Amina Inloes

After transcribing this narration (in which the Prophet praises certain historical personalities as brethren of the ancient prophets) on volume 19, pp. 271-272 of Bihar al-Anwar, 'Allamah al-Majlisi expresses a very dim view of its authenticity and describes it as having "signs of fabrication". Apparently, he included it to discuss it, not to preach that it is correct. 

If one's goal is to determine Shi'i belief, one can note that this narration arises through Sunni narrators, including some who were identified as fabricators of hadith, and so it is not the correct sort of narration to look at to determine what Shi'is believe. 

Insofar as this is a very specific question, one assumes that it was mentioned on some sort of polemical website (like a website aiming to prove Shi'ism is wrong), and one wonders what the point is. Was the author of that material aiming to prove Shi'ism is wrong because 'Allamah al-Majlisi included a narration saying that the Prophet praised this or that person? Obviously, the view espoused in this narration is not a normal Shi'i belief, and there are ample parts of Bihar al-Anwar to demonstrate that. So it seems that whatever might have been calling attention this is taking it out of context, and this is disingenous. 

Saying that Bibi Khadijah was a working woman is not misguidance, it is a fact, and it is not misguided to speak a fact about those who were close to the Prophet (S).

However, although Bibi Khadijah was quite empowered, both financially and socially, simply saying this does not compensate for social injustice, including towards women. Rather, it is important to be honest about what goes on in the real world, and if something is not as it should be in society, attention should be called to that so that it can be changed. Of course, one can look to Bibi Khadijah or others as inspirations when doing that, and speak about both. 

The dominant view among Muslims, Sunni and Shi'i, is that the Qur'an we have today is the Qur'an of the Prophet.

Exceptions apply.

Broadly speaking, exceptions in the Sunni tradition involve things such as the tradition from Aishah that a goat ate some ayat of the Qur'an; and in the Shii tradition, some narrations implying otherwise. Whether or not one accepts these narrations as authentic, or how one interprets them, is a different matter. (For instance, some Shii will understand hadith which seem to add some words to the Qur'an as examples of in-line commentary that was given while the Qur'an was being quoted, not as different quotations of the Qur'an.)

On the other hand, some ayat of the Qur'an are often understood to mean that the book itself is protected by Allah. 

In any case, the Imams from the Ahl al-Bayt (A) have instructed us to use the Qur'an as it is in our prayers. 

Based on narrations, possibly, a difference between the compilation of Imam 'Ali and the current Qur'an is the order of the surahs. As for other views, this may vary. 

A helpful book to read about this in more detail in English is Ayatollah Ma'rifat, Introduction to the Sciences of the Qur'an. (Do not be deceived by the title, it is a heavy read!)

If I may offer my personal view (twice in one day!), there is really no guarantee about anything that happened in the past, when we were not present to witness it. In fact, we often can't even guarantee the absolute truth of things that happen in our time. However, we can try our best to come to a probable truth, with the help of Allah, and that is all we are expected to do. 

Qur'an 89:22 "And your Lord has come, and the angels, rank upon rank." (Speaking about the hereafter)

Qur'anic ayat are often interpreted in many ways. Possibly, you are asking about the notion of the arrival of God, since, as a transcendent being, God does not physically arrive in a place.

Here is a narration about this verse from Imam al-Rida (A) which addresses that implicit question:

Once Imam al-Rida (A) was asked about the verse, "and your Lord has come, and the angels, rank upon rank" (89:22). He said, "Coming and going are not attributes which apply to God. Glory be to Him! He is above moving. What is meant here is that the command of your Lord comes." (Uyun Akhbar al-Rida)

That is to say, in this interpretation, "your Lord has come" is interpreted to mean "the command of your Lord has come"; it is a metaphorical use of language in the Qur'an.

Hope that helps!

Presumably you are referring to the idea advanced by the late Imam Khomeini, in which he argued that political, religious, and social affairs of the state should be administered by an Islamic jurist, and which has guided the approach to governance in Iran since the 1979 Revolution.

Is this supported by narrations? Advocates will say yes; opponents will say no.

I would say this is not literally specified by narrations, but neither are many ideas which we have have today. Rather, there is a sort of derivation and rational interpretation involved. 

To review the arguments for this form of wilayat al-faqih (wilayat al-faqih al-mutlaqa, or an absolute authority of the jurist), I would recommend reading Chapter 11 of The Most Learned of the Shi'a: The Institution of the Marja' Taqlid, entitled   "Analysis of Khomeini's Proofs for al-Wilaya al-Mutalqa (Comprehensive Authority) of the Jurist". (This book is easily available online in PDF.)

Imam Khomeini's arguments for this have also been also translated into English under the title Islamic Governance.

After you have read these things, you can make your own decision about whether or not they are supported by narrations, and also get a sense of the sociopolitical context which brought about these ideas.   

If I may indulge in my opinion (keeping in mind that most everyone has an opinion, and my personal opinion was not solicited), I do not believe that Allah requires Muslims to be governed by or under the supervision of ulema, even if Islam offers some teachings about how a state should run. I am not of the view that Allah requires any specific type of political system; rather, I think that Muslims can choose any type of political system for themselves, and maybe there will be other political systems in the future that we can choose from. This is of course before the time of the Mahdi (A), at which time we follow him and his guidance.

