Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Eighth Lecture: The Holy Qur’An with Respect to the Scientific Discoveries of our Time

The Holy Qur’an is not a book on natural science, medicine, psychology or mathematics; it deals instead with man’s guidance and his development and says what is necessary concerning these issues.

We should not expect to find an encyclopedia in the Holy Qur’an. Rather, we should look for spiritual guidance, piety, virtues, humanity, ethics, order and law and the Holy Qur’an has them all.

To achieve such an aim, the Holy Qur’an sometimes refers to some subjects related to the natural sciences, the mysteries of creation and the wonders of the universe. This is especially true regarding those topics which are related to monotheism. Depending on the course of the argument the Holy Qur’an, always, reveals some of the mysteries of creation and unveils some facts that were not known to the scientists and scholars of those days.

We shall refer to this group of Qur’anic expressions as “the scientific miracles of the Holy Qur’an” and we shall talk about some of these miracles here:

The Holy Qur’an on Gravity

Nobody had discovered the law Gravity before Newton. It is said that one day when Newton was sitting beneath an apple tree an apple fell upon his head and this incident occupied his mind for a number of years afterwards.

He would ask himself “what was the force that attracted the apple?” “Why did it not rise toward the sky?” And only after years of hard work did he find out about gravity. His law ran something like this: “Every material body exerts a mutual attraction each other directly proportional to their masses and inversely proportional with the square of their distance apart.”

The discovery of this law led man to discover the source of the solar system. It was found out why these gigantic heavenly bodies rotate around the sun on their orbits and why they could not escape from their orbits. It was discovered why they did not collapse over one another and what kind of power kept all the bodies rotating in this endless space.

Yes, Newton discovered the fact that the rotational movement of a body tends to let it escape from the center and the law of attraction pulls it toward the center and when these two powers are in equilibrium, their centripetal and centrifugal forces let them stay on their orbit and move in the correct direction.

However, the Holy Qur’an, more than one thousand years ago, explained the same notion in the second verse of Surah Ra`d [Thunder]:

اللَّهُ الَّذِي رَفَعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ كُلٌّ يَجْرِي لِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ يُفَصِّلُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّكُمْ بِلِقَاءِ رَبِّكُمْ تُوقِنُونَ

Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you see, and He is firm in power. He made the sun and the moon subservient to you; each one pursues its course to an appointed time; He regulates the affair, making clear the signs that you may be certain of meeting You Lord. [Qur’an 13:2]

We read in a narration under this verse from Imam `Ali Ibn Moses Al-Reza (s):

أَلَيْسَ اللهُ يَقُولُ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا؟ قُلْتُ: بَلَى. قَالَ: ثَمَّ عَمَدٌ وَلَكِنْ لاَ تَرَوْنَهَا

Doesn’t God say that He erected the skies without a pillar? The narrator says: I replied to the Imam (s): yes. He then replied: there is a pillar, but you cannot see it.

Is there a clearer and easier expression than this in the Arab literature to explain gravity? In another narration from Imam `Ali(s) we read:

هَذِهِ النُّجُومُ فِي السَّمَاءِ مَدَائِنٌ مِثْلَ الْمَدَائِنِ الَّتِي فِي الأَرْضِ، مَرْبُوطَةٌ كُلُّ مَدِينَةٍ إلَى عَمُودٍ مِنْ نُورٍ

These stars which lie in the sky are like the cities on the earth. Every city of this series is connected to the other city through a beam of light.

Scientists now agree that there can be millions of inhabitable stars with intelligent beings on them; the details are not clear yet, however.

The Discovery of the Rotation of the Earth around Itself and its Orbit around the Sun

It is said that the first scientist who discovered the rotation of the earth itself was the Italian Galileo who lived in Italy four centuries ago. Prior to him, scientists believed in the astronomy of the Egyptian scientist called Ptolemy who said that the earth was the center of the world and the heavenly bodies rotate around it.

Of course, Galileo was ostracized by the church due to this discovery. But when he expressed his repentance, he was rescued from an inevitable punishment of death. Later, however, other scientists followed up his theory and today the orbit of the earth around the sun has become an established fact, which could be perceived even through normal observation. Space flight has proven even more than this.

