In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate the Merciful

Allah’s Greetings be upon the Master of the era, Imam Mahdi (PBUH)

As the world gets smaller and organized, unstructured and undisciplined approach to anything may lead to struggle for survival. Acquiring religious knowledge is no exception. Motivated by the thirst to acquire knowledge, many of us venture onto this road and keep moving till unstructured approach succumbs under the comparative pressure of structured world around us.
We are in need of a small and regular dose of religious sessions to survive the sinfully polluted environment. Electronic Correspondence Course (ECC) is a reply to anyone looking for regular and defined process of acquiring knowledge.
It is divided into numerous sessions and each session comprises of:  

Aqa’ed (Roots of Religion),

Mahdaviyat (Messianism),

History (Stories of the Pious),

Ahkam (Islamic Practical Laws) and

Akhlaq (Islamic Ethics).  

Why this course? 

Imam Hasan Askari (PBUH) narrates from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) through his forefathers (PBUT):
"One who is distant from his Imam and is unable to reach him is more distressed than an orphan who has lost his parents. He does not know his religious obligations and is unaware of his day to day (religious) duties. Then the learned who have acquired our knowledge are the guardians of these orphans. Those who guide these orphans to the right path and teach them the Islamic laws will be in the highest stages of paradise in the group of the Prophets (PBUH) along with us."
(Al-Ehtejaj by Shaikh Tabarsi, Volume: 1, Page: 16).

There are numerous traditions on the above subject that during the occultation of Imam-e-Zaman (PBUH), a lot of emphasis has been laid on the fact that:

a)to teach the masses the knowledge and teachings of the Ahl-e-Bait (PBUT),

b) to make the people aware of their religious responsibilities,

c) to instill religious sentiments and emotions,

d) to dispel doubts and ambiguities from their minds,

e) to grant mental and intellectual solidity and steadfastness in religion and beliefs.

All the above matters are those holy tasks which are greatly loved and desired by Allah, His Holy Messenger (PBUH) and the Holy Imams (PBUT). These are the reasons for good fortune both in this world as well as the hereafter.

Today's era is the era of several modern inventions and discoveries. All these advances have thrown open new vistas and horizons. Though these advances have provided man with flashier gadgets, they have simultaneously robbed him of his peace and security. This era has not only given us new discoveries, but a host of new problems as well. As a result of these problems, the modern man finds himself addicted to a number of vices .In his quest for peace and security, he has only found more problems. Perhaps he was under the impression that by abandoning the belief of Allah and the Holy Prophet (PBUT), he would achieve deliverance. 

Alas! He was mistaken. Tired and disillusioned, the youth in particular, are now seeking solace in religion. Their approach is marked with enthusiasm and sincerity. What is more astonishing is the fact that it is not only the destitute and the uneducated that throng towards religion, but a considerable number comprises of the affluent and the learned. They acquire a profound understanding of religion and try to observe its tenets with sincerity. The youth especially, are willing to dedicate their invaluable time and effort in the service of religion. They have found satisfaction, not in material pleasures, but in the service of faith. It is for this reason that all the creeds of the world are focused in training the youth.  

Imam Jafar-as-Sadiq (PBUH) explains the reason for this:
"It is necessary for you to pay attention to the youth because they are faster to good deeds".
(Behar al Anwar, vol. 23, p. 236).  

Another tradition from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) says,

"Teaching a youth is like inscribing on a stone".
(Ibid, vol. 1, p. 222)  

Thus, the need of the hour is to enlighten the youth who are drawn towards religion, with the wealth of teachings of the purified Ahl-ul-Bait (PBUT). It is only their teachings which can rescue the society from the pitfalls and entrapments of the accursed Satan.   The pursuit of livelihood coupled with domestic problems leaves man with little opportunity for anything else. Whatever scarce time he can muster, is unfortunately squandered in television and other distractions. In such a situation, it is hardly practical for one to undertake a detailed study of the religious books to derive knowledge and learning ones obligations. And if one cannot do this on his own, he can hardly be expected to instruct his family members in this regard. 

In view of the above scenario, it was felt imperative to impart religious knowledge to the true and sincere Muntazerins (those who sincerely wait for the reappearance of their Imam-e-Zaman (PBUH). 

The Electronic Correspondence Course or distance education has been designed with this objective in mind. It has been structured to facilitate comprehension and hence lucidity in language.  

This course has been segregated under five sections, viz. 

           
Every effort shall be made to complete this series with the blessings of Allah and help from Imam-e-Zaman (PBUH). To enable those who compete to gain a comprehensive insight about Islam and its tenets, endeavour has been made to make this course as concise as possible lest the reader loses interest and abandons the course.