Socio-political views of

Grand Ayatollah
Ishaq al-Fayadh (born 1930),
an ex-student of
late Grand Ayatollah Sayyid
Abu al-Qasim
al-Khoei (1899 - 1992)

Name: Bilal Baki

City: Munich, Germany
Email: Menscht@web.de
Date: May 19, 2020
Contents
Short biography of Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh ..........................................................................3

Shaykh al-Fayadh' political positions .........................................................................................3

The Guardianship in the Islamic political system ......................................................................6

Female leadership in Islamic societies ......................................................................................11

Shaykh al-Fayadh' advice for Muslims in the West ..................................................................12

Shaykh al-Fayadh' advice for students ......................................................................................13

Dialogue with Muslims and non-Muslims according to Shaykh al-Fayadh .............................24

Shaykh al-Fayadh' works ..........................................................................................................26

An interview with Shaykh al-Fayadh ........................................................................................28

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................31

2
Short biography of Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh
Muhammad Ishaq al-Fayadh was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, in 1930. He finished school in
Afghanistan. After the demise of his mother, when he was 17 years old, al-Fayadh moved to
Mashad, Iran, to continue his religious education. After one year of studying in Mashad, he
moved to Najaf, Iraq, for further studies in the religious seminary there. In Najaf, al-Fayyad
received knowledge under various scholars. Among his teachers, who superved his studying,
was Ayatollah Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khoei (1899 - 1992), in whose seminaries al-Fayadh
participated for 15 years. Today Shaykh Ishaq al-Fayadh is one of the most influential scholars
in Najaf, Iraq, and a source of emulation, al-Marja' at-Taqlid, for many Muslims worldwide.
[1]

Ayatollah al-Fayadh' website can be accessed through the link: http://alfayadh.org.

Shaykh al-Fayadh' political positions

In spite of carful research, the following opinions which resemble Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh'
point of view on political issues, there is no guarantee for them being complete. The complexity
of the politics in the religion of Shia Islam makes it very difficult to find exhaustive political
opinions of religious scholars, as they are aware of the deep influence of politics on people's
lives. Therefore, scholars treat the subject of politics extreme care. The Arabic language and
the difficult terminology, in which political theories are written by religious scholars, makes
the accurate translation and analysis of those texts very difficult. Also, the concept of Islamic
political theory is very difficult to be understood even for the Arabic-speaking layman.

One reason why there might be publicised just incomplete views, is the insecure circumstances
and surroundings in which the Ayatollah lives, for Iraq is a country, where military and intelli-
gence of many countries are meddling in its affairs. The life of high-ranking politicians and
scholars alike are in extreme danger in those countries and one wrong move could destabilise
the country and the whole Islamic world.

Some concepts of Ayatollah al-Fayadh in this book are only presented, in order to make clear
that he is not unaware of politics and doesn't lack the understanding of that deeply complex
subject, despite of some uneducated claims. Furthermore, only by presenting as many views of
him as possible, would complete the puzzle around his person.

3
Despite of the general view that Ayatollah al-Fayadh hasn't yet acted in any political way, he is
known for his profound knowledge on actual worldwide political happenings. He received
among others the Prime Ministers of Iraq, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, served from 2005 till 2006, Nouri
al-Maliki, served from 2006 to 2014, and Haider al-Abadi, served from 2014 to 2018, as well
as Iranian politicians Ali Larijani and Presidents of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hashemi Raf-
sanjani and Hasan Rohani in his office and discussed with them political regional matters.

Former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (left on the picture), who served from 2014 - 2018
[2]:

Hasan Rohani (in the middle) with Ishaq al-Fayadh (on the right) in March 2019 [3]:

4
It was only after students and his followers from all over the world asked him about his view
on the political system of the Wilayat al-Faqih that he wrote a small booklet presenting his
views on that topic. He mentions his motive behind the writing of his book in the preface of it.
([4], p. 33)

Several of Shaykh al-Fayadh' political positions are to be outlined:

Ayatollah al-Fayadh is a proponent of the political system of the Wilayat al-Faqih, which can
be roughly translated as 'the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist'. The theory of Wilayat al-Faqih
is a broad political concept within Shia Islamic sciences, which deals with the Islamic leader-
ship through the Islamic scholars, the Fuqaha. Wilayat al-Faqih is translated into English as
Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist. The concept is considered differently by the various Islamic
scholars, al-Maraje', and theories around this subject are still in development. The limited con-
cept of Welayat al-Faqih, called Wilayat al-Faqih al-Hesbiyah, is valid to non-litigious matters,
al-Omour al-Hisbiyah, according to late Ayatollah al-Khoei. [5] For instance, this kind of po-
litical system is valid, when the security of the citizen of a state are threatened. This was the
case in 2014, when the ISIS threatened the citizens of Iraq. It was for this reason that the Iraqi
scholars, al-'Ulama and al-Maraje', gave the religious edict, Fatwa, for Jihad against the ISIS,
which resulted in the defeat of the extremist Sunni terror-organization. [27] The excepting rule
of the Wilayat al-Faqih al-Hisbiyah, which is only valid in special conditions, bans one Faqih
from meddling into the affairs of another Marja' at-Taqlid.

Ayatollah al-Khoei wrote about the Faqih: "The established fact according to the narrations lies
in two affairs: Him [the Faqih, author's note] exercising the role of a judge, and his Fatwa being
a proof. (...) Wilayah [of the Faqih, author's note] is not valid, except in the hisbi sense (waka-
lah), i.e. the Faqih holds wilayah in this sense only, not in the sense of being the claimant (al-
Mudda'ee)" ([28], p. 360) [29]

Concerning the system of the Wilayat al-Faqih, al-Fayadh asserts: "The correct opinion regard-
ing the issue of Wilayat al-Faqih is that this issue requires no external proof, because the con-
tinuation of Islamic Law, and its application, is dependent upon the continuation of the system
of al-Wilaya [of the infallibles]". [6]

5
The Guardianship in the Islamic political system
At this point it is necessary to know to what 'continuation of al-Wilaya' refers to.

