Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Lesson seven: Defective qualities

Defective attributes are those whose presence in a person reveals his deficiency and imperfection.And God is free from any quality that presupposes shortcoming and need. To clarify this, we will examine some of these.

a. God is not material

It is obvious that any material needs some space and if God were material, it would take up some space and as we learned earlier, God is needless because the needy and the dependent could not be Creator who must be capable of meeting any need. Therefore, God is not material because materials need space.

b. Godis not compounded

Godis not compounded because any compound needs its components. For example, a compounded medicine or an alloyedmetal which is made up of certain parts needs those components and if one of the components were missing, that medicine or metal would not be.

Similarly, if the nature of God were composed of a number of components, it would be in need of its parts and as we earlier pointed out dependence and necessity are not consistent withgodhood which entails absolute abundance and needlessness.

c. Godcould not be seen with eyes

The quality ofbeing seen is contingent upon certain conditions including materiality and occupation of space. Unless these conditions are met, the thingcan not be seen with eyes even with the help of equipment. Having demonstrated the fact that God is not material and neither does he occupy space, accordingly itis proven that it could not be seen with eyes. It could not be claimed thatanything that could not be seen with eyes does not exist . Just as there are certainthings which are invisible but nonetheless exist (like electric waves) and their existence could be found out through their effects. Thus,every being should not be necessarily seen and it could not be said that anything which is invisible does not exist.

d. God does not need anything in any way

If God’s nature were needy and dependent, there would be no distinction between Him and other creatures. That is, just as, every creature needs another thing to fulfill his needs, if God were needy, this would be true of Him as well, and He would need another god to fulfill His needs. Therefore, it should be said that, basically necessity and need are not compatible with “godhood”, because God is the one who meets all needs and anything that is needy and dependant could not fulfill others’ needs. Concerning this, the Koran says,

“O man, you (and every creature) are in need of God and He is the only one who is absolutely needless and abundant.” [11]

Lessoneight : God is Just

Earlier we read that the Creator should possess all the great qualities and should be free from all shortcomings and defects. One of the great qualities of God is justness. Because anyone who exercises tyranny and oppression is either ignorant of its evil nature or deems himself needy and does so to meet his needs. For instance, someone who seizes other peoples’ properties by force is either ignorant of the viciousness of this act or he tries to fulfill his needs or eliminate his lack of wealth that he regards as a defect.

But with regard to the Creator of the world who is absolutely needless and the source of all virtues and is acquainted with the true nature of everything through His boundless knowledge, it is quite absurd to be tyrannical and oppressive. In some prayers we read,

“O God! Anyone who exercises oppression is weak and impotent, and he does so to make up for his weakness. But Your Holy and Lofty Being is free from such defects.” [12]

Note:

The reason why the Shī‘ahs regard justness as the second primary principles of their religion is that some Sunnī sects do not consider justness necessary for God. That is, they argue that if God, the Exalted, hurl His obedient and devout servants into hell, this would not be oppression and injustice. Even if itwas deemed to be unfair, when done by God, it would not be regarded as evil. They have also raised some points on free will and predestination that presuppose injustice in God.

As opposed to these groups, the Shī’ahs and some other Sunnī sects have proved the quality of justness in God with irrefutable reasons and have contended that without doubt, oppression and injustice are derogatory and evil and if they were committed by God, they would continue to be so, and we all know that God will never commit any evil.

Therefore, justness occupies the second place in the primary principles of the Shī‘ahs to distinguish them from these groups of Sunnī sects. Imāmaṣ- Ṣādiq (‘a) has observed,

“God, the Exalted, won’t punish the innocent due to the sins committed by others and Hewont torment children due to the transgressions and sins perpetrated by their parents. God, the Exalted, can forgive sins and it is beneath God to exercise tyranny and oppression.” [13]

Lesson nine: the prophetic mission

The third primary principle is the faith in the prophetic mission of the prophets who were sent by God to guide andlead mankind and as some sources suggest the number of these prophets amounts to 124,000. The last prophet after whom no other prophet has come or will ever come is Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (may God bless him and his household) who introduced Islam.

