Pride for him acted as a hurdle in Allah's obedience.

Pride for him acted as a hurdle in Allah's obedience. Iblis requested Allah, "0 my God, excuse me from prostrating before Adam, and I will worship you in such a way that neither the angels nor prophets would worship you". Allah replied, "I don't need your worship. I desire to be worshipped in the manner I like. Iblis remained obstinate in his refusal to prostrate. Allah then said, "Get out from here! Surely My curse is on you till resurrection!" (Behaarul Anwaar, vol. 11, pg.

141.Thus, it is evident even if a person spends his entire life prostrating in front of Allah, but his prostration is not accordance with Allah's wishes, then his worship is worthless. On the contrary it will only serve as means of separation from Allah. The criterion for belief is not only to attest the unity of Allah (Tauheed) and reject all partners for Him, but also to seek laws of religion from the door that has been declared by Him to be 'His door'.

And this 'Door of Allah' are His Messengers (a.s.) and pure Imams (a.s.) Hence, the belief in Nabuwat and Imamat is an absolute must to consummate the belief in Tauhid. Imam Jafer Sadiq (a.s.) says, "If someone feels that he can deem the permissible as permissible and the prohibited as prohibited, without the recognition of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), then he has in fact not reckoned the permitted of Allah as permitted and prohibited of Allah as prohibited.

If a person performs prayers, pays the poor-due, performs Hajj and Umrah without the recognition of that personality whose obedience has been made obligatory by Allah, then in reality he has not performed anything! Neither he has prayed nor fasted nor paid the poor-due nor per formed Hajj and Umrah nor has taken the ritual obligatory bath nor observed purity nor considered prohibited of Allah as prohibited nor permitted of Allah as permitted.

His prayers in reality are not prayers, though he bows and prostrates. His poor-due in reality is not poor-due. Nor is his Hajj accounted as Hajj. All these are deemed legitimate only if they are performed with the recognition and guidance of those personalities whose obedience has been made obligatory by Allah upon the people." "One who has the recognition of the representative of Allah and acquires the religion and its laws from him alone, only then has he obeyed Allah." (Behaarul Anwaar, vol.

27, pg. 176) Indeed Imam Sadiq's tradition in this regard is most amazing.

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