Before enumerating some of the stations and functions of the Imam (peace be upon him), I should point out that none of God Almighty’s creatures—whether jinn or human beings—can attain true knowledge of the Imam. According to the logical principle that a definition must be comprehensive of all instances of the thing being defined and exclusive of everything else—in other words, that the defining expression must be clearer and more evident than the thing being defined—and based on the statement of the Seal of the Prophets (peace be upon him) that no one but God Almighty and the Infallible can know the Imam as he ought to be known, we turn to the transmitted sources and revealed statements of the Infallible Ones (peace be upon them), hoping to attain at least some degree of this knowledge and thereby obtain provisions for our journey. God willing.
The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him), addressing Imam Ali (peace be upon him), said:
«یا عَلِی مَا عَرَفَ اللهَ حَقَّ مَعْرِفَتِهِ غَیرِی وَ غَیرُک وَ مَا عَرَفَنِی غَیرُ اللهِ وَ غَیرُک وَ مَا عَرَفَک غَیرُ اللهِ وَ غَیرِی»
“O Ali! No one knows God as He truly deserves to be known except me and you; no one knows me except God and you; and no one knows you except God and me.” [1]
The most important and essential point in understanding the Imam is that the believer should realize and acknowledge that the Imam is a reality that has appeared in our world from the unseen realm. This proposition is not difficult or burdensome for one who believes in a Shi‘i/Wilāyah-based ontology and cosmology.
According to this ontology, the spiritual and luminous creation of beings precedes their bodily creation. In this realm, the creation of the pure spirits and the luminous and spiritual existence of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Infallible Imams (peace be upon them) preceded that of all other creatures and took place at the dawn of creation. They are the manifest, concrete embodiments of God’s vicegerency (Khilāfat Allāh), possessing the exalted station of representing God Almighty among all creatures existing within the realm of possibility. By virtue of possessing the highest degree of the attributes of perfection and being free from every form of impurity and defilement, they guide, assist, and lead people toward attaining the highest spiritual stations and earning the pleasure of God Almighty. [2]
The Noble Messenger (peace be upon him) departed from this world while leaving among the people two manifestations and counterparts of a “constant reality”: the first was the Book of God, and the second was the Family of God. He declared:
«أَنَّهُمَا لَنْ یفْتَرِقَا حَتَّی یرِدَا عَلَی الْحَوْض»
“Indeed, the two shall never separate until they come to me at the Pond.” [3]
The distinguished Imam Ali (peace be upon him), referring to the Book of God as a transcendent and immutable reality, described these two manifestations as the “Silent Book of God” and the “Speaking Book of God,” saying:
“This is the Silent Book of God, and I am His Speaking Book.” [4]
Everything that has been said regarding the status and rank of the “silent Qur’an” undoubtedly also applies to the “speaking Qur’an”—who is not merely the interpreter and expounder of the silent Qur’an, but the entirety of that reality which has found manifestation within the human form.
Among these matters is the fact that God Almighty, in Surat al-Qadr, describes the Qur’an as a reality descended from the unseen realm:
«إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ فِی لَیلَةِ الْقَدْرِ»
“Indeed, We sent it down on the Night of Decree.” [5]
In the beautiful supplication that fasting believers recite every day of the blessed month of Ramadan after the obligatory prayer, the believer of the Household of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) refers to the Qur’an as a “reality that was sent down.” It states:
«یا عَلِی یا عَظِیمُ […] وَ هُوَ الشَّهْرُ الَّذی فَرَضْتَ صِیامَهُ عَلَی، وَ هُوَ شَهْرُ رَمَضانَ، الَّذی أَنْزَلْتَ فیهِ الْقُرْآنَ، هُدی لِلنّاسِ وَ بَیناتٍ مِنَ الْهُدی وَ الْفُرْقان.» [6]
“O Most High, O Most Great […] It is the month in which You have prescribed fasting for me; it is the month of Ramadan, in which You sent down the Qur’an as guidance for mankind and as clear proofs of guidance and distinction.”
