Why should Imam Zaman (AS) trust our loyalty? The thought-provoking narrative of Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi
Does merely praying for the appearance bring us to our destination? Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, by retelling the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh) and reflecting on Hafez's sonnets, extends the expectation beyond the circle of wishes and emphasizes the necessity of commitment, repentance and practical loyalty; A look that leaves a basic question in front of the waiting society: To prove the merit of accompanying Imam Asr (A.S.), what pledge of action and loyalty have we brought to the field?
According to the Missionary Thought and Culture Base, why does Hafez consider love to be the end of human presence in the workshop of existence, and Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi links the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh) to a test to measure people's loyalty to the divine covenant? The re-reading of these two narratives shows that from the point of view of this religious scholar, reaching the truth of imamate and providing the ground for emergence cannot be achieved only by wish and claim; Rather, it requires purification of the heart from others, repentance, practical commitment and proof of competence in the field of action.
From Hafez Shirazi's point of view, existence is a workshop for learning love; A love that cannot be obtained by claiming and requires emptying the heart of desires and surrendering to the truth. Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, by linking the mystical concepts of Hafez's lyrics to the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh), emphasizes the point that reaching "Yar" and overcoming intellectual weakness is dependent on a promise that a person must prove through action and loyalty. The main one, which also has a central place in the discussion of the foundation of emergence.
According to the Hozha narrative, at the same time as commemorating Hafez Shirazi, in the "Hafiziyah" program of Ma'arif Radio, we will read part of the wise words of the late Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi (RA); The words that raise a fundamental question about the philosophy of life, begin with the purpose of human creation and reach the necessity of individual and social preparation to fulfill the divine promise.
You are a workshop; An opportunity to learn love
At the beginning of his speech, Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi raises a basic question: What was man created for? What is the philosophy of his presence in this world and what is the purpose of this movement in the realm of existence?
To answer this question, he refers to one of Hafez's famous verses:
"The love of the world will never end
You have not studied the intended lesson of the workshop.
In this view, the world is likened to a workshop in which man has attended to learn a fundamental truth; A truth called love. Based on this, if a person spends the opportunity of life, but does not get to know and experience this truth, he has missed the main purpose of his presence in the world.
However, love is not merely a linguistic claim or a fleeting emotion; Rather, it is a path that has its own prerequisites and requirements. In another verse, Hafez describes this path as follows:
"Pay for the house and let it be taken"
From the point of view of Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, this verse expresses two basic stages in love: first, emptying the house of the heart from others, and second, surrendering to the lover's will.
The expression "pay for a house from someone else" means that a person's heart should not be encumbered by ties that prevent him from sincerely connecting with the truth. "Behl ta babard" also indicates the readiness to surrender oneself to the beloved; Surrender that finds meaning after refining.
This perception is also connected with the concept of monotheism. In the phrase "Qolwa la ilaha illa Allah tafalhawa", salvation is associated with the acceptance of God's oneness. According to the mystical interpretation presented in these words, the negation of everything that takes the place of God and the ultimate goal of man in front of God is the prelude to salvation.
Therefore, the one who seeks connection with "friend" should cleanse his heart from the attachments that are incompatible with this connection. The intention is not simply to abandon appearances; Rather, it is an inner transformation and readiness to surrender to the truth.
The story of Hazrat Yusuf (AS); A story of refining the heart and rebuilding trust
To explain this principle, Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi refers to the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh) in the Holy Quran; A narrative in which the return of the Youssef brothers to the truth is accompanied by a test, responsibility and restoration of trust.
When Yusuf's brothers came to him to get provisions, Yusuf (AS) asked them to bring their other brother with them on the next trip. He warned them that if they do not bring this brother, they will no longer benefit from his provision and they will not be allowed to approach him.
The Holy Quran narrates this condition as follows:
"So if you can't do it, why don't you get close to me?"
The meaning of this verse is that bringing the brother along was a condition to have food again and to continue the relationship with Yusuf (pbuh).
After the brothers returned, with difficulty they were able to get the consent of their father, Hazrat Yaqub (AS), to hand over his other child. Yaqub, who had already gone through the bitter experience of losing Yusuf, could no longer trust their promises as before.
"Are you safe on him, except as you were safe on him before?"
That is, can I trust you now about this child as I trusted you before about Yusuf?
In the interpretation of Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, this question is not only a part of a historical story; Rather, it refers to a fundamental issue about trust and loyalty. Someone who has broken his promise before can't be satisfied with new promises in order to gain trust again; Rather, it must show in practice that it has changed.
From this point of view, the story of Yusuf (pbuh) is a story of trying to awaken the conscience of people who must overcome past mistakes and reach a new level of responsibility. In this way, Yusuf and Yaqub (pbuh) are each looking for a way to provide the ground for the return of the brothers to the truth.
From the covenant with Jacob to the question of the nation's loyalty
One of the important axes of this perception is the link between trust and commitment. In the end, Hazrat Yaqub (a.s.) makes the handing over of his child conditional on making a firm promise:
"So when I gave them their trust, God said, ``What do we say and do?''
"For God is the Good, the Protector, and the Most Merciful."
In the continuation of this story, Yaqub (a.s.) states that he will not send his son with them, unless they make a solid agreement before God.
Relying on this part of the story, Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi links the covenant issue to the human relationship with the truth of Imamate. In this framework, waiting for the appearance of Imam Zaman (AS) should not remain only in the form of wish, prayer and expression of interest; Rather, it should be reflected in the individual and collective behavior of humans.
The central question is this: a society that wants the presence of Imam and to enjoy his guidance, to what extent has it adhered to its obligations in practice? Has past historical experience led to behavior modification and increased loyalty, or is there still a gap between claims and actions?
This question highlights the need to review the performance of man and society. Just as Yusuf's brothers were forced to accept a commitment to regain the father's trust, in this view, readiness to accept the truth of Imamate is linked with practical responsibility and loyalty.
divine guarantee; From verbal commitment to practical proof
In the story of Prophet Yusuf (pbuh), it was not possible to hand over Benjamin to the brothers without making a firm agreement. The Qur'anic expression "Mawthiqqa minna Allah" indicates this steadfast commitment; A commitment that was supposed to restore the lost trust and put their honesty to the test.
In the interpretation of Ayatollah Haeri Shirazi, this pact can be seen as a symbol of the necessity of proving loyalty in the path of achieving goodness and truth. From this point of view, a person cannot expect to achieve the goal without correcting his behavior and accepting responsibility, simply by repeating his wishes.
This principle is also raised as a serious question in the context of emergence: has the waiting society shown its readiness in the field of action? Does he keep his promise in the face of difficulties, social responsibilities and moral requirements?
Based on this, historical events and tests are an opportunity to measure people's adherence to the values they speak of. Going through intellectual weakness and reaching the readiness to accept the truth requires that the commitment goes beyond the level of speech and is realized in individual and social behavior.