Hello,
How can we distinguish genuine encounters from mistaken experiences or false claims by people who say they have received instructions from the Imam of Our Time, peace be upon him? Is there a way to assess the validity of such experiences that is consistent with religious teachings and reason?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
How can we recognise a genuine encounter with the Imam of Our Time?
The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)
There is no evidence to substantiate claims of an encounter. Those blessed with an audience with the Imam of Our Time (AJ) shine like the sun; recognizing them takes perceptive eyes and an open heart. The Imam of Our Time (AJ) is present and radiant throughout society, yet people fail to notice.
Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)
Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural CenterThere is no reason to claim an encounter that would require verification!
Anyone blessed with the honor of such an encounter will shine like the sun; perceiving it calls for eyes that see and a heart that is awake!
Our Imam of the Age flows through our community like a river and shines like the sun, yet people pay no attention. Those who are blessed with an audience before His Eminence are not themselves superior to the station of the Imam!
Just as understanding the Book of God, His Prophet and His Successor requires a nature that seeks and searches, sensing the fragrance of the Eminences through those granted an audience at His court requires an awakened sense of smell!