The Islamic term al-Wali has many meanings; among them are:

-Friend,

-Guardian,

-Supporter,

-Devoted,

-Protector,

etc.

The true meanings of the word are usually derived from the context in the Holy Quran and the
traditions. Concerning verses mentionen obeying someone, the term Wali is referred to leader-
ship. The Lordship, al-Walaya (‫)َوﻻﯾﺔ‬, belongs exclusively to God, but the Divine Leadership,
al-Wilaya (‫)ِوﻻﯾﺔ‬, is given by Him to whom He chooses, according to Islamic teachings.

There are three kind of verses, about who should be followed as Wali:

1) God is only mentioned in the verse of the Holy Quran as the Wali of the believing men and
women: "Allah is the guardian of those who believe." [2:257] Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh re-
gards this verse as part of 'The Throne Verse', or Ayat al-Kursi, which consists of the verses
[2:255-257] Other similar verses are the verses [3:68] and [4:45].

2) God and Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, are mentioned as those
who should be followed: "And obey Allah and His Messenger" [8:46]

There are verses which call the faithful to follow the Holy Prophet in an absolute manner: "The
Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves". [33:6]

3) The third category mentions God, His Prophet, and certain other people who should be fol-
lowed as Wali, which is the case in verse 55 of Surah al-Ma'ida, the table: "Your only guardians
are Allah, His Messenger, and fellow believers—who establish prayer and pay alms-tax with
humility." [5:55]

6
"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among
you." [4:59] 'Those in authority among you', or Uli-l-Amri Minkum, in verse [4:59] and verse
[5:55] were revealed about Imam Ali, both according to the Shia and some Sunni scholars.

The so-called Hadith of Ghadir Khumm, which was a sermon delivered by the Holy Prophet
after his Hajj and shortly before his passing away, gives a concise explanation of the Wilaya of
Imam Ali.

It was on his way from Mecca to Medina at a place called Ghadir Khum, close to Juhfah, today's
Saudi Arabia, where the following verse was revealed to the Holy Prophet: "O Messenger,
announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do not, then you have
not conveyed His message. And Allah will protect you from the people." [5:67]

Thereupon Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and his progeny, shouted to the large crowd
of Muslims: "It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall
answer that call. I am leaving for you two precious things and if you adhere to both of them,
you will never go astray after me. They are the Book of Allah [Kitab Allah] and my progeny,
that is my Ahlul-Bayt [Itrati Ahli Bayti]. The two shall never separate from each other until
they come to me by the Pool (of Paradise)."

Then the Messenger of Allah continued: "Do I not have more right over the believers than what
they have over themselves?" People cried and answered: "Yes, O’ Messenger of God." Then
Prophet (S) held up the hand of ‘Ali and said:

.‫اﻟﻠﮭﻢ وال ﻣﻦ واﻻه و ﻋﺎد ﻣﻦ ﻋﺎداه‬. ‫ﻣﻦ ﻛﻨﺖ ﻣﻮﻻه ﻓﮭﺬا ﻋﻠﻲ ﻣﻮﻻه‬

In transliteration: Man kuntu Mawla fa hadha 'Aliun Mawla, Allahuma wa ali man wala wa
'Adi man 'Adah.

In translation: "Whoever I am his leader (Mawla), ‘Ali is his leader (Mawla). O’ God, love
those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him."

7
This narration was passed through many reliable transmitters through many chains, being al-
Mutawatir, and accepted by both Shia and Sunni scholars ([30], p. 298).

Immediately afte the Holy Prophet had finished his speech, the subsequent verse was revealed
to him: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and
have approved for you Islam as religion." [5:3]

Taking into account other narrations of the Holy Prophet, the term 'Wilayat' is attributed to the
eleven Imams after Imam Ali, as well. All of the names of the 12 Imams were mentioned by
the Prophet of Islam, and Wali in their cases were associated with 'mastership', 'sovereignty'
and 'lordship' over the believing men and women. The Holy Prophet and the Imams evantually
demanded from their followers to refer to the Shia scholars, the Fuqahah or 'Ulama, especially
after the Occultation of the last Imam.

In the tradition of the two weighty things, al-Hadith al-Thaqalayn, the Holy Prophet urged the
people to stick to two weighty things, the Holy Quran and his family, the Ahl al-Bayt. The
tradition is considered Mutawatir again, and accepted by both Sunni and Shia Muslims. ([31],
p. 122-123)

Other traditions of the Holy Prophet emphasise the Ahl al-Bayt:

-Tradition of the Ark, al-Hadith as-Safinah: the Holy Prophet compares the Ahl al-Bayt to
Prophet Noah’s Ark

-Tradition of the Cloak, al-Hadith al-Kisa: the Holy Prophet together with chosen people,
namely his son-in law Imam Ali, his daughter Lady Fatima az-Zahra, his grandsons Imam al-
Hasan and Imam al-Husayn are under a cloak, which are called as his Ahl al-Bayt.

-Verse 5:55 of the Holy Quran is also called Ayat al-Wilaya, verse of the Wilaya. It refers to
Imam Ali, as he only gave his ring to a poor while he was in prayer in the state of Ruku'.

Moreover, Ayatollah al-Fayadh defines to whom the position of Wilayat al-Faqih in an Islamic
state belongs: "The Wilaya of the Prophet and the immaculate Imams in the time of the major
occultation of the 12th Imam is bestowed on the Islamic Jurist. It is unimaginable that Islamic
Law could continue to exist without the continuation of this Wilaya." [6]

The Islamic Jurist according to Islamic terminology is someone, who is the most knowledgable
in Islamic sciences, i.e. in Islamic jurisprudence.

