The leaders of religion, especially\nAmir al-Mu’minin (PBUH) have many times discussed the relation between the Imam\nand the community in detail. This issue has been grouped under the headings\nlike Bilateral Rights of the Community, or the Responsibilities of the Imam\ntowards the Community and the Responsibilities of the Community towards the\nImam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Similarly, the supplications of\nSahifah Sajjadiah by Imam Sajjad (PBUH) have confirmed this fact with its\nunique style of expressing realities in the form of prayer. In this regard, Imam Sajjad (PBUH) has said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cO God! Make the\nheart of Your Master (Wali) kind towards Your friends; let him have control\nover Your enemies; grant us with his kindness, mercy, love, and compassion;\nmake us so that we become obedient towards him, inquire his satisfaction, be\nhelpful in defending him, and seek nearness towards You and Your messenger- May\nYour mercy be upon him and his progeny- by this means\u201d. (2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this prayer of Sahifah, the values\nof leadership in managing human resources and the Islamic community have been\nreminded. Furthermore maintaining leniency towards the people and opposition\ntowards the enemies are stated. In addition, the responsibilities of the people\ntowards Imam are listed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1- Ruling in social\nissues just like religious issues, and the necessity of being obedient to the\nImam<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2- Necessity of\nseeking the Imam’s satisfaction <\/p>\n\n\n\n
3- Necessity of aiding\nthe Imam and defending his sanctuary<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, from this saying it can be\ninferred that obeying the Imam is in itself valuable and a means of seeking\nnearness to Allah (SWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let it not be forgotten that the\nintent of Imam Sajjad (PBUH) regarding Imam is one that can be the leader of\nDivine Justice. The details that Imam Sajjad (PBUH) includes before and after\nthis statement are clear evidence that one, who rules with force and cruelty\nand lacks both the knowledge and faith, is not qualified for this position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In another phrase of this supplication\nwe read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“O God!\nSend Your mercy upon the purest people amongst his household; the ones whom You\nhave appointed for rising with your affairs, and made them the keys to Your\nknowledge, the guards of Your religion, Your successors on the earth, and Your\nproof on Your servants.” (3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This second phrase by Imam Sajjad\n(PBUH) further explains the characteristics of the Imams:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1- Imamate is a divine\nposition<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2- The Imams (PBUT)\nwere unique amongst the family of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). They were\npurified and infallible, while not all the wives and relatives of Prophet\nMuhammad (PBUH&HP) were so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3- The Infallible\nImams (PBUT) – of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) family – were responsible\nfor the protection of the religion and spiritual values after his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4- In addition to\nleading the people religiously, the Infallible Imams (PBUT) are also in charge\nof leading people in other affairs, and thus hold the position of divine\ncaliphate. Until they are amongst the\ncommunity, no one is authorized to rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken\nfrom:” Imam Sajjad (PBUH), The Beauty of the Worshippers”, by Ahmad\nTurabi, with some changes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congratulations to all the Muslims on\n5th of Sha’ban, the birthday anniversary of the master of prostration and the\nornament of worshipers, Imam Ali Ibn Hussain (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1- Sahifah Sajjadiah is\na valuable set of supplications in different issues by Imam Sajjad (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2- Sahifah Sajjadiah,\nSupplication 47, Section 63<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3- Sahifah Sajjadiah,\nSupplication 47, Section 56<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The leaders of religion, especially Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH) have many times discussed the relation between the Imam and the community in detail. This issue has been grouped under the headings like Bilateral Rights of the Community, or the Responsibilities of the Imam towards the Community and the Responsibilities of the Community towards the Imam. Similarly, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[20742,20741,20744,20431,18810,18418,20457,20743],"class_list":["post-4293","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2005-09-09","tag-a-glance-over-imamate-in-the-mirror-of-sahifah-sajjadiah","tag-governership","tag-imam-sajjad","tag-nation","tag-occasion-letters","tag-religion","tag-rights"],"yoast_head":"\n