What is Wilayat?
"Wilayat," derived from wila, means power, authority or a right of certain kind. In Shia theology, "wilayat" is the authority invested in the Prophet and the Ahl-ul-Bayt representatives of Almighty Allah on this earth.
According to the late Murtaza Mutahhari, wilayat has four dimensions:
The right of love and devotion (wila-e muhabbat): This right places the Muslims under the obligation of loving the Ahl-ul-Bayt.
The authority in spiritual guidance (wila-e imamat): This reflects the power and authority of the Ahl-ul-Bayt in guiding their followers in spiritual matters.
The authority in socio-political guidance (wila-e ziamat): This dimension of wilayat reflects the right that the Ahl-ul-Bayt have to lead the Muslims in social and political aspects of life.
The authority of the universal nature (wila-e tasarruf): This dimension reflects universal power over the entire universe that the Prophet and Ahl-ul-Bayt have been vested with by the grace of Almighty Allah.[ 1]
Using this division of wilayat's dimensions, I would like to point out the areas of agreement and disagreement among the various Muslim groups.
Notes:
[1] See, Murtaza Mutahhari, Wilayah: the Station of the Master (Wala ha wa wilayat ha), tr. Yahya Cooper, Tehran: World Organisation for Islamic Services, 1982.
Taken from the book: Shiism,Imamate & Wilayat
By Seyyed Muhammad Rizvi
Taken from the book: Shiism,Imamate & Wilayat
By Seyyed Muhammad Rizvi
Other links:
The Two Problems of Succession and Authority in Religious Sciences
The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with the Shia Part1
The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with the Shia part2
The Political Method of the Selection of the Caliph by Vote and Its Disagreement with the Shia part3
