Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Question 31: What is the criterion of taqiyyah {dissimulation}?

Reply: Taqiyyah means concealing one’s conviction and faith from the enemies to avoid worldly, spiritual or religious harms, and it is one of the religious obligations of every Muslim on which the Holy Qur’an emphasizes.

Taqiyyah from the Qur’anic viewpoint

The Glorious Qur’an has referred to this obligation in many verses. Here are some of them:

﴿ لاَّ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُوْنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلاَّ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ﴾

“The faithful should not take the faithless for allies instead of the faithful, and whoever does that Allah will have nothing to do with him, except when you are wary of them out of caution.” 1

This verse vividly testifies to the fact that friendship with the infidels is not permissible. But, in case of dissimulation{taqiyyah} , i.e. when one intends to save his life or parry dangers, then outward friendship and concordance with them is permissible.

﴿ مَن كَفَرَ بِاللّهِ مِن بَعْدِ إيمَانِهِ إِلاَّ مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالإِيمَانِ وَلَـكِن مَّن شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِّنَ اللّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴾

“Whoever renounces faith in Allah after {affirming} his faith - barring someone who is compelled while his heart is at rest in faith - but those who open up their breasts to unfaith, upon such shall be Allah’s wrath, and there is a great punishment for them.” 2

Regarding the circumstances surrounding the revelation of this verse, the exegetes{mufassirun} thus say:

One day, ‘Ammar ibn Yasir, his father and his mother were captured by the enemies and the infidels asked them to renounce Islam and acknowledge disbelief{kufr} and polytheism{shirk} . All those who were with ‘Ammar bore witness to the Oneness of God and the prophethood of the Holy Prophet (S).

Therefore, some of them attained martyrdom while others were tortured by the enemies. In order to avoid the enemies’ torture, ‘Ammar uttered what the infidels wanted him to utter, and so, he was freed.

When he met the Messenger of Allah (S) he was very regretful and dejected for what he had said. So, the Holy Prophet (S) comforted him and then the aforementioned verse was revealed.3

From this verse and statements of exegetes, it becomes clear that hiding one’s inner conviction for the sake of saving his life and avoiding material and non-material harms was practiced during the time of the Prophet (S) and so it is acceptable in Islam.

Taqiyyah from the Shi‘ah viewpoint

Because the despotic Umayyad and ‘Abbasid governments throughout history were inimical to the Shi‘ah and resolved to eliminate them,4 the Shi‘ah used taqiyyah as per Qur’anic injunctions by hiding their true beliefs. In doing so, they saved their lives as well as the lives of their Muslim brethren under those critical circumstances.

It is clear that with an atmosphere full of despotism and strangulation the Shi‘ah had no other way to protect themselves against the storm of oppression that was threatening their lives than using taqiyyah. As such, if tyrant kings and their agents had not been inimical to the Shi‘ah and if they had not taken as the main agenda of their governments the brutal carnage of the Shi‘ah, there would have been no reason for the Shi‘ah’s resorting to taqiyyah.

It is necessary to note that taqiyyah is not practiced only by the Shi‘ah. In fact, other Muslims also make use of the shield of taqiyyah vis-à-vis such murderous enemies who show hostility to the Muslims of all schools of thought like the Kharijites{khawarij} and oppressive governments that resort to all unlawful ways. When they see that they cannot confront their enemies, Muslims conceal their inner beliefs in order to save their lives.

On this basis, if all the members of Muslim community have mutual understanding and live in unity and cooperation, there will be no ground for taqiyyah among the Muslims.

Conclusion

From what have been stated so far, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. Taqiyyah has its root in the Qur’an and in the conduct of the Prophet’s Companions, and the Prophet’s (S) approval of it is a vivid testimony to its existence and permissibility during the early period of Islam.

2. The motive behind the Shi‘ah’s use of taqiyyah was to escape the brutal killing and the storms of tyranny and oppression that were intended to eradicate this school of thought.

3. Taqiyyah is not practiced only by the Shi‘ah; in fact, other Muslim groups also resort to it.

4. The aim of using taqiyyah is not only the abandonment of and concealing Islamic beliefs from polytheists; rather, the criterion of taqiyyah which is intended to ensure the Muslims’ safety is more general, and hiding one’s inner beliefs vis-à-vis any murderous enemy, either because one lacks the ability to confront or because the conditions for resistance are not available is an indispensable affair.

5. If there is good understanding between all the members of Muslim community, there will exist no ground for taqiyyah among the Muslims.

