During the era of Mirza Shirazi...

During the era of Mirza Shirazi, all of the Shia firmly believed that the Ulama and the Mujtahidin were sitting in the seat of authority which ultimately belongs to Imam al-Zaman (AS). Thus, if the one in the place of the Imam (AS) was to order something, his commands would be obeyed. It is for this reason that when the late Mirza Shirazi stated that: اليوم استعمال تنباكو حرام و مخالفت با امام زمان (عليه السلام) است.

“From today, the use of tobacco is forbidden (haram) and is akin to going against Imam al-Zaman (peace be upon him).” all of the hookah machines were destroyed! Even the wife of Nasir al-Din Shah (the ruler of Iran at that time) took the hookah pipe and threw it, breaking it! It did not come into anyone’s mind at how it was possible that tobacco usage, which up until the day before this ruling was issued was permissible and was not problematic was now forbidden!?

Is it possible for the permissible (halal) and impermissible (haram) of Allah (SWT) to change like this?? Rather, everyone – including the scholars, Maraja and those who had the right to issue legal rulings (fatawa) all realized that they were bound by the ruling and that they had to follow the verdict of Mirza Shirazi!

In any case, when the principle of the ‘Governance of the Jurist’ is proven using the logical and narrated proofs, then without doubt, the next rational step is complete obedience of (the one who is in) that position.

For more information on this, refer to: The Governance of the Jurist: The Governance of the Jurisprudence and Justice by Ayatullah Abdullah Jawadi Amuli A Glance at the Theory of the Governance of the Jurist Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi Naqd Quarterly Journal , Issue 7 [^1]: Suratul Ahzab (33), Verse 6 Previous…