21. God’s And Human Being’s Acts
Manifestation Of The Act Of Almighty Allah In The Movement And Perception Of Human Being
We previously mentioned about the theoretical and practical discretions in natural Wilayat of persons, who were not prophets and it became clear that these discretions are signs of the unseen connection with the Almighty Allah.
A famous tradition present in Shi’a as well as Sunni books proves that through purification of soul, human being reaches to a position where his perceptive capacities are expressions of the perception of Almighty Allah and his motivational capacities become the expression of the power and movement of Almighty Allah. This tradition, which the late Kula ini has mentioned in his authentic and comprehensive book, Al-Kafi', is that human being through proximity of the recommended acts is able to reach to the point that the Almighty Allah says about him:
“And no one can become proximate to Me in any way, except through performance of duties obligatory on him and he becomes proximate to Us through performance of recommended acts till I love him. And when I love him, I become his ears, through which he hears and I become his eyes, through which he sees; and I become his tongue, through which he speaks and I become his hands, with which he gives and takes. When he calls Me. I respond and when he asks Me, I give him1.
That is a pious and wayfarer human being is able to reach a stage, where perception and movement are from his side, but the eye, through which he sees is the eye of Allah and the ear, from which he hears is the ear of Allah and the hand, with which he acts is the Hand of God and he reaches such a stage that Almighty Allah takes his theoretical and practical acts upon Himself and his prayers are fulfilled; although it is definite that whatever good deeds a human being performs, its source is the being of Almighty Allah. Its rational proof is that human being is a creation and creations from all aspects end at the final cause. The following Verses prove this point:
“Allah is the Creator of all things” (13:16).
“And Allah has created you and what you make” (37:96).
“And whatever favour is (bestowed) on you it is from Allah” (16:53).
Method Of Recognition Of Self And Exposition Of Wilayat
After knowing that there are some persons, who are able to achieve Wilayat, the question arises that how the Wali of Allah becomes aware of his Wilayat?
It is narrated from the author of Al-Mahasin, by Al-Barqi that a man asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a): How do the prophets come to know that they are prophets?
That is how do they come to know that whatever they receive are not satanic thoughts and suggestions, but it is prophethood? Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) replied:
“The veil is removed from their eyes; and with such realization of reality, they understand their prophethood and the truthfulness of knowledge, in which there is no scope of doubt, whereas others prove prophethood through proof or miracle” The sharp narrator again asked the Imam: “How should a believer test his faith in order to become sure that he is a believer?”
Imam (‘a) said: “The believer should consider himself faithful when he finds himself submissive to Almighty Allah and satisfied in every joy and sorrow2”
The Late Al-Kulayni has narrated that a person asked Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a): “How does a prophet come to know that whatever he sees in dream is the truth and from the angel?”
Imam (‘a) replied: ‘The prophet is given a special kind of divine sense (Tawfiq), through which he is able to recognize that whatever he sees is truth and from the angel”
Late Al-Kulayni has also mentioned the tradition of Al-Mahasin in ‘the Book of Faith and Infidelity’ in the Chapter of being satisfied with destiny.
This true and lofty statement is a goblet of heavenly drink from the spring of the Holy Qur’an. It is clearly announced in it that:
“But no! By your Lord! They do not believe (in reality) until they make you a judge of that, which has become a matter of disagreement among them, and then do not find any straitness in their hearts as to what you have decided and submit with entire submission” (4:65).
That is the true believer is absolutely submissive to divine laws and submission is a grade higher than silence. That is silence should be accompanied with tranquillity and peace. If in his theoretical and practical controversies, human being refers to the Prophet and is apparently silent before him, but feels straitness in his heart, it is a sign that he is not from the faithful.
Thus, the method of identification of faith is that the condition of knowledge should be tested in internal recognition and divine command; just as a prophet or a believer becomes aware of his faith or prophethood through his perfect realization and the attitude of the Self to divine laws, in the same way, by identification of their selves, the folks of Wilayat realize their Wilayat. Thus, recognition of Wilayat is that human being should recognize himself. Therefore, if one is oblivious of himself, he cannot understand his Wilayat or enmity. The Almighty Allah says as follows about overlooking of Self and its cause:
“And be not like those who forsook Allah, so He made them forsake their own souls” (59:19).
That is those who forget their origin and source of existence get involved in the pain of forgetting themselves. Regarding those who are busy in materialism and the world, it is mentioned in Qur’an in another place:
“Whom their own souls had rendered anxious; they entertained about Allah thoughts of ignorance quite unjustly” (3:154).
Although there is no contradiction between whatever was mentioned in the previous Verse (that they have forgotten themselves) and whatever is mentioned in the second Verse (that they are involved in themselves), because the Self, which they have forgotten is human reality and origin and the Self, in which they are busy, is beastly and vegetative, which is only to the extent of fulfilments of nutritional and carnal needs.
