8 November 2026

Articles and essays

24 items

The Place of Shura in Islamic Government: The Qualities of Advisers in the Covenant to Malik al-Ashtar

The Four Hundred and Forty-Fourth Session of Professor Ghazizadeh. أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم، بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم، الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله على محمد وآله الطاهرين، سيما بقية الله في الأرضين، أرواحنا وأرواح العالمين له الفداء.

26 October 2026

An Introduction to and Reflection on Surat al-'Asr

Surat al-'Asr is one of the Meccan surahs, and in the early Islamic centuries it received far more attention from exegetes than in later centuries. Because they breathed the atmosphere in which the verses were revealed, they probably grasped truths that today lie beyond the reach of our understanding.

25 October 2026

Pre-emptive Defense from the Perspective of Fiqh: War, Legitimate Defense and International Law

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ولا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم. الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله على محمد وآله الطاهرين. First, I offer my congratulations on the days of the blessed month of Ramadan and on the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mujtaba (AS), which we marked a few days ago, and in particular I offer my condolences on the martyrdom of the eminent marja', His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, and on the innocent children who were martyred this week in the city of Minab and in other cities and in neighbourhood schools, and on the oppressed people who fell in dust and blood in this unjust imposed war, which began last Saturday and changed the atmosphere of the country. You yourselves now see it in every city; in this very city of Qom, where we are honoured to reside, you can see people gathering in the streets and squares right now. The atmosphere is one of support for the combatants; it is an atmosphere of war; the atmosphere and the morale of the people are a spirit of defense a

26 October 2026

Government Must Not Sacrifice the General Public for the Elite; Public Contentment in the Covenant to Malik al-Ashtar

Ayatollah Kazem Ghazizadeh: In its decisions, government must not sacrifice the general public for the sake of the elite. Andisheh-ye Ma – As reported by Andisheh-ye Ma, citing the public relations office of the Fahim Cultural Research Institute, the four hundred and forty-second session in the Fahim Institute's series of sessions, held on the occasion of the month of Ramadan 1447 AH in the Institute's assembly hall in the presence of a large gathering of hawza scholars and of seminary and university professors, featured a lecture by Ayatollah Kazem Ghazizadeh, teacher of the advanced (kharij) course in fiqh and head of the Fahim Institute. Selected excerpts of Professor Ghazizadeh's lecture follow:

26 October 2026

Good Governance in the Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha: The Nature of Corruption and Ways to Combat It

«أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ. بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى سَيِّدِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ مُحَمَّدٍ. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ.» The topic that you, dear masters and scholars, have set for these days is an examination of "good governance" in the light of the noble Qur'an and Nahj al-Balagha. It has been arranged that each of the professors speaking in this field will address one of the dimensions and topics falling under this concept.

26 October 2026

The Qur'anic Foundations of Good Governance: The Rights of Opponents from the Perspective of the Qur'an

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. وَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ الطَّيِّبِينَ الطَّاهِرِينَ، وَلَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ. Esteemed professors and scholars, the subject I intend to share with you is "The Qur'anic Foundations of Good Governance, with an Emphasis on the Rights of Opponents from the Perspective of the Qur'an". I have, of course, abridged the discussion somewhat, and the main focus of my remarks will be the weighty question of "the rights of opponents" in good governance; for today, in the world's political literature, one of the principal indicators of good governance is the degree to which the ruling authority is committed to respecting the rights of its opponents.

26 October 2026

A Method for Understanding Religious Texts Based on the Approach of Necessity (maslak al-idtirar)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ According to the Public Relations Office of the Fahim Research and Cultural Institute, the four hundred and thirty-eighth session of the Fahim Institute's series of theory-development sessions, entitled "A Method for Understanding Religious Texts Based on the Approach of Necessity (maslak al-idtirar)", was held on Thursday, 18 Dey 1404, in the presence of a group of hawza and university professors and seminary researchers, with a lecture and presentation by Ayatollah Mohammad Andalib Hamadani, one of the distinguished professors of the Qom Seminary. The full text of Professor Andalib's lecture follows:

26 October 2026

Scholarly Debate: The Authority of the Single-Narrator Report (Khabar al-Wahid) and the Place of Reason in Understanding Religion

بسم الله الرحمن الرحیم. الحمد لله العلیم. At the outset, I extend my greetings and salutations to all the listeners and viewers of this scholarly gathering, and I send blessings upon the radiant soul of Imam Khomeini (RA) and the esteemed martyrs of the Islamic Revolution. This debate session, hosted by the “Fahim” Cultural and Research Institute and moderated by Professor Qazizadeh, is one of the series of scholarly sessions, debates and theory-development chairs held at this academic venue. For the information of our esteemed audience, I would note that this institute has thus far had the honour of holding four hundred and thirty-seven theory-development sessions, and it endeavours to examine and scrutinise new and emerging religious issues free from political leanings. This session was scheduled to be held a month ago, but because it coincided with the debate between Mr. Soleimani and Hujjat al-Islam Hamed Kashani, it was postponed, and tonight the opportunity has come about. Natura

26 October 2026

The Verse of Purification and the Position of Lady Fatima (SA) among the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (PBUH)

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِینَ وَ صَلَّی‌اللهُ عَلَی نَبِیِّنَا وَ طَبِیبِ نُفُوسِنَا وَ حَبِیبِ إِلَهِ الْعَالَمِینَ أَبِی‌الْقَاسِمِ الْمُصْطَفَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ الطَّیِّبِینَ الطَّاهِرِینَ الْمُقَرَّبِینَ. It is a privilege to be in the presence of you, honoured masters and esteemed professors, for a few brief minutes. It is hoped that what is said in this luminous gathering, convened on the occasion of the blessed and auspicious birth anniversary of the Greatest Truthful One, Lady Fatima al-Zahra (SA), will meet with the pleasure of God Almighty and, God willing, be of benefit to the dear audience. The focus of my talk is the noble verses that were recited; but by way of introduction, I shall present an exegetical point.

26 October 2026