First Lecture
When was Imamate first discussed

We know that after the passing of the Prophet of Islam, Muslims were divided into two groups.

One group, called the Sunnis, believed that the Prophet of Islam had not selected a successor and that he had left it up to the people to assemble and choose a leader for them.

A second group believed that the Prophet’s successor should be as pious as the Prophet himself and should be competent to have the spiritual and material leadership of the people and defend the very foundation of Islam.

This latter group believed that such a successor could be appointed only through God and the Prophet and that this appointment had already been made by the Prophet who had chosen Imam `Al¢(s) as his successor. This latter group is designated by the title Imamiyyah or Shias.

It is our objective to delve into this issue through rational argumentation and through the use of historical and logical reasons and by resorting to the sacred verses of the Holy Qur’¡n and the Prophet’s tradition. However, prior to such discussion, let us first refer to some important issues.

Does such a discussion bring forth disagreement and discord?

When the issue of Imamate is brought up, there are some who would say: today is not the right time for such arguments. Today is the time for the unity of Muslims and discussing the Prophet’s successor only causes disunity among Muslims. These people also add that today all Muslims have common enemies, such as Zionism, and eastern and western colonialism. Therefore, we should not bring up such disturbing topics.

However, this conservatism is wrong for the following reasons:

First: What causes disunity is prejudice, Logical arguments and revengeful aggression. logical and rational discussions, which do not include prejudice or obstinacy on the part in the participants of the discussion, and which are held in an amicable atmosphere not only do not cause disunity and division, but could bridge differences and strengthen commonalities.

In my frequent journeys to °ij¡z to perform the Hajj pilgrimage, I have had frequent discussions with Sunni scholars, and we both felt that these discussions would have no negative effects on our relations. Indeed, we felt that these discussions increased our understanding lessened the difficulties in our relations and eradicated any potential hatred from our relations.

The significant point in such discussions was the fact that we had a lot in common and these commonalities could help us against our enemies.

The Sunni school consists of four branches: the °anafis, the °anbalis, the Sh¡fi`¢s, and the M¡likis. The very existence of these four branches has not brought forth disunity among them, however. And when they include Sh¢`ah jurisprudence as the fifth branch, many discrepancies are removed. Recently, the great Mufti (leader) of the Sunnis, the chancellor of Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Sheikh Shalt£t, took a big stride in formally accepting Sh¢`ah jurisprudence in this way

Through this method he could bring forth, mutual understanding between Muslims and a cordial relationship developed between him and the late Ayatollah Borujerdi.

Second: We believe that true Islam is manifested in Shiism more than in the other Islamic sects. Having a deep respect for all sects of Islam, we firmly believe that the Sh¢`ah branch could introduce Islamic principles and solve problems better than the other branches.

Why should we not teach this Sh¢`ah school to our children? We would have wronged them if we did not do this.

We are certain that the Prophet of Islam had appointed a successor. Why should we not pursue the discussion logically? While discussing such delicate issues, however, we should take care not to hurt any one’s religious sentiments.

Third: The enemies of Islam have leveled so many lies and accusations against the Sh¢`ah to the Sunnis and against the Sunnis to the Shias that these two branches have separated and have gone their different ways.

But when we discuss the issue of Imamate in the manner presented above and clarify that which the Sh¢`ah emphasize through the Holy Qur’¡n and the traditions it will become clear that the enemies of Islam, which all the branches have in common have used their tricks in spreading false propaganda to cause divisions among Muslims.

As an example, I will never forget my discussion with one of the high standing religious leader of Saudi Arabia who told me he had heard that we use a Qur’¡n in Iran that was different from their Qur’¡n.

I became astonished and told him that he could investigate this very easily. I told him, “I invite you to come to Iran and go to any mosque to see if the Qur’¡n is different from yours. There are many Qur’¡ns in every mosque. In fact, you can find a copy of the Holy Qur’¡n in the home of every Muslim family. Our Qur’¡n is exactly like yours. Furthermore, most copies of the Qur’¡n we use are printed in °ij¡z, Egypt and other Islamic countries.

No doubt, this amicable discussion removed one of the misunderstandings from the mind of a religious leader.

We, therefore, conclude that discussions on the Imamate, if carried out according to the approach mentioned above would solidify Islamic unity and provide the opportunity to clarify facts and would lessen differences.

What Does Imamate Mean?

As the title indicates, “Imam” means the leader of the Muslims and in Sh¢`ah ideology an infallible Imam is the one who acts in the capacity of the great Prophet of Islam, with the difference that the Prophet is the founder of Islam and the Imam is its keeper and protector. Revelations are revealed to the Prophet but not to the Imam. An Imam receives his instructions from the Prophet and his knowledge is vast.

In the view of the Sh¢`ah, an infallible Imam is not a political leader of the Muslims. Rather, he is in charge of the spiritual, material, apparent and hidden aspects of the Islamic community. He is the defender of Islamic doctrines and law and a genuine servant of God.

