Introduction: The Knowledge of Amir al-Mu’minin (A)

One of the luminous words of Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) appears in the section of Short Sayings — specifically, Saying 184 of Nahj al-Balaghah. The Imam (A) says:

“Since the moment the Truth was shown to me, I have never doubted it. I knew the Truth well because it was revealed to me. I became a knower through the manifestation of Truth itself, not through study or debate.”

This statement is profoundly insightful. The Imam emphasizes that true knowledge does not arise merely from hearing or studying — it comes through seeing and witnessing. As he says, “The matter is that of sight, not of hearing.” Thus, his knowledge is the result of direct inner vision, not discursive learning.

The Two Paths to Knowledge

This statement reveals that human beings attain knowledge through two channels:

• External (Apparent) Channels – Sight, hearing, speech, and the sensory faculties by which we learn in seminaries, universities, or through teachers. God has provided these so that humankind may become scholars and scientists through study and experience.

• Internal (Esoteric) Channels – The path of purification (tazkiyah), inner refinement, and spiritual unveiling. Through this purification, one enters the “school of the heart” — the school of tawḥīd and wilāyah (divine guardianship).

These two paths are not mutually exclusive. They can, and indeed should, complement each other. A person may reach the Truth through both the outer world of study and the inner world of spiritual purification.

The Reality of Inner Vision and Human Faculties

The Imam’s words — “When the Truth was shown to me…” — indicate that this vision occurred through the inner eye, not the physical one. God has granted every human being this inner eye and ear, just as everyone possesses outward senses.

Each of us has, within, a complete spiritual sensory system: inner vision, hearing, and feeling. The world of dreams itself teaches us this — we see, hear, and interact while our physical body rests. Hence, beyond our material senses, our souls possess independent faculties of perception.

The People of Both Paths

Some individuals attain both types of knowledge. They are grounded in the seminary or university and, simultaneously, are people of dawn (tahajjud), supplication, and invocation. Others may succeed in one path but fall short in the other. However, the Imams (peace be upon them) were masters of both — particularly of the inner way, having learned directly in the presence of Prophethood and Wilāyah.

When the Imam says, “The Truth was shown to me,” it becomes clear that his learning was inward — he did not attend an outward school, but the School of the Prophet (S) himself.

The Quranic Foundation for Inner Vision

The Quran frequently affirms this concept of inner vision:

This verse expresses not a past event but a continuous state — implying that divine unveiling is ongoing. The Quran later calls the believers “the people of your father Abraham” (Surah Al-Ḥajj, Chapter 22, The Pilgrimage, Verse 78), emphasizing that we, too, are heirs to that inner vision.

Therefore, as children of Abraham, we must not submit to worldly powers but instead awaken the divine insight inherited from him.

The Respect and Politeness of the Divine Word

The Quran honors humanity immensely. God speaks to us with gentleness and respect:

Our Lord, who has no equal, addresses us graciously and respectfully, teaching us the etiquette of divine discourse. This sacred book is a treasury of courtesy from beginning to end — hence we kiss it and hold it above our heads because it dignifies human beings so profoundly.

Seeing and Knowing: The Difference Between Looking and Vision

The Quran invites us not merely to look but to see:

There is a major distinction between looking (nazar) and seeing (ru’yah). One may look and not truly perceive — just as one may gaze at the moon yet fail to see it clearly. Hence, real insight requires a vision that penetrates beyond appearances.

The late Allāmah (may God be pleased with him) used to explain that mere observation is not vision; seeing indicates direct inward awareness.

Love, Worship, and the Call to Strive

As Ḥāfiẓ says: “Do not be unaware, for love in me increases for the people of the world…”

And as al-Kulaynī narrates in al-Kāfī (vol. 2, p. 83), Imam al-Ṣādiq (A) said: “The best of people is the one who loves prayer.”

True worship is not a burden or duty; it flows from love. Just as the poet describes the auction scene — “Who bids more?” — the people of love compete in nearness to God, each striving to “buy” more of divine intimacy.

Question: Where are we on this path?

Answer: We are only at the beginning.

Yet God has opened the way for every soul and encourages all to strive. He says: “And they do not look into the kingdom of the heavens and the earth…” (Surah Al-A’raf, Chapter 7, The Elevated Places, Verse 185) This divine command — “Why don’t you go?” — implies the path is open to all who seek it sincerely.

