| of the high-ranking strangers like
the Aimma ('a) and the low- ranking ones like the sinful, and thus removing the
ghurba of the Imams from the rest too. [This point is worthy of reflection]. Otherwise,
in another sense, the Imams ('a) being close to Almighty Allah, were never gharib
(strangers). This is because they were never far from their spiritual hometown.
There is a beautiful report narrated by al-Zamakhshari in his Rabi'al-Abrar worthy
of reflection. He reports:
"When Yusuf ('a) was taken out of the well, and bought,
a person said to them: 'Take care of this stranger (gharib). [Hearing this,]
Yusuf ('a) said to them: whosoever is with Almighty Allah, is not a stranger."85
______________________
85
Abu'l Qasim Mahmud bin 'Umar al-Zamakhshari, Rabi' al-Abrar wa Nusus al-
Akhbar,v.3, p.5 |