The Grand Inquisitor is a chapter from Dostoevsky’s novel ‘The Brothers Karamazov.’ It is an important section of the book and has become one of the most praised passages within modern literature. The Grand Inquisitor is a parable told by Ivan to his brother Alyosha, where Christ returns to earth during the time […]
Category: Articles
Avicenna (Ibn Sina); Persian philosopher and scientist
Avicenna, Arabic Ibn Sīnā, in full Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Sīnā (born 980, near Bukhara, Iran [now in Uzbekistan]—died 1037, Hamadan, Iran), Muslim physician, the most famous and influential of the philosopher-scientists of the medieval Islamic world. He was particularly noted for his contributions in the fields of Aristotelian philosophy […]
Sufism & the Paradox of Self (Nafs)
Bismillaah ir Rahmaan ir Rahiim In the name of Allah, The Merciful, The Compassionate THE PATH OF SUFISM Allah uses many different ways of awakening people from the sleep of this world and attracting them to Him. Upon awakening, people begin searching and become travellers of the path (salek). As they […]
Sufi Meditation of Repentance, Love, Holy Names and Annihilation
Muraqaba literally means “waiting”. Waiting for Divine illumination, waiting for revelation, waiting for Divine Voice to speak within the heart of heart. Muraqaba is Sufi way of meditation. According to the walkers of the Path, Muraqaba can be of various kind, but they have a generality which in the beginning is to focus […]
Forward to the Epistle of Zulfaqar (About Forbiddance of Opium Smoking)
Forward to the Epistle of Zulfaqar(About Forbiddance of Opium Smoking)Written by Haj Mulla Ali Nour Ali Shah Gonabadi IntroductionIn Irfan-e-Iran; a journal on mysticism, Vol. 8 (spring 2001), a book named Zulfaqar (About Forbiddance of Opium Smoking) written by His Holiness Haj Mullah Ali Nour Ali Shah Gonabadi was introduced. The book was recently (winter […]
Head Of Iran’s Top Clerical Body Dies
The chairman of one of the most powerful institutions in Iran, the Assembly of Experts, has died. Iranian media reported on October 21 that Ayatollah Mahdavi Kani, 83, died of heart failure. He had fallen into a coma in June following a heart attack. President Hassan Rohani announced two days of mourning for Kani, a […]
Slavery in Islam
Slavery in Islam[1] Haj Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh Slavery traces back to human history long before Islam and there are many books published about its history. It can be seen throughout history that how slaves launched revolutions and caused revolts and the most noticeable ones are of Spartacus and the divine revolution of Moses (AS). […]
How Many Sufis Are There in Islam?
«Beidokht is a city in the Central District of Gonabad County in Iran, Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran. Beidokht is located 270 kilometres (170 mi) south of Mashhad. In Beidokht town is “Mazare Soltani”, a holy place for pilgrimage belonging to the Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi Order.» Devotees of Sufism, the spiritual interpretation of Islam, face […]
The Origin of Shiism
The Origin of Shiism[1]Occasioned by Imam Husain’s Birthday (AS) Haj Dr. Nour Ali Tabandeh On this very Eid, one of our eyes is happy to see a new light (Ali ibn Husain Zayn al-Abidin, son of Imam Husain, the Shias recognize him as the 4th Imam), and the other one is crying because now […]
Moses and Khidr (AS) [ Part 1]
Dr. Haj Nour Ali Tabandeh In the name of Allah, The Most Beneficent, The Most Merciful Two divine books are mentioned in the Holy Quran, the Torah and the Gospel (Old and New Testaments). In addition to these two, the Holy Quran also mentions Abraham and Moses (AS)’s scriptures: “Most surely, this is in […]