Some men, in this world, are chosen by God; the rain falls because of the blessings of their presence. They are an example of excellence and sincerity, and a storage of knowledge and secrets. God almighty has offered them from his knowledge, and entrusted them with his mysterious knowledge that no one else can bear knowing. So, they gather visible, invisible, and mental knowledge, get excellence, reach the extreme of worship in words and deeds, internally, and externally, take from God almighty the secrets of knowledge and the core of wisdom until their personalities become purified, and reach a level of competing with God’s close angels. The prince of the believers (pbuh) says about them:” God, whose blessings are glorified, have never continued in all moments and times to confide secrets to believers in their thoughts and show them the evidence clearly”.[1]
Yes, the pure faith and sincere worship exalt a human being to reach a dignity that allows him to be effective in this world, with God’s permission. This allows him to break the natural laws, if God wills. Al Hadith showed some of their behaviors that amaze brains and astonish eyes. They (the chosen men) include prophets who were chosen by God almighty to guide people after providing them with the needed proofs and supplying them with miracles; they also include the righteous, honest, and unmatched men whom, despite they are not prophets, prophets feel discontent by their ranks and dignities. Al Imam Ali defines them by saying:” They got knowledge that others don’t because of their insight, and learnt with certainty. They facilitate the issues considered difficult by those who are indulged with luxury, felt comfortable with what the ignorants felt strange, lived life with souls attached with the most honorable place (the hereby); those are God’s caliphas on Earth and the callers for his religion”[2]. Those pious were offered this high dignity because of their worship and choosing the path of obedience. They knew what others didn’t, and understood the accidents and incidents that people are afflicted with. They behave in this world in a wonderful way out of the ordinary because of what they have of high standards and qualities.
The worship, that most people think is limited to pushing the torment and punishment away and getting the reward, grants the soul of a human being a huge ability to help its owner resemble God almighty, who has the highest rank and looks like no one else. Choosing the path of worship, leaving the taboo, commitment to duties and obligations, and being sincere in words and actions have a great ability in providing the soul with the ability to break the universal laws and norms for achieving high dignities. Thus, the holy hadith says: A servant cannot be closer to me (God) than when doing what I required him to do, and so he can be closer to me by optional worship. Then if I love him, I’ll be his hearing that he hears through, his sight that he sees through, his tongue that he talks through, and his hand that he strikes through. If he calls upon Me, I will answer him, and if he asks Me, I will give him.[3] There are many believers, men and honest people who were covered by the care of God (providence), so they strip their souls from their bodies when they decide to examine the facts and be informed about the secrets. It’s the same as Yaacob was informed by the fate of his son, and as Yousouf was informed about the mysterious life of his two companions in the prison.
In the Shadow of the Origins of Islam, His Eminence, Al Sheikh Jaafar Sobhani
[1] Nahj Al Balagha (The Way of Eloquence), the Speech 217
[2] Same source: Kisar Al Hokom (Short Judgment)
[3] Wasa’il al-Shia (Means of Shiite), part 3, the 17th door of the doors of preparing the obligations of number 6
source:english.almaaref