Loving Islam before knowing it is not beneficial, and working for it before gaining knowledge about it is hazardous; considering that an ignorant lover wants to benefit it, but harms it, and a negligent doer wants to serve it, but betrays it. Therefore, knowing Islam takes priority over loving it, and gaining knowledge about it is essential before working for it; but it seems that most Muslims love Islam while they do not know it, and work for it while they have no knowledge about it. [Return to Islam, p. 42]
Their ignorance about Islam has arisen from various causes; like that they do not consider the intellect as the criterion of cognition, nor do they care about the conformity of their perceptions of Islam to it, and like that they cite conjectural narrations in order to know Islamic beliefs, although they must be certain, rather they follow the sects of theologians, following whom has no principle in Islam, and like that they do not refer to the original sources of Islam in order to know its laws, but imitate the sects of jurists that there is no reason for imitating them, rather there are reasons for not imitating them. [Return to Islam, p. 42]
Their ignorance about Islam has arisen from various causes; like that they pay less attention to the Quran than to narrations in order to know Islamic beliefs and rulings, rather they do not pay attention to the opposition of a belief or law to the Quran, if there is a narration for it, to the extent that some of their beliefs and actions contradict the Quran, like their belief in seeing God Almighty with the eyes, although it contradicts the explicit of the Quran, and their law that three divorces take place in one sitting, although it contradicts the apparent of the Quran. [Return to Islam, pp. 42 and 43]
Their ignorance about Islam has arisen from various causes; like that they consider some books of hadith to be authentic, rather compare them with the Quran and consider them the most important basis for knowing Islam, while they are like other books, rather may be weaker than some other books, and contain weak and fabricated narrations, and like that they ignore some of the authentic narrations and consider some of them to be weak, because they are not in agreement with their sect, even though they are in agreement with the Quran and the intellect, while they consider some of the weak narrations to be authentic, even accept some fabricated narrations, because they are in agreement with their opinions, even though they are not in agreement with the Quran and the intellect. [Return to Islam, p. 43]
Their ignorance about Islam has arisen from various causes; like that they avoid looking at the history of Islam and deter each other from doing so, rather they conceal or distort some of its facts deliberately, lest they go astray by learning about them, whereas they will not be guided unless by learning about them, and like that they do not refer to books other than their own, nor do they look at the books of Muslims who oppose them, rather they avoid listening to the words of the opponents, and fear knowing their reasons, lest they go astray by them, or become aware of their own deviation, and this is because of the doubt into which they have been sunk. [Return to Islam, p. 43]
Justice is only in the government of God, who is aware of your measures and places, and none but He can find a way to it, even though one searches and strives hard, except for the one whom He has guided to it, but you have despaired of His mercy and neglected His Mahdi, and therefore, you have entrusted the government which He has wanted for His Mahdi to those for whom He has not wanted a government! It seems the government is the inheritance of your fathers that you take it from whomever you want and give it to whomever you want, and it seems it does not belong to God who has said: ﴿قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ﴾; “Say: O God! You are the Owner of the government! You give the government to whomever You will and take the government from whomever You will”, and He has given it to Ibrahim and made a covenant with the just from among his descendants, and said: ﴿وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ﴾; “And when God tested Ibrahim with some words, then he fulfilled them, He said: I am going to appoint you as an Imam for people, he said: And also my descendants? He said: My covenant does not reach the oppressors”, and the just from among his descendants are those whom God has willed to remove all impurity from them and to purify them completely, and they are in the Book of God the Ahl al-Bayt of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family[3], and it is hereby understood that Mahdi of God is from the household of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, and the Ahl al-Bayt of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and whoever chooses a ruler other than him has gone far astray. [Letter fourteen]
It is surprising that people in every era have pledged allegiance to someone and made the covenant of guardianship with someone but have not known that no one can accomplish it and do it justice, except for the one whom God has guided and enabled to do so!... Do people not have eyes to see that their rulers are all oppressors and do not do justice?! Or do they not have ears to hear that their politicians are all liars and do not tell the truth?! Or do they not have intelligence to find out that their leaders all mislead and do not lead?! So how long will this pus-filled wound be opened, and how long will this madness continue?! Beware, O people! Tell me! How long should you, like dead drunks, stagger from the right to the left and from the left to the right until you finally understand that the right and the left are the same for you, and there is no justice in either of them?! Tell me! How many other governments should you test, and how much other obedience should you pay the price for until you finally find out that no government but the government of God will bring you to justice, and no obedience but the obedience to His Caliph will free you from oppression?! Is this thousands of years of experience not enough?! Are these heavy prices not enough?! Did you not hear Nimrods and Pharaohs? Did you not bear Khosrows and Caesars?! Did you not see caliphs and kings?! Did you not test republics and Islamics?! So have you not yet learned your lesson?! [Letter fourteen]
