Knowledge Of The Imam's (as)

[muhibb-ali]

Here is a great narration of the knowledge of the Imam's (as) and reason behind the actions of Imam Ali (as), Imam Hasan (as) and Imam Husain (as) against the oppressors (curse be upon them) of their times.

What is important to note here is the tone that Imam Baqir (as) uses.

مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ ضُرَيْسٍ الْكُنَاسِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ وَ عِنْدَهُ أُنَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ عَجِبْتُ مِنْ قَوْمٍ يَتَوَلَّوْنَا وَ يَجْعَلُونَا أَئِمَّةً وَ يَصِفُونَ أَنَّ طَاعَتَنَا مُفْتَرَضَةٌ عَلَيْهِمْ كَطَاعَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص ثُمَّ يَكْسِرُونَ حُجَّتَهُمْ وَ يَخْصِمُونَ أَنْفُسَهُمْ بِضَعْفِ قُلُوبِهِمْ فَيَنْقُصُونَا حَقَّنَا وَ يَعِيبُونَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ أَعْطَاهُ اللَّهُ بُرْهَانَ حَقِّ مَعْرِفَتِنَا وَ التَّسْلِيمَ لِأَمْرِنَا أَ تَرَوْنَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى افْتَرَضَ طَاعَةَ أَوْلِيَائِهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ ثُمَّ يُخْفِي عَنْهُمْ أَخْبَارَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ يَقْطَعُ عَنْهُمْ مَوَادَّ الْعِلْمِ فِيمَا يَرِدُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِمَّا فِيهِ قِوَامُ دِينِهِمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَ رَأَيْتَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِ قِيَامِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَ الْحَسَنِ وَ الْحُسَيْنِ ع وَ خُرُوجِهِمْ وَ قِيَامِهِمْ بِدِينِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَ مَا أُصِيبُوا مِنْ قَتْلِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ إِيَّاهُمْ وَ الظَّفَرِ بِهِمْ حَتَّى قُتِلُوا وَ غُلِبُوا فَقَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع يَا حُمْرَانُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَدْ كَانَ قَدَّرَ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ قَضَاهُ وَ أَمْضَاهُ وَ حَتَمَهُ عَلَى سَبِيلِ الِاخْتِيَارِ ثُمَّ أَجْرَاهُ فَبِتَقَدُّمِ عِلْمٍ إِلَيْهِمْ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص قَامَ عَلِيٌّ وَ الْحَسَنُ وَ الْحُسَيْنُ ع وَ بِعِلْمٍ صَمَتَ مَنْ صَمَتَ مِنَّا وَ لَوْ أَنَّهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ حَيْثُ نَزَلَ بِهِمْ مَا نَزَلَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ إِظْهَارِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ عَلَيْهِمْ سَأَلُوا اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ عَنْهُمْ ذَلِكَ وَ أَلَحُّوا عَلَيْهِ فِي طَلَبِ إِزَالَةِ مُلْكِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَ ذَهَابِ مُلْكِهِمْ إِذاً لَأَجَابَهُمْ وَ دَفَعَ ذَلِكَ عَنْهُمْ ثُمَّ كَانَ انْقِضَاءُ مُدَّةِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَ ذَهَابُ مُلْكِهِمْ أَسْرَعَ مِنْ سِلْكٍ مَنْظُومٍ انْقَطَعَ فَتَبَدَّدَ وَ مَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ الَّذِي أَصَابَهُمْ يَا حُمْرَانُ لِذَنْبٍ اقْتَرَفُوهُ وَ لَا لِعُقُوبَةِ مَعْصِيَةٍ خَالَفُوا اللَّهَ فِيهَا وَ لَكِنْ لِمَنَازِلَ وَ كَرَامَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْلُغُوهَا فَلَا تَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ الْمَذَاهِبُ فِيهِم‏

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from Durays al-Kunasi who has said that he heard abu Ja‘far (as) the following to an audience of his companions.

"What an strange case is the case with a group of followers! They acknowledge us as the Divine authority over themselves, accept us as their Imam and say that obedience to us is obligatory just as is the case with the Messenger of Allah. They then destroy the veracity of their belief as such and dispute against their own selves due to weakness of their hearts. They then diminish our right and blame those whom Allah has granted evidence to know us as it should be and the (ability) to submit themselves to our Divine authority.

Do you not consider that how would Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, make it obligatory to obey those who possess Divine authority over his servants and then hide from them (people who possess Divine authority) `the new of the heaves and the earth? How would He cut them off of the sources of knowledge that might come to them to maintain their religion?"

Humran then said to the Imam (as), "May Allah, take my soul in service for your cause, how would you explain the case of the uprising of Ali ibn abu Talib, al-Hassan and al-Husayn (as)? They came out and rose up for the cause of Allah, Whose name is so Majestic. How much they suffered and how mercilessly were they murdered at the hands of the rebels? They were defeated, murdered and over powered."

Abu Ja‘far (as) then said, "O Humran, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, had determined it on them. He had decreed, approved and made it unavoidable though the voluntary manner. He then allowed to take place. It, thus, happened with a pre-existing knowledge that had come to them from the Messenger of Allah. Ali, al-Hassan and al-Husayn (as) rose up for the cause of Allah with full knowledge of the consequences and remained silent from us those who remained silent.

Had they, O Humran, when facing what Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, made them to face and suffer defeat at the hands of the rebels (apparent), asked Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, to remove their suffering and would implore Him to destroy the government and kingdom of the rebels He would have answered their prayers and would grant them relief. In such case the destruction of the governments of the rebels and the ending of their time would take place quicker than the dispersal under a great pressure, of beads threaded together. The suffering, O Humran, that befell them, was not because of the sins that they might have committed or the punishment for their opposition to Allah. It was because of the high marvellous position that Allah had prepared and wanted them to reach. Do not let people’s opinions take you away from the right path."

[source: Al-kafi, Vol.1 Pg.262, Chapter: The Imams (as) do have the knowledge of what was and will be, and that nothing is unknown to Them (as)]

Note: Authentic Hadees as per the Sanad analysis. See Miraat-Al-Uqool - Allama Majlisi - Vol.3 Pg.131]

http://www.marefateahlebait.com/know-the-ahlul-bait/knowledge-of-the-imam

Edited May 18, 2012 by muhibb-ali