Ayatullah Sayyid Mujtaba Nur Mufidi: The Imam of the Age’s (may Allah hasten his reappearance) Encompassment and Care for Humanity

Since we usually read a narration in this Wednesday lesson, and now it is also near the middle of Sha’ban, … there is a narration from the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his reappearance) who states: “إِنَّا غَيْرُ مُهْمَلِينَ لِمُرَاعَاتِكُمْ وَ لَا نَاسِينَ لِذِكْرِكُمْ وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِك َ لَنَزَلَ بِكُمُ اللَّأْوَاءُ وَ اصْطَلَمَكُمُ الْأَعْدَاءُ”—“Indeed, we are not neglectful of your care, nor are we forgetful of your remembrance; and had it not been so, hardship would have befallen you, and enemies would have eradicated you.” We never neglect caring for you, nor do we forget you; we neither neglect you nor do we forget you. Were it not so—meaning, if we were to forget you or neglect you—hardships and troubles would encompass you. That is, so much adversity would descend upon you that enemies would eradicate you entirely, cutting you off from the very roots.

This statement is deeply impactful, bearer of glad tidings, and a warning; that is, it both instills hope in human beings that the Imam does not abandon his followers, devotees, and Shia. Not only does he not abandon them, but he also states, “we do not forget you.” It is extremely important that each and every one of us feels that we are in the remembrance (dhikr) of Hazrat Vali-e Asr (may Allah hasten his reappearance). Suppose right now a professor tells you, “I will never forget you”—what a sense of delight overcomes a person to know that they exist in a corner of someone’s mind. Consider if a Marja’ (source of emulation), or the leader of a country, or the Axis of the Universe (Qutb) says to us, “we do not forget you.” If we think about how it is possible for them not to forget anyone despite such a vast number of human beings, enthusiasts, soldiers, and devotees, this is nothing difficult for a personality with the existential scope (sa’ah-ye wujudi) of the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his reappearance). It is we who suffer from existential narrowness (diiq-e wujudi) and cannot combine multiple things at once. Does God ever become unaware of the condition of His servants? Can the flight of a bird or a mosquito ever fall outside the domain of Divine Power? The Perfect Human (al-Insan al-Kamil) is the same; would the Perfect Human, by virtue of his existential capacity, not have oversight over all contingents, given that he is the most noble (ashraf) of all creation?

Therefore, his statement, “we do not forget you,” is a reality; this is exceedingly hopeful for human beings. “Indeed, we are not neglectful of your care” means we do not neglect your condition. It is deeply reassuring that the Imam is both mindful of us and watches over us, like a father who constantly looks after his children. However, we tend to think that their care means every single desire we have must be granted.

Yet, at the same time, this is also a warning and an admonition: they also have oversight over our straying and our uprightness; they see our mistakes. If, God forbid, we commit a sin, violate a right, or utter an improper word, it is not hidden from their eyes. For the Imam himself explicitly states: “فَإِنَّا يُحِيطُ عِلْمُنَا بِأَنْبَائِكُمْ وَ لَا يَعْزُبُ عَنَّا شَيْ‏ءٌ مِنْ أَخْبَارِكُمْ”—“Indeed, our knowledge encompasses all your news, and nothing of your condition is hidden from us.” This is the explicit statement of the Imam. If we think that merely expressing love, affection, and devotion to Imam Zaman (may Allah hasten his reappearance) is sufficient, this is wrong. If we assume that, God forbid, the Imam is unaware of our errors and lapses and that expressing devotion alone is enough, we are mistaken. No, all our mistakes and lapses fall within the knowledge and awareness of His Eminence. We must be both joyful and vigilant, both concerned and delighted: concerned about our own actions, behavior, and speech, and vigilant and aware regarding our life path. Not only physical actions (fi’l-e jawarihi), but inner heart actions (fi’l-e jawanahi) are also not hidden from them. What passes through our minds and inner souls—God forbid, moral vices, envy, grudges, suspicions, malice—ultimately, all of these are manifest on the canvas of existence and are visible.

God willing, may Almighty Allah grant us the success (tawfiq) that our actions and behavior meet the pleasure of that holy existence