To Sum up: The assumption that the earth was the center of the universe was rejected and it was found out that this error only occurred because of our perception.

The Ptolemaic theory dominated scientific thought for nearly fifteen centuries and up to the appearance of the Holy Qur’an nobody dared to oppose this theory.

However, when we refer to the verses of the Holy Qur’an, we find out that in verse 88 of Surah Naml [27], the orbit of the earth is explicitly expressed:

وَتَرَى الْجِبَالَ تَحْسَبُهَا جَامِدَةً وَهِيَ تَمُرُّ مَرَّ السَّحَابِ صُنْعَ اللَّهِ الَّذِي أَتْقَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ إِنَّهُ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَفْعَلُونَ

And you see the mountains, you think them to be solid, and they shall pass away as the passing away of the cloud-the handiwork of Allah Who has made everything thoroughly; surely, He is Aware of what you do.

The above verse explicitly talks about the movement of the mountains despite the fact that we see them as stationary. Similarly, the movement of the earth and the clouds implies both speed and the quiet nature of this movement.

The above sacred verse employs the expression to mean the movement of the mountains for the movement of the earth for emphasis. This is because mountains cannot move unless the earth on which they lie moves as well.

Now, is it not a scientific miracle to talk about the movement of the earth at a time when everybody believed in the stationary nature of the earth?

And it is amazing that such a great assertion has been made by an illiterate person who lived in the most backward, parts of the world.

Now, isn’t this statement of the Holy Qur’an a sign of its validity?

THINK AND ANSWER

What is meant by the scientific miracles of the Holy Qur’an?

Who discovered the law of gravity for the first time and when did he live?

In which verse did the Holy Qur’an refer to the law of gravity and in what interpretation does it employ this law?

Who believed in the central status of the earth and who discovered its rotation?

In which verse did the Holy Qur’an refer to the rotation of the earth and in what interpretation does it use this term?

Ninth Lecture: Another Proof for the Legitimacy of the Prophet of Islam

In order for us to realize the legitimacy of a Prophet’s claim to prophethood and in order to find out if he is truthful or a pretender, apart from observing his miracles, we have the following set of methods available to us:

His ethical traits and his past social activities;

The conditions which govern and dominate the time of the claim;

The temporal conditions;

The content of the claim;

The program of implementation and the means to arrive at the objective;

The level of the claimant’s faith and loyalty to his aims;

His firm standing against any compromise;

The speed of his influence ever the public;

A Survey of those who have adopted the new faith and a study of their social standing.

Through the application of these nine approaches to any claimant of prophethood, we could easily test the validity of his claim.

Now we will apply the above tests to the Prophet of Islam and present a brief description of his traits despite the fact that a complete description of the characteristic of the Prophet of Islam(s) requires numerous volumes of books.

With respect to the ethical traits and post social activities of the Prophet (s), both his detractors and supporters agree upon the fact that he was completely trustworthy and was well known for this trait. History tells us that when he was leaving for the city of Medina, he appointed `Ali(s) to return people’s deposits to them.

His bravery, perseverance, good-temper, generosity, and gentleness could be observed during his holy wars as well as during times of peace. His public pardon which he issued after the conquest of Mecca and the surrender of the aggressive enemies of Islam is a living document for this claim.

We all know that both the ordinary person and the genius consciously or unconsciously are influenced by their environment. Of course, this influence varies from person to person.

Now, imagine an individual who had been brought up for forty years in an environment dominated by idol worship and superstition. How could he show his inclination towards pure monotheism and fight against all manifestations of infidelity?

Is it not odd that out of such a strange environment replete with superstitious ideas, the best form of scientific advancement could emerge?

Could we ever think that such an extraordinary individual could have come forth without divine confirmation?