The necessity of the appointments of prophets

It is evident that the All-wise Creator did not create this vast universe in vain and also it is obvious that the goal behind creation is not profitability because as we noted previously God is free from any defect and need and so He did not create the world to fulfill His needs and complement Himself. Consequently, the objective behind creation must have to do with the creatures.And the only objective that one could imagine for this world is the evolution and perfection of the creatures, especially the all-out evolution of mankind. Now, this question arises that how and by what means this all-out evolution could beaccomplished?

It is manifest that the evolution and progressof mankind is not practicable without a divine plan and instructor. Because earthly leaders due to their limited knowledge and perceptions could notdirect mankind accurately, and since they are not free from error and mistake and their judgments are erroneous, they are not qualified to assume leadership unless they follow heavenly leaders.

But the divine leaders, thanks to their connection with the Unseen and their freedom from error and mistakes can direct mankind toward genuine prosperity without lapsing into error in their leadership.

Given what was said earlier, one realizes thatmankind’s plan must have been developed by the Creator who is aware of all their needs and also knows that what is harmful and beneficial for them.And these divine plans are delivered by those who are qualified for the prophetic mission and are in touch with the Unseen.

Man is social

Every one believes that man is social, that is, hecan not keep on living on his own but has to live with other people.And this co-existence builds up the society. Undoubtedly, this way of life will lead to differences and enmities. If there were no accurate and fair law to manage the society, the society would not advance on the path of progress and prosperity.

Therefore, the vital significance of a solid, accurate, and fair law to guard the rights of the society and individuals is evident. Now the question is who should draw up this law? Who is the bestlaw-maker ?And what are his qualifications?

The first qualification is that the law-maker should be aware of the mental, physical, emotional and instinctive traits of those to whom the law would be applied and such perfect awareness is not possible for anyone except God, because He is the creator and only He is truly aware of the internal as well as the external dimensions of mankind and their mental and physical peculiarities. Only God is cognizant of the various incidents happening in man’s life and the developments occurring in the society and therefore, only He is able to draw up a perfect plan for man’s life and keep him from annihilation.

God, the Exalted, has presented this planthrough outstanding and eminent men picked from among people, who are free from error, so that man may achieve his all-out evolution by seeking guidance from this plan.

Another function performed by the prophets is that they are the first to apply the divine law, that is, besides delivering the law, they teach men to practice the law. They are the visible embodiments of that law so that others choose the divine law as the plan for their lives by modeling them. Therefore, the faithful people believe that God has sent prophets to direct men toward the path of evolution and felicity in every era.

Someone asked Imāmaṣ- Ṣādiq (‘a) “Why prophets are appointed?”

The revered Imām replied, “having proven with irrefutable arguments the existence of an All-wise Creator who has brought us form non-being to being and having established that God is not material and is superior to every other creature, and none can see or observe Him, so that he might talk to Him about the state of affairs, and put his questions to Him, therefore, it is inevitable that He must have messengers and prophets who guide people toward felicity and explain what is harmful for them and in every era, there must be a guide among people so that earth is not bereft of God’s proof.”[14]

Lessonten : Prophets must be infallible

We learned that prophets have been sent to lead and directmankind. Undoubtedly, if the leader is tainted by wrongdoing and evil, hewon’t be able to direct people to chastity and purity. Therefore, prophets must be free from wrongdoing and mistakes, so that people may confidently follow them to prosperity.

In other words, if someone urges people to be truthful and trustworthy but himself is a liar or at times lapses into dishonesty and treachery, his words will never deeply sway people. Similarly, if divine prophets had not been free from error and mistakes, and people had anticipated that they would make mistakes in carrying out their mission, they would never have wholeheartedly believed his words. Consequently, a complete compliance would not have occurred and their objectiveswould not have been achieved .

