(7) CAN AN INDIVIDUAL ASSUME THIS ROLE?
Now we have reached another question in this series
which is: Can an individual, however great he may be,
achieve this great role? Is not such an individual only
that one who is selected by circumstances and faced with
the realization of their movement?
The idea here, is related to a particular view of
history which interprets the latter on the basis that man
is only a secondary factor in it, while the objective
strength that surrounds him is the essentials. In this
sense the individual can only be, in the best of
situations, the intelligent expression to that essential
factor
However, we had already made it clear, in other
chapters of our printed books, that history is made up of
two poles: The first one being man and the second the
material strength that surrounds him. Thus, while this
material stength, the circumstances of production and
nature affect man, the latter also exerts an influence
upon them Moreover, there is no evidence for the
assumption that the movement starts from material
conditions and ends up with man, except when there is an
evidence for the contrary, since both factors interact in
time Therefore, within this framework, an individual can
be more than a parrot in the historical trend, especially
when we take into account his relation with heaven, since
the latter intervenes, then, as a guiding power to this
historical trend That has been the case in the history of
all the prophets, especially the last one since by virtue
of the relation of his message with heaven, the Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his
progeny), assumed by himself the reins of the historical
movement and started a civilized expansion which the
objective circumstances that existed around him, could
not bring about in any case, as we have already mentioned
in the introduction of al-Fatawa al-wadihah.
Therefore, what had been achieved at the hands of the
Great Messenger could occur also at the hands of the
Expected Leader from among his progeny whom he announced
and whose role he hinted at.