A preliminary look at the Rule of Truth
We said: “Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My Guidance – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve. (Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow), Verse 38)
God sent Adam (A.S) down to the earth and asked him to “follow God’s guidance”.
We must pay attention to this point: Obedience to guidance, not just obedience to the guide! Why?
In order to follow the guide, there must be a guide himself and man must deal with him and follow him directly and do whatever he says, and this has not always been possible. For example, there is a distance of about 600 years between the time of Jesus (PBUH) and the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). If God meant obedience to the guide, at the time when there was no guide, the people would be stuck and unable to answer, and they would be ashamed on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, God did not say “obedience to the guide”, but said “obedience to guidance”.
Guidance
Guidance is sometimes done by the guide, meaning we can receive it directly from the guide himself. Sometimes the guide has provided guidance before, for example, 50 years have passed since the presentation of guidance and the guide does not exist now. But the guidance he has provided is in the books and works he left behind. So access is easier here. This is “Obedience to works”. The least obedience to guidance is obedience to the works, those works that have reached through the guides.
For example, now is the time of the absence of Imam Mahdi (A.J). What should we do? The guide of the time is Imam Mahdi (A.J) and he is absent. Well, if God meant obedience to the guide, then wouldn’t we all be harmed? Be careful. Obedience to guidance has been proposed, and it means minimum obedience, ie access to the works of the Ahlul-Bayt (A.S).
So Obedience has degrees:
Obedience to the Guide of the time, obedience to guidance and obedience to works.
Obedience to works is the lowest degree of obedience to guidance.
And God has made obedience easier and has asked for “Obedience to Guidance”.
source:shafaqna