Everything that safeguards the essential purity and sanctity of the silent Qur’an likewise safeguards the essential purity, infallibility, and sanctity of the speaking Qur’an, thereby unveiling its sacred reality.
The lofty words of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) shed light upon this reality. He said:
«إِنَّ اللهَ تَبَارَک وَ تَعَالَی طَهَّرَنَا وَ عَصَمَنَا وَ جَعَلَنَا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَی خَلْقِهِ وَ حُجَّتَهُ فِی أَرْضِهِ وَ جَعَلَنَا مَعَ الْقُرْآنِ- وَ جَعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ مَعَنَا لَا نُفَارِقُهُ وَ لَا یفَارِقُنَا» [7]
“Indeed, God, Blessed and Exalted, has purified us and protected us from error. He has made us witnesses over His creation and His proof upon His earth. He has placed us together with the Qur’an and the Qur’an together with us; neither do we separate from it, nor does it separate from us.”
The companionship of these two weighty trusts, from the moment of their descent until eternity, signifies their unity and inseparability in the realm of meaning and transcendent, immutable reality.
The denial of the possibility of human beings attaining true knowledge of the Imam—as is in fact the case—ultimately derives, as indicated by the narration of the Noble Messenger, from the inability of non-infallible beings to encompass and comprehend those transcendent realities. Were it otherwise, non-infallible scholars and mystics, regardless of their form or spiritual rank, would be capable of attaining complete knowledge and unveiling that reality; the path to such knowledge would not remain closed to them.
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
“God created our spirits from the light of His own Majesty. Then He fashioned our creation—that is, our bodies or our imaginal forms—from clay kept in a concealed repository beneath the Throne, and He placed that light within it. Thus, we were luminous creatures and luminous human beings. He granted no one a share in what He had placed within our creation. He created the spirits of our Shi‘a from our clay, and created their bodies from a clay kept in a concealed repository beneath our clay. God granted no one other than the prophets a share in their creation. Thus, we and they became human beings, while the rest of the people are like flies, deserving of Hell and heading toward it.” [8]
This narration itself unveils the distinction in the creation and reality of which we are speaking. Moreover, their appointment to the station of God’s vicegerency in its fullest sense, and their assumption of the position of God’s representatives, makes the necessity of this distinction evident. Beyond this, even at the lower levels and within their physical form, God has distinguished the conception of the Imam.
Hasan ibn Rashid relates:
“I heard Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: ‘When God, Blessed and Exalted, intends to create an Imam, He commands an angel to take a drink of water from beneath the Throne and give it to the Imam’s father to drink. Thus, the Imam’s creation begins from that drink. He then remains for forty days in his mother’s womb, unable to hear. After that, his hearing is opened so that he may hear speech. When he is born, that same angel is sent and writes between his eyes: “The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice. None can change His words, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” When the Imam before him passes away, a minaret of light is raised for him through which he sees the deeds of all people, and through which God establishes His proof against His creation.’” [9]
In other words, contrary to our ordinary conception, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) appeared to humanity in human form while possessing a sacred reality, so that the possibility of guiding and leading human beings and presenting them with the necessary proofs for deliverance from misguidance and discovery of the truth might be made possible. Yet they themselves are creatures of a different order, manifested within human bodies.
The Birth of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)
A remarkable narration concerning the manner of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra’s (peace be upon her) birth demonstrates how God Almighty intervened in the formation of the human form of the Mother of the Imams (peace be upon her), assigning to her a distinct, controlled, and divinely guided mode of creation.
It is narrated that one day the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) was sitting in al-Abtah with Ammar ibn Yasir, Mundhir ibn Duhdah, Abu Bakr, Umar, Ali ibn Abi Talib, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, and Hamzah ibn Abd al-Muttalib when Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended in his supreme form, spreading his wings eastward and westward, and said:
“O Muhammad! The Most High God sends you His greetings and commands you to remain apart from Khadijah for forty days.”