Beware, O cruel kings and emirs who shed the blood of the innocent to gain and maintain domination! Beware, O hypocritical jurists and mullahs who unrightfully consider yourselves to be appointed by God and guardians of Muslims of the world! Beware, O greedy politicians who vie to take over the government! Beware, O deceitful political parties who seek nothing but power! Beware, O criminal cults and groups who strive to achieve superiority on the earth! Leave these troubled people alone and go away from between them and their owner! Are thousands of years of oppression and corruption not enough?! Is a history of humiliation and poverty not enough?! Are you not tired of all these evil doings and giving rise to fitnahs?! Then when will you end this childish game?! Then when will you stop these repetitive methods?! [Letter fourteen]
O people! Is it not time for you to return to your origin?! Is it not time for you to remember the covenant of God with your father Adam?! Is it not time for you to give the trust back to its owner and return the government to the one who deserves it?! Do you still have hope in these colorful governments? Do you still think that if Amr comes to power instead of Zayd, things will go right?! How many Amrs came to power instead of Zayds, but things did not go right; because things will go right by something else, but you are unaware! Then how long will you sit in the hope of this and that and raise the flags of this and that high?! How long will you humiliate yourselves and kiss the hands of this and that?! How long will false promises deceive you and vain desires play you?! How long will you, like donkeys in a mill, spin around an axis and have the illusion of making progress?! [Letter fourteen]
How is it that for thousands of years you have backed every imperfect animal up but have not given your hands to the perfect man?! How is it that for thousands of years you have sucked every moisture and left the sweet sea?! How is it that for thousands of years you have run after every mirage but have not taken a step toward delectable water?! Will you not come to your senses and return to the origin?! Will not you wake up from sleep, and will this nightmare not end?! Will you not come out of the darkness, and will this dark night not have dawn?! Will you not sober up from drunkenness, and will this confusion not go away from your heads?!... I see as if you were suckled from the breast of ignorance and raised on the lap of oppression, and your flesh and blood are unfamiliar to me! [Letter fourteen]
Translation of the saying: One of our companions informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of God Almighty that says: “O you who believed! Fear God and believe in His Prophet, then He will grant you two portions of His mercy and place for you a light to walk in”, so he said: The two portions of His mercy are the Book and the Sunnah, and the light is an Imam who illuminates those two for them until the Day of Judgment arrives. Then fear God and believe in His Prophet, then He will grant you the Book and the Sunnah and appoint an Imam for you who illuminates those two for you until the Day of Judgment arrives. [Passage 28 from Saying six]
Translation of the saying: One of our companions informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the words of God Almighty that says: “God is the light of the skies and the earth”, so he said: He is their Guide, and the light of God is His guidance, and it is “in houses that God has permitted to be raised up and His name to be mentioned therein”, and they are the houses of the Prophets, “in them, morning and evening, He is praised by men that no business or occupation makes them neglect the remembrance of God”, and they are the households of the Prophets, do you not see that He says they praise Him morning and evening in them? So they are their family, and God’s guidance does not leave the houses of the Prophets until the Day of Judgment arrives, then seek it from the household of the Prophet, and do not seek it from others, for you will go astray! [Passage 29 from Saying six]
Translation of the saying: In the midst of this era, in this time that the sun of the religion is hidden behind dark clouds, God has servants that He is always in their hearts. They light a lamp in the eyes of people from the light of vigilance, and remind people of the days of God, and inform them of the exemplary fate of those who passed away. They are like guides in horrible and unmarked desserts. They give good tidings to those who joined the truth, and warn those who turned to falsehood. Yes, in the corners of this vast earth, there are people for God who have chosen the remembrance of God over the attachments of the world, and trading does not keep them from performing the prayer at its initial time. They spend day and night worshipping God, and convey His warnings to the heedless. They invite others toward justice, and practice it themselves before them. They have abandoned the world, and joined people of Heaven. It is as if they have left this world, and migrated to the Hereafter, or are still in the world and have seen what is behind the veil. It is as if they know about the hidden conditions of people of Barzakh, and spent some time in it. It is as if the Day of Judgment has shown them its horrible face, or the blazing fire of Hell has engulfed them. It is as if they see secrets that others do not see, and hear things that people do not hear. [Saying eleven]
