Why Will Efforts Fail Without Connection to the Embodiment of Goodness and Blessing?

In life, we are constantly seeking to attain different forms of perfections. Few people set limits for themselves on the path of growth and advancement. The desire for wealth, fame, power, or reaching high scientific and social ranks are all manifestations of our perfection-seeking soul. However, the key point is that not every perfection necessarily leads to our goodness and bliss. There are countless individuals who, without connection to the embodiment of goodness and blessing, have been led into negligence and spiritual decline, while pursuing these perfections. Consequently, they have been prevented from achieving their true or human perfection.

Therefore, simply achieving socially approved perfections cannot guarantee our bliss. We must learn how to distinguish between perfections and what is truly good for us. In essence, we must seek perfections that are connected to our true benefit and good. Sometimes, a bigger house, increased fame, or academic success not only fails to benefit us but actually robs us of our inner peace and hinders our connection to the truth.

Though the good for each person varies depending on their circumstances, talents, and position, it is clear that we are unable to distinguish the right path and the true good on our own. On this journey, we need to connect to the absolute source of goodness, the Infallible ones (Peace be upon them).

In this article, we intend to examine why connecting to anything other than the Ahl al-Bayt [Household of Prophet Muhammad] as the embodiment of goodness and blessing will be fruitless, dangerous, and problematic in attaining bliss.

Why Is Success Meaningless Without Connection to the Infallible Ones?

Naturally, the most ideal condition for achieving any form of perfection is to reach the origin and source of that perfection. We are no exception to this rule on the path to connecting with the embodiment of goodness and blessing. Our deeds will lead to our true bliss only when they bring us inner peace and happiness, and this is impossible except by connecting these deeds to the embodiment of all goodness and blessings, namely the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them). This is because they possess the closest compatibility and similarity with the Divine Essence or Absolute Perfection, serving as the complete mirror reflecting the Infinite Existence of God. Therefore, relationship and connection with them can serve as a gateway to goodness and blessing and a guarantee for our success in traversing the path of human life and reaching the purpose of our creation.

Any endeavor that begins without a connection to the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) will not reach its true destination. We will either advance on our path of growth by considering the interests of our supra-rational dimension and through the guidance of the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them), or we will err in prioritizing our desires and place the lower dimensions of our existence first. Consequently, because we have been separated from the embodiment of goodness and blessing and have chosen, as our guide, a school of thought or a role model that lacks the worthiness and competence to lead us, we will fail to attain true success and bliss.

In fact, success is realized when not only the start of the path but also its end is organized based on the priorities, concerns, and orientations of the Infallibles. Since the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) are fully aware of our existential structure, the path of our movement, and the ultimate purpose of our creation, they are capable of giving direction to our lives by properly organizing our choices, relationships, thoughts, and behaviors, and leading us to the best possible outcome: similarity to Allah. In truth, the role of the Infallibles in all these relationships is to lead us to Allah, and the Infallibles play no role other than placing our hands in the Hand of Allah.

Therefore, we can only act with certainty regarding the path we are taking, the goal ahead of us, and the result we will ultimately achieve, if we build our lifestyle centered on the priorities of the Infallibles and accompany them step-by-step on this journey.

True Success Depends on Our Connection with the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace Be upon Them)

The notion that our merit is confined solely to material prosperity, economic and social success, or personal advancements is a misconception. This is because true merit is achieved when all our activities, decisions, and relationships are arranged in line with similarity to the Absolute Perfection and lead us toward Him. This necessitates structuring our lifestyle around the concerns and desires of the Infallibles and harmonizing with their will.

Without incorporating the Ahl al-Bayt as the embodiment of goodness and blessing into our lives, our outward achievements, though socially considered as successes or even acts of service, will fail to reveal the true purpose and fruit of our efforts.

The Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) are the only infallible ones who are fully aware of all the dimensions of human existence. They have been appointed by God as the true experts in the affairs of our lives. They not only establish the fundamental principles of human life but are also responsible for regulating the most minute aspects of our existence to guide us to connect with the source of goodness and blessing. In reality, only one who has complete knowledge of all the aspects of our existential structure, the path ahead, and our true benefit and good can truly distinguish what is beneficial for us. Since the Infallibles are not only the embodiment of goodness and mercy but also possesses Divine knowledge and the necessary specialized insight to guide us toward realizing the purpose of creation, they alone are worthy and capable of leading us to human perfection and the purpose of our creation.

In essence, connection with the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) is equivalent to connecting with the root. Naturally, if the root is lost, the branches and leaves will not bear any particular fruit for us.

The Ahl al-Bayt (Peace Be upon Them) as Our Ultimate Goal and End

Regardless of the path we choose for ourselves, we naturally select a role model to reach our desired ultimate goal. In this context, our intellect dictates that if we find a role model more perfect and desirable than our own, we must abandon the previous one and conform to the superior role model and their dictates. However, since the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) represent the most complete existing version of Absolute Perfection, choosing them as a role model is of the utmost importance and is irreplaceable. In truth, choosing any individual or school of thought other than the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) and their teachings leads to our decline and prevents us from achieving the ultimate purpose of creation.

In other words, since the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) are the ultimate endpoint of all perfections, and there is no rank higher than theirs in similarity to Allah, we cannot surpass the Ahl al-Bayt (Peace be upon them) and reach a higher station of goodness and beauty. Nevertheless, a successful person is the one who, from the outset, aligns their affairs with the being who stands at the pinnacle of perfections and is the embodiment of goodness, seeking assistance from them to reach ultimate perfection.