ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Sacred Effusion Volume 1 Introduction By Shaykh Abbas M H Ismail Ziyarat: External Proof The Holy Qur`an is clear in its explication of the reason for which the jinns and humans were created: to worship Allah[^1] (SwT) which can only be done with any real quality after we come to know Him.[^2] Our fundamental aim is thus inextricably linked to gaining gnosis of Him.

This task is by no means a simple one as the Qur`an clearly states that He is incomparable to anything we may already know, and therefore unknowable in His entirety.[^3] But far from being an oppressive ruler over His subjects and setting them a task doomed to failure, Allah (SwT) desires that humans fulfil their potential and attain salvation by achieving closeness to Him.

Be mindful (of your duty) to Allah and seek means of nearness to Him, and struggle in His way, so that you may be successful .[^4] Of these avenues and means, the most effective is to seek the intercession and guidance of the Fourteen Infallibles and to obey them.[^5] The Qur`an mentions that by obeying the Messenger, one would have thereby followed Allah (SwT).[^6] The same applies when considering the family of the Prophet, the (AS), whose obedience may also be included in the category of being a valid act of servitude to Allah (SwT).[^7] By this argument, the seemingly difficult duty upon the shoulders of humans at first consideration, i.e.

the worship of Allah (SwT) through His gnosis, is made somewhat manageable by the adherence of humans to the obedience and love of the Prophet (S) and his holy family, the AS); by loving and obeying the Prophet and his family, humans are fulfilling both a Qur`anic injunction of seeking a means to the nearness of Allah (SwT), as well as correctly identifying this means as being none other than the Fourteen Infallibles.