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Hundred Questions - Didar (Vision) of Imam

Didar (Vision) of Imam:

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Q86 Why is the physical didar of the Imam of the time so important in the Isma`ili faith? What is the reward in it?

A86

  1. Since the true Prophet is the vicegerent of God and the Imam of the time is vicegerent of the Prophet, hence the didar of the Imam is the didar of the Prophet and the didar of the Prophet is the didar of God.
  2. Those whose obedience is God's obedience, their didar also represents God's didar. Study the subject of command and obedience carefully in the Qur'an.
  3. Sayyidna Qazi Nu`man in his book al-Himmah fi adabi atba`i'l-a'immah on page 46 quotes this Tradition: "Inna'n-nazaru ila wajhi'l-imami cibadah, wa'n-nazaru ila'l-mashaf cibadah" (To look at the face of the Imam is worship and to look at the Qur'an is worship). It is clear that to look at the Imam and the Qur'an with love and devotion is worship.
  4. According to the Qur'an, on the day of Resurrection mu'mins will have the didar of God. The question then arises, how will this didar take place, while God as such is incomparable and invisible? The answer is that this glorious didar will be in the form of the Prophet or the Imam, for the form of the Perfect Man is considered to be the form of God (surat-i Rahman).
  5. It is well known that Adam (May peace be through him) (who was the Perfect Man of his time) was created in God's image. This means that Adam (May peace be through him)'s form and that of the previous Perfect Man were given the status of God's form. It does not mean that God had any specific form like a human being, according to which Adam (May peace be through him) was created.
  6. According to the Qur'an, God breathed His spirit into Adam (May peace be through him). This does not mean at all that God has a spirit of His own, for He is above and free from everything. This rather means that the spirit of the Prophet or the Imam before Adam (May peace be through him), as God's vicegerent, was considered as the spirit of God, and was breathed into Adam (May peace be through him).
  7. Jesus Christ (May peace be through him) is regarded as the 'spirit of God' (ruhu'llah), but it is necessary to know that every Prophet and every Imam is also the Spirit of God. Similarly every Prophet and every Imam is also God's face and their didar is God's didar.
  8. From the above explanation, it is clear that the physical didar of the mazhar of the Divine light, that is the Imam of the time, is very important in the Isma`ili faith and very great reward lies in it. Therefore, greatly blessed are those who have great yearning and enthusiasm for the physical and spiritual didar of the Imam of the time.
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