Translation of the saying: If you find them and see their high position that how they have opened their book of deeds and are prepared for judgment; they contemplate how many big and small works they were commanded and failed to do, and how many works they were forbidden to do but did! They feel the weight of their sins and are unable to bear them, and have been brought to their knees, weeping and writhing as if in pain. How many nights they are unable to sleep and sit in a dark and lonely corner, hugging their knees and thinking! Sometimes they stand up for the prayer, and sometimes they prostrate, and sometimes they stare at the sky with eyes overflowing with tears, as if they are looking for something among its stars. If the veil is lifted from before your eyes, you will see the Angels have descended upon and surrounded them, and the doors of the sky have opened to them, and Heavens full of blessings have been prepared for them. [Saying eleven]
Translation of the saying: O people! Know that no treasure is of use to you more than knowledge, and people are one of the three: one who knows, one who seeks to know, and one who is no one. O people! Do not immerse yourselves in your lives, and do not remain unaware of what is happening in your world and your Hereafter. Unawareness is nowadays a great sin. Incline toward the Quran and act on it. Know the Sunnah of the Prophet and his household and follow it. Use your intellects and assess the words of these people –and he pointed toward the scholars and elders of the village; if you found them in accordance with your intellects and in accordance with the Quran and the Sunnah, accept it, otherwise throw them into the wall, and I shall bear its sin. Do not consider anyone worthy of obedience except for God and His Caliphs on the earth; for the Jews went astray because they obeyed their scholars and elders; as it has been said in the Quran: ﴿اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ﴾; “They considered their scholars and monks as lords apart from God”. Imitation withers the root of the intellect and leaves no room for thinking. [Saying fourteen]
Translation: Ali ibn Bābawayh [Died in 329 AH] has narrated in the book of “al-Imāmah wa al-Tabsirah”, from al-Himyari, from Sindi ibn Muhammad, from ‘Alā ibn Razin, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja’far (al-Bāqir) peace be upon him that said: The earth would not be without a hidden or visible Imam!
Mansoor may God protect him, said: Indeed, God would not be worshiped on earth except through a visible and living Imam; because His worship on it is establishment of the limits and enforcement of the laws and management of the properties and performing Jihad against His enemies, and these works need a visible and living Imam. So if He does not appoint a visible and living Imam, He has not perfected His Favor for His servants and has not set a way for them to worship Him. Therefore, if they abandon worshiping Him, there is no proof for God against them, unless He appoint a visible and living Imam, but they make him hide; because whenever they do so and then abandon worshiping God, they have set a proof for God against themselves; as God has said: “It is because of that which your hands have sent forth, and God is not oppressive toward servants” and has said: “And God has not oppressed them, but they have oppressed themselves” and it is not that if He appoints a visible and living Imam for them, but they kill him out of oppression; because whenever they make him hide, they can make him appear whenever they repent and reform, but if they kill him, they cannot make him alive, and Imam whenever he is hidden, can help them repent and reform with his prayer and blessings and his communication with some of the righteous, and maybe he enjoins them to good and forbids them from evil without them knowing him, but if he dies, he can do nothing and therefore, it is permissible for God in His Justice and Grace to make Imam hide whenever He sees evil in His servants, but it is not permissible for Him to take him from this world without setting a substitute for him. [Lesson one, p. 43]
Translation: Mansoor may God protect him, said: Some of those who do not like what God has revealed, have thought that the narration of the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, stating that his Ahl al-Bayt are a protection for the inhabitants of earth, is fabricated, but it is not what they have thought, rather it is a correct narration which is compatible with Quran and the Sunnah and is compatible with the intellect; as Hākim (al-Neyshāburi) [Died in 495 AH] has considered it to be correct in the book of “al-Mustadrak”. The fabricated is the narration which they have considered to be correct so that they oppose the truth (that is, this correct narration) by it, and it has been said in it that the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, said: “My companions are a protection for my nation, so when my companions are gone, what has been promised to my nation will come to them” and this is a false narration which is in conflict with Quran and the Sunnah and is in conflict with the intellect; because if the meaning of the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, from “what has been