The Dual Apparatus and Divine Rhythm

Human beings have been granted two complete systems:

1. The outer apparatus — eyes, ears, and intellect, by which one studies, experiments, and learns through experience.

2. The inner apparatus — spiritual senses, which become awakened through purity and abstaining from sin.

Those who guard their eyes, tongues, and actions from the unlawful may begin to see truthful dreams — moments of divine insight. These inner experiences are signs of an active inner eye and ear.

The Quran further explains that the alternation of night and day serves the seekers:

If one fails to succeed in remembrance during the day, let him try at night — and vice versa. Both moments are opportunities for turning to God, each succeeding the other in mercy and witness.

The Realm of Vision and Its Limits

When the Imam says, “Since I saw the Truth, I have never doubted,” he distinguishes the realm of vision (malakūt) from the realm of the unseen Divine Essence (dhāt). The Divine Essence cannot be seen by any Prophet or saint, for It is beyond limitation and form.

Nahj al-Balaghah delineates this boundary clearly: we may witness the signs, grace, and acts of God — Paradise, Hell, angels, and the kingdom — but never His infinite Essence.

The Vision of the Saints

Some saints and purified souls, described in Nahj al-Balaghah Sermons 193 and 222, attain a level of vision wherein they perceive Paradise and Hell as if they see them. Their spiritual sight makes the unseen world as vivid to them as the visible one.

In Sermon 193, the Imam describes the pious as those who: “Are so aware of Paradise that it is as though they see it. When encountering sin, they tremble as if seeing the fire.”

This reflects a level of inner certainty surpassing mere faith.

The Inaccessibility of the Divine Essence

In concluding discussions (Sermons 109, 147, and others), Imam Ali (A) states firmly that the Divine Essence cannot be perceived:

“He who spoke to Moses showed him His great signs without speech or instruments.”

God manifests through His acts and signs, but remains beyond comprehension. His reality has no parts or measure — thus, while the sea can be tasted in a drop, the Divine Essence, being infinite and indivisible, cannot be portioned or measured.

Knowledge of the Divine Through His Signs

Through the Quran, God manifests Himself — but only through His signs, not through direct self-revelation. The Prophet (S) guided humanity from idolatry to divine worship, from ignorance to recognition, so that “the worshippers may know their Lord after being ignorant of Him.”

Hence, all our vision and understanding relate to His creation, His grace, and His acts — never to His Essence, which remains unapproachable.

The Ultimate Lesson: Two Complementary Journeys

In conclusion, every human being possesses:

1. The outer faculties, through which one learns and acquires formal knowledge.

2. The inner faculties, through which one is purified, prays, and witnesses divine realities.

The Imam al-Askari (A) stated that no one can reach the ultimate Truth except through the mount of night prayer — “the journey cannot be realised except by riding at night.”

Hence, the two paths — study and purification — lead together toward divine knowledge.

Final Supplication

We ask the Most Holy Essence of God, through the blessings of the Quran and the purity of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), to:

• Gather the righteous, the martyrs, and the leaders of this system alongside the Prophets and Saints in the Hereafter.

• Protect this divine system from all harm until the reappearance of its true master.

“And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.”

References

• Surah al-An‘ām 6:75

• Surah al-Ḥajj 22:78

• Surah al-A‘rāf 7:185

• Dīvān of Ḥāfiẓ, Ghazal 196

• al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 83

• Surah al-Furqān 25:62

• Surah al-Baqarah 2:164

• al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 54

• Waram Group, vol. 1, p. 150

• Surah Āl ʿImrān 3:28

The Two Paths to Knowledge

This section introduces the article’s core concept: the “Science of Study” (earned knowledge) versus the “Science of Inheritance” (received knowledge).

Introduction: Why God Sent Prophets

God sent prophets to teach people. The Quran talks about two different types of knowledge:

• Knowledge you can learn on your own - Things humans can figure out through experience, school, or thinking

• Knowledge only God can teach - Things humans can never learn without God’s help

The Quran mentions both types. Some verses say: “They teach them the Book and Wisdom.” Other verses say: “They teach you what you could not have known.” That second phrase is important. It means: no matter where you go - school, university, anywhere - you could never learn this knowledge without God’s prophets teaching it to you.

