Shia Aqaid Explained: the Usool-e-Deen with Proofs
شیعہ عقائد کی وضاحت: اصولِ دین دلائل کے ساتھ
الْعَقَائِدُ الشِّيعِيَّةُ مَعَ الْأَدِلَّة
Each of the five roots of the faith with its proofs from the Holy Quran, the hadith of the Ahlulbayt (A.S.) and sound reasoning; the occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.); and calm, sourced answers on Bada', Taqiyya, Raj'ah, Tawassul, Ziyarat, Azadari, the Quran and taqlid. Eleven chapters, each with a 15-question quiz.
How to use this book
This book is for teenagers, adults, and Muslims of any school who want to understand what Shia Muslims believe and why. Each chapter states a belief, gives its proofs, answers common questions, and ends with a 15-question quiz. Your stars appear on your certificate.
This free book is made by ShiaEdu, an online Quran centre for Shia families where certified male and female tutors teach the Quran, Aqaid and Fiqh Jaffari one to one.
Contents
Why beliefs need proof, not copying
الْعَقِيدَةُ بِالدَّلِيلِ لَا بِالتَّقْلِيد
عقیدہ دلیل سے، تقلید سے نہیں
Islam does not ask us to believe blindly. The Holy Quran again and again calls on people to think, reflect and use their reason, and it criticises those who follow their forefathers without knowledge.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
“When it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has sent down,’ they say, ‘Rather, we will follow what we found our fathers upon.’ Even if their fathers understood nothing and were not guided?”
Usool and Furoo: two different paths
Shia scholars teach that the Usool-e-Deen (Tawheed, Adl, Nubuwwat, Imamat and Qiyamat) must be accepted by each adult through his or her own understanding. The proof does not have to be a philosopher's argument; a sound, simple reason that convinces the heart is enough. The Furoo-e-Deen are different: their detailed rules need years of specialist study, so a believer who is not a mujtahid follows a qualified one (chapter 9).
The four sources
- The Holy Quran, the word of Allah.
- The Sunnah: the words, actions and approval of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and, for Shia Muslims, of the twelve Imams and Lady Fatima (S.A.), whom Allah made ma'soom.
- Reason ('aql), which Imam Musa al-Kazim (A.S.) called the inner proof of Allah.
- Consensus (ijma'), valued when it reveals the view of the Ma'soom.
“Allah has two proofs over people: an outer proof and an inner proof. The outer proof is the messengers, the prophets and the Imams, and the inner proof is the intellect.”
Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni, Book of Intellect and Ignorance
Sources: the Holy Quran; Usul al-Kafi.
Tawheed: its four levels and the attributes of Allah
التَّوْحِيدُ وَمَرَاتِبُه
توحید اور اس کے مراتب
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
The four levels of Tawheed
| Level | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tawheed al-Dhat | Allah's essence is one and without parts; there is no second like Him. |
| Tawheed al-Sifat | His attributes are not separate things added to Him; His knowledge, power and life are His very essence. |
| Tawheed al-Af'al | Every effect in creation is ultimately by His will and power; no one acts independently of Him. |
| Tawheed al-Ibadah | Worship belongs to Allah alone. |
Sifat Thubutiyya: qualities Allah has
Shia books of Aqaid usually list eight: Qadim (without beginning), Qadir (all-powerful), Alim (all-knowing), Hayy (ever-living), Murid (acting by His will), Mudrik (all-perceiving, hearing and seeing without organs), Mutakallim (speaking, by creating speech) and Sadiq (truthful).
Sifat Salbiyya: qualities Allah is free of
Allah is not made of parts; has no body; cannot be seen with eyes, in this world or the next; is not in a place; does not change or have states; needs nothing; has no partner; and His attributes are not additional to His essence.
“The perfection of His oneness is sincerity to Him, and the perfection of sincerity is to deny Him attributes added to His essence.”
Shirk and its types
Shirk is the opposite of Tawheed at any of these levels: believing in more than one God, imagining His attributes as separate beings, believing anything acts independently of Him, or worshipping anyone besides Him. There is also hidden shirk, such as doing good deeds to be praised by people (riya'). Respecting the Prophet and Imams (A.S.), visiting their shrines and asking Allah through them is not shirk, because none of it treats them as independent of Allah or worships them (chapter 8).