Indeed, Godwon’t choose anyone who is not free from idolatry and wrongdoing to deliver His message. Rather, He would pick those who are free from any impurity whatsoever and would maintain this infallibility in the future to assume this lofty position.[ 15]

Prophets must perform miracles

Anyone with a healthy nature, won’t accept any claim without any reason, and if someone buys a claim without compelling reasons, this reveals his lack of common sense. Therefore, it is inevitable that prophets should present some evidence to prove the authenticity of their prophetic mission as well as the fact that theyare sent by God.

One of the emblems that establish the prophets’ connection with the Unseen is miracles. Miracle signifies something thatcould not be performed by others except the prophets. For example, reviving the dead or curing incurable diseases. With regard to this, Imām al-Ṣādiq (‘a) has said, “Any prophet should present some proof of his honesty.” [16] And one of themost manifest proofs is miracles through which people can establish the authenticity of anyone who claims to be a prophet.

Lesson eleven:The last prophet

As wesaid the last prophet is Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh. Hewas appointed as prophet at the age of forty. As attested by history, throughout his life he never ever worshipped idols or abandoned his faith in God. Prior to his appointment, he occasionally went to a certain location in Ḥarā Mountain (Ḥarā cave) during certain seasons to serve and worship the Only God.

Hewas appointed by God to lead people with the divine plans and rules at a time when the contemporary society was gripped by chaos, bloodshed, conflicts, and superstitions and when myths prevailed in the minds.

He proclaimed his invitation and to prove his authenticity he presented innumerous signs and miracles. Among his miracles, one was very lively, eloquent and enduring which in terms of its testimony to his prophetic mission has preserved its validity. This living evidence and immortal miracle is the GreatKoran which still shines like a brilliant sun and lights up the hearts of its followers. Koran still clearly states, “My carrier is not an ordinary person and I am not produced by his thought, rather, the person who brought me is a distinguished individual who has been in touch with the Unseen and God has sent him to guide mankind.”

The prophet of Islam has observed, “O folks!I have been appointed by God and this Koran is a living testimony to my prophetic mission. If you doubtme , get together and with the help of one another present one verse like one of this Koran. If you succeed and could equal me, then you’re entitled to decline my invitation but if you fail —which you will ever do— then realize that I am a mediator between God and mankind andam God’s prophet and messenger to lead you toward perfection and felicity.”

At that time, all the eloquent orators and celebrated poets who were reputed to be peerless masters of eloquence failed to introduce a verse like one of Koran’s and they acknowledged their failure and defeat. Since then, the enemies of Islam have utilized every means available against Islam but they have failed to counteract the Koran and present one verse like that of Koran’s.

The Qur’ān, the immortal miracle

Koran is a miraclenot only by virtue of its eloquence, spiritual appeal, and beauty of composition but also due to many other aspects. Now we briefly allude to some of them.

1. All historians unanimously agree that the noble Prophet of Islam was illiterate and prior to his appointment at forty, had not been educated. Given this, the Muslim Prophet has recounted the accounts of a large number of the preceding prophets. Of course, the narration of other prophets’ accounts per se is not a miracle.But these narratives have been incorporated by the Jewish and Christian Scriptures (the Old and New Testaments). Therefore, we can compare this section of Koran (the narratives of the previous prophets) with its counterpart in the Old and New Testaments and thus establish the heavenly nature of the Koran. Because having studied the current Old and NewTestaments[ 17] , we realize that their writers have presented the history of these prophets, who were prominent men and devout instructors and their accounts must be instructive, in the form of superstitious myths and have so distorted facts that in these books prophets have been depicted as inferior to ordinary men.But when we return to Koran, the accounts of these virtuous prophets have been presented in a way that they bear an educational and moral point for everyone.

By the same token , one cannot claim that the prophet of Islam has borrowed the contents of the Koran from the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians to present them in the form of the Koran.

