Sources of the knowledge of the Apostles of God

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IntroductionThere are the hardships of the apostles. (1)

1. The apostles initially get the truthful knowledge from the revelations of God that are sometimes sent down through the angels or through other means like the verses 192 to 195 of Surah Shuara:

“Verily this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds: with it came down the truthful spirit: to your heart so that you may admonish in plain Arabic.”

There are various kinds of revelations that will be discussed in the proper place.

2. The other source of the knowledge of the apostles is the spiritual and the unseen (God), so God has strengthened their realization so that they can achieve the truth. It is because of this that the screens are removed from the unseen sphere and they are able to envision it. This has been clarified by Him when he spoke about Abraham in verse 75 of Surah Anam.

“We also did show Abraham the kingdom of heavens and the earth, that he may have certitude.”

This is why they have the awareness of the spiritual world and also the knowledge of the angels. Most of the increase in their enlightenment is through their inner realizations and spiritual deliberations. In other words, they do not attain realization through the known world as we do. They of course are able to attain the greater truth because of their method of enlightenment.

The third is through their travels and astronomical observations which they undertake on the commands of god and this is why they have been able to attain the knowledge of the various dimensions of this existing universe. This is also found in the Meraaj or the celestial journey that the Messenger undertook.

It is said in Verse 1 of Surah Isra:

“Glory is for Him who carried His servant by night from Masjidal Haraam to the farthest mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa) whose precincts we have blessed, that We may show him Our signs; Verily He is the all-hearing, the all-seeing.”

This is the first kind in Meraaj but the second kind begins with Masjidol Aqsa and reaches up to the Samawat that have been spoken about in the verse 18 of Surah Najm:

“Indeed he saw the greatest signs of his Lord”

There are other verses that speak about the Meraaj in a usual manner. We also find Islamic that I have written about in details which tell us that the Messenger gathered a lot of information in that journey (Meraaj)

It is also the same about the divine light that enlightened his heart and soul and as a result his status of knowledge became far greater and he joined the group of Aalaelliyeen.

4. The fourth kind that is found in the various verses of the Qura’n is the Ruhul Qudus through whom the apostles were confirmed, strengthened and guided.

The word Ruhul Qudus has been used 4 times in the Qura’n. The. Once for Jesus, another time for the Holy Messenger. Qura’n speaks about Jesus in verse 87 of Surah Baqarah:

“We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear evidence and aided him with the Holy Spirit (Ruhul Qudus)

Then the Qura’n speaks in verse 110 of Surah Maidah, about the speech of Jesus from his cradle and says:

“When I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit that you spoke to the people from your cradle.”

We read about the Holy Messenger in verse 102 of Surah Nahl:

“Say, “The holy Spirit has brought Has brought it down from your Lord in truth.”

The commentators have mentioned two meaning for the term Ruhul Qudus: First is the carrier of the revelations Arch Angel Gabriel and second that special force of God which no one knows but the apostles sent by God. The verse is concerned or linked with the Last Messenger. The verses connected with Jesus have the other meaning and they confirm that he spoke from his cradle and that he raised the dead.

This Holy Spirit is the fountainhead of great revelations for the apostles of God.

It is clarified by the verses that the Ruhul Qudus helps the righteous people (According to their enlightenment in religion). He helps the righteous orators, and poets in their narratives and their poetries. The true believers gain benefits through him.

Various traditions tell us that the Ruhul Qudus is with the apostles and other infallible ones and they discern the truth through him. From various hadiths we learn that the apostles and the righteous people used to get help in solving ecclesiastical problem through Ruhul Qudus.

This is confirmed even for Hassan Ibn Thabit. The Messenger spoke to him, “the Ruhul Qudus will stay with you till the time you leave us. (Safinatol Behar the narrative about Kumait)

In the same way it is said about the poet of the Ahlulbait Kumait. Imam Baqir spoke to him, “You will always have the confirmation and support of Ruhul Qudus. (1) Similar meanings have come for Da'balul Khizaie when he recited the very famous Psalm “ Madareso Aayat in the presence of Imam Reza and when he reached the stanza regarding the occultation of Imam Mehdi:

“The occultation of the Imam is nothing impossible. He is forbears the name of God and His graces.

Imam Reza wept while hearing this and then said, “O Da’bal these words have been placed on your tongue by Ruhul Qudus. Do you know who this Imam is?” Da’bal said, “Certainly. But I do not more than the fact that he will be among your progeny, will have a second coming and will fill this world with justice. So the Imam confirmed and praised his words and spoke in details about the occultation of the Mehdi and said that he will be the 12th Khalifa of the Last Messenger. (Al Ghadeer part 2 page 355)

We read in one of the traditions of Imam Sadiq was asked by one of his companions, “Are you ever asked about something about which you have no knowledge?” the Imam replied, “Yes it is often so.”

