The Wilayat of Fatima Zahra: A Mystical and Ontological Perspective

Wilayat of Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her)

Divine saints are either inherently beloved by God or beloved due to their proximity. They include those with acquired proximity, who are manifestations of the saints of proximity. Ordinary individuals manifest the wilayat of a specific saint and gather around them. Inherently divine saints each have a unique manifestation. Saints of proximity manifest one of them based on their compatibility and luminous coexistence. Those who break the gate of wilayat and possess a Haydari manifestation—or even transcend it—are the manifestation of Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her). She is the most exalted manifestation, the hidden essence, and the divine secret. She has no equal. Neither the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) nor Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) share her luminous quality. Fatima Zahra is neither an Imam nor a Prophet. Imamate, prophethood, messengership, and caliphate are too narrow to contain her unique, luminous essence.

The Hadith of Divine Purpose

Sayyid Muhammad Hasan Mirjahani (d. 1371 AH) in Junnat al-Asima cites a hadith qudsi from Kashf al-La’ali by Salih ibn Arandas Hilli (d. 840 AH). Although Hilli is known, and his biography appears in A’yan al-Shi’a, his tomb is in Jibran, Hilla, Iraq. His book Kashf al-La’ali has not survived. Only citations in other works remain. The hadith states:

“O Ahmad! Had it not been for you, I would not have created the heavens. Had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you. Had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you.”

Examination of the Hadith’s Chain of Transmission

Mirjahani provides the chain of transmission for this hadith:

In Kashf al-La’ali by Salih ibn Abd al-Wahhab ibn Arandas, it is narrated from Shaykh Ibrahim ibn al-Hasan al-Dharrāq, from Shaykh Ali ibn Hilal al-Jaza’iri, from Shaykh Ahmad ibn Fahd al-Hilli, from Shaykh Zayn al-Din Ali ibn al-Hasan al-Khazin al-Ha’iri, from Shaykh Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Makki al-Shahid, through his connected chains to Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Babawayh al-Qummi, through his chain to Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju’fi, from Jabir ibn Abdillah al-Ansari, from the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), from God, Blessed and Exalted, who said: “O Ahmad! Had it not been for you, I would not have created the heavens. Had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you. Had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you.”

The hadith’s chain requires scrutiny. Not all narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt have been preserved. Despite efforts to record hadiths, political motivations, oppressive regimes, and rigid traditionalism limited their transmission. Narrations of divine truths depend on the recipient’s capacity to bear them. Earlier narrations warned against neglecting wilayat-related matters. Those who carried such narrations faced systemic political pressure to marginalize the Ahl al-Bayt, the rightful claimants to governance. Historians view the prohibition on hadith transmission as a political strategy to isolate the Ahl al-Bayt’s teachings. In this context, narrating their virtues or associating openly with them risked exile, surveillance, imprisonment, home searches, confiscation of writings, house burnings, enslavement, or execution. Historical examples include Abu Dharr al-Ghifari’s exile to Rabdha by Caliph Uthman (d. 32 AH), the mutilation of Maytham Tammar (d. 60 AH) by Ibn Ziyad, and the killing of Rushayd al-Hajari by Ziyad or his son for narrating in praise of Amir al-Mu’minin. Maytham, who insulted Ibn Ziyad, was crucified on his palm tree. In Kufa’s volatile climate after Muawiya’s death, he shouted from the cross, inviting people to hear suppressed sayings of Ali. Atiyya ibn Sa’d ibn Junada al-Awfi (d. 111 AH) was flogged by Hajjaj ibn Yusuf Thaqafi (d. 95 AH) for refusing to curse Amir al-Mu’minin.

Oppression and Censorship

Under such oppressive regimes, the caliphate’s propaganda employed figures like Ka’b al-Ahbar, a Jewish scholar granted freedom to spread narratives aligned with his anti-Islamic views. The second caliph, who burned collected hadiths, supported Ka’b, giving him platforms to teach and narrate. Ka’b, a close associate of the caliphate, exemplifies how external influences shaped Muslim intellectual culture, distorting religious teachings. Hadiths were powerful tools for shaping ideology, motivating action, and bolstering the caliph’s popularity. Oppressive rulers tightly controlled hadith narration to suppress opposition and promote their agenda.

In this suffocating environment, fear for life and honor was pervasive. Amir al-Mu’minin’s grave remained hidden for a century. Fatima Zahra’s grave will remain concealed until the reappearance. For a century, cursing Ali was a mandated part of Friday sermons, institutionalized by Muawiya. Openly recording or sharing narrations of the Ahl al-Bayt’s virtues was nearly impossible under the caliphate’s surveillance. Many narrators of wilayat remained anonymous, their works hidden or transmitted orally. Books were preserved in secret, often lost to time. Unknown narrators or missing chain links in such narrations are logical outcomes. The authenticity of such narrations relies on internal analysis, not merely their chain.

Traditionalist Opposition

Beyond political oppression, rigid traditionalism and literalist Shi’a jurisprudence further marginalized wilayat narrations. This rigid, disconnected approach, coupled with Wahhabi-like tendencies among some Shi’a scholars, weakened the proponents of wilayat and love. Historical analysis is needed to understand these dynamics. The chain of the “Lawlāk” hadith, cited by truthful scholars from accessible books, follows rational standards of transmission. Critics’ obsession with its chain is not aligned with rational reporting standards.

Chain Analysis and Historical Gaps

The chain of the “Lawlāk” hadith reaches Shaykh Saduq. It claims a connected chain despite gaps. The four-century gap between Shahid Awwal (martyred 786 AH) and Shaykh Saduq (d. 381 AH), and between Saduq and Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju’fi (d. 128 AH), cannot be dismissed. Narrators may have accessed reliable books from that period, but these were lost due to neglect, deliberate censorship, poverty, or Sunni dominance. The plunder of Shi’a and Iranian intellectual heritage by colonial powers, especially during the Qajar and Pahlavi eras, further diminished such records.

Shaykh Saduq and the Issue of Exaggeration

Although the “Lawlāk” hadith is attributed to Shaykh Saduq, it is absent from his works. This may reflect his cautious approach to avoid exaggeration (ghulūw). Saduq filtered narrations to counter exaggerated claims. Shaykh Mufid notes that Saduq considered denying the Prophet’s inadvertent errors as the first degree of ghulūw. Fear of exaggeration often led scholars to exclude lofty narrations, depriving them of profound truths.

Defining Exaggeration (Ghulūw)

Ghulūw is over-attribution in essence or attributes. It occurs when a phenomenon is ascribed independent, intrinsic perfection, despite being a mere manifestation. Ghulūw is relative, varying by scholars’ epistemological frameworks. Historically, it has evolved. Some Qom scholars viewed attributing miracles or esoteric knowledge to the Ahl al-Bayt as ghulūw. Shaykh Mufid rejected this, calling it deficiency, but hesitated to attribute absolute unseen knowledge to the Imams, deeming it exaggeration.

Early Imami Tradition and Rationalism

In the early occultation period, a modernist movement emerged, labeling believers in the Ahl al-Bayt’s esoteric sanctity as exaggerators. Yet, these beliefs were developed by the Ahl al-Bayt themselves. Twelver Imami theology, metaphysics, and mysticism formed a primordial sacred-esoteric tradition, dominant from the Imams’ era to half a century after the Major Occultation (329 AH/941 CE). This tradition, rooted in esoteric, mystical, and unseen dimensions, viewed the intellect as the key to the Ahl al-Bayt’s teachings, encompassing rationality, intuition, and luminous wisdom. The intellect was both a tool for reasoning and for perceiving non-rational, luminous truths. Narrators like Saffar Qummi, Kulayni (d. 329 AH), and Ibn Babawayh (d. 381 AH) preserved this tradition. The Major Occultation placed narrators in a precarious position. The rise of dialectical, rational theology (kalām) forced Imami thinkers to adopt Sunni rivals’ methods to compete ideologically while balancing their distinct beliefs. This shifted religious knowledge into a technical discipline, losing its esoteric essence. Shaykh Mufid (d. 413 AH) led this rationalist trend. Sayyid Murtada (d. 436 AH), Mufid’s student, purged narrations with mystical content, marginalizing the sacred-esoteric tradition. Since Mufid, rationalist and literalist scholars have dominated, accusing esoteric scholars of ghulūw. This tension persists, intensified in the occultation era.

Distinguishing True Devotees from Exaggerators

True devotees of the Ahl al-Bayt must be distinguished from deviant exaggerators. The Ahl al-Bayt fiercely opposed exaggerators, excommunicating them and emphasizing content-based critique to counter fabricated or exaggerated narrations. A notorious exaggerator, Mughira ibn Sa’id, forged narrations to spread deviant beliefs. Shaykh Saduq reports:

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), interpreting God’s words, “Shall I inform you upon whom the devils descend? They descend upon every sinful liar” (Quran, 26:221-222), said: “They are seven: Mughira, Bunan, Sa’id, Hamza ibn Umara al-Barbari, Harith al-Shami, Abdillah ibn Harith, and Abu al-Khattab.”

