If heavens are firm in their positions and the earth is stable with its movement; if the world beings and those living on the earth are safe, it is all thanks to Ahl al-Bayt, their spiritual light and their favor as they themselves have referred to it. Obviously, only those having a pure heart and righteous deeds believe it. In this relation, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) says:
إنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ بَابُ اللهِ الَّذِي لأ يُؤتَى إلأ مِنْهُ، وَسَبِيلُهُ الَّذِي مَنْ سَلَكَهُ وَصَلَ إلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. وَكَذَلِكَ كَانَ أمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، وَجَرَى لِلأئِمَّةِ وَاحِداً بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ. جَعَلَهُمُ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أرْكَانَ الأرْضِ أنْ تَمِيدَ بِأهْلِهَا.
Surely, Allah’s Messenger is Allah’s gate only through which one can enter and the path of Allah through which one can reach Allah. Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n too is such after him. The same is true with the Imams, one after the other. Allah has made them pillars of the earth so that it will not shake its habitants.[1]
Imam Zayn al-`ªbid¢n (a.s) says:
نَحْنُ الَّذِينَ بِنَا يُمْسِكُ اللهُ السَّمَاءَ أنْ تَقَعَ عَلَى الأرْضِ إلأ بِإذْنِهِ، وَبِنَا يُمْسِكُ الأرْضَ أنْ تَمِيدَ بِأهْلِهَا، وَبِنَا يُنْزِلُ الْغَيْثَ، وَبِنَا يَنْشُرُ الرَّحْمَةَ وَيُخْرِجُ بَرَكَاتِ الأرْضِ. وَلَوْ لأ مَا فِي الأرْضِ مِنَّا لَسَاخَتْ بِأهْلِهَا.
We are the ones for whose sake Allah holds the earth so that it will not fall down save with His permission and preserves the earth for our sake so that its inhabitants will not be shaken. He sends rain for our sake, spreads mercy for our sake and brings out the blessings of the earth. The earth would swallow its inhabitants if we were not on the earth.[2]
The Holy Prophet said:
النُّجُومُ أمَانٌ لأِهْلِ السَّمَاءِ، فَإذَا ذَهَبَتِ النُّجُومُ ذَهَبَ أهْلُ السَّمَاءِ. وَأهْلُ بَيْتِي أمَانٌ لأهْلِ الأرْضِ، فَإذَا ذَهَبَ أهْلُ بَيْتِي ذَهَبَ أهْلُ الأرْضِ.
The heavenly beings feel safe and secure with stars. Whenever the stars disappear, the heavenly beings leave, too. My Ahl al-Bayt too make the earthly beings feel safe; whenever my Ahl al-Bayt leave, the earthly beings will leave too.[3]
Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) has said:
نَحْنُ بَيْتُ النُّبُوَّةِ وَمَعْدِنُ الْحِكْمَةِ وَأمَانٌ لأهْلِ الأرْضِ وَنَجَاةٌ لِمَنْ طَلَبَ.
We, Ahl al-Bayt, are the household of Prophethood, the source of wisdom, the safety for the earthly beings and salvation for those seeking salvation.[4]
Firmness of heavens and stability of the earth are due to the spirituality and favor of Ahl al-Bayt. Their heavenly asset and spiritual power belong solely to them. No one in heaven or on earth is equal to them in rank, yet with this entire asset, they are humble.
Ahl al-Bayt
Character Builders
One of the features of the earth and perhaps other planets is their having such mines as gold, silver, agate, turquoise, diamond, copper and iron. All people of the world consider mine as a valuable and useful asset in human life. Exploring mines, exploiting them, transferring minerals to technical workshops and transforming those minerals to instruments are facts existing from very old times. Gold is one of the mines which are extremely valuable for human beings. Throughout history, man has been trying to explore gold, take it to factories, separate it from ores, and turn it into bullion. Then, gold is given to either artisans to change it into currencies, bank reserves to activate the economy of a country, or turn it into necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings to satisfy the instincts of those tracking beauty.
What is noteworthy is that all heavens and the earth are like a mine and the omniscient of this mine is Allah. The All-knowing God has created a gold-like being out of this mine placing him on this planet so that his instinctive talents, vicegerency, and intellectual capabilities will emerge and he will be able to materialize his prosperity and happiness in this world and the Hereafter. This will be materialized only if man follows the heavenly teachers who are chosen by Allah so that they will turn him into a Divine being. Allah has directed man to heavenly architects who are unique in building human characters.
Ahl al-Bayt
Model for Wayfarers
So far, we have said that a follower of truth must set Ahl al-Bayt as his model in all aspects of his life. Allah has shown the ways leading to attaining virtues and perfection by following the path of the infallible Imams. Evidently we cannot reach their rank, for they have achieved such a position that even Archangel Gabriel could not reach:
لَوْ دَنَوْتُ أُنْمُلَةً لأحْتَرَقْتُ.
