The great and mighty Qur'an is the fundamental basis for every kind of Islamic concept. Like a mighty rock, all the fruitful buildings of Islamic knowledge have been made steady on it. It is the clear spring from which all the streams of insight flow. The credibility and prestige of other religious foundations rest on it.
But, on the basis of the proofs we shall give, one cannot be content with the Qur'an alone to solve the problems of leadership, the differences which crop up in Islamic society, or the satisfying of the needs of the Muslim people.
1. Firstly because the Qur'an and its great and abundant contents need commentary and explanation. Since all the verses are not alike in clarity and openness, unacquainted and unknowing readers in the first moments of their journey may become lost and not take the path to their destination.
So the Prophet himself or those appointed by him who have a spiritual link with what is beyond the external world, must be a guide in this valley also, so that they can interpret and explain the ayahs according to Allah's purpose. For if not, ordinary people will sometimes interpret incorrectly and will end up far from the truth.(1)
It is recounted that a thief was brought into the presence of the Abassid Caliph Mu'tasim so that he might have the punishment proscribed in the Qur'an administered to him. The command of the Qur'an is: "Cut off the hand of a thief." But Mu'tasim did not know from where the hand should be cut. He asked the 'ulema. One of them said:
"From the wrist."
"From the elbow," another said.
Mu'tasim was not satisfied. He was forced to ask Imam Muhammad at-Taqi the 9th Imam (a.s.) who was present, and he replied:
"Four fingers must be cut off."
"Why?"
"Since Allah has decreed in the Qur'an: 'And that the places of Sajdah are for Allah.' (LXXII;18), that is the seven places of the body, of which one is the palm, which in Sajdah contact the ground belong to Allah, they should not be cut off." (2)
All those present accepted and were satisfied with his proof.
This kind of interpretation is in fact interpretation of the Qru'an by the Qur'an, and is peculiar to the descendents of the prophetic mission, and no one, to whatever degree he may be a master of interpretation, is able to succeed in perfectly understanding interpretation in this way unless he has taken the habit from the Household of the Prophet and has taken them as his model.
2. Another proof is that what we have said concerning the need for correct interpretation of the Qur'an concerns only one side of the Qur'an, the exoteric meaning and the commands of the Qur'an. But in the shelter of these exoteric words and meanings, a deeper and wider aim, a spiritual profundity is concealed, especially in the sections on knowledge, beliefs and the virtues.
The respected Prophet (s.a.) said: "The Qur'an has a beautiful outer meaning and a profound inner meaning." (Usul al-Kafi, vol. 2, p.599).
He also said: "The Qur'an has profundity, and the profundity of that is deep too, up to seven inner meanings." (Tafsir Safi, vol.1, p. 39).
Truly, all the Qur'an has, according to the words of the great exegetes, a hermeneutics and an inner meaning, and to arrive at them by thought and research alone is not possible. It is not explicable to all through words, for the ability to perceive and practice this is not given to all men. Only those near to God, the pure, those free from corruption, can comprehend this, and use it for the solution of the differences and incidents between men, and learn it, and then, by virtue of the immunity from error and mistake that they have from God, teach it to others.
These ones near to God, the slaves immune from error are the Prophet (s.a.) and his Household (a.s.) about whom the Qur'an said:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا (33)
"Household of the Prophet; Allah desires only to put away from you abomination and to cleanse you." (XXXIII:33)
There is also a hadith that only the Prophet and his Household, who are the original ones to be addressed by the Qur'an, can perceive all the truths of the Book.(3) That is to say the Prophet who was addressed by Jibra'il and his Household, since they are the family of the Prophet, are more acquainted with the meaning of the Qur'an.
It is because of this connection between the Qur'an and the Household that the Prophet said to the people in the last days of his life: "I leave two things in your trust, the Book of Allah and my descendents; if you attach yourselves to these two you will never go astray."(4)
3. The Qur'an needs a sinless, enforcing guarantor. Since the Qur'an is a fundamental law, a kind of constitution, it needs an enforcing guarantor and a power to implement it. But only he who like the Prophet (s.a.) is free from error and who understands and knows the Qur'an with competence, can be the guarantor of its commands and laws.
These special qualities are to be found in the beings of the Imams (a.s.), and the best witness to this is the few years of the leadership of 'Ali (a.s.), who, despite the difficulties which beset his holding of the rein of government, carried out to the end the great and resplendent laws of Islam each and every one.
As a postscript, the summary and fundamental of this lesson can be found in a discussion which students following the sixth Imam, Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.), had with a man in the presence of the Imam.
A man from Damascus was given a meeting with Imam Sadiq (a.s.) and said that he had come for a discussion with one of his students.
The Imam said, "Introduce him to Hisham." Hisham was the youngest of his students.
"O Boy," said the man from Damascus, "ask me concerning the Imamate of this man (Imam Sadiq (a.s.))."
Hisham was angered by his lack of manners and shuddered. But he concealed his temper and began.
"Is your Creator more kind and loving towards His slaves, or the slaves themselves.?"
"The Creator."
"What has the loving Creator done for his slaves?"
"He has appointed a clear guidance and proof, to protect them from differences and disunity, and to establish friendship and unity among them. He has made clear to them their religious duties."
"Who is that guide?"
"The Prophet."
"Who is it after the death of the Prophet?"
"The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah."
"Can the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet prevent us from differences today?"
"Yes."
"So why do you and I who are both Muslims have a dispute, or in other words, why have you come here from Damascus as a result of this difference?"
The man from Damascus was silent and said no more.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said to him: "Why don't you speak up?"
"What shall say?" he replied. "If I say we have no difference, then I lie. And just as I said the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet should take away the difference between us, so this also is untrue, because, in many instances, the Book of Allah and the Sunnah do not have a clear and obvious meaning that could dispel our differences."
So the man from Damascus said that he wanted to ask the very same question from Hisham.The Imam agreed.
"O Hisham, Who is the more loving towards people? God, or the people themselves?"
"God."
"Did he send them someone to protect the unity of Muslims and to take over their control, to explain to them truth and falsity?"
"Are you talking about the time of the Prophet, or about now?"
"In the time of the Prophet,it was him; no, tell me about now."
"Today it is this man who is seated here and to whom people come from every corner of the land, and who gives us news of the heaven and the earth; and this knowledge was bequeathed to him from his father and so on back to the Prophet."
"How can I verify and accept this statement for myself?"
"Go now and ask him anything you like."
"That's right, there is no other excuse; only I must ask."
Then Imam Sadiq (a.s.) told him about his journey and of the things that had happened to him on his way which only the man could know of. When he had explained so that no doubt remained for him, the man declared his belief in the Imam.(5)
(1) The great prophet of Islam (s.a.) said that everyone who interprets the Qur'an according to his opinions will have the place in which he sits at the Resurrection made the site of gathering together of fire (Tafsir as-Safi, vol, I, P. 21)
(2) Nur ath-Thaqalayn, vol. 5, p. 439.
(3) Tafsir Mirat al-Anwar, p. 16.
(4) Ibn Haubab, Musnad Beirut, vol 3, p. 17. al-Ghadir, vol. 1, p. 55. Ghayat al-Maram, p.212.
(5) Usul Kafi, vol. 1, p.171-173.
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