The Ahl al-Bayt advocated critical textual analysis, hadith jurisprudence, and evaluation against the Quran, tradition, and reason. Shi’a scholars, especially those of the four canonical books, refined narrations, sometimes influenced by literalist trends. Of the 255 narrations in Kitab al-Hujja of Al-Kafi, 50 include narrators accused of ghulūw. Yet, their content is truthful and non-exaggerated. Narrators include Ahmad ibn Hilal, Umayya ibn Ali, and others. Many, like Muhammad ibn Sinan and Mufaddal ibn Umar, were cleared of ghulūw by other rijal scholars. Only a few are rejected, based solely on chain analysis, not content.

Primacy of Content Analysis

In metaphysical and cosmological matters, content analysis supersedes chain analysis. A weak chain does not preclude investigating a narration’s content. Understanding narrations about the Ahl al-Bayt’s unseen realm requires esoteric inclination, spiritual discipline, and luminous wisdom. Jurisprudence connects believers to spirituality generally, but seekers of luminous truths must pursue esoteric Shi’a mysticism through purity, love, and devotion. Such truths were often concealed, opposed by mainstream Muslim culture as ghulūw. Wilayat and luminous creation guide individuals to their essence, but these truths remain hidden, like the Imam of the Age. Caution against ghulūw and the dominance of rationalist and literalist trends must not hinder belief in the Ahl al-Bayt’s true virtues. Both exaggeration and deficiency obstruct true understanding. Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) said:

“Beware of exaggerating about us. Say we are created servants. Then say what you wish about our virtues.”

Cosmological vs. Legislative Narrations

The hadith “Lawlāk” meets strict chain authenticity standards, even for legislative rulings. However, it conveys a cosmological, not legislative, truth. Cosmological narrations guide rather than mandate, evaluated by the intellect for compatibility with love and proximity. Understanding them requires sincerity, spiritual vitality, and devotion, not scholastic methods. Critics of this hadith, lacking esoteric insight, may suffer from clouded reasoning. If motivated by ill intent, their critique reflects deeper corruption. Internally, reliable sources repeatedly affirm this hadith’s cosmological meaning with varied expressions.

Logical and Semantic Analysis

Paraphrasing a narration while preserving its meaning is rational and accepted across cultures. Early narrators sought permission from Imams to paraphrase, ensuring fidelity. A hadith qudsi conveys meaning to a sacred heart, not fixed wording like the Quran. Logically, meaning determines a narration’s unity. For example, “The Divine Human Press sold you the book Knowledge and the Divine Human” and “You bought the book Knowledge and the Divine Human from the Divine Human Press” are one proposition despite linguistic differences. The meaning of the “Lawlāk” hadith, consistent across reliable sources, constitutes one proposition. Its attribution to God and the Ahl al-Bayt is valid, supported by logical unity. Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) said:

“Look at what is said, not who says it.”

The narration’s truth lies in its meaning, unaffected by narrators’ multiplicity or phrasing. Paraphrasing without altering meaning is an accepted practice, as analyzed by Shaykh Tusi. It does not constitute lying about the Imams or violate Quranic verses condemning false attribution to God (Quran, 11:18; 6:144).

Textual Corroboration

The meaning of “Had it not been for Fatima…” aligns with Quranic verses exclusive to Fatima Zahra and numerous narrations. This textual coherence renders chain analysis unnecessary. Literalist critics, disconnected from the coherent semantic world of narrations, suffer from logical and intellectual weaknesses. Supporting narrations appear in reliable Shi’a sources preserving esoteric heritage. For readers attuned to prior narrations, the “Lawlāk” hadith is compelling. It addresses why the infinite cosmos exists for boundless life. It centers the creation of the heavens on Fatima Zahra, alongside the seal of prophethood and wilayat, portraying a unified cosmos. Her necessity renders creation impossible without her, as narrations describe the Imams’ luminous creation as the source of all phenomena. The Ahl al-Bayt are the existential distinction of creation, not merely its essence. This eternal necessity is rooted in divine love.

Non-Believers and Divine Zeal

Narrations describe those who reject wilayat or oppose the divine Imam as “ghuthā’” (scum) or weak insects, driven by divine zeal for infinite love. The Kumayl narration states:

“They are weak insects, followers of every caller, swaying with every wind, unillumined by knowledge, and not relying on a firm foundation.”

Another narration from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:

“People are two: the scholar and the learner. The rest are scum. We are the scholars, our followers are learners, and others are scum.”

Those confined to conceptual knowledge without faith, or lacking even imitative belief, remain trapped in horizontal motion, devoid of vertical ascent. Creation exists to manifest divine love through its perfect embodiment. Love in this realm is ineffable, residing in a divine sphere beyond discourse, marked by self-evidence and ecstatic awe. Explaining it risks diminishing its infinite horizon. Love in its active form is acquired and measurable, but essential love is non-material, a bestowed gift seated in the esoteric heart, beyond rational analysis. In essential love, actions, names, and attributes dissolve. Fatima Zahra embodies this love, as a narration states:

“We are God’s proofs over creation, and our mother Fatima is God’s proof over us.”

Fatima’s sacred light is the essence of universal, sealed, and personal wilayat of Amir al-Mu’minin and other Imams. The wilayat of the Imam of the Age is its sealed manifestation. Others are either manifestations of the Imams or material beings, mere scum unless they attain love and devotion to wilayat.

Unity in Divine Love

In sealed wilayat, love transcends creation, names, and distinctions, marked by annihilation and realization. The “Lawlāk” hadith guards the secret of love and unity with the indeterminate essence. A prayer further positions Fatima as the axis of unity:

“O God, send blessings upon Fatima, her father, her husband, her sons, and the secret entrusted in her.”

In love and unity, first and last are indistinguishable. The hadith’s three conditional clauses merge in semantic unity, assigning the highest rank to the three divine saints. God, the absolute lover, addresses the Prophet directly, expressing their qualitative unity and love in sublime terms. This is a pure love-play in the divine realm of unity, where each is one—not numerically, but singularly—without contradiction, united in absolute totality. This unity encompasses all creation, forming an interconnected cosmos. God declares, “Only you, my beloved!” This love manifests through the cosmos, unattainable without creation. Those who align with this divine love, following the straight path, avoid aimless wandering and become neither scum nor weak insects. Few achieve this harmony with wilayat’s truths, avoiding self-imposed horizontal drift or inversion, where limited rational measures misjudge the transcendent.

Linguistic and Logical Validity

In the “Lawlāk” hadith, the conditional particle “lawlā” attaches to a pronoun, not a noun, a common Arabic construction. In logic, conditional propositions are foundational. The frequent use of “lawlā” and pronouns aligns with Arabic syntax, as noted in works like Ibn Malik’s Sharh al-Kafiya al-Shafiya. A parallel narration, recorded in Sahifat al-Rida, a reliable Shi’a source narrated by Ahmad ibn Amir al-Ta’i from Imam Rida (peace be upon him), states:

“O Ali, had it not been for you, the believers would not have been known after me.”

This confirms the linguistic and doctrinal validity of the “Lawlāk” construction, affirming Ali’s role as the criterion of faith.

The Concept of Aflak and Wilayat in Islamic Mysticism

The Term “Aflak”

The term “aflak” appears in the sacred hadith: “O Ahmad! Had it not been for you, I would not have created the aflak.” This translates to: “O Ahmad! If not for you, I would not have brought the heavens into existence.” “Aflak” is the plural of “falak.” It means a ship or boat floating on water. This metaphor highlights the fluid and dynamic nature of phenomena. It suggests that particles and orbits are in constant, ceaseless, and orderly motion. Their movement is either horizontal or vertical.

“Falak” refers to a large ship controlled by a rudder. It also denotes a small boat swayed by the waves of events, yet never stationary. In the holistic system of existence, all phenomena are interconnected. The cosmos, galaxies, the material world, and supernatural realms form a unified whole. Any phenomenon selected for analysis serves as a pivotal axis. From this point, one can explore the essence of existence and its phenomena based on coexistence and harmony.

If the scope of human manifestation becomes infinite and absolute, nothing remains beyond human cognitive faculties. Nothing is left in obscurity. All phenomena become knowable within an interconnected epistemic system. The divine human encompasses all phenomena within their cognitive bandwidth. They possess knowledge of material and worldly entities. They are never unaware of their attributes or effects. They guide others on how to harness these phenomena.

The hadith emphasizes the relationship between the divine human and “aflak” (orbits or floating entities). It serves as a selected example. It expresses an absolute vision of existence and all its phenomena. It is not limited to “aflak” (floating entities). At the time of its utterance, “aflak” was considered the most dynamic phenomenon known. “Aflak” also refers to celestial bodies and galaxies. These are all in constant motion, orbiting ceaselessly. Thus, they are called “aflak,” meaning “the floating ones.”

The Quran describes this fluidity: “And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and His Throne was upon the water, that He might test you, which of you is best in deed. But if you say, ‘You will be resurrected after death,’ those who disbelieve will surely say, ‘This is nothing but obvious sorcery'” (Hud, 11:7). The phenomenon of the Throne—representing at least the entire material world—floating on water exemplifies this fluidity. No phenomenon is as fluid as water. Water itself is fluid, and the Throne floats upon it. No phenomenon remains static. All are in constant renewal, as stated: “Were We then worn out by the first creation? Nay, they are in confusion about a new creation” (Qaf, 50:15).

