Usool-e-Deen (Roots of Religion)

Imagine a tree. For it to bear fruit, it must have deep, strong roots. In Islam, the actions we perform (prayer, fasting, charity) are the branches (Furoo-e-Deen), but the beliefs that sustain them are the roots (Usool-e-Deen). If the roots are weak, the tree will wither.

In the Shia school of thought, the Usool-e-Deen are five. A critical principle in Shia theology is that Blind Imitation (Taqlid) is forbidden in the Roots of Religion. A person cannot simply say "I believe because my parents believe." Every Muslim must arrive at the conviction of these five principles through their own intellect and reasoning.

1. Tawheed (The Oneness of Allah)

Tawheed is the realization that the Universe has a single, unique, and infinite Creator. It is the rejection of all partners, equals, or rivals to God.

For the Shias, Tawheed is absolute. We believe in:

Tawheed in Essence (Dhat): Allah is One, not like the number one (which can be followed by two), but One in the sense of uniqueness. He is indivisible; He has no body, no shape, and no form.
Tawheed in Attributes (Sifat): His attributes (like Knowledge, Power, Life) are not separate from His essence. He is All-Knowing not because He "has" knowledge, but because He is Knowledge.
Tawheed in Action (Af'al): Every cause and effect in the universe ultimately originates from His will.
Tawheed in Worship (Ibadah): No one deserves submission or worship except Him.

2. Adalat (Divine Justice)

This is a principle that distinguishes the Shia school (and the Mutazilites) from other schools of thought. We are known as the Adliya (The Proponents of Justice).

The Concept: We believe that Allah is Just. He never oppresses His creation. He does not punish a person for a sin they did not commit, nor does He demand from a soul more than it can bear.

The Rational Good and Evil: Shias believe that Good and Evil are rational concepts. Our intellect (Aql) can independently understand that justice is good and oppression is bad. Since Allah is the Absolute Perfection, He only does what is good and wise.
This contrasts with the view that "Whatever God does is good, even if He punishes the innocent." Shias reject this. We say, "God only does what is good because He is Just," and it is impossible for Him to be unjust.

Free Will (Ikhtiyar): Adalat necessitates free will. If God compelled us to sin and then punished us for it, that would be unjust. Imam Sadiq (AS) taught the middle path: "There is no Compulsion (Jabr) and no Absolute Freedom (Tafwid), but a path between the two paths."

3. Nabuwat (Prophethood)

Because Allah is Just and Wise, He cannot create humanity without guidance. It is incumbent upon His Grace (Lutf) to send guides to humanity.

The 124,000 Prophets: God sent prophets to every nation, starting with Adam (AS) and ending with Muhammad (SAWW).
Infallibility: All prophets are Ma'soom (Infallible). They do not commit sins, intentionally or unintentionally. If a guide could sin or lie, we could not trust God's message.
The Seal: We believe Muhammad ibn Abdullah (SAWW) is the last Messenger. The Quran is the final revelation, protected from distortion.

4. Imamat (Divine Leadership)

This is the pillar that defines Shia Islam. Just as Allah appoints the Prophet to reveal the message, He appoints the Imam to protect and interpret the message.

Necessity of Imamat: The Prophethood ended, but the need for guidance did not. The Quran serves as the Constitution, but a Constitution always needs an Interpreter (a Judge) to prevent misinterpretation. The Imam is that Divinely appointed Judge.

Attributes of an Imam:
1. Installation by Allah (Nass): People cannot vote for a Prophet, nor can they vote for an Imam. It is God's choice.
2. Infallibility (Ismah): Like the Prophet, the Imam must be free from error to guide humanity correctly.
3. Divine Knowledge (Ilm Ladunni): He possesses knowledge of the seen and unseen, inherited from the Prophet and through divine inspiration.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAWW) explicitly appointed 12 successors, the first being Imam Ali (AS) and the last being Imam Mahdi (AJTF).

5. Qiyamat (Resurrection)

Belief in the Day of Judgment ensures accountability. If there were no afterlife, the justice of God would be incomplete, as many oppressors go unpunished in this world.

Barzakh: The intermediate state between death and Resurrection. The soul remains here until the Day of Judgment.
Ma'ad Jisman: We believe in physical resurrection. God will reassemble the body and return the soul to it.
The Reckoning (Hisab): Every atom of good and evil will be weighed.
The Path (Sirat): The bridge over Hellfire that everyone must cross. The righteous will cross it like lightning; the wicked will fall.

Summary

These five roots form the worldview of a believer. Tawheed connects us to the Origin, Ma'ad (Qiyamat) connects us to the Destination, and Nabuwat and Imamat provide the Path guidance. Adalat assures us that the entire system is built on fairness.

When these roots are strong, the branches of prayer, fasting, and ethics naturally flourish.