The Ideological Opponent to Democracy: The Doctrine of the Awaited Global Reformer

All divine religions acknowledge the supremacy of God Almighty. However, for the most part, people have always rejected it and refused to acknowledge it. There are only a few exceptions, such as the nation of Moses pbuh in the era of Saul, and the Muslims in the era of Prophet Muhammad pbuhap. However, as soon as the Prophet pbuhap passed away, they went back to rejecting the supremacy of God and acknowledging the supremacy of the people through the elections and the Saqifat Bani Saeda that displaced the successor Ali Ibn Abi Talib pbuh.16

Today, everyone pushes for the supremacy of people and elections, whether they be clerics or the general public, even though the great majority of them admit that the vicegerent of God on His earth is the man of truth. But this admission remains a weak ideology, overpowered in the internal struggle between the apparent and the hidden.

Thus, people, especially the non-practicing clerics, are living in a state of hypocrisy that keeps them awake at night and makes them falter blindly. This is because they know that God is the truth, that the supremacy of God is the truth, and that the supremacy of people is false and opposes God’s supremacy in His land. Yet they do not stand by the truth, and instead support falsehood.

These are the clerics of the End Times, the most evil clerics under the sky. Trials have emerged from them and will come back to them, just as the Messenger of God pbuhap has said about them:

15 A.H. Waterfied (Translator), Plato, The Republic (Oxford University Press, 2008).

16 Saqifah is significant for being the site of a hasty assembly of some companions of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, where they decided about the successor to the Prophet right after his death, a controversial decision that is believed to be the origin of the oldest division in Islam between the Shia and Sunni denominations–Trans.

A time shall come upon my nation when nothing from the Quran remains except for its calligraphy, and nothing from Islam remains except for its name. They are labelled by it while they are the people furthest from it. Their mosques are well-built while they are ruins of guidance. The clerics of that time are the most evil clerics under the sky. Trials have emerged from them and will come back to them (Bihar Al-Anwar [The Sea of Lights] Vol 52, 190).

It is as if they have notheard the saying of the Prince of Believers pbuh, “Do not turn away from the path of guidance just because the people who take it are few.”17 And it is as if they have notheard the saying of the Messenger pbuhap, “Islam began as something strange and it will return as something strange. Blessed are the strangers.”

By God, they have heard these sayings and understood them, but they grew fond of this world and its glamour appealed to them, so they gathered around a corpse and ate from it, exposing themselves. They were at their wits end, with no choice but to pursue the world through religion. Those claiming to be clerics of the Shia Muslims had no choice but to violate the sanctity of the Prince of Believers pbuh, and to add a fresh, new wound to his wounds and an ulcer that made his heart bleed.18 Thus the imams of misguidance, the dysfunctional clerics, have brought back the calamity of Saqifat Bani Saeda the same way it happened the first time, and paved the way for breaking the rib of Fatima Al-Zahra pbuh a second time.19 This time, however, it is being done to Imam al-Mahdi pbuh, for it is a day like the day of the Messenger of God pbuhap, and a lineage like the lineage of the Messenger of God pbuhap. Yesterday, it was Ali pbuh and his son, and today it is the Mahdi pbuh and his son. Is there a reasonable person who will save himself from the fire, escape from the grip of the Qurayshi disbelievers of this present time, and fortify himself by supporting the vicegerents of God?20

Do not let Satan (may God curse him) deceive you and cause you to sanctify the dysfunctional clerics who are waging war against God and His messenger and perverting His

17 Nahjul Balagha [Peak of Eloquence], commentary by Muhammad Abduh (Cairo: Matbaat al-Istiqamah, n.d.), Vol 2, 181; Al-Gharat [The Raids] Vol 2, 584; and Muhammad Ibn Ibrahim al-Nu'mani, Al-Ghayba [The Book of Occultation], (Qom: Nashr al-Madyan, 2005-6), 35. 18 Shia Islam is the second-largest branch of Islam. Unlike Sunni Muslims, they hold the belief that just as a prophet is appointed by God alone, only God has the prerogative to appoint the successor to his prophet–Trans. 19 Fatima al-Zahra pbuh was the closest daughter to Prophet Muhammad pbuhap and was the wife of Ali Ibn Abi Talib pbuh. She was the only child of Prophet Muhammed to have children that survived into adulthood. After Abu Bakr was elected as leader at Saqifah, Ali Ibn Abi Talib refused to give him allegiance. Abu Bakr sent a group toforce Ali to swear allegiance, and they were refused permission to enter the house by Fatima. One of them then forcefully pushed the door open, crushing Fatima against a wall. This broke her ribs, causing her to miscarry her unborn child. She died a few months later due to her injuries–Trans. 20 The Quraysh, a Meccan tribe, had strongly opposed the message of Islam and fought numerous battles against the early Muslims. With the conquest of Mecca the Qurayshi tribe converted to Islam, although those who staunchly opposed did so reluctantly–Trans.