The fluidity of phenomena grants them transformability and the potential for change. Anything capable of transformation is subject to mastery, intervention, and control. Several narrations highlight other phenomena as selected examples. One such narration, reported by Shaykh Saduq, states: “O Ali! Had it not been for us, God would not have created Adam, nor Eve, nor Paradise, nor Hell, nor the heavens, nor the earth.”

Through these examples, one can discern all parameters and properties of reality. This includes the essence, structure, and center of gravity of all phenomena and existence itself. These are driven by love, endless motion, fluidity, absolute unity, and a gradational effort rooted in existential movement.

In this boundless fluidity of phenomena, safety and security lie in surrender and vertical ascent. This involves continuous detachment and annihilation in the presence of the life-giving essence. Those who perish in love for the divine human find a beloved journey. They discover coexistence, companionship, and salvation through the ship of wilayat. They attain eternal peace and security.

While phenomena are termed “aflak,” the Ahl al-Bayt are referred to as “safina” (ship) in several narrations. “Safina” denotes any moving entity that is constructive. It clears away debris, distractions, or dead matter. It preserves the core essence and forges a path forward. Al-Khwarazmi in his “Manaqib” narrates from Ibn Abbas, who said: “The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: ‘The likeness of my household is like Noah’s ark: whoever boards it is saved, and whoever lags behind drowns.'”

Mawlana, though a Sunni scholar immersed in Sunni theology, was inspired by this narration’s semantic depth. He composed poetry reflecting its meaning: “Under the protection of the life-giving soul, you sleep in a ship and journey forth. Rely less on your own skill and desires, O one lost in the days’ prophet. Though you are a lion, if you tread the path without a guide, you remain self-absorbed, misguided, and debased. Fly only with the wings of the master, to witness the aid of the master’s armies. Empty your mind of denying the friend, so the basil blooms from the friend’s garden. Step aboard the ship and flow forth, like a soul moving toward the beloved soul.”

A prayer from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) states: “O God, send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad… They are a stronghold for those who cling to them, a refuge for those who seek their protection, an impregnable fortress, and a flowing ship in the overwhelming deep seas. Those who turn away from them are renegades, those who fall behind them perish, and those who adhere to them join them.”

Had it Not Been for Ali

The second clause of the hadith, “And had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you,” eloquently interprets the Quranic verse on the completion of religion: “This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion” (Al-Ma’ida, 5:3).

The Quran is God’s revelation and sacred intent. The Quranic revelation was completed after twenty years. The prophethood of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) concluded. Yet, this verse states that despite the completion of revelation, the religion remains incomplete. Islam is perfected through revelation but completed only through wilayat. God’s purpose is fulfilled through Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him).

In logic, a theoretical proposition is complete if it is provable and derivable. A system is complete if its rules encompass all derivations without exception. A proposition is complete if it answers two questions: Does the form and provability ensure the truth (meaning) of the proposition? Does the truth (meaning) ensure provability (form)? If so, it is complete. Completeness distinguishes between form and semantics.

In the verse on the completion of religion, wilayat is identified as the divine favor. It distinguishes between prophethood as the outward form of wilayat and wilayat as the inner essence of prophethood. Prophethood is complete and divine only if it is endowed with wilayat. Wilayat is the semantic language of prophethood, revelation, and divine unity. Islam is complete and a source of favor only if wilayat—luminous intellect, sacred heart, and epistemic spirit—articulates its truths. Wilayat is the guiding lamp of religion, the ship of salvation, the path to divine unity, servitude, and the straight path to God.

Prophethood and revelation alone are like a fruitless tree. Prophethood ensures provability, while wilayat is the derivation and fruit of religion. Religion achieves completion through the seal of prophethood and wilayat. It attains divine unity without contradiction. All deeds are accepted through it. The clause “And had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you” expresses this Quranic meaning and the completion of religion.

Completion of Wilayat

Creation, revelation, the Quran, and the prophethood of the Messenger (peace be upon him) lack coherence and completion without wilayat. Wilayat is the nurturing intellect of revelation. The perfection of religion lies in revelation and prophethood, but its completion lies in wilayat. One who practices religion but lacks the grace of wilayat is like dry debris or a stray mosquito. They perish in ruin. Wilayat is exclusive to Amir al-Mu’minin, Imam Ali (peace be upon him). Those who reject it lack upward ascent and divine proximity. They remain confined to horizontal motion.

A narration in the authoritative “Basa’ir al-Darajat” addresses this. This text, by Muhammad ibn Hasan Saffar (d. 290 AH), a companion of Imam Hasan al-Askari, compiles narrations on wilayat and the luminous creation of the Imams. Compiled during the Abbasid oppression, it is a key source of Shi’a esoteric and wilayat mysticism. It states: “Abu Basir said: I was performing Hajj with Abu Abdillah (Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him). During the circumambulation, I asked, ‘May I be your ransom, O son of the Messenger of God, will God forgive these people?’ He replied, ‘O Abu Basir, most of those you see are monkeys and pigs.’ I said, ‘Show them to me.’ He spoke some words, then passed his hand over my eyes. I saw them as monkeys and pigs! I was terrified. He passed his hand over my eyes again, and I saw them as they were before.’”

Truthfulness, derivation of religion, completion, prophethood, caliphate, infallibility, divine unity, and true servitude reside in wilayat: “There, [true] guardianship belongs to God, the Truth” (Al-Kahf, 18:44). The difficulty of achieving completion deprives the masses of wilayat’s favor. It remains estranged and in occultation. Religion without true wilayat lacks favor and joy. It does not bring delight, health, or salvation to people. Human sciences and conceptual intellect, even with divine revelation or authentic narrations, cannot achieve truth or completion without living wilayat. Prophethood and wilayat are identical in the realm of love and unity. One can reach wilayat through prophethood and derive prophethood through wilayat. This is the meaning of completion, favor, and fulfillment.

This unity is emphasized in the verse of Mubahala: “And our selves” (Al-Imran, 3:61). Not only revelation and prophethood but also divine unity cannot be justified or realized without wilayat. Ishaq ibn Rahwayh narrates the “Silsilat al-Dhahab” hadith: “When Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (peace be upon him) arrived in Nishapur and intended to leave for al-Ma’mun, the hadith scholars gathered around him and said, ‘O son of the Messenger of God, you leave us without narrating a hadith for us to benefit from?’ He was seated in a litter, then raised his head and said: ‘I heard my father, Musa ibn Ja’far, say: I heard my father, Ja’far ibn Muhammad, say: I heard my father, Muhammad ibn Ali, say: I heard my father, Ali ibn al-Husayn, say: I heard my father, Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib, say: I heard my father, Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib, say: I heard the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: I heard Gabriel say: I heard God, Mighty and Exalted, say: “There is no god but God” is My fortress. Whoever enters My fortress is safe from My punishment.’ When the camel moved, he called out to us: ‘With its conditions, and I am one of its conditions.’”

This hadith, narrated before at least twenty thousand people in Nishapur, outlines the path of upward, inward ascent. Only fifty narrations survived; the rest were lost or unreported. Known as the “Fortress Hadith,” it became a cornerstone of religious education in Iran. After two centuries of Umayyad and Abbasid oppression, the presence of Imam Rida in Khorasan transformed the Ahl al-Bayt’s teachings into Iran’s dominant discourse. Sunni dominance waned, and the light of wilayat illuminated Iranian hearts, granting access to divine realms and saving them from horizontal drift.

Epistemic Nature of Revelation and Wilayat

Revelation is a direct report of reality. Coexisting with revelation yields knowledge. It requires alignment with wilayat, which renders revelation articulate and clear. Knowledge is the recognition of truth, unlike information, which is bound by time. Information neither generates nor defines knowledge. Islamic philosophy seeks knowledge built on a firm foundation. Such knowledge is certain and logically immune to contradiction. It is unshakable, immune to skepticism, free from compound ignorance, and inherently coherent and complete.

Knowledge requires precise logical justification to ensure its unshakability. This is termed “supreme justification.” Knowledge is a firm belief aligned with unassailable reality, logically immune to doubt. If knowledge is defined as justified true belief, its justification must rest on self-evident, foundational truths. It must form a coherent, unassailable system with non-foundational truths. The criteria for assessing the truth or falsity of these propositions depend on their respective realms. These criteria must align with those realms to avoid fallacy, deception, or incompleteness.

Such knowledge does not arise from sensory perception or conceptual reasoning. These cannot transcend reality or grasp truth conceptually. Truth, being absolute, cannot be confined by limitations. Conceptual and empirical scholars operate with relative, approximate knowledge. They cannot claim absolute truth. Such dogmatism in the material and ego-driven realm breeds conflict. It destroys tolerance and harmony. Even rational proofs in this realm yield only apparent, relative reality. Religious arguments, by their own admission, are apparent, not guaranteed to reflect reality. Human reasoning, especially if confined to concepts, is fallible. It cannot claim absolute divine knowledge or infallibility.

Religious reasoning lacking a sacred faculty is illegitimate. It lacks scholarly validity. If based on religious principles and methodologies, it is merely technical analysis. It lacks luminous wisdom and true connection to divine reality. It cannot be considered divine knowledge. A natural human without a divine guide wastes their potential. They squander their limited worldly opportunity. Reasoning based solely on acquired concepts or information is not even human knowledge, let alone divine. It is a human skill detached from God, prone to illusions and sophistry.

