“Did you think that you were safe from Him, Who is in the heaven, that He would cause the earth to perish with you, whereupon it sways?” [Al-Mulk 67:16]

أأمنتم من في السماء أن يخسف بكم الأرض فإذا هي تمور

Ahmad ibn Ali reported that Imam Ali (a.) was asked: “I find Him saying: ﴾The Beneficent God ascended the Throne.﴿ (20:5) And He says: ﴾Did you think you were safe from Him Who is in the heaven?﴿ (67:16) And: ﴾It is He Who is God in the heaven and God on the earth.﴿ (43:84) And: ﴾He is with you wherever you are. ﴿ (57:4) And: ﴾We are nearer to Him than the jugular vein.﴿ (50:16) And: ﴾There is no confidential conversation of three except that He is their fourth.﴿” (58:7) Then he said after a long speech: “Thus the wording is one in its outward appearance and is divided inwardly, and so is His word: ﴾The Beneficent God ascended the throne. ﴿ (20:5) By which is meant: ﴾His order was maintained and His matter kept the upper hand.﴿ And by His word it is ﴾It is He who is God in the heaven and God on the earth﴿ (43:84) and His word ﴾He is with you wherever you are﴿ (57:4) and His word ﴾There is no confidential conversation of three except that He is their fourth﴿ (58:7) He meant only the appropriation of His trustees (a. ) of the power with which He endowed them over all His creatures and that His action is their action. So understand from me what I say to you, for I only grant you more of explanation so that I may calm your breast and the breast of him who may doubt the same thing after this day that you doubt, so that he finds none to answer that which he is inquiring about, because of the generality of transgression and temptation and the compulsion of the people of knowledge (a.) about the interpretation of the Scripture into secrecy and concealment for fear of the people of falsehood and transgression. Behold, there shall come a time for men, when that which is right shall be hidden and that which is wrong shall be manifest and known and that is when the people who have the most right to it shall be the greatest enemies of it and the true promise shall draw near (21:97) and the deviation is great and the corruption is brought to light. Then the believers will be tested and severely shaken and the disbelievers will give them the names of the evildoers. Thus the effort of a believer will be to guard his life from those closest to him. Hereupon God grants salvation to His near ones and gives the Master of the Matter (ajf.) the upper hand over His enemies.” (9:33) [Al-Ihtijaj of At-Tabarsi, Volume 1, page 366 + 373]

أحمد بن علي بن أبي طالب عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام أنه سئل: وأجده يقول الرحمن على العرش استوى ويقول أأمنتم من في السماء وهو الذي في السماء إله وفي الأرض إله وهو معكم أينما كنتم ونحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد وما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهم الآية فقال عليه السلام بعد كلام طويل: فاللفظ واحد في الظاهر ومخالف في الباطن وكذلك قوله الرحمن على العرش استوى يعني استوى تدبيره وعلا أمره وقوله وهو الذي في السماء إله وفي الأرض إله وقوله هو معكم أينما كنتم وقوله ما يكون من نجوى ثلاثة إلا هو رابعهم فإنما أراد بذلك استيلاء أمنائه بالقدرة التي ركبها فيهم على جميع خلقه وأن فعله فعلهم فافهم عني ما أقول لك، فإني إنما أزيدك في الشرح لأثلج في صدرك وصدر من لعله بعد اليوم يشك في مثل ما شككت فيه فلا يجد مجيبا عما يسأل عنه، لعموم الطغيان، والافتنان، واضطرار أهل العلم بتأويل الكتاب، إلى الاكتتام والاحتجاب خيفة أهل الظلم والبغي. أما إنه سيأتي على الناس زمان يكون الحق فيه مستورا، والباطل ظاهرا مشهورا وذلك إذا كان أولى الناس به أعدائهم له واقترب الوعد الحق، وعظم الإلحاد، وظهر الفساد، هنالك ابتلي المؤمنون وزلزلوا زلزالا شديدا، ونحلهم الكفار أسماء الأشرار، فيكون جهد المؤمن أن يحفظ مهجته من أقرب الناس إليه ثم يتيح الله الفرج لأوليائه، ويظهر صاحب الأمر على أعدائه

Muhammad Al-Baqir (a.) reported that Imam Zain-ul-Abidin (a.) said: “We are the leaders of the submitters, the proofs of God to the worlds, the masters of the believers, the rulers of the unsurpassed radiants and the rulers of the believers. We provide for the safety of the inhabitants of the earth as the stars provide for the safety of the inhabitants of the heavens and we are the ones through whom God keeps the heavens from falling on the earth except by His permission and through us the earth is spared from wavering with its inhabitants. Through us He causes the rain to come down, through us He spreads grace, and through us the blessings of the earth come forth. If none of us were on earth, it would perish with its inhabitants.” Then he said: “The earth has not remained without evidence of God upon it since God created Adam. Visible, known or hidden, veiled, and it does not remain without a proof of God until the Hour comes and were it not so, God would not be worshipped.” [Al-Ihtijaj of At-Tabarsi, Vol. 2, page 48.]

أحمد بن علي بن أبي طالب عن جعفر بن محمد عن محمد بن علي عن علي بن الحسين زين العابدين عليه السلام قال: نحن أئمة المسلمين وحجج الله على العالمين وسادة المؤمنين وقادة الغر المحجلين وموالي المؤمنين ونحن أمان لأهل الأرض كما أن النجوم أمان لأهل السماء ونحن الذين بنا يمسك السماء أن تقع على الأرض إلا بإذنه وبنا يمسك الأرض أن تميد بأهلها، وبنا ينزل الغيث، وينشر الرحمة، وتخرج بركات الأرض ولو لا ما في الأرض منا لساخت الأرض بأهلها ثم قال ولم تخل الأرض منذ خلق الله آدم من حجة لله فيها ظاهر مشهور أو غائب مستور ولا تخلو إلى أن تقوم الساعة من حجة الله ولو لا ذلك لم يعبد الله