The Imams and Leaders of Islam
The previous discussions lead us to the conclusion that in Islam, after the death of the Holy Prophet, there has continuously existed and will continue to exist within the Islamic community (ummah), an Imam (a leader chosen by God). Numerous prophetic
hadiths[33] have been transmitted in Shi'ism concerning the description of the Imams, their number, the fact that they are all of the Quraysh and of the Household of the Prophet, and the fact that the promised Mahdi is among them and the last of them. Also, there are definitive words of the Prophet concerning the imamate of Ali and his being the first Imam and also definitive utterances of the Prophet and Ali concerning the imamate of the Second Imam. In the same way the Imams before have left definitive statements concerning the imamate of those who were to come after them.[34] According to these utterances contained in Twelve-Imam Shi'ite sources the Imams are twelve in number and their holy names are as follows: (1) 'Ali ibn Abi Talib; (2) Hasan ibn 'Ali; (3) Husayn ibn 'Ali; (4) 'Ali ibn Husayn; (5) Muhammad ibn 'Ali; (6) Ja'far ibn Muhammad; (7) Musa ibn Ja'far; (8) 'Ali ibn Musa; (9) Muhammad ibn 'Ali; (10) 'Ali ibn Muhammad; (11) Hasan ibn 'Ali; and (12) the Mahdi.
NOTES
CHAPTER VII
1. Tarikh-i Ya'qubi vol. III. PP .60-61: Sirah of Ibn Hisham. vol. IV. p.197.
2. Torikh-i Ya'qubi vol. II. pp.52- 59.:Sirah of Ibn Hisham. vol.ll. p.223.
3. Torikh-i Ya'qubi vol. II. pp.59-60 and p.44 Sirah of Ibn Hisham. vol.ll, p. 251. vol IV. p.173 and p.272.
4. Tarikh-i Ya'qubi vol.ll. p.29: Tarikh-i Abi'l-Fida', vol. I. p.126: Sirah of Ibo Hisham Vol II p 98.
5. Ghayat a-maram; p.664. from the Musnad of Ahmad and others.
6. Editor's note These refer to different sayings of the Prophet in which the queston of the Imam is discussed. The most famous of these, Hadith-i ghadir. as mentioned above is the traditional basis for the celebration of the "Feast of Ghadir Since the Safavid period this feast has acquired a particular political significince in lran in lran it marks the formal transfer of political power to Ali under whose aegis all Sh'ite kings have ruled.
7. Tabari Dhakha'ir al-'uqha, Cairo. 1356. p.16. This hadith has been recorded with a slight variation in al.Durr al-manthur. vol.ll, p.293. In his Chayat al maram p. 103 Bahrani cities 24 hadiths from Sunni sources and nineteen from Sh'ite sources concerning the conditions and reasons for the revelation of this Quranic verse
8. Bahrani, Chayat al-maram , p.336. where six Sunni and fifteen Shi'ite hadiths oncerning the occasion and reason for the revelation of the above Quranic verse are cited
9. For further explanation see 'AlIamah Tabataba'i, Tafsir al-mizan, vol. V, Tehran 1377, pp. 177-214 and vol. VI. Tebran, 1377. pp. 50-64.
10. al- Bidayah wa'l-nihayah, vol. V. p. 208 and vol. VII, p. 346; Dhakha'ir al-uqba. p.67; al-Fusul al-muhimmah of Ibn Sabbagh. Najaf, 1950. vol.ll, p.23: Khasa'is of Nasa'i Najaf 1369, p.31. In his Chayat al-maram, p.79, Bahrani has cited eighty.nine different chains of transmission for this hadith from Sunni sources and forty- three from Shi'ite sources.
11. Dhakha'ir al-uqba p.20: al.Sawa'iq al-muhriqah oflbn Hajar, Cairo, 1312, pp. 150(1 and 184 Ta'rikh al.khulafa' of Jalal al-Din Suyuti. Cairo, 1952, p.307; Nur al-absar of Shiblanil Cairo. 1312. p. 114. In his Chalyat al-maram, p.237, Bahrani cites eleven chains of transmission for this hadith from Sunni sources and seven from Shi'ite sources.
12. al-Bidayah wa'l-nihayah. vol. V. p.209; Dhakh'ir a1-'uqba, p.16; al-Fustul aI.muhimmah. p.22: Khasa'is. p.30: al-Sawa'iq al.muhriqah, p.147. In Chayat al-maram thirty-nine versions of this hadith have been recorded from Sunni sources and eighty-two from Shi'ite sources.
13. Yanabi' al-mawaddah of Su]ayman ibn Ibrahim Qunduzi. Tehran, 1308, p.311.
14. Yanabi' al-mawaddah, p.318.
15. Ghayat al-maram, p.539, where the substance of this hadith has been re counted in fifteen versions from Sunni snorces and eleven from Shi'ite sources.
16. al-Bidayah wa'1-nihayah, vol. VII. p. 339; Dhakhad'ir- al-'uqba. p.63; al-Fusul al-muhimmah, p.21: Kifayat al-talib of Kaoji Shafi'l, Najaf, 1356,pp. l48-154: Khasa'is, pp.19-25; Sawa'iq al-muhriqah, p. l77. ln Ghayat al-maram, p.109, one hundred versions of this hadith have been recounted from Sunni sources and seventy from Shi'ite sources.