promised to my nation” in it, has been the punishment or the Resurrection Day, none of them came to his nation when his companions went away, and if his meaning from it, has been disagreement, the disagreement came to them when his companions were still among them, rather his companions founded it by the disagreement they made among themselves, whereas the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, cannot say something that is not true, and accordingly he did not say so. This narration has been narrated by Abu Burdah ibn Abu Musa, and he is a bad man that was hostile toward Ali and befriended his enemies, and at the command of Zyād ibn his father, he testified against Hujr ibn ‘Adi may God be pleased with him. It is thought that he has distorted this narration out of enmity toward Ahl al-Bayt, and the one who trusts him regarding this narration is a fool. The correct is that which has been received from the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, about his Ahl al-Bayt that God has removed any impurity from them and has made them completely pure, and it has been received through Ali, Jābir ibn Abdullah, Salamah ibn al-Akwa’, Abdullah ibn Abbās, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and Abu Musa al-Ash’ari. [Lesson one, p. 47]
The purpose of the lessons of His Excellency Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, may God protect him, is to purify people and teach them the Book and wisdom, and their center and basis are the Quran and the Sunnah, and their subject matter is Islamic beliefs, laws and morals, and we have selected from them what is related to the most important and most needed issues, and arranged it in a way that facilitates the studies and researches for the readers, and written annotations for them, which contains references to the sources and some necessary explanations. [Lesson one, introduction]
Each lesson is about a belief or a jurisprudential or moral issue, and consists of three chapters:
• The first chapter is the statement of some verses of the Quran that are related to the issue, and contains invaluable interpretations which we have extracted from the enlightening sayings of His Excellency Allamah, may God protect him, and explain the meaning of the verses in a way that heals hearts and brings people out of darkness into light.
• The second chapter is the statement of some authentic Hadiths from the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, which are related to the issue, along with mentioning their witnesses and follow-ups, and contains precise points and useful explanations from His Excellency Allamah, may God protect him, clarifying the meanings of the Hadiths, the condition of the narrators, and the opinions of scholars.
• The third chapter is the statement of some authentic Hadiths from the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them, which are related to the issue, along with mentioning their witnesses and follow-ups, and contains things similar to those of the second chapter. [Lesson one, introduction]
The rule in the opinion of His Excellency Allamah, may God protect him, is the authority of mutawatir narrations and lack of authority of ahad narrations. In his opinion, a mutawatir narration is what has been narrated by more than four men at each level, provided that they are not related and do not differ on the meaning, and what they have narrated should not conflict with the Book of God or the proved Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, or the sound intellect. Also, what have been narrated by four men at each level is considered mutawatir, provided that they are just, in addition to the previous three conditions, and this is what makes it necessary to examine the condition of the narrators whenever their number does not exceed four. However, His Excellency Allamah, may God protect him, examines their condition whenever they are less or more than this number in terms of obligation; because most Muslims believe in the authority of ahad narrations from a trustworthy or a truthful person, and perhaps they do not consider what has been narrated by five men as mutawatir. Therefore, His Excellency Allamah, may God protect him, selects what their trustworthy or truthful narrators have narrated in order to be a proof for them, may they be guided. [Lesson one, introduction]
Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani is one of the Muslim scholars himself, and accordingly, he believes that they have the same role and duty that he has, and it is the preparation of the ground for the establishment of the pure and perfect Islam in the world through the establishment and maintenance of the government of God’s Caliph on the earth, as explained in the invaluable book Return to Islam. Therefore, in his opinion, Muslim scholars must invite toward the Caliph of God on the earth instead of inviting toward themselves, and establish and maintain his government instead of establishing and maintaining their own government; because this work is possible if Muslims provide its preconditions, and its preconditions are to a large extent the same as the preconditions necessary for the establishment and maintenance of other governments. Therefore, any Muslim scholar who orders Muslims to pledge allegiance to Mahdi and prohibits them from pledging allegiance to anyone other than him, performs his Islamic duty, and it is obligatory for Muslims to respond to his invitation and help him in this work, but Muslim scholars who do not order Muslims to pledge allegiance to Mahdi, nor do they prohibit them from pledging allegiance to anyone other than him, do not perform their Islamic duty, and it is obligatory for Muslims to stay away from them. [Question and Answer 7]
