Islamic Intellectual Theology Lesson 22

1. Islamic Intellectual TheologyLesson 22 The Appointed Leadership “NABOOWAT” Primary Source: ELAHIYAAT of Sh. Ja’far Subhani Part Three: Necessity of Prophethood Page 20-65 Edited: Nov. 30, 2009 - BHD

2. Role of a Prophet A prophet either gives glad tidings to those who follow the path of happiness which is the main aim of creation. Or warnings for those who disobey and take the direction of misfortune which leads them towards their destruction and harm. The divine instructions and obligations are either obligated intellectually or appreciated intellectually. Therefore the glad tidings are incentives to do good and warnings of punishments serve as inhibitors from doing evil. If a person uses his intellect to understand the divine teachings then his intellect will become an incentive to do good and stay away from evil.

3. Obligations This is just a brief reflection and not a detailed one. SALAAT is a communication and connection with God. By knowing God one becomes closer to Him which leads to reduction of evil and increments of the good. SAWM or fasting: purification of the soul and caring about others. HAJJ: Social cohesion aimed at unity, towards a better united global Muslim community. KHUMS and ZAKAAT; caring about others and strengthening the religious foundations If the intellectual aim of worships becomes clear to an intellectual person then such will be a sufficient incentive for a person to perform them and the legislation will be just a disclosure of the punishment and or reward and not the incentive or inhibitor.

4. The Forbidden Acts People might say that they have the right to harm themselves, [which is incorrect], but definitely every one agrees that no intellectual tolerates any social injustice. For example this means deal with others the way you want to be dealt with. Therefore the forbidden acts cause harm to others either directly or indirectly. In every forbidden act there is a harm to oneself and to others, and the harm to others is either direct or indirect. We will just try to take a few examples of how the harm can affect others. Drinking alcohol: causes a loss of senses thus harming others Fornicating with an adulteress woman: no one likes his family members fornicating then why women of others Every sin is committed due to the lack of money and the love of material and ego. And here we can understand the importance of Zakaat and Khums, which helps preventing most of the crimes which are committed due to the lack of money. If anyone had enough money they will not go to prostitution nor become a prostitute. They will secure themselves with rightful ways.

5. The Evidence of Prophet hood1. Requirement of Law Human society requires a complete legal system to regulate society with proper justice. A human is social in nature or cannot live without a community to fulfill his needs. S/he cannot live in isolation. Therefore there needs to be a system which secures his/her rights and requires from him/her to secure the rights of others living with him/her in one society or a community. That system is a set of laws; i.e. a legislative system. A community cannot survive without a legal system to protect the rights of every single individual who lives in such a community.

6. The Conditions of Lawmaker Complete knowledge about human kind from every internal and external aspect. Is perfect and just and is not one of the beneficiaries of his law. Other wise it will be for his personal benefit and not for society. Aims at the moral structure and purification of the self of the human as well as looking at the human being a creature composed of the physical and metaphysical. These conditions can only be found in the creator of the Human; the All-Knowing and the Omnipotent

7. The Evidence of Prophet Hood2. Knowledge of Spirituality The knowledge of nature and the physical world is acquired by the advance science and technology. But such science and technology fails to provide the knowledge about the metaphysical; JINNS, angels, hereafter, hell, paradise, elaboration on the attributes of the creation, and knowledge of the creator (MA’RIFA), which is the main aim and purpose of the creation of JINN and the human. Knowledge of the benefits and the harms of the surrounding environment especially when it comes to the metaphysical harm or the harm to the spirit. The obligations and forbidden acts are based on the benefits and the harm affecting the human. Humanity is still struggling in the economical crises [from capitalism to socialism to communism]

8. Evidence of the Prophet Hood3. Fulfilling the Desire to Have a Deity As other desires such Hunger, lust, possession, and other desires embedded in the human , there is a desire to know (MARIFAH), appreciate and worship his creator or the omnipotent, this desire is an innate desire. People require proper guidance to fulfill such desire, and the only one can provide such knowledge about God is the God Him self , and that is the reason He chooses the role model from His creations and sends them to the His creation to allow them fulfill this desire properly. If the right direction is not given to the human to fulfill this type of desire, then they end up in worshipping idols, materialism, sun, moon, stars, planets , fire, and cow. Even the nature is guided through certain sets of laws to fulfil their purpose of creation, why shouldn’t a human be given a guidance to fulfill his purpose.

9. The evidence of the prophet hood4.more important than the ideal When observing the wisdom of God in His creation in things which might not be of great importance to the human and human might live without it (external perfection), then how could His wisdom ignore a more important and prior requirement of a human which is guidance and not send some one to guide him (internal or spiritual perfection), the spiritual need is more important and more prior than the physical perfections.. Example of His perfection and accuracy in some of the less important requirements: The location of the eye in top of the face and top of the body. The embedment of the eye in groves of skull The hair of the eye lids of and the eyebrow , this hair is not that great important. The shape of the hands and the legs The mucus in the nose and the shape of the nose The shape, position, structure of the entire body part, indicates that there is a purpose and aim of each and every single organ.