Question:What are the limits of the authority of the Messenger and the Imams, peace be upon them? Do they have absolute authorization to dispose of the affairs of beings? What are the limits of Wilayat al-Faqih (Leadership of the religious ruler)?

Answer:In the name of Allah, the Messenger and the imams (PBUT) have absolute legislative authority and legally executive authority over all people. As for the constitutive affairs, they have the ability to act as a miraculously, where the miracle may be the action of Allah Almighty at the hand of the infallible and it may be that he did what Allah Almighty bestowed upon him of the ability. As for the ruler (Faqeeh), he has full power of the legislative authority in social matters and the ability to apply the sharia rulings if the requirements are available in terms of Islamic countries, organizing their affairs and managing their affairs by direct or by proxy and defending them. Allah knows best

Question:Is the injustice which was practiced against Imam Ali (PBUH) the severest distresses and calamities? How is that?

Answer:In the name of Allah, only the one who bears the distress or calamity can tell how severe it is and all negative effects of this injustice on Islam and Muslims. The injustice practiced against Imam Ali (PBUH) was the one from which all distresses and calamities of Islam and Ahlulbait (PBUT) have been stemmed. Amongst the results of this injustice are: the calamity of the Martyr’s Day in Karbala, the disappearance if the twelfth Imam and those who follow their desires control the Muslim affairs till the present day. Allah knows best.

Question:What is your advice for those who are ignorant of or underestimate the virtues of Ahlulbait (PBUT)?

Answer:. In the name of Allah, we are to know that the Infallible Imams (PBUT) are considered by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) as one of the two heavy weights and an equal to Quran, and ordered us to follow and obey them. Being ignorant of them and their virtues leads to the underestimation and ignorance of Islam. It is known that showing love to them is a necessary thing in Islam. If it is in this way, no Muslim shall be ignorant of or underestimate Ahlulbait (PBUT). Allah is the all Guide to the right path.

Question:Why are the Infallible Imams from Imam Hussein, not from his brother Imam Hassan (PBUT)?

Answer:In the name of Allah, this is ordained by Allah; only Allah knows the reason. Should you contemplate this meaning, you will understand what we have indicated. For instance, why does Allah create you as a male from someone not otherwise? Why were you born in a certain era not before or later? Why was the Messenger of Allah the son of Abdullah, not the son of other uncles? Why was he from the descendants of Ismael not from Isaac? The suspicion gets wider, if you contemplate the obligation of praying at certain timings and not others and having a certain number of rakaat according to certain contexts. Why is the Quran in this amount? Why is the way of writing the letters of the words in the common shape not otherwise? Brother, we have to submit to Allah and his ordained commandments. It is not allowed to ask for the reasons why Allah does such things. Allah says: “He [Allah] is not asked for what He does. It is they who are asked for what they do.” Allah knows best.

Question:I would like to know the meaning of the prophet’s (PBUH&HF) saying “Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein”. How could the prophet (PBUH&HF) be a part of Imam Hussein (PBUH), on the one hand, and how could the Imam (PBUH) be a part of the prophet (PBUH&HF) on the other hand? I would not be satisfied by the common meaning of this saying. I would like to know the implicated meaning of such a well-known sentence which we have always heard in the Husseini gatherings, but we do not know its true meaning.

Answer:In the name of Allah, a man may acquire a kind of virtue and perfection traits which distinguish him from others. On the other hand, a man may acquire a notorious reputation for the evil and corruption. The first kind is to represent the goodness and perfection in that all his constituting and distinctive features are melted down and integrated in one’s realm of virtue and perfection. Should we say one’s name, it means to the hearer all the perfecting traits which are highly sublime. The same thing is applied to the second kind in terms of ugliness and deviance where this person becomes a title for all types of corruption and deviance. This kind can be represented by Satan, Yazid ibin Muwawya, Hajaj ibin Yosuf Althaqafi, and all the ugliest group of the Umayyad and Abbasid persons. You can do research, if you like, for the ones who can belong to the first kind, as it is the most representative one is the prophet (PBUH&HF). Therefore, when you mention his holy name, you have said Muhammad ibin Abdullah sala Allah aleihi wa aleh [peace be upon him and his family]. You have expressed his name along with all the perfecting traits, except those related to Almighty. Thus, the Messenger (PBUH&HF) represents the perfect creation, confrontation of injustice and corruption, and dedication only to Monotheism. Hence , you do not need to prolong the list as it is considered in one utterance which is Muhammad sala Allahu alaihi wa alih [peace be upon him and his family]. As this greatness is about to be disappeared due to the uncontrolled Muslim situation, Imam Hussein (PBUH) embodies such a greatness which the Messenger (PBUH&HF) had. Thus, the constancy of prophet’s (PBUH&HF) greatness depends on Imam Hussein (PBUH). Accordingly, either of them is from the other. Allah is the all Guide.

