When interviewed by Ramin Jahanbegloo in a book entitled, In Search of the Sacred, Dr. Nasr said, concerning Henry Corbin’s thoughts, that in Shi’ah Islam, it is believed not only in the presence of spiritual masters like teachers of the Sufis, Spiritual Guides (Morsheds), and Sufi’s shaykhs, but also in the possibility of guidance by Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him);
so many Shi’ah mystics claimed that they have no other master except the Imam of Age (as), because there is this possibility of direct connection with the Imam so that one can make use of his spiritual guidance directly. He states:
In Islam you can see spiritual masters like teachers of the Sufis, elders, Spiritual Guides (Morsheds), and Sufi’s shaykhs, and most of the Travelers of mystical path have a living teacher. But in Shi’ah Islam, the possibility exists of direct guidance by the 12th Imam. There have been a lot of Shi’ah mystics who – not all of them – have claimed that they haven’t had any living masters and their only master has been the Imam of Age (as). In Shiite Islam, a person can have direct connection to the 12th Imam, by God’s kindness, and use his spiritual guidance directly.
Nasr believes that this Shi’ah view concerning direct connection to Imam Zaman (as) was a considerable attractant for Corbin to Shi’ah Islam. He states: While I was discussing with Corbin, I was emphasizing that scholars, like Mulla Sadra, had spiritual leaders like Mirdamad, but he wouldn’t accept it and believed that he was equal to Mirdamad and was guided only by the 12th Imam.
He continued that: In Islam, in mystic and non-mystic dynasties, in addition to masters and shaykhs, the third way of guidance is by direct connection to the infallible Imam Mahdi.
The fourth way is called “Oweisi” which is direct guidance by Khezr (as). Despite all these ways to acquire spiritual guidance in Shi’ah Islam, he focused particularly on direct guidance by Imam Mahdi (as).
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Also read this article: Traditionalists and Mahdism
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