When the Koran recounts the story of a prophet, it also refers to a number of moral facts and points and relates their accounts without any distortion or superfluous superstitions. If the prophet’s source for Koran were not from Revelation, then undoubtedly, in recounting these stories, he would suffer from the same superstitious distortion that befell the writers of the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians and Arab storytellers and consequently the narratives of the prophetswould be marred by superstitions and untruths.

You can ascertain this by comparing the accounts of Adam, Eve,Abraham and Jesus in Koran and the Bible. This cursory comparison will demonstrate that the Prophet of Islam has come up with these facts through divine revelation. These storieshave been so blatantly distorted in the Old and New Testaments that pen is ashamed of ascribing such stories to the divine instructors whereas the same accounts have turned up in Koran with the best of themes bearing a series of moral and educational facts.

2. Another way of establishing the miraculous nature of the Koran is through the rules that are included within it. These rules are so precise, robust and calculated that the passage of time and transformation of societies have never been able to undermine them. Koran has presented a special economic system for the human society which is capable of meeting peoples’ demands in every period. If we only comply with one of the economic principles of Islam, that is, the ban on usury then many of the class divisions would disappear.

An illiterate person would never be able to present partially correct economic system, let alone an accurate economic system, which won’t be discredited with the advent of new economic systems but its principles are endorsed by contemporary economists and which will also direct its followers (if they observe it) to elevation and dignity.

Koran has distributed wealth in a way that if its commandswere abided by, poverty and famine would vanish. Koran has introduced solid criminal laws to maintain peace and welfare. The military rules and warfare principles and tactics of Islam are so progressive that they have taken into consideration the rights and sacred things of the enemy. Finally, the Islamic law is so extensive and exhaustive that it covers the entire human life from his birth to his death and has a definite verdict for even the slightest things.

Is it likely that an illiterate person could have presented such plans and enduring rules without aid form the Unseen and without any connection with God, especially in the light of the atmosphere of thetime which was prevailed by ignorance and savagery?

The superiority of Islam and the miraculous nature of the Koranare not confined to these but there are many more signs to prove that the carrier of Koran is a divine teacher and leader and his plan is heavenly. Imām ar-Riḍā has observed, “My grandfather, Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (‘a) was asked why does not the Koran lose its appeal and originality despite its widespread progress and over-familiarity but conversely grows more lively day by day?

Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq (‘a) replied, “it is so because Qur’ān is not exclusively pertinent to a certain time or certain people and consequently it is new and fresh all the time.” [18]

Indeed, if we adopt the Koran as our plan for life, then our perfection and prosperitywill be guaranteed . And like the early Muslims who achieved dignity and splendor swiftly due to their compliance with Koran,we also could restore the lost grandeur of Islam.But , sadly, Muslims have abandoned Koran, and therefore the Muslim world is as it is.

Lesson twelve: Leadership of Imāms

The fourth principle of the primary principles of the religion is the leadership of Imāms.

Imāmat signifies the leadership and management of the mundane and religious affairs of the people and the succession of the Prophet of Islam, Muḥammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (pbuh). The necessity of the succession of Imāms after the Prophet is inevitable on two grounds:

1. Social lifewon’t survive without a leader whose remarks and edicts have profound influence. Until the Prophet was living, he was in charge of leading and ruling Muslims. It should be borne in mind that the Prophet is both a heavenly chosen messenger and the leader and ruler of Muslims.

Therefore, after the demise of the Prophet (pbuh), his successor must immediately assume the leadership to pursue the objectives of the Prophet, that is, to spread monotheism across the globe, and lead the people to the desired end. Otherwise, the efforts of the great Prophet (pbuh)would be voided and Muslims would be detained on their journey to perfection.

