Shi'a

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The relationship Imam Ali (as) had with the first three Caliphs was cordial, but that doesn’t mean that he condoned their usurping the Caliphate. Rather, the Imam (as) was careful not to sow the seeds of discord in the Muslim Community and after the people had decided not to follow the advice of the Prophet (saw), he worked for Islam within the parameters of the situation he faced. The Shia disapprove of the actions of first three Caliphs as they went against what they consider the express guidance of the Prophet (saw).

May you always be successful.

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The Infallibles is a translation of the word Maʿṣūmīn in Arabic, which means those people that are protected from committing sins. They are protected because of the knowledge they have concerning the different sins and their outcomes. They are also protected from performing what is second best, meaning they always make the best choices because of their wisdom. These are very high stations that are only possible by Allah, His Wisdom and His Will and has been vastly theorised in Shii theology, philosophy and mysticism. However, the basis of this understanding of the infallibity of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) is the scriptural sources.

May you always be successful 

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Counselling is of different types and deals with different problems. There is a plethora of useful information in a number of fields that are relevant to different forms of counselling, however, perhaps some of the most important fields are that of spiritual phychology and practical mysticism where the nature of the human soul, its diseases and the way to purify them offer important insights into solving a variety of problems. The scriptural sources are also replete with information which is understood over a period of time with the relevant issues in mind.

In a description of the Prophet (saw) by Imam Ali (as) found in Nahj al-balagha, the Prophet (saw) is described as a doctor who would go around curing people with his (saw) expertise. That is that he was a spiritual doctor that would bring people out of their misery and dark places with his message. He is also described as someone who never cut a person’s speech, and it can be inferred from this that he would listen before offering solutions.

May you always be successful.

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. When ijma and the aql are included in the sources of Islamic law in the school of Ahl al-Bayt (as) it is with specific terminological meanings that are not the same as other schools of thought. 

Ijma is a source of law if the view of the Imam (as) is included within the view of the community. Not when the community is agreed without the opinion of the Imam (as) being included.

The aql is a source when specific intellectual principles are used that are certain, such as the necessity (wujub) of something dictates the necessity of its introductory aspects. For example, the wujub to make wudu for prayer dictates the wujub of exhausting all means to find water to perform that wudu. Further details of these principles can be found in the books of usul al-fiqh.

May you always be successful.

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Muraqabah (sometimes translated as supervising) is a higher state of consciousness in which a person looks over themselves. For each stage of muraqabah a person has to be aware of themselves in the level above the level they are supervising. So, for example, if someone is supervising their speech they need to be aware on the level of their mind to check what they are about to say, to be aware as they speak or to at least be aware of something they just said.

The first stage of muraqabah is where someone watches over their actions and ensures that they are in line with the teachings of the school of Ahl al-Bayt (as). The levels then progress according to the levels and stations of the human. The next stage is muraqabah over intentions and ensuring  that all actions are done for the sake of Allah, including the mundane. Then it is to be aware of the deeper causes behind your actions and intentions. Then to always be in the remembrance of God, and so on. There are many levels of muraqabah and many types of muraqabah depending on what is lacking within the individual. In the literature muraqabah is sometimes classified in the levels of the soul, from the body, to the heart, intellect, spirit, the secret, the hidden and the most hidden. The final stages of this classification  is an expression of ever more delicate levels of the remembrance of God. 

It is also worth mentioning that some scholars have included muraqaba in a system of self improvement, starting with making a condition on ones self (musharatah), followed by supervising ones commitment to that condition throughout the day (muraqabah) and then assessing your success in following the condition (muhasibah)

May you always be successful.