The Need for the Imam — Page 5
D ar u rat-ul-Imam 5 disrespectful even to present himself before the Sun of Prophethood and Im a mat. Our master, the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa , would often turn his face to- wards Yemen, and say: That is 'I smell the sweet fragrance of the Beneficent One coming from Yemen'. This was an allusion to the fact that Uwais was indeed the recipient of Divine light. It is a pity, however, that most people of this age do not realize the need for True Im a mat. By ex- periencing a solitary true dream or a few words of revelation, they come to imagine that they have no need for the Imam of the time. 'Are we any less?' [They seem to suggest]. They do not realize that such a thought is altogether sinful because our Holy Prophet sa has testified to the need for an Imam for every century. He has clearly said that whoever re- turns to God Almighty, without having recognized the Imam of his age, will do so as one who is blind, and will die the death of ignorance. The Holy Prophet sa , in this Hadith, made no exception for any recipient of Divine revelation or a seer of true dreams. This clearly shows that if any recipient of revelation or one who experiences true dreams does not enter the fold of the Imam of the age, his end is most likely to be woeful, for it is clear that this Hadith is addressed to