Sources: the Holy Quran; Nahj al-Balagha; al-Tawhid, Shaykh al-Saduq.
Adl: free will, and why suffering exists
الْعَدْل
عدل: اختیار اور آزمائش
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ النَّاسَ شَيْئًا وَلَٰكِنَّ النَّاسَ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
“Indeed, Allah does not wrong people at all, but people wrong themselves.”
Shia Muslims, following the Ahlulbayt (A.S.), hold that reason can recognise good and evil, and that Allah, being perfect, never does what is evil or pointless. He does not demand what is beyond our ability, does not punish the innocent, and does not break His promise. This is why Adl is counted among the Usool: if Allah could be unjust, we could not trust His promises, His prophets, or His Day of Judgement.
Neither compulsion nor total delegation
Some said people are forced (jabr) and have no real choice. Others said Allah has handed everything over to people (tafwid) and has no part in their actions. The Imams (A.S.) rejected both.
لَا جَبْرَ وَلَا تَفْوِيضَ وَلَٰكِنْ أَمْرٌ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ
“There is no compulsion and no total delegation, but a matter between the two.”
Source: Usul al-Kafi, al-Kulayni
We really choose, so our choices are ours and we answer for them. Yet our very ability to choose, and every means we use, comes from Allah at every moment. Like a lamp whose light is truly its own while its power comes constantly from the source.
Why does suffering exist?
- Tests that bring out patience, courage and compassion (2:155–157).
- The results of human choices: much suffering is caused by people wronging one another.
- The laws of nature, which make an ordered world possible, sometimes bring hardship.
- This world is not the whole story: full justice and compensation come in the Hereafter.
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
“We will surely test you with some fear and hunger, and loss of wealth, lives and crops; and give good news to the patient.”
Sources: the Holy Quran; Usul al-Kafi.
Nubuwwat: why we need prophets, miracles, ismah and finality
النُّبُوَّةُ وَالْعِصْمَة
نبوت، معجزہ اور عصمت
Why prophets are needed
Reason tells us that the Creator is wise and has a purpose for us, but it cannot tell us in detail how to worship Him, what happens after death, or how to order society justly. A Wise Creator who made us for a purpose would show us the way. He did so through prophets.
The miracle
Anyone can claim to be a prophet. A miracle is an act beyond ordinary human ability, brought by a claimant to prophethood as proof, which others cannot match. The Holy Quran is the lasting miracle of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.): it challenges anyone to bring even one surah like it.
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَىٰ عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ
“And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to Our servant, then bring a surah like it.”
Ismah: why prophets must be sinless
If a prophet could sin or make mistakes in conveying the message, people could never be sure which of his words and actions to follow, and the purpose of sending him would be lost. Shia scholars therefore hold that the prophets are ma'soom from all sins, major and minor, intentional and by mistake, throughout their lives. Verses that seem to describe a prophet's “error” are explained in Shia tafsir as leaving what was better (tark al-awla), not sin.
The finality of prophethood
وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ
“But he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.”
With the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) prophethood ended, but guidance did not. Because people would still need someone to explain and protect the final message, Allah appointed Imams, who are not prophets and receive no new shari'ah. This leads to the next chapter.
Sources: the Holy Quran; Tashih al-I'tiqadat, Shaykh al-Mufid; al-I'tiqadat, Shaykh al-Saduq.
Imamat: appointment, the proofs, and the twelve Imams
الْإِمَامَةُ وَأَدِلَّتُهَا
امامت اور اس کے دلائل
Why an Imam is needed
The same reason that requires prophets requires a guide after them: the Quran needs an authoritative explainer, and the community needs a protector of the faith who will not err. The Quran says every people has a guide.
إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ ۖ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
“You are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide.”
Imamat is by appointment
When Allah made Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.) an Imam, Ibrahim asked for his descendants too. Allah replied that His covenant does not reach wrongdoers. This shows that Imamat is a covenant from Allah, given by Him, and that a wrongdoer cannot hold it.
إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
“‘I am making you an Imam for the people.’ He said, ‘And of my descendants?’ He said, ‘My covenant does not reach the wrongdoers.’”
