Taking responsibility before Wilāya ‘s dutifulness.

Professor: Alireza Panāhian

Some people misunderstand the issues of Imāmate, a Wilāya society, or Wilāya obedience. They think that Imām is in charge of everything, he gives orders and other people obey. Yes, His responsibility is defined and he gives orders, and his obedience is necessary, but a Wilāya society never advances having just a single pillar (role). Rather, one pillar is Imām and his responsibility, and another pillar is people and their responsibilities.

We should take notice of the word responsibility, or taking responsibility, before the word obedience.

Who will His Excellency give a command to? To the people who can take responsibility.

What is His Excellency’s most important command? Taking responsibility.

If I cannot take any responsibility, the Imām will be left alone when he comes (Emerges). He is not supposed to do, what is my responsibility instead of me.

It’s like when the parents send their child to school, but they put the responsibility of studying on the shoulder of the teacher, instead of their child.

– We want you to make this child study!

– Oh sir, why do you want us to do so?! Thank God, he’s grown up enough!

A school that does not grow a sense of responsibility in students, and does not put the responsibility of studying on the student, and a parent who does not put the responsibility of studying on their child, will result in a student who is not educated, or if educated, he is of no use to the life or society.

There is a big difference between these three: We who are looking forward to the Emergence, want to put all responsibilities on the shoulder of His Majesty, or do we intend to take responsibility in His Majesty’s government?! Well, if we chose to take responsibility there, plenty of responsibilities are clear now.

So take them, isn’t it fine? That is the Emergence Era. The Emergence Era is the era of taking responsibility. Somehow, the concept of taking responsibility should be highlighted more than the concept of obedience;

Those Rawdahs* that we cry from Fāṭimīyya to the time of Imām Huṣayn (PBUH) [Muharram], are caused by a major weakness. It is not caused by hypocrites, enemies, murderers, etc., they have done their duty!

For example, what do you expect from Shimr1, except doing crimes? From Yazīd, or from Qunfudh2 [mGdths]? That’s the way they are. They can be found in every society. These kinds of people can also be found in Imām Zamān’s (mosbs) society. It cannot be said that they do not exist!

It does not mean that the righteous waits for all the oppressors to die first, then it comes. What caused all these calamities was the political irresponsibility of the people. Her Majesty, pure Zahrā (PBUH) talked to the individual who usurped Fadak1 from her, but she did not come to any conclusion. So she called, ‘O’ You! Helpers’.

The man who usurped Fadak said, ‘I’m ready to give Fadak back to you, only if these people ask me’ Then Her Majesty Zahrā (PBUH) told people. But they drop their head, they even was crying, they loved Her Majesty Zahrā (PBUH).

In our culture, taking responsibility is extremely weak. It is because the most important religious advice that we advisors talk about in television programs is not taking responsibility.

What on earth does taking political responsibility mean? Who will have the power? I’m not engaged directly. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. What do people think of sin? Yes, for example about hijab. What was prominent at the time of Amir al-Mu’minin (PBUH)?

 

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1-     Shimr b. Dhi l-Jawshan, chief of the tribe of Hawāzin and one of the Tabi’un, is one of the most detested figures for the Shi’a, because of his role in the Tragedy of Karbalā. In the beginning, Shimr was one of the companions of Imām ‘Ali (PBUH) but later became an arch-enemy of the Imām (PBUH) and his family.

He had a significant role in the tragedy of Karbalā, including paving the ground for the martyrdom of Muslim b. ‘Aqil, starting the battle on the day of ‘Ashura, leading the left wing of the army of ‘Umar b. Sa’d, murdering Imām al-Huṣayn (PBUH), attacking the tents of the Imām’s family, and trying to murder Imām al-Sajjād (PBUH), and this is why Shimr is cursed in Ziyārāt ‘Ashura. He was defeated by al-Mukhtar al-Thaqafi, and his head was cut off.

2-     He was a man who played an important role in the attack on Imam Ali’s (PBUH) house which led to the martyrdom of Lady Fātimā (PBUH). Some sources stated that he was a slave of Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb and some sources stated that he was a slave of Abu Bakr. His name is recorded as Qunfudh in the book, al-Imama wa l-siyasa. There is no information on the lineage and characteristics of Qunfudh in historical reports.

He was mentioned in historical reports only in the incident of taking an oath of allegiance from Imam Ali (PBUH) for the caliphate of Abu Bakr. Al-Shaykh al-Mufid stated that ‘Umar b. al-Khaṭṭāb sent Qunfudh to Imam’s house to bring him to the mosque. He was ordered to gather wood on the door of his house [to set the house on fire] if Imam (PBUH) refused to come. According to the book, al-Iḥtijāj, when Lady Fātimā (PBUH) tried to stop them from taking Imam Ali (PBUH) to the mosque by force, Qunfudh lashed Lady Fātimā (PBUH). When she was behind the door, he pushed the door and broke her rib and as she was pregnant, it caused her to miscarry her child. Also in Dalā’il al-imama, it is stated that ‘Umar ordered Qunfudh to hit Lady Fātimā (pbuh) with a scabbard.