A Marja' and Faqih should have the following qualities, according to Shaykh Abdul Jaleel [7]:

8
1) Be able to derive laws concerning Wajib [religious obligations], Haram [religious prohibi-
tions], Mustahab [religious recommendations], Makruh [religious discouraged deeds], Mubah
[religious permits] from the Holy Quran and the true traditions of the Holy Prophet of Islam.
To achieve this quality a long procedure must be underwent, which requires studying in the
religious seminary for years and a final testimony, Ijaza, of the religious scholar, who super-
vised the individual scholar etc.

2) Protect the self, an-Nafs, according to the qualities of a leader, al-Faqih

3) Having mastered the denying of self-desires, al-Hawaa

4) Having the discipline to fully being obedient to one's master's rules

Being in the possession of the above-quoted qualities makes the scholar automatically the leader
of the believing [al-Mu-mineen], during the Major Occultation, al-Ghaybah al-Kubra, of the
Imam al-Mahdi. This rule is valid from the beginning of the Major Occultation, al-Ghaybah al-
Kubra, which has started after the death of the last of the four Deputies, an-Na-ib, of Imam al-
Mahdi, Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri who served from 937 till 940, until the
reappearance of the rightful Imam.

The Islamic Jurist, Marja' at-Taqlid, is determined by the 'Ahl al-Khibra', a term, which de-
scribes 'those who are sufficiently knowledgeable in Islamic jurisprudence'. ([8], p. 23)

Shaykh al-Fayadh delivered a speech on the political religious scholar, or the political Marja',
clarifying his opinion on Shia Islam and politics [9]:

"And this is being promulgated in the journals of political parties and others and in some of the
speeches that Iraq is in need of a political religious Marja' (Marja'in Siyasiyin Diniyyin). A
political Marja' has no value (al-Qiyymah) whatsoever, because the contemporary politics is
based on deception and betrayal and lying (al-Kizb) and vested self-interest and specific aims
of (political) groups (al-Hizbiyyah) and from here politics varies with the period of time and in
its nature, distinctively. This politics by no means can be in agreement with religion (ad-Din).
Religion is against this kind of politics. Rather Islamic politics (Siyasat al-Islamiyah), which is
a part of religion, does not vary with the change of times, same as the religion of Islam does not
vary with the change of times (at-Taqayyur az-Zaman). Islam stays constant [without change
of its core, author's note] over the time, which is also the cas with [the core of, author's note]
Islamic politics. But the politics we are familiar with in this age, is based on lying, falseness,
betrayal, fraud, vested self-interests and specific aims of (political) groups and that's why this

9
politics varies with the period of time and in its nature, distinctively. As a result, we all have a
responsibility (of condemning such politics)."

The second Imam, Imam al-Hassan al-Mujtaba, has given a clear definition of true Islamic
politics:

"Politics is to attend to the rights and duties of Allah and to protect the rights of the people;
dead or alive. As for the rights of Allah, it is to fulfil what He ordered and abstain from what
He forbade. And as for the rights of the living it is to discharge your duties towards your Muslim
brethren and not to hesitate serving your community, to be sincere towards Wali-Amr (leader
chosen by the people on the basis of his religious credentials) as long as he is sincere to the
Ummah, and to raise your objection to him if he deviated from the straight path. As for the
rights of the dead, it is to commemorate their good deeds and cover up their bad deeds, for they
have their Lord to deal with them." ([10], p. 35)

Politics has to be displayed and people should recognise good politics. Imam Ali said in one of
his speeches in the Nahjul Balagha: "Every hidden thing other than Him [God] is incapable of
becoming manifest." (Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 64) Therefore how can an Islamic scholar be
called a political Marja', when he is not able to manifest Islamic politics? In Iraq the scholar
Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (1935 - 1980), who authored the books Iqtisaduna, our economy,
and Falsafatuna, our philosophy, and other books, was executed together with his sister Amina
Haydar al-Sadr (1937 - 1980), known as Bint al Huda al-Sadr, by Saddam's regime. The reason
for their execution was that they wrote their own political theories. As can be seen in Islamic
history, writing about politics was often the reason why an end was set to the lives of the authors
and the rulers even erased whole families because of that with confiscating and burning of their
books.

Therefore, It was only after political power came into the hands of the clerics for the first time
in Islamic histroy in Iran in 1979, that Islamic political theory on topics like Wilayat al-Faqih,
the state, checks and balances in Islam, rights of prisoners, women in Islamic societies etc., was
written down and publicised. A proper political dialogue has been suppressed in the Arab World
till today, while the political dispute has continued in countries outside of Islamic states, i.e. in
the West etc.

With the above-mentioned definitions, al-Fayadh fails to see an Islamic political system at the
current time. This can be observed through his answer to the question, whether there is a con-
nection between politics and religion, to which al-Fayadh replied:

10
"The politics practiced between governments and nations of the world has no roots in religion,
since they are performed in accordance to regional and global self-interests. Yes, the politics
performed in an Islamic government, the government, which with all it's bodies and compo-
nents work on the basis of the governance (laid down) by Allah, The One and Only, who has
no partners, is a religious one. But there is no existence of such government in the present time
at any part of the globe." [11]

Female leadership in Islamic societies

One of Shaykh al-Fayadh' outstanding approaches towards society is his unique view on the
role of women in the Islamic society. He considers Islam as a religion to have allowed women
to take leading positions in politics and the economy. The website Iqra Online has translated a
Persian article [12] on the website Mobahesat.ir, which has analyzed al-Fayadh' book 'Jāyegāh
Zan dar Nizām Siyāsīyeh Islām' (English translation: 'Woman's status in the Islamic political
system'). Sadiq Meghjee of Iqra Online writes: "In response to a number of jurisprudential
questions in relation to the role of women in society, he declared it permissible for women to
take any of the three following positions: political leader, judge and religious jurisconsult." [13]

The conditions of women taking such positions is described in the following paragraph on Iqra
Online: "On this basis, it is argued that there exists no legislative nor jurisprudential prohibition
from allowing women to take up any of these three positions. In this regards, he says it is ob-
ligatory for a lady to cover herself from the opposite gender and to safeguard her own dignity,
chastity and modesty at all times, and to keep herself ritually pure. Whenever a Muslim woman
upholds these conditions then there is no problem in her taking up positions which do not con-
tradict her obligatory responsibilities." [13]

