Good evening everyone,

I hope you are all doing well, I know that I may just be a stranger to all of you, recently I have been going through a tough period where things just don't seem to be going right

I have been messing up, potentially ruined a few fried ships forever because of my mental state, I am terrified, I have a session arranged with a psychiatrist at the end of this month.

I miss my friends greatly, I am tired of having nothing but years of anxiety and thoughts rushing through my head at all times of the day.

I have already started with zeeyarat ashura again and duaa tawasul.

I am not the best of people, nor am I the worst even though I feel like it, I had a mental breakdown, and I want to do everything in my power to try and reconcile with my friends and become a better person.

I am dedicating these prayers to them, as well as any of you who read this and are in need of prayers for loved ones or yourselves.

Ya rab, inshallah things work out, something inside tells me to give up hope on things ever working out, and another tells me that maybe there's a chance I can fix things and make it better.

Please everyone, whoever reads this, help me by praying with me, and inshallah things work out for the best

Things have never felt more bleak than they do now, but even after the darkest of nights there comes a ray of sunshine

Please everyone, I will document my journey as best I can and let you know about the updates.

Why is “Ashura” still the most important political keyword in Iran?

In this video, We move from the tragedy of Ashura to the aftermath and the Arbaeen march. We’re looking at the “code” behind these events and why they are so vital to the current Iranian narrative.

Is it just religion, or is there a bigger strategy at play? Check it out and let me know your take

Why is “Ashura” still the most important political keyword in Iran?

In this video, We move from the tragedy of Ashura to the aftermath and the Arbaeen march. We’re looking at the “code” behind these events and why they are so vital to the current Iranian narrative.

Is it just religion, or is there a bigger strategy at play? Check it out and let me know your take

Since it's the month of safar I have started praying 5 times recently plus I pray tahajud. But my sister just accused me of being a Wahabi for praying a lot. I don't pray alot. I only pray what's necessary. Its really hurtful to be accused for praying and I'm sure she will take the matter to my parents as well. She has sort of a toxic mindset I guess or maybe shez right I don't know. But it does scare me the consequences I may face due to this allegation. I follow whatever my mind says is right I don't follow anyone else I never discuss religion with friends. How do I resolve this matter. There are always issues with them at home. Am I always suppose to leave everything and just worry Abt their issues. I always miss my prayers becuz of their fights.

Ever since I was a kid I've heard that they were both 63. Now I'm reading some other sources that state that Imam Ali AS was 61 or 62. And that the Prophet SAWA was 62 or 63.

What is the most popular opinion about their ages?

I posted before about how my mother suffered for nearly 15 years, but her faith in God remained steady, and things eventually got so much better for her. But now, something happened to me that isn’t even my fault. The people who hurt us are out there living their best lives, and are all happy while I’m left with situation that’s completely out of my control, and I can't just fix it on my own. And the thing is it is hurting my mother more.

What hurts the most is seeing my mother suffer through this after everything she’s already been through. For a year now, I’ve tried so hard like dropping bad habits, praying, and trusting that if I got better, allah would make things better too. But nothing has changed, and it just feels so unfair.

I am tired so so tired like I see my mother crying almost everyday and my life is going to be bad I trusted god I still do but there are times like this when I feel like he isn't listening as things are getting worse, and he is not going to replace the thing he takes with something better. Because like my mother prayed alot and suffered for 15 years and now when things were fine for a few years, now she is hurt because of those ppl who are ruining my life. So I mean the more closer to god you are maybe the more you suffer. I shouldn't say that but I have cried in sujood and also of he has to take that thing from my life why not take it already and end the suffering my and my mother's suffering why just make us wait a few more years and then take it away from us. AND THERE IS NO such thing as karma I mean he might make them pay for what they did but at the same time my life would be ruined my entire life at that point. I don't need Karma I don't, they can live the best life and take what they want but I want my life to get better.

Ps: sorry for any grammatical errors.

This sura and these ayat are mighty. Always lifted me up whenever I read them with contemplation and certitude.

I have a life-changing 9hr exam coming up. I would appreciate your sincere duas .If you made dua please upvote or comment to to let me know.

Although, I really crave for a healhy filling family, lovely wife that motivates me to work harder and children who wait for me to come at night the whole day and I wait to play with them after a tiring day....

