Which Way?

There have been always many different theories in different fields of science. They appear and flourish by some scholars and some of them are rejected by other scholars after a while and new theories replace them. And this happens and happens again.

Why? Because Man's knowledge about the world is not complete and it is always developing and growing. These differences in fields of science are not so important as the differences in religions are.

Why? Because fields of science deal with worldly matters but religions basically deal with the concepts of God, the aim of creation, Hereafter and the way man will get to the salvation.

So it is very important to find out which religion will deliver us to the everlasting salvation. If we neglect searching to find the the right religion we will lose the eternal salvation.

Now which religion will deliver us to salvation: Certainly the religion  which is given to us by our Creator. Since we are limited in the circle of our own senses and limited in the restricted area of time and geography (I.e this world) we need our God to show us which way of thinking about the world, human kind, creation, the aim of creation, the world after our death, and about getting salvation is the right one.

In fact, the creation is not vein and our creator has not sent us to this world without showing us the Right Path which delivers us to the Salvation.

In all the ages He has appointed a "Hojat" on the Earth to guide human kind. The first Hojat on the Earth was Adam who was a prophet. After him his son Sheith was appointed and …then Noah, the prophet, then his son Saam then… Ibrahim, the prophet, then Ismail then Ishaq(Issac) the Ya'qoob(Jacob) then his son Yosof(Joseoh) then Barthia, then Sho'ayb then Musa(Moses), the prophet, then Yusha' Ibn noon, his successor, then Davood(David) then Solayman(Solomon) then Asef ibn barkhia, then Zakariya, then Isa Ibn Maryam(Jesus), the prophet, then Sham'oon safa(Simon Peter), his successor, then Yahya, then Monzar, and on and on up to the last prophet of Allah, Hazrat Mohammad (PBUH&HP) and after him his 12 Successors.

So the Earth never has been without an Allah-appointed Hojat. At this time Imam Mahdi(PBUH) is Allah's Hojat on the earth. But for some expediencies he as an occultation up to the time Allah permits his advent then he will rise and with Allah's help and with his friends he will spread the UNIQUE Religion of Allah all over the world.

It is also necessary to mention that Allah's Religion, from Adam(PBUH) up to Imam Mahdi(PBUH) was always One. But many different sects appeared because some people usurped the true Allah-appointed successors of the prophets' status and distorted the prophets' instructions and changed the religion to accord with their own worldly desires. For example after Jesus , Paul who was at first a Jew usurped Simon Peter's  status of succerssorship  and distorted Jesus instructions and established some polytheistic concepts like Trinity in Christianity.

With the HOPE of the advent of the Last Allah's Hojat which will result in guidance of all people of the world and perish of all the oppressors...

Who are authorities?

Allah has mentioned to "Slaat" ,"Zakaat" and "Hajj" in Quran.

In Arabic

"Slaat" in general means: to praise, to pray (Do'a),..
"Hajj" in general means: to intent
"Zakaat" in general means: to grow, to purify,...

But Allah has clarified the specific meaning of "Slaat" ,"zakaat" and "Hajj" through prophet's Hadith. . I.e. the prophet(Salaam Be Upon Him&His Progeny) clarified for us what "Slaat" "zakaat" and "Hajj" means: They are certain acts with  specific rules.

For example "Slaat" is such a worshiping act in which you first should perform ablution, then face to Qible, then intend to pray for Allah then say Takbir and ...

So Slaat is different from any other pray(Do'a).

Or Hajj is a special pilgrimage to mecca with  special worshiping acts at a specified time.

The case is the same about "Olel Amr".

Allah has mentioned to it in his Book, Quran.


اعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم
يَأَيها الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللَّهَ وَ أَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَ أُوْلىِ الْأَمْرِ مِنكمُ...

4:59
O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey Rasool, and Olel Amr among you   ...

