Search the Community

The Continuity of Divine Guidance in the Quran Introduction A question arises regarding the Shia belief in the necessity of a divinely appointed guide (Hujjatullah) in every era. Some argue that this concept contradicts the Quran, citing verses that seem to indicate periods without divine guidance or the finality of prophethood. However, a holistic reading of the Quran reveals a consistent principle: Allah’s guidance is continuous and unbroken, fulfilled through both prophets and their divinely appointed successors (Awsiya') from a chosen lineage. Core Quranic Principles The Quran establishes several foundational principles that necessitate ongoing divine guidance: 1. Allah’s Unwavering Commitment to Guidance: "Indeed, upon Us is guidance."[1]. This verse presents guidance as a divine responsibility and promise, not limited to any specific time period. 2. A Guide for Every Community: "You are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide."[2]. This verse explicitly promises the presence of a Hadi (guide) for every nation, a role not exclusively restricted to prophets. 3. The Essential Role of an Imam: "On the Day We will call every people with their Imam."[3]. This underscores that every individual and era is associated with a leader (Imam)—either of guidance or misguidance—whose role is decisive for salvation. This implies the existence of a guiding Imam at all times. The Prophetic Lineage of Guidance The Quran establishes that divine selection often flows through specific, purified lineages: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over the worlds - descendants, some of them from others."[4]. This indicates a continuous legacy of chosen individuals from whom guides are raised. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) confirmed his place in this Abrahamic lineage, as recorded in the following hadith: "Allah chose Banu Kinanah from the children of Ismail, and from Banu Kinanah He chose Quraysh, and from Quraysh He chose Banu Hashim, and from Banu Hashim He chose me."[5] The Precedent of Successors in Past Nations A crucial Quranic and historical precedent is set regarding guidance after prophets. The Quran states: "And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and believed with certainty in Our signs."[6]. This shows Allah’s practice of appointing guiding leaders after prophets, as seen with the Children of Israel (like Joshua after Moses). This precedent is directly applicable to the Muslim Ummah. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh&hp) explicitly affirmed this parallel in a widely authenticated hadith: "You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you... so much so that if they entered a hole of a lizard, you too would enter it." The companions asked, "(Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Who else?"[7]. This establishes that the experiences of Bani Israel, including having divinely appointed leaders after their prophet (as in As-Sajdah:24), are a template for the Prophet's own community. Addressing Specific Verses Cited by Opponents · Surah An-Nisa:165: This verse states that messengers were sent "so that people would not have any argument against Allah after the messengers." [8] This addresses the removal of the human excuse against Allah, not the termination of divine proof (Hujjah) for humanity. It ensures accountability but does not negate other forms of divine guidance. · Surah Al-Ma’idah:19 & al-Ahzab:40: These verses acknowledge periods without any messengers (Fatra)[9] and the finality of Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh&hp) prophethood[10]. However, they do not state that these periods are devoid of all divine guidance. The principle in Ar-Ra’d:7[11], the precedent in As-Sajdah:24[12], and the prophetic statement about following the path of Bani Israel all demonstrate that guidance continues through non-prophetic, divinely appointed successors. Quranic Evidence for Successors (Awsiya’) and Divine Guides The Quran provides further evidence for a continuing line of guidance: 1. Inheritors of Divine Knowledge & The Prerequisite of Purity: A pivotal verse states: "Then We caused those servants of Ours whom We chose to inherit the Book..."[13]. This speaks of a chosen elite (mustafawn) who inherit the Quran's profound knowledge. They are categorized in three groups, with the highest being "the foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah." This "permission" (idhn) indicates a special divine enabling tied to a state of spiritual purity. The necessity of this purity for accessing the Quran's essence is explicitly stated in the Quran: "None shall touch it [the Quran’s profound meaning] except the purified - a revelation from the Lord of the worlds."[14]. This purification (tathir) is both spiritual and moral, as the Quran equates sins with impurity[15]. Therefore, the true inheritors of the Quran’s knowledge in Fatir:32 must be of the highest spiritual purity to "touch" its inner meaning. They are the guides who, by Allah's permission, lead to the truth and are thus most worthy of being followed according to the Quran[16]. 2. The Role of Ulil-Amr (Those in Authority): The Quran introduces a distinct category of authority after the Prophet: "O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you..."[17]. The command to obey them unconditionally (like the Prophet) implies their infallibility. Their specific role as sources of divine guidance and clarification is solidified in the subsequent verse: "And if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority among them, then those who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known it."