This command was extremely difficult for the Prophet (peace be upon him), because he loved Khadijah (peace be upon her) dearly and was deeply attached to her. Following this command, the Prophet fasted for forty days and spent forty nights awake in worship of God Almighty. During the final days, he sent Ammar ibn Yasir to Khadijah (peace be upon her) with the following message:
“O Khadijah! Do not imagine that my separation from you is because I am angry with you. Rather, God Almighty has commanded this separation, and I am doing so in obedience to His command. Think of nothing but goodness concerning this matter, for God Almighty boasts of you before the angels several times each day. At night, secure your door and sleep peacefully. Know that during these days I am staying in the house of my mother, Fatimah bint Asad—the mother of Ali ibn Abi Talib—which is the home of my uncle.”
During this separation, Khadijah (peace be upon her) became sorrowful and anxious several times each day.
After the forty days had passed, Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended upon the Prophet and said:
“O Muhammad! God sends His blessings upon you and commands you to partake of His gift.”
The Prophet asked: “What is the gift of the Lord of the worlds, and what is His glad tidings?”
Gabriel replied: “I do not know.”
At that moment, Michael (peace be upon him) descended, carrying a tray covered with a woolen cloth. He placed it before the Prophet, and Gabriel approached and said:
“O Muhammad! God commands you to break your fast today with this food.”
Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) said:
“When the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) intended to break his fast, he would order me to open the door so that anyone who wished could enter and partake of the food. But on that night, the Prophet stationed me at the door and said: ‘This special food is forbidden to anyone other than me.’”
He then removed the cloth from the tray. Beneath it were a cluster of dates and a cluster of grapes. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) ate his fill and drank enough water. Gabriel poured water over his hands, Michael washed his hands with it, and Israfil dried them. Then they returned the remaining food and the vessel of water to heaven.
Afterward, the Prophet rose to pray, but Gabriel stepped forward and said:
“Prayer is forbidden to you at this time until you go to Khadijah’s home, visit her, and lie with her, for God has willed that a pure offspring be born from your loins on this night.”
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) hastened toward Khadijah’s home.
Khadijah (peace be upon her) relates:
“I had become accustomed to being alone. When night came, I would cover my head, draw the curtain, close the door, and secure it. I would worship God, extinguish the lamp, and go to sleep. On that particular night, I had not yet fallen asleep when the Prophet arrived and knocked on the door. I asked, ‘Who is knocking at my door, when no one other than Muhammad ever knocks on this door?’
“I heard the Prophet’s calm voice from outside the door: ‘O Khadijah! Open the door. It is I, Muhammad.’
“I arose happily and opened the door. The Prophet entered, asked for water to perform ablution, and prayed. He then performed two brief units of prayer. Afterward, he approached the bed. He did not perform many prayers that night; rather, he took my hand and seated me upon his bed, and what ordinarily occurs between spouses took place between us. By God, that very night I felt the weight and presence of Fatimah within my womb.” [10]
Fatimah al-Zahra: A Heavenly Maiden in Human Form
It is in this context that Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) is introduced through the words of the Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad al-Mustafa (peace be upon him), so that the people of the world may understand that these are chosen beings who have descended from the exalted sacred realm and become established upon the earth.
Salman is reported to have said:
“Some of the wives of the Prophet—meaning A’ishah—said to the Messenger of God: ‘O Messenger of God! How greatly you love Fatimah, when you do not love any of your other household members to such an extent!’
“The Prophet replied:
‘When I was taken up to heaven, Gabriel brought me to the Tree of Tuba. He plucked a fruit from it, peeled it, and gave it to me to eat. Then he rubbed my back between my shoulders with his hand and said: “O Muhammad! God gives you glad tidings of a daughter named Fatimah, who will be born to you from your wife Khadijah.” When I returned to earth, Khadijah became pregnant with Fatimah. Whenever I long for Paradise, I embrace her and inhale the fragrance of Paradise from her. Fatimah is therefore a heavenly maiden in human form.’” [11]
Jabir al-Ju‘fi relates a narration from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) concerning the rank and station of Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her), which is so majestic that every righteous and believing person would be astonished by it. The Imam said:
“God, the Most High, created her from the light of His own Majesty. When the light of Fatimah’s existence shone forth, the heavens and the earth were illuminated by her light, and the eyes of the angels were blinded by the intensity of that light. All the angels of God, Blessed and Exalted, prostrated before Him and said: ‘Our God and Deity! Our Master and Lord! What is the nature of this light that is so radiant and luminous?’