Question:What is the ruling regarding personal or national celebrations coinciding with sad anniversaries of Ahlulbait (PBUH)?

Answer:In the name of Allah: It is not suitable and not permissible for a believer to attend any celebrations in a sad anniversary of Ahlulbait (PBUH). Allah is right to put the doer of such things with the enemies of Ahlulbait (PBUH). It is narrated by the infallibles (PBUH) that the Shia followers are created from same mud of the infallibles' and they cheer for the infallibles' happiness and grieve for their sorrow. Allah knows best.

Question:Does Badaa (changing, postponing or stopping a thing to be happened due to good things done by people) happen to Imam Mahdi's (AJ) issue or not?

Answer:In the name of Allah: In this issue, a change did not happen and will never happen as said by the Imams (PBUH). Allah knows best.

Question:Allah (SWT) says "And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen (Immigrants) and the Ansar (Supporters) and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the great attainment." (The Repentance/100). This verse is a vivid declaration on the permissibility of following the companions. Following them in goodness definitely leads to satisfaction and immortality in paradise. However, Shia followers think that it is not permissible to follow other than Ahlulbait (PBUH) as companions and doing so definitely leads to the darkness and Hell. So, how do you compromise between this verse and what you say, provided that there is no clear verse in Quran says it is obligatory to follow Ahlulbait (PBUH) and no other?

Answer:In the name of Allah: The verse mentioned above praises the immigrants and supporter who followed the Messenger (PBUH&HF), but it does not approve following the companions. There is no evidence for following all the companions as the title (companion) is general and can be said to anyone who lived in the Messenger's (PBUH&HF) time. Among them were hypocrites, ones who escaped and left the Messenger (PBUH&HF) in the battlefield, like the Quranic verse which says "[Remember] when you [fled and] climbed [the mountain] without looking aside at anyone while the Messenger was calling you from behind." and many others who ran away and left the Messenger (PBUH&HF) in Friday Prayers for the sake of doing business or fun, where Allah described them as " But when they saw a transaction or a diversion, [O Muhammad], they rushed to it and left you standing." On the other hand, there are verses which approve of following Ahlulbait (PBUH). Allah says "Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not ask you for this message any payment [but] only good will through kinship.", " Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed - those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]", and other verses. Allah is the All Guide and knows best.

Question:What is your opinion regarding the claim that the Commander of the Faithful (PBUH) failed? Is whoever saying this considered religiously deviant?

Answer:In the name of Allah: It should be known that failing means that a person wants to do or get something, but he could not. However, Imam Ali's (PBUH) aim was not to spread his territory and overwhelm the fortunes of the world. Rather, he wanted to display the real and bright face of Islam which was away from people's minds because of the mistakes of some other rulers who preceded him (PBUH), and followed the Messenger (PBUH). Imam Ali (PBUH) succeeded in that and he expressed that himself. If his (PBUH) losing the authority is a failure, then it could be said the same for the Messenger (PBUH&HF) because the Messenger (PBUH&HF) insisted on Ali's Authority after him, but that never happened. Furthermore, Allah (SWT) says "I only created Jinn and human to worship", but this did not happen either. Now, can anybody say that Allah failed (may Allah forbid)? This is because His aim is not getting worship acts from his worshippers in fact, but to pave the way for them to reach it and that what happened. There is no power, but from Allah the Almighty.

Question:According to your Eminence, are the narrations and news authentic that the sun was set beck for our master Imam Ali (PBUH) twice, once in the life of the Messenger (PBUH&HS) and once in his (PBUH) Caliphate in Iraq?

Answer:In the name of Allah: These narrations are found in authentic books and they are like other miracle narrations, which prove the right of Imam Ali (PBUH) in Caliphate. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Allah knows best.