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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Pearls and Corals (lu’lu Wa Marjaan) Treatise On the Condition of Sincerity Required By Religious Speakers FOREWORD بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL The Shi'i communities in the Western world face numerous challenges, often times strikingly inconsistent with those faced by Shi'i Muslim communities of the East.

Aggression against religious philosophies, ideologies, traditions and rituals is carried out in order to belittle them, but are more often than not, presented under the guise of intellectual discourse. These attacks are generally geared to create questions and doubts, and to leave one with a strong desire for answers. Given that the masses of all religious communities are imitators - more or less - in religion, they are therefore highly dependent on the opinions of their religious authorities.

Thus, the masses look towards them as a source of guidance and turn to them for answers to their doubts and queries. However, some of these individuals may not always be able to get satisfactory answers to their questions. This may be due to an inability to research the question properly, or at times it is because the expertise of a scholar may be in an area other than that of the question.

Subsequently, in recent years particularly, this quest for seeking answers and explanations has created a popular trend amongst the Shi'i Muslim communities of the West, where individuals who are not scholars in the truest sense of the word, take it upon themselves to address these issues and answer such questions from an authoritative position. Although this trend may be seen as positive by some, many indicators signify that it is truly dangerous and the communities need to be cautious of it.

We have seen in the last decade or two, the growing rise of non-scholarly speakers comfortably sitting on pulpits in order to deliver sermons, presentations and address question and answer sessions for live audiences. These - typically young - speakers generally commence on a very limited scale, perhaps at their local mosque or religious schools.

Nonetheless, as they begin to gain popularity, it is not uncommon to begin seeing them recite complete sets of lecture series in the months of Muḥarram, Ramadhān or other seasons. They begin receiving invitations to different religious institutions, different cities and even different countries.