“God Almighty revealed to them: ‘This light is from My light, which I have established in heaven. I created it from My Majesty. I brought it forth from the loins of a prophet whom I have preferred and elevated above all the prophets. From this light I shall bring forth Imams who shall rise by My command and guide people toward Me. After the cessation of revelation, I shall make these Imams My successors upon the earth.’” [12]
The creation of the Mother of the Imams (peace be upon her) from the light of the Majesty of God Almighty, together with the creation of her bodily form through heavenly nourishment, resulted in a heavenly maiden manifested in human form, so that from her womb children might enter the earthly realm and the purpose of God’s creation of existence—namely, the appointment of an absolute vicegerent—might be fulfilled.
This meaning applies to Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her) and, in light of the preceding narrations, to all members of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). Were it otherwise, the meaning of their purity from all impurity and defilement would not become apparent; likewise, the very meaning of infallibility can be understood through this same path. Indeed, without these necessary premises, the condition of purity from every form of impurity and defilement could not be fulfilled.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him), in interpreting the blessed verse:
«فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالنُّورِ الَّذِی أَنْزَلْنا» [13]
“So believe in God and His Messenger and the Light which We have sent down,”
identified this “sent-down Light” as the light of the Imams from the descendants of Muhammad al-Mustafa. He said:
“O Abu Khalid! By God, this Light refers to the Imams from the descendants of Muhammad, until the Day of Resurrection. By God, they are the Light of God that He has sent down. By God, they are the Light of God in the heavens and the earth.
“O Abu Khalid! By God, the light of the Imam in the hearts of believers is brighter than the radiant sun during the day. By God, they illuminate the hearts of the believers, and God conceals their light from whomever He wills, causing the hearts of such people to become dark.
“O Abu Khalid! By God, no servant loves us and maintains allegiance to us without God purifying his heart from corrupt beliefs. Yet God does not purify a servant’s heart until he submits to us, follows our command in all circumstances and matters, and is at peace with us. When he is at peace with us and does not oppose or contend with us, God will save him from the severe reckoning and grant him security from the greatest fear on the Day of Resurrection.” [14]
The same Imam, emphasizing the Imam’s purity from every form of impurity and defilement, also pointed to ten distinctive signs of the Imam:
“The Imam has ten signs:
1. He is born pure and circumcised.
2. When he is born, he places his palms upon the earth and raises his voice with the two testimonies of faith.
3. He does not become ritually impure through sexual emission.
4. His eyes sleep, but his heart does not sleep.
5. He does not yawn or stretch his arms.
6. He sees behind him just as he sees before him.
7. His excrement has the fragrance of musk.
8. The earth is charged with covering it and absorbing it.
9. When he wears the armor of the Messenger of God, it fits him perfectly; but when another man wears it, whether short or tall, it appears a span too long.
10. He remains a muḥaddath until the time of his death—that is, an angel communicates with him.” [15]
The Infallible Imams (peace be upon them), in a narration ultimately attributed to the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him), speak about Fatimah al-Zahra’s being batūl:
“The Prophet was asked: ‘O Messenger of God! What does batūl mean? We have heard you say that Mary and Fatimah (peace be upon them) are batūl.’
“The Prophet replied:
‘Batūl refers to a woman who never experiences redness—that is, she does not menstruate—for menstruation is considered unbecoming of the daughters of the prophets.’” [16]
Without recognizing the Imam in the manner in which God and His Messenger have introduced him, and without acquiring knowledge of his position within the framework of the Wilāyah-based ontology, many of the reasons behind the commands, prohibitions, and decisions issued by the Messenger of God would remain concealed and unexplained. Indeed, inappropriate assumptions might take root in people’s minds and lead to erroneous judgments.
