Hundred Questions - Speaking Book and Silent Book
Speaking Book and Silent Book
Q43 If the prophets conveyed God's message to the people from the time of Adam (May peace be through him) to the blessed time of the holy Prophet Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny), and thereafter the chain of the Imamat had to begin for the guidance of the people, why did God send the Silent Books with the Prophets, such as the Taurah, the Psalms, the Gospel and the Qur'an?
A43 It should be known that the heavenly Book, the Prophet and the Imam together form one institution of God. They are not contrary to one another that a question may arise of "either it should be this or that". The Book is God's message, the Prophet is His messenger and the Imam is his successor.
It is necessary for God's message that is revealed to a Prophet, and conveyed to the people, to continue to be for the future in the form of a Silent Book. This would not only provide proof for the people that the one who had brought this message was a true messenger but it would also be a source of admonition and a means of guidance for the people. The Imam, as the light and wali-yi amr (one who has Divine authority) has the right and the choice to guide the people, either through shedding light upon the heavenly Book (i.e. interpreting it) or giving them luminous guidance personally.
It is mentioned in the Qur'an in verse (4:54) that God has given to the progeny of Ibrahim (May peace be through him) the Book and Wisdom and has conferred upon them a great (spiritual) kingdom. This means that whether it is the Prophet or the Imam (who are the progeny of Ibrahim (May peace be through him)), the heavenly Book, Wisdom, and the great spiritual kingdom always remain with them.
If there had not been the Silent Book (the Qur'an), through which speech of God would it have been possible to define and describe the Speaking Book (the Imam)? Since there is the Qur'an, therefore there is the light of the Qur'an; since there is the Qur'an therefore there is the Teacher (mu`allim) of the Qur'an; since there is the Qur'an, therefore the status of those who understand its meaning (batin) i.e. the wisdom of ta'wil, is high.
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