Authority

What Is Meant by Authority

Linguistically, authority means that one move forward the people, in order that he will lead them and that they will follow after him. Here, we mean by authority the Purified Imams’ (God’s peace bestowed upon them) general governing and their comprehensive leadership of the nation, on behalf of The Greatest Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household), in all the aspects of life: the spiritual and the materialistic, the religious and the worldly.

The Role of the Impeccable Imam (God’s peace bestowed upon him)

The Impeccable Imam [authority] (God’s peace bestowed upon him) takes over the role which The Noblest Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) used to carry out, excluding the reception and telling of the revelation. This role includes two major titles:

A- Illustrating the creeds, concepts, and religious rules of the religion on the basis of the Thiqlayn Discourse which we are going to mention in details later.

B- Judging among the people; establishing justice, equity, and the comprehensive general security in the Islamic society; protecting the borders of the Muslims; in addition to providing for social, economical, and military needs which are also form the missions of the Impeccable Imam (God’s peace bestowed upon him).

The Evidence for the Authority

Guiding the humanity is a divine aim which does not stop at a certain time and does not finish with the death of The Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household). This aim is not limited to a certain time in this life; it is constant. From here, God’s Wisdom and Mercy and Kindness implied the existence of an impeccable person endowed by special characteristics which make of him the pivot of the divine guidance, thus as a perseverance and maintenance of the divine aim. This person is the Imam [authority].

To this the following Saying of The Most High God points out: ﴾And the unbelievers say, “Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord, But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide﴿¹

In addition, it is related that The Prince of the Believers Imam Ali (God’s peace bestowed upon him) said, “By God! The earth will never be void of an authority of God who is either apparent and well known or afraid and hiding, so that God’s authorities and evidences will not be abolished.”

The Imam’s Appointment by The Most Glorious and Reverent God

The appointment of the Purified Imams (God’s peace bestowed upon them) is a divine issue clarified and announced by The Greatest Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household).

After The Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) had appointed Imam Ali (God’s peace bestowed upon him) to succeed him on the day of Ghadeer Khom, The Most Glorious and Reverent God said in His Noble Book: ﴾…This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion; yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion﴿² In this blessed Qur’anian verse, The Most Glorious and Reverent God attributes to Himself the perfecting of religion and the completing of favor through appointing The Prince of the Believers (God’s peace bestowed upon him) as the successor of God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household).

Some narratives, going back to the first days of The Prophet’s blessed call in Makka Al-Moukarrama and even before the constitution of the government in Al-Madina Al-Mounawwara, which are related to us are in conformation to the Saying of The Most Glorious and Reverent God. He (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) used to state [in these narratives] that the matter of his succession was a divine one in which the decision was up to God only.

When the head of Sons of Amer tribe went to God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) and asked him, “If we pledge allegiance to you and then God grants you victory over all those opposing you, will the succession be to us after you?” He (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) answered him, “This matter is up to God to entrust whomever He wants with.” By this, The Prophet’s (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) words conformed with The Most High God’s words as regards the mission and the succession, for The Most Glorified and High God says, ﴾…Allah knoweth best where (and how) to carry out His mission…﴿ ³ And he (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) is as The Most Glorious and Reverent God describes him in His Noble Book: ﴾Nor does he say (naught) of (his own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him﴿⁴

The Evidences Testifying the Authority of the Purified Imams (God’s peace bestowed upon them)

These evidences are related religious texts which are mentioned in The Most Glorious and Reverent God’s Book and in the norm of His prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household). They are of two sorts:
A- Holy Qur’anian Verses
B- Noble Prophetic Discourses

A- Holy Qur’anian Verses

They are many, among which we mention the following one: ﴾O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you…﴿⁵

