of Nokounam, (Session 1789)

Preface

Surah Saba, one of the Meccan chapters of the Holy Quran, articulates with profound and multilayered expression the status of humanity within the cosmic order and the necessary conditions for attaining spiritual perfection and authority. This Surah, emphasising the role of divine guidance and the necessity of adherence to infallible sources, offers solutions to overcome epistemic obstacles and attain a virtuous life. In this treatise, by reflecting on the key verses of this Surahespecially the verse وَحِيلَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ مَا يَشْتَهُونَ كَمَا فُعِلَ بِأَشْيَاعِهِمْ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا فِي شَكٍّ مَرِيبٍ (Saba: 54) and the verse قُلْ إِنْ ضَلَلْتُ فَإِنَّمَا أَضِلُّ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِي ۖ وَإِنِ اهْتَدَيْتُ فَبِمَا يُوحِي إِلَيَّ رَبِّي ۚ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ (Saba: 50)the conditions and obstacles to human authority are examined. This investigation, centred on practical faith, connection to infallible sources, and elimination of doubt and suspicion, seeks to elucidate the path that guides humanity towards true perfection. The structure of this treatise, with clear sections and detailed analyses, is designed to present Quranic concepts in eloquent and dignified language for the readership.

Section One: Practical Faith, the Foundation of Human Authority

The Importance of Practical Commitment to Faith

Faith in God, the Prophet, revelation, the Holy Quran, and the Infallible Imams, although universally accepted among believers as a fundamental principle, becomes spiritually and epistemically void without its transformation into action. Theoretical faith is like a broken vessel incapable of retaining the life-giving water of knowledge. This defective vessel, though it may possess an attractive exterior, is powerless to preserve the essence of guidance. Conversely, practical faith is a sound and robust vessel that contains divine knowledge and guides the human being towards perfection.

Say: If I go astray, I only stray against my own soul; and if I am guided, it is by what my Lord reveals to me. Indeed, He is Hearing and Near.
(Saba: 50)

This verse unequivocally regards guidance as the consequence of practical adherence to divine revelation. Misguidance belongs to the one who refrains from acting upon divine guidance, whereas guidance is the reward of the one who clings wholeheartedly to divine revelation. This practical commitment not only enlivens faith but also liberates the human being from the depths of doubt and suspicion.

Decline Resulting from Absence of Action

The lack of action constitutes the greatest affliction of Islamic societies, leading to epistemic and spiritual degradation. Believers, although having faith in God, the Prophet, revelation, and the Imams, find their faith ineffective when not actualised. This decline resembles a tree whose roots have been deprived of the life-giving water of divinity and which gradually withers. The outcome of this estrangement is deprivation from spiritual and epistemic blessings that bar the individual from genuine authority.

Section Two: Connection to the Infallible Sources, the Pathway to Perfection

Guidance from the Infallibles Beyond the Limits of Physical Existence

Benefiting from the guidance of the Infallible Imams, peace be upon them, does not necessitate their physical presence or apparent life. The Infalliblescomprising the Holy Prophet Muhammad, the Imams of Guidance, and even the Imam Mahdi, peace be upon himcontinue, in the realm of the unseen, to educate and guide humanity. This principle is akin to a light emanating from a sun hidden behind clouds, still reaching the earth and giving life.

Believers, by invoking phrases such as Ya Ali or Ya Imam Mahdi, connect to a singular truth, regardless of whether the Infallible is present in the physical realm or resides in the unseen world. This connection resembles a bridge that guides humanity from the terrestrial shores to spiritual horizons. The condition for this benefit is not the physical presence of the Infallible but rather the purity of the heart and the clarity of the inner self.

Say: If I go astray, I only stray against my own soul; and if I am guided, it is by what my Lord reveals to me. Indeed, He is Hearing and Near.
(Saba: 50)

This verse regards guidance as the result of connection to divine revelation, not the physical presence of the Prophet. The virtuous life of the Infallibles transcends earthly limitations and continues to guide humanity towards the truth.

Critique of the Belief in the Necessity of Apparent Life for Guidance

The belief that one must emulate a living jurist or benefit from the presence of an Infallible Imam, regarded as a superstition, obstructs the path to knowledge. Science, philosophy, and jurisprudence transcend death and life. The works of scholars such as Sheikh Ansari, Sheikh Mufid, and Allama Hilli continue, even after centuries, to illuminate the path for seekers of knowledge. These works, like bubbling springs, transfer knowledge to subsequent generations.

This belief acts as a wall depriving humanity of the intellectual treasures of predecessors. The Holy Quran, by emphasising the permanence of that which is with God (وَمَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ بَاقٍ, An-Nahl: 96), confirms the fact that divine sciences and knowledge remain accessible beyond temporal and spatial limitations.

Section Three: Obstacles to Human Authority and Means of Their Removal

Doubt and Suspicion as Barriers to Perfection

Doubt and suspicion resemble a veil that darkens the eyes of the heart and prevents the individual from reaching the truth. These obstacles either lead one towards regret and despair or towards arrogance and hostility to truth.

And there was placed between them and what they desired a barrier, just as had been done to their kind before; indeed, they were in persistent doubt.
(Saba: 54)

This verse identifies the suspicious doubt as the cause of deprivation from spiritual aspirations. Doubt acts as a barrier that prevents access to the fountain of divine guidance, and suspicion is a poison that prevents the heart from accepting the truth.

The Necessity of Being a Disciple and Commitment to Infallible Guidance

Human authority depends on being a disciple and accepting guidance from infallible sources. This discipleship is like fertile soil in which the seed of knowledge grows. Without this acceptance, the individual either falls into regret and despair or adopts arrogance and enmity toward truth.

The infallible mentor is free from error and offers impeccable guidance, whereas a human teacher, despite his value, may err. This distinction is like that between the sun and a lamp; the sun emits boundless light, whereas a lamp only illuminates a corner.

Section Four: Innate Education versus Formal Education

The Difference Between Direct and Indirect Guidance

Quranic guidance divides into two types: direct transmission (إيصَال) a