Necessity of Divine Guide In Every Era -1

Nowadays it has become a fad to question the need of a Divine Guide on the earth. People feel they are capable enough to understand the intricacies of the world and can tackle whatever problem they face.


We will in Insha-Allah in this series of Articles see from traditions the need of Divine Guide in every era and hence prove that in current times Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s) - The Promised One of Allah is the Divine Guide.





Following is a discussion of Hisham ibn Hakam with Amr ibn Ubayd. This discussion is taken from Usul Kaafi, Volume 2( The Book Of Divine Proof), Part 1, H. 3.

‘Ali ibn Ibrahim (–) his father (–) al-Hasan ibn Ibrahim that Yanus ibn Ya‘qũb said:
"A group of companions were gathered round Abu ‘Abdillãh (p. b.u.h.); Humran ibn A‘yan, Muhammad ibn an-Nu‘man, Hisham ibn Salim and at-Taayyãr were in that group. With them was Hishãm ibn al-Hakam, who was young. Abu ‘Abdillãh (p.b.u.h.) said to him: ‘O Hishãm, will you not tell me how you debated with ‘Amr ibn ‛Ubayd ([80/699–144/761], the second most important of the Mu‘tazilites, and the most eminent of his time)? How did you question him?' Hisham replied: ‘O son of the Messenger of Allãh! I respect you too much, and hence I feel shy before you, and I find myself tongue-tied in your presence.’ Abu ‘Abdillah (p.b.u.h.) said: 'When I give you an order, you must carry it out.' Hisham said: 'I was informed of the situation of ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd, and that he was sitting in the mosque of Basrah (teaching). This was distressing for me, so I set out to meet him and reached Basrah on Friday. When I arrived at the mosque of Basrah, I found a large circle surrounding ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd, who was wearing a black woolen cloth round his waist and another over his shoulders. People were asking him questions. I asked the people (who were standing) around him to make way for me, which they did, and I sat upon my knees in the back row of the students (who were sitting). 

Then I said: "O learned scholar! I am a stranger. Will you allow me to ask a question?" 

He replied: "Yes." I said to him: "Do you have eyes?" 

He replied: "O my son! What kind of a question is this? How can you question a thing which you see (clearly yourself)?" 

I said: "But this is my question." 

He said: "O my son! Ask, even though your question may be foolish." 

I told him: "Then answer my question." 

He said: "Ask (it)." I said: "Do you have eyes?" 

He said: "Yes." 

I said: "What do you do with them?" 

He replied: "I see colours and individual things with them." 

I asked: "Do you have a nose?" 

He replied: "Yes." 

I said: "What do you do with it?" 

He replied: "I smell with it." 

I asked: "Do you have a mouth?" 

He replied: "Yes." 

I said: "What do you do with it?" 

He replied: "I taste flavour with it." 

I asked: "Do you have ears?" 

He replied: "Yes." 

I said: "What do you do with them?" 

He replied: "I hear sounds with them." 

I said: "Do you have a heart (the seat of the soul and perception)?" 

He replied: "Yes." 

I said: "What do you do with it?" 

He replied: "I discriminate with it whatever is presented to the parts of my body and (my) senses." 

I asked: "Are you not, with these parts of your body, without need of your heart (soul)?' 

He replied: "No." 

I said: "How can this be when they are quite sound and health?" 

He replied: "O my son! When the parts of the body doubt regarding anything which it smelt, tasted or heard, they refer it to the heart to remove the doubt and replace it with certainty." 

'Hishãm said: 'I said to him: "Has Allãh appointed the heart to remove the doubts of the body?" 

He replied: "Yes." 

I asked: "The heart is necessary; otherwise the parts (of the body) cannot reach certainty." 

He replied: "Yes." I said: "O Abu Marwan! Allãh, the Blessed, the Sublime, did not leave the parts of the body without appointing a guide [Imam] for them so that they might verify the truth and reach certainty about what is doubted. How could He leave all His creatures in confusion, doubt and difference of opinion without appointing anyone as their guide (Imam), to whom they might refer their doubts and confusions, when He has given the parts of your body a guide to whom you can refer your doubts and confusions?" 

He was completely silent, and said nothing to me. After some time, he turned towards me and said: "Are you Hishãm ibn al-Hakam?" 

I replied: "No." 

He asked: "Are you one of his companions?" 

I replied: "No." 

Then he said: "Where do you come from?" 

I replied: "I am of the people of Kũfah." 

He said: "Then you are surely he." 

Then he embraced me and vacated his seat for me. And then he kept silent until I got up.' " 

The narrator said: "Abu ‘Abdillãh (p.b.u.h.) smiled and said: ‘O Hisham! Who taught you this?' Hisham replied: 'It is something which I learnt from you and put together (in this way).' He said: 'By Allãh, this is written in the books of Ibrahim and Musa .' "

From above incident we see that how Hisham logicaly proved that it is necessary to have a Divine Guide. If there was no Divine Guide then there will be utter chaos everywhere.