Observe the time at which such a great Prophet appeared. He appeared when the world was under the domination of a dark age: the time in which despotism, discrimination, unjust racial attitudes and class conflict prevailed. It is better to listen to Imam `Ali(s) who had witnessed both the pre-Islamic and post-Islamic eras: He says:

“God appointed him for such a mission at a time when people used to live under ignorance, when their wisdom and rational thinking were under devilish whims and wishes; at a time when arrogance and false pride had caused their down fall; at a time when the darkness of the period of Ignorance had led them astray and they were caught between ignorance and perplexity”[5]

Now think, under such severe conditions, how could a religion have come into being whose watchwords were equality among men, and the elimination of racial and class discrimination?

The content of its invitation were equality and unanimity in all aspects, the negation of cruel and unjust relationships, the unity of mankind, the struggle against cruelty, a design for a world government, defense of the needy, and the adoption of purity and piety.

In implementing his program, he always employed sacred means to arrive at his sacred goals. He used to say explicitly:

وَلاَ يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَئَانُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا

Your enmity with a specific group should not hinder you from performing justice. [Qur’an 5:8]

His commands in the arena of war included the observance of ethical principles, not attacking non-military persons, avoiding the destruction of date-plantations and orchards, not contaminating the enemy’s drinking water and the amicable treatment of prisoners of war.

The effect of his teachings was so profound that his enemies worried about individuals getting close to this because his influence over people was tremendous. So when he would begin to deliver his sermons, his enemies would make much commotion so that his followers could not hear what he was saying.

In order for the Prophet’s enemies to discourage people from being attracted by the Prophet’s charisma, they called him a wizard and described his words and discourse as magic. The use of these pejorative titles indicates the profound impact the Prophet had over his listeners.

The amount of sacrifice that he made towards the new religion which he had brought proved that he cared more than others about it.

In some wars when newly converted young men would flee the scene, he showed great fortitude and never turned his back on the enemy. In those situations when the enemy tried to bribe, intimidate or entice him, he stayed firm and maintained position.

The enemies of Islam repeatedly tried to make him go astray, but they failed each time. He used to say: Even if you place the sun in one of my hands and the moon in the next, I would never abandon this religion.

His efforts in communicating the principles of Islam were both amazing and swift. His impact on people was tremendous. Those who read western views on Islamic history would notice how surprised they are concerning the spread of Islamic ideology among different people. For instance, three well-known authors writing on “the history of western civilization and its bases in the East” have openly confessed to this fact for example one of them has said:

“It is still a mystery how Islam spread all over the civilized nations of those days in less than a century.”

Yes, indeed it is still an enigma how Islam spread so widely among the hearts of people and how it could absorb civilizations and establish a civilization of its own.

His enemies were the tyrants and unjust dictators and some of the affluent classes of society The newly converted on the other hand were among the penniless and the deprived, poverty-stricken individuals or even slaves: they were people who had nothing except for sincerity and purity of heart.

From the above discussion, we could easily come to the conclusion that Muhammad’s invitation to Islam was a divine one: it was an invitation whose source lay in the supernatural, and it was the Hand of God who had dispatched him for man’s salvation from dire corruption, ignorance, injustice and faithless ness.

THINK AND ANSWER

In order for us to verify the authenticity of a Prophet’s mission, do we have any other way available to us except for miracles?

What is meant by collecting evidence? What aspects should be taken into consideration?

Could we get anything out of comparing the conditions of the Arabs both in the pre-Islamic and post-Islamic eras?

Tell us something concerning the Arabs in particular and the world in general during the pre-Islamic, Period of Ignorance.

Why did the foes of Islam give the pejorative title of “a magician” to the Prophet(s)?

Tenth Lecture: The Prophet of Islam: the Seal of the Prophets

The Real Meaning of the Seal of the Prophets

The Prophet of Islam is the last of God’s prophets and with him the cycle of prophethood comes to an end and this is one of the “essential beliefs of Islam.”

The true meaning of “essential” here is that anybody who enters the rank and file of the Muslims would soon realize that all followers of the Prophet believe him to be the last. In other words, such a person would soon realize that Muslims agree unanimously on the principle that Muhammad(s) is the last of the prophets in the same way that they emphasize the principle of monotheism and no Muslim is awaiting the arrival of another Prophet.

In fact, with the Prophet’s mission, human civilization and perfection are now on their right paths and have reached a mature status to be able to stay on their own course. Now man can solve his problems through his use of Islam’s complete codes of instructions and teachings.

