Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History

Each of the Infallible Imams (AS) possesses unique qualities. Imam Hasan’s (AS) role as a guide demonstrates that we need him in order to enter the depths of servitude to God. The emphasis on following his path is because forgetting his authority leaves us trapped and confined in life’s most difficult passes.

The Imam is the truth and spirit that governs the backbone of creation, and creation cannot do without him. When an Imam is martyred, another succeeds him without delay. The wisdom behind the continuity of the Imamate despite oppression lies in the test of creation; the establishment of the order of truth in its fullness will come to pass at the end of time.

The story of removing an arrowhead from Imam Ali’s (AS) foot is widely reported and appears in both Shi‘i and Sunni sources. The incident is said to have taken place while he was praying: because he was so absorbed in prayer, the arrowhead was removed without his noticing.

Imam Ali’s (AS) warning against consulting women on political matters need not include women of sound judgment and experience; Dashti’s translation reflects a personal interpretation. It is possible that something was omitted in the transmission or in the manuscripts, since the Commander of the Faithful speaks the truth and would be unlikely to express such a point ambiguously.

The Praiseworthy Station is the most exalted station God grants to the Noble Prophet (PBUH) and his blessed family. It includes privileges such as holding the keys to the divine treasures, sitting upon the Throne, bearing the Banner of Praise, holding the keys to Paradise and Hell, and exercising a special right of intercession. On the Day of Resurrection, all will envy those who attain this station.

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.