All Doors Were Closed Except the Door of Imam Ali
The incident in which the doors of all the Muslims’ houses opening onto the Prophet’s Mosque were closed—except for the door of Ali al-Murtada (peace be upon him) and Fatimah al-Zahra (peace be upon her)—and the prohibition issued by the Noble Messenger against allowing the sleeping quarters of other people to remain open toward the mosque, is particularly significant from the perspective of the discussion we have undertaken.
Hudhayfah ibn Asid al-Ghifari is reported to have said:
“When the companions of the Messenger of God came to Medina, they had no homes in which to reside. Therefore, they used the mosque as their sleeping quarters. The Messenger of God prohibited this practice, saying: ‘The mosque is a place of worship. You must not use it as a sleeping place, for you may experience a nocturnal emission there and thereby diminish the sanctity of the mosque.’
“After this command became known, the companions left the mosque and built houses around it according to their means and needs. Each of them opened a door from his house into the mosque.
“The Messenger of God then issued another command, appointing Mu‘adh ibn Jabal to inform each of them that they must close the doors leading into the mosque.
“Mu‘adh first went to Abu Bakr and conveyed the Prophet’s command, saying: ‘The Messenger of God commands you to leave the mosque and close the entrance from your home into the mosque.’
“He replied: ‘I place the command of the Messenger of God upon my eyes and obey him.’ He immediately closed the door and left the mosque.
“Mu‘adh then conveyed the Messenger’s message to Umar: ‘The Prophet commands you to close the door of your house opening into the mosque and leave it.’
“Umar said: ‘I hear and obey the Prophet’s command, but I would have liked a small opening from my house into the mosque.’ Mu‘adh conveyed his request to the Messenger of God.
“He then went to Uthman, at a time when Ruqayyah, the Prophet’s daughter, was living in his house, and conveyed the command to him. Uthman also obeyed and left the mosque.
“The last person Mu‘adh visited was Hamzah, who likewise obeyed the Messenger’s command, left the mosque, and closed the door of his house.
“In the meantime, Ali (peace be upon him) was uncertain in his heart as to whether the command to close the door and leave the mosque applied to him as well—even though the Messenger of God had built a dwelling for him within the mosque, among his own homes.
“At that point, the Messenger of God dispelled his uncertainty and said:
‘O Ali! Remain where you are, for you are pure and purified, and this command does not apply to you or your family.’
“When this reached Hamzah, he said: ‘O Messenger of God! It is astonishing that you have expelled all of us from the mosque and retained only one young man from the sons of Abd al-Muttalib—Ali!’
“The Prophet replied:
‘I have not acted on my own initiative, nor have I given him preference over you. Had this command originated with me personally, I would not have preferred anyone over another. By God, this is a virtue that God Almighty has bestowed upon him. As for you, I have good news: God and His Messenger are pleased with you. Rejoice!’
“The effect of this glad tidings became manifest on the day of Uhud, when Hamzah was martyred.
“Then the Noble Prophet stood and delivered a sermon. He said:
‘Let those men whose hearts are displeased that I have allowed Ali (peace be upon him) to reside in the mosque while expelling them know that, by God, I did not expel them from the mosque nor settle Ali there. Rather, God expelled them and settled Ali in the mosque.
“‘God, Mighty and Majestic, revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) and his brother Aaron that they should build houses for their people in Egypt, designate those houses as a place of prayer, and pray therein. He then commanded Moses that no one should reside in his mosque, marry therein, or enter it while in a state of ritual impurity except Aaron and his descendants.
“‘Know that Ali, in relation to me, is as Aaron was to Moses. He is my brother, not merely a member of my household. It is not permissible for anyone to marry in my mosque except Ali and his descendants. Now, whoever dislikes this ruling or is distressed by it, let him go there.’”
At this point, the Prophet gestured toward Syria. [17]
In guiding and instructing people to recognize these sacred beings, God Almighty has also drawn attention to a special matter by declaring that the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) are supported by the Holy Spirit—a distinction that has occurred in this manner for no human being or creature other than His specially chosen ones.