Notes

1. Surah Al ‘Imran 3:28.

2. Surah an-Nahl 16:106.

3. See Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti, Ad-Durr al-Manthur (Beirut), vol. 4, p. 131.

4. For more information on the merciless killing of the Shi‘ah perpetrated by the Umayyad and ‘Abbasid caliphs, see Abu’l-Faraj al-Isfahani, Maqatil at-Talibiyyin; ‘Allamah Amini, Shuhada’ al-Fadilah; Muhammad Jawad Mughniyyah, Ash-Shi‘ah wa’l-Hakimun.

Question 32 : Why is the Ja‘fari school of thought {madhhab} stipulated in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the official madhhab of the country?

Reply: No doubt, the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran shows respect to all Muslim schools of thought, but the Muslim schools of jurisprudence{madhahib or madhhabs} such as Ja‘fari, Maliki, Shafi‘i, Hanbali, Hanafi, etc. are neither identical nor concordant in their attitudes toward the individual and social duties and so there are many differences among them.

Also, while laying down laws and enacting regulations for a society, the concordance and harmony of the said regulations seem to be indispensable.

Therefore, only one Muslim school of thought should be recognized as the source for enacting the social regulations of a certain country because in case of relying on various sources of legislation, the achievement of cohesive and systematic regulations will be impossible.

Therefore, one of the Muslim schools of jurisprudence that has correct standards should be recognized as the source for condifying social laws and regulations and thus prevent any possible chaos and discord in the codification of the laws of country and pave the ground for the formulation of a set of regulations in legal, social and other fields.

The criterion for selecting the Ja‘fari madhhab

The other question which is posed here is: What is the criterion for recognizing the Ja‘fari madhhab from among the Muslim schools of jurisprudence as the source for codifying the laws and regulations of the country?

The answer is clear and that is because the vast majority of the Iranians are Muslims who believe in the Ja‘fari school of jurisprudence and think it can define their individual and social duties. As such, it is clear that declaring the Ja‘fari madhhab to be the official madhhab of the country as stated in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not unusual and it is congruent with all logical and legal standards.

The status of the other Muslim schools of thought and the respect shown to them

The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran which recognizes the Ja‘fari madhhab as the official madhhab, respects other madhahib such as Shafi‘i, Hanbali, Hanafi, Maliki, and Zaydi. As a matter of fact, the followers of these madhahib can follow the fiqh of their respective madhahib in:

1. The performance of religious rites;

2. Religious training and education;

3. Carrying out personal activities; and

4. Specific religious activities such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, last will and testament, etc.

In addition to this, in the region where the majority of the inhabitants belong to any of the aforementioned madhahib, the local regulations prescribed by local councils are compatible with that particular madhhab and the rights of followers of other madhahib are also observed.

In order to elaborate on this issue, we cite Article 12, Chapter 1 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran:

The official religion of Iran is Islam while the official madhhab is Shi‘ah Ithna ‘Ashari (Twelver Shi‘ah), and this principle is unalterable and the other Islamic schools of thought such as Hanafi, Shafi‘i, Maliki, Hanbali, and Zaydi are completely respected and the followers of these madhahib are free to follow their madhahib in such areas like religious rites, religious training and education, personal affairs like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and last will and testament, or in relevant legal cases. In every region where the followers of any of these madhahib are in majority, the local regulations local councils codify are to be compatible with that particular madhhab and the rights of followers of other madhahib be preserved.

This article in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran is a clear testimony to its respect for all Islamic schools of thought.

Question 33 : Do the Shi‘ah regard witr prayer as obligatory?

Reply: Witr prayer is part of the supererogatory night prayers and it is one of the recommended{mustahabb} works which the Muslims who follow the Messenger of Allah (S) perform, but the Shi‘ah jurists{fuqaha} who rely on the Book of Allah and the Prophet’s Sunnah say that the witr prayer is one of the things which are incumbent on no one except the Holy Prophet (S).

In his book, Tadhkirah al-Fuqaha, ‘Allamah al-Hilli enumerates about 70 salient features of the Prophet (S) and at the beginning of his statement, he thus says:

فأما الواجبات عليه دون غيره من أمّته أمور أ: السّواك ب: الوتر ج: الأضحيه. روي عنه صلى الله عليه وأله وسلم أنه قال: ثلاث كتب عليّ ولم تكتب عليكم: السواك والوتر والأضحية

As for the things which are incumbent only upon him (S) and not upon his ummah, they are: the use of tooth-stick {miswak}, witr prayer, and offering sacrifice {adhiyah}. He (S) is reported to have said: “Three things were made incumbent upon me but not you: the use of tooth-stick {miswak}, witr prayer and offering sacrifice.” 1

Consequently, according to the Shi‘ah witr prayer is obligatory{wajib} upon the Holy Prophet (S) and it is recommended{mustahabb} upon the other Muslims.