Types Of Extraordinary Phenomena And Difference Between Miracle (Mu’jiza) And Wondrous Acts (Karamat)
Extraordinary phenomena are of different types: That, which is seen at the hands of the prophet to prove the claim of prophethood is known as miracle. And that, which the saints perform is known as wondrous act (Karamat).
Both, miracle and Karamat, which are two from the four types of extraordinary phenomena, occur through the natural Wilayat of the Prophet or the Imam. There is no difference between them, although from another aspect there is difference between them that in a miracle, along with the claim of prophethood, there is a warning as well; that is a prophet claims prophethood and along showing miracle issues a challenge, whereas in Karamat there is no claim and challenge.
That is the reason that the discussion of miracle also comes within the ambit of Wilayat; but since it is compatible with the discussion of prophethood therefore, it shall be only presented in the issues of prophethood. It shall become clear in the discussion of prophethood that the prophet has a claim; an invitation or call. His claim is prophethood, which is accompanied with miracle and his call to monotheism and divine cognition.
The third type of extraordinary phenomena accomplished through the supplications of an ordinary believer; is called assistance and help. The fourth type is humiliation. It is in extraordinary act accomplished at the hand of a disbeliever and is accompanied by his own degradation as narrated that when Musailima Kazzab passed his hand on a healthy eye, it became blind and when he dropped his saliva in a well, instead of increase, its water dried up.
Objection To Wondrous Acts (Karamat) Of The Saints (Awliya) And Its Reply
Objections are raised against display of wondrous acts (Karamat) by saints from different aspects; the most important being that if something like miracle can be performed by a non-prophet also, there remains no value of the miracle and in this way no difference remains between a prophet and non-prophet and thus the recognition of a prophet becomes difficult. Its reply is that there is difference between them from the aspect of challenge and claim of prophethood; and this difference is proved and independent, because till a person does not achieve Wilayat, he cannot be the owner of wondrous acts (Kara mat) and the Wali also on acting on the law of prophet cannot gain Wilayat from any other source.
Thus, whoever has Karamat, is obedient to the prophet and has confessed to the prophethood of the prophet; and he neither makes claims nor throws a challenge. The gist is that display of wondrous acts is possible from non-prophet and the best proof of its possibility is its occurrence, because the living witness is history as derived from Verses and traditional reports of many saintly persons, who being non-prophets, performed many such wondrous acts.
Different Aspects Of Divine Saints And Their Activities
It is said regarding divine saints that: “There activities are for Allah and their flight is to Allah and their anxiety is for Allah”.
That is the divine saint (Waliyu Allah), from the beginning to the end, is only attentive to Almighty Allah. On the basis of this, the divine saints are attentive to Almighty Allah from all aspects, because human being, in all circumstances, is not beyond three conditions: Either he is in the beginning of a work, or he is involved in it or he has a taken it to completion and is deriving benefit from it. In all these aspects, the attention of divine saints is the holy being of Almighty Allah and since He is the centre of their anxiety, they can intone this Verse:
“Say: Surely my prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are (all) for Allah, the Lord of the worlds” (6:162).
Assisting The Divine Saints Through The Holy Spirit
In some Verses and traditional reports, the theoretical and practical acts of divine saints are attributed to the Holy Spirit. For example, it is mentioned in the 110th Verse of Surah al-Ma’idah:
“When Allah will say: O Isa son of Maryam! Remember My favour on you and on your mother, when I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, you spoke to the people in the cradle and when of middle age” (5:110).
Or it is mentioned regarding the believers in the 22nd Verse of Surah al-Mujadilah:
“You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter-day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Apostle, even though they were their (own) fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from Him” (58:22).
The spirit, which is mentioned in this Verse, is in fact, a hint to the Holy Spirit and it is different from the spirit, which is mentioned in the form of first-person pronoun and third-person pronoun.
“And breathed into him of My spirit” (15:29).
“And breathed into him of His spirit” (32:9).
For the spirit mentioned in these two Verses is found in all human beings, whereas the hint is to the Holy Spirit in the Verse under discussion, which is only for Support of the perfect human being.
Some traditional reports are mentioned in ‘The Chapter of the Spirits present with the Holy Imams (‘a)’ of Al-Kafi, which prove that there are four spirits in ordinary people and common believers, whereas the Holy Imams (‘a) have five spirits. In these traditional reports, each of their qualities is also mentioned. The ‘helper spirit’ under discussion is mentioned as the fifth spirit in the Holy Imams (‘a).