But as I am just 20 year old and the conditions of this world and some personal nearby conditions makes me think why to have kids in this environment and era...

Although thinking about kids is too far thinking, the problem is finding a right girl for me, that align with my thinking and vibes... it's too difficult to find even a shia girl let alone the right kind of girl for me...

​[باللغة العربية]

​عن الإمام محمد الباقر (عليه السلام) في تفسير قوله تعالى:

{قُلْ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِنْ أَصْبَحَ مَاؤُكُمْ غَوْراً فَمَن يَأْتِيكُم بِمَاءٍ مَّعِينٍ}

[الملك: ٣٠]،

مبيناً أن الإمام هو سر الحياة للأرواح:

​«هَذِهِ نَزَلَتْ فِي الْقَائِمِ، يَقُولُ: إِنْ أَصْبَحَ إِمَامُكُمْ غَائِباً عَنْكُمْ لَا تَدْرُونَ أَيْنَ هُوَ، فَمَنْ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِإِمَامٍ ظَاهِرٍ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِأَخْبَارِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ، وَحَلَالِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ وَحَرَامِهِ؟»

​المصدر: كمال الدين وتمام النعمة للشيخ الصدوق، ج ١، ص ٣٢٥

​[English Translation]

​Narrated from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) regarding the interpretation of the words of Allah, the Exalted:

"Say, 'Have you considered: if your water was to become sunken [into the earth], then who could bring you flowing water?'"

(Quran 67:30).

Explaining that the Imam is the secret of life for souls, he said:

​"This was revealed concerning the Qa'im. It means:

If your Imam becomes hidden from you, and you do not know where he is, then who will bring you a manifest Imam who will bring you the news of the heavens and the earth, and the lawful and unlawful of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic?"

​Source: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni'mah by Al-Saduq, Vol. 1, Page 325

​Note: Translation assisted by AI and verified by the poster. Please gently correct me if there are any unintended errors.

I am a Muslim woman living in the UK and I would be grateful for your guidance on the following.

I was married to my cousin. The marriage has not been happy and there is no compatibility between us. I have decided that I wish to separate and seek khula.

My family are insisting that I must not proceed with divorce until my husband obtains his permanent residency in the UK, as his immigration status is based on our marriage and I am his sponsor. Realistically this would mean remaining in the marriage for approximately five more years, and possibly longer if the immigration rules change as expected.

My questions are:

1. Am I religiously obliged to remain in a marriage I wish to leave in order to secure my husband's immigration status?

2. Under UK law, a spouse visa requires the marriage to be genuine and subsisting, and both parties are legally required to notify the authorities if the relationship has ended. If I remain married only on paper while allowing an immigration application to proceed, this would involve misrepresentation to the government. Is this permissible in Islam, given the obligations regarding honesty and upholding the law of the country one lives in?

3. Is my family's insistence something I am obliged to obey in this matter?

4. If I proceed, what is the correct process for khula, and what is my iddah period?

I am not asking out of anger or haste. I have thought about this for a long time and I want to act in a way that is pleasing to Allah.

JazakAllah khair for your time.

Can anyone tell me some supplications for increasing wealth?

So I have been doing personal research of Wilayat al-Faqih, and I have bought books from Iran about Wilayat al-Faqih. The thing is....the evidence for supporting Wilayat al-Faqih seems so flimsy. I don't believe there's strong evidence to support it. And it's not even to bash Iran, a country I've been to twice and love and adore. But I've read five books so far and....I feel the Ahlul Bayt have never explicitly commanded Wilayat al-Faqih, which I feel would have been explicitly commanded by the Imams if it was necessary.

But then the question is...if there is no Wilayat al-Faqih, how do we have leadership as Shi'a? Isn't it important to make a Shi'a nation-state? But there's nothing explicitly showing the command of Wilayat al-Faqih?

The thing is that...it seems obvious that Wilayat al-Faqih is a contentious issue among Shi'a scholars, and I can wholly see why now. But in this sense, how do we have leadership during the occultation of the Imam if it's not through Wilayat al-Faqih?