Reasoning devoid of luminous wisdom lacks material and semantic logic. It cannot oversee the realm of meaning. Such logic belongs to a sage endowed with a sacred faculty and luminous intellect. They access the realm of meaning, substantiate propositions through collective reasoning, and ensure their validity. Truth is distinguished from falsehood in this system, not through mere conceptual analysis or superficial semantics. Thus, material logic and religious reasoning rely on wilayat and the sacred faculty. Otherwise, they are neither logic nor valid reasoning.

Obstacles to Acquired Reasoning

So-called religious reasoning forms a thick layer over true scholarly and divine reasoning. It can obscure truth and divine religion. It creates an institutional, social, and imposed layer on divine religion. This distorts true religion with sophistries, leading to scientific challenges and public objections. Knowledge is the path to growth and progress. Ordered, flawed reasoning that conceals truths and divine guidance, especially when paired with religious authoritarianism, betrays the public. It hinders a nation’s health, progress, and leadership.

God condemns such obstructers: “Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture—those are cursed by God and cursed by those who curse” (Al-Baqara, 2:159). God is the primary complainant against these obstructers. They are actively cursed and expelled by God and all those deprived of divine guidance. Such oppressors, through persistent and deliberate injustice, become disbelievers, doomed to eternal punishment.

This concealment follows God’s revelation of theoretical proofs, practical guidance, and foundations for human salvation through prophets. If knowledge required concealment, God would have kept it hidden. Divine revelation and its teachings need not remain secret. Concealment is a trait of religious authorities after the prophets’ era. Distorting religious teachings is a form of concealing divine truth.

Those who hide divine knowledge are both disbelievers and systematically produce disbelief. They lead people to irreligion and faithlessness. Their state is worse than that of disbelievers. Subsequent verses state: “Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers—upon them is the curse of God and the angels and the people, all together, abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved” (Al-Baqara, 2:161-162).

This curse applies to those who censor scholarly opinions, suppress clear proofs, and obstruct the dissemination of knowledge. These are religious authorities who deem themselves overseers of religious content. They deprive people of divine faith by concealing knowledge and promoting distorted teachings. They exist in every religion. They rob society of religious vitality, freedom, and faith in God. Like defiant Jews, they cannot be persuaded through dialogue to uphold truth or knowledge. They persist in obstruction unless uprooted, like the Kharijites of Nahrawan.

The Quran states: “Do you hope that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of God and then distort them after they had understood them while they were knowing?” (Al-Baqara, 2:75). Instead of fostering dialogue and free thought, obstructers engage in propaganda, deception, and manipulation. They use symbols to distort reality deliberately. Their fabricated data lacks the vitality of divine knowledge. It produces dead debris, obstructing upward ascent. It confines individuals to disconnected, material prisons, as discussed in the context of the perfect human and later in the concept of raj’a (return).

Obstructers systematically shape societal perceptions through propaganda. They engineer cognitive frameworks with imposed assumptions, making them vulnerable to manipulation. In an environment of controlled information and lies, free thought and knowledge production are stifled. Human progress depends on freedom, knowledge, and scientific growth. Discovering truth-seeking scholars who speak openly is a rare worldly blessing. However, obstructers marginalize true scholars, rendering them strangers in their era.

A narration in the authoritative “Al-Ja’fariyat” and “Qurb al-Isnad” states: “The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: ‘Islam began as a stranger and will return to being a stranger as it began. Blessed are the strangers.’ It was asked, ‘Who are they, O Messenger of God?’ He replied, ‘Those who remain righteous when people become corrupt. For a believer, there is no fear or estrangement. No believer dies in estrangement without the angels weeping for him out of mercy, as his mourners are few. Otherwise, his grave is filled with radiant light from where he is buried to his homeland.’”

Wilayat: Justified True Knowledge

Philosophical knowledge—pure, absolute truth—is attainable only through the divine system and a beloved, downward journey. This is the path Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) lived in truth. God and truth were ever-present with him. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Ali is with the truth, and the truth is with Ali. It revolves around him wherever he turns.”

Amir al-Mu’minin cited this narration in the six-member council, and the council affirmed its authenticity. Wilayat is self-justified, or rather, truth-justified knowledge. Truth, as knowledge and supreme justification, is inherently flawless. It is inseparable from truth and revolves around its center. This truth resides in the divine, beloved human. It is not found in ordinary humans with conceptual minds, limited to sensory or calculative knowledge.

To attain knowledge, one must have a heart and surrender to the divine guide, the chosen guardian. The divine human is complete, transcending divine names, attributes, and manifestations. They reach the realm of absolute essence, unbound by limitations. They appear in any form they choose, free from all constraints. Wherever they are, divine attributes accompany them.

The heart of the divine human mirrors God’s heart. It emerges from indeterminacy to the first determination. All other determinations dissolve within it. The vision of truth depends on one’s belief. God manifests to each heart according to its eternal essence and divine knowledge. If a heart perceives God as absolute beyond all limits, God reveals Himself as such. The beholder sees only what they believe. If they do not see God as absolute, they deny His manifestations, failing to fulfill true servitude.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) taught Zurara a prayer embodying the divine, beloved lifestyle and methodology of downward knowledge: “Abu Abdillah (peace be upon him) said: ‘O Zurara! If you live in the time of occultation, adhere to this prayer: O God, make me know Yourself, for if You do not, I will not know Your Prophet. O God, make me know Your Prophet, for if You do not, I will not know Your Proof. O God, make me know Your Proof, for if You do not, I will stray from my religion.’”

This prayer seeks complete truth—God’s simple essence, as denoted by “Yourself.” This aligns with Quranic usage: “He has decreed upon Himself mercy” (Al-An’am, 6:12). The pronoun “Himself” refers to God’s essence, free from attributes or limitations. God is an infinite reality with an essence unique to Him. His attributes and acts are limitless. His essence is beyond comprehension, yet every manifestation carries His infinite uniqueness.

All knowledge begins with knowing God. Knowing phenomena through their true path—a beloved journey from God to the material world—requires divine guidance. The beloved essence, endowed with complete wilayat, sees God before, during, and after perceiving objects. It is ever-present in divine awareness.

The Inquiry of Jathliq and the Concept of Wilayat

Completion of Knowledge in Jathliq’s Inquiry

The term “Jathliq” refers to the Christian patriarch, a title for the senior leader of the church. Salman al-Farsi documented the questions of the Jathliq of his time in a lengthy narration. This account is one of Salman’s surviving writings. The Jathliq was a learned scholar, well-versed in the Gospel and Christian theology. After the Prophet’s martyrdom (peace be upon him), he arrived in Medina with a hundred Christians, representing the Roman emperor. His purpose was to question the Muslim caliph. If the responses were valid and confirmed Islam’s truth, he intended to embrace Islam.

In the Prophet’s mosque, Abu Bakr faced the Jathliq’s questions with many Muslims present. He was unable to respond. The Jathliq deemed their religion baseless, lacking justified knowledge and complete understanding. The attendees feared Islam had been defeated in this debate. Salman promptly approached Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him), the epitome of supreme knowledge and divine truth. He reported the incident, noting the Roman representative’s eloquent and reasoned speech. He urged the Imam to come to the mosque to address the public’s beliefs.

The Jathliq was guided to Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) to pose his questions. One question was: “Did you know God through Muhammad, implying God lacks perfection? Or did you know Muhammad through God and His penetrating wilayat, meaning both possess perfection—God in His essence and the Prophet (peace be upon him) through the manifest wilayat, the essence of his prophethood?”

A narration of this event states: “Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Farisi, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id al-Nasawi, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Sughdi in Merv, from Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Hakam al-Askari and his brother Mu’adh ibn Ya’qub, from Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Hanzali, from Abdullah ibn Asim, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Qays, from Ibn Hashim al-Rummani, from Zadhan, from Salman al-Farsi (may God be pleased with him), in a long hadith mentioning the Jathliq’s arrival in Medina with a hundred Christians. He questioned Abu Bakr, who could not answer. He was then directed to Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), who answered his questions. Among them, the Jathliq asked: ‘Tell me, did you know God through Muhammad, or Muhammad through God?’ Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) replied: ‘I did not know God through Muhammad. Rather, I knew Muhammad through God, Mighty and Exalted. When I saw that God created him and endowed him with dimensions like length and width, I understood through divine guidance, inspiration, and will that he is designed and created. This is as God inspired the angels to obey Him and introduced Himself to them without likeness or modality.’”

This narration is extensive, with numerous questions from the Jathliq. Only a portion is presented here for brevity. Knowledge of God’s essence and all things is possible through Him. Otherwise, neither the Quran nor such narrations would mention it. This knowledge is attained by the divine, beloved human with true vision and love for God. Others gain awareness of divine matters through the beloved’s teachings in a lower, conceptual form. Their knowledge is scholarly and intellectual, not true cognition. Non-beloved individuals’ awareness is mere knowledge. If endowed with a heart and luminous wisdom, they may reach divine attributes but not the essence.

The beloved seek knowledge independent of the Prophet or Imam. Non-beloved individuals seek knowledge through the Prophet, Imam, or divine guardian. Without their guidance, they lack awareness. Devotees know God through the Prophet or Imam. The beloved know the Prophet and Imam through God, needing no mediation.