The narrator said, “Then how do you answer? “

The Imam said, “This is realized through Ruhul Qudus” (2)

In another hadith we read that one companion of Imam Baqir said, “I asked the Imam about the knowledge of the Aalim (This means the Apostles, Imams and the infallible ones)

The Imam answered, “O Jabir the apostles and the Imams have five kinds of angels like Ruhul Qudus, and Ruhul Eman……. So O Jabir it is through the Ruhul Qudus that they know all about the things under the Arsh and under the land.” (3)

In yet another hadith from Imam Baqir about this verse (verse 52 of Surah Shuara) in which he said, “This Ruh was instilled into the Last Messenger when he went on the journey of Meraaj and it remains with us from that day.” (4)

It is clear from this description that this Ruh too is a spring of knowledge and awareness for the apostles of God. It is not Gabriel. It is a reality instilled in him through the Last Messenger.

5. The fifth method of their realization of knowledge is the extra-ordinary intelligence (Al Aqlul Khariq) which God has instill in the apostles and the Imams. They are able to discern the greater amount of reality and truth through it. The intelligence of the apostles of God is vaster than the normal human beings. This is the reason that they are able to discern the truth more than others.

We will now describe the events on the eve of Hijarah Lailatol mubeet (when the secretly migrated to Medina from Makkah and left Hazrat Ali to sleep on his bed.) the elders of Quraysh came to the house at dawn and found Ali sleeping on the Messenger’s bed they cried out, “ Where is Mohammad?” Hazrat Ali answered, “Did you leave him with me? Did you not say that you will exile him from your city? He last left you!” Saraqa Ibn Malik Al Makhzumi said, “You will not be able to find him so do not spare Ali”

The atmosphere became fragrant because of him. Abu Lahab decried, “Stop him! We have been fooled that he is Mohammad. He has placed his soul for him.”

Hazrat Ali turned to him and said, “O Abu Jahal God has bestowed so much knowledge upon me that if it is distributed among all the ignorant and instable people they would all become intelligent. And if it is distributed among those without sincerity then all the insincere would become sincere. (5)

If this be the case of the intelligence of Hazrat Ali as is proven then consider how great it would be in the persona of the Last Messenger who has a more prominence state of existence?

So it is proven that the apostles of God are endowed with extra-ordinary knowledge and authority and they are the fountainheads of knowledge themselves.

 The sixth path is that of the knowledge that they inherit from their predecessors. There are various proofs that the apostles of God transferred their knowledge and experience to those that inherited their mantle.

Some commentators have explained verse 16 of Surah Naml that “Aris” here means his inherited knowledge and acumen or it means total inheritance that includes knowledge and enlightenment.

Some commentators have explained the verse 6 of Surah Maryam and said that the inheritor means the inheritor of knowledge while they included all other kinds of knowledge also. (6).

“Who shall inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob.”

We read in various hadiths that the knowledge of the names that God bestowed upon Adam did not die with his death but were transferred to his righteous progeny. Imam Baqir is reported to have said in one such hadith:

“The knowledge that came with Adam has not become extinct.”

Knowledge is inherited and Ali was a learned teacher of this Ummah. His knowledge did not die out after him but he appointed a successor for it as God willed. (1)

In another hadith Imam Baqir is reported to have said:

“Mohammad inherited knowledge from the apostles who preceded him.”

All these five origins are the cause of the apostles’ knowledge and not just for the issues being discussed and are attached to the awareness of religion and the commandments but in every other kind of knowledge the case is the same though they are auxiliary to the knowledge that is the base for his Mission and its objectives. (Reflect)

 


 

1. Al Ghadeer vol.2 page 202 the details about Kumait
2. Behar-ol-Anwar vol.25 page 56 Kitabol Imamat hadith 19. Similar incidents have been recorded in hadiths 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 also.
3. As above. Page 55 hadith 15 and the same with a little difference can be found in hadiths 14, 25 and 26.
4. As above page 61 hadith 37
5. Behar-ol-Anwar vol. 19 page 83
6. The others who have written about it are Aloosi in Tafsir Ruhul Ma’ani and Syed Qutub in Tafsir Fi Zalalol Qura’n.
7. Usul Kafi vol.1 page 222 chapter entitled “The Imams are the inheritors of knowledge.”, and see also vol.2 4, 5, and 8 on the same subject. The same meaning is found in other hadiths about the Imams of the Ahlulbait.
8. As above. Page 224 chapter “The Imams are the inheritors of knowledge. Vol.2

 

IntroductionThere are the hardships of the apostles. (1)
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