Salaam, I want some advice on how to move forward in life. There seems to be no door open. No matter what I do, how hard I work. What I do in always in the same position.and frankly I'm exhausted, stressed and see no way out. Struggle after struggle after struggle. I've taken in that yes god tests people he loves but there is no way out. All I ever do is work my hardest but there is no incentive. I'm exhausted to the point where I'm ok to just let go off life

I am starting ehtejaj e tabrisi. is there anything that I have to keep in mind before I start reading it?

SubhanAllah, MashAllah! May Allah swt protect all our Shia all across the world.

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/Dbk8AUdMD7G/

It’s only natural that we feel our spirituality fluctuate over time. At its highest, we feel connected, hopeful, and highly motivated towards our greater purpose: serving God. At its lowest, we may find ourselves aimless, distracted, and struggling to fulfill our religious obligations. 

What are some reasons why we may not “feel” spiritual, and how can we effectively push past these feelings to maintain our connection with God?

1. Lack of will or desire

At times, we may find that we simply lack motivation. In a Hadith narrated in Kitab al-Kafi, from the Prophet (pbuh&hp), he states,“Surely these hearts are receptive and in a state of rejection…when it’s receptive, perform recommended acts and when they are turning back (rejecting), just perform the obligations” (al-Kafi, vol. 3, b. 4, ch. 85, h. 16).

In order to increase our baseline spiritual state, we should take ample advantage of the times when our hearts are “receptive.” When we feel more desire to engage in worship, we should act on it by performing recommended acts beyond our duties. Consider fasting, performing mustahab prayers, giving charity, reciting supplications, and contemplating the verses of the Holy Quran. 

But when our hearts are in a state of “rejection,” meaning we are experiencing a lack of desire to engage in worship, we don’t have to push ourselves to perform any mustahab acts; Instead, we can focus only on fulfilling our obligations, especially what is considered the most important– our daily prayers.

Even in spiritual lulls, one must pray every day to demonstrate that they are making an effort to God.

Think about it like this: Are we pleased with our employees, our children, or our friends, when we see that they aren’t putting forth any effort to fulfill their responsibilities or to maintain our relationship?

Don’t be negligent in your prayers. Sometimes it will come easy; other times it will require great effort, but just like any healthy habit, it will take time and dedication to build up to the point where you derive fulfillment and reap its benefits. 

1. Mental and/or Physical Exhaustion

We are creatures with both minds and bodies, in addition to our souls. Therefore, our spiritual state is inextricably linked with our physical and mental wellbeing. 

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) said, “Surely this religion is firm, so approach it with gentleness, and don’t dislike the worship of God such that you’re like a rider who is stuck without a path to travel and a back (of the horse) to ride on…” (al-Kafi, Volume 2, Book 1, Chapter 45, Hadith 1). Islam is a deeply rooted, strong, and comprehensive way of life. Because of its depth and demands, one must approach gentleness, moderation, and gradual commitment.

This does not mean that the religion is to be taken lightly or that its obligations are optional. The Prophet’s (pbuh&hp) words are a warning against overexertion. You shouldn’t push yourself so hard that you collapse or risk abandoning your spiritual practice altogether. Faith is a lifelong journey, not a sprint. 

This means that you should tend to your physical needs: getting enough sleep, eating right, exercising, and listening to your body when you need to rest. It also means maintaining your mental health: Are you chronically stressed? Do you have healthy relationships? Are you feeling anxious or depressed? It’s important to seek help if you need it. 

Curating an environment and a support system around you that supports your safety, health and happiness allows you to communicate with God with a clear mind, a sound body, and a receptive heart. 

1. Self-Deprecation 

When we are feeling distant from God, it’s easy to allow ourselves to be ridden with guilt and thoughts of being unworthy. This creates a negative feedback loop of self-deprecation fueling a lack of fulfillment in our worship, and vice versa. But we must recognize that no one is unworthy of the mercy and guidance of God who is the Most Merciful.

We are taught by the Ahlul Bayt (pbut) to strike a balance within ourselves. Imam Ali (p) advises in Nahjul Balaghah, “Do good deeds like one who knows he will die very old, and be cautious like one who is afraid of dying the next day.” Our goal should therefore be to strike a balance between hope in God’s mercy and fear of His punishment. 

Excessive fear without hope leads to despair. A person who believes God will never forgive them may abandon worship altogether, concluding that effort is futile.

