ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Spirituality of the Shi‘ism and Other Discourses Discourse Two: Trusteeship and Leadership We human beings have taken up residence on the earth for ages; we procreate and we live out our lives.

Due to the fact that we have chosen social life as a requisite of our own nature, we help each other as much as possible, perform collective endeavors, and pile up the fruits of our pooled toils and each of us benefits from them to the extent of their social weight and character. Of course, such a method cannot come about without the loss of absolute individual freedom.

Persons who become part of a community, take up the method of cooperation and collaboration, and amalgamate their choices with the choices of others cannot be completely free and do whatever they desire. Even so, human life is not possible without a degree of individual autonomy. Human personalities are the substance of the community and society is its form. The human personality relies on individual volitions and passions and with their dissipation it would surely be destroyed.

In consequence, the cornerstone of the society—any type of society imaginable—would be eradicated and its pillars would fall to ruin. Individual autonomy While every human being lives in a social fold—advanced or savage—they each use their intellect in their individual endeavors and make suitable choices through their personal volition.

However, it is common for the individual personality, which manages life using its intellect and volition, to become incapable so that it cannot carry the burden of life to its destination self-reliantly—such as among people with dementia or those with less than adequate understanding and volition. Naturally, others must manage the lives of such persons. Moreover, the same holds for infants and children until they reach maturity.

Others, meaning their elders, must manage their livelihoods and gradually draw them level with mature men and women through education and edification. Also, in every human society there may be some advantages and benefits that are not under the charge of specific persons and naturally do not have a custodian, such as general mortmain [awqāf-e ‘āmmah] and similar issues. Above all this is safeguarding and supporting the society that has come into being from a collective of human beings.