Shariah.21 Refer their sayings and actions to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt pbut, and you will find that they are worlds apart from the Messenger and the Quran.22 You should curse them as the Messenger of God pbuhap did, and renounce them as the Messenger of God pbuhap did when he said to Ibn Masud:

O Ibn Masud, Islam began as something strange, and it will revert to being strange as it was in the beginning, so blessed are the strangers. The people from the descendants of our followers who will witness that time [of the appearance of al-Mahdi pbuh] should not associate with their communities, nor walk in their funeral processions, nor visit their sick. They will claim to be following your Sunnah and pursuing your call while their actions contradict yours, and they will die following a religion different than yours. Those people do not belong to me nor do I belong to them...

O Ibn Masud, there will come a time upon the people where a person still adhering to his religion is like one holding ember in the palm of his hand, for in that time he must either be a wolf or else be eaten by wolves. O Ibn Masud, their clerics and jurists are shameless. They are the most evil of God’s creation and so are the people whofollow them, visit them, deal with them, love them, accompany them, and counsel with them. God will enter them into Hellfire deaf, dumb, and blind, and they will not return. {We will gather them on the Day of Resurrection [fallen] on their faces-blind, dumb and deaf. Their refuge is Hell; every time it subsides We increase them in blazing fire} Quran Chapter “The Night Journey” 17:97. {Every time their skins are roasted through We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment} Quran Chapter “The Table Spread” 4:56. {When they are thrown into it, they hear from it a [dreadful] inhaling while it boils up. ✶ It almost bursts with rage...} 67:7-8. {Every time they want to get out of Hellfire from anguish, they will be returned to it, and [it will be said to them], "Taste the punishment of the Burning Fire!"} 22:22. {For them therein is heavy sighing, and they therein will nothear} 21:100.

O Ibn Masud, they claim that they follow my religion, my Sunnah, my method and my jurisprudence, but they renounce me and I renounce them.

O Ibn Masud, do not accompany them, and do not trade with them in the markets. Do not show them the way, and do not offer them water. God Almighty said:

{Whoever desires the life of this world and its adornments, We fully repay them for their deeds therein, and they will not be deprived therein} Quran Chapter

21 Sharia, Sharia Law, or Islamic Law is the religious law forming part of the Islamic tradition–Trans.

22 The word Sunnah is an Arabic word meaning "tradition" or "way." For Muslims, Sunnah often means "the way of the prophet" or “the way of God”–Trans.

“Hud” 11:15. God Almighty said, {Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter,We increase his harvest for him. And whoever desires the harvest of this world, We give him thereof, but there is no share in the Hereafter for him} Quran Chapter “The Consultation” 42:20.

O Ibn Masud, my nation will be subject to a great deal of hostility, hatred, and disputes from these people who are the most despicable among this nation in their worldly life. By the One who sent me in truth, God will make them sink into the earth and will transform them into apes and pigs.

[Ibn Masud] said, “The Messenger of God then cried, and we cried because he cried. We asked, “O Messenger of God, what makes you cry?” He pbuhap replied, “[I cry] out of mercy for the miserable ones. God Almighty says: {And if you could see when they are terrified but there is no escape, and they will be seized from a place nearby} Quran Chapter “Sheba” 34:51, [referring to the clerics and the jurists].

He pbuhap then said, “O Ibn Masud, whoever acquires knowledge seeking this world through it, and preferred the love of this world and its adornments over knowledge deserves the wrath of God, and he will be at the lowest level of hell along with the Jews and the Christians who rejected the Holy Book of God. God Almighty said,

{When there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it, so the curse of God is upon the disbelievers} Quran Chapter “The Cow” 2:89.

O Ibn Masud, God has forbidden paradise to whoever learns the Quran for the sake of this world and its adornments.

O Ibn Masud, whoever acquires knowledge and does not apply it will be brought on the Day of Resurrection blind, and whoever acquires knowledge for show and reputation, seeking this world with it, God will take away his blessings, make his life difficult, and entrust him to himself. Whoever God entrusts to their own selves perishes. God Almighty said:

{So whoever hopes for meeting his Lord should do righteous work and not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord} Quran Chapter “The Cave” 18:110.