2. The great Prophet besides being the ruler and leader ofMuslims, was also a divine instructor and a heavenly messenger who explained the facts to people. After the demise of the Prophet, if there were no Imām or leader who would explicate religious facts and concepts and thus carry on with the mission of the Prophet, this would constitute a shortcoming and defect in the Islamic world. Therefore, it is vitally significant that theImām who is the successor of the Prophet, immediately assume the management of the affairs and fulfill the needs of people in terms of religious and faith-related questions.And the meaning of the statement that the Prophet has explained the faith of Islam completely is that he has outlined the general points completely. Thus, the explication of these general points, and the elimination of ambiguities and the instructions of the lofty facts of Koran certainly necessitate a great instructor whose knowledge is on a par with that of the Prophet.

Now, I draw your attention to the following debate conducted between one of the students of Imāmaṣ- Ṣādiq (‘a) and a Sunnī scientist, on the necessity of Imāms and leaders after the Prophet.

Hishām, one of the youngest and most prominent students of Imām al-Ṣādiq (‘a) says, “On a Friday, I arrived in the city of Baṣrah, and went to the mosque.‘ Amr ibn ‘Ubayd Mu’taḍidī was at the mosque and a large crowd had huddled around him asking questions.

I went up and sat among them. Everyone was asking questions.I turned toward ‘Amr and said, ‘O the great scholar! I am not from this city; may I ask you a question?’

‘Amr said, ‘ask what you like.’

I said, ‘Do you have eyes?’

He said, ‘Don’t you see I have eyes; why do you ask?’

I said, ‘My questions are of this type.’

He said, ‘Ask though they are useless.’

‘Do you have eyes?’

‘Yes.’

‘What do you do with your eyes?’

‘I look at beautiful things, and distinguish between colors and types.’

‘Do you have a tongue?’

‘Yes.’

‘What do you do with that?’

‘With that I taste the flavor of food.’

‘Do you havenose and the power of smelling?’

‘Yes.’

What do you do with that?’

‘With that I smell the odors and distinguish between pleasing and disgusting odors.’

‘Do you have ears?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What do you do with them?’

‘With them I hear the sounds and distinguish between them.’

‘Do you have heart (intelligence) besides these?’

‘Yeah.’

‘What do you do with that?’

‘If other parts are doubtful, heart will put an end to their hesitation. Because it is evidentthat sensual perceptions are occasionally erroneous and to rectify their mistakes, I consult the court of my intelligence and heart.’

Hishām says, “As ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd finished there, I confirmed all his remarks and said, ‘Indeed, God, the Exalted, has created the heart to lead the senses and rectify their errors.O great sage! Does it make sense to contend that God who has not left eyes, ears and other parts without a guide, such beneficent God could have abandoned Muslims without a guide and leader after the demise of the Prophet, so that people continue to plunge into doubts and divisions and finally into destruction and annihilation? Could it be accepted by common sense?’

Hishām says, ‘When I drew such a significant conclusion from a series of simple questions, ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd understood that I am a Shī‘ah and one of Imām aṣ-Ṣādiq’s (‘a) disciples, therefore he fell silent and could not answer me and by beating around the bush he concluded the debate.’” [19]

Hishām intended to draw this conclusion from this debate that God has definitely appointed some leaders as the successors of the Prophet whowill lead Muslims one after another.

Indeed, as in the words of Avicenna, the famous Muslim philosopher, “Does it sound logical that a God who has provided man with eyebrows and eyelashes and has been so solicitous in meeting the needs of mankind, to neglect his most important need, that of guidance, and abandon mankind without a guide and leader and instructor and desert people?”

Lesson thirteen: Imām’s traits

Imām and the leader of the Muslims who is to succeed the great Prophet assuming the management of the mundane and religious affairs of people must have certain distinctions.

1. He must be free from errors and mistakes to be able to lead the society toward prosperity because an impure personwon’t be able to clean up peoples’ contamination.

2. Imām must be in touch with the Unseen and enjoy boundless divine knowledge to be able to explain the Islamic facts,concepts and edicts to Muslims, because if he were to speculate or merely possess ordinary human learning like other people, then his remarks would not be compelling and people won’t appreciate the truth of the Islamic teachings.

