I finally got to finishing this entire playlist and it felt like I was sitting in a class where people on every level of Islamic knowledge would completely understand every topic discussed. It delve in to our classical scholars and their works and views and approaches. Very very beginner level on Shia Rijal. It discussed some of the most important hadith in regards to Sharia and what goes in the mind of a Shia jurist when deriving Hadith.

https://al-islam.org/media/meaning-ijtihad-shariah-path-salvation-17

If you do not have the time at least watch videos 4, 5 & 6. And yes the quality isnt HD but its still great.

MashAllah. May Allah swt bless Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi. I wish we had access to all of his class lectures in those years would be so beneficial! Shia Toronto community is blessed.

Para aquellos interesados ​​en aprender sobre el Islam chiita, por favor utilicen este sitio web, así como los libros en español. Este sitio es todavía nuevo.

https://sp.imam-us.org/

https://sp.imam-us.org/el-islam

https://sp.imam-us.org/articulos

Libros: https://sp.imam-us.org/libros

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

“… and, persecution is graver than killing.” 

The Holy Quran [2:217]

At the beginning of this month, Dhul-Hijjah—the sacred Islamic month in which the sanctity of human life is emphasized—our community in the United States was unfortunately shocked to hear the devastating news of an armed attack on innocent people at a place that is both a mosque and a school. This occurred where God is worshipped, and in an environment of learning, self-improvement, and community service, which leaves no doubt about the motives behind this barbaric crime. Sadly, it once again underscores the systematic and hateful brainwashing that has contaminated so many people in the West. 

The Council of Shia Muslim Scholars of North America expresses its deepest sorrow, grief, and outrage over this horrifying tragedy that took place at the Islamic Center of San Diego. We offer our sincerest condolences to the families of the innocent Muslim victims, among whom were a heroic security guard and two dedicated school staff members, whose lives were brutally cut short in this senseless act of violence. We pray that Allah grants them peace in the hereafter, bestows patience upon their families, and heals the deeply traumatized San Diego community. 

While we mourn, we must simultaneously confront the bitter reality that this attack did not occur in a vacuum. National civil rights organizations and social policy institutes report that Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination have risen sharply, and now represent a systemic trend across the West. Furthermore, the prevailing information confirms that Muslims remain the group most likely to face religious discrimination on the social level, particularly when interacting with financial institutions and seeking employment. As a result of these shifts, recent data highlight that while individual anti-Muslim hate incidents remain a serious issue, a defining feature of the current landscape is institutional and structural discrimination, frequently intertwined with dangerous political rhetoric directed against Muslims and crackdowns on specific forms of speech. The alleged perpetrators of this heinous act were teenagers. Thus, we must ask: Who fostered this toxic hate into their minds, and for what purpose? Who nurtured the vitriol that led them to attack innocent people, solely because they were Muslim, and defile a house of worship with bloodshed?

The Council does not merely condemn this attack; we call upon all people of conscience, faith leaders, and civil society to raise their voices. We must loudly demand answers to the questions of whom this hateful speech serves and how it can be allowed to be used as an instrument in our society. How can we realistically project an image of peace, democracy, and safety in this country and in the world when citizens are gunned down while preparing for prayer?

The Council strongly urges law enforcement, lawmakers, and government authorities to think deeply about this crisis and take prudent steps to curb all forms of hateful speech, work more diligently to build bridges of tolerance and discourse, eliminate systemic prejudice and pockets of racism and hate, and halt the rhetoric that continuously becomes the impetus for killing and attacking the innocent.

Dear community members,

It is not the first time we have faced such profound difficulties. This trial is part of an ongoing struggle that many of us face in our communities, and unfortunately, it continues to be fomented by certain extreme factors. Yet, history has shown your resilience. Stand firm in your faith, and act with prudence by being vigilant and safe. Take the necessary precautions, and as much as possible, participate in the upcoming religious congregations, especially Eid al-Adha prayers and the upcoming celebrations. Let us respond to hate with unity, resilience, and greater devotion to Allah.

With your conscience, your high character and commitment to knowledge, your deep understanding, and your utilization of the right strategic means and tools—coupled with unwavering Tawakkul (reliance) on Allah—we will pass through these dark difficulties. Take comfort and strength in the divine promise of the Almighty: “… the outcome will be in favor of the Godwary.” The Holy Quran [7:128]

Note: Please read the important information in “Urgent Security & Community Guidance for Islamic Institutions” by clicking this link.

