Question 275 - The Enlightening Answer Across the Ether, Vol 3

Supporters Response:

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Intensely Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send His prayers upon Muhammad and his family, the Imams and the Mahdis, and grant them abundant peace. To proceed … Regarding the narrations that designate and confirm that Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan is the successor and messenger of Imam al-Mahdi (a), you will find them on the website of the Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (a), www.mahdyoon.org. I mention in particular the book The Will and the Successor Ahmad al-Hasan, the book The Yamani Is Allah’s Proof, the book A Brief Account of the Call of Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan, and many others. As for the jurisprudential books, two parts of the book The Laws of Islam have been issued. They are the actual rulings from Imam al-Mahdi (a) through Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan. It is not permissible to follow any person other than the infallible one or someone appointed directly by him. As for arguing against the Sunnis and proving the right of the Commander of the Believers (a), Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan has written about this in some of his books. He also issued the book The Sovereignty of Allah, Not the Sovereignty of the People. Some books on this subject will be issued by the Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (a), Allah Most High willing. For now, I will mention some of what Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan wrote. It is this divine law for recognizing the Proof in every age. I ask Allah to grant you success in supporting the family of Muhammad (s): An illumination from the book Illuminations from the Calls of the Messengers, volume 3, part 2: “… ‘Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for a time’ (^[151]). ‘Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs, but you continued to be in doubt about what he brought you. Then, when he died, you said, “Allah will never send a messenger after him.” Thus does Allah lead astray one who is excessive and doubtful’ (^[152]). The signs that accompanied Joseph (a), by Allah’s permission, were not a staff that turned into a serpent, a hand that shone with light, or a sea that split. Rather, they were a shirt that disclosed Joseph’s right, and divine granting of success and right direction along Joseph’s path (a). Who, and how many, see that the shirt that was torn-indeed, the particular way it was torn-was a sign? Where are those who see Allah’s granting Joseph (a) success and right direction so that they may know he was sent by Allah, Glorious is He? Those signs accompanied Joseph and were seen by those who accompanied Joseph’s course (a), but they did not see them as signs. They decided, ‘after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for a time’ (^[153]). From Abu Jafar (a), concerning His statement, ‘Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for a time’: ‘The signs were the child’s testimony, the shirt torn from behind, and their racing to the door until he heard her struggling with him at the door. When he disobeyed her, she continued pressing her husband until he imprisoned him. “Two young men entered the prison with him”-meaning two servants of the king, one a baker and the other the cupbearer. The one who lied and did not see the dream was the baker’ (^[154]). These signs were not everything that accompanied Joseph’s call and course (a). Rather, Joseph (a) brought what all the sent prophets (a) brought as evidence of the divine call with which they were charged. He was not an exception among the messengers or to their one path of demonstrating their messages: ‘Say, “I am not an innovation among the messengers”’ (^[155]). Their clear path is the testament or designation, knowledge and wisdom, and the banner of allegiance to Allah-or sovereignty belongs to Allah, or Allah’s governance. Joseph (a) brought these three clear signs: ‘Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs’ (^[156]). Before we learn how, when, and where Joseph (a) brought them, we need to know what these three matters represent in the course of the divine call generally. The Exalted said: ‘Do you not see that Allah has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and has lavished upon you His blessings, outward and inward? Yet among the people is one who disputes concerning Allah without knowledge, guidance, or an illuminating Book. And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down,” they say, “Rather, we follow what we found our fathers following.” Even if Satan were calling them to the punishment of the Blaze? Whoever submits his face to Allah while doing good has grasped the firmest handhold, and to Allah is the outcome of all matters’ (^[157]). The call of truth cannot exist alone, without false calls opposing it. From the first day on which a prophet made a testament concerning the one after him by the command of Allah, Glorious is He, we find a false claimant opposing the call of truth. Adam (a), the first of Allah’s prophets to be sent, made a testament concerning Abel (a), while Cain opposed the call of truth and claimed the right of succession. Even the offering that was the decisive criterion in identifying Adam’s successor (a) was not accepted by Cain as a sign indicating Abel, Adam’s successor. Cain proceeded to threaten Abel, the successor, and then killed him without hesitation or fear of Allah, Glorious is He: ‘Recite to them in truth the account of Adam’s two sons, when each offered an offering and it was accepted from one of them but not accepted from the other. He said, “I will surely kill you.” He said, “Allah accepts only from the God-fearing. If you stretch out your hand against me to kill me, I will not stretch out my hand against you to kill you. Indeed, I fear Allah, Lord of the worlds. I desire that you bear my sin and your sin and so become among the companions of the Fire; that is the recompense of the wrongdoers.” Then his soul made the killing of his brother seem easy to