Why We Need Special Teachers

This second type of knowledge requires a special kind of teacher - someone deeply connected to God. An ordinary teacher can teach you math, science, or history. But only someone with a strong connection to God can teach you the knowledge that comes directly from heaven. The Imam Ali (the Commander of the Faithful) said in Nahj al-Balagha: “I am the divine scholar of this nation.” He meant: I know both types of knowledge, and I can teach both.

Two Different Ways to Get Knowledge

The Science of Study This is knowledge you get through:

• Going to school

• Reading books

• Studying and discussing

• Writing and practicing

You work hard and earn this knowledge through effort.

The Science of Inheritance This is knowledge you get through:

• Connection, not effort

• Being close to the right people

• Having a spiritual relationship with the Imams

A Simple Example

Think about money:

• Earning money: You work hard, start a business, and become wealthy through your own effort

• Inheriting money: Your father is wealthy, and when he passes away, you receive his wealth - not because you worked for it, but because you’re his child

The Science of Inheritance works the same way. You don’t earn it through study - you receive it through your connection to the Imams (the holy leaders descended from Prophet Muhammad).

How to Connect

The Quran says: “Be patient and connect.” Connect with:

• The Quran

• The Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt)

• The Imam of your time

When you make this connection, you’ll notice something amazing about how these two types of knowledge work differently.

The Garden and the Spring

This section uses the central parable of the two farmers to explain the source of the knowledge—whether it comes from outside (study) or from within (inheritance).

The Big Difference: Where Does the Knowledge Come From?

The Garden Example Imagine two farmers with fruit gardens: Farmer #1 (Science of Study):

• Digs a pond to collect rainwater

• Depends on rain and outside water sources

• If it doesn’t rain, his garden dies

• Gets water from outside and brings it in

Farmer #2 (Science of Inheritance):

• Has a natural spring inside his garden

• Water bubbles up from deep underground

• Never needs outside help

• The water flows from inside out

The Science of Study is like Farmer #1 - you collect knowledge from outside sources. The Science of Inheritance is like Farmer #2 - knowledge flows from inside you, like a spring. This is why scholars say:

• For the Science of Study, you need lessons and discussions

• For the Science of Inheritance, you need love

The Power of Love and Purity

God says in the Quran: “God loves those who purify themselves.”

The Story of Quba Mosque When Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, he built a mosque called Quba. God revealed this verse about it: “A mosque built on piety from the first day is more worthy. In it are men who love to purify themselves.” Notice two important things:

1. They work from love, not fear - They don’t obey God because they’re scared of hell. They do it because they love God and want to be pure like the Prophet’s family.

2. God loves them back - When they become pure, God loves them. And when God loves someone, knowledge flows into them like a spring.

Yes, going on pilgrimages like Arbaeen helps. Being careful about your actions helps. But ultimately, the Science of Inheritance flows from inside you when you have this love and purity.

What Imam Ali Really Wanted

Imam Ali didn’t just want people to study in schools. He wanted people to have this inner spring of knowledge. That’s why he took his student Kumail outside at night to teach him special things privately. If it was just ordinary knowledge, he could have taught him in the mosque during the day. Imam Ali wanted people who:

• Work out of love for God

• Want to be pure because the Prophet’s family is pure

• Don’t just fear punishment, but genuinely love doing good

When you work from love instead of fear, it’s not a burden - it’s a joy.

The Ancient Promise & The Buried Treasure

This section explores the origin of this “inner spring” of knowledge—the pre-historical covenant every soul made with God, which is now a “buried treasure” inside us.

Before We Were Born: The Ancient Promise

We’re Greater Than We Think We existed before this life, and we’ll exist after it. We’re greater than the sky, greater than the earth. We won’t just disappear.

The Day God Asked Us One of the most important verses in the Quran (Surah Al-A’raf) describes something that happened before any of us were born: “Your Lord brought forth all the children of Adam - everyone who would ever live - and asked them: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They all said: ‘Yes, we testify!’” Before you were born in this world, God gathered every human soul that would ever exist. He showed Himself to all of us and asked: “Am I not your Lord?” And every single soul said: “Yes!”