Imam Mahdi, according to the rule “I am only a human being like you”, is a human being like other people in terms of body, and therefore, he is affected by natural harms; as the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and the Prophets before him were affected by them, to the extent that the wife of Ibrahim, peace be upon him, said: “Woe to me! Shall I give birth to a child while I am an old woman and my husband is an old man?! This is surely a strange thing”, and the brothers of Yusuf, peace be upon him, said: “O noble chief, he has a very aged father”, and Zakariyya, peace be upon him, said: “O Lord! Indeed, my bones have weakened and my head has turned hoary with age”, and said: “O Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?!”. Yes, it is imperative that Imam Mahdi be strong in carrying out the affairs of leadership when he appears; as there are Hadiths from the Ahl al-Bayt indicating that he appears in the form of a young man despite his old age; as it has been narrated from Hasan ibn Ali that said: “God will prolong his life in his absence; then He will have him appear as a young man under forty years old by His power”... but these Hadiths, if authentic, do not conflict with the fact that he is a human being like other people; because an old human also looks young if he has a good character, a moderate temperament, a strong body and pure sustenance. Moreover, this may be a dignity for him and a sign from God; as it has been narrated that Amr ibn Ḥamiq al-Khuza‘i gave water to the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, the he said: “O God! Bless him with his youth”, then eighty years passed from his life, without a single strand of his hair turned white. Anyway, there is no doubt that Imam Mahdi will be strong to carry out the affairs of leadership when he appears, whether he is in the form of a young man or in the form of an old man, “And God has power over all things”. [Question and Answer 25]
Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, is the Imam of all Muslims and does not belong to a particular madhhab, but some Islamic madhhabs may have more knowledge about him. In fact, his relationship to Muslims is like that of Amir al-Mu’minin Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, to them; all of them accept him as a Caliph, but some of them consider him as the fourth Caliph and some of them as the first Caliph. But there are less disagreements among them about Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him; because they all consider him to be the twelfth Caliph and appointed by God and His Prophet. They only disagree about the name of his father and the time of his birth, and this disagreement does not harm the necessity of preparing the ground for his advent; because the necessity of preparing the ground for his advent does not stem from the name of his father or the time of his birth, but from the necessity of his advent as the Caliph of God and His Prophet, whether the name of his father is Abdullah or Hasan, and whether he was born before or will be born later. [Question and Answer 26]
The manner of Imam Mahdi for introducing Islam to people of the world is the manner of his ancestor, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, which is to invite them to one of the three:
1. Converting to true Islam and abandoning false religions
2. Submitting to rulings of the true Islam while remaining true to their religions
3. Fighting
Of course, it is clear that because of his perfect knowledge about what God has sent down by virtue of him being God’s Caliph on the earth, and his complete purity from all impurity by virtue of him being a member of the Ahl al-Bayt, he will invite with wisdom and good advice as long as he is an inviter, rule justly as long as he is a ruler, and observe all rulings of God regarding fighting, peace, the promise of security, prisoners and spoils as long as he fights, and will not oppress anyone in any of these three. [Question and Answer 67]
It is not intellectually or religiously impossible for Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, to have a successor or messenger or child, based on the statement that he exists at the present time; because Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, based on the statement that he exists at the present time, is a human being like other people, and consequently, like any of them, he can delegate some of his works to someone else, or send a messenger, or take a wife to have a child with, however, considering that being a successor or messenger or child of someone is against the principle, the claimant must prove it with a valid religious reason, but it is clear that dreams or ahad narrations are not valid religious reasons; because there is nothing in the Quran and the Sunnah that indicates the permissibility of acting on a dream in order to accept the claims of people when they have no proof or the proof is against them, and it is not acceptable from a judge to adjudicate without a proof or against it, with the excuse that he has dreamed about it. Therefore, one cannot believe or act on something for which there is no proof from the intellect and the religion, with the reasoning that he saw something in a dream that indicates it, and this is explicitly stated in the Hadiths from the Ahl al-Bayt, peace be upon them; as they have said: “Indeed, the religion of God is more firm than to be seen in dreams”. The only exception to that is what an infallible person sees; like what Ibrahim, peace be upon him, saw... and also what a fallible person sees but an infallible person interprets; like what Pharaoh saw, and Yusuf, peace be upon him, interpreted... Therefore, other dreams that people see or interpret have no validity and cause conjecture at most; as the issuance of ahad narrations is conjectural, so it is not permissible to act on them in what is related to the religion; because of the explicit of the words of God Almighty that has said: “Indeed, conjecture is not sufficient for (proving) the truth”. Therefore, the claimants who now, by relying on dreams and interpreting some ahad narrations, consider themselves to be children, successors and messengers of Imam Mahdi, peace be upon him, claim something that cannot be religiously acknowledged. [Question and Answer 4]
Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani does not worship the god of ibn Hamid, ibn Taymiyyah, ibn Abd al-Wahhab and others like them; the god who is above and not below, has two eyes, two ears, two feet, and ten real fingers, moves from one place to another, can be seen by eyes like the moon in the sky, and is a perfect example of al-Lat, Hubal, and al-‘Uzza, hidden behind the veil of “without knowing how or what”! But he worships the God of Ibrahim, Isma‘il, Ishaq, Ya‘qub, the Descendants, Isa and Musa, who said: “O Lord! Show me so that I see You”, and He replied: “You will never see Me”, then he repented of his expectation: “He said: Glory be to You, I repent to You”; the God who destroyed seventy men of the children of Israel with a thunderbolt because they wanted to see Him with their eyes: “They said: Show us God manifestly”; because “Eyes cannot perceive Him, but He perceives all eyes, and He is the Subtle, the Aware”; the God that wherever you go He is there, and His presence is not limited to places and directions; as He has said: “Wherever you turn, there is the presence of God”, and said: “He is with you wherever you are”; the God who does not move from one place to another, nor does He rely on His creatures, nor is it possible to divide Him into parts, nor is He characterized by human characteristics; as He has said: “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing”; the God that does not fit into any description, nor is He perceived by any imagination, and He is Glorified, Exalted from anything imaginable; as He has said: “They do not know God as He deserves to be known”, and said: “Glorified and Exalted is He, from whatever they describe”; the God that has all the Most Excellent Names, without the multiplicity of His Names leading to the multiplicity or division of His Essence; as He has said: “God, there is no god but He; He has the Most Excellent Names”; as the two attributes “the All-Seeing” and “the All-Hearing” do not transform Him into two beings, nor do they create two parts for Him, but rather He is the All-Hearing in His Essence, the All-Seeing in His Essence, and hearing and seeing are two aspects of one attribute of Him, which is “knowledge”; because there is no way for multiplicity to His presence, and He is pure from any plurality in His Essence; as He has said: “Say: He is the One God”, and said: “And Our command is but one”. [Critique and Response 11]
Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani worships the Lord of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and does not associate anyone with Him in creation, legislation and sovereignty; in the sense that he believes in His oneness in creating all the creatures, providing sustenance for them and managing them, and does not submit to any law other than His law, or to any government other than His government, and believes that His government is the government of one who rules with His permission, even though most people do not know... The God that legislation belongs to Him, and none but He makes a thing obligatory or forbidden; as He has said: “Or do they have partners who legislate for them as the religion that which God has not permitted?!”; the God that the government belongs to Him, and none but He appoints or removes a ruler; as He has said: “Say: O God! You are the Owner of the government! You give the government to whomever You will and take the government from whomever You will”; so He has no partner in the government; as He has said: ﴿وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ﴾! This is the God of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and the God of Ibrahim and his family, and this is the God of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, the flag-bearer of monotheism in the current era with the monotheistic call “Allegiance belongs to God”. [Critique and Response 11]
Know that Mansoor attempts to gather Muslims of the world altogether around Mahdi, peace be upon him, by relying on Islamic certainties, and you must cooperate with him in this good and blessed work, not make it more difficult for him by beating the drum for accusations of disbelief and blowing into the fire of division. We invite you and other Muslims of the world to “return to the pure and perfect Islam”; because it is the preparation of the ground for the advent of Mahdi, and the advent of Mahdi is the preparation of the ground for the earth to be filled with justice and equity after it has been filled with oppression and cruelty, and this is a happiness that there is no happiness greater than that. So join Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, support him in this great Islamic movement, and allow him to change your old disagreements into a union in the light of the government of Mahdi, peace be upon him. [Critique and Response 11]
Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani does not take allegiance from any Muslim for himself; Since he considers the allegiance only belongs to God, and his meaning by that is to pledge allegiance to someone whom God has commanded to pledge allegiance to and he is nobody except Mahdi that pledging allegiance to him is obligtory upon every Muslim. Accordingly, Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani takes allegiance from Muslims of this world for Mahdi; In the meaning that he takes promise and oath from them that if Mahdi appears to them, they protect, support and obey him and do not leave him alone like those who were before them. This is the context of the allegiance which Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani takes from every Muslim, and if sufficient number of Muslims pledge such allegiance to him, the grounds for the advent of Mahdi will be prepared. [Critique and Response 15]
Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani does not invite toward “himself”, but rather invites toward “Mahdi” in the clearest way possible; because his invitation toward solidarity in order to protect, help and obey “Mahdi” is by no means considered an invitation toward “oneself”, and calling it “an invitation toward oneself” is like calling “night” as “day”, which is nothing but to act autocratically and despotically in naming. Undoubtedly, those who recognize the right of sovereignty for “themselves”, oblige others to protect, help and obey “themselves”, and have no concern but to maintain the government of “themselves” are inviting toward “themselves”; or the selfish who are sunk in the mire of claims and have nothing to say but “I am this” and “I am that”, and care about nothing but to prove their so-called positions; those who associate themselves with God’s Caliphs and call themselves by their names, while they are of less account with God than beetles! [Critique and Response 17]
Apparently, the first blessed result of such an awakening movement is the unity of Muslims in one rank and under one flag, as well as their cooperation and agreement through pledging allegiance to the Caliph of God, and this is the first step toward the realization of our great Islamic goal, meaning the realization of the sovereignty of Mahdi, peace be upon him; because undoubtedly, the true unity and deep solidarity among the ranks of Muslims are considered as preludes to the global revolution of Mahdi. We believe that such a blessed Islamic movement that has aimed for the unity of all Muslims under the flag of Mahdi has already begun and chanted the call of “Return to Islam”. This movement is led by the vigilant and courageous scholar, His Excellency Allamah Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, who with his extraordinary and exemplary courage, has set the word «البيعة للّه»; “the allegiance is for God” as the slogan of his movement and believes that the only example of pledging allegiance to God in our time is pledging allegiance to the Caliph of God, Mahdi from the household of Muhammad, and any other allegiance at this time is considered as an allegiance to Taghut. Therefore, “the allegiance is for God” means the government and authority exclusively belong to the one whom God has chosen as His Caliph, and he is no one other than Mahdi. This flag-bearer of the pure and complete Islam, by presenting such a pure and authentic understanding, believes that Mahdi is the iron pillar of the tent of Islam, and the tent of Islam will not be erected until this iron pillar is established on the earth. Therefore, the duty of each and every one of Muslims of the world is to support Mahdi completely and sincerely, and help, protect and obey him. This is why we can call the movement of this great scholar the “Return to Islam” movement or the return to Mahdi movement; because he is the strong pillar and the promised establisher of Islam, and returning to him is in fact returning to the real Islam. [Article 5]
The elements of hypocrisy have come to power in Muslim countries and have taken over the rule over Muslims; the rulers who seem to be Muslims but their subjection and submission to unbelievers or their opposition and hostility against Islamic streams indicates their disbelief in their heart. A group of them spread the deviant Umayyad and Abbasid ideas over the majority of Islamic countries by Sunni slogans, and by spreading extremism and political and arms support to terrorist groups, they target innocent Muslims’ lives and properties and honor, and a group of them spread superstition and religious invented heresies in Islamic countries by Shia slogans, and they cause insult against Islam and conflicts among Muslims, and it is interesting that both of them are unanimous in their opposition to the purest call of the time for realization of pure and complete Islam in the world, and in order to preserve their power and prevent the Caliph of God on earth from coming to power, they do every wicked and evil work! As for example, their mercenary and self-sold elements, who do not believe in any god other than their masters, are plotting daily to hit the purified movement “Return to Islam” and block the way for its free and great leader Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani and for this purpose, they do every lie, slander, cruelty and evil act. How many educated and committed youth who are in their prisons and suffer for accepting the right invitation toward pure and complete Islam, and how many honorable and respected men and women who become infamous and dishonored for the crime of preferring Mahdi over their gods, and they get blamed and insulted! [Article 6]
