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means of proximity to Him (Wabtaġū who narrates the following from the
ilayhi al-Wasīlah), and wage Jihad in Holy Prophet, ‘If you supplicate to God,
His way, so that you may be felicitous” then ask Him that I attain [the station of]
(The Quran, 5: 35). This verse speaks al-Wasīlah. Al-Khudri says, “So, we
of Wasīlah (a means) to get closer to asked the Prophet what al-Wasīlah was”
God. The fundamental means through and He said, “It is my level in Heaven.”
which all other means are realized are Commenting on this narration,
the Holy Prophet and the Imams of Ṭabāṭabāʾī says, “If you were to ponder
his Infallible Household, who are over this narration, and how the Quranic
united with the All-Merciful Breath verse [5:35] refers to it, you will realize
and the Simple Divine Grace that that al-Wasīlah is the station of the
flows throughout the universe. Hence Prophet in the proximity of God by
it is through them that one can attain means of which he would gain Divine
Divine Proximity. Proximity, and he would be followed by
‘Allamah Ṭabāṭabāʾī in his Tafsīr His Pure Household, and the virtuous
al-Mizan after explaining the above ones of his nation respectively”
Quranic verse opens a section on (Ṭabāṭabāʾī, 1970, Vol. 5, pp. 333-334).
narrations that reveal that one of the • The Holy Quran says, “Whatsoever
extensions of wasilah in the verse in the heavens and the earth ask Him.
refers to the station of the Holy Every moment (Yawm) He is in a single
Prophet and the Imams of his task (Sha’n)” (The Quran, 55: 29). This
Household. For example, in a narration is one of the most profound verses of
from ‘Uyun of al-Ṣadūq, the Holy the Quran that speaks of every entity
Prophet is reported to have said, “The asking and supplicating to God by its
Imams are from the children of al- essence and capacity every moment.
Hossein, whosoever obeys them has The word ‘Sha’n’ literally signifies
obeyed God, and whosoever disobeys ‘one’ task or command. This alludes to
them has disobeyed God; they are al- the single grace that scholars of
ʿUrwat al-Wuthqa (the firmest handle), mysticism call al-Fayḍ al-Munbasiṭ
and the means of proximity to God” (the extended grace).
(Ṣadūq, 2000, p. 63). Akin to the aforementioned verses,
Imam ‘Ali likewise is reported to this Sha’n which is interpreted as the
have said commenting on the phrase Extended Grace of God, can also be
“and seek the means of proximity to reckoned to be a Miṣdāq (extension) of
Him” that, “I am the means of proximity the Perfect Human who existentiates
to Him.” Another report Ṭabāṭabāʾī everything in the universe moment by
mentions is from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri moment, and hence serves as the
