Safinah al-nejat
Volume:3 Issue: 9, Winter 2018

New Year, Hopes and Successes
Islamic Heritage: Promoting Understanding and Moderation
Dear Readers,
Last year, despite terrible death of refugees and civil people in the war fields and terrors, mainly committed by the suicide bombers of the ISIS, by the grace of the Almighty God, had a breaking point; the decisive defeat of the ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Today global war against terror is not a fight between religions or peoples. But it is between moderates of all faiths and communities, against extremists whose faith is hate and violence.
Still we need to reject misinformation that some groups promote about Islam (or any other faith). We need to take away the waves and the Internet from the voices of hatred - those who have victimized our world, not only with bombs and terror, but with ignorance and lies.
Much of what is heard today about religion is all about what separates people of the world, mainly through what different groups do not know about others. The ideologies of hate distort the word of God to stir up conflict and justify crimes and terror. We need to take these dangers seriously. But they should not take us away from the truth- that faith should draw humanity together.
It is faith that brings us the Golden Commandments, held in common by multiple world religions - to love God and the good, and love our neighbor, etc. It is faith that allows us to prosper and thrive, bringing together different civilizations and cultures around the common principles of humanity.
Where did human diversity begin? God Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “O’People! We created you from a single pair of male and female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. The most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.”
To understand each other and our common humanity… to act righteously in the sight of God… This is the faith we teach our children; the faith shared by 1.8 billion Muslims around the world, a quarter of humanity. This is traditional, tolerant, plural, and common-based Islam - dedicated to the love of God; following the Prophet Mohammad (peace and blessings be upon he & his family); and seeking to live in virtue and treat others with justice and kindness.
Every day we start our activities with the names of God: “the Compassionate, the All-Merciful”. We hear the greeting, Assalam - alaikum - the blessing of peace be on you. It is a Muslim’s duty to defend the poor and help those in need. Every day, we teach others Muslim heritage that is promoting ‘Understanding and Moderation’. Indeed, we are working globally for dialogue and peace. It was wisely said, the world is one family. However different our countries and our peoples are, we have a common responsibility - to each other, as well as to the future.
The holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon he & his family, said: “None of you has faith until you love for your neighbor what you love for yourself.” Compassion, mercy, tolerance - these are values that are shared by billions of Muslims and non-Muslims around the world. And these values require us to act for our common future. We need to make sure young people learn the true values of our religions. And let us teach them to honor our common civilization.
We have continued this line of moderation inspired by the holy Quran and the words of the infallible people of the House of the Prophet in this volume, and our scholar writers have provided insightful points about the Divine Justice, Divine Will and the Man’s efforts, Educational thoughts of Imam Ali (p.b.u.h) and other subjects about the holy life and teachings of the blessed infallible Family of the holy Last Prophet.
We are very grateful and happy to draw our congratulations to our readers, all Muslims, and those people who respect the values of humanity, on the occasion of anniversary of birth of Imam amir al- Momenin ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (A.S.).

In this part, the religious notions of felicity and wretchedness are discussed in details, and that whether or not the written fate affect our volition. Moreover, the possibility of changes in the fate is addressed.

The Children of Adam have many things in common. By understanding what these commonalities between all humans are, we can derive important conclusions that can be of great benefit to all people. Conclusions that will solve many of our everyday concerns and answer the deepest questions in our minds.

One of the negligence of modern time which brings quite a few number of problems and misfortunes for human being is negligence regarding fundamental beliefs. For Islam we regard five basic cornerstones which all other believes should be built on them. If they shake, whatever builds on it will be shaky. The first pillar and cornerstone is belief in the Unity of God. The second one which is highly important, as it can shape our behavior and understanding of the world is belief in the justice of God. In the present article, some basic aspects of this subject have been dealt with.

Human beings have been always looking for the best; a best role model not only to be followed in this life but also a great role model who can guarantee Hereafter. God, the Almighty, who knows human beings well, He Himself choses a role model for humanity. All Prophets are the great role models set by God and the last Prophet as he is the Prophet of the most perfect religion can be the best role model. Here, the author, who is a famous and honored religious scholar, deals with some aspects of his greatness.

Sheikh Saduq not only was unique in Fiqh, Hadith and Kalam but also had a praiseworthy personality in the realm of interpretations. This article by scrutinizing the introduction of the book “ Kamaluddin” and separation of the topics and the points which he inferred from the Surah Baqarah, aims at clearing the position of sheikh Saduq in the realm of interpretation.
The present article classifies the issues in six general topics which in addition to explanation of Saduq’s p.o.v. by referring to the holy verses of Quran pin points to the significant and fundamental points regarding Imamat and Mahdaviyat.

Ali (a.s.) is the ethical coach of humanity. His words not only explained ethical codes but also mapped the ways to them including the methods of ethical education. The importance of younghood in ethical education and presence of great methods to fulfill this based on the psychological features of youth in Islamic teachings cause some other methods of other educational training from Nahjul Balaghe are derived. The method of the present article is library-based and by a descriptive-analytical and inferential method. Inferring descriptions for youth and ethical education for them are based on descriptive and analytical method and discovering the special ways to ethical education of youth from Nahjul Balaghe is based on inferential method. As preparing the foundation for ethical education is the most important pillar of training, in the present article it has been attempted to infer the most significant methods for educational preparation. Establishing atmosphere filled with faith and morality, giving dignity and respect, solving family problems and waking up Fitrah.

One of the entries for receiving and understanding the Divine Light is the heart that the Almighty God has given it so much capacity and potentiality to be the reservoir of the endless teachings of the universe. On one hand, the creation of this divine gift (heart) is in a way that it becomes dark by the smallest deviation, negligence, or perversion, to the point where it may overturn and due to its hardness a seal of inferiority and a denial of right is imprinted on it. The nature of the heart, its value, the extent of its affectability by actions and behavior, its soundness or illness and the various usages of the heart in the Quran are among the topics discussed in this article. The expansion and dimensions of this issue, according to the verses of the Qur'an, are so extensive that over a hundred and twenty verses of the Quran are about the importance and value of the heart, the recognition of the diseases of the heart and ways of prosperity and human misery through the heart. Referring to divine verses and existing interpretations, one can find that the hearts of believers which are capable of being guided, as well as the heart of infallibles which are incapable of being guided, each with distinct characteristics, are shaped in the light of the actions and behavior of human beings and reaches the peak of Perfection or bottom of humiliation. The whole endeavor of the Qur'an is to make a person realize that our actions and our beliefs directly affect the darkness or brightness of our heart, and this gloom or lightness are the main determinant of happiness or hardship of humanity. The alteration, the softness or hardness of the hearts are related only to the actions of humans, and if it is interpreted in the Qur'an as the hearts which are sealed, it is to picture the punishment following sins. Therefore, according to the above verses, it can be said that good and bad deeds directly affect the darkness and lightness of the hearts and, consequently, affect the happiness or misfortune of man.