We are all born in the fitrat of Islam.

A child is in absolute mode of fitrat, the way Allah(swt) expects us to be as complete momins. So let's analyze it. A baby's only way of communication is to cry. That's it. He's hungry, he cries. He's dirty, he cries. He's sick, he cries. He doesn't know who he's crying to. He doesn't know who is listening to him, but he cries. He doesnt know that there is someone who can hear him, or that person who hears him will help. But he cries. Something inside him tells him that if he cries, his need will be fulfilled. The only one who completely understands the needs of the baby is the mother. The mother feeds the baby, clothes the baby, and cradles the baby. She soothes him, puts him to sleep, nurtures and cares for him. The baby has no concept of relationships. Nor does he understand what a mother is, what a father is, or even who God is. He is only familiar with the sound of his mother's heart beat, her smell, and only the sounds he heard before he was born, which are mostly of his parents, especially the mother. He becomes attached to his mother because he spends all his time with her, she feeds him, comforts him and takes care of him. This increases his bond to a point that even for a minute she is absent, he starts to cry. He doesn't have the words to call her, so he cries hoping she can hear him. God has intentionally created the infant this way. He has made the mother the wasila for rizq, protection, comfort and ease. She is His hand for rizq, His protection, His comfort. He(swt) has provided rizq in the body of the mother and there is no equal to this rizq. He(swt) compares His relationship to the momin like the relation of a mother to an infant. Now let's analyze how this can be translated into the fitrat of a momin and his relationship with God. A TRUE momin, relies completely and absolutely in God to feed him, clothe him, comfort him, provide him in time of need, but who is his wasila this time? It is definitely the Imam. Although it is God who provides the rizq, the comfort, the help and anything a momin needs for survival, but it is

through His hand the Imam, that He(swt) provides for us in the best of manner. The rizq for the soul, the knowledge and eeman is provided by the God appointed Imam and there is no equal to that rizq. An ummah without the relationship with their Imam is like an infant who is being raised and taken care of by someone else except the mother. The Imam is our spiritual parent and anyone other than him will never be able to take his place and provide the same nurture and support we need for survival. God has made us weak like an infant that we may always be in need and always remember Him and always cry to Him. He loves it when we cry and beg for our needs, because He loves to provide and His appointed Imam loves to take care of us on His behalf. Can you convince a mother to abandon her child? Can you convince the Imam to abandon his Shia? Sometimes a mother provides even before the infant cries and sometimes the Imam intercedes even before a momin get's the chance to ask. How ungrateful and ruined is the infant who grows up and is thankless to his mother for her sacrifices, disobeys her and how ungrateful and ruined is one who abandons his Imam and disobeys him. Look at the majority of the ummah who are dysfunctional in their faith because they don't have a relationship with their Imam. They have chosen other imams instead of those appointed by God, like infants who deliberately reject their birth mothers and try to find comfort with a stranger. They are just like the infant who grows up in foster homes, from one house to another. Compare such an infant to the one who grows up in the care of his mother. Have you ever seen a baby being fed and taken care of directly by God? The food actually comes into its mouth from heaven and it miraculously changes the diaper, from najasat to taharat and comforts himself? No. Then how can this ummah assume that they can create a direct one on one relationship with God without a wasila? Without their Imam? It is no wonder that it is dying a slow death even though they are large in number. They are ridiculed and have zero respect in the

eyes of the world but look who is victorious against these same influences. It is the ummah who has recognized its Imam. They are thriving and strong against the diseases and enemies and dangers of this world even though they are small in number. Only the struggle of the Shia has brought fruitful results while the struggle of those who have rejected their Imam has been in vain. If anyone thinks they can be successful in this world against the harmful intentions and plots of the enemies without the maarefah of the God appointed Imam, or even in the hereafter, then he is absolutely misinformed. None have been successful in the past and none will be in the future either. Please refer to Dua Arafa of Imam Hussain(as)