If one finds God within themselves or another through love’s affliction, they show signs of divine belovedness amid false claims and unworthy guides. Hafiz identifies the mark of God’s people as love, saying: “The sign of God’s people is love; keep this sign, lest you fall to unworthy claimants.”

The Wilayat-Bearing Human: Nurturer of the Quran

To attain the deepest knowledge, one must join a scholarly community. This requires constant guidance from a beloved, authoritative mentor with profound knowledge. Such a mentor fosters collective knowledge, love, truth, and divine proximity. Devoted apprenticeship under a mentor with divine proximity and true knowledge yields overwhelming awareness. As Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) described, it brings abundant knowledge.

Divine beloved knowledge is unique. The true mentor embodies all knowledge, truth, and sincerity. The beloved, through divine love, possesses bestowed coherence. They are the archetype of universal truth. The cosmos is a reflection of them, not vice versa. They hold all created knowledge within, accessing it deliberately. They can transfer condensed knowledge directly to another’s heart. Knowledge from a loving, sincere mentor is simple and accessible. It conveys complex concepts clearly, based on the purity between teacher and learner.

The beloved is a complete human, formed by love’s energy in pre-eternity at the divine essence. They are a direct creation, like revelation, with a downward trajectory. Christians, despite distortions, view Jesus as God’s revelation and miracle. Similarly, the inherently beloved possesses all attributes of revelation. They are God’s living revelation and miracle. They are directly lovable to God, embraced in His love without intermediaries. Their natural creation is free of defective or impure traits. Their divine spirit is pure light, embodying truth and wisdom.

The beloved lives by divine necessity and love, beyond choice, like revelation. Their key trait is lived truth and love. Their knowledge stems from God, truth, love, and intimacy. As stated repeatedly, knowledge and love are intertwined. Deprivation of beloved knowledge reduces a person to ruin. Even great scholars like Avicenna, Ibn Arabi, and Mulla Sadra, lacking a beloved mentor, fell into errors. Their mistakes have misled many, even today. Their correct insights came from the infallible divine guardians, the Quran, and revelation.

The first step to divine knowledge is mentorship by a bestowed-knowledge teacher. This makes the silent revelation articulate, decoding its divine signs. Deep, fruitful learning requires a knowledgeable mentor with intuitive, love-based insight and divine revelation, not mere intellectual analysis.

Disbelief in divine, chosen beloved ones confines humans to their animalistic, material nature. It traps them in worldly determinations. Such a person’s essence may turn to deceit, sophistry, and falsehood. Promoting a philosophy of material, rational humans leads to deprivation of luminous wisdom. Detached from meaning and wilayat, they fall into nihilism, greed, and oppressive tendencies. Their cunning thought engineers society, manipulates minds, and produces ordered knowledge for profit, lacking higher purpose.

The material, rational human, viewing themselves as the foundation of certainty, is confined to nature, instinct, and conceptual knowledge. Unlike animals, they extend their instincts infinitely, exploiting everything, including spirituality, for greed. The divine human, as the inherently beloved, offers a straight path, especially in the era of occultation. This is the methodology for supreme knowledge, ultimate justification, and attained truth.

In an era of waning religiosity, wilayat-centrism, and love, dominated by conceptual science and industrial power, the divine human integrates the Quran’s miraculous knowledge and intuitive insight. It brings life to devoted followers through love and knowledge. Though love and knowledge are in occultation, divine guardians with radiant spirits remain hidden. Following these living guardians is the Shi’a way. In occultation, they lack public leadership. They possess esoteric vision, divine knowledge, and inner guidance through luminous hearts. If divinely ordained, they share this knowledge.

Knowledge revolves around pure love and divine grace. Love transcends the natural, psychological, and inner heart, reaching the divine essence. Love and belovedness grant the lover superiority over other beings, including angels. Knowledge must be received collectively from a devoted, divine lover overwhelmed by abundant knowledge and love, living solely by divine necessity.

Ahl al-Bayt: Exemplars of the Divine Human

The concrete exemplar of the divine human, the inherently beloved discussed in this book, is the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). This Quranic term, meaning the Prophet’s family, appears in the Verse of Purification: “Indeed, God desires to remove impurity from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and purify you completely” (Al-Ahzab, 33:33).

God’s will is ontological, inevitable, and collective, removing all impurity. The present tense of “desires” indicates continuous purification, not mere removal. The verse states that impurity, even in its slightest form, is kept far from the Ahl al-Bayt. God wills their absolute purity. The phrase “and purify you” reinforces this purity after removing impurity. The absolute term “impurity” encompasses all forms of defilement.

The sacred status of the inherently beloved Ahl al-Bayt entails bestowed infallibility and true knowledge. Their luminous nature prevents even minor worldly flaws. Their infallibility and purity are eternal, divinely granted. They are always with God, and God, truth, and reality are with them.

This divine infallibility is pure love, free of greed, and absolute purity. The Verse of Purification attests to pure love and true knowledge for select individuals. A narration states: “Al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Khashshab, from Ali ibn Hassan al-Wasiti, from his uncle Abd al-Rahman ibn Kathir, said: I asked Abu Abdillah (Imam Sadiq, peace be upon him) about God’s statement: ‘Indeed, God desires to remove impurity from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and purify you completely.’ He said: ‘It was revealed about the Prophet, Amir al-Mu’minin, Hasan, Husayn, and Fatima (peace be upon them). When God took His Prophet, Amir al-Mu’minin, then Hasan, then Husayn (peace be upon them) assumed leadership. Then the interpretation of this verse applied: “And those of kinship are more entitled in God’s Book.” Ali ibn al-Husayn (peace be upon him) became Imam, and leadership continued among his descendants, the appointed successors. Obedience to them is obedience to God, and disobedience to them is disobedience to God, Mighty and Exalted.’”

Another narration states: “Ata ibn Yasar, from Umm Salama: ‘The Verse of Purification was revealed in my house. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) called for Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn (peace be upon them) and said: “These are my Ahl al-Bayt.”’”

Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) said during the council: “I swear by God, is there anyone among you about whom the Verse of Purification was revealed, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) gathered me, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn under the Khaibar cloak and said: ‘O God, these are my Ahl al-Bayt. Remove impurity from them and purify them completely’?” The council members all replied: “No!”

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him), after accepting peace, referenced this event in a speech before Mu’awiya, highlighting his family’s virtues. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever God has graced with knowledge of my Ahl al-Bayt and their wilayat, God has gathered all goodness for them.”

Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) said: “The happiest people are those who recognize our virtues, draw near to God through us, purify their love for us, act according to what we enjoin, and refrain from what we prohibit. Such a person is of us and will be with us in the eternal abode.”

Prophethood and Quranic revelation gain coherence and articulation through wilayat. Despite the Quran’s divine sublimity, it cannot be equated with or deemed superior to the inner essence of the inherently beloved guardian. The beloved guardian, transcending nature, intellect, heart, and luminosity, reaches the indeterminate essence. The Quran is a portion of God’s knowledge, articulated in the material world by the beloved’s sacred intellect and spirit. They possess divine grace, constant proximity, and complete intimacy with revelation’s teachings and innate knowledge.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I leave among you two things; you will not stray after me if you hold to them: the Book of God and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. The Subtle, Aware has assured me they will never separate until they meet me at the Pool, like these two [equal fingers]—and he joined his index fingers—not like these [unequal fingers], where one precedes the other. Hold to them, and you will neither slip nor stray. Do not precede them, or you will stray.”

Intra-religious exploration of verses and narrations reveals supplications from Shi’a Imams, rich with intimate secrets and dialogues between lover and beloved. Though God decreed mercy and love upon Himself—”He has decreed upon Himself mercy” (Al-An’am, 6:12)—the Quran speaks in tones of knowledge, power, majesty, and authority rather than love and compassion. It addresses material humans, still dominated by primal, power-driven traits despite their rational claims.

The Quran is a guide for such beings. Divine love and its worldly manifestation, along with knowledge, are for people in a third evolutionary stage. These are wise, heart-centered, love-driven individuals with true knowledge. God meets them with overwhelming love and mercy. In the era of occultation, love occasionally emerges from the unseen into the material world. Currently, love is veiled by conceptual knowledge and industrial power, lacking a platform for manifestation.

Divine guardians with supreme knowledge and love are in estrangement and occultation. Following these living, divinely vibrant guardians is the Shi’a path. In occultation, they lack public authority. They possess esoteric vision and divine knowledge, guiding inwardly through luminous hearts. If divinely ordained, they disseminate this knowledge.

Knowledge hinges on pure love and divine grace. Love transcends natural, psychological, and inner dimensions, reaching the divine essence. Love and belovedness elevate the lover above all beings, including angels. Knowledge must be received collectively from a devoted, divine lover overwhelmed by abundant knowledge and love, living solely by divine necessity.

Ontological Presuppositions and Semantics in Islamic Tradition

Ontological Presuppositions and Semantics

We have discussed the ontological meaning of the hadith: “O Ahmad! Had it not been for you, I would not have created the aflak; had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you; and had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you.”