Three hadith
مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلَاهُ فَهَٰذَا عَلِيٌّ مَوْلَاهُ
“Whoever I am his master, this Ali is his master.” Said by the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) at Ghadir Khumm, 18 Dhul Hijjah 10 AH.
إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ: كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي
“I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my family, my Ahlulbayt.” Holding to both protects from going astray.
أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَىٰ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي
“You are to me as Harun was to Musa, except that there is no prophet after me.” Harun was Musa's brother, helper and deputy (20:29–32).
Sources: Usul al-Kafi; al-Irshad, Shaykh al-Mufid; Kamal al-Din, Shaykh al-Saduq
The ismah of the Imams
The verse of purification (33:33), revealed about the Ahl al-Kisa, together with Hadith al-Thaqalayn, which places the Ahlulbayt beside the Quran as a guide that never leads astray, shows that the Imams are ma'soom. For a closer look at how Imamat differs from the idea of an elected caliphate, read our article on Imamat and Khilafat.
Twelve, named in hadith
Shia books record many narrations in which the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) said that the Imams after him would be twelve, and some name them one by one, such as the narration of Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari about the tablet (lawh) shown to Lady Fatima (S.A.), recorded in Kamal al-Din and Usul al-Kafi. Their lives are told in Ahlulbayt (A.S.) for Kids.
Sources: the Holy Quran; Usul al-Kafi; Kamal al-Din; al-Irshad.
Ghaybah and Intizar: the occultation and the duties of those who wait
الْغَيْبَةُ وَالِانْتِظَار
غیبت اور انتظار
Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.), son of Imam Hasan al-Askari (A.S.) and Lady Narjis (S.A.), is the twelfth Imam. Shia Muslims believe he is alive, hidden by Allah's command, and will reappear to establish justice on earth. A long life is not impossible for Allah: the Quran says Prophet Nuh (A.S.) lived among his people for 950 years (29:14).
The two occultations
During the minor occultation (260–329 AH) the Imam communicated through four deputies in turn: Uthman ibn Sa'id al-Amri, his son Muhammad ibn Uthman al-Amri, Husain ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti, and Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri. Shortly before al-Samarri died, a letter announced that there would be no more special deputies, and the major occultation began.
وَأَمَّا الْحَوَادِثُ الْوَاقِعَةُ فَارْجِعُوا فِيهَا إِلَى رُوَاةِ حَدِيثِنَا فَإِنَّهُمْ حُجَّتِي عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنَا حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ
“As for the events that occur, refer in them to the narrators of our hadith, for they are my proof over you, and I am Allah's proof over them.”
Source: Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni'ma, Shaykh al-Saduq
Why is the Imam hidden?
The narrations mention several wisdoms: protection of the Imam's life, the testing of the believers, and reasons whose full meaning Allah keeps with Him. The Imams compared his benefit in occultation to the sun behind clouds: hidden from sight, yet still giving light and warmth.
The duties of the Muntazir (one who waits)
- Knowing the Imam and keeping his remembrance alive.
- Self-improvement: piety, prayer and good character, to be worthy helpers.
- Following qualified jurists in religious rules during his absence.
- Praying for his reappearance, with duas such as Dua al-Faraj and Dua al-Ahd, and giving sadaqah for his safety.
- Rejecting false claimants: no one in the major occultation is his special deputy.
- Working for justice and helping others, which prepares the world for him.
Sources: the Holy Quran; Kamal al-Din; al-Ghaybah, Shaykh al-Tusi; Usul al-Kafi.
Qiyamat: Barzakh, resurrection, Mizan, Sirat and Shafa'ah
الْمَعَاد
معاد: برزخ سے جنت تک
Why Qiyamat must come
In this world the oppressor often escapes and the patient often suffers. A Just and Wise God would not let this be the end; there must be a day when every soul receives exactly what it earned. Without it, creation would be pointless.
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
“Did you think that We created you without purpose, and that you would not be returned to Us?”
The stages
- Death, when the angel of death takes the soul.
- Barzakh: the questioning by Munkar and Nakir, and a life of comfort or difficulty until Qiyamat (23:100).
- Resurrection: the body is raised and joined to the soul. The Quran answers those who doubt that bones can live again: the One who made them the first time will give them life (36:78–79).
- The book of deeds, given in the right hand or the left.
- The Mizan, the just scale of deeds.
