[Introduction]

The status of reason

Different roles of reason

Role of Reason in understanding Moral Values

Faith & Reason

The Nature of Faith

Faith requires reason

Faith supports and strengthens reason

Authority

Principle One: Obedience belongs only to God

Principle Two: Human freedom

Principle Three: Delegation of obedience

Principle Four: Authority of the Prophet

First: Delivering Divine Message

Second: Judgement

Third: Rule

Principle Five: Delegation of the Prophet’s Authority to Imam Ali and successive Imams

Principle Six: Delegation of the authority of Imams to the jurists

Who is a faqih?

The role of jurists in the time of minor occultation

Bibliography

Reason, Faith & Authority: a Shiite Perspective

Third: Rule
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The Prophet as reinforced by himself at Ghadeer al-Khum, had the
position of wilayah, that is, the authority to rule and the people
needed to obey him. The Prophet asked the crowd:

*”Do I not have a greater right on your souls than you yourselves have
on them?”*

They answered with one voice:

*”The Apostle of God has a greater right on our souls than we ourselves
have on them”.*

The Prophet has more authority on the believers than what they have on
themselves. Why? This is because God has this authority and has given it
to the Holy Prophet.


