ভূমিকা
Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Master and Mastership Appendix: Spiritual Guidance of the Imam The life and behaviour of the Holy Prophet represent the true teachings of Islam. He was both the political leader and the social head of the Muslim ummah, and in that capacity enforced in the territory of the Islamic government the laws and the rules he received from Allah through revelation. What he said or did was the law (Shari'ah). His behaviour constituted the ethical principles.
His instructions formed wise and true guidance. He not only advised the people and gave counsel to them, but also formed a model society based on justice. To ensure the prosperity of society, Islam has prescribed executive action in this world also. It does not leave the case of those who deliver a blow to the happiness of society to be dealt with in the next world only. It punishes the culprits in this world as well.
Hence leadership and governing were both an integral part of the duties of the Holy Prophet. Anyhow, as compared with other systems of government in the world, Islam has the distinction of having an eye on the other side of man's existence also.
That is why side by side with its other teachings, it exhorts the people to acquire spiritual qualities and human virtues It is humanity, spirituality and future life which have in modern human culture been consigned to oblivion, and the evil consequences of forgetting are being seen everyday. But Islam has paid special attention to these very things, and the Muslim leadership has based its philosophy on the spiritual training of mankind.
Most people are aware of the reality of their sublime human essence, because it is so fine and subtle that it can be observed by the clear-sighted only. That is why as far as the ordinary people are concerned, this verdant land of man's existence is situated so far away from their ideas that they can neither notice it nor pay attention to it, so how can they be the leaders in that field?
When man, despite the passage of so many centuries, has not yet known even 50 per cent of the physical actions and reactions of his body, how can he be expected to understand its metaphysical aspects or to lay down a program to secure that remote objective?