Responsibility 58: Protecting the Imam, His Religion and Sunnah

Protecting the Imam and safeguarding the religion which he shall perfect (in its global implementation) and preserving the sunnah (tradition) of the Messenger of Allah is another responsibility which the true believers must enact.

This protection can be carried out very easily through propagating and disseminating knowledge of the faith among the people and obviously, a person who is an ‘Alim (religious trained scholar) and is aware of the truths must fulfill his responsibility and spread his knowledge.

Thus, the command of defending the religion and the truths is the scholars’ responsibility and is something which they must carry out in the best possible way – obviously, according to their ability.

The Messenger of Allah (S) said:

إِذَا ظَهَرَتِ الْبِدَعُ فِي أُمَّتِـي فَلْيُظْهِرِ الْعَالِمُ عِلْمَهُ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ فَعَلَيْهِ لَعْنَةُ اللٌّهِ

“When innovations come up in my nation, it is obligatory upon the scholar to make his knowledge known to the people (to guide them). If he does not do this, then the curse of Allah is upon him.”1

  • 1.al-Kafi, vol. 1, pg. 45, sec. on Innovations, no. 2