The status of Hazir Imam
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| Mawlana Hazir Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni |
Question: In the spiritual and luminous sense we give paramount
importance to the Imam of the age, how should we preset the philosophy of the
physical holiness of the Imam when non-Ismailis, particularly Christians,
question us?
Answer: You are quite right in posing this question for it sis the
physical aspect of the Prophet and the Imam, which is the greatest problem for
people. However, what is the common people understand according to their fancies
is not true. The truth is attainable in the light of the instructions of God,
the Prophet and the guiding Imams. So, according to there is a difference among
souls. That is, among souls and bodies some are pure and some are impure. The
first and foremost pure are those people whom God has purifies in order that
they may purity others form all kinds of dirt and impurity. This mean that the
prophet and the Imam are themselves pure, and therefore they teach their
followers to purity themselves and they purity them in every respect. As it is
mentioned in many verses of the Qur’an how the Prophet used to purity the
people, such as verses (2:150 -151) in which God says: “His favour will be
completed and it will continue in future so there should not be any lack of
guidance”. Then He says: “this favour is the one that we appointed a messenger
from among you, who recites unto you our ayat (signs) [from the physical and
spiritual worlds] and thus he purifies you and teaches you the Book (al-kitab)
and Wisdom (al-hikmat), and teaches you that which you knew not”.
In these verses in mentioned that action of the prophet and
the Imam whereby they purity their followers. Since they purity their
followers, this necessitates that they themselves be pure. When it is accepted
that they are pure then it is automatically proven that all their physical necessities.
Such as eating, drinking and marriage etc. are also pure. Thus the Prophet and
the Imam re pure not only with respect to their spirit and light but also with
respect to their body. It is because of this that they are locus of
manifestation (mazhar) of Divine Light, and with whatever reverence and
greatness you may consider him Is correct, for he is the rank for the Divine manifestation.
As for the Christians, if we study their dogma or if we ask
them directly whether they accept the Prophets before Jesus or not, it is not
possible for them to say that they do not accept the Prophets before Jesus. If they
accept them it leads to the logical conclusion that as there was the continuity
of divine guidance prior to him, similarly there must be the continuity of
divine guidance after him. But it is not necessary that they should be darwishes like Jesus. For instance,
ponder on this point that Jesus did not marry. If this attributes is necessary
and obligatory, Christians should put this attribute into practice as a
tradition. It is obvious that they cannot follow it, for this will result in
the cessation of humankind. Nor do they as a whole want to be hermits and darwishes like. This leads to the conclusion
that there is no doubt about Jesus’ being a true prophet, but it is not
necessary that the birth, death and life of all Prophets and Imams be like that
of Jesus.
