The Real Test of this Dunya: Chapter 1

Ma’rifa Chapter 1

Introduction

“And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.” (32:24)

A brother once asked me a question that had me confused. He said that Allah clearly states that He does not order immorality in the verse (7:28). Yet Allah simultaneously permitted Satan to deviate mankind, as a test for them. How is this possible?

The answer turned out to be an enlightening one, something that gives insight to the entire purpose of life.

[al-Kafi, volume 1 page 128]

‘From Muhammad ibn Mansour who said, I asked Abu ‘Abdullah (al-Sadiq) regarding the word of Allah, “And when they commit an immorality, they say, "We found our fathers doing it, and Allah has ordered us to do it." Say, "Indeed, Allah does not order immorality. Do you say about Allah that which you do not know?"” (7:28)

He (the Imam) said to me; ‘Have you seen anyone claim that God commanded fornication and drinking wine or something of these prohibitions?’ 

I (narrator) said: “No”.

The Imam said: “what is this immorality that they claim God commanded them to do?”

I said, “Allah and His Wali know best”.

He (the Imam) said : ‘This is about the Imams of wrongdoing. They claim that God commanded them to follow a people (when in reality) God did not command them to follow (the wrongdoer Imams). 

God refuted them and replied with that to them, And He has informed others that they have spoken lies about Him - therefore, they were labelled as obscene talkers.”

 عدة من أصحابنا، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن الحسين بن سعيد عن أبي وهب عن محمد بن منصور قال: سألته عن قول الله عز وجل: " وإذافعلوا فاحشة قالوا وجدنا عليها آبائنا والله أمرنا بها قل إن الله لا يأمر بالفحشاء أتقولون على الله ما لا تعلمون (2) " قال فقال: هل رأيتأحدا زعم أن الله أمر بالزنا وشرب الخمر أو شئ من هذه المحارم؟ فقلت: لا، فقال: ما هذه الفاحشة التي يدعون أن الله أمرهم بها قلت: اللهأعلم ووليه، قال: فإن هذا في أئمة الجور، ادعوا أن الله أمرهم بالائتمام بقوم لم يأمرهم الله بالائتمام بهم، فرد الله ذلك عليهم فأخبر أنهم قدقالوا عليه الكذب وسمى ذلك منهم فاحشة.

Evaluation:

When Allah says He doesn’t order immorality, He is referring to the Imams of oppression and wrongdoing. He is saying that He does not order following them. The verse, as the Imam explains, isn’t referring to fornication or drinking wine or any other wicked sin. Rather, the verse means that Allah does not order mankind to follow a false Imam.

And this is the true test of this dunya. To identify the rightful Imam and to follow Him, and to stay away from the false Imams and dissociate from them.

“....not (the path) of those who have earned [Your] anger or of those who are astray.” (1:7)

Now the question posed earlier makes sense. Allah permitted Satan to deviate mankind, yes – but as a test to mankind. The test is to not follow Satan, to dissociate from Him. Dissociating from Satan means dissociating from all that Satan orders, i.e sins.

The real salvation, thus, lies in following the righteous Imam, who will never err, who would never issue a ruling that Allah disapproves of. This also necessitates that the Imam being infallible is a must, since we cannot risk following an illegitimate Imam who issues a command, astray from Allah.

Wa Allahu ‘Aalam.