17. Tarikh Abi'1-Fida', vol.l, p.116.
18. Hilyat al-awliya' of Abu Nu'aym Isfahani, vol.l, Cairo, 1351, p.64; Kifayat al-talib, p.67.
19. Muntakhab kanz al-'ummal, on the margin of Musnad-i Ahmad. Cairo, 1368. vol.V,p.94.
20. al-Bidayab wa'l-nihayah, vol. V, p.227; al-Kamil. vol.ll. p.217; Tarikh-i Tabari vol.ll, p.436; Sharh of Ibn Abi'l.Haadid. vol I, p.l:133.
21. al Kamil, vol.ll, p.292; Sharh of lbn Abi'l-Hadid, vol.l. p.54.
22. Sharh of Ibn Abi'l-Hadid, vol.l. p.134.
23. Tarikh-i Ya'qubi, vol.ll, p.137.
24. al Bidayah wa'l-nihayah, vol. VI, p.311.
25. Editor's note: In this context of course imamate refers to the specific Shi'ite conception of Imam and not to the general Suni usage of the term which in most instances is the same as caliph.
26. Eaitor'S note: The translation of this Quranic verse is that of A. J .Arberry. The Quran Interpreted. London, 1964. which corresponds more closely to the Arabic original than Pickthall's. which is as follows: But if these disbelieve therein. then indeed We shall entrust it to a People who will not be disbelievers therein."
27. For example: "By the Scripture which maketh plain Lo; We have appointed it a Lecture in Arabic that haply ye may understand.And lo; in the Source of Decrees. which We possess, it is indeed sublime,decisive (Quran. XLIll. 2-4).
28. Such as these verses: "And every soul cometh.along with it a driver and a witness. (And unto the evildoers it is said): Thou wast in heedlesness of this. Now We have removed from thee thy covering, and piercing is thy sight this day" (Quran, L, 21-22). "Whosoever doeth right, whether male or female. and is a believer, him verily We shall quicken with good life... Quran, XVl, 97).)obey Allah, and the messenger when He calleth you to that which quickeneth.you..." (Quran, VIII, 24). ''On the day when every soul will find itself confronted with all that it hath done of good and all that it hath done ofevil..."(Quran, lll,30). "Lo.' We it is Who bring the dead to life. We record that which they send before (them), and their footprints. And all things We have kept in a clear register" (Quran, XXXVI, 12).
29. Bihar al-anwar, vol. XVII, p.9..
30. al- Wafi by Mulla Muhsin Fayd Kashani, Tehran, 1310-14 vol.lll. p 33.
31. "Is He who leadeth to the Truth more deserving that He should be followed. or he who findeth not the way unless he (himself) be guided. What aileth you? How judge ye?" (Quran, X, 36).
32. "And We made them chiefs [Imams] who guide by Our command. and We inspired in them the doing of good deeds ..." (Quran, XXI, 73). "And when they became steadfast and believed tirmly in Our revelations, We appointed from among them leaders [Imams] who guided by Our command" (Quran, XXXII, 24). one can conclude from these that, besides being an outward leader and guide, the Imam possesses also a kind of spiritual power to guide and attract which belongs to the
world of the Spirit. He influences and conquers the hearts of people of capability through the Truth, the light, and the inner aspect of his being and thus guides them toward perfection and the ultimate goal of existence.
33. "Jabir ibn Samurah has said that the he heard the Prophet of God say, 'Until the time oftwelve vicegerents (khalifah) this religion will continue to be powerful.' Jabir said, 'The people repeated the formula "Allah is Great" and cried. Then the Prophet said something softly. I asked my father, 'Oh Father, what did he say?' My father answered, 'The Prophet said, "All the vicegerents will be from Quraysh.""' Sahih of Abu Daud, Cairo, 1348, vol.ll, p.207; Musnad-i Ahmad, vol. V, p.92. Several other hadiths resembling this are also found. And "Salman Firsi said, 'I came upon the Prophet and saw Husayn-upon whom be peace-on his knees as he - was kissing his eyes and mouth and saying "Thou art a noble man, son of a noble man, an Imam, son of an Imam, a 'proof' (hujjah), son of a 'proof,' the father of the nine 'proofs' of which the ninth is their 'support' (qa'im)."'" Yanabi al -mawaddah, p.308.
34. See aI-Ghadir; Ghayat al-maram; Ithbat al-hudat of Muhammad ibn Hasan Hurr al-'Amili, Qum, 1337-39; Dhakha'ir al-uqba; Manaqib of Khwarazmi, Najaf, 1385; Tadhkirat al-khawss" of Sibt ibn Jawzi, Tehran, 1285; Yanabi' al-mawaddah; al-Fusul al-muhimmah; Dala'iI al-imamah of Muhammad ibn Jarir Tabari, Najaf, 1369; al-Nass wa'l-ijtihad of Sharaf al-Din Musa Najaf, 1375; Usul al-kafi, vol.l; and Kitab al-irshad of Shaikh-i Mufid, Tehran, 1377.
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