Mufaddal ibn Umar says:
“I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) how the Imam can know what is happening throughout the earth while he himself is inside a room whose curtain has been drawn.
“He replied:
‘O Mufaddal! God, Blessed and Exalted, placed five spirits within the Prophet:
1. The spirit of life, through which he moves and walks;
2. The spirit of strength, through which he stands and strives;
3. The spirit of desire, through which he eats, drinks, and has relations with his lawful wives;
4. The spirit of faith, through which he believes and acts with justice;
5. The Holy Spirit, through which he bears the burden of prophethood.
“When the Prophet dies, the Holy Spirit passes from him to the Imam, his successor. The Holy Spirit does not sleep, become heedless, engage in frivolity, or become arrogant, whereas the other four spirits may sleep, become heedless, become arrogant, or engage in frivolity. Through the Holy Spirit, everything is perceived.’” [18]
In the same regard, the Infallible Imam, responding to a questioner, said:
“Ever since God, Mighty and Majestic, sent that Spirit down upon Muhammad (peace be upon him), it has not ascended to heaven again; that Spirit is within us.” [19]
The foregoing evidence supports the point that the Imam, from the family of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him), is a reality descended from the unseen realm and placed upon the earthly plane, manifested in a pure and purified body, so that through this channel a connection between the inhabitants of the realm of possibility and the Creator of existence, the Necessary Being, might become possible.
Hujjat al-Islam and al-Muslimin Sayyid Mehdi Mirbaqeri explains this matter as follows:
“The knowledge of the Imam has two dimensions. The Imam has come from the unseen realm. God says in the Noble Qur’an, in Surat al-Baqarah, that the Qur’an is guidance for the God-conscious. The God-conscious are those who believe in the unseen. Numerous interpretations have been offered concerning the unseen, and in some narrations it has been interpreted as referring to the existence of the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance).
“The Imam is a reality that appears in our world from the unseen realm and is created in the form of a human being. Therefore, the Imam has a bodily and human dimension as well as an inner dimension. …
“In reality, what makes the Imam an Imam is his spirit. It is this spirit that is prostrated before by the angels, as God says:
«فَإِذا سَوَّیتُهُ وَ نَفَخْتُ فِیهِ مِنْ رُوحِی فَقَعُوا لَهُ ساجِدِینَ» [20]
‘When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down before him in prostration.’
“Thus, the one who possesses the station of God’s vicegerency, who is the means of the angels’ approach to God, through whom they attain divine proximity by humbling themselves before him, and who is, in a sense, the path and way of the angels’ monotheism—such that they must pass through the channel of his wilayah in order to attain divine unity—is precisely this spiritual reality breathed into him. This is the very reality that was overlooked by Satan.
“When Satan was commanded to prostrate before Adam, he said:
«قالَ أَنَا خَیرٌ مِنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِی مِنْ نارٍ وَ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِینٍ» [21]
‘I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.’
“In other words, Satan failed to perceive the spirit, whereas the command to prostrate was directed toward the spirit—not toward the body, as Satan mistakenly assumed. It is therefore this spiritual dimension of the Imam that constitutes the stations of the Imam.” [22]
Once the spiritual and luminous precedence of the Imam’s creation is understood within the Wilāyah-based ontology, and once the believer comprehends the supreme station of the Imams’ (peace be upon them) vicegerency of God, he realizes that the true vicegerent necessarily possesses the highest degree of the attributes of perfection—after God Almighty—in comparison with the attributes found in all visible and invisible creatures.
This degree of spiritual perfection and inner excellence, by God’s permission, renders him qualified for the station of wilayah and imamate over all creatures. Consequently, that appointed and authoritative vicegerent possesses particular God-given functions and prerogatives. Without possessing these functions, it would be impossible for him to guide and lead human societies toward their ultimate destination and help them traverse all the obstacles and difficult stages lying before them.
