Shiites hold the belief that the\nProphet and the Imams are chosen by Allah (SWT), and hold exceptional virtues.\nJust as a teacher must have certain characteristics that would make him\nsuitable for teaching, a representative of Allah (SWT) must also carry certain\nqualities that identify him as someone sent by Allah (SWT). Alongside the\nqualities such as infallibility and the ability to perform miracles, a\nrepresentative of Allah (SWT) must have the knowledge which is bestowed to him\nby Allah (SWT).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In all acts of worship two parties,\nthe master and the servant are mentioned. Of the necessities of following a\nperson is that his obligations and prohibitions are wise; because as mentioned\nby the Holy Quran, \u201cAssuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of\ntruth.\u201d(1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Holy Quran identifies the act of\nobeying the Imam just as one would obey the Prophet without any conditions, \u201cO\nyou who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority\n(Imams) from among you.\u201d(2)(3)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now if a person is put in the position\nwhere following him is a required act of duty, then it would be necessary that\nthe person has certain qualities and characteristics like infallibility and\nknowledge. Otherwise, the person would make a mistake due to his lack of\nknowledge, and following such a person would be unwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This issue is an important factor that\nAhl al-Bayt (PBUT) have referred to in their logical arguments and sayings in\nnumerous occasions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us turn to an example narrated by\nZurais Kanaasi who narrates that he heard Imam Baqir (PBUH) speak the following\nphrases in a gathering of his companions, \u201cI am surprised at the group of\npeople who claim they follow our path and consider us their Imams, and who\nbelieve following our orders to be obligatory just as following the Prophet\u2019s\norders are obligatory, yet despite all these they break their vows, stand weak\nagainst the opponents, and take away from our right. And regarding those whom\ntruth has been revealed unto them about following us, they find fault with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Does it seem logical that Allah (SWT)\nhas made it obligatory onto His servants to follow His chosen people, and yet\nhide the information of the earth and the sky from His chosen people? Likewise\ncan you accept that Allah (SWT) deprive His chosen people of the knowledge of\nwhat they might be asked about, while the stability of the religion depends\nupon this knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Imam Baqir (PBUH), Allah\nwill not appoint someone to the position of Imamate and order us to follow him,\nyet He disguises the knowledge and realities of the world from him. This belief\nis an offense to the Lord, and a lack of understanding about the divine wisdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But this leads us to this question\nthat if indeed Allah (SWT) has given the Imams (PBUT) the knowledge of the\nrealities of the world, then why were they faced with so many difficulties and\nproblems from their enemies, and eventually were martyred as a result? This was\nexactly the same question Humran (a companion of Imam Baqir (PBUH)) asked Imam\nBaqir (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Humran once said, \u201cMay my life be\nsacrificed for you, do you know of the difficulties Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib\n(PBUH), Imam Hassan (PBUH), and Imam Hussain (PBUH) endured in their rise for\nIslam? And in this path what were the problems? What did the rulers and\noppressors do to those infallible Imams until they martyred them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imam Baqir (PBUH) said, \u201cO\u2019 Humran,\nAllah (SWT) ordained those difficulties on the infallibles, and the\ndifficulties came into practice by their own will. Imam Ali, Imam Hassan, and\nImam Hussain (PBUT) rose by the knowledge handed down to them from the\nMessenger of Allah (PBUH&HP), and any others of us who remained quiet, did\nso based on his knowledge and insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019 Humran if any of them (the Imams)\nin their times of difficulty and hardship had requested and if they insisted\nsuch from Allah (SWT), certainly they could have been freed, and Allah (SWT)\nwould have saved them from the miseries. And the enemies would be destroyed in\na blink of any eye.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
O\u2019 Humran, the hardships that they\nendured was not due to their sins or punishment from sins, rather the hardships\nwas for escalating their position to the highest that Allah (SWT) desired to\ngive them. Be aware not to fall for false schools that can overcome you and\nmake you astray the straight path.\u201d(4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And based on this it becomes clear\nthat the persistence of Imamate and accepting religion which requires revelation,\ncan only take place when the Imams answer all the questions of people in all\nareas. This requires that they own comprehensive knowledge. Therefore their\nrise, shout, and silence are all tools for carrying on Islam. The Imams (PBUT) base the necessity of\nperforming these actions on their knowledge about the result of their action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken\nfrom the book \u201cThe Knowledge of the Chosen in Narration, Wisdom, and knowledge\u201d\nby Dr. Muhammad Asadi Garmaroudi, with minor changes)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We offer our condolences on behalf of\nRoshd website on the 7th of Dhi al-Hijjah martyrdom of the inheritor of the\nProphet\u2019s knowledge, and scholar to the realities of the world, Imam Muhammad\nibn Ali al-Baqir (PBUH) to all Muslims around the world, especially to you dear\nfriend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. The Holy\nQuran, (10:36)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The Holy\nQuran, (4:59)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. Further\nexplanation about interpreting \u201cthose in authority\u201d as the Imams (PBUT) have\nbeen brought in Shiite interpretation books and books regarding theology such\nas second volume of \u201cLessons from Principles of Religion\u201c by Dr. Asadi\nGarmaroudi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. Usul al-Kafi,\nvol. 1, p. 261-262<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shiites hold the belief that the Prophet and the Imams are chosen by Allah (SWT), and hold exceptional virtues. Just as a teacher must have certain characteristics that would make him suitable for teaching, a representative of Allah (SWT) must also carry certain qualities that identify him as someone sent by Allah (SWT). Alongside the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28248],"tags":[21417,17778,18056,20937,17964,21416,18426,18418,18536,18777],"class_list":["post-4385","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2008-12-06","tag-allah","tag-belief","tag-imam-baqir","tag-knowledge","tag-knowledge-of-the-chosen","tag-messenger","tag-occasion-letters","tag-prophet","tag-truth"],"yoast_head":"\n