By Imamate, we meant the general Imamate for Muslims, caliphate, rulership, leadership and Wilāyah (guardianship). Since the main topic of my book being a comparison between the school of Ahl al-Sunnah and that of the Imāmiyyah Shia, I have to expose the principle of Imamate from the perspective of both sects, in order that the reader and researcher be acquainted with the foundations and principles upon which each sect depends, knowing consequently the convictions that led me to accept conversion and abandon my previous belief.
The Shia view Imamate as one of the principles of religion (Usul al-Din), due to its great significance and seriousness, being the leadership of the best Ummah (community) that has been raised up for mankind. Besides, the numerous virtues and unique characteristics upon which leadership is based, of which I refer to knowledge, bravery, forbearance, honesty, chastity, asceticism (zuhd), piety (taqwā), and godliness…etc.
The Shia hold that Imamate being a Divine post with which Allah encharges whomever He chooses from among His upright bondmen, to undertake this critical role, being to lead and guide the world after the demise of the Prophet (God’s peace and benediction be upon him and his Progeny).
On this basis, Imām ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib was the Imam and leader for Muslims in accordance with the election of Allah, Who has revealed to His Messenger to nominate him (Ali) as the chief of mankind, the task that he (PBUHH) did, telling the Ummah to follow him as his successor, after returning from his last Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajjat al-Wadā‘) at Ghadir Khumm, and people swore allegiance to him “as held by the Shia.” [1]
Ahl al-Sunnah also believes in the necessity of the Imamate for leading the Ummah, but they give the Ummah the right to choose its Imam and leader. According to this, Abu Bakr ibn Abi Quhāfah became the leader of the Muslims through their electing him after the demise of the Messenger of Allah (PBUHH), who kept silent concerning the matter of successorship never declaring anything in its regard to the Ummah, leaving the issue to be determined according to the shurā (consultation) among people.
Where the Truth be?
When any researcher meditates on the sayings of the two sects, contemplating their arguments without any fanaticism, he will undoubtedly approach the truth. Herewith I will review with you the truth I have attained as follows:
The Almighty Allah said:
“When his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am appointing you the Imam of mankind.’ Said he, ‘And from among my descendants?’ He said, ‘My pledge does not extend to the unjust” (2:124).
In this noble verse, Allah tells us that Imamate being a Divine post encharged by Allah to whomever He chooses from among His bondmen when saying: “I am appointing you the Imam of mankind”. The verse further elucidates that Imamate is a covenant from Allah never including but the pious bondmen, whom Allah has elected for this task, due to denying it to the wrong-doers, who never deserve the covenant of Allah — the Glorified and the Exalted.
The Almighty has said too:
“We made them imams, guiding by Our command, and We revealed to them [concerning] the performance of good deeds, the maintenance of prayers, and the giving of zakat, and they used to worship Us” (21:73).
In another place, Allah, the Glorified, said: “When they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs, We appointed amongst them imams to guide [the people] by Our command” (32:24).
He also said: “So he watered [their flock] for them. Then he withdrew toward the shade and said, ‘My Lord! I am indeed in need of any good You may send down to me” (28:5).
Some may fancy that the denotation conceived from these verses being that the meant Imamate here is prophethood and message, which is a wrong concept for Imamate in general, as every messenger is a prophet and leader (Imam) but not every Imam is a messenger or prophet!
For this reason, Allah — the Glorified and Most High — has expressed in His noble Book that His godly bondmen are entitled to ask Him to grant them this reputable appointment, to have the honour of guiding people, and gaining out of this high reward. The Most High said:
“And Those who do not give false testimony, and when they come upon frivolity, pass by with dignity — Those who, when reminded of the signs of their Lord, do not turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to them — And those who say, ‘Our Lord! Give us joy and comfort in our spouses and offspring, and make us imams of the God-wary.” (25:72-74)
Besides, the Holy Quran has used the word Imāmah to point to the oppressive leaders and rulers, who misguide their followers and nations, leading them toward corruption and torment in the world and Hereafter. Talking about Pharaoh and his troops, the Almighty Allah said in His noble Scripture:
“So We seized him and his hosts and threw them into the sea. So observe how was the fate of the wrongdoers — We made them leaders who invite to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not receive any help — We made a curse pursue them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be among the disfigured” (28:40-42).
On this basis, the Shia’s claim is nearer to what the Holy Qur’an has ordained, since Allah — the Glorified and the Mighty — has explicitly expounded with no doubt, that the Imamate being a Divine appointment Allah imparts upon whomever He wills, and it is the covenant of Allah of which He deprived the oppressors. And since the Prophet’s Companions other than ‘Ali (PBUH) have ascribed partners unto Allah during the pre-Islamic era, thus they turn to be among the wrong-doers, being incompetent for Allah’s covenant encharging them with Imamate and caliphate. While the Shia’s claim stands firm that Imām ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib was the only one, from among all other Companions, having the right to Allah’s covenant of Imamate due to the fact that he has never worshipped other than Allah, and never prostrated to any idol, the reason why Allah has granted him honour, out of the all Companions. If it is said that Islam exonerates whatever is past before it, we never object, but there is a great difference between that who was a polytheist and repented afterwards, and that who used to be immaculate and pure, knowing none but Allah.
Extracted from the book titled “To be with the Truthful” by Muhammad-Tijani Sammawi
