Hundred Questions - System of Guidance
System of Guidance
Q22 It is said that in each era messengers of God guided human beings. However, it is incomprehensible that the different continents of the world benefitted equally from Divine guidance?
A22 This question is very important and its answer can cover many important points of the recognition of religion. Thus it should be understood that religion and science in origin are one, like a river or a stream, which in the course of time sometimes divides into two branches also, one is called religion and the other science. Sometimes religion gains prominence and sometimes science, but it should always be kept in mind that where religion and science are one and the same, the exoteric (zahir) and esoteric (batin) too are one, and where they are different, religion is the esoteric and spiritual aspect of human progress and science the exoteric and material aspect of it. This logic leads to the conclusion that whatever man can do through the materiality of science he can also do through the spirituality of religion. For instance, if it is possible today for human beings to converse with each other across distances of thousands of miles on the strength of science, why then should we not believe that guidance from the light of the Prophet used to reach all the countries of the world, for without this the Prophet cannot be a mercy for all the worlds. There used to be 24 hujjats of the Prophet in twelve islands (jaza'ir) around the world and four were in his presence. However, it is not necessary to know the names of all these hujjats, just as it is not necessary to know the names of 124,000 prophets, except his hujjat-i a`zam (the supreme hujjat) who was Imam `Ali.
The number of 124,000 prophets does not mean that they came successively one after the other in this world, rather, there used to be one prophet as the centre of guidance in each time and the rest used to work in different parts of the world as his hujjats and da`is, receiving guidance from the centre according to their spiritual status.
According to the Sunnis, on the occasion of mi`raj, God talked to the Prophet in the voice of Hazrat-i Abu Bakr. Shi`ahs say that the divine conversation was in the voice of Imam `Ali. What I want to say in this connection is on three levels. Reserving two levels, on the preliminary level both are correct. For it is a divine law that when revelation comes it comes through the language and voice of a prophet, or a wali because God has no similitude. This implies that each great prophet used to receive divine guidance in the voice of his minister (wazir).
When it is accepted by the people of all religions of the world that Satan whispers discourses in the carnal soul of the human being with evil, is it against Divine justice to accept that the true Guide inspires the human intellect with good? For, if Satan has this evil power from the Lord, then the Prophet and the Imam should have greater power of good. Further, if Satan can reach all corners of the world [in his astral body] and has his army there, then indeed the true Guide of the time can also reach all corners of the world in his ibda`i body (juththah-yi ibda`iyyah) and has his army in the astral body (jism-i falaki). This army is called [spiritual] hudud-i din (religious hierarchy) and is entrusted with the work of guidance.
Today attempts continue to communicate through telepathy. One day this will be successful and will be considered a common thing between religion and science. Then those who are intelligent will come to know that this has always been there with the Prophets and Imams.
This is a detailed answer to your question, in which it was asked that since in the past there were not the means of communication we have today, how did the whole world become aware of the guidance of the Prophet who is sent to a country. It was explained in the answer that the net of hudud-i din was spread all over the world under one great prophet, who used to guide people according to their understanding and they themselves used to receive spiritual teaching from the centre of guidance. There are many wisdoms for the true mu'mins in this explanation.
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