It is incumbent and obligatory upon believing Muslims to recognize the Imam through these functions and to believe in him with respect to them. It is narrated from Imam Ali (peace be upon him) that he said:
«إِنَّ اللهَ طَهَّرَنَا وَ عَصَمَنَا وَ جَعَلَنَا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَی خَلْقِهِ وَ حُجَّتَهُ فِی أَرْضِهِ وَ جَعَلَنَا مَعَ الْقُرْآنِ وَ جَعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ مَعَنَا لَا نُفَارِقُهُ وَ لَا یفَارِقُنَا» [23]
“Indeed, God has purified us and protected us from error. He has made us witnesses over His creation and His proof upon His earth. He has placed us together with the Qur’an and the Qur’an together with us; neither do we separate from it, nor does it separate from us.”
Attaining the exalted and necessary knowledge that can lead a believing Muslim to salvation depends upon acquiring knowledge of the Imam’s multifaceted functions and stations. This is the very knowledge attained by the select companions of the Imams of religion (peace be upon them)—those who, in pursuit of it, were prepared to sacrifice their lives and everything they possessed, and who dissociated themselves from every manifestation of disbelief, polytheism, and heresy prevalent in their age.
Through this path, those exceptional companions experienced the blessed life amid the filth and corruption of caliphs and sultans, and sought, by drinking the cup of martyrdom, to attain the highest degree of luminous spiritual realities.
Notes
1. “O Ali! No one has known God as He truly deserves to be known except me and you, and no one has known you as you truly deserve to be known except God and me.” Ibn Shahrashub, Muhammad ibn Ali, Manaqib Al Abi Talib, vol. 3, p. 268.
2. For a detailed discussion of this subject, see Wilayah of the Friend of God (Velayat-e Vali-ye Khoda) in the Harim-e Yar collection, published by Mo‘ud Asr.
3. Shaykh al-Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, Qom, Mu’assasat Al al-Bayt, first edition, 1409 AH, vol. 27, p. 34.
4. Hurr al-Amili, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Wasa’il al-Shi‘a, ibid., vol. 27, p. 34.
5. Qur’an, Surat al-Qadr, 97:1.
6. Qummi, Abbas, Mafatih al-Jinan, daily acts common to the month of Ramadan.
7. Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub, al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 191.
8. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 389.
9. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 387.
10. Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir ibn Muhammad Taqi, Bihar al-Anwar, Beirut, Dar Ihya al-Turath al-Arabi, second edition, 1403 AH, vol. 16, p. 78.
11. Kufi, Furat ibn Ibrahim, Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, Tehran, first edition, 1410 AH, p. 211.
12. Ibn Babawayh, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ilal al-Shara’i, vol. 1, chapter 143, p. 180; Majlisi, Muhammad Baqir, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 43, p. 12, hadith 5.
13. Qur’an, Surat al-Taghabun, 64:8.
14. Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub, al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 194.
15. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 388.
16. Ibn Babawayh, Muhammad ibn Ali, Ilal al-Shara’i, Qom, first edition, 1385 AH, vol. 1, p. 181.
17. Allamah al-Hilli, Hasan ibn Yusuf ibn al-Mutahhar, Kashf al-Yaqin fi Fada’il Amir al-Mu’minin, Tehran, first edition, 1411 AH, pp. 209–210.
18. Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub, al-Kafi, Tehran, vol. 1, p. 272.
19. Ibid., vol. 1, p. 273.
20. Qur’an, Surat al-Hijr, 15:29.
21. Qur’an, Surat Sad, 38:76.
22. Lecture by Hujjat al-Islam Muhammad Mehdi Mirbaqeri on 1/4/1392 (June 22, 2013), on the television program Samte Khoda, concerning “The Importance and Position of Knowledge of the Imam,” as cited from the Samte Khoda website.
23. Saffar, Muhammad ibn Hasan, Basa’ir al-Darajat fi Fada’il Al Muhammad, Qom, Ayatollah Mar‘ashi Najafi Library, second edition, 1404 AH, vol. 1, p. 83.
