Divine Wilayah (Guardianship)

By: Ayatullah Muhammad Taqi Misbah Yazdi
With these introductory statements we conclude that not only the planning of the whole world as a total system is in Allah’s hand, but also every trivial system and every small system has also its own plan which is fulfilled under Allah’s will-power. In the midst of all these, man’s plan, because of his miscellaneous virtues and aptitudes, has very extensive and widespread dimensions each of which necessitates a particular plan (or management). That part of divine plan which concerns sense-possessing creatures including man is in the language of the Holy Qur`an, called wilayah. , In the Holy Qur`an, we come across in which the words wall (Islamic jurisprudential guardian), wali (governor, ruler) and Mawla (master) have been employed and mentioned as names and attributes for the Almighty Allah. All these have been derived from the root wilayah which briefly includes the meaning of taking charge of and managing the affairs of the sense-possessing beings. That is, the Almighty Allah, after creating man, does not leave him to himself. Rather, He has undertaken the planning of his life and arranges the events so that he can go ahead in the direction of perfection and growth. (That we say: “he can go ahead in the direction of perfection” is beacause man is a free agent, possessed of free-will and in spite of the existence of all conditions and facilities, still he can misuse the same and traverse the way of fall and decline instead of following the way of perfection and exaltation.).
However, Allah’s work in this field is fulfilled in two dimensions or in two stages; one pertains to Al-Wilayatul-‘ammah (general guardianship) towards all men and the other pertains to al-wilayatul-khassah (particular guardianship). The Almighty Allah in all periods of history and in all parts of the world has laws and traditions which provide the grounds for the growth and perfection of all men. This is a general guardianship which is implemented towards all men, whether some people accept this guardianship and submit themselves to the position of divine guardianship, or they indulge in kufr and rebellion (against Allah’s commands). Any how, this true divine guardianship exists towards the faithful and the infidel, the pious and the impious and will become manifest on the Resurrection Day.
“Here is protection only Allah’s, the True One ... (18:44).”
It is then that divine guardianship becomes manifest, and it becomes known that His wise management has been and is governing over the whole world.
But the Holy Qur`an, in many cases, has also talked about particular guardianship which is only for the mu`minin and the muwahhidun, namely, those who make good use of these grounds and have attempted to achieve their free perfection. This wilayah does not concern the infidel, the libertine, munafiqun and those who are obstinate (towards Allah’s commands) and they are outside the domain of this wilayah. In a sense, they have been left to themselves (by Allah) and only that very general divine planning governs them.
Al-Wilayatul-Khassah has very different stages. For example, the one who takes even a small step in the way of Allah and fulfils a small action for Allah, he will have a low stage of this guardianship and a limited share of divine favour will embrace him. Of course, if a mu`min makes proper use of this particular blessing of Allah and appreciates it, this very favour which has embraced him in the first stage, prepares him for taking a larger step and achieving greater growth and also causes him to receive more favour from Allah. However, if he stops at this stage, he has enjoyed just this very stage of guardianship and will no longer reach higher stages. Anyhow, if a faithful person, ie, a mu`min benefits from and makes good use of divine guardianship and takes more steps in the way of his own perfection, Allah will shower loftier favours upon him and in this way these stages continue till they reach the most excellent position which a man may attain and that position is the sacred position of Allah’s Wali and His Last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah (s.a.w). Therefore, to the extent the man submits to Allah and makes his own will subject .to Allah’s will, and the more he, uses Allah’s blessings for his spiritual and real perfection, the more he will enjoy the blessing of divine guardianship.
The first step in the way of attaining divine guardianship is faith in Allah, pious deeds and struggle against taghut (Satan):
“... Therefore, whoever denies the taghut and believes in Allah, he indeed has a strong hold of the firmest handle, which shall not break off and Allah is Hearing, Knowing (2:256)”
Such a person has taken hold of the surest and firmest handle and will save himself from perilous situations. In the continuation of the above ayah it is said:
“Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light ... (2:257).”
Those who believe in Allah and turn their back to tughut, Allah will undertake the planning of their affair, and takes them out of darkness and leads them towards light.
But those who are kafir are deprived of such guardianship, supervision and management and their supervision is with taghuts.
“... And (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are the taghuts ... (2:257).”
Faith and pious deeds which are conditions required for aptitude for divine guardianship and the enjoyment of Allah’s particular favour, have different dimensions and stages and go ahead so far that Allah plans all the good for man, provides the means for their attainment and even more important than this, man reaches such a level where according to the following riwayat:
“The man reaches such a level where as if it is Allah Who hems in place of his ear, and sees in place of his eyes and moves in place of his hands.” (1)
It is obvious that Allah does not leave the affairs of such people to themselves, and rather He inspires them to what they should achieve through taking pains of experience and intellect, and even where their ordinary forces are not sufficient for the fulfillment of their affairs, Allah sends them divine hidden aids.
One dimension of divine guardianship is in relation to human societies and communities. Allah’s planning and guardianship is sometimes for each and every one of human beings, and sometimes for the formation of divine communities which is fulfilled on a very extensive level and which has innumerable blessings. When Allah sees the merit for perfection in a people and observes some good in them, He provides the ground for their growth.
When human society achieved the aptitude for the emergence of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w) of Islam, the Almighty Allah provided the grounds for the emergence of a monotheistic and Islamic society in the Arabian Peninsula. Allah created a man from the family of the past prophets (s.a.w), raised him so that at the age of forty he was appointed (by Allah) a prophet and when a group of people came to believe in him and followed his way sincerely, Allah provided greater grounds for their growth and provided conditions so that they took steps towards perfection. Certain hardships occurred, sometimes people were troubled also, but Allah provides all grounds for the formation of a strong Islamic society, a society which can create a great development in the world.
Notes:
1. Usul al-Kafi vol. 2, p. 352, Hadith 7, 8.