The Sunnis do not interpret Imamate in this way. They look at the Imam as mainly a political leader of the Islamic community.

In our future discussions, we will prove that at every period of time there should be a divine representative, either a Prophet or an infallible Imam among the people, so that he could protect the truth and lead the truth-seekers. If one day, for certain reasons he becomes hidden and disappears from our eyes, his representatives could teach the principles of Islam and establish an Islamic government.

THINK AND ANSWER

Second Lecture
The Philosophy behind the Existence of the Imams

The reasons we advanced for the necessity of prophethood will make us familiar to a large extent with the necessity for the existence of the Imams after the demise of the Prophet. This is because these two have a lot in common. Here, however, some other topics will be discussed as well.

Spiritual perfection with Divine Leaders

Let us first consider the objectives behind the creation of man, the cream of the crop of creation.

Man travels along a rough road, full of ups and downs towards God, towards absolute perfection and towards spiritual progress in all dimensions.

No doubt, man could not succeed without an infallible Imam, without a divine instructor. This is because everywhere there is darkness, and one must be aware of the danger of going astray.”

Despite the fact that God has equipped man with wisdom and intelligence, with a strong conscience and with divine books, he could still go astray. The presence of an infallible leader will, to a great extent, reduce the hazards of deviation and corruption. For this reason: “the existence of an Imam completes the goals of creation as such.”

This is the same thing that is referred to in books on belief, such as “The Law of Benevolence,” which means that God has put all the means of perfection at man’s disposal. Among these means is the appointment of prophets and infallible Imams.

Protecting Heavenly Laws

We are aware of the fact that divine religions, when revealed to the prophets, are like sparkling raindrops that sustain life. However, having been in contact with unclean environments and feeble minds they gradually become contaminated and become mixed with superstitions and illusions. In this way, these religions lose their initial elegance and vividness and under such conditions, they lose both their attraction and educational impact. They then lose their quality to satisfy.

That is why there should always be an infallible religious leader to protect the principles of religion and in this way; innovations and superstitions in religion could be avoided. A religion would lose its value and vigor within a short period of time if such a leader did not exist.

For this very reason, the Honorable Imam `Al¢ (s) in Nahj al-Bal¡ghah says:

اَللَّهُمَّ بَلَى! لاَ تَخْلُو الأَرْضُ مِنْ قَائِمٍ للهِ بِحُجَّةٍ؛ إمَّا ظَاهِراً مَشْهُوراً أَوْ خَائِفاً مَغْمُوراً لِئَلاَّ تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللهِ وَبَيِّنَاتُهُ.

“Yes, the surface of the earth shall never lack a rising that rises by God as His proof, either in an apparent or hidden way.”⁽[1]⁾

In fact, an Imam’s heart is like a safe in which precious documents are safeguarded so that they might be secure against theft by robbers or against hazardous and unfortunate events. This is one of the logical reasons for the presence of an Imam.

The Social and Political Leadership of the Nation (Ummah)

There is no doubt that no community could continue to exist without a capable leader. For this very reason, it has been common for nations in the past to appoint leaders; sometimes leaders have been decent and at other times indecent. Because of the need for a leader, aggressors and tyrant sultans have passed themselves off as the community leaders since antiquity.

On the other hand, in order for a person to attain spiritual perfection, he has to live and cooperate with others. This is because an individual is not powerful enough but a congregation of people can give the individual a lot of power.

However, a community should be governed by a correct system in order for capabilities to flourish and corruption to be suppressed. Such a community should mobilize its potential innate forces.

Since error-prone man cannot bring forth such a mobilization, an innocent and infallible leader, appointed by God, becomes necessary. This need is especially felt today when we observe the degree to which political leaders are corrupt.

This is another logical reason for the presence of an Imam within a community. It is another aspect of God’s Benevolence. I would like to iterate this fact that while the Infallible Imam(s) is temporarily hidden from our eyes, our obligation to have a substitute Imam has been anticipated in Islamic law. This will be discussed in subsequent lectures.

The Need to Make the Proof Irrefutable

It is up to an Imam to both lead and guide people and make the proof irrefutable against those who would still like to go astray. This will forestall any excuses to the effect that the religious leader has not put forth enough energy to guide them.

This would prevent the construction of alibis and excuses, and those who are sincere would be guided.

The Imam is a Great Medium for Divine Grace

Most scholars of religion, in accordance with Islamic narrations, have likened the presence of a Prophet or an Imam among humanity to the heart in the body of a human being.

We know that when the heart beats, it sends blood to all the arteries which carry blood to other parts of the human body.

The Infallible Imam is a perfect and progressive member and leader of humanity. Since he is the cause for the descent of divine Grace from which each individual benefits depending on the degree of his communication with the Prophet and the Imam, he could be likened to the heart of the community as well.

We should not be under the delusion that the Prophet or the Imam should provide people with material things. The same way the heart is an intermediary between man and God in conveying God’s Grace; the Prophet and the Imam are the intermediaries of God’s Grace to humanity.