This notion could be expressed in another way: Islam is the most complete and ultimate stage in the evolution of human civilization. In its ideology, Islam is the most complete and in practice, Islamic laws deal with all human needs.

The Reasons why the Prophet is the Last Prophet

To verify this claim, we will present three clear reasons hare:

The necessity behind Muhammad’s being the last Prophet: We have seen so far that anybody who comes into contact with a Muslim would realize that he or she believes that the Prophet of Islam is the last Prophet. Therefore, if anybody accepted Islam through logical reasoning, he has to accept this principle. And since in the previous lectures we dealt with the legitimacy and authenticity of this religion, we have to accept and believe that the Prophet of Islam is the last Prophet.

Some verses of the Holy Qur’an deal with this principle. An example is the following:

مَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِنْ رِجَالِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Apostle of Allah and the seal of the prophets.” [Qur’an 33:40]

This interpretation came into being at a time when the adoption of sons was a common practice among Arabs. They used to accept as their son somebody else’s son whom they adopted their own. That child would be adopted and accepted in the family circle and even got some share in the inheritance.

Islam put an end to such a backward custom, and adopted sons no longer benefited from inheritance. Among these was Zayd, the adopted son of the Prophet of Islam. Thus, this verse says: Instead of introducing the Prophet of Islam as the father of a specific individual, define him through two of his real characteristics: i.e. his prophethood and his being the last Prophet.

This interpretation reveals the fact that this principle was an accepted and generally verified fact.

Now we would like to know the real meaning of finality as related to the Prophet’s mission. The word “Khatam” comes from the word “Khatm,” meaning “final.” For instance, a seal at the end of a letter is called khatm or finisher.

In Islamic narrations, we read that when the Prophet(s) decided to write letters to the rulers in those days to invite them to the new religion, he was told to stamp and seal his letters with a seal because it was the habit of Iranian rulers and statesmen not to accept any letter that was not sealed. For this reason, the Prophet(s) ordered his men to make a ring for him on the signet of which was written:

“There is no associate for God and Muhammad is God’s messenger.” From then on letters were sealed with this ring.

Thus, the true meaning of “khatam” is something that completes.

There are numerous narrations, as well, which irrevocably prove the fact that the Prophet of Islam is the last prophet.

Some of these narrations are as follows:

In an authentic narration from Jabir Ibn `Abdullah Ansari, the Prophet(s) said:

“Among the prophets I am like the last brick in the construction of a building. Everybody who looks at the building admires it. They say: this building is beautiful except for the fact that one brick is missing. I am that missing brick. I am the completer in the line of the Prophets.”[6]

Imam sadiq (s) says:

حَلاَلُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَلاَلٌ أَبَداً إلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَحَرَامُهُ حَرَامٌ أَبَداً إلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ

“What Muhammad made halal [i.e. something considered Islamically permissible by the Prophet(s)] would be halal until the Day of Resurrection Day. And what he made haram [i.e. something prohibited by Islam] would be haram until the Day of resurrection.”[7]

In a well-known narration, narrated by both Shi`ah and Sunni traditionists, we read that the Prophet told Imam `Ali(s):

أَنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إلاَّ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ نَبِيٌّ بَعْدِي

“You are to me as Aaron was to Moses except for the fact that there will be no Prophet after me.”

There are ten other narrations like this one, in the literature.

There are some issues concerning Muhammad as the Last Prophet:

Some say, if the mission of the prophets is a divine benefit, why should the people of these days be deprived of such a benefit? Why should there not be a leader to guide people today?

Those who utter such words are ignorant of the fact that the deprivation of the people today of having a Prophet could not be considered as a weak-point for people; rather, due to the fact that people of the world have matured sufficiently, there is no need for another Prophet. These people could use Islamic guidelines to continue their lives.

To clarify the issue, let us give an example: There have been five prophets who brought divine books (i.e. those in authority); they were Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the Prophet of Islam(s). Each one of these had tried to lead the people of the world during an era in human history. Each Prophet then passed on his mission to the next. This succession of missions continued up to the point when the people of the world had arrived at their destination. This resembles the act of a student who finishes his stages of education up to the time when he graduates from university.

