:What Is the Role of Mentors in Education of the Human Being, Who Are Our Main Mentors?

How much do you believe in the role of mentors in education and growth of people? Who have been your best mentors in life and why? In your opinion, what impact do they make on a person that makes their presence obligatory and necessary in all aspects of life?

Imagine that after suffering for a long time and studying thick and heavy books, you have finally been accepted in your desired field of study and university. However, on the first day you go to the university to register, you realize that the university does not have a professor! You enroll your little child in one of the clubs in the city with the dream of winning the championship in her favorite sport, but later you find out that the club does not have a coach! You send your other child to school with thousands of hopes and dreams, but unfortunately, the school has no teachers! What do you think? You cannot help but wonder, “How can the officials of the university, school, and club be so thoughtless and irresponsible?” Is it possible to accept so many students, but do not think about training and educating them? Why have the officials of these places ignored the role of mentors in education of the students? If they did not want to put someone in charge of education, why did they establish these institutions?

You are right! The role of mentors in education is not something that can be ignored. Anyone who establishes an educational institution plans for the presence of mentors long before the presence of students. As a result, it is clear what the mentors must instruct and what the students must be able to achieve after completing the courses. If there is no mentor, the philosophy of educational places is completely questioned.

The world, like the university and the club, is a completely educational place. We are in this place for a short time and after completing the course, we will return to our original homeland. Our mission during this time is the one for which we were born, that is, becoming like the True Beloved and Absolute Perfect, i.e. God, and manifesting each of God’s attributes. However, God is an infinite and absolute being, and the absolute being is not within the reach of humans to know Him and become like Him. Now the main question is: When we cannot know God, how are we going to become like Him? This is where the role of mentors in education and journey of the human being towards the Absolute Perfect becomes clear.

• Who are our main mentors, and what are their characteristics?
• Who has appointed them to this position and why?
• Is it necessary to follow these mentors to know God and become like Him? Is there no other way to achieve perfection?

Our Mentors Were Created Before Us!

God has placed the human being at the center of creation and designed everything according to the mathematical structure of his existence. The mathematical structure of the human being encompasses the inanimate, vegetative, animal, intellective, and supra-rational dimensions. Supra-rational or human dimension is the main dimension of human existence and the other four dimensions are secondary.

Due to having the supra-rational dimension, we love the highest perfections and we desire infinity in everything: infinite knowledge, infinite wealth, infinite power, etc. These infinite perfections are manifested only in God, and their earthly versions are just a manifestation of God’s essence. Therefore, all of us unconsciously love God and want Him, but since our supra-rational faculty is not active, we make mistakes in recognizing the manifestation and waste all our energy in seeking limited and perishable earthly perfections.

It is necessary for our supra-rational faculty to mature and become active, so that this unconscious love and desire becomes conscious. After our supra-rational faculty becomes active and we know our True Beloved, we will not be happy and calm with anything else except Him. This maturity makes us fall in love with the perfections of God and we want to become like our Beloved as much as we can. However, God is not made of matter to be known. How do we know what attributes He has? The answer is clear. We need mentors.

The role of mentors in education and spiritual journey of the human being towards God is undeniable. However, where do we find these mentors? Are we free to choose any mentor and path? Will any path lead us to our goal? Who is qualified to hold our hand and be with us on this path? The Merciful God has planned this from the very beginning of creation and even before He created us. He has created role models who, even though they are humans like us, have all the attributes and perfections of God at the highest level. They are like mirrors reflecting God’s names and attributes in the most comprehensive way, so we can easily see those attributes. Now the question is: Who are these mentors?

:The Infallibles (PBUT) Are Our Only Mentors on the Path to Perfection

As we stated in the previous lessons, God created a truth in His first manifestation, that was considered the first element of creation and the most similar being to God Himself and fully possessed all the names and attributes of God. Then from this truth, He created other universes and beings. This truth was the light of the People of the Household of Prophet Muhammad[1] (PBUT). Therefore, the People of the Household (PBUT) are the most similar beings to God and have all the attributes of God, except that God is the Creator and they are creations. We and all humans on earth were created from the light of the People of the Household (PBUT). Therefore, the origin, the root, and the immaterial dimension of our existence, which our humanity depends on, originates from the People of the Household, not from our earthly parents.

Our relationship with our earthly parents is a temporary and conventional relationship, which is only limited to the world. Our relationship with God and the People of the Household  (PBUT) is an existential and true relationship and goes back to the beginning of creation. Our parents have served as the means for our physical existence in this world, but our soul, which constitutes our true essence and eternal dimension, is from the essence of God and the People of the Household (PBUT).[2] In addition, we have a legal relationship with the Infallibles, which is related to their mentoring and leadership role. The People of the Household (PBUT) are the only ones who can be our mentors on the path to reaching God and acquiring all divine and spiritual virtues and perfections. Except for them, no one else has the authority to educate and guide us because no one else can manifest God’s attributes in the best way possible.

In the next lessons, we will get to know more about their guidance and leadership roles.

[1]. Ahl al-Bayt

[2]. “We [Ahl al-Bayt (PBUT) are the direct creation of our Lord, while others are created of our light.”

(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 53, p. 178)