COGNITION OR ANTICIPATION

One of those things which teach us how to anticipate and are worthy of paying attention, is the issue of Cognition; the cognition of Allah, His Vicegerents and the greatness of their ranks.

            One who has actually stepped forward in the path of Allah’s cognition and the true cognition of His immaculate leaders (a.s.), and with the blessings and bounties of their holiness, his heart has enlightened with the sparkling light of the Divine teaching of Holy Progeny (a.s.), by this means, he will become aware of the rest of his duties and understand that ignorance towards Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is undesirable.

            This brightness is a result of the illumination of Imam’s light; because an Imam (a.s.) enlightens the hearts of his true followers at all times.

            Now pay attention to the following narration:

عن أبي خالد الكابلي قال: سألت أبا جعفر عليه السّلام عن قول اللّه عزّ و جلّ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَ رَسُولِهِ وَ النُّورِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْنا.

فقال: يا أبا خالد، النور و اللّه الأئمّة من آل محمّد صلّى اللّه عليه و اله و سلّم إلى يوم القيامة، و هم و اللّه نور اللّه الّذي أنزل، و هم و اللّه نور اللّه في السماوات و في الأرض. و اللّه يا أبا خالد، لنور الإمام في قلوب المؤمنين أنور من الشمس المضيئة بالنهار، و هم و اللّه ينوّرون قلوب المؤمنين، و يحجب اللّه عزّ و جلّ نورهم عمّن يشاء فتظلم قلوبهم.

و اللّه يا أبا خالد، لا يحبّنا عبد و يتولّانا حتّى يطهّر اللّه قلبه، و لا يطهّر اللّه قلب عبد حتّى يسلّم لنا، و يكون سلما لنا، فإذا كان سلما لنا سلّمه اللّه من شديد الحساب، و آمنه من فزع يوم القيامة الأكبر[1].

“Abu Khalid Kabuli says: I asked Imam Mohammad Baqir (a.s.) regarding this holy verse: Therefore believe in Allah and His apostle and the Light which We have revealed”[2]?

    Imam (a.s.) said: O Abu Khalid! By God, the Light here means the light of the Imams from the Progeny of Mohammad (s.a.w.s.) till the day of Resurrection.

By Allah, they are the Light of Allah which He has sent down.

By Allah, they are the Divine Light in the heavens and on earth.

By Allah, O’ Abu Khalid, the Light of an Imam inside the hearts of the believers is brighter than the Sun shining in the day.

By Allah, they illuminate the hearts of the believers and Allah conceals their light from whomever He wishes, thus their hearts become dark.

By Allah O Abu Khalid, not a single servant loves us and accepts our Guardianship but only after Allah (s.w.t.) purifies his heart, and Allah does not purify the heart of any servant until he submits before us and surrenders against us totally. And when he surrenders against us, Allah keeps protects him from the hardships of reckoning (on the day of Resurrection), and provides him safety from all types of fear and horror of the Day of Judgment”.

             Is it possible that a man’s heart illuminates with the Light of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) but he remains ignorant towards his holiness?