Esra Publishing Center, the exclusive publisher of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli's works, started working in 1993; Among the missions and duties of the center are the production of written works with the desired and standard quality, fast and timely supply at the right price and supporting the products, providing easy, fast and low-cost access to the products for the domestic and foreign audiences, attending domestic and foreign international exhibitions, ….
God has given us both channels of perception to study and listen (one); and He has also given us a purification plant as our esoteric or internal aspect, so that we can research and investigate that of what we have heard or read, which one is true and which one is not (two); He has also given us the power to choose, so that after evaluating, when we understand what is true, we can accept it (three); then He has given us the power of action (four); and then the power of spreading and conveying [the truth] (five), so that we may be victorious in all these five stages.
The noble being of the Seventh Imam (peace be upon him) said that the Glorious God has given glad tidings in His Book to the people of intellect and understanding, and said thus:
﴿يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ﴾
["They listen to speech and follow the best of it"] [Quran 39:18] - "speech" means school of thought, opinions, and scientific matters - they listen carefully to the various opinions and have a standard to evaluate what is true and what is false, what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is evil, and what is beautiful and what is ugly, and then they also make a choice.
The noble being of the Seventh Imam (peace be upon him) said to Hisham ibn Hakam, who was one of the most prominent students of that Imam, to recite these verses:
﴿فَبَشِّرْ عِبادِ ٭ الَّذينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ﴾
["Then give good tidings to My servants - Who listen to speech and follow the best of it"] [Quran 39:17-18].
This means that such people are the ones whose channels of perception are very strong, they can understand the schools of thought and then evaluate which one is true and which is false. And after identifying and evaluating the schools of thought and determining what is true and what is false, they have the power of choice and they choose.
﴿فَبَشِّرْ عِبادِ﴾ ["Then give good tidings to My servants"] - which servants?
﴿الَّذينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ ﴾ ["Who listen to speech and follow the best of it"] in the realm of knowledge, ﴿ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ﴾ in the realm of action; meaning, [such a person is] the wise and just Scholar!
