Answer:
What makes the Zaidis confident that they have attained the truth is
that all Muslims, with all their affiliations today, testify to this for
them—whether they intend to or not—explicitly or implicitly.
Several matters contribute to their confidence in having attained the
truth, including:
- Adherence to Consensus: Zaidis—praise be to Allah—worship
Allah based on what Muslims have unanimously agreed upon as
correct (as will become clear). They have adhered to that and have not
transgressed beyond it, unlike others who have. - The Nature of Their Foundations: The foundations of their
religion are either decisive, rational proofs; decisive verses whose
meanings admit no ambiguity; or mutawatir (massively transmitted)
narrations whose authenticity is uncontested.
Consequently, their creed is sound, clear, free from far-fetched
interpretations and arbitrary judgments. Doubts do not hover around
it, and sound human nature does not recoil from it. Look at others, and
you will see a clear difference: They have made among their principles
a lack of trust in the judgment of reason, reliance on solitary
narrations (ahad) that at best only provide probability (zann) in
knowing Allah, and making the ambiguous (mutashabih) verses of the
Quran the judge over the decisive (muhkam) ones, thus specifying the
general meaning of the decisive by the ambiguous and interpreting it
to conform. The opposite is correct, in accordance with His saying: “”It
is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad SAW) the Book (Quran).
In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the
Book; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts
there is a deviation they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof,
seeking Al-Fitnah, and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none
knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly
grounded in knowledge say: “We believe in it; the whole of it are from
our Lord.” And none receive admonition except men of
understanding.”” (Aal ‘Imran: 7). The meaning of the statement of
those firmly grounded in knowledge, “The whole of it is from our
Lord” means both the decisive and the ambiguous, so they do not
contradict each other, due to His saying: “”Do they not then consider
the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would
surely have found therein much contradictions.” (An-Nisa’: 82).
However, the ambiguous must be understood in a way that conforms
to the decisive, because it is the “foundation of the Book” (Umm al-
Kitab). “Foundation of the Book” means the reference that must be
referred back to when there is disagreement, just as reference books
are called “mother books” (Ummahat al-Kutub), and the major city to
which other villages refer is called the “Mother of Cities” (Umm al-
Qura). The decisive is the foundation of the Book because it is the
reference to which recourse must be made when interpreting the
verses of the Book.
- Balanced Stance Towards the Ahl al-Bayt: The Zaidis did not
exaggerate regarding the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). They did
not attribute to them the attributes of the Creator, Glorious is He, nor
did they take them as lords besides Allah who admit to Paradise
whoever pledges allegiance to them even if he were an enemy of Allah,
committing heinous and grave sins. The Zaidis do not claim for the Ahl
al-Bayt that they possess knowledge of the unseen, or that they are
superior to the angels and the prophets (peace be upon them all).
Rather, they place them where Allah and His Messenger placed them:
guides to His religion, bearers of the law of His Prophet after him—
those among them who were knowledgeable of the Book of Allah,
preservers of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, acting upon both,
and elevating their status. - Absence of Objectionable Doctrines: Neither in fundamentals nor in
jurisprudence has anything appeared among the Zaidis that sound
minds find outrageous or sound human nature despises. You will not
find among them the permissibility of temporary marriage (mut’ah), - nor do you find among them striking oneself and shedding blood in
mourning and weeping for al-Husayn (peace be upon him).
Summarizing what we have said is the statement of Imam Yahya ibn
Hamzah (peace be upon him) in the context of proving the
truthfulness of Zaidiyyah:
“The third approach: What Allah has exclusively bestowed upon them
of noble characteristics in knowledge, piety, and Allah-consciousness
(taqwa). As for their doctrines in theology (ilahiyat), they are upright
according to the established principles of truth regarding the existence
of Allah the Almighty and His essential attributes. They proceed
correctly in matters of divine decree. Likewise is the case with their
varied jurisprudential views; their perspectives on legal issues do not
contradict their foundational principles. They avoid strange doctrines
and adhere to the familiar path of the Shari’ah. No one among them
has failed in his consideration of rational matters, nor adopted a
strange view in disputed issues; rather, Allah the Almighty has guided
them to the clearest path, the safest creed, the most just, the firmest
upon the truth, and the most evident.”
Similarly, the statement of Al-Hafiz Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Wazir:
“So look with the eye of fairness at the Imams of the Pure Household
and the luminous stars of knowledge: How their sciences are free from
every blemish, purified from every defect! Their compiled works are
not tainted by anything from the sciences of the theologians
(mutakallimin), the status of their devoted followers is not diminished
by any of the innovations of the Sufis, their evidences for their
doctrines show none of the affectation of the partisans, nor have the
doubts of the anthropomorphists (mushabbihin) diverted them from
the straight path. They are free from the extremism of the ignorant
Imamiyyah, the blindness of the misguided Nawasib, and the slips of
the people of Hadith and the Mu’tazilah. They are the balanced middle,
the Ark of Salvation, and the protection from whims after their father,
the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him and upon all of
them).”
This mentioned Al-Hafiz is among the greatest of those who were
accused of differing from the way of his forefathers (Ahl al-Bayt), to
the extent that his books and works are circulated and studied in the
schools of those who oppose us (Sunnis). So this is like the testimony
of an opponent against his opponent. And praise be to Allah.