Divine Wilayah

Divine Wilāyah (Divine Authority/Guardianship) signifies the proximity and manifestation of the Lordship of the Almighty within contingent beings.

The Importance and Status of Divine Wilāyah

In religious terminology, Wilāyah denotes God's guardianship and His right of disposal over all creations. The term Wilāyah is referenced in the divine verses, and in numerous traditions, Divine Wilāyah is enumerated as one of the most fundamental and crucial pillars of the religion; because it encompasses the issues of guardianship, authority, and the administration of the social affairs of the society. The concept of Divine Wilāyah is extensively utilized across the three disciplines of jurisprudence (*fiqh*), theology (*kalām*), and mysticism (*ʿirfān*).

In jurisprudence, it is generally applied in its conventional sense, meaning legal and nominal guardianship within the realms of the family and society. However, in the domain of Islamic theology, Wilāyah is synonymous with the Imamate, representing a divine appointment for the guidance of the people. In the realm of mysticism, the central focus of the discourse on Wilāyah is Divine Wilāyah, encompassing both the Wilāyah of God and that of His friends (awliyāʾ).

Imām Khumaynī has likewise examined and analyzed Wilāyah across the three fields of jurisprudence, theology, and mysticism. Within the mystical domain, Imām Khumaynī accords special importance and status to the discussion of Divine Wilāyah, and for this reason, he authored an independent treatise on the subject titled *Miṣbāḥ al-Hidāya ilā al-Khilāfa wa-al-Wilāya*. A distinctive feature of Imām Khumaynī's approach in this discourse is the extension of the discussion on Wilāyah and vicegerency (*khilāfa*) to the level of the Divine Realm (*ṣuqʿ al-rubūbī*) and the level of the Most Sacred Emanation (*al-fayḍ al-aqdas*), a perspective unseen in the works of other mystics. Furthermore, Imām Khumaynī seamlessly integrates the mystical discussions of Divine Wilāyah with governance, an approach rooted in monotheistic principles.

The Reality of Divine Wilāyah

From Imām Khumaynī's perspective, the reality of Divine Wilāyah is the proximity and manifestation of the Lordship of the Truth within contingent beings. In certain instances, he introduces Wilāyah as the esoteric dimension (*bāṭin*) of prophethood. Thus, the axis of Wilāyah is the manifestation of the Almighty within things, while in prophethood, it is the recounting and revealing of unseen matters. According to Imām Khumaynī, the absolute guardian (*walī-yi muṭlaq*) is the one who, by virtue of his comprehensive station, is the manifestation of the Supreme Name of Allah.

Relying on the verse, "Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve - their allies are Taghut. They take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein", Imām Khumaynī maintains that Wilāyah is of two kinds: the Wilāyah of God and His friends, and the Wilāyah of Satan and his allies.

In Imām Khumaynī's view, the Wilāyah of God and His friends possesses various degrees. God's Wilāyah is the cause of drawing the believers out of darkness into the light, and it provides guidance, mercy, and forgiveness. This Wilāyah is an absolute Wilāyah that arises from faith in God, His Messenger, and the divine saints, and it undertakes the responsibility of returning the spiritual wayfarer (*sālik*) and the believer from the realm of nature and darkness to the abode of nobility. However, the Wilāyah of Satan and his demonic manifestations in the world are referred to as *Ṭāghūt* (false deities), which involves satanic interference; just as the expulsion from the light into darkness, the dominion of *Ṭāghūt*, and deviation are among the effects and manifestations of satanic Wilāyah.

According to Imām Khumaynī, these two types of Wilāyah represent two directions, two paths, and two fronts. The front of God's Wilāyah extracts believers from all forms of darkness and leads them to the light, and this light is the light of the Almighty. Conversely, the front of *Ṭāghūt* drags people from the light into the path of false deities and darkness. Imām Khumaynī considers the condition for liberation from the hold of satanic Wilāyah and entry into the domain of Divine Wilāyah to be spiritual asceticism (*riyāḍat al-nafs*), seclusion, purity of heart, and the transmission of the truths and gnosis of faith into the heart. If the heart is emptied of satanic influences, the light of faith and monotheism will take residence within the heart.

Divine Wilāyah and the Perfect Man

From the perspective of mystical semantics, a profound and intricate relationship exists between Wilāyah and prophethood. Divine Wilāyah is the unmediated connection of the Perfect Man with the Almighty, which is attained through annihilation (*fanāʾ*) in the Almighty. Imām Khumaynī enumerates several degrees for such a Wilāyah; these include the Wilāyah of the Most Sacred Emanation (*al-fayḍ al-aqdas*), the Wilāyah of the Supreme Name, the Wilāyah of the immutable archetype (*ʿayn al-thābit*) of the Perfect Man, the Wilāyah of the Sacred Emanation (*al-fayḍ al-muqaddas*), and the Wilāyah of the Universal Intellect (*al-ʿaql al-kullī*).

Imām Khumaynī regards the Seal of Divine Wilāyah as a manifestation among the manifestations of the Seal of Prophethood, and he posits two divisions for Wilāyah: absolute Wilāyah and specific, restricted Wilāyah. He considers the absolute Wilāyah to belong to the Commander of the Faithful (Amīr al-Muʾminīn) and the restricted Wilāyah to belong to the Promised Mahdī.

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Author: Bāqir Ṣāḥibī