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What constitutes the line of demarcation between monotheism and polytheism (including both theoretical and practical forms of them)? Which idea is monotheistic and which is polytheistic? What kind of action constitutes practical monotheism and what kind of it constitutes practical polytheism? Is it polytheistic to believe in the existence of anything other than Allah? Does the unity of His essence require us not to believe that there exists anything in any form besides Him not even as His creation? (a sort of ontological monism) It is obvious that the created things are the work of Allah. They cannot be considered to be His rivals. Allah's creations are the manifestation of His exuberant power. A belief in the existence of a created thing as a thing created by Allah is, not contrary to monotheism. It is rather complementary to it. Hence the line of demarcation between monotheism and polytheism cannot be the existence or the non-existence of anything other than Allah.
The first person to write on Qur'anic jurisprudence was Muhammad bin Sa'ib al-Kalabi who was a companion of Imam Muhammad Baqir(A.S.). Ibn-un-Nadim counted him among the books written in this connection, a book Ahkam-ul-Quran written by Al-Kalabi. According to his statement he reported from Ibn Abbas. An-Nadim evidently means Muhammad bin Sa'ib and not his son Hisham because it was the former who was a contemporary of Ibn Abbas and reported from him. As-Suyuti has said in Al-Awa'il,"The first one to write anything on this subject (ahkam-ul-Quran) was Imam Shafi'i". Again according to his own version, Imam Shafi'i died in 204 A.H. when he was 54 years old. This means that Muhammad bin Sa'ib was his senior because he died in 146 A.H. Had Ibn-un-Nadim meant by Al-Kalabi as Hisham, As-Suyuti's statement would not have been correct even in this case because Hisham also died in the same year as Shafi'i i..e 204 A.H. As to Muhammad Bin Sa'ib being a Shi'ite, almost all the exegetists admit this fact. He died in 146 A.H.
A fleeting glance at the traditions transmitted by Seyyid Abd al-Azim al-Hasani tells us firstly of his close associations with the two Imams Muhammad bin Ali al-Jawad and Ali al-Hadi (a) and secondly, of his close links with the prominent authorities of the Hadith. His station near the Imams of the ahlulbayt (a) comes to light in the course of their statements in his favor. Thus he was a brilliant traditionist, a source of reference in matters of the faith and trustworthy in matters of religion. Shaykh Ja'far Al-Subhani published this essay in Arabic in the fourth volume of a series of four volumes. The four volumes are titled: "Letters and Essays: Researches on the subjects of Philosophy, Theology, Law, Jurisprudence and Society".
Since the advent of Islam and the revelation of the Qur'an in the early years of the seventh century AD, the Muslim Holy Book has been the subject of many extensive analytical studies. The focus of the great majority of these studies has been the theological and legislative aspects of the Holy Book, for the Qur'an provides Muslims with detailed guidance on their everyday problems. Together with the sayings, actions, and recommendations of Prophet Muhammad (saws), the Qur'an has been the ultimate source of legal authority for Muslims over the past fourteen centuries. If pondered upon the multifaceted contents inside the Quran, one can safely reach to the conclusion that the central theme and aim pursued by the Quran is the ‘training of the human being’ as a being conscious of his duties. The main aim of the Quran is therefore to reinforce and accelerate the spiritual ascension, together with all the qualities of human being, toward a state of true loftiness and the dignity of which the human being is worthy.