It is related that Jaber Al-Jo’afi in his illustration related that the reverent companion Jaber bin Abdullah Al-Ansari said, “I asked The Prophet about His Saying: "O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger…? I said, ‘We have already known God and The Prophet. Still, who are those charged with authority?’ He answered, ‘O Jaber! They are my successors and the Authorities of the Muslims after me. The first one of them is Ali bin Abi Taleb (God’s peace bestowed upon him), then Al-Hassan, then Al-Hussein, then Ali bin Al-Hussein, then Mohammad bin Ali who is known in the Torah as Al-Baker- And you will reach him, Jaber. If you meet him, deliver to him my peace bestowal, then Al-Sadik Jaafar bin Mohammad, then Musa bin Jaafar, then Ali bin Musa, then Mohammad bin Ali, then Ali bin Mohammad, then Al-Hassan bin Ali, and then the one having my name and my title: He is God’s Authority in His earth and His Remaining in His mankind, Ibn Al-Hassan bin Ali on whose hands God will open the earth’s easts and wests. He is that one who will disappear from before his Shiite, a disappearance during which none but those whose hearts are firm on faith will go on believing in his authority.”⁶

B- Noble Prophetic Discourses

They are many, among which we are going to mention the following some:

1- The Thiqlayn Discourse

This discourse is from the common Islamic discourses which all the Muslims related and narrated in their books of discourses. God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) addressed the Islamic nation in saying, “I am going to deposit with you the thiqlayn [two precious things] i.e. God’s Book and my Household. Once you stick to them, you will never get lost. And they will never disperse until they come to me at the Pond [in the heaven].”

This common discourse clearly proves the general reference of the Prophetic Household side to side with The Noble Qur'an. It indicates the necessity of sticking to them, so that we will be guided to the Truth and to the straight path and so that the aim of The Noblest Prophet Mohammad (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) will be accomplished in all the religious and worldly issues of life.

The Noble Qur'an and the Household (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon them) are concomitant. Accordingly, he who turns away from The Noble Qur'an and does not stick to it will get astray. Similarly, he who does not follow after the line and path of the Household (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon them) and does not stick to them, he will be also not sticking to The Noble Qur'an and will have the same fate.

2- The Safina [Ark] Discourse

The Noblest Prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) resembled his Household to Noah’s Ark: He who embarks will be rescued; but he who does not get on board will drown in the flood. He (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) said, “My Household are to you as Noah’s Ark was to his people: He who embarks will be rescued; but he who does not get on board will drown in the flood.”

It is known that Noah’s Ark was the only refuge available for the people to be rescued from the flood at that time. On this basis, the prophetic Household, according to the discourse of Noah’s Ark, are considered to be the only refuge for the nation to be rescued from the hard events and grave happenings which usually lead to the humanity’s mental, behavioral, spiritual, economical, social, etc deviation and astray.

These two discourses are to be added to other discourses which are related in ascription to God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) and which are established in the Muslims’ books of discourses.

The Purified Imams (God’s peace bestowed upon them) are twelve who are endowed with the conditions of authority i.e. knowledge, impeccability, wisdom, management, courage, and whatever The Imam needs in the authority and in the leadership of the nation’s and mankind’s affairs towards the divine guidance.

God’s prophet (God’s prayers and peace bestowed upon him and his Household) did not get sufficed with the appointment of Imam Ali (God’s peace bestowed upon him) on Al-Ghadeer Day; he mentioned the names of the Purified Imams (God’s peace bestowed upon them) as are stated in the discourse related by Jaber Al-Ansari. Besides, every Imam used to clearly and frankly demonstrate The Imam succeeding him.

The Imams of the Household (God’s peace bestowed upon them) are:

1- The Prince of the Believers Ali bin Abi Taleb (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born ten years before the sending of The Prophet; martyrized in year 40 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Najaf Al-Ashraf.

2- Imam Al-Hassan bin Ali Al-Moujtaba (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 3 of immigration; martyrized in year 50 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Baqeeaa in Al-Madina Al-Mounawwara.

3- Imam Al-Hussein bin Ali The Master of the Martyrs (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 4 of immigration; martyrized din year 61 of immigration; and was buried in Karbalaa.

4- Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein Zein Al-Abideen (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 38 of immigration; martyrized in 94 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Baqeeaa.