The details of the various position a woman is allowed to take according to Islam, is described
by: "It is irrespective of whether this is a social position like politics or an individual one like
being a driver, a pilot etc. With this reasoning he believes that in all spheres of life, be it social,
individual, ideological, freedom of expression, business, financial trading, land cultivation etc.
women and men are completely equal." [13]

11
Shaykh al-Fayadh' advice for Muslims in the West
The son of Shaykh Ishaq al-Fayadh, Mahmood al Fayadh, who is also his representative, deliv-
ered a speech on behalf of his father in Sydney, Australia. [14]

Therein he conveyed the message of his father, which are:

1) All Muslims, especially Muslims with migrant background, should follow the laws of the
country you are living in. A migrant criminal would harm both Muslims and people with mi-
grant background [from a special country, author's note], as people connect his crime with his
belief and his origin country.

2) Follow the religious principles of Islam in any situation, like prayer, Hijab [Islamic scarf for
women, author's note].

3) Muslims should participate in elections and vote for those parties, which work for Muslim
interests most. They should ask political experts about who serves Muslims' interests most [This
might be in order to have a better idea and have a bigger impact on elections as one Muslim
community, author's note].

4) Muslims should consider education as a high value. A high level of education should be
attained by Muslims, in order to have more influence in their societies [With more education
people usually understand things better and can control them better, author's note].

5) To seek a high economic status is important as well, because with growth of wealth, the
influence also grows. By earning halal money [money earned through Islamically lawful means,
author's note] Muslims can help people in their countries of origin, i.e. Afghanistan etc., where
people live in poverty and hardship.

6) Racism and discrimination are forbidden in Islam and should be therefore fought against and
removed from Islamic societies.

12
Shaykh al-Fayadh' advice for students
Knowing the background of Shaykh al-Fayadh, one comes to the conclusion that it must have
been a very tough strain for him to achieve his elevated and profound knowledge. Only through
effort could he change his status and therefore could devote his life for Islam and humanity.

Mateen Joshua Charbonneau, born in 1982, is a young US-American Islamic preacher who,
after converting to Islam, moved to Najaf, Iraq, in order to study Islamic sciences in the reli-
gious seminaries. He has been successful in doing so, as he became an Islamic preacher, or a
Sheikh. He has also written some spiritual books on Islam in several languages.

Some English titles of his books are 'The Mystery of the Shia', 'Recalling the Sacrifices of
Karbala: English Museeba for the Nights of Muharram (Illustrated in Color)' and 'Christians
Who Defended and Died for Prophet Muhammad and his Family'. There are books from him
in other languages as well.

During his stay in Iraq Charbonneau has met several scholars who gave him deep spiritual
advice, some of which he has written down and published on his Facebook site. One advice
was given to Charbonneau by Ayatollah Shaykh Ishaq al-Fayadh for students of knowledge in
2019: "The most important thing for the students of knowledge is studying. The student should
give his studies priority over other things, so much so that if he is faced with two things such
as performing the night prayer (Salat al-Layl) or studying the student should choose studying.
This is because the pursuit of knowledge and studying for the student is of the of the upmost
importance."

Analysing of Ayatollah al-Fayadh' advice

The acquiring of knowledge needs a system of setting priorities, as there are various fields of
knowledge depending on what people are studying and where their talents lie.

Imam Ali has said concerning the sciences: "Life is too short for you to learn all the knowledge
that you find attractive, so learn what inspires you, only what inspires you." ([10], p. 24)

Areas of sciences of today contain:

-religion [ad-Din],

-computer sciences, like programming and computer languages

-health sciences, i.e. physical health or medicine [at-Tibb], and psychology [al-'Ilm an-Nas]

13
-physical and mental health, like meditation, proper breathing techniques, proper Haltung, gym
and sports, rhetoric [al-'Ilm al Bayan], self-esteem etc.

-philosophy, like logic [al-Mantiq] etc.

-world spoken and written languages, like Arabic, Persian, English, French, Japanese etc.

-mathematics,

-arts and design,

-natural sciences, i.e. biology, physics and chemistry,

-etc.

On a side note, despite that some people try to connect backwardness and illiteracy to the Is-
lamic ideology, many of the above-mentioned sciences, like mathematics, chemistry, astron-
omy, philosophy etc., were developed in the Muslim world in the Middle Ages. The period in
which Muslims excelled in sciences, while the Western world of today was lagging behind, was
between 750 and 1250 CE and is called the Islamic Golden Age.

Anyhow, as a primary step, students and seekers of knowledge have to choose their fields of
studying, with the aim of excelling in those fields, be it in religion, self-building, natural sci-
ences, engineering, medicine etc. One of your motivation in order to make a proper decision,
could be to find Rizq Halal, or to make lawful earnings, as the Holy Prophet said: "Worship has
seventy parts, the best of which is to earn a lawful (halal) (income)." [15]

A basic knowledge on the religion of Islam and learning about it day by day is essential.

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, the sixth Imam and the founder of the Shi'a Islamic school [al-Madhab],
peace be upon him, said [16]:

14
"On Judgement Day, God asks those who didn't follow the Divine Laws [i.e. considering the
duties and abandoning the forbidden acts in Islam, author's note] asks him: "Did you know your
tasks [as imposed by God on you]?" If one answers in the affirmative, he will be asked in
response: "Why didn't you act according to your knowledge?" And if one answers in the nega-
tive, he will be asked: "Why didn't you acquire the knowledge of it, in order to act upon it?" "

Concerning the emulation, or Taqlid, of a religious scholar, or Marja', it is written in the book
'A Selection of Islamic Laws' by Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh ([17], p. 2):

"The present rules of Islamic jurisdiction (Sharia) are divided into two categories:
1) Rules regarding the roots of religion (Usul Deen)
2) Rules regarding the branches of religion (Furu Deen)
The first category contains those rules for which Taqlid is not allowed. From a religious point
of view, a mukallif (a person who has reached the age of Takleef, explained in Case 3) should
have sufficient knowledge and be certain about the roots of religion. He should believe, with
reasoning, in Allah, the Prophet, the Day of Resurrection and his Imam.
The second category, the branches of religion, constitute of two groups:

1) The Compulsory (zarouri, obligatory, essential) Rules: These are the rules that neither re-
quire Taqlid nor a comprehensive study and understanding of the subject; such as the necessity
of praying and fasting, or the prohibition of murdering an innocent soul and adultery.

