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Some Shia Muslims believe that certain stone rings give them luck, safety, or extra sustenance. Isn’t this shirk?
Believing in certain things having particular effects is not considered polytheism, like believe in the evil eye or in magic. However, claiming that a particular stone has a certain effect requires proof.
Is the belief in Allah is innate within humans?
There is no doubt that believing in Almighty Allah is innate within humans, i.e. within our fitrah. This innate belief can be weakened or dissolve away as a result of external effects, such as the environment or substantial subjection to fallacies. Having said that, this innate belief strengthens inside many people who live in an atheistic material environment when they face crises, as they are compelled to believe in Allah and seek refuge and help from Him. The Holy Quran confirmed this truth in many verses. Almighty Allah said: “And when harm touches you upon the sea, all unto whom you cry (for succor) fail save Him (alone), but when He brings you safe to land, you turn away, for man was ever thankless.” (17:67).
Will it be possible for us to see Almighty Allah in the hereafter? If yes, will we see him in form of light or behind a veil or something like this? Could it be possible that we will hear His voice? Or do the angels transmit for us His messages?
Almighty Allah cannot be seen in this life or in the hereafter. The voice is one of His creations and He can create a voice to express what He wants like what He did with Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).
Are the Salafist ideas tantamount to infidelity?
The ideas of the Salafis are not considered infidelity. It is, however, some sort of ignorance. The intellect and the Holy Quran indicate that Almighty Allah does not have a body so He is not limited by time and space. The Almighty said: "There is no secret conference of three but He is their fourth, nor of five but He is their sixth, nor of less than that or more but He is with them where ever they may be," (58:7) and He also said: "Nothing is as His likeness." (42:11).
As young child I used to have the idea that Allah has a body - may Allah forgive me. Growing up these images stayed with me and they do not go away; what do you suggest I do?
Do not pay attention to such fictions that face many people; the best solution is to not concentrate on them and ignore them.
What do the names of Allah, al-Hannan, al-Haseeb, al-Basit mean?
Al-Hannan is He who shows compassion and kindness. So, it is close to the name “Raheem” which means ‘merciful’.
Al-Haseeb means the One who accounts for everything, so no deed is left accounted for.
Al-Basit means the One whose bounty encompasses His slaves, so His power surrounds them.
I am trying to build a spiritual connection with Almighty Allah but I don’t know how relaxed I should be because of how merciful God is, and I don’t know how fearful I should be because of how severe He is in punishment.
The religious texts indicate that the believer is urged to balance between fear and hope, so he should not deem himself secure from the scheme of Allah, nor should he despair from the mercy of Allah. If this is done, the individual will have the motivation towards obedience because his hope in the mercy makes him convinced in the advantage of the action; and his fear from the wrath of Almighty Allah makes him avoid the sins.
I have some confusion in mind about Shirk (polytheism). What is Shirk and are there different kinds of it?
The Shirk belief that takes the person outside Islam is believing in a partner to the Almighty Creator in His creation, like believing in a god for goodness and another for evil etc. Another form of it is worshiping idols as Arabs used to do in the time of ignorance before Islam. Lesser Shirk is, for example, showing off in one’s acts of worship. This is a major sin, but does not take a person outside the fold of Islam.
Is it permissible to ascribe associates to the personality of God, His attributes, or the requirements of His attributes, with the intention of supplicating to the 14 Infallibles (Peace be upon them)?
Seeking intercession of the Prophet and the Imams (peace be upon them) is not a kind of polytheism. It is one of the best forms of worship, since it includes presenting the request to Almighty Allah and submitting to His lordship, as all things are under His control: “His verily is all creation and commandment" (7:54). In this seeking of intercession, there is the submitting of the high positions of His close ones who He has chosen and this is one of the signs of faith.
There are many proofs establishing the permissibility of such worship. One of them is when Almighty Allah said: "When they had wronged themselves, they had but come unto thee and asked forgiveness of Allah, and asked forgiveness of the messenger, they would have found Allah Forgiving, Merciful." (4:64).
To get knowledge about Allah where the veils are lifted from a human being, do we need to study philosophy and mysticism, or is Quran and the narrations sufficient?
Mysticism is a new term that was introduced after the time of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) and it is not part of their teachings. A believer can strengthen his relationship with Almighty Allah and seek closeness to Him by referring to the Holy Book and the narrations of the Ahlulbait (peace be upon them) as much as possible. When Almighty Allah sees the sincerity and good intention in His slave He would bless Him with bounties.
Why did God create humans? Did he want to achieve his goal that humans should worship and love him willingly?
The Holy Quran states clearly the reason for creating humanity: "I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me." (51:56)
Almighty Allah created us humans to worship Him, but He does not need anyone to worship Him because He is perfect. So is there any other reason why He created us?
One of the characteristics of Almighty Allah is that He is “the Merciful”. There is no doubt that creating the human beings gives them the opportunity to gain the acceptance of Almighty Allah and His mercy in this life and in the Hereafter.
Although Almighty Allah does not need anyone and He did not create this creation out of need, His wisdom and mercy lead to creation, among which is the human being. In a narration of Abu Baseer, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the verse: “Yet they cease not differing, save him on whom thy Lord hath mercy; and for that He did create them.” (11:118-119) Imam said: He created them so they can do what causes them to gain His mercy, then He would be merciful with them”.
Does Almighty Allah call himself the "Best of Deceivers" in the Quran (3:54)? If so, what does it mean?
'Makr' is deception, and the term is used for God Almighty in a metaphorical manner, as God Almighty gives the unbeliever, for example, a long life. The person believes this is advantageous to him, and continues to commit sins, deceiving himself. But as God Almighty has given him the respite and left him be in this life, the verb of ‘makr’ is applied to Him.