3. Imām must be appointed by the great Prophet or his predecessor on behalf of God, because none except God and His Prophet could determine the infallibility of others and peopleare also unable to be certain about anyone’s future.

Therefore, it is not appropriate to hand over the appointment of Imāms to people because, although people might regard someone as innocent and pure, in actuality, he may be the contrary or people might confirm someone’s integrity in the light of present circumstances but he may lapse into error and impurity in the future.

It is only and merely God who is aware of the present and future and within as well as the without and knows who to choose to lead the society and assume the management after the great Prophet. The great Koran says,

“God knows better to whom He should turn over the religious and mundane leadership of the people.” [20]

Whohas been appointed as the successor of the Prophet?

At the command of God, the Prophet of Islam has introduced all of his successors and has explicitly named them, one by one, and has recurrently reminded people of ‘Alī’s right to succession. An examination of history and books will reveal that the Prophet over the twenty-three years of his prophetic mission has raised the subject of the succession of Imām ‘Alī on any propitious occasion. Here, we will only refer to two cases, the first took place at the onset of the propheticmission and the second occurred during the last year of his life.

1. The prophetic mission and the leadership of Imāms are continuous

Approximately three years after the appointment of the great Prophet, this verse was revealed, “Admonish your close relatives with the threat of divine torment (and invite them to worship God).” [21]

In the exegesis of this verse, the commentators have pointed out that, on the day when the great Prophet was called on by God to invite his close relatives, he asked ‘Alī who was barely fifteen years old to prepare food, then he invited the progeny of ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib who numbered about forty to announce his mission to them. On that day, Abū Lahab the Prophet’s uncle disrupted the reception with irrelevant remarks.

The great Prophet held another session and after the meal wasserved announced his invitation and said, “I have been appointed by God and herald the best of this world and the hereafter for you and God has called on me to invite you to His dominion…”

Then, at the same reception the great Prophet observed, “Who among you is ready to stand by me, to be my brother and successor?”

‘Alī rose and voiced his readiness. The great Prophet told him to sit down and repeated his invitation three times. No one answered him except ‘Alī, every time he announced his invitation,then he turned to those who were present and said, “This youth, ‘Alī, is my brother and successor among you, obey him and listen to his remarks.”

This incident, about its authenticity there is no doubt neither in the accounts of the Sunnī nor Shī’ah, clearly demonstrates that the prophetic mission and the leadership of Imāms are not distinct and on the day when the divine Prophet was introduced to people, it is on the same day that his successor should be named and it should be known basically that the foundations of these two positions are the same and they are connected to one another like the links of a chain and the leadership of Imāms is the continuation of the prophetic mission and the successor of the Prophet pursues the same goals as the Prophet but the distinction between them is that the Prophet is the founder of the religion but Imām is its explicator.[22]

The Ḥadīth of Ghadīr

In the last year of his life, the great Prophet who was returning from the Ḥajj pilgrimage stopped at a place called Ghadīr where pilgrims parted from one another. There he mounted a high mound so thathe could be seen by everyone whose number amounted to nearly one hundred thousand and at the command of God announced the succession of Imām ‘Alī to that crowd . He held ‘Alī’s hand and raised it so that everyone could observe, and then said, “O folks! Just asI am your leader and decision-maker and have control over your life and property, ‘Alī is also your leader and commander.”

Thus, again it was made clear to everyone that ‘Alī is the immediate successor of the great Prophet and on the same day people offered congratulations to ‘Alī and even ‘Umar told ‘Alī, “Great, you’re my and every Muslim’s leader.” [23]

Indeed, the Prophet of Islam announced Imām ‘Alī’s right to succession again and again so that everyone should know who is the ruler of Muslims after the demise of that revered figure.

