Questions On Titles

Hujat Ull Islam (proof of Islam)

And what is required to prove something? Some people try to prove it with academic arguments, some have even tried it by military force, and the Prophets (a.s.) even used miracles for their proofs.

So, when a person call himself a proof of Islam, then it follows that he is referring to his character, his whole personality, so that when a person looks at him, then Islam is proven. By looking at him, at his blessed face, listening to his speech, his actions, and his character, the truth of Islam would dawn upon the people. There would be no need to provide any intellectual arguments or proofs.

If you were to now use your common sense a little bit you will realise the gravity of the situation when someone uses this title for himself, as the whole of the building of religion would be based on this foundation and would eventually collapse if the claim turns out to be false.

According to Shiite beliefs, Allah (s.w.t.) gave a complete religion with no deficiencies, through a trustworthy angel to an Infallible Prophet and Infallible Imams. The proof of an infallible religion can only be through an infallible. If a normal person were to be regarded as proof of Islam then all his deficiencies will have to be regarded as the deficiencies of Islam, and in this way the whole religion would become unreliable. The person who is accepted as the proof of Islam would therefore be one who is above any mistakes or disagreements.

QUESTIONS

Do any of these Hujjat Ul Islams claim to be infallible? If not, then how can their incomplete persons be the proof of our complete religion? Ayatollah (Sign Of Allah (S.W.T.))

These have sprung up only recently, in the last hundred years or so. Beforehand, most of them used to be referred to as Sheykhs.

And so I referred to the Book of Allah (s.w.t.) and saw fifty six Divine Verses referring to the Ayatullahs. Well, obviously I cannot use all of them here, for the sake of brevity, but I cannot use only a couple either as that would not do justice to the argument. Therefore I have decided to use as few of them as I could.

Wherever the term Ayatullah has been used, it has been immediately followed by a Fatwa (Verdict) from Allah (s.w.t.) that whoever rejects them, falsifies them, does not place his faith in them, neglects them, denies them, mocks them, turns his face away from them, or fights against them has been referred to as either an unbeliever, person of Hell,

one on whom is Divine Wrath, one whose deeds have been confiscated, the most unjust one, blind, deaf, dumb, one without posterity, an accursed, a loss maker, a transgressor and ungrateful. Phew!

Here they are!

[Shakir 2:39] And (as to) those who disbelieve in and reject My communications, they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide.

[Shakir 2:61] And abasement and humiliation were brought down upon them, and they became deserving of Allah's wrath; this was so because they disbelieved in the communications of Allah and killed the prophets unjustly; this was so because they disobeyed and exceeded the limits.

[Shakir 3:4] Surely they who disbelieve in the communications of Allah they shall have a severe chastisement; and Allah is Mighty, the Lord of retribution.

ٍَ [Shakir 3:21] Surely (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah and slay the prophets unjustly and slay those among men who enjoin justice, announce to them a painful chastisement.

[Shakir 3:22] Those are they whose works shall become null in this world as well as the hereafter, and they shall have no helpers

[Shakir 6:39] And they who reject Our communications are deaf and dumb, in utter darkness; whom Allah pleases He causes to err and whom He pleases He puts on the right way.

[Shakir 6:49] And (as for) those who reject Our communications, chastisement shall afflict them because they transgressed.

[Shakir 6:157] Or lest you should say: If the Book had been revealed to us, we would certainly have been better guided than they, so indeed there has come to you clear proof from your Lord, and guidance and mercy. Who then is more unjust than he who rejects Allah's communications and turns away from them? We will reward those who turn away from Our communications with an evil chastisement because they turned away.

[Shakir 7:40] Surely (as for) those who reject Our communications and turn away from them haughtily, the doors of heaven shall not be opened for them, nor shall they enter the garden until the camel pass through the eye of the needle; and thus do We reward the guilty.

َُْ [Shakir 7:64] But they called him a liar, so We delivered him and those with him in the ark, and We drowned those who rejected Our communications; surely they were a blind people.

[Shakir 7:72] So We delivered him and those with him by mercy from Us, and We cut off the last of those who rejected Our communications and were not believers.

[Shakir 7:203] And when you bring them not a revelation they say: Why do you not forge it? Say: I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord; these are clear proofs from your Lord and a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe.

[Shakir 10:17] Who is then more unjust than who forges a lie against Allah or (who) gives the lie to His communications? Surely the guilty shall not be successful.

