How Significant Is the Role of the Rule of the Infallible in Shaping the New Civilization?
Throughout history, numerous civilizations have emerged, each with its own unique characteristics. However, they all share a common problem: They fail to satisfy and bring bliss to humanity! Put simply, none of these civilizations have fulfilled the criteria for bliss: love, peace, and lasting happiness. This stems from our unfamiliarity with our true self, incorrect prioritization of our beloveds, and failure to understand the importance of the rule of the infallible leader.
God is the sole expert regarding the structure of the human body and soul; He knows all matters related to us perfectly. Hence, only by adhering to the guidelines and commands of God, as the Creator, we can create a civilization that ensures both worldly and eternal bliss for humanity. He has given humankind these guidelines through religion and the Quran, assigning specialized experts and infallible leaders, free from any sin or error, to educate, elucidate, and implement this guideline for human beings.
The precise implementation of such a guideline and roadmap to bliss is only possible in a specific civilization rooted in faith in God, known as the new civilization of Islam. However, on the way to this civilization, we confront questions whose answers can ignite a profound desire within us for knowing and living in that civilization.
• What is the new global civilization, and what role do the principles of the new civilization of Islam play in it?
- What is the origin of all the principles, laws, and goals of this civilization?
- How is the human lifestyle like in this civilization?
- What is the priority and goal of people in this civilization?
In this article, we are going to address these questions.
The Main Characteristic of the New Civilization of Islam
The new civilization of Islam has two parts: a main part and a peripheral or secondary part. Its main part is love for God and the divine lifestyle, and its secondary or peripheral part includes the goals and means of worldly progress such as economy, industry, science, education, etc. The principles of the new civilization of Islam are designed in such a way that the religion of Islam, the Quran, and the leadership of an infallible expert stand at the top of its priorities and principles. Although this civilization has mastery over all the dimensions of human existence and correctly plans for the balanced education of all the dimensions of our being, its main focus and goal are directed towards the education of our spiritual or human dimension.
This civilization is based on love, in which love for Allah is at the top of all priorities. Such a correct prioritization brings forth both worldly and eternal bliss of the human being. The defining characteristic of this civilization is that it embraces not only the worldly life of the human, but also his eternal life and the hereafter.
The importance and beauty of love for Allah in this civilization inspires people to be kind to one another, and the most beautiful human relationships are established between them. The new civilization is formed based on standards of our true human self and has no purpose other than our bliss in all aspects, both in this material world and in the eternal realm of the hereafter. In fact, the new civilization is the result of an Islamic society; that is, a society in which beneficence and mercy prevail, and problems, shortcomings, and physical and mental diseases have no place in it. In this society, people manage to prioritize their desires and engineer their beloveds, and there is no oppression, discrimination, corruption, ill will, and transgression among them. People love each other without any expectation and live together with peace and kindness, away from any kind of religious or racial prejudice.
The most important feature of this civilization is that it consists of a group of normal people who correctly organize their beloveds and put love for God, the infallible expert, and jihad in the way of God at the top of their love hierarchy. In other words, they understand the importance of the rule of the infallible leader over the world and adjust their lives based on moving on the path of similarity to the infallible Imam.
What is currently seen in many Muslim countries of the world is not a perfect Islamic society; rather, it is a Muslim community, that is, it is made up of a group of Muslims who have gathered together. They say the Adhan and Iqamah (calls to prayer), have mosques, deliver the marriage sermon, perform the slaughter of animals in the appropriate Islamic manner (dhabihah), and observe some of the externals of religion, but many of them do not know their true self and the proper arrangement of their beloveds. For this reason, they fall short of the standards of an Islamic society.
The Root of the New Civilization of Islam
Examining the principles of the new civilization of Islam, we notice the special focus of these principles on a specific subject: Love for Allah is the origin and basis of all rules, regulations, and principles in this civilization. The new civilization of Islam is completely based on love; love is the pillar of this civilization.
We stated that the structure of the human soul consists of inanimate, vegetative, animal, intellective, and spiritual dimensions, and each of these parts has its own beloveds and interests. The human being is torn between all these beloveds and constantly changes one beloved after another. This is why he is usually worried and anxious. The only way to achieve true peace and tranquility in the human heart lies in cultivating a deep love for and connection with his best and highest beloved, that is God. The stronger and deeper this love becomes, the more faithful and loyal the person is to God and to His commands. What is the benefit of this adherence and loyalty, emphasized by religion and the Quran, to the human being?
God is the Absolute Existence which is the source of our existence, and He has perfect knowledge of our body and soul. He knows how we can achieve bliss in this world and the hereafter; therefore, God is the ultimate refuge and the only source of true security. Only trusting His plans leads to prosperity and bliss in life.
In the principles of the new civilization of Islam, we see interesting concepts. In this love-based civilization, we see how God has taught the human the right way to use all her talents and abilities within the framework of religious commands, so that she can achieve bliss in this world and the hereafter without crossing the proper limits which maintain her balance.