O Ibn Masud, let your companions be the pious ones and your brothers be the pious and ascetic ones, because God Almighty said in His Book,

{Close friends that Day will be enemies to each other, except for the pious ones} Quran Chapter “The Ornaments of Gold” 43:67.

O Ibn Masud, know that they see good to be evil and evil to be good. Because of that, God put a seal on their hearts. None of them can be a witness to the truth nor can they establish justice. God Almighty said:

{Establish justice and be witnesses for God, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives} Quran Chapter “The Women” 4:135.

O Ibn Masud, they claim merit for their ancestry and wealth....”23

This is the state of those dysfunctional clerics according to the Messenger of God pbuhap, because they claim to be Muslims and Shia but at the same time they approve of the displacement of Ali pbuh and treat him unjustly. May God’s curse be upon every misguided and misguiding person who appointed himself as a leader for the people, an idol and god to be worshipped instead of God.

What is important for the general public is to avoid following the dysfunctional clerics because they approve of the supremacy of people, elections, and democracy that America (the greatest Antichrist) has brought forward. The people should acknowledge the supremacy of God and follow Imam al-Mahdi pbuh. Otherwise, what will people say to their prophets and Imams? Is it hidden from anyone that all divine religions acknowledge the supremacy of God and reject the supremacy of people? There is no excuse for anyone tofollow these clerics since they have gone against the Quran, the Messenger and Ahl al-Bayt pbut, and distorted the jurisprudence of God Almighty.

These are the clerics of the End Times who will wage war against Imam al-Mahdi pbuh. Is there an excuse left for any of their followers, after they have followed Satan (may God curse him) and advocated for the supremacy of people, even though all divine religions acknowledge the supremacy of God Almighty?! The Jews await Elijah pbuh, the Christians await Jesus pbuh and the Muslims await the Mahdi pbuh. Will the Jews then say to Elijah, “Go back, we have elections and democracy, which are better than the divine appointment”?! And will the Christians say to Jesus pbuh, “O you, the ascetic who rides a donkey, wears wool and eats so little, go back. We have elected presidents who enjoy this worldly life in all possible ways from what is allowed and what is prohibited, and they suit our wishes and desires”?

Will the Muslims, especially the Shia, say to Imam al-Mahdi pbuh, “Go back, son of Fatima, our clerics have found the best solution: democracy and elections”?! Will the ones who imitate the clerics of End Times say to Imam al-Mahdi pbuh, “Our clerics found that the truth resides with the Shura, the Saqifa, and elections.”?!24

23 Sheikh Ali Al-Yazdi Al-Haeri Ilzaam al-Naasib [Binding the Enemy (of Ahl al-Bayt)] (Najaf: Dar Al-Numan, 1971) Vol 2, 151-52. 24 Shura here is a reference to the same event that happened at Saqifa. The word translates as “council”. In Islam it is recommended that all decisions be made in consultation with others, unless it is a matter in

Will they eventually say that the people at the Saqifa were right, and that the Prince of Believers Abi Talib pbuh is a fanatic?! What will they say? How will they solve this contradiction they have stepped into?!

I will not say to these clerics-and I name them as such based on the prevailing opinion about them, for I do not consider them clerics-anything other than what the simple Iraqi person would say “is it religion or a mockery?”, for you have made it a true mockery.

We, the Shia, reject Umar bin al-Khattab because he advocated the Shura and elections, and you, the clerics of the End Times, are acknowledging the elections.

So what has changed?!25

Anyway, the current Torah and the current Gospel both acknowledge the supremacy of God on His earth and not the supremacy of people, and both are divine books that represent irrefutable evidence for Jews and Christians. The Western theorists of democracy have worked hard to refute the texts that acknowledge the supremacy of God within the Torah. Some of these theorists even claimed that distortion of the texts was rather likely, as Baruch Spinoza did in his “Theologico-Political Treatise” in an attempt to dispose of the texts which confirm the supremacy of God on His earth and reject the supremacy of people.26

The Quran, however, acknowledges the supremacy of God and rejects the supremacy of people from beginning to end. We are not interested in the faulty understanding of those who seek to distort the words of God as they please in order to defend a certain person or a certain belief of that person. That person is corrupt and his belief is false, and the corruption is clear and can be recognized without much effort.