Source: https://imam-us.org/official-statement-from-the-council-of-shia-muslim-scholars-of-north-america-concerning-the-tragic-hate-crime-at-the-islamic-center-of-san-diego-and-the-systemic-rise-of-islamophobia

Shahadat of 9th Imam Muhammad Taqi (AS)
May 17th 2026
30th Dhul Qadah 1447

Topics Covered:

9th Imam Imam Muhammad al-Jawad Born In Medina (195 AH)And Martyred In Baghdad (220 AH) At Age 25

Titles "At-Taqi" And "Al-Jawad"

Reflect His Piety And Extraordinary Generosity

Imamate Began At A Very Young Age (7-8), Showing That Divine Leadership Is Not Dependent On Age

Core Conditions Of Imamate: Divine Knowledge And Infallibility Granted By Allah

Same Principles Apply In Ghaybat: True Guidance Requires Deep Knowledge And Upright Character

Warning Against Movements That Attempt To Bypass Qualified Scholars Under The Label Of Following Ahlul Bayt Directly

Akhbari Approach Critiqued: Rejecting Mujtahideen Yet Still Depending On Scholars For Hadith Interpretation

Mujtahid's Role Clarified: To Derive Understanding From Qur'an And Teachings Of Ahlul Bayt Using Methodology

ljma' Serves As An Indicator Of The Imam's Teaching, Not An Independent Source Of Law

'Aql (Reason) Is A Tool To Understand Revelation, Not A Separate Source Of Sharia

Early Event: Scholars Tested The Young Imam And Witnessed His Superior Knowledge

Imam Corrected False Fatwa By Emphasizing Qur'anic Conditions For Divorce (Witnesses, Purity, Intention)

Strong Warning Against Giving Religious Verdicts Without

Please, please stop saying that Dua is worship. This is incorrect.

Anyone against Tawassul or Istighatha will always say, why are you "supplicating or doing Dua" to Ahlulbayt A.S? That is shirk because Dua equals worship and we only Dua to Allah swt.

They think, calling on them with our requests like saying Ya Allah swt cure me and saying Ya Prophet Muhammad A.S cure me, both is dua and worship hence its shirk.

Firstly, we do not dua or supplicate to the Imams A.S. with the intention that they are god's naothobila. We also do not worship them. Rather we ask them to fulfill our requests because we believe God has given them the power and permission to do so. No different

And if simply calling on or requesting our needs equated to worship then calling on anyone or seeking requests in general would be shirk which is an insane argument to believe. Calling on your mom to help get you something would be shirk.

And most Shia ask the Ahlulbayt A.S to pray on their behalf for their needs or when they go to them for intercession it means because God's most beloved and pious servants are most closest to God, the Ahlulbayt A.S can ask Allah swt on their behalf to fulfill their requests.

Back to the article:

What has prompted this question to be posed is the outward meaning of some of the verses of the Qur’an, which seemingly prohibit invoking anyone other than Allah.

>وأن المسجد ببه فلا تدعو مع الله أحداً.

“The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah.”1

>ولا تجع من دون الله ما لا ينفعك ولا يضّرك

“Nor invoke besides Allah that which neither benefits you nor can do you any harm.”2

Referring to such verses, a group of people hold that calling on others and invoking dead sacred figures or righteous people as polytheism and an act of worshiping them.

In order to make clear the answer to this question, we ought to explain the meaning of the two terms, du‘a’ {supplication} and ‘ibadah {worship}:

As a matter of fact, the word “du‘a” literally means “calling” and “invoking” while the term “‘ibadah” means “worship”, and these two terms should not be considered synonymous.

That is, the word “call” or “invocation” does not always mean “worship” for the reasons that follow:

First: The term “da‘wah” (a derivative of du‘a’) has been used in some Qur’anic verses but not in the sense of “‘ibadah”. For example:

>إني دعوت قومي ليلاً ونهاراً

“He (Nuh) said, ‘My Lord! Indeed I have summoned my people night and day’.”3

Can we say that what Nuh (Noah) (‘a) meant is: “I have worshipped my people night and day”?

As such, it cannot be said that da‘wah and ‘ibadah are synonyms, or that to seek help from the Prophet or a righteous person is to worship him; for, da‘wah or nida’ {call} has more general meaning than worship.

Second: Du‘a’ in these verses does not absolutely mean invocation; rather, it means a particular call which can be a constituent part of the word “worship”; for, this group of verses are about idol-worshippers who took their idols as gods.

No doubt idol-worshippers’s humility, supplication and imploration were dedicated to the idols they described as possessors of the right of intercession, forgiveness, etc. and recognized as independent possessors of the affairs in this world and the hereafter. It is obvious that under such conditions to turn to these creatures in supplication or request of any kind will be considered as worship and devotion.

