Sheikh Mateen
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Name: Sheikh Mateen
Age: 39
Location: Virginia, US
Expertize: Aqaed and Fiqh ('Ibadaat)
Question:I want to ask i have heard in many majalis that before we were born God took a pledge from us
So my Question is at that time was it only our soul that pledged to God or was our brain also present ??
Thanks

Ayatollah:Sistani

Answer: This is referring to the verse in the holy Quran

وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتُ بِرَبِّكُمْ ۖ قَالُوا بَلَىٰ ۛ شَهِدْنَا ۛ أَن تَقُولُوا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا كُنَّا عَنْ هَٰذَا غَافِلِينَ - 7:172

"And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their backs, their descendants, and made them bear witness against their own souls: Am I not your Lord? They said: Yes! we bear witness. Lest you should say on the day of resurrection: Surely we were heedless of this."

This took place in what is called Allama Dharr (the world of particles) when we were particles.
Question:For the past two or three years ago, i guess because of changing trends of clothes, ppl started being rude to me, i wasn't big on wearing trendy clothes, but after the weirdness, i started to wear trendy clothes. Alhumdulillah the problem went down,Then i started to gain some weight, people would treat me somewhat weird.I am tired of the discrimination and weird treatment by people ,and i am sensitive to the slightest things. So what can i do to make the problem go away once and for all. Is there a dua you can give me to recite in order so i dont look weird or dua to gain respect, or dua to remove peoples weird behaviour?

Ayatollah:Sistani

Answer: I would say not to worry about other people’s opinions and just to be yourself. As long as you’re doing what is pleasing Allah than thats what matters.

Im not sure whats going on with this situation and why people are acting this way. I am sorry that you are going through this. It has nothing to do with the religion because this is not the way the Ahl ul Bayt would have treated people. I will share some hadith with you that hopefully will provide some insight.

1. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "A believer's faith is not proven unless he is even worse than a donkey's corpse in the eyes of the public."
2. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "If you want to be among my believing brothers and companions, you must prepare yourselves for the people's hatred and animosity, otherwise you are not amongst my companions."
3. Murazem narrated that Imam Sadiq (as) said: "O' Murazem! Always treat the people nicely, even if they swear at us."
4. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "There has never been a Prophet or a believer, and shall never be any, until the Resurrection Day who does not have a neighbor who bothers him."
5. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "A believer always has one or more of the following troubles. Either a person with whom he lives in the same house will close the door and not let him in, or there is a neighbor who will bother him, or someone will bother him on his way to work. Even if a believer lives on the top of a mountain, God will appoint a Satan to disturb him. God will establish a companion out of his own faith for him not to fear anyone."
6. Imam Sadiq (as) said: "If a believer is at sea on just a piece of wood, God will send a Satan to bother him."

These Ahadith are from Mishkatul Anwar Fi Ghuraril Akhbar by al-Tabarsi

https://youtu.be/6rah16eU6wA
Question:I unfortunately masturbated 3 times during the 40 days of when i was reciting ziyarat e ashura to fulfill a particular hajaat.unfortunately the third time i sinned i did it on my own accord,without being tempted ,basically just like that. although i have repented, Does this mean my hajaat wont be accepted?

Ayatollah:Sistani

Answer: Seek forgiveness and Allah knows best about answering the hajjat or not. You can always continue doing these ‘amal of reading ziyarat ‘ashurah for your hajjat
Question:I’ve got a question for you, a Sunni brother asked in regards to verse 33:33 in Quran about the Ahlulbayt, he said;

Shia uses the hadith Al-Kisa to prove that Ahlulbayt is only Ali Fatima Hasan and Hussian. But they disagree with it. According to them, Ahlulbayt consists of 14 people.

They say that verse 33:33 is about Fatima Ali Hasan and Hussian. And they think the verse is proof that they are infallible.



My question is, if the verse is about 4 people. What about the remaining 9 imams, how are they infallible if the hadith and verse only deal with 4 people?

Ayatollah:Sistani

Answer: Watch this and it will explain

https://youtu.be/3RFY1mImv9c
Question:I used to study a lot .Now , I do not feel like studying ..I am not able to concentrate on my studies .What should I do ??

Ayatollah:Khamenei

Answer: Perhaps you are being distracted by something. You should strive to dedicate some time, even if 10 minutes a day, to read. Make sure you go to a quiet place and away from electronics so you dont get distracted.
Question:If someone wrongs you and you tell about it to your parents and friends.Is it also a backbiting????

Ayatollah:Khamenei

Answer: In some cases fault finding or criticizing does not fall under backbiting: 

1) If the oppressed person complains of the oppressor seeking redress, it is not backbiting. Allah says about it: Allah does not love open utterance of evil in speech except by one who has been wronged” (Qur’an, 4:148). 

2) To relate anyone’s fault while giving advice is not backbiting because dishonesty and duplicity is not permissible in counseling. 3) If, in connection with seeking the requirements of a religious commandment, the naming of a particular individual cannot be avoided, to state the fault of such a person to the necessary extent will not be backbiting. 

4) To relate the misappropriation or dishonesty committed by someone with a view to saving a Muslim brother from harm will not be backbiting.

5) To relate the fault of someone before one who can prevent him from committing it is not backbiting.

6) Criticism and expression of opinion about a relater of traditions is not backbiting.

7) If a person is well acquainted with someone’s shortcoming, then to relate such a fault in order to define his personality, for example, describing a deaf, dumb, lame or handless person as thus, is not backbiting.

8) To describe any fault of a patient before a physician for purposes of treatment is not backbiting.

9) If someone claims wrong lineage, to expose his correct lineage is not backbiting.

10) If the life, property or honor of someone can be protected only by informing him of some fault, it will not be backbiting. 

11) If two persons discuss the fault of another, which is already known to both, it will not be backbiting, although to avoid discussing it is better, since it is possible one of the two might have forgotten it. 

12) To expose the evils of one who openly commits evils is not backbiting as the tradition runs: “There is no backbiting in the case one who has torn away the veil of shamefulness.”

Nahjul Balagha translated by Yasin T. Jibouri Commentary to Sermon 138
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