him, so he killed him and became among the losers’ (^[158]). This also happened to Joseph (a) when his brothers envied him. Indeed, it happened to all the successors (a). Just as Allah, Glorious and Exalted, chooses His messengers, Iblis-may Allah curse him-chooses from his soldiers those who oppose the call of truth. Allah, Glorious and Exalted, chose Abel (a), while Iblis-may Allah curse him-chose Cain to oppose Allah’s caller. Allah chose Muhammad (s), while Iblis chose Musaylimah, Sajah, al-Aswad, and others to oppose Muhammad (s), the caller to truth. Here I pose the question: Is one who abandoned following Muhammad (s) excused on the pretext that more than one call existed in the arena and that he could not distinguish the truthful claimant from the false one?! The truth is that he is not excused, and his destination is Hell, exactly like those who followed people who falsely and fraudulently claimed prophethood or messengership. Then did Allah, Glorious and Exalted, establish a law by which the caller to truth in every age may be recognized-he who is Allah’s proof over His servants and Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth; obeying him is obeying Allah and disobeying him is disobeying Allah; believing in him and submitting to him are believing in Allah and submitting to Allah, while disbelieving in him and turning away from him are disbelieving in Allah and turning away from Allah? Or did Allah leave matters unrestrained-far be that from Him, Glorious and Exalted-when He is the Absolute Wise One who measured everything and measured it excellently? ‘Everything with Him is by measure’ (^[159]). He is ‘Knower of the unseen; not even the weight of a particle in the heavens or the earth escapes Him, nor anything smaller or greater than that, except that it is in a clear Book’ (^[160]). The result, then, is that divine wisdom requires the establishment of a law for recognizing Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth in every age. This law must have been established from the first day on which Allah, Glorious is He, placed a vicegerent of His upon His earth. It cannot be that this law first arose in one of the heavenly messages later than the first day on which morally responsible beings existed. At the very least, what is certain to everyone is that Iblis existed as a morally responsible being from the first day. The morally responsible being needs this law to recognize the possessor of divine right; otherwise, he will excuse himself for not following the possessor of divine right by saying that he was unable to distinguish and that he had no divine law for recognizing this vicegerent appointed by Allah, Glorious and Exalted. What is certain to everyone about the history of the first day on which Allah placed a vicegerent of His upon His earth is: 1. Allah designated Adam and declared that he was His vicegerent upon His earth in the presence of the angels (a) and Iblis. 2. After Allah created Adam (a), He taught him all the names. 3. Then Allah commanded those who worshipped Him at that time-the angels and Iblis-to prostrate to Adam. The Exalted said: ‘When your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I am placing a vicegerent upon the earth,” they said, “Will You place upon it one who spreads corruption and sheds blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?” He said, “Indeed, I know what you do not know”’ (^[161]). ‘He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels and said, “Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful”’ (^[162]). ‘When I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My spirit, fall down before him in prostration’ (^[163]). ‘When We said to the angels, “Prostrate to Adam,” they prostrated except Iblis. He was among the jinn and departed from his Lord’s command. Will you then take him and his progeny as allies instead of Me while they are enemies to you? Wretched is the exchange for the wrongdoers’ (^[164]). These three matters are the law of Allah, Glorious and Exalted, for recognizing the proof over the people and Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth. Allah, Glorious and Exalted, established these three matters as a law for recognizing His vicegerent from the first day, and this divine custom will continue until this world ends and the Hour rises. ‘The custom of Allah concerning those who passed before; and you will never find any change in Allah’s custom’ (^[165]). ‘The custom of Allah that passed before; and you will never find any change in Allah’s custom’ (^[166]). It is also quite simple: any person who owns a factory, farm, ship, or anything else in which laborers work for him must appoint from among them a person to head them, and he must designate him by name, otherwise chaos will prevail. That person must also be the most knowledgeable and best of them, and the owner must command them to obey him so that he may achieve what he hopes for. If this person falls short in any of these three matters, he departs from wisdom into foolishness. How, then, can people deem it possible for Allah to omit any of these three matters when He is the Absolute Wise One?! If we consider this divine law in some detail, we find that the divine designation of Adam (a) became the testament because of the existence of the previous vicegerent. By the command of Allah, Glorious and Exalted, he designates the one after him. This is among his duties as Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth. The Exalted said: ‘Indeed, Allah commands you to deliver trusts to their rightful recipients’ (^[167]). As for Allah, Glorious is He, teaching Adam the names, what is intended is his knowledge of the reality of the divine names, his embodiment of them, and their manifestation in him, so that he might be Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth. Adam (a) informed the angels of their names-that is, he made known to them the reality of the divine names from which they were created. Allah, Glorious is He, made Adam know all the divine names according to his station (a), while each angel knew only the name or names from which he was created. Through this, Adam’s authority over them (a) was established by knowledge and wisdom. The third matter in this divine law is Allah, Glorious and Exalted, commanding the angels and Iblis to prostrate to Adam. This command was like a practical exercise for the vicegerent so that he might carry out his role as the one entrusted with succession, and a practical exercise for the workers of Allah, Glorious is He-the angels-so that they might carry out their role as workers and learners under this vicegerent, Adam (a). This command established that Allah’s governance and Allah’s sovereignty upon His earth are realized through obedience to Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth. Thus all the messengers, including Muhammad (s), bore this banner: allegiance belongs to Allah, Allah’s governance, or sovereignty belongs to Allah. They confronted those who affirmed the governance of the people and did not accept the governance and sovereignty of Allah, Glorious and Exalted. They were always accused because of this demand and confrontation. It was said of Jesus (a) that he came only to seek the sovereignty of the children of Israel. It was said of Muhammad (s): ‘There is no Garden and no Fire; rather, it is sovereignty’ (^[168])-that is, Muhammad came to seek sovereignty for himself and his household. It was said of Ali (a) that he was eager for sovereignty. The truth is that whoever followed the circumstances of Jesus, Muhammad (s), or Ali (a) finds that they turned away from this world, its adornments, and the wealth or standing it contains. But this is Allah’s command to them: that they demand His sovereignty, Glorious and Exalted. They knew that the people would not hand sovereignty over to them, but would instead subject them to ridicule, mockery, violation, and attempts at killing or imprisonment. Thus, an effigy of Jesus (a) was made to wear a crown of thorns while they mocked him before his crucifixion. The door of Ali’s house (a) was broken, the rib of his wife al-Zahra (a) was broken, and he was dragged from his house while swords were drawn before his face. Musa ibn Jafar (a), who defined Fadak as sovereignty and Allah’s succession upon His earth (^[169]), was imprisoned until death. Despite this, many of the ignorant made what was ambiguous to them in the rightful possessor’s demand for the sovereignty of Allah, Glorious and Exalted, an excuse for their fall. They cry in the face of the possessor of divine right that he came only to seek sovereignty. The truth is that if Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth sought this world or sovereignty, he would not have demanded it at all, knowing that this demand would inevitably cause the violation of his sanctity, mockery of him, and his being maligned as one who seeks this world. Instead, he would have taken another path that all people know but disregard: the path of all those who attained worldly sovereignty through deception, falsification, killing, and terror. Ali (a) demands sovereignty and says, ‘I am Muhammad’s successor and Allah’s vicegerent upon His earth.’ In contrast, the one who attained worldly sovereignty, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhafah, says, ‘Release me, for I am not the best of you’ (^[170]). Was Ali, then, seeking this world, or was Ibn Abi Quhafah detached from worldly sovereignty, when he denied the successor’s right (a) and disavowed the will of the Messenger of Allah (s) for the sake of worldly sovereignty?! What is the matter with you? How do you judge?! Every successor (a), in particular, brought the testament and emphasized it. Even in the most difficult circumstances, we find al-Husayn (a) in Karbala saying to them: Search the earth and you will find no one nearer to Muhammad (s) than I am-I am Muhammad’s only grandson upon this earth (^[171]). Here he emphasized the testament and divine designation: ‘Descendants, one from another; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing’ (^[172]). Those who understand this verse know that al-Husayn (a) meant that successorship was confined to him, because he was the only one of this appointed progeny. Now we return to Joseph and find: 1. The testament: In Jacob’s words to Joseph (a): ‘Thus your Lord will choose you, teach you the interpretation of events, and complete His blessing upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your forefathers Abraham and Isaac before. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing, Wise’ (^[173]). Jacob thus explains with complete clarity that Joseph (a) is his successor and an extension of Abraham’s call (a). And in Joseph’s words (a): ‘I have followed the creed of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. That is from Allah’s favor upon us and upon the people, but most people do not give thanks’ (^[174]). Joseph (a) confirms his affiliation with the prophets and that he is the natural line continuing their call. 2. Knowledge: In his words: ‘No food with which you are provided will come to you without my informing you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord taught me. Indeed, I have left the creed of a people who do not believe in Allah and who disbelieve in the Hereafter’ (^[175]). And in his words: ‘… You will sow diligently for seven years. Leave what you reap in its ears, except a little from which you eat. Then after that will come seven difficult years that will consume what you stored for them, except a little of what you preserve. Then after that will come a year in which the people will be given rain and in which they will press’ (^[176]). And in his words: ‘He said, “Place me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I am a knowing guardian”’ (^[177]). 3. Allegiance belongs to Allah: In his words: ‘O my two companions in prison, are separate lords better, or Allah, the One, the Subduer? What you worship besides Him are only names that you and your fathers have named, for which Allah has sent down no authority. Judgment belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know’ (^[178]).” Here ends the statement of Sayyed Ahmad al-Hasan. The Scientific Committee Supporters of Imam al-Mahdi (may Allah establish him upon the earth) Sheikh Nazim al-Uqayli