As vivid evidence to the fact that the idol-worshippers’ supplication or invocation is an expression of their belief in the divinity of idols, we introduce the following verse:

>فما أغنت عنهم ألهتهم التي يدعون من دون الله من شئ

“Of no avail to them were their gods whom they would invoke besides Allah, in any wise.”4

Therefore, the verses under discussion are irrelevant to our subject; our subject is concerned with the asking of one servant from another servant (of God) whom the former does not regard as lord and god nor an omnipotent master and possessor of the affairs in this world and the hereafter; rather, he regards him as an honorable servant who is loved by God and has been chosen for the station of prophethood or imamah {leadership} and God has promised to grant his supplication on behalf of His servants as He says:

>وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ إِذ ظَّلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ جَآؤُوكَ فَاسْتَغْفَرُواْ اللّهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ لَهُمُ الرَّسُولُ لَوَجَدُواْ اللّهَ تَوَّابًا رَّحِيمًا

“Had they, when they wronged themselves, come to you and pleaded Allah for forgiveness, and the Apostle had pleaded for forgiveness for them, they would have surely found Allah all-clement, all-merciful.”5

Third: The quoted verses prove clearly that calling on someone {da‘wah} does not mean mere asking for a need or something to be done but a ‘devotional’ call. As such, in one of the verses, the term “‘ibadah” has been mentioned immediately after the word da‘wah:

>وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

“Your Lord has said, ‘Call Me, and I will hear your {supplications}!’ Indeed those who are disdainful of My worship will enter hell in utter humility.”6

We notice that at the beginning of the verse, the term “ud‘uni” {call me} is followed by the term “‘ibadati” {My worship}. This testifies to the fact that da‘wah means a particular way of asking or seeking help from certain beings that have been recognized as having divine attributes.

Conclusion

From the three stated preliminaries, we reach the conclusion that the main purport of these Qur’anic verses is prohibition from calling upon the groups of idolaters who regard the idols as partners of God or having the power of intercession, and from any gesture of humility, meekness, or lamentation, seeking assistance, pleading, and request for intercession, or seeking help for the fulfillment of need with the belief that they are gods who have been commissioned to do divine acts and to do some acts related to this world and the hereafter.

What relationship do these verses have with imploring a pure soul which, according to the supplicator has not gone a speck beyond the limit of servitude, but a beloved and honorable servant of God?!

When the Qur’an says:

>"وأن المسجد لله فلا تدعوا مع الله أحداً."

“The places of worship belong to Allah, so do not invoke anyone along with Allah,”7

it refers to the way the Arabs before Islam called upon the idols, celestial bodies, angels, and jinns that they worshiped. This verse and other related verses are pertaining to calling upon a person or thing deemed as an object of worship.

No doubt, requesting from these beings in such a belief is tantamount to worshiping them. But what do these verses have to do with the idea of asking a person to pray for you without considering that person as god, lord or capable of governing world, but treats him instead as a worthy servant whom God loves?

Some may imagine that one can call on outstanding godly figures only when they are alive and it is an act of polytheism to do so after their demise. In reply, we say:

First: It is from the pure souls of such good servants (of God) as the Prophet and the Imams (‘a) who are, as described by the Qur’anic verses, alive and leading their purgatorial {barzakhi} life, that we seek aid and not from their dead bodies in the ground. And our presence in the vicinity of their shrines contributes to strengthening our communion with and attention to their sacred souls. According to hadiths, in these sites supplications are granted.

Second: Their being alive or dead cannot be a criterion for distinguishing monotheism from polytheism. It is worth noticing that our discussion is about the criteria of polytheism and monotheism, and not about the importance or unimportance of these supplications.

Of course, this issue (that is, the importance or unimportance of this kind of implorations) has been treated elsewhere.

https://al-islam.org/shia-rebuts-sayyid-rida-husayni-nasab/question-14-calling-someone-tantamount-worshipping-him-and

I was randomly browsing Shia videos and this got recommended.

As far as I can tell this scholar is quite knowledgable and there are some amazing videos in French that I wish were in English. Definitely check out his videos as they deal with many topics you might not even expect and he even has a few French websites for Islamic resources. His YouTube biography:

Bienvenue sur 'Le Chiisme' - Un Espace de Dialogue et Découverte sur l'islam
Bonjour et merci de nous rejoindre sur 'Le Chiisme', un havre pour les esprits curieux et les âmes en quête de compréhension de l'islam. Ici, Seyed Ali Mousavi, spécialiste dans les sciences islamique depuis 2004, vous invite dans un voyage de découverte, d'exploration et de conversation autour de l'islam et du chiisme.
Pour les Libres Penseurs
'Le Chiisme' est une communauté de libres penseurs. Que vous soyez un fidèle longue date ou simplement curieux d'apprendre l'islam, vou êtes chez vous ici.

Fact Vs. Fiction: Origins of Shiism (ft. Sheikh Azhar Nasser)

If anyone needs help learning how to do the rituals for Hajj, what are rulings and so forth definitely watch this video! Send it to family and friends.