However, I understand the sociopolitical context which led Muslims, in general, to put a lot of hope into the concept of the "Islamic state" in the 20th century, and the situation in Iran in particular (including the legacy of European colonialism) which led to a desire for this arrangement and the hope that it would lead to a juster and more prosperous society. It is fair to say that while Iran is an independent functional state which has done quite well given the immense challenges it has endured (including war, isolation, and sanctions), there have been some bumps in the road with respect to the way wilayat al-faqih has been enacted there, and it has not created the utopia that was hoped for. It seems that combining religion with the model of a secular nation-state and making it into a political ideology does not work well. However, to be fully fair in judging the concept, one would have to look at it in a variety of time periods (say, in different centuries past and future) to truly understand how the system works in a variety of world situations and challenges, not just in the face of the snapshot of the world today. We humans tend to be blindsighted and assume that the world we have around us is the gold standard for all time, but our circumstances today are quite unique in human history (as well as socially and environmentally unsustainable), so we don't know what the future will call for. On the flip side, outside Iran, in places where Shi'a tend to be disenfranchised, the authority of the ulema/maraji' tends to provide security and social stability  in a way that the government does not, even if it is not formally recognized by the secular state. 

As for wilayat al-faqih in a general (non-absolute sense), this just refers to the idea that the Islamic jurist has some forms of authority (for instance, judging between disputes, or being a guardian of certain people in some circumstances) and this is commonly accepted among Shi'a ulema. 

Allah is generous and the Prophet (S) was generous and did not turn away people who asked for assistance, regardless of their religion. It is natural that some people will come to the holy sites to pay respects or seek blessings, even if they are not Muslim.

It is good to respect their decision, as long as they are respectful to the sanctity of  the holy sites and respect the rites that are carried out at these sites (e.g. they are not behaving like some tourists, acting inappropriately, or causing problems).

A more detailed response is:

In Sunni Islam, mourning is often said to be for 3 days only, based on Sunni hadith (for instance, Sahih Bukhari). 

In Shi'i Islam, it is not considered forbidden to mourn for more than 3 days, and people may vary in how much time they personally need to mourn. However, it is recommended to send food to the homes of the deceased for 3 days. 

Mourning for 40 days is done in several religious traditions and probably has some general human significance, but is not required. 

Yes

Dreams are essentially outside the realm of shari'ah. 

Although I do not have a straightforward answer, perhaps this anecdote about the famous, learned late scholar 'Allamah Tabataba'i may give you some hope or inspiration.

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Ayatollah Sadr al-Din Ha’iri Shirazi told me: ‘My brother-in-law told me that ‘Allamah said that in childhood, his mind was not sharp at all, and he could not comprehend his instructor’s teachings.

‘Until finally,’ ‘Allamah said, ‘I performed a prostration in the empty lands outside of town and pleaded with Allah to give me either death or comprehension.’

I wanted to confirm it with ‘Allamah. So I was looking for a proper occasion to ask him, without insulting him or being disrespectful, as it involved the idea of lack of comprehension. After a while, ‘Allamah and his son-in-law came to Shiraz. There I got to be alone with ‘Allamah when his son-in-law was praying in another room. I set the grounds gently by saying, ‘If I ask you a question, would you mind answering it?’

He replied, ‘What harm would it do? If I know it I will answer.’

So I said, ‘It is about you. So if you surely know that you will answer, then I will ask, otherwise I withhold my question.’

He said, ‘Please [go on]! If I know it, I will answer.’

I said, ‘It has been said that in childhood, you could not comprehend the lessons. Then you performed a prostration and [since then] Allah has favoured you with such a grace that you achieve the solution to the most difficult questions. Is that so?’

The instant I said these words, ‘Allamah blushed, to the extent that I somewhat regretted having asked that question.

Then he said, ‘When I was studying Suyuti in Tabriz [i.e. Suyuti’s al-Bahjat al-Mardiyyah fi Sharh al-Alfiyyah], our teacher used to test us, but I could not pull off one of the tests.

So he told me, “You have wasted both your and my time!”

I was really disturbed by his remark, as it got into my soul and spirit. Finally I could not stay in the city anymore, so I went outside Tabriz and did something on the top of the hills, and then Allah graced me.’

But he did not mention what he did. I asked, ‘Was it that no problem remained unsolved for you after that, and every question was resolved no matter how difficult it was?’

He said, ‘So far it has been so.’

[Source: https://www.al-islam.org/shining-sun-memory-allamah-tabatabai-sayyid-muh...

Sajda shukr is good form.

https://www.al-islam.org/ask/how-is-sajda-al-shukr-performed-are-there-a...

Giving something in charity out of thankfulness to Allah is also good form. 

Of course, the most important thing is gratitude towards Allah in your heart. 

You can display either flag, or no flag. Flags are optional.

Beyond that, if the Palestinian flag is being flown to show genuine support for Palestinians, it is good. If the Palestinian cause is being co-opted to support someone else's political or ideological agenda, it may be less good. 

If the people at the processions see national flags as taking away from the sanctity of the processions, this could also be taken into consideration. 

If someone does this sincerely and with the intent of it being a gesture of taqwa (reverence towards Allah), love of Imam Husayn (A), respect for Imam Husayn  (A), respect for Islam, or something similar, it could be considered an act of worship due to their intention.

It would be similar to other acts of personal piety that vary from person to person, or culture to culture. For instance, many Shia wear black out of respect for Imam Husayn, but it is not a requirement. Rather, it is a gesture of respect, and a way of keeping the memory of Imam Husayn (A) alive in society. 

However, this is different from required acts of worship like salat which have a formal intention (niyyah) of worship. And it does not substitute for the required acts of worship such as salat.  

Some people use obscure stories such as "Zaynab hit her head on the camel litter or a pole" to justify self-flagellation. This is counterproductive and unnecessary. First, these stories are usually historically unsubstantiated. And, second, it is unnecessary, since we are speaking about acts that are personal and optional, not religiously required. 

Allah weighs actions according to intentions and what is in our hearts, and knows best what is accepted. We will see the reality of our deeds in the next world.