Islam Guidance

1. The Roots & Branches of Religion

1. The Roots & Branches of Religion

 To differentiate between the matters of belief and the laws of sharÄ«‘a, the Shi‘a scholars have coined two interesting terms: The matter of beliefs (monotheism, justice of God, prophethood, imāmat and resurrection) are described as “the Roots of Religion — UsÅ«l ad-DÄ«n” because they form the foundation of our faith. The Shi‘a scholars have also coined the term “the Branches of Religion — FurÅ«‘ ad-DÄ«n” for the sharÄ«‘a laws.

 These terminologies actually reflect the connection between “belief” and “practice”. If the roots are strong, they will generate healthy branches, green leaves, colourful flowers and delicious fruits; but if the roots are weak, the tree will be considered useless. Similarly, if a Muslim’s beliefs are strong, then it should show in the practical life of that person. A non-practicing Muslim betrays the weakness in his religious roots which are in need of further nurturing through intellectual stimulation and spiritual guidance.

 The items normally listed as “the Branches of Religion” are as follows:

 1.      Prayers (salāt).

2.      Fasting in Ramadhan (sawm).

3.      Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).

4.      Tax on Wealth (zakāt).

5.      Tax on Money (khums).

6.      Spiritual as well as Physical Struggle for sake of Allāh (jihād).

7.      Promoting good in the family and society (amr bil ma`ruf).

8.      Preventing evil in the family and society (nahi `anil munkar).

9.      Loving and following the Prophet & his family (tawalla).

10.  Disassociating from the enemies of the Prophet & his family (tabarra).

 These ten teachings reflect the main framework of the Islamic sharÄ«‘a; otherwise, the entire corpus of Islamic sharÄ«‘a falls under the term ‘branches of religion’.

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