That, which we wish to mention here is that Holy Spirit is nothing other than the soul and spirit of human being; it is only a lofty stage of human self-obtained after traversing the lower ranks, because human soul scales different stages: Ammaarata bi ‘ssu’ (that which commands evil), Lawwama (carnal), Muthima (inspired), Mutmainna (content) and Radhia (gratified) and Mardhiya (gratifying) and sometimes reaches the level of the Holy Spirit. There are only the limits and stages of the spirits of the Self, which are covered one after another.
It is known from the traditional reports of Al-Kafi that these five spirits are not separate from each other; on the contrary, each is an aspect of human Self. When soul and human Self reaches the fifth stage that is the stage of sanctity, it becomes free of every defect and this is the point where it can perform such theoretical and practical acts, which are not possible for others.
Thus, it is not that the acts of divine saints are separate from their soul and should be attributed to some angel named as the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Quds) and it should be concluded that the soul of the saints is separate and oblivious of the very perfections. Even though angels are present, who help and control affairs and command a position of holiness. The proof of this claim is the reply, which Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (‘a) gave to the question of Abu Basir3.
Abu Basir asked: Which spirit is implied in this Verse?
“And thus, did We reveal to you an inspired book by Our command. You did not know what the Book was. nor (what) the faith (was)” (42:52).
Imam (‘a) replied: It is the spirit, which the Almighty Allah sends to His Messenger, which is greater than Jibraeel and Israfeel. The descent of that spirit, which is greater than the angel of revelation, is not because of being an angel; on the contrary, it is due to the ‘divine blowing’ in the soul and spirit of the Messenger of Allah (S).
It is clear through the above discussion that the assistance given to Isa(n) through the Holy Spirit during his childhood was accomplished by the swift scaling of the stages of the souk because it is possible to cover time, space and stages in speed. That, which is impossible, is to obtain the higher stages without having covered the lower stages, because it is impossible to evade any of the stages.
Expressions Of Divine Wilayat
Sometimes, Almighty Allah performs His acts through unseen, sometimes through human beings and sometimes through non-humans. The incident of the defence of Ka’aba from the attack of Abraha is an example of the unseen acts of Almighty Allah and an expression of Wilayat displayed through non-humans. Regarding this, the Holy Qur’an says in Surah al-Fil:
“Have you not considered how your Lord dealt with the possessors of the elephant?” (105:1).
“Did He not cause their war to end in confusion” (105:2).
“And send down (to prey) upon them birds in flocks” (105:3).
“Casting against them stones of baked clay” (105:4).
“So, He rendered them like straw eaten up?” (105:5).
It is possible to see this incident, which was an expression of divine power for defence of religion, in another place and in another form. For example, if from the divine saints one of them, who is the perfect expression of religion is in danger, and the defence of True religion depends on his security, here also Almighty Allah displays His power to defend him in every possible way. An absolute principle, which is a compound of all these extraordinary phenomena, is the divine practice that Allah, the Mighty and the High is the protector of His light:
“They desire to put out the light of Allah with their mouths but Allah will perfect His light, though the unbelievers may be averse” (61:8).
As has become clear, the medium of human being is not accidental in all instances where the hand of human being is present in the unseen power of Almighty Allah and display of His Wilayat, on the contrary, human being is a real medium between Almighty Allah and the system of nature and material world. Thus, the extraordinary act performed through his hands can in fact be attributed to him, but this attribution cannot be made to others.
For example, the incident of Prophet Isa (‘a), in which he was initially giving life to some things. It was only his own blowing and which used to become the cause of life through the permission of Allah. The Holy Qur’an says:
“When you determined out of clay a thing like the form of a bird by My permission, then you breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission” (5:110).
Or the incident of Prophet Ibrahim (‘a), in which he was giving life in a new way. He used to only recite something, through which the dead animals came back to life. The Almighty Allah says regarding this:
“Then call them, they will come to you flying” (2:260).
In all these instances, the noteworthy point, which we mentioned as proof in the previous discussions was that the medium of divine saints is neither in the latitude of divine Wilayat nor in its longitude. Whether it be an explanation or creating a doubt, it is only the expression of Wilayat of Allah and a sign and a symbol. Therefore, when one thing is manifested in another, if the expression is visible, the act would be attributed to it and if the apparent is seen, the act would be attributed to it.
Thus, the reviving of Prophet Isa (‘a) was from the aspect that he was an expression of the divine name of enlivener (Muhiyy) and Prophet Ibrahim’s (‘a) enlivening of the dead was from the aspect that he was the expression of the name of Helper (Mu’id) and these are the two beautiful names of the Almighty Allah.
On the basis of this, true liaison of divine saints implies that they are able to reach that lofty stage of becoming an expression of one of the beautiful names of Almighty Allah and since the expression is a sample and a sign of the apparent, therefore, it only shows divine Wilayat; without the slightest increase or decrease in it.
And praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