Why Did God Do This? God explains why in the next verse: “So that on the Day of Judgment, no one can say: ‘I didn’t know about God’ or ‘My parents were non-believers, so I just followed them.’” God wanted to make sure that deep inside every person - no matter where they’re born or how they’re raised - there’s a knowledge of God. Even if someone grows up in a non-religious family, even if they live in a country where no one believes in God, they can’t say: “I had no way of knowing.” Because deep inside, everyone has this memory, this inner knowledge of God. No one is excused. Everyone has this inner voice of God inside them.

The Prophets Came to Wake Us Up

What Does “Revolution” Mean? The word “revolution” means to stir things up, to awaken something. Imam Ali said in Nahj al-Balagha: “The prophets came to stir up the treasures of people’s minds.” Think of it like this: God placed a treasure inside every person - the knowledge of God, the memory of that ancient promise. But over time, this treasure gets buried under:

• Distractions

• Bad habits

• Worldly concerns

• Following the crowd

The prophets came to:

• Dig up that treasure

• Remove the dirt covering it

• Wake up that inner knowledge

• Bring out the gem hidden inside

Everyone Must Join the Revolution

This isn’t just for one or two special people. Everyone needs to wake up together. For this to happen, you need:

• A group of people

• Working together

• Following the right leaders

The prophets weren’t just teachers standing at a blackboard. They were revolutionary leaders, waking people up and stirring up the truth inside them.

The Imams as the “Field of Revolution”

This section focuses on the specific role of the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt) as the guides and living examples who unlock this “buried treasure.”

Imam Ali said: “We, the Prophet’s family, are the field of revolution.”

The Amazing Example of Imam Sadiq

Living Under Oppression After Imam Husayn (the Prophet’s grandson) was martyred, the Abbasid rulers controlled everything. They pretended to be friendly to the Prophet’s family, but they actually poisoned and imprisoned them. Imam Sadiq and his father Imam Baqir were not allowed to teach freely. Only a few students could secretly come to them.

The Miracle of Knowledge But here’s what’s amazing: Despite all these restrictions, Imam Sadiq produced:

• The Four Books - the main collections of Shia teachings

• Material for the 100 volumes of Bihar al-Anwar - an enormous encyclopedia

When you read these books, almost every page says: “Imam Sadiq said...” “Imam Sadiq said...” “Imam Sadiq said...” Think about it: If you tried to write just one book, it would take your whole life. How did Imam Sadiq produce so much knowledge while being watched and restricted by the government? This is the Science of Inheritance. Knowledge flowed from inside him like a spring. Imam Ali said: “We are the pioneers of knowledge. We are the field of revolution.” Connection with them has this same effect.

The Spring Inside Everyone

God did this so no one could make excuses. Whether someone grows up in a Muslim family or not, whether they live in a religious country or not - everyone has this spring of knowledge inside them. Finding this spring, digging it up, and letting it flow - this is Imam Ali’s work.

A True Story: The Scholar Who Remembered

The great scholar Allama Tabataba’i once asked his teachers in Najaf (a holy city in Iraq): “Do you remember that scene from Surah Al-A’raf? When God gathered all souls and asked, ‘Am I not your Lord?’” One of them answered: “I remember it to some extent.” This scholar had reached such a high spiritual level that he could actually remember that moment before birth when God made the covenant with all humanity.

What About Now? The Hidden Imam

Some people think: “The 12th Imam is in hiding, so he’s not doing anything.” This is wrong! Just like Imam Sadiq and Imam Baqir, the Imam of our time (Imam Mahdi) is still working. He may not be teaching publicly like they did, but he absolutely has the Science of Inheritance and is using it. Don’t think that because he’s hidden, he’s inactive. He is constantly working with the Science of Inheritance. God has:

• Knowledge of the unseen (what’s hidden)

• Knowledge of the seen (what’s visible)

The Imam has access to both.

Graduating to True Understanding

This final section explains the goal of this knowledge: to move beyond basic rituals to a profound, essential understanding of God, and it recaps the complete human timeline.

Different Goals

Many people practice religion to:

• Get rewards

• Go to heaven

• Avoid hell

These are good goals, and God will give these to many people. But there’s another level: If you want to be the kind of person the prophets were training - someone with that inner spring of knowledge flowing - then you become connected to that ancient promise, to that pre-historical moment when God asked: “Am I not your Lord?”

