What is the meaning of “Abased is he who has no fool to support him”?

In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful

And blessings and peace be upon the Prophet Muhammad and his pure progeny.

The meaning of a person’s need for a wise man to guide him is clear and evident, since wise conduct is what is required, and wisdom in general is putting a thing in its proper place; so a person needs to consult the wise man in managing his affairs.

It seems that “perishing” means not being granted success in attaining what is right.

In contrast, the narration has set out the necessity for a person to have a fool who is a support and helper to him; otherwise abasement is his final lot.

There is no doubt that the relationship with the wise man is a given; but a relationship with the fool to the extent that his presence becomes a necessity—this is what raises the question.

Because the words of the Ahl al-Bayt (a) are the equal counterpart of the Qurʾan, and also their words confirm one another, we must search for a meaning that accords with the other narrations that censured the fool—who is the opposite of the wise man, the one who does not deal with matters properly, and so is extravagant and loses what he has—and for a meaning that accords with all the decisive principles (muhkamat) of religion.

This may be answered by saying that the meaning is: he is abased who has no one to support him, even if that one is a fool.

The meaning may be that it is a matter of dignity for the believer to make use of the presence of fools so that they become a (support) for him, and not to ignore them, as some of the Imams did in making use of some loyalists who were not religiously observant in funding Islamic work.

The meaning may be that, as opposed to the wise conduct that a person needs, he sometimes needs the conduct of fools, such as being arrogant toward the arrogant and the like, which the Law has permitted in its specified contexts.

The intent may be that a person needs followers and disciples who trust him and his knowledge, because “fool” (safih) has meanings and horizons according to contexts: among its meanings is one who has power over those beneath him and submits to those above him; and among them is one who has become accustomed to imitation (taqlid) and turned away from reasoning. The root of safaha (foolishness) is lightness and movement. So the intent would be that he is abased who has no one who obeys him and is eager to carry out what is asked of him, so as to support him—as in the saying of the Commander of the Faithful (a): (He who is not obeyed has no opinion).

Perhaps this meaning is the closest to what is correct, because it accords with the linguistic meaning of safih, fits the first part of the hadith, and agrees with the constants of religion.

And Allah is the All-knowing.

Sayed Mahmoud Al-Mosawi