In this regard...

“So that he who perishes might perish by a manifest proof, and he who lives may live on by a manifest proof…” [^2] In regard to the status of the Noble Prophet (S), Imam ‘Ali ( ‘a ) states: “Allah chose him from the family tree of prophets [the family of Abraham], from the flame of light [the light of guidance and deliverance], from the forehead of greatness [from a family distinguished above others], from the land of al-Batha’ [a noble and respected place], from the lamps for darkness [the ancestors of the Prophet were all like lamps of guidance for the lost] and from the sources of wisdom [the members of this family were believers and holders of the Book and others learned wisdom from them].”[^3] Elsewhere, Imam ‘Ali ( ‘a ) states: “His place of stay is the best of all places and his origin is the noblest of all origins in the depositories of honor and the sanctuaries of safety.

Hearts of the virtuous are captivated by him and the gazes are fixed upon him. Through him Allah buried mutual rancor, put out the flames of revolt, gave them affection like brothers and brought separation among some [like Hamzah and Abu Lahab].

Through his prophethood, He transformed the lowliness and suffering of the faithful to honor and eminence and degraded the infidels from greatness to lowliness and misfortune.”[^4] On the basis of Allah’s words and the sayings which have reached us from the Noble Prophet (S) and the Pure Imams ( ‘a ), we generally understand that those fourteen pure and divine lights have such high stations that even if all human beings were to put their intellects together, they would still not be able to comprehend their great stations, let alone attain any one of them.

This knowledge and awareness has been granted to us on account of the grace and favor of Allah and by the grace of the verses of the Gracious Qur’an and the hadith s.