The Islamic Teachings
The Islamic Teachings is one of the works of Allameh Tabatabaee. It was written by the request of a religious school in Tehran, as a religious course book for students.
The author
Allameh Seyyed Muhammad Hossein Tabatabaie, prominent philosopher, born in 1903 in Tabriz –Iran. He studied primary education in his birthplace, then in 1925 travelled to Najaf and completed his education during 10 years. He studied jurisprudence (Fiqh) and methodology ####(Osul) in the presence of celebrated masters: "Naieni" and "Company", and philosophy in the presence of "Seyyed Hossein Badkouie", mathematics in the presence of "Seyyed Abul Qasem Khansari" and ethics in the presence of "Mirza Ali Qazi". In 1935, returned to Tabriz.
Allameh Tabatabaie's education was not restricted only to jurisprudence; in addition to studying: conflection & syntax, Arabic literature and jurisprudence & methodology, he aslo learnt old mathematics from "the principles of Euclid" to "the Almagest of Ptolemy" and philosophy, theology, thesophy too and achived a high position in these sciences. In 1946, he emigrated to Qom and established the philosophy and metaphysics classes. He also travelled to Tehran successively and communicated with people who were intrested in Islamic philosophy and discussed even with those who were against religion; he could make them understand the reality of religion. Therefore Allameh Tabatabaie had a deep influence on Iran and educated and modernist classes in the west. For many years every autumn there was a meeting between Allameh Tabatabaie and "Henry Carbon" (French Islamist, orietalist and philosopher) and also number of scholars attended, they discissed about the vital issues of philosophy and religion. In Qom Hawzeh (religious school), Allameh Tabatabaie revived intellectual sciences and exegesis of the Quran. Gradually teaching basic levels of philosophy such as: the book "Shefa" (written by Avicenna) and "Asfar" (written by mullah Sadra), became common. Hundreds students attended in his philosophy classes; some of them are now great philosophy masters.
Structure of the book:
The book consists of three main sections, as following:
1- Being informed of religion: the definition of religion, the advantages of religion, the role of religion, religion from the Quran’s viewpoint, importance of Islam, freedom in Islam, prayer, fasting, hajj and men and women’s rights, etc.
2- The beliefs: the rules, justice, prophecy, resurrection, resurrection, Imamate, the goal of creation, justice and prophecy, the Quran as a prophetic documents, etc.
3- Ethics and commandments: the preliminaries and pillars of prayer, the rules of ablution, dry ablution, justice in Islam, marriage and divorce, making alive the dead women in the societies before the advent of Islam, the commandments of inheritance, etc.
Sources :
The Islamic teachings
Shia encyclopedia
The categories of shia commentators
Great shia scholars
Bibliography of Allameh Tabatabaee