2) The Non-Compulsory (non-zarouri, non-obligatory, non-essential) Rules: If a mukallif is

neither a Mujtahid nor does he act upon “Precaution”, then, in order to make sure that he has
fulfilled his religious obligations, he must follow a Mujtahid.
Therefore, Taqlid is restricted to the branches of religion and only for non-compulsory rules
such as Halaal (lawful) and Haraam (unlawful) and other such acts."

Concerning the Case 3 the Ayatollah writes ([17], p. 3):

"Case 3: The age of buloogh (religious maturity) for a girl is nine and for a boy is fifteen com-
plete lunar years. However, a boy is thought to be buloogh before reaching the age of 15, if
some coarse hair grows below his navel, or if semen is released while he is asleep or awake."

The second step is the method of studying, for studying is not just about reading books. In order
to understand, you must ponder over the things you have studied, thoroughly.

Understanding is a complex development and more about connecting synapses in the brain than
the blindly reading. The more you spend your time with the matter you are learning the better
15
will you understand it, and the more you understand a thing, the better will you memorise it.
Proper thinking, in Arabic at-Tafakkur and at-Tadabbur, is very important and both the Holy
Quran and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt have emphasised on thinking, in particular thinking
about the signs of God. Other vocabulary used in the Holy Quran are al-'Ilm, knowledge, as in
ya'lamun, and al-'Aql, intellect, as in ya'qilun. Using your common senses, instead of blindly
following people is mentioned in the Holy Quran:

"They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not
see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are
more astray. It is they who are the heedless." [7:179]

"And when it is said to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will
follow that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood nothing,
nor were they guided?" [2:170]

Rather God wants people to listen, think and then follow the best parts leading towards spiritu-
ality and closeness to God:

"So give good tidings to My servants, who listen to speech and follow the best of it." [39:17-
18]

And God, the All-Wise, says about thinking, at-Tafakkur, about the Signs of God:

"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day
are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying]
on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord,
You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from
the punishment of the Fire." [3:190-191]

"And if We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth
and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him he
lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone he lolls out his tongue; this is the parable of the
people who reject Our communications; therefore relate the narrative that they may reflect."
[7:176]

Other Quranic verses, where yatafakkarun is stressed, are [30:21], [3:191], [30:8].

Thinking, at-Tadabbur, after reading the verses of the Holy Quran is very important:

"Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an?" [4:82]

16
God, Almighty explicitly mentions the using of reason and intellect, ya'qilun:

"Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not
use reason." [8:22]

There are many traditions on pondering, thinking and reflecting, as well. The wisest man on
earth, after the Holy Prophet, the companion, cousin and son-in-law of the Holy Prophet has
repeatedly called people to think:

"Victory is by determination; determination is by the turning over of thoughts; and thoughts are
formed by guarding secrets." ([18], Saying No 48)

Imam Ali said: "Knowledge is a venerable estate; good manners are new dresses; and thinking
is clear mirror." ([18], Saying No 5)

Imam Ali said: "Contemplation invites (man) towards good (deed) and its performance." [19]

Besides your studying, there are various other tasks that need to be done and which are time-
consuming. For all that, you need a time management system during your studying, or to ex-
press it more clearly, things need to be planned and prioritised.

Imam Ali said about time management:

"Endeavour to divide your time into four categories:

-one for the supplication with Allah,

-another to make a living,

-the third for socialising with the brethren and those trustworthy individuals who are honest to
you and point out to you your mistakes in confidence,

-and the fourth to seek in seclusion non-forbidden pleasures, and with this you gain strength
and vigour for the other three." ([10], p.42)

There are modern tools for time management systems on how to get things done and how to
prioritise, postpone and delegate your tasks.

One method is the Pareto technique, which means that you should keep in mind that 80 percent
of the tasks can be accomplished in 20 percent of the disposable time, whereas the remaining
20 percent of the tasks will need 80 percent of your time. In this way one can prioritise 80
percent of the tasks and assign the time at the beginning to those tasks.

17
Another method is the Eisenhower technique, named after Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 -
1969), who used to say: "I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important. The urgent
are not important, and the important are never urgent." [20]

Tasks are divided into four categories, consisting of two main characteristics, namely im-
portance and urgency, according to the Eisenhower time management technique:

The Eisenhower method divides all tasks according to four principles:

1) Important AND urgent quadrant are done immediately and personally, like crises, deadlines
and problems.

2) Important BUT not urgent quadrant get an end date and are done personally, like relation-
ships, planning and recreation.

3) Not important BUT urgent quadrant are delegated, like interruptions, meetings, activities.

4) Not important AND not Urgent quadrant are dropped, like time wasters, pleasant activities,
trivia.

18
Only tasks in the second quadrant has to be pre-planned, all the other tasks are set by outside
conditions. One should not be reluctant in delegating the third quadrant and in throwing away
the tasks in the fourth quadrant.

Necessity of acting upon knowledge according to Shaykh al-Fayadh

In another speech in front of students of knowledge, Ayatollah al-Fayadh explained in Arabic

the right way of seeking knowledge [21]. According to the scholar a student has to stick to
studying and then acting according to the knowledge he has acquired. It is only the action that
counts. A true scholar, or al-'Alim, is only someone who acts according to what he knows.
That's why action is very important according to Islam, which is the only thing that counts, at
the end of the day, as knowledge without acting upon it at its proper time is useless.

