Critique of Doubts

Near-death visions, like dreams, can be true or false and may resemble stories or fantasies. Predictions of a nuclear attack on Tehran and the breakup of Iran are demagogic and contradictory, and form part of the enemy’s psychological warfare. Zora was destroyed by corruption, not war, and describing a patient’s condition has nothing to do with knowledge of the unseen.

Sorcery is not a form of knowledge but a form of ignorance. By combining ignorance with deception, it generates destructive forces that amount to a satanic weapon. Sorcerers use these forces, with the help of their accomplices—groups of devils—to influence or destroy what they set out to do.

The book *Fīhi mā fīh* bears little resemblance to Rumi’s words and views and is merely attributed to him, since it contains none of the polemics or theological and doctrinal complexities found in his other works. In any case, like other books, it should be critically assessed in the light of the Two Weighty Things, and we should follow what is best in it.

The report about Pharaoh’s jester is not sound in its chain of transmission, and even if it were, it would not establish that clerical attire is inherently sacred. Those who merely pose as scholars are thieves of the mantle of prophethood and imamate; their appearance should not be allowed to deceive. God Most High said: “Whoever’s outward appearance is more refined than their inward character is My enemy.”

Mental associations—with both holy people and others—can affect a baby’s temperament. Spiritual traits can be transmitted through mental association, and every kind of connection, physical or mental, has its own offspring, which may emerge as qualities, characteristics, or even an inner form.

The Dajjal is a human being and should not be confused with his instrument: the media system. He may have one eye in the middle of his forehead, while the description of his food as mountain-sized points to the satanic nature of what sustains him.

Yoga, through the worship of various deities and the stimulation of the endocrine glands, opens channels in the brain that do not necessarily lead to spiritual elevation; they may instead bring about spiritual decline or leave a person vulnerable to demonic influence. Islamic spiritual practices are undertaken to seek God’s pleasure and attain inner spiritual gifts. Sincerity in worship is a condition for drawing near to God—not bargaining over worship or turning it into a transaction.

Feng shui is a Chinese approach to home design and arrangement that functions like an ancient, quasi-philosophical ritual. Aimed at creating harmony, it seeks to attract positive and negative energies and can resemble the use of talismans, sorcery, or even an advanced form of idolatry. Belief in luck and reliance on supernatural forces in this practice conflict with Islamic principles. China’s scientific progress has nothing to do with it.

Descriptions of the Age of Aquarius and predictions based on it have no scientific validity and are considered a form of shirk (associating partners with God). We are now approaching the end of time and the appearance of the Saviour. With his appearance, human intellect will advance, and knowledge and spirituality will flourish.

Fatwas allowing people to break the fast because they might contract coronavirus are invalid, since fasting itself can promote health and physical well-being. Only someone who is ill, for whom fasting would be harmful and who knows their own condition, may break the fast. It is not sound to cite Quranic verses and narrations superficially to justify not fasting.

Islamic perspectives reject evolution in its conventional sense. Although different kinds of creatures have their own temporal and spatial origins, and it is possible that their creation was unified in time beyond the material world, this does not mean that the theory of evolution is accepted.

The curses in Ziyarat Ashura declare disavowal of those who failed to observe God’s limits and thus incurred His curse. This is like removing impurities: it allows us to be imbued with divine fragrance and positive energy to well up within us. Devils obstruct positive energy, and cursing them clears the way. To feel compassion for devils is to draw near to impurity.

Atheists have attributed the empty mosques and holy shrines during the coronavirus pandemic to a religious renaissance. But this was a matter of prudence: silencing the foolish and separating out the hypocrites. True believers turn to mosques and shrines in times of hardship, seeing these places as where devils and microbes are destroyed.

A university professor’s letter to Ayatollah Tabrizian has been described as insulting and unscientific. While rejecting some of Tabrizian’s more extreme claims, the respondent praised his research into Islamic medicine, presenting it as a comprehensive tradition that complements modern medicine. Islamic medicine does not reject modern medicine; its achievements are in keeping with Islamic medicine.

Anyone who hurts a believing man or woman has declared war on God, and God will take vengeance on their behalf. We should entrust such a person to God. On the Day of Judgment, wrongdoers will be taken to Hell with the flesh stripped from their faces because they harmed believers and showed them hostility.

The protective prayer of Imam al-Jawad (AS) became well known because of the interest it received from scholars in a particular era, recommendations by influential figures, and accounts of people’s experiences with it. However, it is not the only widely used protective prayer. Each supplication and litany of the Infallibles opens one of many locks for those who seek them.

Sincerity in action means directing one’s worship exclusively to the One worshipped; a lack of sincerity amounts to deceit and hypocrisy. A servant is paid by the master he serves, and insincere worship is like seeking a reward from someone one has not served. Sincerity comes from clear knowledge: when we recognize that God alone is sufficient for us, we do not turn to anyone else.

Satan’s role is like that of a teacher who, through temptation, reveals a person’s strengths and weaknesses, giving them a chance to work on themselves. But this does not mean befriending Satan; it means avoiding what is corrupt, just as we keep away from wine. Satan is God’s enemy, and his aim is to spread ignorance, not to lead people to perfection.

The report that the Satan assigned to the Noble Prophet (PBUH) embraced Islam is weak. However, his mission extended to the jinn and satans, and some satans embraced Islam through him. The station of the Infallibles (AS) is higher than that of the sincerely devoted, and they are the leaders of the sincerely devoted.

The sincere stand in opposition to Iblis, and Satan has no power to deceive them. Those who accuse the sincere of befriending Satan are themselves acting satanically. Perfect friendship with God tames Satan, just as wild animals are tamed.