Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History

The day on which we renew our pledge to the Imam of Our Time is the same as Eid al-Ghadir, which commemorates the proclamation of the authority of Amir al-Mu’minin. Following the martyrdom of Imam al-Askari, our covenant and pledge to the Imam of Our Time should be renewed and strengthened—but not with celebration or rejoicing. Rather, we should offer our condolences to the Imam on the loss of his father, hold mourning ceremonies, and recount his father’s virtues.

The verse “Kāf Hā Yā ʿAyn Ṣād” has several inner meanings. One interpretation alludes to Karbala, the martyrdom of the Prophet’s family, Yazid, thirst, and Imam Husayn’s (AS) patience. Another links these letters to divine names such as “Sufficer,” “Guide,” “Guardian,” “All-Knowing,” and “Truthful,” pointing to God’s care for the Shia.

Salām—peace—is one of God’s names, and the Imam of our Time (AJ) embodies God’s beautiful names and is the servant nearest to Him in the divine presence. Greeting him in different states means remembering the most exalted servant in his most exalted states, and drawing closer to the God of the Mahdi. The Imam is the Master of the Age and, by God’s permission, has awareness of every dimension of time.

The Infallibles (AS) are called the pillars of divine unity because they are the intermediaries of God’s grace and embodiments of the primordial nature oriented toward divine unity. Without belief in them, no level of divine unity is attainable, for they transform the moon of divine unity into its sun.

The epithet Abu Salih means “father of the inheritors of the earth.” The righteous—his followers and those who adhere to his teachings—will inherit the earth, and Imam al-Mahdi (AJ) is their leader and father. He is regarded as a father even to the prophets.