Islamic Governing System

Welfare and Poverty Elimination

Welfare is the provision of a minimal level of well-being  and social support  for all citizens, sometimes referred to as public aid. In most developed countries welfare is largely provided by the government, and to a lesser extent, charities, informal social groups, religious groups, and inter-governmental organizations The welfare state expands on this concept to include services such as universal healthcare and unemployment services. In American English, welfare is often also used to refer to financial aid provided to individuals in need, which is called benefit(s) or welfare benefits in British English.

  Poverty refers to the condition of not having the means to afford basic human needs such as clean water, nutrition, health care, clothing and shelter. This is also referred to as absolute poverty or destitution. Relative poverty is the condition of having fewer resources or less income than others within a society or country, or compared to worldwide averages

We now  present you with the views of  Sayed Mohammad Shirazi and Sayed Sadiq Shirazi, Shia Law Experts and Theological teachers. These are some of their views on Welfare and Poverty Elimination.

            “There is no room for poverty in Islam Individuals who are unable to earn their living expenses must receive financial support, according to their esteem, from the government to cover all aspects of their lives including marriage etc. The government must also support those who want to start up a business but need financial support. Travellers or those who are away from their homes and do not have the means to return home must receive appropriate help to return home.The Islamic government must pay the debt of those who have not used their loan for illicit purposes and cannot pay it back. The Islamic government must also pay the debt of the deceased who have not left any form of wealth behind.”

Resource:

 The Islamic System of Government  By: Sayed Muhammad Shirazi  pg.  23

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

Islamic Governing System

Health Care

Health Care in the United States is provided by many distinct organizations Health care facilities are largely owned and operated by private businesses. more than half of US community hospitals are nonprofit , a lower percentage  are government owned, and the same amount  is for profit. Healthcare provision and spending come from programs such as  Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration . Most of the population under 67 is insured by their or a family member’s employer, some buy health insurance on their own, and the remainder is uninsured. Health Insurance  for public sector employees is primarily provided by the government.

We now put forth the views of Grand Ayatollah Sayed Sadiq Shirazi. These views can be accessed through the many publications available by scholars whom are experts in Islaimc Figh (Law).

“Today Muslims live in an abyss of poverty, disease, ignorance, backwardness and chaos. How then in the context of the family do we raise the economic level to eradicate poverty? How do we raise health standards to combat illness? How do we free ourselves from ignorance? How can we raise the family’s status in society so that it can leave chaos behind?

Individual action is not enough, just as the family is not able to solve its problems alone. There is then a need in the Islamic community for organisations to provide facilities and organisations to institute change. The first will provide facilities for families by opening schools and hospitals and creating opportunities for employment. Otherwise, the children of poor or low-income families will not be able to pay the high fees to enter the universities. Nor will they be able to pay the medical bills of those with chronic diseases.”

            Resource:

 The Family in Islam  pg. 51 by Ayatollah Sayed Muhammad Shirazi

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

Islamic Governing System

Importance of Education

Education or teaching in the broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. In its technical sense education is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another.

  Teachers in educational institutions direct the education of students and might draw on many subjects, including reading, writing, mathematics, science and history. This process is sometimes called schooling when referring to the education of teaching only a certain subject, usually as professors at institutions of higher learning. There is also education in fields for those who want specific vocational skills, such as those required to be a pilot. In addition, there is an array of education possible at the informal level, such as in museums and libraries, on the Internet and in life experience. Many non-traditional education options are now available and continue to evolve.

Here we review the Islamic  views regarding “Education”  gathered by Shiazi Foundation’s Research Department through extensive research done in books written by Sayed Mohammad Shirazi and Sayed Sadiq Shirazi, Shia Law Experts and Theological teachers.

“It is imperative that all schools and universities are free from all illicit acts and means of decadence in all of their forms. Islam must “ Facilitate  the nation’s progress in all areas of life – order, health, employment, manufacturing and agriculture, culture and education, economics, virtue, piety, faith etc…

Islam works to make education general by making learning compulsory as in the tradition: ‘The seeking of knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman.[’43]  Islam also encourages the learning of different sciences as it is said: ‘If the people knew the benefits of seeking knowledge they would seek it even by crossing the seas…

Reasources:

[1].  Mercy to the World Sayid Muhammad Shirazi pg 63.

Shia and their beliefs pg. 17

The Islamic system of Goverment pg.21

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

Islamic Governing System

Capital Punishment, is it permitted or prohibited ?

Capital punishment, death penalty or execution is punishment by death. The sentence is referred to as a death sentence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences.  Capital punishment is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political Ideology or cultural region.

Ayatollah Sayed Sadiq Shirazi Islamic law on the subject of  Death Penalty state. “The death penalty in Islam is very rare indeed, and applicable to only the most severe crimes such as Rape, Killing, etc and is permissible only if all Islamic Rules are applied, hence, this law can be considered as well.  contrary to most laws in which capital punishment is rendered out for many crimes. The death penalty is amongst the most severe prohibitions. As for the few cases that the death penalty may be applicable, it is permissible for the Theological Teacher [i.e. the marje‘] to grant stay of execution or reduce the death penalty to a lighter sentence.”  