God in the Holy Quran talks about good and proper action:

"Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and
advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience." [103:2-3]

Righteous deeds are being steadfast in following the Divine Laws, being firm in practicing the
obligations and abstaining from the forbidden before any other deed.

Again, it is Imam Ali, who embodied knowledge and wisdom, who explains us that action is of
utmost importance:

"This world rests upon four supports: a scholar who applies his knowledge (to himself), a rich
man who does favours generously, an ignorant who is not too arrogant to learn, and a poor man
who does not vend his life to come with others' worldly pleasures. Woe are the scholars who
suspend acting upon their knowledge, the rich men who withhold giving, the ignorant who feel
arrogant against learning, and the poor men who vend their lives to come with others’ worldly
pleasures." ([22], p.181)

Only after thinking, at-Tafakkur and understanding, al-Fahm, people will reach wisdom, al-
Hikmah. The more your understanding upon which you act, the wiser you get. A learned person
is someone who has knowledge only. A wise person, on the other hand, is someone who has
knowledge and also acts upon his knowledge. He is a true 'Alim, scholar, and represents the
whole meaning of al-'Alim, who acts upon the knowledge he was blessed with. Wisdom, al-
Hikmah, is mentioned several times in the Holy Quran, like when Almighty God says that He
blesses some with wisdom: "He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given

19
wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of under-
standing." [2:269]

You can control your daily progress by taking yourself into account, as Imam Ali has advised
people to do so: "He who takes his self into account will profit, and he who is heedless of it will
lose. He who is fearful will be secure, and he who reflects will discern, and whoever discerns
will comprehend, and whoever comprehends will have knowledge." ([8], p. 23)

Comparison is another effective tool to control yourself. You can control yourself according to
time, like comparing your today to the previous day, or your state today to your state one month
ago, as the sixth Imam, Imam al-Kadhim, has said:

"He whose two days are equal is a looser, and he whose second day is worse than his first is
cursed. He who does not observe progress in himself is in retreat and he who is in retreat, death
is better for him than life." ([8], p. 42)

Another good quality is to have high ambitions and to compare yourself to others who are
higher in rank, as the ninth Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Jawad, said: "Two people are never
equal in religion or race and the better among them in the sight of Allah is the one, who is better
disciplined." ([10], p. 76)

Comparison is neither for bringing down your mood, nor for becoming desperate because of
your bad state according to your opinion, nor for dragging down other people to make them
reach your low level, nor for becoming arrogant. Comparison should help you in being thankful
to God, and to work and plan more precisely to eliminate mistakes. And any work can only be
achieved through a good structuring of your time.

Ayatollah al-Fayadh about rejecting wrong teachings

Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh also delivered a speech in front of his students, concerning the stud-
ying of wrong teachings of some famous gnostic teachers. His preaching on that issue went
viral in the Islamic world and was also published on YouTube [23]:

"It has reached us, that in this blessed Islamic Seminary [al-Hawza al-'Ilmiyah], 'Irfan [deviate
gnosis] is being taught, from the books of Ibn al-'Arabi. And this is a danger to the Islamic
Seminary, and especially to our youth. For verily, whoever reads the books of Ibn al-'Arabi,
will understand that he [Ibn al-'Arabi] is a heretic [al-Zindiq]. And that he [Ibn al-'Arabi] has
no belief in Allah, the Elevated, the Holy. Al-'Irfan means [following] the Divine Laws [al-
aHkam al-Ilahiya]. The true 'Irfan is the understanding of the jurisprudence of the Family of

20
Muhammad, peace be on him and his progeny. This is what the true 'Irfan is. People should
firmly hold the rope of true 'Irfan, which means the understanding of Divine Laws and the
jurisprudence of the Family of Muhammad, peace be on him and his progeny. And acting upon
those teachings is the true piety [at-Taqwa]. Allah (SWT) has mentioned in the Holy Quran:
"Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most pious of you." [49:13]

And it has been explained in the narrations [in exegesis of the mentioned Quranic verse], that
the true essence of piety [at-Taqwa]; is commitment to the Divine obligations (Wajibat al-
Ilahiya), and abstinence from forbidden acts (Muharramat al-Ilahiya). That is true piety. The
definition of al-'Irfan is the revealing of the truths (Kashf al-Haqayiq) and the removing of the
veils [i.e. studying and practicing] to see the truth. And the knowledge of the unseen [al-'Ilmi
bi-l-Qayb] is just an illusion that has no truth [al-Haqiqah] to it, and there is no chance of oc-
currence [al-Waqiyah] in it. Moreover, it is a contradiction to Allah's words: "No one knows
the Unseen except Allah, and he whom He chooses as His messenger." And therefore, this
teaching [al-Dars] [of al-'Irfan] is a danger [al-Khatar] both for the Islamic Seminary, and es-
pecially for our youth [al-Shabaab]. And upon us is to be aware and on guard, concerning this
issue."

Some people, mainly those opposing him and insist on showing rivalry towards him out of
racial, sectarian or ideological reasons, claim that with this statement Ayatollah Ishaq al-Fayadh
has forbidden any scientific research and philosophical education. This claim is completely
void and absurd. Concerning education, Shaykh al-Fayadh and other Islamic scholars have even
encouraged young Muslims to acquire knowledge and sciences of the West, like medicine, en-
gineering, psychology etc. Learning from everyone is not equal to following everyone.

