حُجِّيَّةُ العَقلِ The Authoritativeness of the Intellect

25ـ الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ للّه‏ِِ عَلَى النّاسِ حُجَّتَينِ: حُجَّةً ظاهِرَةً ، وحُجَّةً باطِنَةً ، فأمّا الظّاهِرَةُ فَالرُّسُلُ والأنبِياءُ والأئمَّةُ ^ ، وأمّا الباطِنَةُ فَالعُقولُ.

25– Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘Verily Allah has two authoritative proofs over people a manifest proof and an inward proof. The manifest proof is represented by the prophets and messengers and Imams (AS), and the inward proof is represented by the intellects.’ [al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 16, no. 12]
 

26ـ الإمامُ الكاظمُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في وَصِيَّتِهِ لِهِشامِ بنِ الحَكَمِ ـ: ما بَعَثَ اللّه‏ُ أنبِياءَهُ ورُسُلَهُ إلى عِبادِهِ إلّا لِيَعقِلوا عَنِ اللّه‏ِ ، فأحسَنُهُمُ استِجابَةً أحسَنُهُم مَعرِفَةً ، وأعلَمُهُم بِأمرِ اللّه‏ِ أحسَنُهُم عَقلاً ، وأكمَلُهُم عَقلاً أرفَعُهُم دَرَجَةً في الدّنيا والآخِرَةِ.

26– Imam al-Kazim (AS) in his advice to Hisham b. al-Hakam, said, ‘Allah has only sent His prophets and messengers to His servants in order that they may come to an understanding of Allah, so the ones who best heed their call are those who have the best inner knowledge, and the ones who know Allah’ s command the best are those that have the best intellects, and those that have the most perfect intellects will be the ones with the highest status in this world and in the Hereafter.’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 16, no. 12]