Spiritual Guidance of the Imam

Martyr Ayatullah Murtada Mutahhari
The life and behaviour of the Holy Prophet represent the true teachings of Islam. He was both the political leader and the social head of the Muslim ummah, and in that capacity enforced in the territory of the Islamic government the laws and the rules he received from Allah through revelation. What he said or did was the law (Shari\'ah). His behaviour constituted the ethical principles. His instructions formed wise and true guidance. He not only advised the people and gave counsel to them, but also formed a model society based on justice.
To ensure the prosperity of society, Islam has prescribed executive action in this world also. It does not leave the case of those who deliver a blow to the happiness of society to be dealt with in the next world only. It punishes the culprits in this world as well. Hence leadership and governing were both an integral part of the duties of the Holy Prophet.
Anyhow, as compared with other systems of government in the world, Islam has the distinction of having an eye on the other side of man\'s existence also. That is why side by side with its other teachings, it exhorts the people to acquire spiritual qualities and human virtues
It is humanity, spirituality and future life which have in modern human culture been consigned to oblivion, and the evil consequences of forgetting are being seen everyday. But Islam has paid special attention to these very things, and the Muslim leadership has based its philosophy on the spiritual training of mankind.
Most people are aware of the reality of their sublime human essence, because it is so fine and subtle that it can be observed by the clear-sighted only. That is why as far as the ordinary people are concerned, this verdant land of man\'s existence is situated so far away from their ideas that they can neither notice it nor pay attention to it, so how can they be the leaders in that field?
When man, despite the passage of so many centuries, has not yet known even 50 per cent of the physical actions and reactions of his body, how can he be expected to understand its metaphysical aspects or to lay down a programme to secure that remote objective?
Hence there can be no denying the fact that there should be a leader the essence of whose existence may have a link with the metaphysical world, and who may be conversant enough with its intricate ways to be able to lead mankind, for he, who himself does not know the way, cannot be a guide.
Nevertheless, will it be proper to make no effort to know the destiny of man or to overlook his spiritual genius and his sublime essence?
Can we take him to be a beast living in the world of appetite, sleep, passion and sex, and leave him to wriggle like a worm to meet his animal desires only?
Obviously that will not be in conformity with the high status of man.
Man has his special spiritual and celestial needs. Allah has put a special genius in his nature. He is the master-piece of creation and the bright star of the creative world. It is his duty to reach the inaccessible heights and from there shed light and energy everywhere like the sun.
Man is not a forlorn being in the creative system. Though he is a small speck, he is illuminated with Divine Light. Allah has chosen him out of all His creatures for His special favour.
We see the signs of this favour throughout the long history of mankind. It is because of Allah\'s Grace and Favour to man that He sent His Prophets to guide him and lead his turbulent soul to salvation and eminence.
The Qur\'an in numerous verses has referred to this truth. For instance, Prophet Ibrahim praying to Allah says \"Our Lord! Raise up in their midst a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Your revelations, shall instruct them in the Book and in the wisdom and purify them. Indeed You are the Mighty, the Wise\". (Surah al-Baqarah, 2 129)
This verse shows that apart from knowledge, wisdom and guidance, the purification of soul, viz. spiritual training, is an essential part of the prophetic mission.
In the School of the Holy Prophet a number of people acquired this special training and made a marvellous and dazzling progress. Salman Farsi, Abuzar Ghifari, Miqdad bin al-Aswad, Ammar bin al-Yasir, Maytham al-Tammar, Uwais al-Qarani and many more were among this distinguished group.
Their very existence was a source of purity and uprightness. They were purged of all that was evil. They wanted nothing but Allah and saw nothing but Him. Allah alone ruled their soul, their heart and their body. Their entire existence was dominated by Him alone (i.e. they bowed down before none but Allah).
For this reason each of them was an example of a spiritually developed man and each of them rendered a great service to the cause of human dignity and the elavation of his society.
Hence moral virtue and spiritual purification are not a superfluous thing nor a matter of mere formality so that we may attend to them at our leisure and when we have settled all other affairs of our life. In fact, virtue is the builder of life, a part of it, and even much more important than life itself. By the testimony of reason and consciousness the high qualities of moral virtue and spiritual purity are so great that under their patronage man can pass from mere appearance to the reality of his human truth and, so to say, can see what is invisible.