Ḥadīth al-Thaqalayn

Besides these, in the final days of his life, the great Prophet told people, “O folks! I leave you with two priceless things, that is, Koran and my household, so long as you seek these two and follow my legacy, you won’t go astray.” [24]

The Ḥadīth of Jābir

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh Anṣārī recounts that when the verse, “Obey God and the Prophet and those who are in authority among you!” was revealed I told the divine Prophet, “O the Messenger of God! We know God and His Prophet and it is important that we know those who are in authority with whom this verse obliges us to comply, could you explain the meaning of the phrase?”

The great Prophet said, “they are my successors and the Imams after me and they begin with ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib and then respectively, Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī, Ḥusayn ibn ‘Alī, ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī who is known as Bāqir in the Bible and you will spend your old age in his leadership and remember me to him when you see him. After Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī, the rest are as follows respectively, Ja‘far ibn Muḥammad, Mūsā ibn Ja‘far, ‘Alī ibn Mūsā, Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī, ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad, Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī, and after him his son who is my namesake and who will dominate the whole world and who will be hidden from the sight of people and whose absence will be protracted that only those who remain steadfast and firm will persist in their belief in his leadership.” [25]

Of course, the accounts pertaining to the successors of the great Prophet are innumerable and we raised these just to exemplify some. Therefore, undoubtedly, the twelve Imāms of the Shī‘ah have been determined by the great Prophet on behalf of God and furthermore, every Imām has explicitly introduced his successor to remove any misunderstanding and doubt on the part of people.

In addition to this, as we noted earlier, Imām must be infallible and connected with the Unseen and after the great Prophet except these twelve figures, innocencehas not been verified in any one and no one has been able to present teachings and insights similar to those delivered by these twelve figures. To establish this it suffices to examine Nahj al-Balāghah by ‘Alī and the remarks recorded from other Imāms.[ 26]

Lesson fourteen:The Resurrection

The fifth principle of the primary principles of religion is the faith in the Resurrection.

The Resurrection signifies revival to bear the consequences. This principle, that is, the faith in the Judgment Day is one of the oldest beliefs of humanity its tracescould be detected in nations with an old history.

Among the well-established religions of the world, the question of an immortal life in the hereafter constitutes one of the principal doctrines and any faith on whose agenda there is no place for the faith in the resurrectioncould not be called a divine faith.

The records of this faith among all nations of the world could establish its inherent quality because it is improbable that such a faith with so long a history and such a widespread purview could have flourished in the hearts of people unless its were inherent. At times, everyone will feel that his lifewon’t dissolve by death and death is not the final destination of his evolution and he has not been created for a transitory life replete with vicissitudes and disillusionments but rather this dark night will culminate in a bright daybreak and death is not but a doorway to an eternal life.

Therefore, itshould be said that the faith in the Resurrection is inherent and does not need any reasoning at all, but despite that, for the sake of clarification, here we elaborate on two arguments for the necessity of the Resurrection.

The relationship between the divine justice and wisdom and the Resurrection

The world inhabitedby mankind is founded upon justice and fairness.Its Creator is also just and fair and has commanded His servants to base their worldly lives upon justice and refrain from oppression and He has sent infallible prophets to guide and assist them in discriminating between good and evil.

But with respect to the divine commands and the edicts of the prophets people are divided in two categories:

1. One group is submissive and obedient and never deviates from the straight path of religion and morality and tries to abstain from corruption, indecency, and wrongdoing, or at least they are determined to purify themselves.

2. Another groupis so steeped in debauchery and oppression and they behave as though no prophet had ever been sent to guide them and the straight path has not been revealed to them. In their lives, the only objectives they pursue are domination, gratification of lustful desires, deception, duplicity, and oppression and to achieve their goals; theywon’t spare any brutality or ruthlessness. For instance, we read in history that a certain ruler, whose name evokes fear and terror, says, “I enjoy hurling the worshippers in thefire and listening to their whining and growling, because the moaning and whining of innocent people in the flames and under torture is the most melodious music.” He was a human being.