Note

1. ‘Allamah al-Hilli, Tadhkirah al-Fuqaha, vol. 2, “Kitab an-Nikah,” Introduction 4.

Question 34: Is the belief that great divine people {awliya’} have supernatural power tantamount to polytheism {shirk}?

Reply: It is clear that when a person wants someone to do something for him or her, the former thinks that the latter is capable of doing it and this capability takes two forms:

1. This capability may be of material and natural forces as in the case of asking somebody to give us a glass of water.

2. Or, it may be a hidden force which exists beyond the material and natural realm as in the case of the pious servant of God, ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus the son of Mary) (‘a) who was capable of healing incurable ailments with his Messianic breath.

It is clear that the belief in such a metaphysical power, which is related to and supported by the power and will of God, is like believing in natural power, and it is by no means tantamount to polytheism{shirk} , because the Lord Who has bestowed material and natural power upon human beings can also grant His righteous servants supernatural power.

Now, in elucidating the stated answer the belief that divine people have supernatural power can be conceived in two ways:

1. To believe that a person is an independent and principal source of that power and to consider him the author of divine acts.

No doubt, if we think that this supernatural power is independent of the power of God, it will be tantamount to polytheism because according to this belief someone other than God is regarded as the independent and original source of power, to whom divine acts are attributed, whereas the Lord of the worlds is the fountainhead of all kinds of power.

2. To believe that the supernatural power of some faithful pious servants of God stems from the eternal power of God, and that this everlasting power is manifested by Divine Command through certain divine people. In fact, they are not independent; rather, they rely both in their existence as well as in exercising supernatural power on God, the Exalted.

It is clear that according to this belief, great divine people are not regarded as gods nor divine acts are attributed to them because righteous people are viewed as servants of God through whom God-given supernatural power is manifested by the decree and inviolable will of God.

In this regard, the Holy Qur’an says:

وَ ما كانَ لِرَسُولٍ أَنْ يَأْتِيَ بِآيَةٍ إِلاّ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ

“And an apostle may not bring a sign except by Allah’s leave.” 1

It is evident from what we have stated that apart from the fact that it has nothing to do with polytheism, this belief is totally harmonious with the principle of monotheism and Unity of God.

Supernatural power of great divine people from a Qur’anic viewpoint

With utmost explicitness, the heavenly scripture of Islam mentions the names of a number of righteous servants of God who, by the decree of God, have such extraordinary power. Below are some instances:

1. The supernatural power of Hadrat Musa (Moses) (‘a)

God, the Exalted, ordered His prophet, Musa (‘a), to strike a rock with his staff and fountains of refreshing water gushed forth:

﴿ وَإِذِ اسْتَسْقَىٰ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ فَقُلْنَا اضْرِب بِّعَصَاكَ الْحَجَرَ فَانفَجَرَتْ مِنْهُ اثْنَتَا عَشْرَةَ عَيْناً ﴾

“And when Moses prayed for water for his people, We said, ‘Strike the rock with your staff.’ Thereat twelve fountains gushed forth from it.” 2

2. The supernatural power of Hadrat ‘Isa (Jesus) (‘a)

Various instances of the supernatural power of Hadrat ‘Isa (‘a) are mentioned in the Qur’an, one of which is the following:

أَنِّي أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَأُبْرِئُ الأكْمَهَ والأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِـي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ

“I will create for you out of clay the form of a bird, then I will breathe into it, and it will become a bird by Allah’s leave. And I heal the blind and the leper and revive the dead by Allah’s leave.” 3

3. The supernatural power of Hadrat Sulayman (Solomon) (‘a)

The Glorious Qur’an points to the supernatural power of Hadrat Sulayman (‘a) and states:

وَوَرِثَ سُلَيْمَانُ دَاوُودَ وَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عُلِّمْنَا مَنطِقَ الطَّيْرِ وَأُوتِينَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّ هَذَا لَهُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْمُبِينُ

“Solomon inherited from David, and he said, ‘O people! We have been taught the speech of the birds, and we have been given out of everything. Indeed this is a manifest advantage.” 4

No doubt, the gushing forth of fountains from the rock which Hadrat Musa (‘a) stroke with his staff, the creation of a real bird out of clay, the healing of incurable ailments and the revival of the dead by Hadrat ‘Isa (‘a), and Hadrat Sulayman’s (‘a) knowledge of the logic and language of birds are extraordinary affairs which are considered as kinds of acts of supernatural power and authority.

