Imamate as the protecting vessel of the heart

Rebecca Masterton

3-10-2015

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim

All praise is due to the Truth, and salutations to the one who He sent into this worldly reality
in order to transmit His Light, Muhammad the Chosen One, and His purified progeny, the
Lanterns that still shine in the darkness.

The final confirmation of Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) as the successor of the Holy Prophet (s) at
Ghadeer e Khumm consolidated the cosmic phenomenon of walayah, as commenced with
Prophet Adam (as) at the beginning of this humanity. As the hadith sources have
mentioned, rasuls – or prophets that were sent with a message to humanity – were also
Imams. It is part of the prophetic sunnah, as designated by Allah (swt), that the next leader,
or Imam would be appointed before the death of the previous Imam. Either that successor
was a prophet, a nabi – one who calls the people to consciousness of the Divine, but without
bringing a new Law – or else that successor was an Imam without being either a rasul or a
nabi, but explicating and clarifying the message of the previous messenger or prophet. The
official appointment of Ali ibn AbiTalib as Imam was therefore nothing new or unusual, and
this can be seen by the fact that the people did not object, but rather even congratulated
Imam Ali (as) for having been appointed.

Following his appointment, it was only a matter of time before his betrayal was to
take place, even from those who had been the closest to the Holy Prophet (s), and perhaps
precisely because they had been some of the closest, and so they felt entitled, and they did
not like it that someone younger, and more gifted should rule over them. This betrayal was
not a light matter. It was a fundamental rejection of the will of Allah (swt) as conveyed by
the Holy Prophet (s). The betrayal was perhaps bad enough, but maybe what grieves the
followers of Imam Ali (as) more, is that, as well as the betrayal of the Imam, there was also
bullying, ill-treatment, abuse and manipulation. There was a deliberate strategy to
impoverish and disempower the Ahl al-Bayt (as). Hence the ziyarahs compiled by the Imams
that instruct the Shi‘a to dissociate themselves from those who betrayed them, and those
who assisted the traitors, and those who were pleased with that betrayal. It will be
universally agreed by the Shi‘a that all those who did so were reprehensible and worthy of
contempt.

But what if, having denounced the traitors for their heinous crime – knowingly
rejecting the will of Allah (swt) because of pride –we ourselves become the traitors? The
test, after the appointment of Imam Ali ibnAbiTalib, is then passed on to the umma: those
who were against him, but also those who were for him. The test is passed on to the Shi‘a
of Imam Ali (as), his partisans and followers with regard to affirming their testimony to his

1
walayah, since, affirming the walayah is not just a verbal act, but entails embarking on the
path of self-purification in order to align with the teachings of the Deen.

While we may denounce the companions who gave in to the temptation of worldly
power and betrayed the message; while we may denounce their high-handedness and
deviousness, how can we be sure that we too are not giving in to the temptation of worldly
power, or worldly gains; or behaving in a high-handed manner, or being devious in seeking
to get what we want?

'Imamate is the protecting vessel of the heart'. Affirming the Imamate means turning
the soul to the direction of the Divine, whose presence Imamate transmits to the world.
Deviating from Imamate means following the nafs and our own caliphal tendencies, such as
competing for social position; hypocrisy – being anxious to have the right religious image
while not being just within our own families and communities. We hear of people
denouncing the usurpers of the position of Imam, yet we find that within families who are
the descendants of Shi‘a property and inheritance is usurped. Other caliphal tendencies that
can exist within ourselves include malice towards an innocent person who we may perceive
as being more favoured than us; envy towards what others have in terms of family, property
and possessions; discontent with what has been given to us by Allah (swt) and being
determined to plot or manipulate one’s way to a supposedly better position. This is what
has caused disunity and division among us.

To affirm the walayah of Imam Ali (as) is to affirm the entire message of Islam, as we
know. To hold to his Imamate sincerely is a means of encouragement for us to purify the
heart and soul, to engage in self-reflection and to try to modify tendencies within ourselves
that may act as a barrier between us and the Imam, and between us and Allah (swt).It is
known that each Imam had around him a close, inner circle of companions who could be
trusted to keep his secrets and receive knowledge from the Imam. There were in addition,
other companions outside of that inner circle, and then the lovers and followers of the
Imam. These in their entirety formed a hierarchy of m’umineen. It is said by some scholars
that ascending the hierarchy of hidden Shi‘a around each Imam depended upon any formal
title, but upon the purity of the heart.