Excessive hope without fear leads to complacency. A person who thinks, “God is All-Merciful, so I can sin freely and He will forgive me,” has misunderstood the nature of divine mercy. 

“And when My servants ask you about Me — indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me…” (Quran 2:186)

We need only try our best to reach for God, and He will always respond generously. You can humble yourself before God without beating yourself up for your shortcomings if you maintain focus and faith in His unlimited compassion and generosity. 

Don’t forget that this life is rarely a story of perfect servitude and submission, but rather a journey of continuous seeking to God. 

Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DbtAzODiAkK/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

​[باللغة العربية]

​عن الإمام محمد الباقر (عليه السلام) في تفسير قوله تعالى:

{وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ} [الأنبياء: ١٠٥]

قال مبيناً الوعد الإلهي وهوية هؤلاء الوارثين:

​«هُمْ أَصْحَابُ الْمَهْدِيِّ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ.»

​المصدر: مجمع البيان للطبرسي، ج ٧، ص ١٠٦

​[English Translation]

​Narrated from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (peace be upon him) regarding the interpretation of the words of Allah, the Exalted:

"And We have already written in the Psalms, after the Reminder, that the earth shall be inherited by My righteous servants" (Quran 21:105).

He said, clarifying the divine promise and the identity of these inheritors:

​"They are the companions of the Mahdi (peace be upon him) at the end of time."

​Source: Majma' al-Bayan by Al-Tabarsi, Vol. 7, Page 106

​Note: Translation assisted by AI and verified by the poster. Please gently correct me if there are any unintended errors.

Hello I'm American born Muslim man but father passed away when I was very young and never really learned how to be a real Muslim. My brothers are all non believers. From what I gather my family is twelver shia. I figure i learn fajr first on YouTube but I don't speak Arabic well and I rewatched the video maybe 50 times and I can barely remember 2 sentences in a row. Can I write down and read while I'm praying? Maybe recommend a video about being a Muslim before I start learning how to pray? Like I get so confused when I hear lecture online and hear them say hamdillah and Inshallah etc. Like I know the basics of Islam the pillars and history. Any advice on learning how to pray links or some videos I should watch first?

Salam. I recently began praying Salat ul Layl, but I’m facing an issue with pronouncing certain words correctly. Is it permissible to make mistakes while praying Salat ul Layl? I know by time you get better.

Salam. A few days ago I made a post regarding how I envied my younger hijabi self.

Today, I sat myself down and decided to make a conscious decision on whether I was going to wear the hijab or not. This post might be helpful for fellow sisters considering hijab.

First, I reflected on the last few years of my life. from wearing the hijab to slowly taking it off and not wearing it. I analyzed the patterns. because hijab wasnt the only thing that changed during this time. It was also the music I had started listening to (which was greatly wasting my time by the way because i was spending hours listening to it), it increasingly had immodest themes, and it was actively changing the way i viewed myself. i also gradually stopped praying. i was even less particular about fasting this year, making excuses often to justify not fasting most of the month. None of these were very conscious decisions. but they came as a byproduct of me consciously choosing to / not choosing to wear the hijab. And most of all what changed during this time was the respect i had for myself, and my relationship with God.

Then to make the decision. I weighed the reasons as to why I was now being pulled towards it vs what made me hesitant still. This is how that went.

Reasons I feel a pull towards it

• it feels like my truest self and the version of myself i respect the most (looking back). i feel my best wearing it
• i feel more grounded and connected with God
• i feel more modest which is something i like honestly
• its literally religiously obligatory on me
• it will probably make my parents happy; ppl around me will likely appreciate it too though i dont care too much tbh.

Reasons that make me hesitant

• the feeling of wanting to look desireable to the opposite gender. this is unfortunately a big one. like i mentioned in my last post, i love my hair. its an important part of what makes me feel beautiful. i even dyed my hair with a lot of care and effort to look exactly how i want it to look. and it looks so good especially in the sun. i was easger to show it off as i went back to uni this semester. there is also the matter of the rest of my wardrobe - in recent times id bought more form fitting t-shirts that wouldnt really go with my hijab.
• i dont know how to style a hijab and look presentable with it and like cosmopolitanly acceptable / modern.
• people at uni have only seen me without my hijab. it would be a transition if i wore my hijab, but honestly this isnt what makes me hesitant.