Given that many Qur’anic verses point to the supernatural power of the worthy servants of God, will our belief in the purport of these explicit verses of the Qur’an, which bespeak of the extraordinary power of such great divine people, be regarded as tantamount to polytheism{shirk} or innovation in religion{bid‘ah} ?

From this, it becomes evident that the belief that righteous servants of God have supernatural power does not mean that they are regarded as gods or authors of divine acts. If such a belief were to imply their divinity{uluhiyyah} and lordship{rububiyyah} , then according to the Qur’an such prophets like Musa, ‘Isa, Sulayman, and others (‘a) would be taken to be gods, whereas all Muslims know that the Holy Qur’an considers great divine people as righteous servants of God.

Thus, it is obvious that if in the belief that the nearest ones to God have supernatural power, we can consider this power to be relying on the inexhaustible power of God and regard great divine people as instruments for manifesting divine power.

This belief will not only mean rejection of polytheism but it will also be totally congruent with the principle of true monotheism because the criterion of monotheism and Unity of God is attributing every power in the world to God and believing that He is the author of every power and every movement.

Notes

1. Surah ar-Ra‘d 13:38.

2. Surah al-Baqarah 2:60.

3. Surah Al ‘Imran 3:49.

4. Surah an-Naml 27:16.

Question 35 : Why is the station of Imamate {imamah} higher than that of prophethood {nubuwwah}?

Reply: First, we will examine the precise meaning of three of the words we find in the Qur’an and the hadith and these are: prophethood{nubuwwah} , messengership{risalah} and Imamate{imamah} so as to clarify why the station of imamah is higher than each of the other two mentioned positions.

1. The station of nubuwwah

The word nabi{prophet} is derived from the word naba’ which means an important piece of news. Therefore, the literal meaning of nabi is“bearer of very important news” or“announcer of very important news” .1

The word nabi which is equivalent to the English word“prophet” is used by the Qur’an to mean a person who receives divine revelation from God, the Exalted, through various means, and conveys to people the news revealed to him without the intervention of other human beings. Scholars define this word as follows:

إنه من مؤدّ من الله بلا وساطة من البشر

“A prophet is a person who conveys the divine revelation to the people without the intervention of other human biengs.” 2

On this basis, the nature of the duties of a nabi is confined to receiving revelation and conveying to the people what is revealed to him. The Glorious Qur’an says in this regard:

فَبَعَثَ اللّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرينَ وَ مُنْذِرينَ

“Then Allah sent the prophets as bearers of good news and as warners.” 3

2. The station of risalah

In the lexicon of revelation, the word rasul is referred to a prophet who, apart from receiving the revelation and conveying it to the people, shoulders the burden of conveying a divine message{risalah} and has the responsibility of delivering the message to the people. In this regard, the Glorious Qur’an says:

فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّما عَلىٰ‏ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبينُ

“But if you turn your backs, then know that Our Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.” 4

Therefore, the position of risalah is another station which is given to a nabi. In other words, each of the concepts of nubuwwah and risalah points to one of the peculiarities of the prophets who receive revelation from God in that they are called anbiya’ (plural form of nabi) because they receive divine revelation and bear news. And they are called rusul (plural form of rasul) because they have the responsibility of delivering the message{risalah} .

From what have been stated so far, we can conclude that so long as prophets hold the position of nubuwwah and risalah, they are only guides who make known to people what is lawful{halal} and what is unlawful{haram} and show them the ways to attain felicity and prosperity, and they have no responsibility except reporting what is revealed to them by God or delivering a message.

3. The station of imamah

The station of divine imamah, from a Qur’anic perspective, is different from any of the two stations mentioned earlier and it is identical with broader discretion and practice in the domain of administering the society and leading the people.

