Recognition of Imam Part III - Key 1 Perfect Power

Key 1 Perfect Power

The power of God, may He be exalted, is called the perfect power. Among the wisdom-filled universal laws of the wise Qur'ān, the first is mentioned in verse (2:20): “Indeed, God is powerful over 'everything' (kulli shay'in).”

Here the most important element is the elucidation of “everything”. “Everything” means, not only the possibilities, but also the impossibilities, because nothing is impossible for God, the Omnipotent. One clear and bright proof of this is that many of the things which were impossible for the ancient sages have become possible due to the scientific revolution, and the chain of such discoveries and inventions continues. It would then not be wrong to estimate that in the coming few centuries, innumerable impossibilities will be included in the possibilities and gradually the concept of impossibility will definitely come to an end.

Thus, what else should be a greater proof of God's omnipotence and of nothing being impossible for Him, than the fact that man, who is one of His creatures, continues every day to make some impossible thing possible? All this is due to His perfect power.

In connection with the discussion of God's perfect power, the discussion of man's power is also broached, for this is not an issue to be ignored. For it is the concept of “impossible” which has closed the doors of knowledge and wisdom and blocked the avenues to progress and success for many nations of the world. Therefore, it should be known that man, whether he is in the field of materiality or spirituality, is the mazhar (manifestation) of God's power. For, it is man through whom all the miracles of God, the Wise, continue to manifest. As God says: “We shall show them Our miracles (ayat) in the external world and in their own souls until it will be manifest unto them that He is the True.” (41:53)

From the above Qur'ānic prophecy, it is clear for the wise that first the miracles of the external and material kind had to appear in this world, a process which still continues. Then the human souls are going to be affected by the advent of the spiritual cycle, due to which there will be the sway of the miracles of a spiritual kind. Therefore, mu'mins should prepare themselves to adjust to the revolutionary cycle of spirituality. How can this preparation be made? It can be made by the knowledge of certainty, the knowledge of the recognition of the Imām and by personal spiritual experiences. Moreover, by reflecting on the universal laws of the wise Qur'ān, which contain the knowledge and wisdom of the laws of everything and the reality and recognition of everything, on the one hand the concept of “impossible” may give way to the concept of “possible” and on the other, the capacity to bear the effects of the spiritual cycle may be created.

As long as man is imprisoned in the narrow and dark boundaries of materialism, lacking spiritual knowledge and unaware of the limitless expanse of possibility, how can he believe that the mercy and knowledge of God, may He be exalted, have made everything possible for humankind! Nothing is impossible. In fact, everything, every word and every deed is possible. Nonetheless, it is true that an appropriate place and a specific time or a necessary condition is fixed for every possible thing. That is, man is going to have countless opportunities of the possibility of [attaining] everything from pre-eternity to post-eternity, from this world to the next and from the spatial world to the non-spatial world. Therefore, it is said that despondency is disbelief. Thus, in this sense it is said: “And He has given you of all you asked of Him” (14:34).

Along with the discussion of God's perfect power and of possibility and impossibility, it is also necessary to briefly mention the external and internal miracles of the Prophets and Imāms and those related to their knowledge and practice. Thus, it is necessary to know that God, the Omnipotent, has appointed the Perfect Men, for the guidance of humankind and made them bearers of the sacred light of Prophethood and Imāmat. He has also favoured them with the spiritual power of numerous kinds of miracles to prove the reality and veracity, so that those who believe in them may believe completely and those who deny them may also believe in them because of the miracles and for those who deny to the extreme limit, the Divine law may pass a verdict on them. Such is the quality and reality of the external and sensory miracles. However, quite often it has so happened that even those who initially believed in the miracles gradually became so habituated that they no longer remained miracles in their eyes. They considered them as ordinary as an article of their daily use. Why did this happen? Because callousness was created in their hearts, due to which their faith diminished day by day. An example of this fact is found in the Qur'ānic story of the children of Israel.

Contrary to this, when the wonders and miracles of faith, certainty, knowledge and wisdom, which are in the true obedience of, devotion to and ardent love for the True Guide, occur frequently to the mu'mins, their faith increases and no danger exists for them in such miracles.

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