Following the creed of non-Muslims or of people with wrong ideologies, like that of the Wa-
habis, on religious and ethical matters is wrong and should be avoided, by any means. No one
would follow the instruction of a biologist in the field of civil engineering, let alone following
the instruction or even the opinion of an illiterate in the fields of natural sciences. Concerning
Islamic ethics and education one should stick to those who have dedicated their life to the teach-
ings of Islam and are rated as trustworthy by scholars. One should abstain from taking into
consideration the opinions of non-scholars, non-Muslims or deviated historic figures. As con-
cerning non-Muslim scientists, they might be agenda-driven and may spread misinformation
about Islam and its teachings, which have been the case in the past. Imam al-Hasan, the son of
Imam Ali, who is the second Imam said:

21
"I am surprised at one who takes care at what he eats, but does not do so about what he believes
in. He avoids that which hurts him from entering his stomach, but allows that which makes him
inferior to enter his heart (and mind)." ([8], p. 36)

This is a very clear position by one of the most trustable Islamic personalities. There is no harm
in learning about 'Irfan in general. 'Irfan stems from the word Ma'rifah, which means gnosis or
insight of God. It includes the pondering upon the verses of the Holy Quran and the teachings
of the Ahl al-bayt on self-knowledge, self-building, self-esteem, self-consciousness, the strug-
gle against oneself and the tenets of Islamic morals and ethics, Adab and Akhlagh. There are
innumerous traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt on those subjects.

Main literature which can be read and thought about, consist of:

-the Holy Quran,

-Nahj al-Balaghah, or peak of eloquence, which is a compilation of Imam Ali's sermons, letters
and sayings,

-Sahifah al Sajjadiyah - the psalms of Imam Ali son of Husayn, the fourth Imam, which is a
compilation of his supplications and includes many valuable ethical guidelines inside the sup-
plication,

-Tuhaf al-Uquol, the masterpiece of the intellects, a compilation of the sayings of the Ahl al-
Bayt and the Prophets Jesus and Moses,

-Sermon of Fatimah az-Zahra,

-countless other traditions of the 14 infallibles and treatises on those traditions, which are talked
about by scholars on the pulpit,

-lessons, which can be learned from the tragedy of Karbala, as recorded and mentioned on
pulpits every year during the month of Muharram,

-among the lessons is the Sermon of Zainab bint Ali in the courtyard of Yazeed,

-and the behaviour of Abbas ibn-'Ali towards his brother Imam al-Husayn,

-as well as the behaviour of the companions of Imam al-Husayn in Karbala,

-and countless other traditions of the 14 infallibles and treatises on those traditions,

-and lessons on oppression, mentioned on the pulpits.

etc.
22
Ibn al-'Arabi (1165 - 1240), a gnostic of the Arabian world of the Middle Ages, was one, who
derived his teachings from dubious sources and his own imagination. Today his teachings, also
called 'Irfan of Ibn al-'Arabi, are used to mislead people, like trying to make predictions or to
give information on the unseen which is forbidden according to the Holy Quran and the teach-
ings of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Making predictions of the unseen is forbidden through a number of Quranic verses, like:

"Say, "None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive
when they will be resurrected." " [27:65]

"[He is] Knower of the unseen, and He does not disclose His [knowledge of the] unseen to
anyone, except whom He has approved of messengers." [72:26-27]

"And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what
is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within
the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record."
[6:59]

"Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is
in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what
land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted." [31:34]

It is not only Ibn al-'Arabi's teachings about what one should be careful. People should pay
attention to other wrong teachings, like some people are using practices of Indian Yoga or Chi-
nese Qi Gong as spiritual practices, as is widely practiced in the West. Exercising sports is one
thing and completely allowed within the framework of Islamic laws. But regarding physical
practices of other cultures as spiritual and metaphysical practices is a completely different issue
and should be repelled completely.

God in the Holy Quran admonishes people to stick to true teachings only: "And hold firmly to
the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided." [3:103] The meaning of the rope of
Allah [Habl-i-llah] is a metaphoric meaning for His religion and His Quran, for the rope is a
means to pull people towards something, like a rope which pulls people up. People should stick
to the rope of Allah, and not to the rope of the devil, and thus be divided by the wrong deeds of
some misguided.

23
Dialogue with Muslims and non-Muslims according to
Shaykh al-Fayadh
As early high-valued Muslim personalities, like Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib, have been engaged in
dialogue with other religions since the emergence of the religion of Islam, al-Fayadh has fol-
lowed this behavior and even called his followers to do so and show respect to people of dif-
ferent religious beliefs.

With the signing of 'The Amman Message', Shaykh al-Fayadh together with many other reli-
gious and political authorities from diverse Muslim groups and from over 84 countries have
endorsed the dialogue and peace between different denominations of Islam.

In the following list, Al-Fayadh is considered the third person from Iraq, endorsing that list
[24]:

The Amman Message was issued in November 2004 in Amman, the capital of Jordan, and is a
statement calling for tolerance and unity in the Muslim world. Three main points of The Am-
man Message have been outlined [25]:

1) The first point is about recognizing the following eight groups as Muslims: the
four Sunni schools (Mathahib) of Islamic jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi`i and Hanbali),
the two Shi’i schools of Islamic jurisprudence (Ja`fari and Zaydi), the Ibadi school of Islamic
jurisprudence, the Thahiri school of Islamic jurisprudence.

And prohibition of declaring followers of these three groups an apostate: Ash'ari creed, real Ta-
sawwuf (Sufism), true Salafi thought. Also, prohibition of declaring followers of any other

24
group of Muslims who believes in God and His Messenger, the pillars of faith (Iman), and the
five pillars of Islam, and does not deny any necessarily self-evident tenet of Islam.

2) The second point stresses the similarities between those mentioned groups in the first point:
"There exists more in common between the various schools of Islamic jurisprudence than there
is difference between them." and seeing diverse opinions as something positive in Islam: "Long
ago it was said that variance in opinion among the ‘ulama (scholars) "is a mercy" ".

3) The third point treats the common principle in issuing religious edicts, or Fatwas. This prin-
ciple rules out that every layman can issue Fatwas, and it rules out that unlimited Fatwas exist.
Unlimited number of Fatwas by people without any specific education would make it impossi-
ble to control the quality of Fatwas. With the third point of The Amman Message people shall
be protected from extremist ideologies, like that of the ISIS, which emerged as a fanatic political
group in 2014 and killed thousands of Muslims and non-Muslims. The foundation for their
cruel mass murders and ethnic cleansings were provided by extremist Fatwas.