Beyond Rituals to Real Knowledge

Many religious practices are good:

• Crying in remembrance of the martyrs

• Making offerings

• Making vows

All of these have rewards and will help you in the afterlife. But using the knowledge of the Imams is something else - something deeper.

The Story of Hisham

A student named Hisham came to visit the Imam. After greetings, the Imam asked: “Can you describe God?” Hisham said: “Yes.” “Tell me, how do you describe God?” Hisham said: “He is All-Hearing,” and listed some attributes. The Imam said: “But those are attributes that creatures also have. Humans can hear too. That’s not a proper description of God.” Hisham was confused: “Then what should I say?” The Imam explained: “When we say God is ‘All-Hearing,’ we don’t mean He has ears like we do. We mean His very essence is knowledge. His knowledge IS His essence. He doesn’t hear through a body part - hearing is part of His fundamental nature.” The Imam taught him the proper way to understand God’s attributes. Hisham later said: “I left his presence and taught people about monotheism.” He didn’t just walk out the door - he graduated from the Imam’s school. He went from being a student to being a teacher, able to teach others the true understanding of God.

Both Types of Knowledge Matter

The Imam said: “I am a divine scholar. I have both the Science of Study and the Science of Inheritance.”

A Beautiful Parable: The Shadow

Imam Ali gave this beautiful example: The sun shines on a tree. The tree casts a shadow on the ground. Now think about this shadow:

• The sun created it

• But the shadow turns its back to the sun

• The shadow faces toward God

• The shadow is prostrating (bowing) to God

Even though the sun made the shadow, the shadow doesn’t worship the sun - it worships God! The Quran says (in Surah Ar-Ra’d and An-Nahl): “Everything prostrates to God.” There is nothing in the entire universe that doesn’t humble itself and bow before God.

The Scene Inside Everyone

This scene - this knowledge of God, this ancient promise - is inside everyone. The prophets came to cause a revolution, to wake this up in people. Since everyone needs to wake up together, they need a field for this revolution. Imam Ali said in Nahj al-Balagha: “We are the field of revolution.” The Prophet’s family - the Imams - are the leaders who can wake up that inner knowledge in everyone.

After This Life: The Day of Gathering

Everything Will Change The Quran says: “The first and the last of humanity will be gathered for the appointment of a known day.” “The Day when the earth will be changed to another earth, and the heavens as well.” God will:

• Replace this earth with a different earth

• Replace this sky with a different sky

• Gather everyone - from the first human to the last

A Pure Earth Imam Sajjad explained: “God will replace this earth with a land on which no sins have been committed.” Imagine that - a completely pure earth where no one has ever done anything wrong.

The Complete Timeline

• Before birth: God gathered all souls and made the covenant

• This life: We’re living in the world, with that inner knowledge buried inside us

• After death: We’ll be gathered again on a new, pure earth

We who live now are in the middle, living in the cradle of monotheism (belief in one God), with that ancient promise still inside us.

Final Prayer

We hope that:

• This Islamic system

• This community

• All the scholars and elders

Will be included in the special prayers of Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his return). “And all praise belongs to God, Lord of all the worlds.”

References

[1] Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 129
[2] Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 151
[3] Surah An-Nisa, verse 113
[4] Surah Al-Alaq, verse 5
[5] Surah Luqman, verse 12
[6] Vocabulary of Alfaz al-Qur’an, p. 337; See: Nahj al-Balagha, Khutbah 108
[7] Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 5
[8] Surah Al-Imran, verse 200
[9] Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 222
[10] Surah At-Tawbah, verse 108
[11] Surah Al-A’raf, verse 172
[12] Surah Al-A’raf, verse 173
[13] Surah Al-Hujurat, verse 6
[14] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 1
[15] Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 105
[16] Al-Mahasen and Al-Masawi (Beyhaqi), p. 186
[17] Surah Al-Waqi’ah, verses 49-50
[18] Surah Ibrahim, verse 48
[19] Tafsir al-Qummi, vol. 2, p. 252
[20] Al-Tawhid (by Al-Saduq), p. 146
[21] Surah Ar-Ra’d, verse 15
[22] Surah An-Nahl, verse 48