Fall of the Elite Though Imam ‘Ali (as) ruled over the Muslim world for less than 5 years, his caliphate was marked with numerous challenges, civil wars and turmoil. One of the tragedies of this period was the constant decline, abandonment, and betrayal of some of the most elite and influential figures of the Muslim …
Tafsir al-Mizan & Hadith A STUDY OF ALLAMAH TABATABAI’S HADITH METHODOLOGY IN AL-MIZAN Without a doubt, the Tafsir of Al-Mizan of ‘Allamah Tabataba’i is one of the most monumental contemporary works in the discipline of Quranic exegesis in the Shia world. Despite such status, some have argued ‘Allamah Tabataba’i was a severe critic of the …
A Short History of Shia Persecution Despite being an influential and significant denomination within the Muslim world, the Shi’a have had to suffer a history of persecution. In this short presentation, we will briefly cover major events in the history of the Shi’a community, particularly in the post-Ghaybah era. What is the context behind the …
The Turbah of Imam Hussain (as) The event of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn (a) was one of those events that played a dominant role in the formation of a collective Imami Shi’a identity at the beginning of the second century Hijri. Anything attributed to Imam Husayn (a) would be deemed dear, as …
The Spirit of God Who is Jesus, the son of Mary? While different religions hold different views regarding this historical figure, Islam speaks of a lofty status for him. He is referred to in the Quran as a “spirit from God”, “Messiah” and a “word from God sent to Mary”. What do these terms truly …
Negotiating Doubt in the age of Occultation The world that we live in today presents unique challenges to the maintenance of faith. Living in an increasingly secularized and irreligious world, young Muslims may find themselves in need of affirming their beliefs constantly and deliberately. On the journey towards conviction (yaqin), doubt is a familiar and …
And When You Speak Join us with Instructor Shaykh Mahdi Mohammadpour as he analyzes a number of Quranic strategies on how to engage in effective, honest, and meaningful conversations about the sensitive issues that currently preoccupy our socio-political, cultural, and religious discourses. Key Questions: 1. What basic principles govern the Quranic approach to effective conversation? 2. How …
Preservers of the Legacy In this presentation, Shaykh Mahdi will explore the social and political atmosphere during the life of the sixth Imam, how he structured his teaching and his school, and the life of some of the closest companions of his who preserved and passed on his legacy to future generations. Some of these …
Verses of Wilayah In this 2.5 hour presentation, we will explore the understanding of the Sunni and Shi’a schools of thought relating to the verses of the Quran revealed regarding the issue of wilayah. The verses we will be discussing are 5:55 (verse of wilayah), 5:67 (verse of tabligh), 5:3 (verse of ikmaal), 33:33 (verse …
History of Aza In this two part presentation we will demonstrate how Muharram commemorations are part of a “living tradition” formed through the collective memory of the Twelver Shi’a community. In the first part of the presentation, we will be covering the different periods in which this tradition was upheld. The periods covered are: 1) Soon …
