DR. KIRMANI’S CORNER
This section is developed through the weekly reflections of Dr. Sayed Shabbir Kirmani, our respected resident scholar. Each week, Dr. Kirmani will share his thoughts on faith, current affairs, and community matters, offering valuable insights on how Islamic teachings relate to both global and local events.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
The Splitting Dawn and the Midnight Sun: Navigating Modernity through Divine Wisdom
In the cosmology of the Ahlul Bayt, the Imam is often described as a functional necessity for the Quran—if the Book is the “Silent Guide,” the Imam is the “Speaking Quran.” Two historical epochs, embodied by Imam Muhammad al-Baqir and Imam Ali al-Hadi, offer profound templates for navigating the intellectual chaos and spiritual isolation of the modern world.
The Opener: Unlocking Depth in an Age of Noise
Imam al-Baqir, known as the “Splitter of Knowledge,” revolutionized Quranic understanding during a time of rampant fabrication. As Allameh Tabatabai elucidates in Tafsir al-Mizan, Imam al-Baqir introduced the concept of Jary (flow)—the teaching that Quranic verses do not die with the historical figures they were revealed about; rather, they flow through time “like the sun and the moon.”
In our modern era of information overload, we may often suffer from shallow literacy—we consume content but might not digest wisdom. Imam al-Baqir’s legacy challenges us to reject surface-level engagement. Practical advice for today involves moving beyond the literal text to the batin (inner reality). When you read the Quran, do not ask, “What did this mean for the
Bedouins of the 7th century?” Instead, ask, “Where is the ‘Pharaoh’ of my own ego? Where is the ‘Moses’ of my intellect?” The Imam teaches us that the doors of the Quran are never locked, provided we approach them with the key of intellect (‘Aql) rather than the hammer of prejudice.
The Sun at Midnight: Finding Freedom in Confinement
Centuries later, Imam al-Hadi faced a different challenge: the suffocating oppression of the Abbasid garrison in Samarra. He was the “Sun at Midnight“—a guide physically isolated behind walls yet spiritually omnipresent. Through the Ziyarat al-Jami’ah al-Kabirah, he codified the theology of the Imamate, proving that true authority is spiritual, not political.
This offers a blueprint for modern resilience. Many today feel imprisoned—not by walls, but by corporate grinding, social alienation, or the surveillance of a hyper-critical society. Imam al-Hadi’s life teaches us that when external circumstances contract, internal horizons must expand.
A Unified Practicality
Merging these two lights, we find a complete strategy for modern living. Imam al-Baqir equips our minds to filter truth from noise, urging us to become “splitters” of knowledge rather than passive consumers. Imam al-Hadi equips our souls to withstand pressure, teaching us that even in the “midnight” of personal or social crisis, the spirit remains unconfined.
To live by their example is to carry a library in your head and a sanctuary in your heart—intellectually open, yet spiritually fortified.
May we have the ability to receive the Divine Mercy and extend it to others!
With Duas,
Dr. Kirmani