- The Sirat, the path over Jahannam.
- Jannah and Jahannam, the eternal homes.
Shafa'ah (intercession)
The Quran denies intercession that is independent of Allah, and affirms it for those He permits (2:255; 20:109). The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) and the Ahlulbayt (A.S.) will intercede, by Allah's permission, for believers who are worthy of it. Intercession is a hope for those who tried, not a licence to sin.
مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ
“Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission?”
Sources: the Holy Quran; al-I'tiqadat, Shaykh al-Saduq; Usul al-Kafi.
Topics often misunderstood: Bada', Taqiyya, Raj'ah, Tawassul, Ziyarat, Azadari, Turbah
مَسَائِلُ يُسَاءُ فَهْمُهَا
وہ موضوعات جنہیں اکثر غلط سمجھا جاتا ہے
Bada'
Bada' does not mean that Allah learns something new or changes His mind; Allah's knowledge is eternal and complete. It means that Allah, who knows everything from the start, may change a decree that appeared to people, for example lengthening a life because of charity or kindness to relatives. This teaches that our prayers and deeds really matter.
يَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ
“Allah erases what He wills and confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.”
Taqiyya
Taqiyya is hiding one's belief when revealing it would bring serious harm, as Ammar ibn Yasir did under torture, after which the Quran was revealed approving him (16:106). It is a permission for danger, not a way of life, and it is never allowed to take an innocent life.
Raj'ah
Raj'ah is the belief, based on narrations of the Imams (A.S.), that Allah will bring back to this world some of the purest believers and some of the worst oppressors after the reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.), before Qiyamat. The Quran records that Allah brought the dead back to life in this world (2:243; 2:259), so it is not impossible.
Tawassul
Tawassul is asking Allah through those close to Him: “O Allah, for the sake of Muhammad and his family, forgive me.” The Quran commands seeking a means (5:35), and tells sinners to come to the Prophet so he asks forgiveness for them (4:64). The sons of Prophet Ya'qub (A.S.) asked their father to seek forgiveness for them (12:97). The one who answers is always Allah.
Ziyarat
Visiting the shrines of the Prophet and the Imams (A.S.) is a way of honouring the signs of Allah (22:32) and keeping their message alive. At the shrine we pray to Allah, recite ziyarat that praise their service to Islam, and ask Allah through them. Families can learn the ziyarat in our Ziaraat of the Ahlulbayt course.
Azadari
Mourning for Imam Husain (A.S.) keeps alive the stand of Karbala against tyranny, and is an expression of the love for the Prophet's family that the Quran asks of us (42:23).
مَنْ تَذَكَّرَ مُصَابَنَا وَبَكَىٰ لِمَا ارْتُكِبَ مِنَّا كَانَ مَعَنَا فِي دَرَجَتِنَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
“Whoever remembers our tragedy and weeps for what was done to us will be with us in our rank on the Day of Judgement.”
Source: al-Amali and Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, Shaykh al-Saduq
Turbah and sajdah on earth
Shia Muslims prostrate on earth or what grows from it and is not eaten or worn, following the Imams' teaching that sajdah is humility before Allah. A turbah, a small tablet of clean earth, is simply a portable piece of earth; it is not worshipped. The rule is explained in our guide to the conditions of prayer.
Sources: the Holy Quran; Usul al-Kafi; al-I'tiqadat, Shaykh al-Saduq; al-Amali.
Taqlid and Marja'iyyah: why and whom we follow
التَّقْلِيدُ وَالْمَرْجِعِيَّة
تقلید اور مرجعیت
A believer must act in one of three ways in the practical rules: become a mujtahid, act on ihtiyat (precaution, which needs knowledge of all the opinions), or follow a qualified mujtahid by taqlid. Most people choose taqlid, just as we consult a qualified doctor in medicine. The letter of Imam al-Mahdi (A.T.F.S.) in chapter 6 tells us to refer to those who know the hadith of the Ahlulbayt (A.S.).
The conditions of the Marja
According to Ayatollah al-Sistani, the mujtahid who is followed must be male, baligh, sane, a Twelver Shia, of legitimate birth, living and 'adil (just). Where mujtahids differ, he must also be the most learned (a'lam).
How to identify the mujtahid and the most learned
- You are certain yourself, because you are a scholar who can judge.
