ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imamate and Leadership The Imamate and Inner Guidance of Man ( 157 ) Lesson Seventeen One of the functions and attributes of the Imamate (imamah) is to extend inner guidance to man.

this is something different from outer guidance in matters of law and the shari'ah; it is a distinct and lofty station bestowed by God on a select and precious few among His creation men who themselves strongly drawn and attracted to God and fully aware of all the variations of human behavior and the various degrees of faith and knowledge people possess can influence their thoughts and inner beings.

They illumine the hearts of the ummah with inner knowledge and aid them in the refinement of their souls and their inward journeying always bearing in mind the great multiplicity to which they are subject. It then becomes incumbent on men to follow them and to align themselves with the guidance they provide thus guarding themselves against falling into the pit of instinctual desires and corrupt longings.

Some of the great prophets after their determination and steadfastness had been duly tested and their spiritual strength had been fully proven and they had attained the stage of total certainty gained this station of inner guidance with which we are concerned.

Likewise it can be deduced from numerous verses of the Qur'an that the Inerrant Imam (Iman al-ma'sum) who is situated at the highest rank of spiritual life is also entrusted with the task of inner guidance for he is a channel of divine grace which comes to him inwardly from the suprasensible ( 158 ) realm.

The Glorious Qur'an specifies certain conditions for the office of Imamate: "We have chosen from among them Imams who at Our command shall guide men to the right path for they are patient and steadfast and have certain knowledge of Our signs." (32:24) What is meant here by guidance is inner guidance not legal guidance for to guide others in an outward sense by exhorting them to follow the truth is a duty for everyone according to the command of the shari'ah and fulfilling it is not contingent on being an Imam patient and steadfast or having certain knowledge of God's signs nor is it necessary to traverse different stages and degrees in order to perform it.