Islam Guidance

THE IMAMS;THE TRUTH OF THE RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS DUTIES

THE IMAMS;THE TRUTH OF THE RELIGION AND RELIGIOUS DUTIES
Many Hadiths testify that the purpose of prayer, fasting, Hajj, almsgiving, and the other acts of worship mentioned in the Holy Quran is the Imams (a.s) as interpreted by the exegetes of the Holy Quran:
Dawud ibn Kathir quotes Imam Sadiq (a.s) as saying: يا داوُدُ، نحنُ الصّلاةُ في كِتابِ اللهِ ونحنُ الزّكاةُ ونحنُ الصّيامُ ونحنُ الحَجُّ ونحنُ الشّهرُ الحَرامُ ونحنُ البَلدُ الحَرامُ ونحنُ كَعبَةُ اللهِ ونحنُ قِبلَةُ اللهِ ونحنُ وَجهُ اللهِ - قَالَ تعَالى: فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللهِ ? ونحنُ الآياتُ ونحنُ البَيّناتُ.

O Dawud, we are (the purpose of) the prayer in the Book of Allah, we are the (meaning of) almsgiving, fasting, Hajj, Sacred Month, the Sacred City, the Kaaba, Kiblah, and the Face of lah Who says: ?Whither you turn, thither is Allah's Face. (The Holy Quran; 2:115)? We are the clear signs of Allah.1
Al-Mufazzal ibn Umar quotes Imam Sadiq (a.s) as saying: ثُمّ إِني أُخبِرُكَ أنَّ الدّينَ وأَصلَ الدّينِ هُو رَجُلٌ؛ وذلِك الرّجُلُ هو اليَقينُ والإيمانُ وهو إِمامُ أُمَّتِهِ أو أهْلُ زَمانِهِ فَمن عَرِفَهُ عَرِفَ اللهَ ودِينَهُ ومَنْ أَنكَرَهُ أَنكَرَ اللهَ ودينَهُ ومَن
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1 See Mir'aat ul-Anwaar

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جَهِلهُ جهِلَ اللهَ ودينَهُ ولا يُعرَفُ اللهُ ودينُهُ وحُدودُهُ وشَرائعُهُ بغَيرِ ذلِك الإمامِ فَذلِك معنى أَنّ معرِفَةَ الرّجالِ دينُ اللهِ... - الى أن قال عليه السلام - وأُخبرُكَ أَنّي لو قُلتُ أنّ الصّلاةَ والزكَاةَ وصومَ شهرِ رَمَضانَ والحَجَّ والعُمرةَ والمسجِدَ الحَرامَ والبيتَ الحرامَ والطّهورَ والإغتِسالَ مِن الجَنابةِ وكُلَّ فريضَةٍ كان ذلِك هو النبيَّ الذي جَاء به مِن عندِ ربِّهِ لَصَدقْتُ لأنّ ذلك كُلّهُ إنمَا يُعرَفُ بالنّبيِّ ولولا معرِفةُ ذلِك النبيِّ والإيمانُ بهِ والتّسليمُ له ما عُرفَ ذلِك. فهذا كلّهُ ذلِك النبيُّ.
?Let me inform you that the religion and the root of the religion is a man; a man of faith and certainty. He is the same Imam of the ummah and the Imam of his time. Whoever knows him has known Allah and the religion of Allah, whoever denies him has denied Allah and His religion, and whoever keeps ignorant of him has kept ignorant of Allah and His religion. Except through that Imam, no one can understand Allah, His religion, and the religious laws. This is the meaning of 'the religion of Allah is the cognition of men.' ?I inform you that I have told the truth if I say that the prayer, almsgiving, fasting, Hajj, the Sacred Mosque, the House of Allah, ablution, ritual washing, and all the religious duties are the same prophet who has brought all these precepts from Allah. Getting to know these religious duties is the only way for getting to know the Prophet. If you cannot get to know, believe in, and submit to the Prophet, you cannot get to know the truths. Therefore, the purpose of all these truths is the prophet.?1

THE IMAM IS THE CRITERION OF THE BELIEF, ETHICS,
AND DEEDS
The criterion of the truth of man's belief, ethics, and deeds in the world and the Hereafter is the Imam. Sheikh as-Saduq quotes Husham ibn Salim as saying: سَأَلتُ أبا عبدِاللهِ عليهِ السلامُ عَن قولِ اللهِ تعَالى: "وَنَضَعُ المَوازِينَ القِسْطَ لِيَومِ القِيامَةِ فَلا تُظلَمُ نَفسٌ شَيئاً." قال: هُمُ الأنبياءُ والأوصِياءُ. ?وفي رواية أخرى عنهم عليهم السلام: - نحْنُ المَوازينُ القِسطُ.
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1 See Mir'aat ul-Anwaar; the introduction, p. 13

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I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about the meaning of the Quranic Verse, 'And We will set up a balance on the Day of Resurrection; so, no soul shall be dealt with unjustly in the least. (21:47).' He (a.s) answered: ?They are the prophets and their successors. -According to another narration related to the Imams (a.s):- ?We are the balance of justice.?1

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