Why Is the Creation of Humanity Not Possible Before the Creation of the Infallible Imam?
Why is the creation of humanity not possible before the creation of the infallible Imam? Why did God create the human being? What was the first thing that God created? How did the stages of creation and the formation of the universe happen? These are common questions for all humans that all religions have answered. Traditional stories and religious narratives have talked about diverse stages, reasons, and purposes for creation, many of which are mythical and cannot convince the logical human mind about this event. Among these, however, Islam offers a different answer; it believes that the creation of humanity before the creation of the infallible Imam is not possible, and on this basis, it mentions the stages of creation in a very different way.
To comprehend why, according to Islam, the creation of humanity could not have preceded that of the Imam, or the infallible guide, it is essential to explore the purpose of creation in Islam. Islam has mentioned a specific goal for the creation of humanity, and that is becoming similar to God and becoming an unlimited and infinite being. Moving from the limitation of potentiality towards infinity and actuality is the goal that is in harmony with the infinity-seeking essence of humans. However, what are the stages of creation according to the Quran?
“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.
(1) The Most Beneficent (2)Taught the Quran (3) Created humanity.[1]
The initial verses of Surah Ar-Rahman discuss the creation of the Quran before the creation of humanity. But if there was no human being, then to whom did God teach the Quran? Perhaps by carefully interpreting this verse and once examining this path based on what we have extracted from within ourselves so far, we can find an answer to one of humanity’s long-standing questions.
The Creation of Humanity: Before or After the Imam?
From the perspective of Islamic philosophy, the creation of humanity before that of the infallible Imam is not possible. If we assume humanity was created before the Imam, it would be like establishing a university without a curriculum and the professors who should teach lessons. If the creation of humanity had happened before that of the infallible Imam, our world would have been turned into a university without professors, and this contradicts God’s wisdom. As indicated in the initial verses of Surah Ar-Rahman, the curriculum and the professor of the University of the World were created before the creation of humanity, and the creation of humanity occurred after that. But why?
In previous articles, we mentioned that Allah exists in everything, but we cannot establish a connection with the Absolute and Infinite Existence, nor can we know Him. In fact, we can only connect with the Absolute Perfect Being when He manifests Himself and takes a form or when we can find an example of Him. Therefore, God created the most perfect example of Himself in the first place and bestowed upon him all existential perfections.
The most perfect example, the deputy of Allah, or the light of Muhammad (PBUH) was the most perfect example of God’s names and attributes, the only difference being that he is not self-sufficient. Thus, the reason for the impossibility of the creation of humanity before that of the Imam is because Islam defines a unique purpose and duty for the human being. According to Islam, humans were created to become similar to God, and to achieve this goal, they need a tangible, understandable, and perceptible example of God’s attributes. This example is none other than the most perfect example or the infallible Imam, who was created before other human beings. In reality, God provided the necessary prerequisites for human life before the creation of humanity.
The creation begins with the name Rahman (the Most Beneficent), which is the most powerful name of God, and in a way it encompasses all names after Allah. In the stages of creation, Allah first created His deputy or the best manifestation of Himself, and then He created the rest of beings and other worlds successively and from the most perfect example. After the creation of the most perfect example, He created the realms of Jabarut, Malakut, and Nasut or the material world; each realm comes after another and is a condescended form of the realm preceding it. This means the most perfect example takes the highest position, while the material world occupies the lowest position.
When we come into this world, we are faced with various questions about the manner and stages of creation, naturally lacking the ability to answer many of them due to our material and limited existence. These questions can only be interpreted and explained by our Creator and by taking into account our infinity-seeking dimension and the journey we had before entering this world and our return to the hereafter. These questions include: Where did I come from? In what manner and with what attributes did my creation unfold before my entry into this world? Where does my essence, root, and truth originate from? What are my needs in the material world, and how has God designed the path to my bliss?
The Need for a Mentor on the Path of Motion
Our truth is taken from the most perfect example, and our infinite soul passes through all the realms from Jabarut to Malakut and then to the material world before entering this world and taking a physical body. The soul that has been breathed into our body needs to undergo tests, challenges, and various conditions in the world and actualize its potential names and attributes in order to safely tread the path back to the realm of the hereafter and its origin. Since God’s endless beneficence and mercy require that we achieve the highest status, He does not abandon us without a mentor, plan, roadmap, and lifestyle to take this dangerous and unfamiliar path. He makes His first creation as His deputy to guide us to the purpose of our creation, which is to become similar to Him and acquire His names and attributes; thus, the creation of humanity is not possible before that of the infallible Imam.
God’s deputy is our mentor who is a model of our own kind and form and is going to elevate us to the status of Divine deputyship and help us reach his own status. Therefore, one of our most fundamental needs is a Divine deputy who knows and facilitates our similarity to God. We need a guide and expert in all the dimensions of our existence. We may not feel this necessity in our worldly matters since we have gotten used to the conditions of material life, thinking that this need can be resolved by going to university and studying. However, reaching the purpose of our creation is certainly impossible without a guide and God’s deputy.
In our human dimension, we need a divine lifestyle as well as an Imam, mentor, and infallible expert who can guide us on our path towards our goal. Without any understanding of the purpose of creation, the Quranic codes regarding the stages of the creation of humanity may not be comprehensible or significant to us. A person who defines herself within the confines of worldly life does not feel the need for an infallible expert, and the question of why the creation of humanity is impossible before the creation of the infallible Imam does not arise in her mind. Yet, this seemingly simple question can actually unveil the stages of the creation of the world and the foundations of Shia thought.
Just as a class derives all its value and credibility from its teacher and no one chooses a university without professors to study, or no one goes to a hospital without doctors, so too does the realm of creation require a mentor and an infallible expert. Without the presence of a perfect human being and the proof of God, the world of creation loses its meaning.
The Quran Being Taught Before the Creation of Humanity
The structure of creation, from the stages of creation to the existential structure of each being, is completely mathematical. Based on this, we can now answer the initial question posed. If humans were not yet created, to whom was the Quran taught, and why did the creation of humanity not take place before the creation of the infallible Imam?
As we mentioned earlier, our existence as humans is derived from the most perfect example and the light of Muhammad (PBUH), and after passing through various realms, it is attached to our body. God devised the roadmap to life before our creation and taught it to His deputy or the most perfect example. This means that God has set a purpose for our creation, which is to attain divine names and attributes or similarity to Him. Since it not possible to properly walk this path alone, in His first manifestation, He created our mentor, the most perfect example, and taught him what is needed for our guidance. In subsequent stages, He created us and other beings from the existence of this most perfect example of Himself. Before our creation, God taught the Quran, i.e., the roadmap, and what we need to connect with Him and acquire His names and attributes to His most perfect example.