   Resources:

 Islamic Law By Sayed Sadiq Shirazi: pg.529

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

Islamic Governing System

Abortion Laws, and the Islamic View

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo, resulting in or caused by its death. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species. In the context of human pregnancies, and abortion induced to preserve the health of the gravida (pregnant female) is termed a therapeutic abortion, while an abortion induced for any other reason is termed an elective abortion. The term abortion most commonly refers to the induced abortion of a human pregnancy, while spontaneous abortions are usually termed miscarriages.

The legality, prevalence, and cultural views on abortion vary substantially around the world. In many parts of the world, there is prominent and divisive public controversy over the ethical and legal issues of abortion.

Abortion and abortion-related issues are  well-known in national politics in many nations, often involving the opposing “pro-life” and “pro-choice” worldwide social movements.

In regards to Abortion, Laws and the Islamic view Ayatollah Sayed Sadiq Shirazi has answers when asked about this topic :  “ It is not permissible for midwives and physicians to prescribe medications that induce abortion, nor is it permissible for them to engage in abortion directly, except after they make certain that it is one of the circumstances that the shari‘ah deems permissible. It should be said that [engaging in a conduct that leads to a haram (not permissible) act is considered haram, and thus] prescribing abortion-inducing medication is a prelude to a haram  (not permissible) [act], and administering abortion is a haram  (not permissible) act itself and carries expiation. It is also mentioned in the  Islamic Ruling regarding Abortion that  It is not permissible to abort the foetus even if it is an embryo or (inside the womb); except in extreme and dire circumstances, such as when the life of the mother is in danger. In that case, since it is a question of saving life, no financial penalty or expiation would be liable.

Also, It is not permissible to abort an embryo the moment it is formed [i.e. the egg is fertilised in the womb]. Abortion is severely prohibited in Islam, and the expiation is obligatory upon the person who administers the abortion; regardless of [the perpetrator being] the physician, the husband, the wife, or someone else, and [the expiation] is given to the heir of the foetus who has not been involved in the abortion.*

* Abortion issues are also discussed in Chapter Six of Part Five, page 650

Resource: Islamic Law By Sayed Sadiq Shirazi: pg.507-508

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C

Islamic Governing System

What are the Islamic views on Terrorism and War…

Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).

Terrorism, and what it is, is well explained and researched intensively by number of  scholars  who have studied Islamic law, here we point out Ayatollah Shirazi’s views on Terrorism that often results in war:

“Terror, assassination, murder, or any other remorseful act that leads to death or even fear of an individual are highly prohibited in Islam, and should be eliminated in the society. “War is an illness”  and that it is “the worst thing known to mankind”, and   “War is the last Resort.

Peace is an essential pillar of the political theory presented and advocated

by Ayatollah Shirazi in all his books and studies. Peace is the aim and objective, as well as the means to get to the aim. Ayatollah Shirazi stresses on the fact that the consequence of peace is the safest and best. One must act peacefully in all aspects of life.

War is the worst thing known to mankind throughout his long history. It brings about the killing and maiming of human beings, the loss of their powers and their disfigurement. It also causes the destruction of civilisations, stirs up hatred and resentments amongst people, and passes psychological problems on to future generations. It also causes the fighters to become prisoners of war. For these reasons, war must be avoided at all costs and if war becomes necessary – because the enemy has forced the situation – it is imperative that war should be limited to the least degree of necessity. It is also imperative that humanity, in general, put an end to wars finally so that they do not occur in the future”.

Further information on the topic of War, Peace and Nonviolence include, the following excerpts from the many publications by Sayed Mohammad Shirazi:

“War is an illness War has been a phenomenon from the earliest times. It is stated Holy Qur’an in the verse:

{And had Allah not checked one set of people by means of another, the Earth would indeed be full of corruption.}*

*. The Holy Qur’an: The Heifer (2): 251.

Some say that war is one manifestation of the struggle for survival which is a natural attribute of all living things and which will never cease, and that it is one of the traditions of human society. However, the prevention of war by finding another solution is what should be sought. For illness and disease is also a human reality from the very beginning as is the burning of cities, houses and shops or destruction by flooding and other natural events, which can cause harm to humanity. However, all of this does not make war inevitable, for war is not a prime reality but rather a secondary phenomenon, which happens because of the malice of certain individuals. Hence, a group of religious scholars has said that war in itself is bad and ugly because it entails the killing of people and destruction. The Holy Qur’an states this in the following verse:

{Fighting is prescribed upon you though ye dislike it. But it is possible that you dislike anything that is good for you and that you love a thing that is bad for you. Allah knoweth and you knoweth

not.}” **

**The Holy Qur’an: The Heifer (2): 216.

Resources:

War, Peace and Non-violence an Islamic perspective pg.5-6

War Peace and Non-Violence an Islamic perspective pg. 5

Gathered by:

Research Department of Shirazi Foundation

Washington D.C.