Evidence of the Qur\'an in regard to the Spiritual Life of Man
The Holy Qur\'an says: \"We will grant a blessed happy life to a believer, whether male or female who is virtuous, and will repay such people according to their deeds\" (Surah al-Nahl, 16:97) \"O you who believe! Respond to Allah and the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you (virtuous) life\". (Surah al-Anfal, 8 24)
Evidently the life mentioned in the above verses is different from the ordinary life. It can be no life other than the spiritual life which is true human life and which can be obtained only through good conduct and spiritual purification.[These verses should not be interpreted allegorically. They indicate that a fresh and a pure life will actually be granted to the believers having a befitting character. As the most conspicuous signs of real life are understanding, consciousness, power and energy, we may infer that some believers will have such knowledge and power as others do not have. We have reproduced the view expressed by Allamah Tabatabai in his valuable exegesis, al-Mizan. For further explanation a reference may be made to it].

How does Spiritual Life Come into Existence
Like all other phenomena, the emergence of spiritual life also requires the fulfilment of certain conditions. It is the outcome of man\'s own behaviour and actions, but naturally his behaviour and action must be in conformity with the true Divine teachings. There exist complete concord and harmony between the commands of Allah, terminologically known as Shari\'ah and the realities of the world of creation and the realm of existence. Since because of the inadequacy of our intellectual faculties we are unaware of the realities of the world and the advantages and disadvantages of all that happens, we do not know what is conducive to a spiritual life. But the Imam, like a wise and affectionate teacher, reveals these sublime realities to us and tells us what is to our advantage so that we may succeed in attaining a spiritual life.
The Islamic teachings and instructions consist of the realities which may not be ordinarily grasped by us. In order to infuse spiritual life into us and to ensure our everlasting happiness, Allah has made an arrangement to explain them through the Holy Prophet and his rightful and infallible successors.
Now if we obey the Divine commands, we shall attain salvation; otherwise we shall suffer a great loss. In this respect we are just like a child given under the tutelage of a tutor. The child receives his orders and does what he is required to do without any argument even if he does not understand the advantage of doing that. Anyhow, after completing his education, he will pass a happy life as a result of the moral virtues and good habits inculcated in him. But if he disobeyed the orders of his tutor, he would realize later how much loss he had incurred.

Guide to Spiritual Life
There is no doubt that a guide is needed for the attainment and the development of spiritual life. Now let us see who is fit to undertake the task of such a guidance.
Naturally this task cannot be performed by an ordinary man. The guide must be a person whose speech is dependable, who is infallible, and who himself stands on the pinnacle of spiritual life.
As we know, Allah does not entrust the duty of guiding others to anyone unless He Himself has guided him fully.
The Qur\'an says: \"Is He who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed, or he who does not guide unless he himself is guided\" (Surah Yunus, 10:35 )
A guide to spiritual life or the Imam must possess special qualities, because the function of Imamate is not ordinary guidance, which is the duty of every Muslim and is not confined to the Imam.
In the case of the Imam guidance means \'guidance by behest\'. Those who have not attained spiritual life and to whom the realities of the world have not been revealed, cannot undertake such guidance.
A study of those verses of the Qur\'an in which there is a mention of Imamate will show that in most cases the mention of Imamate has been followed by that of \'guidance by behest\' as an explanation of the meaning of Imamate.

What is Guidance by Behest
The Imam besides giving instructions in Islamic law and guiding the people on the exoteric side of Islam, holds the responsibility of esoteric guidance also and has been given a special power and authority for the purpose.
In an esoteric way he leads to perfection those who have the required capacity and qualifications.
As this guidance is carried out on the basis of spiritual blessing and esoteric status, it is called \'guidance by behest\'.
To be the esoteric guide is such a superior status that the great Prophets reached it after they had been appointed a Prophet. Accordingly Prophet Ibrahim was raised by Allah to the status of esoteric guidance after he had been appointed a Prophet.
Allah said \"Surely I appoint you an Imam for mankind\". (Surah al-Baqarah, 2 124).
As the Imam reaches the status of Walayat (special authority) and guidance by behest, he can apply himself to the tasks which from the viewpoint of ordinary people appear to be astonishing and even impossible.
As the Holy Qur\'an tells us, Asif bin Barkhia, a courtier of Prophet Sulayman could bring in the twinking of an eye the throne of the Queen of Saba to Sulayman before her own arrival, for he had a supernatural power and some knowledge of the hidden realities of this world.
The infallible Imams of Prophet Muhammad\'s Family occupied a position far above that of Asif bin Barkhia.
This fact is proved by the authentic history and the documented narratives where we find many stories of the spiritual and esoteric Walayat of the Imams of the Shi\'ah.