The ontological nature of this hadith implies its realization in the divine realm. God does not merely convey information. In the conceptual realm, it carries descriptive and informative meaning. The primary focus here is that hadiths with ontological meanings, related to creation and understanding existence, require informational presuppositions to be meaningful.

Informational presuppositions form a coherent system of meaning, culture, and knowledge. They are either foundational, self-evident axioms or constructed propositions. Constructed propositions include demonstrative arguments, divine revelations, or infallible statements. These are either transmitted with absolute certainty or compatible with self-evident axioms and demonstrative propositions.

In the hadith “Had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you,” its meaning must align with rational, revelatory, and reliable narrations. This alignment, a criterion for non-definitive propositions’ truth, is not about explicit linguistic indication. It does not require clear or general wording. It refers to harmony with the spirit of revelatory texts, even if not explicitly mentioned. A definitive chain of transmission is unnecessary.

Content-based critique is effective for evaluating sacred texts like this hadith. This critique involves reasoning based on sacred intellect. It surpasses conventional jurisprudence, relying on divine inspiration, luminous wisdom, or bestowed wilayat. This grants knowledge divine legitimacy. It does not oppose sacred texts. Such profound reflection, using luminous intellect and divine inspiration, seeks to articulate silent texts. It remains within religious bounds, not exceeding them.

Sacred faculty and inner wilayat are not acquired. Divine etiquette and inner purity are prerequisites, not creators, of this faculty. Thus, the reality of narrations like the one in Jannah al-Asima, attributed to an unknown figure like Saleh ibn Arandas Helli, lacks a definitive chain. Their truth lies in self-evident knowledge, demonstrative propositions, and certain revelations. These surround the narration with definitive contextual evidence.

A systematic view of sacred texts’ knowledge renders seemingly singular narrations abundant or semantically successive. Through internal analysis and thematic unity, narrations with weak chains, unknown narrators, or criticized transmitters gain reliability. If a narration is deemed authentic by chain but contradicts its intrinsic reality, it is not accepted. Conversely, a narration weak in chain but aligned with its intrinsic meaning is considered reliable. Textual critique always precedes chain analysis.

Narrations with ontological content are evaluated by rational validity and their ontological basis. Rational validity, refined by divine mentorship and luminous wisdom, overrides chain strength or weakness. A narration with a strong chain but irrational content is self-refuting. It lacks credibility.

The speaker uses self-evident knowledge, certain arguments, and cultural context as evidence. The more these clarify intent, the less explicit wording is needed. Sometimes, self-evident or demonstrative evidence redirects apparent meaning. Determining intent requires specific contextual clues.

Revelatory and infallible presuppositions are silent. They become articulate through sacred intellect and a living heart. Rational analysis of definitive revelations may only yield understanding, not discovery. For non-definitive propositions, sacred intellect handles both understanding and discovery. Knowledge-seekers must either possess sacred intellect or rely on rational imitation of enlightened experts.

Deep Inquiry and Textual Jurisprudence

Deep inquiry and textual jurisprudence in sacred texts have long been encouraged. A narration states: “From Abu Abdillah (peace be upon him), he said: My father, Abu Ja’far (peace be upon him), told me: ‘My son, recognize the ranks of the Shi’a based on their narrations and knowledge. Knowledge is the comprehension of narrations. Through comprehension, a believer ascends to the highest degrees of faith. I examined a book by Ali (peace be upon him) and found: The worth and rank of a person lie in their knowledge. God, Blessed and Exalted, judges people based on the intellect granted to them in this world.’”

Textual comprehension requires scientific logic. For material phenomena, empirical methods, induction, and natural sciences form the logic. Discussing the material cosmos and abstract realms without accessible evaluation tools or accepted scientific standards lacks intersubjective validity. This imbalance appears in critiques dismissing the hadith’s chain or in writings ignoring ontological comprehension logic.

Critique of the Universal Soul Theory

An example is explaining the spiritual stations of Lady Fatima Zahra (peace be upon her) using the philosophical theory of the universal soul. In Peripatetic philosophy and some mystical texts, the universal soul follows the first intellect. Some conflate divine figures with the universal soul, viewing it as a stage in the descending arc of existence. Others see it as a distinct entity, the source of particular souls, such as celestial, vegetative, and human souls. It mediates grace between the universal intellect and the imaginal realm.

Some consider the universal soul the reality of things or a separate repository of created knowledge. They rank it above the imaginal and angelic realms but below the intellect. Its material locus, based on Ptolemaic cosmology, is the celestial spheres. Some viewed the eighth sphere as the Throne’s sphere, the supreme manifestation of perfections like the Quran, Gospel, Torah, Psalms, and other scriptures. They believed all perfections originate there, linked to the universal soul. Some associated it with Gabriel.

This level of created knowledge differs from true knowledge (fixed essences) only by the latter’s comprehensive permanence. The first intellect’s knowledge mirrors fixed essences, a second determination. The universal soul, a later stage, reflects true knowledge with greater passivity and multiplicity. This view correctly sees the descending arc as knowledge-based, aligned with luminous creation. However, positing the universal soul as a stage lacks scriptural or rational evidence, despite the descending arc’s stages.

Superiority in existence depends on proximity to true knowledge. The lowest stage is imagination, followed by ignorance. As discussed in luminous creation, the universal intellect considers universals without detail. The universal soul details these universals with precision and distinction, free of separation. It is called the Tablet of Destiny, Preserved Tablet, or Clear Book. Scholars believed revelation stems from the universal intellect, inspiration from the universal soul. The universal soul surpasses the human rational soul.

The universal soul, as defined, is not the reality of things. A phenomenon’s reality is itself. Truth or falsehood is determined by studying the phenomenon itself, not another entity. The criterion for truth is empirical or logical analysis, matching the phenomenon’s context. Its reality is its own measure of truth.

Traditional mystical texts, following Peripatetic philosophy, equate the universal soul with the “Mother of the Book” or Preserved Tablet. One must avoid conflating divine realms with their phenomena. Mulla Hadi Sabzawari prioritized the Mother of the Book over the Clear Book, linking only the latter to the universal soul. He viewed the universal soul as the first intellect’s deputy, illuminating the angelic realm identically.

Sabzawari distinguished two senses of the universal soul: one encompassing all souls, another applying to all souls collectively. Philosophers viewed the universal soul as a realm governing all souls. It possesses immense capacity, overseeing imaginal and exemplary faculties comprehensively.

In a commentary attributed to Ibn Arabi, the universal intellect is the spirit, the universal soul the heart of existence. It interprets the “single soul” in the Quranic verse as the universal soul: “O people, fear your Lord, who created you from a single soul and created its mate from it, and from them spread many men and women. Fear God, through whom you ask one another, and [respect] kinship. Indeed, God is ever watchful over you” (Al-Nisa, 4:1).

This interpretation sees the universal soul as generating all particular souls. It extends this to other verses. Ibn Fanari, citing Jundi in his commentary on Misbah al-Uns, claims the universal soul and its faculties permeate celestial layers. He assumes its existence without evidence, ascribing faculties to it and their diffusion in the heavens. He interprets Quranic verses to support this, despite no textual correlation. These claims rely on Ptolemaic cosmology and Peripatetic philosophy.

Philosophers viewed celestial spheres as the universal soul’s body, attributing their orbital motion to it. As spheres also have rotational motion, unrelated to the universal soul, they posited particular souls. Recently, a scholar based Lady Fatima’s spiritual stations on this discredited theory, diminishing her status. This was attributed to divine inspiration and dedicated to another. Despite abandoning Ptolemaic cosmology, traditional philosophy’s remnants persist among some Islamic and human sciences scholars, echoing mystical and philosophical texts.

The book *Fass Hikmat Ismatiyya fi Kalimat Fatimiyya* bases Shi’a beliefs and Lady Fatima’s virtues on such data. It states: “The pairs have countless manifestations, including the universal intellect and universal soul. In *Lawh wa Qalam*, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) is the universal intellect’s manifestation, and Lady Fatima, the universal soul’s.” The author defines the universal soul: “A separate entity, relative to nature—whether perfective or perfected—is called a soul. The first is the universal soul, the second a particular soul. Without relativity, the first is the universal intellect, the second a particular intellect.”

The book assumes the universal soul’s necessity without evidence, treating it as established. Like some mystical commentaries, it links the universal intellect to Adam, the universal soul to Eve, and their union to a second marriage. Some equate the universal soul’s Lord with the divine name Al-Rahim. This Lord is Al-Rahman, not Al-Rahim, as Al-Rahim manifests specific attributes, not particulars. The universal soul differs from particular destiny and the Preserved Tablet, with distinct subjects.

These works provide no analysis or evidence for the universal soul, its equation with the Mother of the Book, Preserved Tablet, or Throne, or its application to Lady Fatima’s stations. Ibn Arabi’s texts heavily feature the universal soul, with followers uncritically adopting it.

The primary evidence for the universal soul is explaining celestial motion in Peripatetic philosophy, based on Ptolemaic cosmology and Greek science from 100 CE. Its falsehood is now evident. Planetary and fluid motions follow natural laws, driven by energy and heat. Peripatetic philosophers posited ten intellects and the universal soul for nine spheres to explain multiplicity from a single origin. The first intellect, God’s first creation, produces the universal soul from its contingent aspect.

