He says...

He says: “The existence of His Eminence is a grace; his authority is another grace.” [1] Thirdly: While he is in occultation, Imam Mahdi (a.s) is kind on his Shias and he prays for them and there is no obstacle in his prayer and if the prayer of the Imam had not been for them, the oppressors would never have allowed the righteous people to control their desires and they would have destroyed all of them. The same point is mentioned in a letter of His Eminence (a.s) to Shaykh Mufeed (a.r.).

In the letter he says: “Surely we are neither negligent of your affairs, nor are we forgetful of your remembrance. Had it been so, afflictions would have descended upon you and enemies would have suppressed you.” Fourthly: His Eminence, the Baqiatullah (a.s) has himself mentioned a benefit of his occultation and said: “Taking benefit from me during my occultation is like getting benefit from the sun while it is hidden from the view.” [1] Sharh Tajreed, Tusi, Pg.

389 (Iran Edition) Sulaiman Amash bin Mehran asked His Eminence, Imam Sadiq (a.s): How do the people benefit from His Eminence, the Proof (Hujjat) (a.s) when he is concealed from the viewa His Eminence, Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: “Just as they benefit from the sun when a cloud comes over it.” Allamah Majlisi (r.a.) explains this tradition and says: a.

Effulgence, generosity, knowledge and guidance reaches the people through His Eminence because it is proved from traditions that His Eminence is the cause of the creation of the creatures. Thus if he had not been there no one else would have come into existence. Rather, sciences and recognition is due to his blessings and cure and mediation of His Eminence becomes apparent on the people and calamities are repelled through him.

It is so because if they had not been there, people would have been involved in various chastisements due to their evil deeds. As the Almighty Allah has said: “Allah would not punish them till you are among them.” And we have often experienced that when we are in difficulties and our avenues are closed and we are distanced from the Almighty and we have closed the doors of mercy due to our deeds. Yes! At that time we have made those noble personages as our mediums.

And we pray through the holy effulgence of those personages in proportion to our proximity with them. Our complicated problems are solved and whosoever's heart Allah has illuminated with faith realizes this fact and is not able to deny it. b.