Safwan ibn Yahya has narrated from\nImam Kadhim (PBUH) that, \u201d Since Adam (PBUH) passed away until now, Allah (SWT)\nhas never left the earth without His representative. This representative guides\npeople to Allah (SWT), and is His argument on His servants. Whoever leaves him\n(the representative) will go astray, and whoever joins him will be saved (1)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The status of Imamate entails various\nauthorities. As Imam Kadhim (PBUH) has stated in the aforementioned Hadith and\nbased on the verses of the Holy Quran and the narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt\n(PBUT), one of the necessary and inseparable authorities of Imamate is the\nissue of guidance.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the first place, guidance is an\nauthority of Allah (SWT), and the name \u201cHadi\u201d (guide) is one of His beautiful\nnames. Several verses in the Holy Quran refer to Allah (SWT) as the guide of\nall creatures, and in our prayers, we always ask Him to guide us to the Right\npath (2). Therefore, at the highest level, guidance is an attribute of Allah\n(SWT). Then, Allah (SWT) has addressed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) by\nsaying, \u201d…You guide to the right path… (3)\u201d In this Holy verse, Allah (SWT)\nintroduces Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) as a guide, since he is Allah\u2019s (SWT)\nsuccessor and representative. After Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), the Holy\nQuran refers to the Imams (PBUT) as guides. For instance, in Chapter 23 where\nAllah (SWT) refers to some Divine men who have been appointed by Him as Imams,\nHe states guidance as their authority by saying, \u201dAnd We made them Imams who\nguide (people) by Our command (4)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As such, Allah (SWT), Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP), and the Infallible Imams (PBUT) are all guides; they all possess\nthe attribute of guidance. However, guidance has different levels in the sense\nthat Allah (SWT) legislates the religious laws and makes the Prophet\n(PBUH&HP) and the Imams (PBUT) responsible for conveying and explaining\nthem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on that, an Imam is the trainer\nof mankind by the will of Allah (SWT), and training people is the highest level\nof guidance. A person who possesses this level of guidance would nurture the\nsoul and spirit of mankind; just like shining of the sun and falling of rain\nwhich nurture the plants and make the seeds blossoms and become fruitful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this regards, Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) has said the following statement about the Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT),\n\u201dThe superiority of my family over other people is like the superiority of\nwater over anything else; because the existence of everything depends on water\n(5)\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hence, the functions of Imam are\nsimilar to those of the sun and rain; the soul and spirit of mankind moves\ntowards accomplishment by the guidance of the Imams till it reaches the desired\nlevel. Nevertheless, this procedure would not be accomplished unless a person\nqualifies himself\/herself and exposes it to the guidance of the Imam, so that\nhe\/she would be trained by their reviving guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Indeed guidance is like elixir of life\nwhich is poured by the Divine guides in the mouse of mankind, so that they may\ndrink it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Selection taken\nfrom \u201cDiscussions on Imamate\u201d, by Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Zia\u2019 Abadi (with\nsome changes))<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Roshd Website congratulates all\nMuslims, especially you dear friend, upon 7th of Safar, the birthday\nanniversary of the seventh Divine leader and the resource of Divine knowledge,\nImam Musa al-Kadhim (PBUH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1. Kamaal al-Din\nwa Tamaam al-Ni\u2019mah, vol. 1, p. 221<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. The Holy\nQuran, (1:6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3. The Holy\nQuran, (42:52)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
4. The Holy\nQuran, (21:73)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5. Bihar\nal-Anwar, vol. 36, p. 36<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Safwan ibn Yahya has narrated from Imam Kadhim (PBUH) that, \u201d Since Adam (PBUH) passed away until now, Allah (SWT) has never left the earth without His representative. This representative guides people to Allah (SWT), and is His argument on His servants. Whoever leaves him (the representative) will go astray, and whoever joins him will […]<\/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":[21907,17778,21906,21728,21824,18418,17955,21314],"class_list":["post-4458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-occasional-letters","tag-2009-02-03","tag-allah","tag-elixir-of-life","tag-guidance","tag-imam-musa-ibn-jafar","tag-occasion-letters","tag-people","tag-right"],"yoast_head":"\n