They observed seasonal changes from stars’ orbital motion. They correctly noted stars’ orderly motion but attributed it to a psychic system, unaware of mechanics and gravity. They substituted a psychic system for natural mechanics. Humans can possess a soul, potentially reaching intellectual abstraction or ultimate truth through love and unity. The human soul encompasses imaginal, angelic, and heart realms. One may term this an ascending universal soul, distinct from the animal soul (rational animal).

Not all material phenomena possess a soul. Attributing a universal soul to spheres’ orbital motion or particular souls to rotational motion is baseless. Like the universal soul, the universal body, endorsed by Mulla Sadra or Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani, is a relic of old cosmology, falsely divinizing the body.

Impact on Philosophy and Religion

Basing philosophy and mysticism on unscientific theories distorts truths. Explaining religious truths with unproven human theories taints mysticism, philosophy, and religion. It diminishes divine truths. Those rejecting truths without research are in deprivation.

The universal soul’s existence is unproven, akin to Shaykh Ahsa’i’s fantasies about Jabalqa and Jabalsa or the mythical Green Island. These cannot frame the virtues of Lady Fatima, the essence of divine law and God’s indeterminate essence. Equating the universal soul with the Preserved Tablet or Clear Book assumes a circular existential path. Phenomena descend and return via a single track, whereas descent and ascent have countless paths, forming infinite realms.

Some narrations mention 18,000 worlds, a general figure. Existence has infinite manifestations, paths, and realms, each infinitely complex. Conventionally, creation is divided into intellectual, imaginal, and material realms. This book initially followed this. Precisely, divine action realms are intellect, angelic, imaginal, and material, totaling four, with the perfect human as a fifth realm.

Realms are descending or ascending. Descent involves successive determinations of God’s knowledge, a knowledge-based journey. Ascent follows phenomena’s manifestation, elevated by knowledge, love, wilayat, and action. Beings shape their eternal abode through deeds, sown in the material world’s field or wasteland.

The imaginal realm exists in descent, the barzakh in ascent, unrelated to each other. The connected imaginal realm is within the human soul, distinct from the disconnected imaginal (descent) and barzakh (ascent). The realm of atoms is the disconnected imaginal, distinct from the angelic realm. These realms exist externally, like paradise and hell, not merely within the soul. The afterlife is an external, objective realm.

Realms like the Throne, Chair, Tablet, and Pen are accepted due to Quranic and narrational references. No verse or reliable narration mentions the universal soul. A phenomenon’s soul is intrinsic, not externally guided. It needs no active intellect for inspiration. Each phenomenon’s motion, consciousness, and glorification are inherent, not diffused by a universal soul managing celestial layers or phenomena.

The angelic realm of each thing is with its Lord: “Exalted is He who holds the angelic realm of all things, and to Him you will return” (Ya-Sin, 36:83). The treatise, aiming to complete Ibn Arabi’s *Fusus al-Hikam*, does not trace the universal soul’s history or terminology. It defines it without justifying its existence or analyzing its nature, building its content on this premise.

Citing mystical and philosophical authorities does not validate the universal soul. Lady Fatima’s stations, rooted in love and unity with God’s essence, transcend the realm of might. Knowledge and research do not rely on quoting famed thinkers or past tales. In a world valuing microscopic, laboratory science, deep reason, and intuitive vision, outdated philosophy and mysticism crumble under blind imitation. This opens the door for adversaries to mock mysticism, the purest knowledge, and discredit rational truth-seeking. If such distortions taint religion, they stagnate it.

Adhering to Scripture and Narration

Regarding Lady Fatima’s wilayat and virtues, one must follow the Quran’s specific verses and sacred narrations. Revelation and infallible speech are the basis for believing in the unseen, as commanded. Understanding these requires appropriate informational tools for methodical comprehension.

Explaining truths must avoid distortion. Denying truths is perilous and depriving. Those critiquing ontological narrations’ chains, like this hadith, using jurisprudential standards must purify their minds. Engaging the material world under Lady Fatima’s luminous sanctity demands purity beyond that required for luminous wisdom or Quranic intimacy.

Deniers of ontological meanings tied to faith embody the interpretation of Quran 56:92-93 (Al-Waqi’a). The Quran depicts their fate: “No! I swear by the stars’ positions—and it is a mighty oath, if you knew. This is a noble Quran, in a hidden book, touched only by the purified. A revelation from the Lord of the worlds. Do you take this discourse lightly, making your share its denial? Why, when the soul reaches the throat, and you watch, We are closer to him than you, but you do not see. If you are not accountable, why not return it, if you are truthful? If he is among the near ones, [he finds] rest, fragrance, and a garden of bliss. If among the people of the right, peace be to you from them. But if among the deniers, the astray, [he faces] scalding water and burning in Hell. This is the certain truth. So glorify your Lord’s great name” (Al-Waqi’a, 56:75-96).

Denying ontological, epistemic meanings linked to faith is significant. One cannot address ontological matters, beyond conceptual knowledge, without expertise or evidence. Reckless theorizing or rejection is unwarranted. In epistemic and ontological matters tied to belief, the listener’s capacity must be considered. Denying truthful knowledge leads to the fate of deniers, as depicted in these verses.

Supporting Hadith Evidence

We present hadith evidence supporting the meaning of: “O Ahmad! Had it not been for you, I would not have created the aflak; had it not been for Ali, I would not have created you; and had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you.”

The first lengthy narration comes from *Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’ma* (*Ikmal al-Din*) by Shaykh Saduq, a primary text on occultation. It relies on the foundational four hundred principles. The segment “O Ali, had it not been for us, God would not have created Adam, Eve, paradise, hell, the heavens, or the earth,” previously mentioned, and “You are My light among My servants, My messenger to My creation, and My proof over My creatures. For you and your followers, I created My paradise; for your opponents, My fire,” convey the meaning of “Had it not been for you, I would not have created the aflak.” This segment validates the hadith and explains the Ahl al-Bayt’s superiority over angels.

Hadith and Supplications on Ontological Virtues

Hadith: “Had It Not Been for Us”

It is narrated from Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, from his father Musa ibn Ja’far, from his father Ja’far ibn Muhammad, from his father Muhammad ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn al-Husayn, from his father Husayn ibn Ali, from his father Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them): The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: “God created no creation superior to me or more honored by Him than me.”

Ali (peace be upon him) said: I asked, “O Messenger of God, are you superior, or is Gabriel?”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “O Ali, God, Blessed and Exalted, has given His messenger prophets precedence over His closest angels. He has given me precedence over all prophets and messengers. After me, the precedence belongs to you, O Ali, and to the Imams after you. The angels are our servants and the servants of our followers.”

He continued: “O Ali, ‘Those who bear the Throne and those around it glorify their Lord with praise, believe in Him, and seek forgiveness for those who have believed’ (Quran, 40:7) through our wilayat.”

“O Ali, had it not been for us, God would not have created Adam, Eve, paradise, hell, the heavens, or the earth. How could we not be superior to the angels? We preceded them in knowing our Lord, glorifying Him, proclaiming His oneness, and sanctifying Him. The first thing God, Mighty and Exalted, created was our spirits. He made them speak His unity and magnification.”

“Then He created the angels. When they saw our spirits as a single light, they deemed our matter immense. We glorified, so the angels would know we are created beings and that God is exalted beyond our attributes. The angels glorified through our glorification and declared Him free of our attributes.”

“When they saw the greatness of our status, we proclaimed ‘There is no god but God,’ so the angels would know there is no deity except God and that we are His servants, not gods to be worshipped alongside or instead of Him. They said, ‘There is no god but God.’”

“When they saw the eminence of our position, we declared ‘God is greater,’ so the angels would know God is too great for any position’s greatness to be attained except through Him.”

“When they saw the honor and strength God granted us, we said, ‘There is no power or strength except with God,’ so the angels would know we have no power or strength except through God.”

“When they saw the blessings God bestowed upon us and the obligation of obedience to us, we said, ‘Praise be to God,’ so the angels would know the praise due to God for His blessings. The angels said, ‘Praise be to God.’ Through us, they were guided to know God’s unity, glorification, proclamation, praise, and magnification.”

“Then God, Blessed and Exalted, created Adam and placed us in his loins. He commanded the angels to prostrate to him, honoring and revering us. Their prostration was worship to God, Mighty and Exalted, and reverence and obedience to Adam, as we were in his loins. How could we not be superior to the angels when they all prostrated to Adam?”

“When I was ascended to the heavens, Gabriel called the adhan and iqama in pairs. He said to me, ‘Go forward, O Muhammad.’ I said, ‘O Gabriel, shall I precede you?’ He replied, ‘Yes, for God, Blessed and Exalted, has given His prophets precedence over all His angels, and He has specially favored you.’”

“I went forward and led them in prayer, without pride. When I reached the veils of light, Gabriel said, ‘Go forward, O Muhammad, and leave me behind.’ I said, ‘O Gabriel, do you part from me in such a place?’ He replied, ‘O Muhammad, my limit, set by God, Mighty and Exalted, ends here. If I cross it, my wings will burn for transgressing my Lord’s bounds.’”