I would argue that in today’s world the values of Islam that would enable us to rise
to a higher station, closer to the Imam, are undervalued, or not being practiced, and that
much of the time, the heart is neglected, even within our own practice. The Holy Qur’an
says that Allah (swt) will only accept someone with a ‘sound heart’: a qalb that is salim
(26:89)According to the dictionary, salimmeans ‘sound; intact; unimpaired; undamaged;
unharmed; whole; perfect; flawless; unblemished; good; well; healthy; fit; normal; correct.’
(p. 410). (The Holy Qur’an speaks much of the hidden aspect of the human being, this aspect
which is the heart, and it speaks of its condition. The Holy Qur’an speaks about there being a
sickness in the heart (2:10); about the heart being hardened (2:74); it tells the Holy Prophet
(s) what the hypocritical people were concealing in their hearts, in terms of their thoughts

2
and intentions (3:154); it talks about those who affirm belief with their mouths, but their
hearts do not believe (5:41); it warns us ‘obey not him whose heart We have made
neglectful of Our remembrance’ (18:28). Imam al-Baqir (as) is reported to have said, that
the Shi ‘a cannot benefit from the walayah of the Imam, unless they follow the sunnah as
laid out by the Ahl al-Bayt (as). Loving Ali ibnAbiTalib and wanting to be with him in the
ontological, spiritual sense, is commendable, but it is not sufficient. From the beginning of
his Imamate, what the Imam needed was Shi ‘a who were sound of heart, firm rooted in
their belief, courageous, honest, self-disciplined and ready for sacrifice. We cannot be of any
use to our Imam if we are weak of heart, devious, selfish, or not conversant with the
teachings of the Deen.

We are living in times of turmoil that have been planned by certain powers and
governments. A cloud heavy with negative intentions has been cast over us for the last
fourteen years; a sense of powerlessness and weakness weights upon the hearts of the
Shi‘a. We feel unable to act to affect society in any significant way. We want to affirm our
pledge of allegiance to the Imam and do something for the Ahl al-Bayt (as). I think it can be
agreed that there remains much to be done in our communities, particularly in terms of the
state of the heart. The challenge for the Shi‘a is how to purify the heart and draw near to
the Imam precisely while in these times of darkness. How do we build a community that is a
refuge and a healing, not only for the members of that community, but for non-Shi‘a and
non-Muslims who are suffering and need some respite. We need to be able to open our
doors and to welcome in the non-Shi‘a and non-Muslims. We need to be in a condition
where, in spite of all the challenges, we are moving towards being an exemplary
community, something to be emulated. We need to be a people who can show to others
how to attain mastery over the self, ma’rifah, tranquillity, self-control, wisdom, beauty of
speech and conduct.

The Holy Prophet (s) said, ‘Allah (swt) has receptacles on the earth, and verily they
are the hearts. The most beloved of hearts to Allah are the softest ones, the purest ones,
and the firmest ones: those that are softest to their brothers, those that are pure from sins,
and those that are firmest in the path of Allah.’ (Kanz al-Ummal, no. 1225 in al-Mizan, p.
922). Imam Ali (as) said, ‘The heart is the book of the sight.’ (al-qalbmushaf al-basar). Imam
al-Baqir (as) said, ‘Embark upon softening the heart through constant dhikr in places of
seclusion.’ (Tuhaf al-‘Uqul, al-Mizan, p. 930)

To build an exemplary community for future generations we need to try to observe

our own conduct and try to avoid being unjust in word and action. Being unjust in word and
action is probably one of the main causes of conflict between friends, family and
community. The Holy Qur’an says that Allah (swt) created different nations so that we may
come to know one another. What about coming to know one another within our own
communities? Taking the time to understand each other and respect each other. Imam Ali
(as) said that justice is putting everything in its right place. This means knowing what is the

3
right thing to say and how to say it and when. It means knowing the correct action to take
and how to take it and when. This is an entire science that requires a lot of self-reflection
and self-modification. It means training ourselves not to respond to emotion, but to reflect
for three days before we say something and three days after it, as Imam Ali (as) advised. It
also means teaching the next generations through love, explanation and advice,
encouraging them to become thinking children who understand their Deen and are at peace
with it. There are challenging times ahead with the next generation needing a clearer
understanding of the path of walayah and how it applies to their lives in this secular, post-
modern world. It’s all of our responsibility to learn to study the texts, and to understand
their true applicability to us as individuals, so that each individual can become a wise,
beautiful contributor to the Shi‘ijama’a and the world and make the world a better place
simply by knowing themselves, knowing their Imam and knowing Allah (swt) and
transmitting that wisdom for the benefit of others. This may actually in the end save Shi‘i
lives, and the lives of others, and build something positive for the future.