[Shakir 11:59] And this was Ad; they denied the communications of their Lord, and disobeyed His messengers and followed the bidding of every insolent opposer (of truth).

[Shakir 11:60] And they were overtaken by curse in this world and on the resurrection day; now surely Ad disbelieved in their Lord; now surely, away with Ad, the people of Hud.

[Shakir 20:125] He shall say: My Lord! why hast Thou raised me blind and I was a seeing one indeed?

[Shakir 20:126] He will say: Even so, Our communications came to you but you neglected them; even thus shall you be forsaken this day.

[Shakir 20:127] And thus do We recompense him who is extravagant and does not believe in the communications of his Lord, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is severer and more lasting.

[Shakir 31:32] And when a wave like mountains covers them they call upon Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience, but when He brings them safe to the land, some of them follow the middle course; and none denies Our signs but every perfidious, ungrateful one.

[Shakir 39:63] His are the treasures of the heavens and the earth; and (as for) those who disbelieve in the communications of Allah, these it is that are the losers.

You have now seen the Verses about the Ayatullahs and the Fatwas (Verdicts) of Allah (s.w.t.) that have been Issued to those that reject them.

Let us look at this from another angle. Say there are two Mujtahids who call themselves Ayatullahs. One of them has declared something permissible whilst the other one has made it forbidden (e.g. Chess). Can you now tell me whether they are verifying each other or falsifying and opposing each other? You will have to admit that they are actually falsifying and opposing each other.

And yet they both claim to be Ayatullahs. You have seen above the result of the one who falsifies or opposes an Ayatullah. Don't both of these two people come under these Divine Verdicts?

The Holy Infallibles (a.s.) have actually referred to themselves as the Ayatullahs. AL KAFI - H 528, Ch. 18, h1

Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu'alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd Allah from Ahmad ibn Hilal from 'Umayya ibn Ali from Dawud al-Riqqi who has said the following: "Once, I asked abu 'Abd Allah, recipient of divine supreme covenant, about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, 'The signs and warnings are of no avail to the disbelieving people.' (10:101) The Imam said, 'Signs are 'A'immah, and warnings are the prophets, recipient of divine supreme covenant. '" AL KAFI - H 529, Ch. 18, h2

Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from 'Abd al-'Azim ibn 'Abd Allah al-Hassani from Musa ibn Muhammad al-'Ijli from Yunus ibn Ya'qub in a marfu' manner from abu Ja'far, recipient of divine supreme covenant, who has said the following: "In the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, 'However, they rejected all Our signs. . . .' (54:42) 'The signs' are all the successors (of the prophets, recipient of divine supreme covenant).'" HADEETH U TARIQ

The Commander of the Faithul (a.s.) said: O Tariq, The Imam is the Kalama-t-All?h [Word of God] and Waj'ha-t-Allah [Face of God] and Hijaba-t-Allah [Veil of God] and N?ru-Allah [Light of God] and ?ya-t-Allah [Sign of God]. - Bihar Ul Anwaar Vol. 25 H 4 After all this, do you reckon that anyone other than the Holy Infallibles (a.s.) has any right to this title? It looks to me as if some people are taking this title very lightly.

[Shakir 45:34] And it shall be said: Today We forsake you as you neglected the meeting of this day of yours and your abode is the fire, and there are not for you any helpers:

[Shakir 45:35] That is because you took the communications of Allah for a jest and the life of this world deceived you. So on that day they shall not be brought forth from it, nor shall they be granted goodwill.

In Tafseer Safi and Tafseer Qummi, this has been explained in this manner: 'The 'Ayaat of Allah' in this Verse is a reference to the Holy Infallibles (a.s.) and those that mocked them will be told that these are the ones they used to falsify and mock'. The reality is that these claims of theirs to the titles of the Holy Infallibles (a.s.) is to try and equate to them. No one from the olden times up until recently has ever used these titles or even plucked up the courage for it. Sheykh Mufeed and Sheykh Tusi that they revere so much, remained as just Sheykhs, whilst they themselves have gone much further.

QUESTIONS

Why are these Ayatullahs differing from each other in their Fatwas if they are both signs of Allah (s.w.t.), and He (s.w.t.) is only One? If one Ayatullah opposes another Ayatullah, will they both end up in Hell as per the Divine Verses?