ভূমিকা

Today, it is imperative to explain the teachings of Islam in the areas of “beliefs” { ‘aqa’id }, “laws” { ahkam } and “morality” { akhlaq } in simple language based on Qur’anic verses and Prophetic traditions to meet the needs of those who are interested. Through divine succor { tawfiq }, the televised presentation of the discussions on “Lessons from the Qur’an,” was welcomed by our religious community for some years, and some of these discussions were published.

The discussions on the basic principles of religion { usul ad-din } and the Day of Resurrection { ma‘ad } {in particular} are among them. After these, discourses pertaining to the branches of religion { furu‘ad-din } were also meant to follow. However, on account of urgent need, “ Hajj ” was presented to you earlier. Now, prayer { salah} is at your disposal, thanks to the blessings of the blood of martyrs.

Although useful and valuable books and brochures about prayer and other branches of Islam have already been published, it is still hoped that owing to its novelty of approach, simplicity of discussion, suitable organization of the subjects, and reliance on ample Qur’anic verses and hadith s,[^1] this volume would be useful to all readers, particularly teachers, who are presenting the truths of religion in class sessions.

The main references used in organizing these discussions are the Qur’an, and the hadith, for which both Sunni and Shi‘ah books have been utilized. The principal sources being consulted (apart from the Qur’an and Nahj al-Balaghah )[^2] are Bihar al-Anwar , Wasa’il ash-Shi‘ah , Mustadrak al-Hakim , Usul al-Kafi , Man La Yahdhuruh al-Faqih , Ghurar al-Hikam , Kanz al-‘Ummal , and others whose particular references are indicated in the footnotes.

In preparing the contents of this treatise, valuable ideas and supplementary suggestions offered have also been utilized, which are hereby acknowledged with profound gratitude.