How Can We Find the Path to God Without His Light?!

Hawzah News Agency | Imam Zayn al-'Abidin (Adornment of the Worshippers), peace be upon him, states in the Sahifah Sajjadiyyah:

«إِنَّمَا یَهْتَدِی الْمُهْتَدُونَ بِنُورِ وَجْهِکَ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِهِ وَ اهْدِنَا.»

“(O God!)Those who are guided have attained guidance only through the light of Your Countenance. Therefore, send blessings upon Muhammad and his Household, and guide us.” (Supplication no. 5)

Explanation:

Guidance is attainable only through divine light, and to ask Almighty God for guidance is, in reality, to ask for light—a light without which one cannot attain the station of guidance.

The Holy Qur’an says:

«فَآمِنُوا بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالنُّورِ الَّذِی أَنْزَلْنا.»

“So have faith in Allah and His Apostle and the light, which We have sent down.” (Taqabun; 64:8)

Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, in his interpretation of this noble verse, states:

«... اَلنُّورُ وَ اَللَّهِ اَلْأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّی اَللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ وَ آلِهِ إِلَی یَوْمِ اَلْقِیَامَةِ وَ هُمْ وَ اَللَّهِ نُورُ اَللَّهِ اَلَّذِی أَنْزَلَ وَ هُمْ وَ اَللَّهِ نُورُ اَللَّهِ فِی اَلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَ فِی اَلْأَرْضِ... .»

“By Allah, what is meant by ‘the light’ is the Imams from the Household of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his Household, and this remains so until the Day of Resurrection. By Allah, they are the very Light of Allah which He has sent down. By Allah, they are the Light of Allah in the heavens and on the earth.” (Al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 194)

It is for this very reason that, in the Friday Ziyarah (supplication) addressed to Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his noble reappearance, we address him in the following words:

«السَّلامُ عَلَیْکَ یَا نُورَاللَّهِ الَّذِی یَهْتَدِی بِهِ الْمُهْتَدُونَ وَ یُفَرَّجُ بِهِ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ.»

“Peace be upon you, O Light of Allah, through whom those who are guided attain guidance, and through whom grief and sorrow are removed from the believers.”

Therefore, in light of the Qur’anic verses and narrations, the only means of connecting with the true Lord and the true Beloved is to connect with the Imam of our time, Imam al-Mahdi, may Allah hasten his noble reappearance. Without understanding and recognizing the Imam, it will be impossible to know Ma'bud (the One who is worshipped); for without light, one can never traverse the path of servitude to God.