[18]. This verse positions Ulil-Amr alongside the Prophet as the reference to whom all dubious matters must be taken, and it specifies that among them are those who possess the divinely granted capacity (istinbat) to derive the correct knowledge from the revelation. This establishes Ulil-Amr as an elite group endowed with divine knowledge, capable of guiding the community in all matters after the Prophet. Harmonizing Quranic Verses with Authentic Prophetic Tradition The Quranic framework is perfectly embodied in the Prophetic Sunnah through definitive hadiths: 1. Hadith al-Thaqalayn (The Two Weighty Things): The Prophet declared: "I leave among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my AhlulBayt; if you hold fast to them, you will never go astray after me; they will not separate from each other until they meet me at the Hawd (Pool)."[19]. This hadith identifies the AhlulBayt as the enduring guide equal to the Quran and implies their infallible role in its interpretation. 2. Hadith al-Kisa’ (Event of the Cloak): This event, which is recorded in authentic Sunni and Shia sources[20] shows the Prophet gathering his immediate family (Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, Husayn) under his cloak and supplicating: "O Allah! These are my AhlulBayt and my closest kin, so remove impurity from them and purify them with a thorough purification." Since the Prophet’s supplication is not rejected, we can conclude that God has fulfilled the prerequisite of tathir (purification) mentioned in verse 79 of Surah al-Waqi’ah[21] regarding the AhlulBayt. It confirms that the AhlulBayt are the "purified" ones who can fully access the Quran's knowledge, aligning them perfectly with the "foremost in good deeds by permission of Allah."[22]—the true inheritors and guides. They are, therefore, the Ulil-Amr with the divinely granted capacity for istinbat (deriving knowledge) mentioned in verse 83 of Surah an-Nisa[23]. Conclusion The claim that the Quran negates continuous divine guidance relies on an isolated reading of verses. A comprehensive analysis reveals a coherent doctrine: 1. Allah promises a guide and Imam for every people. 2. The precedent of Bani Israel in having divinely appointed leaders after their prophets, and the Prophet's prophecy regarding the similarity between his community to Bani Israel, confirms that this Ummah also will have divinely appointed leaders after the Prophet. 3. These leaders must be the purified inheritors of the Quran’s knowledge and the Ulil-Amr with divine authority and knowledge. 4. The Prophet identified his AhlulBayt—from the chosen lineage of Ibrahim and Banu Hashim—as this inseparable, purified, and knowledgeable authority, fulfilling all Quranic conditions. Therefore, the Shia concept of the continuous presence of a Hujjatullah is a necessary and consistent conclusion from the Quran’s integrated teachings on the unbreakable continuity of divine guidance through divinely appointed and purified successors. [1] Al-Layl:12 «ان علینا للهدی» [2] Ar-Ra'd:7 «انما انت منذرٌ و لکل قوم هادٍ» [3] Al-Isra:71 «یوم ندعو کل اناس بإمامهم» [4] Ali 'Imran:33-34 «إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ * ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُهَا مِن بَعْضٍ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ» [5] Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Hadith 5653. [6] As-Sajdah:24 «وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ» [7] Sahih al-Bukhari 3456, Sahih Muslim 2669. [8] An-Nisa:165 «رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ...» [9] Al-Ma'idah:19 «يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ عَلَى فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا جَاءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍ...» [10] Al-Ahzab:40 «مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ» [11] Ar-Ra'd:7 «إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ» [12] As-Sajdah:24 «وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ» [13] Fatir:32 «ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـابَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ» [14] al-Waqi'ah:79-80 «لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ * تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ ٱلْعَـالَمِينَ» [15] Al-Ma’idah:90 « يَـاأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا إِنَّمَا ٱلْخَمْرُ وَٱلْمَيْسِرُ وَٱلْأَنصَابُ وَٱلْأَزْلَـامُ رِجْسٌ مِّنْ عَمَلِ ٱلشَّيْطَـانِ فَٱجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ» [16] Yunus:35 «... أَفَمَن يَهْدِى إِلَى ٱلْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَن يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّن لَّا يَهِدِّى إِلَّا أَن يُهْدَى ...» [17] An-Nisa:59 «يَـاأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا أَطِيعُوا ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُولِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُول ...» [18] An-Nisa:83 «... وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَنبِطُونَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ ...» [19] Sahih Muslim 2408 a, Sunan al-Tirmidhi 3788. [20] Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3205. [21] al-Waqi'ah:79 «لَّا يَمَسُّهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱلْمُطَهَّرُونَ» [22] Fatir:32 «ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا ٱلْكِتَـابَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا فَمِنْهُمْ ظَالِمٌ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ وَمِنْهُم مُّقْتَصِدٌ وَمِنْهُمْ سَابِقٌ بالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ذَلِكَ هُوَ ٱلْفَضْلُ ٱلْكَبِيرُ» [23] An-Nisa:83 «... وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَسْتَنبِطُونَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ ...»