If I go foreword by an inch, I will burn myself.[5]
Models for Human Beings
Allah has made Ahl al-Bayt models for human beings to follow so that everyone, according to his capacity, will benefit from their knowledge:
He sends down water from the cloud and then watercourses flow with water according to their measure. (13:17)
In the interpretation of the verse, we read that Allah sends water and knowledge from heaven so every river-bed benefits from it according to its capacity. The river-bed which is deeper and wider can benefit more from the water of life and be promoted to an excellent position. In this relation, the Holy Qur’¡n says:
Certainly, you have in the Apostle of Allah an excellent exemplar. (33:21)
Being an excellent exemplar is not something particular to Allah’s Messenger, for Allah and the Holy Prophet have said that this position is transferred to Ahl al-Bayt after Allah’s Messenger, since they are his true successors. Being an excellent exemplar is a legal position which Ahl al-Bayt inherit from the Holy Prophet.
The wayfarers of the path of Imamate and those wishing to associate with angels and hearing their glorification as well as the devotees better know that they cannot possibly reach sublime positions without adhering to Ahl al-Bayt. In this relation, the Holy Prophet says:
ألرَّوْحُ وَالرَّاحَةُ وَالرَّحْمَةُ وَالنَّضْرَةُ وَالْيُسْرُ وَالْيَسَارُ وَالرِّضَا وَالرِّضْوَانُ وَالْمَخْرَجُ وَالْفَلَجُ وَالْقُرْبُ وَالْمَحَبَّةُ مِنَ اللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ لِمَنْ أحَبَّ عَلِيّاً وَائْتَمَّ بِالأوْصِيَاءِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ.
Happiness, convenience, mercy, triumph, wealth, improvement, pleasure, contentment, solution of problems, and love for Allah and His Messenger are all for one who loves `Al¢ and follows the Imams after him.[6]
Imam al-Ri¤¡ too says:
مَنْ سَرَّهُ أنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى اللهِ بِغَيْرِ حِجَابٍ وَيَنْظُرَ اللهُ إلَيْهِ بِغَيْرِ حِجَابٍ فَلْيَتَوَلَّ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ وَلْيَتَبَرَّأْ مِنْ عَدُوِّهِمْ وَلْيَأتَمَّ بِإمَامِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْهُمْ، فَإنَّهُ إذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ نَظَرَ اللهُ إلَيْهِ بِغَيْرِ حِجَابٍ وَنَظَرَ إلَى اللهِ بِغَيْرِ حِجَابٍ.
Whoever is glad to see [the Mercy of] Allah without any veil and Allah sees him (i.e. spreads mercy on him) without veil must accept the Imamate of Holy Prophet’s Family, hate their enemies and follow the Imam of the believers from among them. In this case, when the Judgment Day comes, Allah will look at him without veil and he will look at Allah without veil.[7]
Since Ahl al-Bayt have gone through all stages of devotion and submission to Allah and have been endowed with all virtues, they have become the excellent exemplars for all.
Worldly People Fail To Understand Ahl al-Bayt
Whoever resorts to Ahl al-Bayt in every aspect of life will benefit from their truth to the extent of understanding and capacity. Those with small or medium capacity, by adhering to Ahl al-Bayt, somehow comprehend their truth. But those submerged in worldly affairs and do not wish to get out are like him whose likeness is that of one in other darkness whence he cannot come forth (6:122). These people do not wish to comprehend the inner part of the Holy Qur’¡n and Ahl al-Bayt, for their hearts are so dark that there is a veil between them and Allah. This veil is the result of sins, corruption, bias and rancor:
And you will see them looking towards you, yet they do not see. (7:198)
They can see, but they have no insight. Prejudice has covered their inner sight:
Their eyes were under a cover from My Reminder. (18:101)
Truth is Not Hidden
Ahl al-Bayt are not hidden in the same way that Allah is not hidden. If a group of people cannot see Allah with their insight, it is because they are under a cover of ignorance whereas Allah is Manifest and pure Light:
Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. (24:35)
None of the visible and invisible truths, i.e. Divine signs, is under a cover. It is man who is under the cover of sins and is deprived of seeing Allah. In this relation, Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s) says:
ألْحَمْدُ للهِ الْمُتَجَلِّي لِخَلْقِهِ بِخَلْقِهِ.
Praise be to Allah who is Manifest before His creation because of themselves.[8]
Ab£-Ba¥¢r reports: One day, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) and I entered the mosque. He said to me, “Ask people if they see me.” So, I asked everyone whom I met whether he saw the Imam. Surprisingly, the answer was (no) whereas the Imam was standing in front of them. At this time, Ab£-H¡r£n, a blind man, entered the mosque. The Imam said, “Now, ask Ab£-H¡r£n if he can see me.” So I asked him whether he could see Imam al-B¡qir. He answered, “Yes, I can. Don’t you see him standing here?” I asked, “How could you understand? Are you not blind?” He answered, “How can I not see while the Imam is a shining light?”