Now, in the light of the luminous Qur’anic verses, we shall introduce some clear proofs in this regard:

1. Concerning the bestowal of the station of imamah on a revered prophet, viz. Ibrahim al-Khalil (Prophet Abraham) (‘a), the Holy Qur’an thus states:

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي

“And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words, and he fulfilled them, He said, ‘I am making you the Imam of mankind. Said he, ‘And from among my descendants?’” 5

In the light of this Qur’anic passage, we realize two facts:

a. The quoted verse clearly states the difference between the concept of imamah and that of each of the two concepts of nubuwwah and risalah because many years prior to a series of divine tests, one of which was the decision to sacrifice his own son (Isma‘il), Ibrahim (‘a) attained the station of nubuwwah, and we will prove this fact in the following:

We all know that God, the Exalted, granted two sons (Isma‘il and Ishaq) to Ibrahim (‘a) when he was old as he has been quoted by the Glorious Qur’an as saying:

الْحَمْدُ لِلّهِ الَّذِي وَهَبَ لِي عَلَىٰ الْكِبَرِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ

“All praise belongs to Allah, who, despite {my} old age, gave me Ishmael and Isaac.” 6

Now, it is clear that it was prior to a series of hard divine trials one of which was the decision to sacrifice Isma‘il (‘a) that God, the Exalted, bestowed the station of imamah upon Ibrahim (‘a) during the autumn of his life.

That is, it was during the last phase of his life that he became a leader over the people, whereas he held the station of nubuwwah a long time earlier; for, he used to receive divine revelation, which is a sign of nubuwwah before he had children{dhurriyyah} .7

b. It can also be inferred from the verse,“And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words…” that the station of divine imamah, i.e. governing the society and leading the people is higher than the station of nubuwwah or the station of risalah; for, as stated by the Qur’anic verses, while Hadrat Ibrahim (‘a) was holding the station of nubuwwah and the station of risalah, he was required to pass difficult tests before the station of imamah was granted to him.

The reason is clear; apart from the responsibility of receiving revelation and delivering the message, the station of divine imamah also includes the supervision of society, leadership of the ummah and proper administration of the affairs of people for the purpose of reaching the pinnacle of perfection and felicity. So, it is natural that this station has a peculiar importance and grandeur and its attainment is impossible without passing a series of difficult tests.

2. It is clear from the previous verse that God, the Exalted, granted the station of imamah and leadership of the community to Ibrahim (‘a) after exposing him to hard tests. Then, Ibrahim (‘a) asked God to assign this station to his descendants as well.

Other Qur’anic verses clearly state that God accepted the request of Ibrahim (‘a) and after granting the station of nubuwwah to Ibrahim’s righteous and upright descendants, He appointed them to the position of the leadership of the community and rule over the ummah. The Holy Qur’an says in this regard:

فَقَدْ آتَيْنا آلَ إِبْراهيمَ الْكِتابَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ آتَيْناهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظيمًا

“We have certainly given the progeny of Abraham the Book and the wisdom, and We have given them a great sovereignty.” 8

We can deduce from this verse that the position of imamah and leadership of the society is different from that of nubuwwah, which God, the Exalted, granted to His prophet, Ibrahim (‘a), after passing a series of difficult divine trials.

When he prayed to God and asked Him to give the position of governance and leadership to his descendants too, the Lord granted that prayer by granting that high station to his just descendants and offspring, and apart from the (heavenly) Book and wisdom{hikmah} , which are the signs of nubuwwah and risalah, He granted them“great sovereignty” {mulkan ‘azimah} , which means governance and leadership over the people.

As such, the request of Ibrahim (‘a) was granted. Thus, some of his descendants such as Yusuf (Joseph), Dawud (David) and Sulayman (Solomon) (‘a) were chosen for the position of governance, administration and leadership of the society in addition to the station of nubuwwah.

It is evident from what we have stated that the station of imamah is different from any of the two stations of nubuwwah and risalah, and on account of its broader domain of discretion and responsibilities, imamah has greater value and higher status.

Superiority of the station of imamah

From the previous discussion, it is clear that the responsibility of a nabi and rasul does not go beyond reminding the people and showing them the way. Whenever a nabi or a rasul reaches the station of imamah, he has to shoulder a more crucial responsibility, and this entails that he has to implement divine programs and execute the decrees of the sacred religion on the way of establishing a model and prosperous society to ensure for his ummah felicity in this world and the next.

It is evident that great spiritual power and special competence are indisputable for bearing such a crucially important responsibility, and shouldering such a heavy burden, which involves difficult problems and struggling against one’s inclinations, requires more maturity in the way of God and excessive fortitude.