The propagation of peaceful dialogue of Muslims with adherents of other religions is of utmost
importance to Shaykh al-Fayadh, so much so that he regularly receives followers of other reli-
gions.

Advice of Ayatollah Sheikh Ishaq al-Fayadh in 2019, as documented by Shaykh Mateen Char-
bonneau, about interacting with others: "When dealing with people we should deal and interact
with them with the best akhlaq (morality). This is not just in regards to the Muslims, but it is
for anyone we interact with regardless of their religion whether they be Shia, Sunni, Christians,
Jews or even polytheists. We must strive to have the best manners just as we find in the example
of our noble Prophet (s) who even behaved with the greatest morality even when he was treated
badly by others. The Prophet of Islam (s) even treated the polytheists with good manners. We
have to be just and fair with people and treat them with good morality just as we find in the
example of the Commander of the Faithful Ali (as) when they stole his rights.
We should stay away from falsehood and lying. Falsehood is one of the greatest impurities
which Allah has condemned in the Holy Quran. The liar will not be successful in this world or
in the hereafter. We should instead work based on a foundation built upon truthfulness and
honesty. We do not want people to see us being as being deceitful and liars then they judge
Islam from seeing these corrupt individuals thus forming a bad image of Islam. It is very im-
portant for us to always be trustworthy as the Holy Prophet (s) was known as al-Amin (the
trustworthy).

25
We should not backbite others, but rather we should conceal others faults. We should not strive
to highlight the faults of others."

Shaykh al-Fayadh' works

Many books on different subjects, like religion, jurisprudence, politics and economy have been
written by al-Fayadh [26].

His books were mainly written by him in Arabic and later on translated by professional trans-
lators into another language.

His work called 'Jāyegāh Zan dar Nizām Siyāsīyeh Islām' (English translation: 'Woman's status
in the Islamic political system'), as mentioned in the chapter above, in Arabic and Persian:

His work on Islamic Banking in Arabic and in Persian:

26
His work on Islamic Government in Arabic and in Persian:

A Selection of Islamic Laws in English translation written by al-Fayadh:

His work on Hajj Rituals in Arabic and Farsi:

27
An interview with Shaykh al-Fayadh
The script of an interview with Grand Ayatollah Shaykh al-Fayadh was published by the web-
site Shafaqna on 17 February 2018.

Grand Ayatollah al-Fayadh during a speech:

Below, you can read some of his observations as recorded during the interview:

"The Great Hawza of Najaf was founded more than a thousand years ago. Our scholars have
endured all the misfortunes coming from the governments of their time and yet have been able
to preserve their independence. The Hawza of Najaf does not depend on the state or any political
party, not even religious parties. In actual fact, it does not depend on any party. The Hawza, in
its general policies, its educational system and its economy is totally independent. Our scholars
have endured extreme poverty, and although the state is ready to help the Hawza, the Scholars
have in no way accepted supports coming from the state because if they accept financial aid
from the state, it will mean that the Hawza will be attached to it; therefore, it is essential to
maintain one’s independence.

In the Hawza of Najaf, there is no party, and it is independent in its political, economic and
educational system, and has no relation with the state. No doubt, our scholars accept martyr-
dom, but in no case will they accept the help from the state.

28
The Hawza of Najaf is a moderate institution: there is no room for intemperance or extremism
or for misguided thoughts, because the courses taught in these schools are exclusively around
the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah, and no one will transgress them, even if the courses evolve
over time, and this is indeed the case, but they will not exceed the limits of the Holy Qur’an
and the Sunnah. It is for this reason that the Shiite scholar will never be able to issue a fatwa
against the Holy Book and the the Prophet’s tradition. All the fatwas of our scholars are con-
formed to the Holy Book and to the Sunnah and therefore our scholars are unanimous with
regard to Islam. Islam is represented by two words: Monotheism and the Message; in other
words: he who has faith in God and the message of the Holy Prophet.

The Hawza of Najaf is a moderate institution, and is far from atypical, rare or deviant ideas.
Excommunication (Takfir) does not exist in the Hawza of Najaf, because it follows the Holy
Qur’an and the Sunnah, and these two are free from these thoughts and problems.

Marjariat, the highest juridical authority of reference, is a simple apparatus whose mission is to
preserve the Hawza and the religion, and the moderation and health of the beliefs; therefore the
solemn engagements as well as the fatwas of the scholars must be according to the holy book
and the Sunnah. The great concern of the religious authorities has always been this issue and
the way to manage the pedagogy of Talabas, or students in religious sciences. And so the Hawza
has no connection with the state, politics or political parties.

Shiism is the continuation of the religion of the immaculate Imams, and the religion of the
Imams is the fulfillment of the religion of the Holy Prophet. The polytheists who were the worst
enemies of the Holy Prophet wanted to kill him, but the Prophet behaved with great morality,
moderation, and openness and preached the good word, to the point where God – the very High
– described it this way: “And you are certainly of a sublime morality” (‫ﻋﻈﯿﻢ‬ ٍ ُ‫ﯽ ُﺧﻠ‬
َ ‫ﻖ‬ ٰ َ‫ﮏ ﻟَﻌَﻠ‬
َ ‫)َو ِاﻧﱠ‬. And
there is no exaggeration in this phrase. They are for us the givers of lessons, we are the followers
of the prophet (p.b.u.h.) and we must follow these teachings. The school of the Imams is only
the continuation of the religion of the Prophet.

They burned the door of Imam Ali’s house (a.s.), and the Dame Fatima (a.s.) was not a person
like the others, she was the daughter of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), they had her abort her fetus, and
yet, despite all these, Imam Ali (a.s.) behaved with wisdom and moderation vis-à-vis these
enemies and preached the good word. They are for us models to follow, all our Imams were the
same, and therefore all Shiites must behave with others in this way.

29
We consider the people of the book as clean (Tahir), and with regard to people of religions
other than the book, we advocate precaution. Man has the right to be respected, and in our
comportment and exchanges with them, we must behave appropriately." [32]

30
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