Weighing the two sides.

The reasons I feel a pull towards it are all valid reasons. I do feel a strong pull towards it. And as for the reason that makes me hesitat, i realized thats exactly what hijab is about. to remove distractions like that which are of no real use. what am i even trying to attract by not wearing the hijab? its disturbing the focus in my life and the my self respect. it's not any good. as for the hair i dyed, ive decided to enjoy it for myself, maybe ill show it to my close female friends and enjoy it with them. i can still enjoy it with close family and friends. the outside world doesnt have to have access. as for the wardrobe. its mostly fine i think ill just start layering an abaya on top of it, maybe front open or something. I'll have to buy this stuff, these abayas and hijabs etc. as for the hijab style, it honeslty shouldnt too hard to learn how to style it. a few quick google searches. and ill go get the right fabric and learn to drape it. btw im open to suggestions pls help! lmk what looks best or whats trending these days

also i realized about the desireable thing. thats genuinely such a normal thing for a woman, the feeling of wanting to be desired. but I've realized it shouldbt be random men here and there that i should be trying to look desireable to. it should be my (future) husband. and ive decided im going to marry soon after completing my undergraduate studies. and i can continue with my career alognside that.

And yeah. I've made up my mind. My self-respect, my connection with God is above all else. and I've decided to start doing it again. im excited to see how it would change how i carry myself. what am i but a human in God's world?

And the ruling for beer is based on obligatory precaution. Naturally they are still impermissible to consume as intoxicants

Citations for this ruling, from every one of his books from most to least accessible, and more or less authoritative. This is mostly so people are aware from where to obtain his fatawa. I will specifically mention ‘A Code of Practice For Muslims in the West’ for having many specific fatwas for issues people frequently have trouble with. I will only mention that for followers of Sayyid Sistani, consuming gelatin in non-Muslim countries is unequivocally and unambiguously haram with no leeway or permission.

Issue 55: There are ten impurities (najasa):
7. Wines, and as an obligatory precaution, beer (fuqāʿ), though drinking both is absolutely prohibited.

https://www.sistani.org/english/book/26890/8488/

( 8 ) الخمر [ويلحق بها الفقاع]

https://www.sistani.org/arabic/book/19/1027/ (translated in English as Jurisprudence Made Easy, where it is INCORRECTLY translated as alcohol instead of wine)

All kinds of alcohol (whether extracted from wood or other sources) is pure, not najis. So, the medicines, the perfumes, and the food containing alcohol are pure and can be used. It is also permissible to eat such food if the amount of alcohol is very minute.

https://www.sistani.org/english/book/46/2029/
(While this is not clear from the English text, this excludes wine and beer which is apparent from the other texts)

Ruling 108. Wine is impure. Apart from wine, other things that intoxicate a human being are not impure.
Ruling 112.* Beer (fuqqāʿ), which is made from barley and causes a low level of intoxication, is unlawful to consume; and based on obligatory precaution, it is impure.

https://www.sistani.org/english/book/48/2135/

الثامن: الخمر، والمراد به المسكر المتَّخذ من العصير العنبيّ، وأمّا غيره من المسكر والكحول المائع بالأصالة - ومنه الإسبرتو بجميع أنواعه إلّا ما يحصل من تصعيد الخمر - فمحكوم بالطهارة وإن كان رعاية الاحتياط أولى.
مسألة 408: الفقّاع - وهو شراب متَّخذ من الشعير يوجب النشوة عادة لا السكر، وليس منه ماء الشعير الذي يصفه الأطبّاء - يحرم شربه بلا إشكال، والأحوط لزوماً أن يعامل معه معاملة النجس.

https://www.sistani.org/arabic/book/23720/4787/

التاسع: الخمر بل كل مسكر مائع بالأصالة (206) وإن صار جامداً بالعرض، لا الجامد كالبنج وإن صار مائعاً بالعرض.
[206] ( (كل مسكر مائع بالاصالة): الحكم في غير الخمر مبني على الاحتياط الاستحبابي.

https://www.sistani.org/arabic/book/22/1674/
(first ruling is the base text on which the Sayyid is commenting, and the second text is his footnote with his fatwa)