  In this verse OBEYING Allah and OBEYING Rasool(Salaam be upon him & his progeny) and OBEYING Olel Amr came in the same level without any exception for Olel Amr. I.e. Allah has commanded us to OBEY Olel Amr exactly in the same way we must OBEY Rasool(Salaam be upon him & his progeny) and OBEY Allah. It means this Obedience is an ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE. 

But which sound wisdom can accept an ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE for any one (parents, husbands, rulers,…) who are fallible!!!

in Arabic

"Olel Amr" in general means: those who have power to command, authorities

But the prophet(SBUH&HP) has clarified for us the specific meaning of "Olel Amr" and has told us who they are.

It is narrated that Jabir Ansari said when this verse was revealed [4:59 O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey Rasool, and Olel Amr among you...] we said to the Prophet (SBUH&HP) you introduced Allah and his Rasool [Hadret Mohammad (SBUH&HP)himself] to us. Who is Olel Amr whose obedience has come together with your obedience?

The Prophet (SBUH&HP) said: O' Jabir, Olel Amr are my successors. The first one of them is Ali ibn Abi Taalib then al-Hasan then al-Hosayn then Ali ibn al-hosayn then Mohammad ibn Ali who is well- known in Torat with the name of Baqer.you Jaber will see him. At that time when met him give him my salam. Then al-Sadeq Ja'far ibn Mohammad then Musa ibn Ja'far then Ali ibn Musa then Mohammad ibn Ali then Ali ibn Mohammad then al-Hasan ibn Ali then the one who have the same name and the same Koniye I have, Allah's Hojat in his Earth and his Baqiyat among his servants ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali.

This is the one with whose hand Allah exalted will triumph his Zekr over Easts and Wests of the Earth. This is the one who will be absent from (the sights) of his Shia and his friends. In that occultation no one will remain firm at his Imamat save the ones who Allah has examined their hearts for Iman(faith).

Jabir said I asked: O the prophet of Allah do the Shia benefit from him in his occultation? The prophet(SBUH&HP) said: Yes and swear to God who chose me for prophethood they make use of his light and benefit from his Wilayat in his occultation in the same way as people benefit from the Sun when it is behind the cloud… 

 
(Translated to English from the hadith come in Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-ne'am V1, P253)

just for a little ponder!(2)

The [Sunni] author of Yanabee` al-Mawaddah narrates the following incident in his book: 

A Jew named al-A`tal came to the Prophet and said, "Muhammad[Salaam Be Upon Him&His Progeny]! I wish to ask you about certain things which I have been keeping to myself; so, if you answer them, I shall declare my acceptance of Islam before you." The Prophet[Salam Be Upon Him & His Progeny] said, "Ask me, O father of Imarah!" So he asked him about many things till he was satisfied and admitted that the Prophet was right. Then he said,

"Tell me about your wasi (successor): who is he? No prophet can ever be without a wasi; our prophet Moses had appointed Yusha` [Joshua] son of Noon as his successor." 

He said,

"My wasi is Ali ibn Abu Talib followed by my grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn followed by nine men from the solb of al-Husayn."

 He said, "Then name them for me, O Muhammad[Salaam Be Upon Him&His Progeny]!"The Prophet [Salaam be Upon Him & His Progeny]said,

"Once al-Husayn departs, he will be succeeded by his son Ali; when Ali departs, his son Muhammad will succeed him. When Muhammad departs, his son Ja`far will succeed him. When Ja`far departs, he will be succeeded by his son Musa. When Musa departs, his son Ali will succeed him. When Ali departs, his son Muhammad will succeed him. When Muhammad departs, his son Ali will succeed him. When Ali departs, his son al-Hasan will succeed him, and when al-Hasan departs, al-Hujjah ... al-Mahdi will succeed him. These are the twelve ones."

That Jew, therefore, embraced Islam and praised Allah for having guided him.   This is recorded on p. 440 of Yanabee` al-Mawaddah by the Hanafi author al-Qandoozi. It is also recorded by al-Hamawayni [another Sunni scholar] who quotes Mujahid quoting Ibn Abbas. 

narrated from Dr. Tijani's book