- Two learned and just experts confirm it, and two others do not contradict them.
- You gain confidence through a group of scholars who can judge.
Some rules of taqlid
- One may not begin taqlid of a mujtahid who has died.
- If your Marja dies and he was more learned than the living mujtahids, you continue following him; if a living mujtahid is more learned, you turn to him.
- On a matter where the most learned has no ruling, you may refer to the next most learned.
Sources: Islamic Laws, Ayatollah al-Sistani (Rulings 1–11); Summary of the Rules of Worship (sistani.org).
The preservation of the Quran: the Shia position
صِيَانَةُ الْقُرْآنِ مِنَ التَّحْرِيف
قرآن کی حفاظت: شیعہ موقف
A common accusation is that Shia Muslims have a different Quran. They do not. The Quran in every Shia home, mosque and seminary is the same 114 surahs that every Muslim reads, and Shia children memorise and recite it in competitions around the world.
لَّا يَأْتِيهِ الْبَاطِلُ مِن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِ
“Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it.”
What the great Shia scholars say
Shaykh al-Saduq wrote in his book of beliefs that the Quran is what lies between the two covers in people's hands, nothing more, and that whoever attributes more to Shia Muslims is lying. The same position was defended by al-Sharif al-Murtada, Shaykh al-Tusi, al-Tabarsi and, in the last century, Ayatollah al-Khu'i in his book al-Bayan.
Why it must be so
In Hadith al-Thaqalayn the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) told the Muslims to hold on to the Book of Allah until the Day of Judgement. That command only makes sense if the Book remains available and complete. The Imams (A.S.) also told their followers to test every narration against the Quran and reject what contradicts it, which assumes the Quran is reliable.
Sources: the Holy Quran; al-I'tiqadat, Shaykh al-Saduq; al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran, Ayatollah al-Khu'i; Usul al-Kafi.
Common questions answered from Shia sources
أَسْئِلَةٌ شَائِعَة
عام سوالات کے جوابات
Why do Shia Muslims often combine prayers?
The Quran mentions three prayer times: from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night, and the dawn (17:78). Narrations from Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) in Shia books report that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.W.) prayed Zuhr and Asr together, and Maghrib and Isha together, in Madinah and without any excuse such as travel or rain, to make things easy for his community. Praying each at its own preferred time remains more rewarding, and both are correct.
أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِدُلُوكِ الشَّمْسِ إِلَىٰ غَسَقِ اللَّيْلِ وَقُرْآنَ الْفَجْرِ
“Establish prayer from the decline of the sun until the darkness of the night, and the recitation at dawn.”
Why do Shia Muslims pray with their hands at their sides?
When Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (A.S.) taught his companion Hammad how to pray, he stood with his hands resting on his thighs, fingers together. This is recorded in Furu' al-Kafi and Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih. Folding the hands is not part of the prayer the Imams taught; the rules are in our chapter on what breaks the prayer.
Why “Ashhadu anna Aliyyan Waliyyullah” in the adhan?
Shia jurists teach that this testimony is not one of the parts of the adhan or iqamah, which were taught without it. It is said after the testimony to the Prophet's message, with the intention of seeking Allah's pleasure, as an expression of the Wilayah announced at Ghadir.
Do Shia Muslims believe Imam Ali (A.S.) was a prophet, or that Jibrail made a mistake?
No. Shia Muslims believe the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W.) is the last prophet and that Jibrail (A.S.) never erred. Imam Ali (A.S.) is the first Imam and the Prophet's successor, not a prophet.
Sources: the Holy Quran; Furu' al-Kafi; Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih; Islamic Laws, Ayatollah al-Sistani.
Game 1: Shia belief, or not?
Is each statement what Shia Muslims actually believe? Tap your answer.
Game 2: The journey after death, in order
Tap the stages in the right order.
My certificate
Type your name in the box, or tap “Your name” on the certificate. Printing works in Chrome, Safari and Edge. If you opened this page inside WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook, open it in your browser first.
This certificate is presented to
for studying the Usool-e-Deen with their proofs, according to the school of the Ahlulbayt (A.S.).
Study Aqaid with a certified tutor
One-to-one lessons for teens and adults, with male and female tutors.
More free books are in the Islamic books library.