In fact, the new civilization of Islam is established so that the human can return to his loving relationship with Allah, which he has been deprived of for centuries. Upon establishing this profound and loving connection, the individual attains the inner peace and unwavering tranquility that he has been searching for. Actually, the philosophy of Islam is love. The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) was sent to establish the loving relationship between the human being and God. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to connect the human to his true Beloved and to save him from all other gods and beloveds. He was sent to prevent humans from choosing inappropriate beloveds and being trapped by fake ones. In a love-oriented civilization, the human being will eternally join his Beloved. The principles of the new civilization of Islam are the same rules for getting rid of the multitude of beloveds and getting close to the only true Beloved, that is the One God. The new civilization of Islam aims to return the human being to his human fitrah and become the same pure divine spirit from which he was born and came into this world and to which he will return finally.
Engineering Human Relations in the New Civilization of Islam
Studying the principles of the new civilization of Islam, we see that this new civilization differs from modern western civilization. This new civilization is not merely about achieving scientific advancements, as is the case with the Western model. Rather, the most important progress in this new global civilization is the creation of a civilization which is based on human principles.
In this civilization, the human gets to know his true personality and his status as a human being. By emulating and following the infallible expert, he grows in his humanity and attains greater similarity to the attributes of God. Engineering human relations in this civilization follows three definite rules:
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The Principle of “He (She) Is You”[1]
This noble human principle states that all those we are related to are essentially ourselves. When we encounter others, we must put ourselves in their place. In this way, many objections that we usually have towards others will be resolved and our behavior towards them will be changed. This principle educates us in a way that we find an explanation for every behavior and reaction of others and justify it, so that we do not feel upset and displeased with people. The principle of “He (She) is you” means that others are just you, that is, whatever you want for yourself, you must want for others too, and their pain and problems are yours too.
This concept stems from the shared origin of all humanity. As discussed in the articles on the attributes of existence, our origin traces back to the Absolute Existence, making us fundamentally connected.
The widespread adoption of these principles within society leads to the fulfillment of the three criteria of kindness, inner peace, and happiness, which are the characteristics of the divine civilization. Adhering to this important principle of the new civilization of Islam ensures that we never oppress others and see them as ourselves.
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The Principle of “He (She) Is the Messenger of Allah”[2]
This is the second principle of the laws governing human relations in the new civilization of Islam, which has an extremely delightful and practical meaning. Thinking about and practicing it in life can create the most beautiful human relations among the people of society.
This principle states that every bitter or sweet behavior we have with others is directly received by the Ahl Al-Bayt (PBUT) and they become aware of it. “He is the messenger of Allah” means those around us and all the people we deal with are the prophet of Islam and his Household. Therefore, they receive every action and word we direct towards others. That is, in our social relations we deal with the Ahl Al-Bayt (PBUT), not just the people we interact with because as we stated before, there is a cause and effect relationship between the hierarchies of existence: The first manifestation of God is the light of the Ahl Al-Bayt, and we are created from this light in the next level, so the blessed existence of the Ahl Al-Bayt dominates and surrounds ours, and all our actions and thoughts are received by them.
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The Principle of “He (She) Is God“[3]
This significant principle of the new civilization of Islam reminds us that although we think we deal with a human being when interacting with others, in reality, it is God we are dealing with, because all beings are the manifestations of God.
No being in the world is self-sufficient. All beings derive their existence from God. So all of them are God’s manifestations, and their essence is from God. God is the Existence flowing in every particle in the world.
There is only one Existence in the universe, which is God, and all other beings in the entire realm of existence are manifestations and faces of God, which we interact with. We do not have the right to make the faces of God ugly through our wrong behavior. The principle of “He (She) is God” means that if we act properly, kindly, and patiently out of our love for God, He receives it.
Not only the living beings of the world, but also inanimate objects in this world are the faces of God, and they receive energies and emotions. When we caress plants, smell flowers, and see and reflect on fruits, we are, in fact, kissing God. The way we interact with things is also important and worth reflecting upon, as they have consciousness and deserve respect. The lifestyle of the Ahl Al-Bayt (PBUT) is a perfect display of the principle of “He (She) is God”; the fact that they were so kind with animals, plants, and objects was because they saw the manifestation of God in them.
This amazing principle means that we must establish a heartfelt and respectful connection with everything, including food, fruits, and even our clothing. We do not have the right to belittle or humiliate anyone because they are all manifestations of God.
Thus, the principles of the new civilization of Islam revive humanity in individuals and intensify the divine attributes of beneficence and kindness in people’s hearts through improving human relationships. The new civilization is the most important nurturing ground for humans to attain similarity to and harmony with their true beloved and deity, that is Allah.
In this article, we defined the new civilization of Islam and its prerequisites. We stated that the new civilization is the result of an Islamic society based on beneficence and mercy, where love for Allah, the infallible expert, and jihad are the first priorities in our hierarchy of love. However, having this love alone is not enough to establish the new civilization. Living in accordance with the purpose of our creation and divine plans requires understanding the importance of the rule of the infallible leader and providing the necessary conditions for his rule. That is because without understanding the importance of the rule of the infallible expert, the human dimension of our existence will never flourish, and we will never become similar to Allah.
[1]. Huwa Anta
[2]. Huwa Rasoolullah
[3]. Huwa Allah
