Narrated by Safwan ibn Yahya from Imam al-Kadhim (peace be upon him):
He said: “Since the time of Adam (peace be upon him) until now, Allah has never left the earth devoid of a proof (Hujjah). He guides the people to the Almighty Allah and the proof is against His servants. Whoever abandons the proof is misguided, and whoever stays with it will be saved.”[1]
Imamate has various dimensions. However, as Imam al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) mentions in the above narration and as can be determined from the Qur’an and the words of the infallible Imams (peace be upon them), the essential and inseparable aspect of Imamate is guidance.
Guidance in the first rank is the exclusive prerogative of the Almighty Allah, and His blessed name “Al-Hadi” (The Guide) is one of the divine names. Numerous verses in the Qur’an identify Allah as the guide of all beings, and in every prayer, we ask Him to guide us to the straight path[2]. Therefore, the title “Al-Hadi” is primarily attributed to God. Then, Allah tells the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family): “…You guide to the straight path…” [3] . In this noble verse, Allah introduces the Prophet as the guide because he is the successor and representative of God. After the Prophet, the Qur’an introduces the Imams as guides as well. For instance, in Surah Al-Anbiya, when Allah mentions some of His chosen men who have been appointed to the position of Imamate, He states that He made them leaders who guide by His command: “We made them leaders who guide by Our command.”[4]
Thus, both Allah, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and the Imams (peace be upon them) all possess the attribute of guidance. However, guidance has degrees. Allah establishes the law (Shari’ah), and its communication and explanation are entrusted to the Prophet and the Imams.
Accordingly, the Imam, by God’s permission, is the educator of humanity, and the highest rank of guidance is the nurturing and development of human beings. The holder of this rank of guidance nurtures the soul and spirit of humans in the same way the sun shines and the rain falls, nurturing plants and bringing seeds to the point of blooming and bearing fruit.
In this regard, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said about his family: “The superiority of my Ahlul Bayt over others is like the superiority of water over all things; for the life of everything is through water.”[5]
Therefore, the existential effects of the Imam are like the effects of rain and the sun. The soul and spirit of humans are advanced toward perfection through their guidance, until they reach their ultimate potential. Of course, this is conditional upon the individual making themselves receptive and submitting to the Imam’s guidance, so that through the blessings of this life-giving guidance, they are shaped and perfected.
Indeed, guidance is like the life-giving water poured into the mouths of humanity by the hands of the divine guides. May humans drink from it and be quenched.
Source: “Mabahithi Piramoon Imamat” by Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Ziaabadi (with some abbreviation and additions).
Footnotes:
[1] Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah, Vol. 1, p. 221.
[2] Surah Al-Fatiha, verse 6.
[3] Surah Ash-Shura, verse 52.
[4] Surah Al-Anbiya, verse 73.
[5] Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 36, p. 3