ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Role of the in Building the Virtuous Community Book Three: The General System of the Virtuous Community Chapter 3: Relationships 1. Relationship between the Virtuous Community and the Religious Referential Authority 2. Internal Relations of the Virtuous Community 3.

External Relations with Other Communities Relationship between the Virtuous Community and the Religious Referential Authority The relationship between the individuals of the virtuous community and the religious referential authority is the basic organizational bond that takes charge of the affairs of these individuals because the religious authority represents the pivot while the individuals represent the foundation of this system.

The features of this relationship can be summarized in the following points: (1) The representative of religious and political loyalty—the purport of the relationship in the system of the virtuous community—is the righteous individual with all his general and perfective qualities, exhibiting decency, experience, courage, and the basic feature, reason, which leads to the capability of deducing religious laws from their sources.

This is a point that differentiates the religious referential authority from the Prophet or an Imam. A Prophet or Imam is designated by name for his office, while a religious referential authority is designated by specifications and qualifications.

This loyalty takes several forms at various levels: at the level of feelings like love, affection, and veneration; at the level of behavior and social conduct, such as respect and reverence; at the level of commitment and obligation, such as allegiance and covenant; or at the level of performance and practical conduct, including obeisance, compliance, support, listening to instructions, and submitting to commands.

In order to thrash out this topic, we have to refer to the fact that a religious referential authority can be a referential authority in the issuance of verdicts and the explication of religious duties; in adjudication and making judgments among disputant parties; or in management, social and political affairs where his orders must be carried out and his administration accepted.

All these responsibilities can be contained in one referential authority provided that he is qualified enough and able to undertake all of them.