weights) as having the same weight. To support his thoughts Sheikh Arif Abdul Hussain is relying to a certain extent on the tradition also given by Allamah Tabatabai in his tafseer al-Mizan (see 3:7-9) which says : ‘‘Certainly I am leaving among you two weighty things : The bigger one and the smaller (lighter) one. As for the bigger one, it is the Book of Allah; and as for the smaller one, it is my progeny, the people of my house. Therefore, keep me in mind about these two things; because you shall never go astray so long as you hold fast to them." Here we can see that the Qur'an and the Ahlul Bayt have no equal weight, but one is bigger and the other one is lighter or smaller. The religious and pragmatic consequences of this dichotomy are challenging because the tradition itself opens the Pandora's box of multiple interpretations and actions. -their substantial value are not same -Qur'an has a spiritual essence and a form bound to its own context and the Ahlul Bayt are only representative of their time and space, then restricted by their context also -companions are also representative of their time and space, then restricted by their context and the validity of their judgements are not to be questionned if the pattern "essence and form" is valid -same substantial value of the Ahlul Bayt and the companions -disestablishment of the old system of marja'iyya and elaboration of a new system less coercive and more tractable -from what follows, the hawza system is to be revisited and some courses like usul al-fiqh, fiqh, ilm al-hadith and ilm al-rijal are to be reassessed -establishing new disciplines more human-oriented (sciences)

THE LIGHT (NUR) TO BE FOLLOWED: الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful. (7:157) What is the Light sent down with the prophet that the believers should follow? Quran is considered as the light that has been sent with the prophet saww that we need to follow. We look in prophet traditions that Quran is not separated from the Progeny of the prophet saw (Ahl al bayat as). Based on a parallel (Mutawatir) tradition upon whose authenticity all Muslims agree, the Messenger of Allah (as) informed his followers in several occasions that he would leave them two precious/weighty things and that if Muslims adhere to both of them, they will never go astray after him. They are the Book of Allah (Quran) and the Members of the House of the Prophet (Ahlul-Bayt), peace be upon them all. It is narrated in Sahih Muslim as well as many other sources that: Someday (after his last pilgrimage) the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) stood to give us a speech beside a pond which is known as Khum (Ghadir Khum) which is located between Mecca and Medina. Then he praised Allah and reminded Him, and then said: "O' people! Behold! It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. Behold! I am leaving for you two precious things. First of them is the book of Allah in which there is light and guidance... The other one is my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. (three times)." Sunni Reference: - Sahih Muslim, Chapter of the virtues of the companions, section of the virtues of Ali, 1980 Edition Pub. in Saudi Arabia, Arabic version, v4, p1873, Tradition #36. - And many others such as Sahih al-Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad. For the English version of Sahih Muslim, see Chapter CMXCVI, v4, p1286, Tradition #5920 At many occasions it has been defined by the prophet saww that his Ahl al bayat includes Ali, Fatima, Hassan , Hussain and nine descendents of Imam Hussain. The last one of them is Al-Mahdi. Also, it can be seen in prophet traditions that there will be 12 Imams/ caliphs / amirs from hi Ahl albayat. The first one is Imam Ali and the last one is Imam Al-mahdi. So according to the above verse and prophet traditions we need to follow both Quran and Ahl al bayat as they are not separated from each other. The following tradition has been narrated by the Imams from Ahl al bayat as: H 495, Ch. 13, h 1, part 4 (Al-kafi,) Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Mirdas who has said that Saffron ibn Yahya and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub have narrated from abu Ayyub from abu Khalid al-Kabuli who has said that he asked Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah ,in the following. "Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness." (7:157). The Imam (a.s.) said, "O abu Khalid, I swear by Allah that it is the Imams from the family of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) up to the Day of judgment who are called light in the above verse. They, I swear by Allah, are the light of Allah whom He sent down. It is they, I swear by Allah, who are the light of Allah in the heavens and in the earth. O abu Khalid, I swear by Allah, that the light of the Imams (a.s.) in the hearts of the true believers is more bright than the light of the sun in the midday. They, I swear by Allah, give light to the hearts of the true believers and Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, may block such light from reaching the hearts of whoever He may will, thus their hearts remain dark. O abu Khalid, no one would believe in our Divine authority except that Allah will cleanse his heart. Allah will not cleanse the heart of a person until he or she will acknowledge our Divine authority and live in peace with us. When one lives in peace with us Allah will safe guard him against the severity of the day of reckoning and grant him security against the great terror on the Day of Judgment" H 496, Ch. 13, h 2, part 4 (Al-kafi) Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated through his chain of narrators from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about thewords of Allah that say, There are those who follow the Messengers, the illiterate Prophet (not conventionally educated), whose description they find written in the Torah and the Gospel. [He (the Messenger) enjoins them to do good and forbids them to do all that is unlawful, makes lawful for them all that is pure and unlawful all that is filthy, removes their burdens and the entanglements in which they are involved]. Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness." (7:157) The Imams (a.s.) said, "It is Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (a.s.) and the Imams (a.s.) after him who are called ‘light’ in the above verse of the Holy Quran." Thus it is confirmed that 12 Imams should be followed who are referred as Light in the above verse (7:157) of the quran. If we continue searching the word Light (نور ) in the Quran till this verse (7:157), the following is revealed: مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ الَّذِي اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ ذَهَبَ اللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ (Al-Baqra, 17). وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِي ظُلُمَاتٍ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ اللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (Al – Baqra, 257). يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَانٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُورًا مُّبِينًا (Al-Nissa, 174) يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ (Al-Maidah, 15) يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلَامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ (Al-Maidah, 16) إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا التَّوْرَاةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّونَ الَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا وَالرَّبَّانِيُّونَ وَالْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا اسْتُحْفِظُوا مِن كِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَكَانُوا عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَاءَ ۚ (Al-Maidah, 44) وَقَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِم بِعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ ۖ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ وَمُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَهُدًى وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ (Al-Maidah, 46) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ (Al-Anam, 1) وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ بَشَرٍ مِّن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الَّذِي جَاءَ بِهِ مُوسَىٰ نُورًا وَهُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ ۖ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيرًا ۖ (Al-Anam, 91) أَوَمَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ (Al-Anam, 122) الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِندَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ ۙ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ (Al-Araf, 157) The word light (نور) as quoted I n the above verse from beginning of the Quran to this verse of Aura-AlAraf (7:157) has exactly been used 12 times equal to the number of Imams from Ahl al bayat as declared in the prophet traditions. It confirms for the believers that the truth has been defined by the Pure Imams and Quran also verifies their sayings in this Numerical order, as both are non-separable. This is a wonderful miracle of Quran and the excellent proof of Truth in the sayings of 12 pure Imams. Conclusion: كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ (Here is) a Book which We have sent down unto thee, full of blessings, that they may mediate on its Signs, and that men of understanding may receive admonition. (Sad, 29) إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا Verily this Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable), and giveth the Glad Tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward (Al-Isra, 9) From above discussion, it can be concluded that obeying the 12 Imams is the only way to which the Quran guides the mindful people in order to be believers. Obeying the Imams is declared as following the light sent with the prophet. This straight way should be followed as Quran gives glad tidings of great reward for them and they will be the successful. ;