As opposed to this, we come across another person who says, “I swear by God that if they granted me the dominion of the whole world to oppress a feeble ant, I will never do that.” We all have known and continue to know some who do nothing but wickedness and indecency as well as those who have dedicated their welfare to that of fellow-Muslims.

Is it consistent with God’s justness that these two groupsbe treated equally? Does the Just God to whom every conduct of His servants is manifest and who is aware of the within and without of everyone treat these two groups equally?

The common sense dictates that these two groups are different and each should face the consequences of their actions. Those who have retained their faith in God and have done deeds of righteousness should receive their rewards and those who were non-believers andwere contaminated by oppression and wrongdoing should face the consequences of their viciousness. Indeed, God’s justice dictates that there must be a distinction between the faithful and the virtuous and the unfaithful and the evil. There is no doubt that this distinction does not occur completely in this world because as we could see many infidels and oppressors enjoy a luxurious life and become prosperous by exploiting others.

As opposed tothis we come across some virtuous people who dedicate their lives to serving and helping others and obediently perform their individual and social obligations but are afflicted by vicissitudes, indigence, torture or captivity and eventually die under these circumstances.

Therefore, due to God’s wisdom and justice, there must be a hereafter where the virtuous reap the reward of their good deeds and the vicious suffer the consequences of their evil deeds.

And this hereafter refers to the Resurrection which is stressed in every divine religion especially Islam, in which it is presented as one of the primary principles of the faith.

Lesson fifteen:The second reason to establish the Resurrection

The God in whom we believe isAll-wise an All-knowing and His actions arise from wisdom and He pursues some objectives in creating this world and mankind and endowing man with the faculty of thought and sending magnificent prophets to enlighten them.

Is the objective behind the creation of man limited tothis life in which man might fulfill his whims and gratify his hunger and thirst and finally die after a life of luxury or deprivation?

If the objective ofcreating mankind is confined to this, it should be confessed that his creation is futile and if the Creator of the universe is All-wise, He won’t do anything aimlessly.

With a little reflection and contemplation, we reach the conclusion that the aim ofcreating mankind is not confined to this transient life but rather he has been created for an eternal and immortal life that is the same as the hereafter. The great Koran has raised this argument and reads,

“Do you suppose that you have been created aimlessly and you won’t return to Us.” [27]

The Resurrection is corporeal

As itis learned from the Koran, the resurrection and revival is corporeal, that is, the spirit is restored to the body and the soul and the body both face the consequences of their deeds.

One day, one of the opponents of Islam called Ubay ibn Khalf brought a rotten bone to the Prophet and crushed it into powder and scattered the powder and tried to use this to deny the Resurrection and show the impossibility of the scattered powder’s restoration to its original form, and said, “What power can revive these rotten bones?”

God, the Exalted, commanded the great Prophet to say this in response, “The same God who fashioned these bones from dust in the firstplace and bestowed life and vivacity upon them, He is capable of restoring these rotten bones which are scattered everywhere and reviving them.”

“Ubay ibn Khalf says, ‘Who will revive these rotten bones?’O our messenger! Tell him, ‘The One who initially created them and endowed them with life will revive them.’” [28]

The implications of the faith in the Resurrection

The faith in the Resurrection enhances one’s diligence and determination in fulfilling their obligations because one knows that no action will be overlooked and God is a meticulous and fair judge who is aware of the within and without of everyone and thus he will retain his hope and resolve in serving and reforming himself.

The faith in the Resurrection heralds an eternal life and one knows that he is not created for this ephemeral life and with death he enters a new phase of life which is substantially vaster than this worldly life and he recognizes that this life is the preamble to the life in the hereafter and that eternal life will be shaped by one’s conduct and deeds in this life and in other words, he will reap what he has sown in this life. Regarding this, the great Koran says,

“Anyone who performs a good deed even if this weighs as much as a little seed, he will receive its reward, and anyone who commits a sin, even if that weigh as little as a seed, he will suffer the consequences.”