This goal cannot be achieved without divine love and annihilation{fana’} in attaining God’s good pleasure. For this reason, God, the Exalted, granted Ibrahim (‘a) the station of imamah after exposing him to a series of hard trials during the last moments of his life. For this reason, too, He honored His most anointed servants, including the Holy Prophet of Islam (S), with the station of imamah and leadership of the ummah, and appointed them to govern and lead the society.

Are nubuwwah and imamah correlative?

The following questions may arise here: Must every prophet who has the station of nubuwwah be an Imam as well? Or, must the one who has the position of imamah be a prophet as well?

The answer to either question is negative. We shall elaborate on this issue in the light of the logic of revelation: The verses about Talut (Saul) and his struggle against the oppressive Jalut (Goliath) clearly state that sometime after the passing away of Hadrat Musa (Moses) (‘a), God, the Exalted, granted the station of nubuwwah to a person named“Samuel” while the station of imamah (leadership and governance) was given to Talut. Here is the detailed account of this event:

After the demise of Musa (‘a), a group of the Children of Israel said to the prophet of their time:“Appoint a ruler for us so that we may fight in the way of God under his command.” The reply of their prophet was:

إِنَّ اللّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًا قَالُوَاْ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الْمَالِ قَالَ إِنَّ اللّهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُ بَسْطَةً فِي الْعِلْمِ وَالْجِسْمِ وَاللّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَن يَشَاء وَاللّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

“‘Allah has appointed Saul as king for you. They said, ‘How can he have kingship over us, when we have a greater right to kingship than him, as he has not been given ample wealth?’ He said, ‘Indeed Allah has chosen him over you, and enhanced him vastly in knowledge and physique, and Allah gives His kingdom to whomever He wishes, and Allah is all-bounteous, all-knowing’.” 9

From the above verse, the following points can be inferred:

1. It is possible that in case of expediency, nubuwwah is separated from imamah and rule and at a certain time, nubuwwah is granted to a certain person and governance and rule to another person, each of whom is worthy of the position granted to him.

On account of the possibility of separating these two positions from one another, the Children of Israel never said that their prophet (Samuel) was more qualified than him (Talut). Rather, they said complainingly:“We have a greater right to kingship than him” .

2. The station which Talut held was granted to him by God, as the Qur’an says:“Allah has appointed Saul as king for you” . It also states:“Indeed Allah has chosen him over you.”

3. The divine station and responsibility Talut had was not merely to command the army but he was rather the ruler and head of the Children of Israel as it is deduced from the word,“king” {mulk} , i.e. headship of government.

Although the aim of this headship at that time was the leadership of the Children of Israel in jihad in the way of God, the divine position he held also allowed him do other things all of which are related to governance, as the latter part of the verse states:“Allah gives His kingdom to whomever He wishes.”

4. The most important condition of the governance of a society, imamah and leadership of the ummah is possessing vast knowledge and required spiritual and physical capabilities, especially by the rulers live at a time when they are supposed to play an active role in leading the army.10

From what have been said so far, it is clear that there is no concomitance and inseparability between nubuwwah and imamah. In fact, a person may attain the position of nubuwwah but he is not Imam and leader of the ummah who has the discretion of ruling over the people.

Also, a person may be designated by God as administrator and ruler of a society but he is not a prophet. And sometimes, God, the Exalted, grants both stations to a person who is worthy of both of them, as the Glorious Qur’an says:

فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ اللّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُودُ جَالُوتَ وَآتَاهُ اللّهُ الْمُلْكَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِمَّا يَشَاءُ

“Thus they routed them with Allah’s will, and David killed Goliath, and Allah gave him the kingdom and wisdom, and taught him whatever He liked.” 11

Notes

1. If the literal root of the word nabi is intransitive, then it carries the first meaning, and if it is transitive, then it carries the second meaning.

2. Shaykh at-Tusi, Rasa’il al-‘Ashar, p. 111.

3. Surah al-Baqarah 2:213.

4. Surah al-Ma’idah 5:92.

5. Surah al-Baqarah 2:124.

6. Surah Ibrahim 14:39.

7. Refer to Surah as-Saffat 37:99-102; Surah al-Hijr 15:53-54; Surah Hud 11:70-71.

8. Surah an-Nisa’ 4:54.

9. Surah al-Baqarah 2:247.

10. Cited from Prof. Ja‘far Subhani’s Manshur-e Jawid-e Qur’an.

11. Surah al-Baqarah 2:251.