Let us go through the verses that support the supremacy of God on His earth:

1. {Say, "O God, Owner of sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humiliate whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent} Quran, Chapter “The Family of Imran” 3:26.

This verse is clear evidence that sovereignty belongs to God. He, the Almighty, appoints whomever He wills as His vicegerent. The Almighty said:

which God has ordained something. We believe that, while it meritorious to conduct a Shura for worldly affairs, the matter of selection of a leader for a nation is up to God and not the people‒Trans. 25 Umar bin al-Khattab played a vital role in nominating Abu Bakr at Saqifah to succeed Prophet Muhammed pbuhap. After Abu Bakr’s short reign, Umar succeeded him–Trans. 26 Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise was published posthumously anonymously in 1670. Spinoza was a Dutch philosopher–Trans.

{I am making a vicegerent on the earth} Quran Chapter “The Cow” 2:30.

Given the above verse, no one is entitled to be appointed or elected king or ruler except the one appointed by God Almighty. God grants this divine sovereignty or supremacy to whomever He wishes. However, the king appointed by God might not necessarily rule in reality, for he might be overpowered and removed from the helm of governance. Throughout the history of mankind, this has always happened. Abraham pbuh did not rule but rather, Nimrod (may God curse him) did. Moses pbuh did not rule either but rather, Pharaoh (may God curse him) did. Al-Hussain pbuh did not rule, rather, Yazid (may God curse him) did, and so on. God Almighty said:

{Or do they envy the people for what God has given them out of His bounty? We gave the Book and wisdom to the children of Abraham, and We gave them great sovereignty} Quran Chapter “The Women” 4:54.

Therefore, although the children of Abraham pbut have always been granted sovereignty and divine supremacy, they have been oppressed, subdued, and eliminated from the helm of governance, and it has been taken over by the oppressors. The obligation upon all people is to enable the vicegerent of God on His earth to be at the helm of leadership. If they do not, they waste this opportunity, and anger their Lord.

Imam al-Sadiq pbuh said, “Do you not see that when God said {it was not up to you to plant its trees}, He is saying that it is not up to you to appoint a leader (Imam) yourselves and claim thathe is righteous by your own desires and wishes?”

Imam al-Sadiq pbuh then said, “There are three people whom God will not speak to or look at on the Day of Resurrection; He will not purify them and they will suffer a painful torment. They are: one who planted a tree that God did not plant, meaning one who appointed a leader (imam) that God did not appoint; and one who rejects the person whom God had appointed... ”27

2. The story of Saul: {Have you not seen the eminences of the Children of Israel after Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs, "Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of God”?} Quran Chapter “The Cow” 2:246.

These believing and righteous people from the Children of Israel believed in the supremacy of God, and did not appoint anyone. Instead, they asked God to appoint a king for them. This is

27 Abu Mohammed al-Hasan Ibn Ali, Tuhaf al-Uqul [Masterpieces of the Mind] (Qom: Ali Akbar Ghaffari Publication,1983), 327, and Al-Majlisi, Bihar al-Anwar [The Oceans of Light] (Beirut: Dar Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, 1983), Vol 63, 276.

the greatest evidence that the divine law in all divine religions acknowledges that the ruler is appointed by God, and not by the people through elections.

3. I am making a vicegerent on the earth {And when your Lord said to the angels: “I am making a vicegerent on the earth”} Quran Chapter “The Cow” 2:30.

The vicegerent of God must be the ruler on earth, and the first vicegerent was Adam pbuh. There is a vicegerent of God on His earth during each time period. In the present time period, the vicegerent of God is the Mahdi pbuh. Thus the people must empower him to rule, because he is the one appointed by God Almighty, and he should not be opposed by elections and democracy.

4. The Almighty said: {And whoever does not judge by what God has revealed, then it is those who are the disbelievers} Quran Chapter “The Table Spread” 5:44. The Almighty also said: {And whoever does not judge by what God has revealed, then it is those who are the oppressors} Quran Chapter “The Table Spread” 5:45. And the Almighty also said: {And whoever does not judge by what God has revealed, then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient} Quran Chapter “The Table Spread” 5:47.

Obviously, the ruler will face new problems in every era, and will need special direction and knowledge from God regarding new developments through which he can learn His ruling. How could someone other than the vicegerent of God “judge by what God has revealed”? It is certain that no one can judge by what God has revealed except the vicegerent of God.

The evidence refuting the supremacy of people and the elections is abundant. Here is an example for whoever has presence of mind and listens.