5- Imam Mohammad bin Ali Al-Baqer, Baqer Al-Ouloum (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 57 of immigration; martyrized in year 114 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Baqeeaa.

6- Imam Jaafar bin Mohammad Al-Sadik (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 83 of immigration; martyrized in year 148 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Baqeeaa.

7- Imam Musa bin Jaafar Al-Kathem (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 128 of immigration; martyrized in year 183 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Kathemeeya near Baghdad.

8- Imam Ali bin Musa Al-Reda (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 148 of immigration; martyrized in year 203 of immigration; and was buried in Khorasan in Iran.

9- Imam Mohammad bin Ali Al-Jawad (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 195 of immigration; martyrized in year 220 of immigration; and was buried in Al-Kathemeeya.

10- Imam Ali bin Mohammad Al-Hadi (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 212 of immigration; martyrized in year 254 of immigration; and was buried in Samorraa in the north of Baghdad.

11- Imam Al-Hassan bin Ali Al-Askari (God’s peace bestowed upon him): He was born in year 233 of immigration; martyrized in year 260 of immigration; and was buried in Samorraa.

12- Imam Mohammad bin Al-Hassan who is known as Al-Mahdi (May God hasten his honorable revelation): Al-Houjja Al-Mahdi is the twelfth Imam. He is still alive till the time of his appearance, by God’s Permission, at which he is going to establish the divine government all over the earth.

For Reading

Why Did God Give Us the Heart?

One day, Hisham bin Al-Hakam entered Al-Basra Mosque. He found Amr bin Oubayd with the people gathering around him and asking him questions, so he sat at the end and said, “O Scholar, I am a strange man. Do you permit that I ask you about a certain issue?” Amr answered, “Ask.”

- He asked, “Do you have any eye, Hisham?”
- “Son, what does this have to do with the query?”
- “This is my issue.”
- “Ask, son, even if your issue is silly.”
- “Do you have an eye?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by it?”
- “I see the colors and the people.”
- “Do you have a nose?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by it then?”
- “I smell the odor.”
- “Do you have a tongue?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by it?”
- “I talk.”
- “Do you have an ear?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by it?”
- “I hear the voices.”
- “Do you have two hands?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by them?”
- “I strike and recognize what is soft from what is coarse.”
- “Do you have legs?”
- “Yes, I do.”
- “What do you do by them?”
- “I move from one place to another.”
- “Do you have a mouth?”
- “Yes, I have.”
- “What do you do by it?”
- “I recognize the various foods and drinks.”
- “Do you have a heart?”
- “Yes, I do.”
- “What do you do by it?”
- “I recognize everything getting to these organs.”
- “Can not these organs do without the heart?”
- “No, they can not.”
- “How can this be at the time they are sound and safe?”
- “Son, if the organs doubt anything they smelled, saw, or tasted, they send it to the heart which will confirm the sureness and lift the doubt.”
- “Then, did The Most Glorious and Reverent God make the heart for the sake of lifting the doubt of the organs?”
- “Yes.”
- “Then, the heart is indispensable; otherwise, the organs will not reach the sureness!?”
- “Yes.”

Then, Hisham said, “Aba Marwan, The Most Glorified and High God did not leave your organs without an authority confirming what is true and denying what is doubted. Then does He leave all the creatures in their confusion and doubt and conflict, without establishing for them an authority to whom they return with their doubt and confusion, at the same time He establishes for your organs an authority to which you return with your confusion and doubt?!!”

At that, Amr bin Oubayd said nothing.

1- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Ra’ed [The Thunder] Chapter/ Verse 7
2- Nahej Al-Balagha [The Path of Eloquence]/ Adage 147
3- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Anaam [The Cattle] Chapter/ Verse 124
4- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Najem [The Star] Chapter/ Verses 3 and 4
5- The Noble Qur'an/ Al-Nisaa [The Women] Chapter/ Verse 59
6- Bihar Al-Anwar [The Seas of Lights]/ Part Twenty Three/ Page 289