“I was propelled through the light until I reached the height God, Mighty and Exalted, willed for me. I was called, and I said, ‘Here I am, my Lord, at Your service. Blessed and Exalted are You.’ I was called: ‘O Muhammad, you are My servant, and I am your Lord. Worship Me alone and rely on Me. You are My light among My servants, My messenger to My creation, and My proof over My creatures. For you and those who follow you, I created My paradise. For those who oppose you, I created My fire. For your successors, I have ordained My honor. For their followers, I have ordained My reward.’”

“I said, ‘My Lord, who are my successors?’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad, your successors are inscribed on the leg of My Throne.’ While before my Lord, Majestic is His Majesty, I looked at the leg of the Throne. I saw twelve lights, each with a green line bearing the name of one of my successors. The first was Ali ibn Abi Talib, and the last was the Mahdi of my nation.”

“I said, ‘My Lord, are these my successors after me?’ I was told, ‘O Muhammad, these are My successors, beloved, chosen, and proofs over My creation after you. They are your successors and deputies, the best of My creation after you. By My might and majesty, I will manifest My religion through them, exalt My word, and purify the earth of My enemies with the last of them. I will make him ruler over the earth’s east and west, subject the winds to him, tame the rebellious clouds, and grant him mastery over all means. I will aid him with My army, support him with My angels, until he proclaims My call and unites creation in My oneness. I will sustain his reign and alternate the days among My allies until the Day of Resurrection.’”

“No Difference Between You and Them”

In a signed letter attributed to the Imam of the Age (may God hasten his reappearance), a supplicatory visitation for the month of Rajab, known as the Rajabiyya visitation, is recorded. Shaykh Tusi (d. 460 AH) cites it in *Misbah al-Mutahajjid* from Ibn Ayyash, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ubaydullah Jawhari (d. 401 AH), an Imami hadith scholar. The visitation’s letter is said to have reached Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Uthman ibn Sa’id.

Uthman ibn Sa’id Amri (d. 305 AH), the second deputy during the minor occultation, served for forty years. The Du’a Samat, narrated from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him), Du’a Iftitah, and Ziyarat Al-Yasin, attributed to the Imam of the Age, are transmitted through him, as is the Rajabiyya visitation, claimed to be directly from him.

In sacred shrines, it is recommended to visit the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) in Rajab with this traditional Rajabiyya. The phrase “No difference between You and them, except that they are Your servants and creation” is another expression of the sacred hadith “Had it not been for Fatima, I would not have created both of you.”

The opening of the Rajabiyya supplication reads: “O God, I ask You by the meanings of all that Your trusted guardians of Your command invoke You with—those entrusted with Your secret, rejoicing in Your command, describing Your power, and proclaiming Your greatness. I ask You by what Your will has expressed in them, making them mines of Your words, pillars of Your oneness, Your signs, and Your stations, which are never absent in any place. Through them, those who know You recognize You. There is no difference between You and them, except that they are Your servants and creation.”

“Their opening and closing are in Your hand. Their beginning is from You, and their return is to You. They are supporters, witnesses, givers, defenders, guardians, and seekers. Through them, You filled Your heavens and earth until it became evident that there is no god but You.”

“By this, I ask You, and by the positions of honor from Your mercy, and by Your stations and signs, to send blessings upon Muhammad and his family and to increase my faith and steadfastness.”

“O Hidden in His manifestation, Manifest in His hiddenness and secrecy, O Separator of light from darkness, O Described without essence, Known without likeness, O Definer of every limited, Witness of every witnessed, Creator of every existent, Counter of every counted, and Loser of every lost—there is no deity below You.”

This visitation states that the Ahl al-Bayt’s (peace be upon them) manifestation is directly from God’s essence, without intermediaries or veils. They are the primary manifestation, their end returning to the divine realm. They encompass all divine perfections and are the supreme manifestation of God’s greatest name. God manifests directly in them. They possess all true perfections as manifestations, devoid of independence.

Luminosity of Wilayat

Allama Majlisi, in volume 107 of *Bihar al-Anwar*, cites from Ahmad ibn Muhammad Ma’sum with the following chain: “I narrate from my master and parents, Muhammad Ma’sum, in writing, who narrates from his teacher Mulla Muhammad Amin Jurjani, who narrates from his teacher Mirza Muhammad Astarabadi by reading, who narrates from Abu Muhammad Muhsin verbally and by permission. Abu Muhammad Muhsin said: My father Ali narrated from his father Mansur, from his father Muhammad, from his father Mansur, from his father Muhammad, from his father Ibrahim, from his father Muhammad, from his father Ishaq, from his father Ali, from his father Arabshah, from his father Amir, from his father Amiri, from his father Hasan, from his father Husayn, from his father Ali, from his father Zayd, from his father Ali, from his father Muhammad, from his father Ali, from his father Ja’far, from his father Ahmad, from his father Ja’far, from his father Muhammad, from his father Zayd, from his father Ali, from his father Husayn, from his father Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon them), who said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) say: ‘Do not curse Ali, for he is absorbed in the essence of God, Exalted.’”

Do not curse Ali, for he is captivated and beloved in God’s exalted essence.

Hadith on Luminous Knowledge

We conclude with a hadith cited by Muhammad Baqir Majlisi at the beginning of volume 26 of *Bihar al-Anwar*, in the chapter on rare narrations about Imamate, from an ancient book. This hadith is known as the narration of knowing Amir al-Mu’minin by luminosity. Its chain shares the fate of the *Jannah al-Asima* narration. All we said about the necessity of content-based comprehension applies here.

Majlisi, with 36 years of effort and a team of over a thousand, compiled *Bihar al-Anwar*. He stated his motivation: “After mastering well-known, circulated books, I pursued credible, neglected sources abandoned over long eras, either due to the dominance of opposing rulers and misguided leaders, the prevalence of false sciences among ignorant claimants of virtue, or the negligence of later scholars.”

Majlisi explicitly states that he compiled *Bihar al-Anwar* to preserve Shi’a hadith heritage, preventing its destruction due to misguided rulers’ policies, Sunni scholars’ malice, or the negligence of false claimants. These factors were detailed earlier in a painful account.

Majlisi cites the luminosity hadith from a neglected book, no longer extant, possibly lost to cultural plunder by Jewish or Western colonial efforts targeting ancient Shi’a manuscripts. The hadith states: “I say: My father, may God have mercy on him, mentioned seeing this narration in an ancient book compiled by one of our hadith scholars on the virtues of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him). I also found it in an ancient book containing many narrations.”

“It is narrated from Muhammad ibn Sadaqa, who said: Abu Dharr al-Ghifari asked Salman al-Farsi, may God be pleased with them, ‘O Abu Abdillah, what is the knowledge of Imam Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) by luminosity?’ Salman said, ‘O Jundab, let us go ask him.’ Abu Dharr said: We went to him but did not find him. We waited until he arrived. He said, ‘What brings you here?’ They said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, we came to ask about your knowledge by luminosity.’ He said, ‘Welcome, two loyal friends steadfast in faith, never falling short. By my life, such knowledge is obligatory for every believing man and woman.’”

“Then he said, ‘O Salman and O Jundab!’ They replied, ‘Here we are, O Amir al-Mu’minin.’ He said, ‘No one perfects faith until they know me to the depth of my luminous knowledge. When they know me thus, God has tested their heart for faith, expanded their chest for Islam, and made them insightful knowers. Whoever falls short of this knowledge is doubtful and hesitant.’”

“‘O Salman and O Jundab!’ They said, ‘Here we are, O Amir al-Mu’minin.’ He said, ‘Knowing me by luminosity is knowing God, Mighty and Exalted. Knowing God is knowing me by luminosity. This is the pure religion, as God said: “They were not commanded except to worship God, sincere in religion, inclining to truth, to establish prayer, and give zakat. That is the upright religion” (Quran, 98:5). He means they were commanded with Muhammad’s prophethood (peace be upon him and his family), the tolerant Muhammadan religion. His saying, “They establish prayer,” means whoever upholds my wilayat has established prayer. Upholding my wilayat is arduous, unbearable except by a close angel, a sent prophet, or a tested believer. An angel, if not close, cannot bear it; a prophet, if not sent, cannot bear it; a believer, if untested, cannot bear it.’”

“Salman said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, who is the believer, and what are faith’s limits, so I may fully know it?’ He said, ‘O Abu Abdillah!’ I said, ‘Here I am, O brother of the Messenger of God!’ He said, ‘The tested believer is one who does not reject anything of our command. God expands their chest to accept it, and they neither doubt nor hesitate.’”

“‘Know, O Abu Dharr, I am God’s servant, Mighty and Exalted, and His vicegerent over His servants. Do not make us lords. Say what you wish of our virtues, for you will not reach the essence or limit of what is in us. God, Mighty and Exalted, has given us greater and grander than what any speaker describes, I describe to you, or crosses your heart. When you know us thus, you are truly believers.’”

This hadith does not end here but continues. We have excerpted only the segments aligning with the hadith “Had it not been for you, I would not have created the aflak,” especially the advice against rejecting narrations of virtues. The rest is accessible from its source.

This hadith speaks of the Ahl al-Bayt’s special attention and attraction, resulting in knowledge of difficult, lofty truths. These truths are beyond others’ acknowledgment, let alone comprehension. This level of knowledge is granted to those devoted to the Ahl al-Bayt, chosen through divine attraction for annihilation in God, above tested believers and close ones defined in this hadith.