There is no doubt that ending this evil chaos will be accomplished by the Caliph of God on earth; because no one except for him has the ability to overcome these seditious wicked people with their big bellies and rough necks, and he is the Mahdi from the household of Mohammad who, by the definite promise of God and His Messenger, will fill the world with justice and fairness as it is filled with oppression and cruelty, but the reality is that to fulfill the sovereignty of this noble man and his confrontation against evil hypocrites, one cannot sit and do nothing and only pray and repent for his Excellency’s advent, but it is necessary to form a community of sincere and warrior Muslims for a comprehensive support and to help his Excellency and declare readiness to protect and assist him and break the vicious allegiance to other rulers and pledge allegiance to the true Caliph of God on earth; because without forming such community, the advent of Mahdi would not be possible and there would be no guarantee for survival and victory for him and this is the supreme goal that his honor Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani is pursuing with his Islamic and public movement and tries to achieve it and therefore, his blessed movement is the best chance for gathering and forming a community of the youth who love Mahdi and the true waiters for his advent in order to announce loyalty and allegiance to his Excellency; the movement which with the slogan of “Allegiance to God” considers any allegiance except to the caliph of God on earth equal to allegiance to Taughut and with the belief in the possibility of realizing Mahdi’s sovereignty on the condition that the aforementioned grounds are provided, is preparing the grounds for the sovereignty of his Excellency objectively and practically. Therefore, it is imperative that all those who are honest in their claim to help, love, and wait for the advent of household of Mohammad, come forward as soon as possible and gather around this flag of guidance for getting close and practical realization of Mahdi’s advent and shout loud the informing and awakening call of “Return to Islam”, even though the blind-hearted and evil hypocrites do not like it and burst with jealousy and anger! [Article 6]
Elsewhere in the book Return to Islam, Khorasani considers the establishment of Islam to be useful and effective only in its pure and perfect form, and believes that establishing a part of it alone or mixed with something outside of it, not only is it not useful and effective, but can be harmful and dangerous, and this is contrary to the belief of most Muslims who think that establishing a part of Islam is also desirable and effective. He likens Islam to a single system with interconnected components that if one component does not work, the other components will also lose their efficiency and the whole system will fail. Therefore, Muslims have no choice but to establish the entire Islam in its purest form, and this is possible only if the Caliph of God on the earth teaches it. Another fundamental and important issue in this book is that the author considers the implementation of Islamic hudud and punishments contingent upon the implementation of all general and political rulings of Islam, and believes that legislating these hudud and punishments has been done in view of the rule of God on the earth, proportional to the time and place that all rulings of Islam are implemented as deterrents. Therefore, the implementation of these hudud and punishments in another time and place is not fair and proportional; especially considering that from the author’s point of view, the rulings of Islam are interdependent and interconnected and affect each other and are influenced by each other. [Article 1]
In another part of the book Return to Islam, Mansoor Hashemi considers disagreements among Muslims, sovereignty of anyone other than God, mixing with non-Islamic nations and cultures, emergence of sects and their rivalry with each other, moral decline, and prevention of enemies as the most important impediments to the establishment of the perfect and pure Islam since the demise of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, and talks about each of them in detail, with a historical, pathological and trans-sectarian perspective. He also considers the tendency to Hadiths as one of the impediments to knowing the pure and perfect Islam and its establishment by Muslims; because in his opinion, Hadiths, in the sense of conjectural narrations from the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him and his family, have no validity due to the invalidity of conjecture in Islam, and it is not sufficient to rely on them in order to deduce a belief or a law. He believes that there is no reason to exclude the conjecture arising from Hadiths from other conjectures; because the invalidity of conjecture is one of the rulings of the intellect which do not accept exceptions. Therefore, only a mutawatir Hadith whose narrators are numerous and leads to certainty is valid, while such Hadiths are very few and are not available enough. However, from the author’s point of view, the solution to this predicament is not to refer to non-mutawatir Hadiths, but to refer to the Caliph of God on the earth, and if it is not possible to refer to him at the present time, it is because of the fault of people for not making its arrangements, and therefore, there is no excuse for them to refer to non-mutawatir Hadiths. Hashemi Khorasani believes that people have put themselves in a desperate situation by their own fault for not making the necessary arrangements to access the Caliph of God on the earth, and that this situation is not imposed upon us from God to be in conflict with His grace. However, he believes that it is possible for them to get out of this desperation; because their access to the Caliph of God on the earth is possible when his security is guaranteed by them; as his sovereignty over them is possible when their demand, support and obedience to him are guaranteed by them. [Article 1]
