Theology and Creed

The nourishment of the “I” refers to how it relates to the Most Beautiful Names, the Most Exalted Attributes, and the like. In other words, it means adorning the “I” with God’s beginningless knowledge, divine will, and sovereign decree.

The “I” is the existential reality of every being, prior to any who or what. It is the essential identity of each individual, free from all attachments. This reality lies beyond fixedness and beneath every change, hidden from the senses and the faculties of perception.

It is impossible to describe God’s Essence, for He is beyond every description. God’s nearness to us does not mean that He is physically attached to us. Rather, He is the Creator and originator of all things, and our life and continued existence depend on Him. He transcends our material and limited conceptions.

God may love a person while disapproving of their actions. Take someone who drinks alcohol: God may love their kindness while detesting their drinking. This reflects the difference between God’s discerning gaze and the broad judgments people make when they are quick to judge.

Giving charity to ward off misfortune or weeping for Imam Husayn (AS) is not, in itself, shirk. But if the intention is not sincere and the act is done solely to obtain worldly benefits, its spiritual reward is diminished. Hoping in God and seeking His forgiveness are ways of drawing near to Him and are acts of worship.

In Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq’s (AS) view, true youth is a matter of faith and piety, not merely physical age. The Companions of the Cave were called young because of their faith, despite having grown old. The way characters are portrayed in films does not necessarily reflect reality or the individuals’ actual ages.

If we could look down on the course of time from above, we might be able to see the past, present, and future all at once. Time is a particular manifestation of knowledge, a garment that clothes it. By entering the realm of knowledge without a veil, we can move beyond time and space. Time and space are signposts that direct our attention to knowledge; once we reach knowledge itself, all of time and space lie within our embrace.

When we understand time as the medium through which successive creations appear, it becomes clear that there is an all-powerful force beyond time and space. Time and space are merely the tablets on which His signs are displayed; that force itself transcends time and space and encompasses them.

Before Adam (AS), species both similar and dissimilar to him lived on Earth. According to a narration from Imam al-Baqir (AS), God created thousands of worlds and thousands of Adams, and the human beings who exist today are the last of these worlds and generations of Adam.

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.

In Islamic thought, place is the measure of each thing and the setting in which the dimensions of existence come to be. The Prophet (PBUH) is described as the “fullness of the earth and of place,” and as possessing the reality of place. Dimensions take on meaning within the heart of place, and travel between dimensions becomes possible through connection to this reality.

In Islamic thought, time is the measure of successive creations, and the Imam of the Age (AJ), as the “Master of Time,” is regarded as the locus of merciful creation and the divine clock. God is the creator and annihilator of time, with absolute power over its expansion and contraction. The effect of human actions on the entire universe—and the possibility of living longer—also depend on this divine power.

Innate knowledge of the unseen belongs exclusively to God and is not granted to anyone. Nor is it correct to speak of acquired knowledge of the unseen. Rather, the knowledge God teaches the Prophet and the Imams (AS) is manifest to them, while remaining unseen to others. This knowledge is bestowed upon them by God, and the same principle applies when they convey it to others.

The Lord’s speech consists of originated utterances and creative words brought into being by the command “Be, and it is.” It is unlike the speech of created beings. In the conversation with Moses, the angel of revelation played no part; the divine will was conveyed to him in the form of words. This speech is not like speaking with a mouth and tongue.

Human existence does not lie outside God’s existence, but this does not mean that Creator and creation are one. The light of a candle and the sun’s light are alike in meaning, but they are not one and the same: both are created by God, and each has its own distinct identity.

Treating essences as conceptual raises the question of whether reason, itself a conceptual construct, can confer conceptual status. To give identity to nothingness is to deprive being of its identity—and this does not undermine the unity of being.

Prayer has a noble purpose, profound wisdom, and immense blessings and benefits. The very gift of prayer, bestowed by the Creator upon His creation, is an immeasurable good in itself. Even when a prayer is not answered, the servant may receive something greater than what they asked for: contentment with and submission to God’s decree.

To understand God’s grandeur, we must reflect on the signs in the world around us and within ourselves, and seek to know the universe. God’s grandeur far surpasses human comprehension; comparisons involving the earth, the heavens, the Kursi and the Throne offer only a glimpse of it. We cannot fully comprehend the divine grandeur, but by contemplating creation we can attain some measure of understanding.

Al-bayān is God’s gift of knowledge to His creatures, through which truths are revealed and conveyed. By granting this capacity, God makes it possible to teach and communicate truths. The Imams (AS) possess the highest degree of bayān, and God has granted them knowledge of how to express everything. This is the secret behind Imam Ali’s (AS) words, «سلوني قبل ان تفقدوني».

The perfection of intellect in the era of the advent means that the divine proof will be fully established over creation, leaving no excuse or pretext. When the beauty of the Real and the truth become manifest, everyone will be bound to follow them—and this will be made possible through the perfection of intellect. This perfection means attaining certain knowledge; those who deny the truths will be disbelievers after having attained faith.