Now, if a doctor does not attend either elementary school or participate in BA programs, it does not mean that he does not deserve to attend school. Rather, it implies that he has enough knowledge now to make him capable of solving his own problems and make progress in life.

Still, another question may be raised, human society is always in a stare of flux; everything is changing rapidly. How could Islam, with its unchanging laws, care for human needs today?

Now, let us answer this important question: There are two series of laws in Islam. One series of laws are like man’s specific traits, unchangeable, such as struggling: struggle against injustice and the like.

There is another set of rules which change if human needs change. For instance, in Islam we have a principle, called (أَوْفُوا بِالْعُقُودِ ) [Respect your contracts].

Naturally, with the passage of time, there will appear all sorts of useful social, trade and political contracts which could be considered under the above principle.

There is, yet, another principle, that says, “Any verdict or rule which could be detrimental to the individual’s wellbeing should be deleted from the system of laws.”

You would notice how such general Islamic laws could be useful in solving human problems. There are many good laws like these in Islam. With the help of such rules, we were able to solve the perplexing obstacles and difficulties related to the Islamic Revolution in recent years.

Still, another question might be raised: No doubt, we will need a guide to solve our religious problems, however, in the absence of a Prophet and his substitute, there might be some obstacles facing Islam. As a result, is this not a blow against Islam?

To answer this question: We should know that Islam has made provision for this issue. It has entrusted us with the wilayat al-faqih which means that a learned and pious jurisprudent can solve the problems of the Muslims. The way to recognize such a social and religious position is explicitly stated in Islamic law. Therefore, there is no need to worry.

Thus, wilayat al-faqih is the continuation of the mission of the prophets and the Infallibles (s). Therefore, Islamic societies should never lack leaders.[8]

THINK AND ANSWER

What is meant by the statement: The Prophet of Islam is the Last Prophet?

How could we derive this principle from the verses of the Holy Qur’an?

Why should the people of our time be deprived of having another Prophet?

How many types of Islamic laws are there? How could they cope with the needs of our people today?

Can an Islamic society be without a leader? How is the issue of leadership solved in our time?

Notes

[1] The rest of this lecture is presented in the next section.

[2] Qur’an, 41.

[3] Tafsir Namuneh.

[4] For further information concerning this issue, refer to the book called “The Great Leaders.”

[5] Nahj al-Balaghah, sermon: 91.

[6] Majma` al-Bayan.

[7] Usul al-Kafi, vol. 1, p 58.

[8] For further information see the book called A Design for the Islamic Government written by this author.

Ten Lectures on Imamate

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 `Ali(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’an 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 hijaz 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 hanafis, the hanbalis, the Shafi`is, and the Malikis. The very existence of these four branches has not brought forth disunity among them, however. And when they include Shi`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 Shaltut, took a big stride in formally accepting Shi`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 Shi`ah branch could introduce Islamic principles and solve problems better than the other branches.

Why should we not teach this Shi`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 Shi`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 Shi`ah emphasize through the Holy Qur’an 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’an in Iran that was different from their Qur’an.

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’an is different from yours.

There are many Qur’ans in every mosque. In fact, you can find a copy of the Holy Qur’an in the home of every Muslim family. Our Qur’an is exactly like yours. Furthermore, most copies of the Qur’an we use are printed in hijaz, 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 Shi`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 Shi`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

What is the logic behind such expressions as this: “Today is not the time to discuss Imamate?”

How many logical answers could you offer for such a discussion?

How have the enemies of Islam brought about division between the two major groups of Muslims? How could such differences be bridged?

Do you remember any examples of such divisions?

What is the difference between the concept of Imamate in Shi`ah ideology and Sunni ideology?

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 `Ali (s) in Nahj al-Balaghah 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.

THINK AND ANSWER

What is the role of the Imam in man’s spiritual perfection?

What is his role in safeguarding the Shariah?

What is his role in leading the government and the political system?

What is meant by the Imam as the irrefutable proof? What is the Imam’s role in this regard?

Who is the intermediary for God’s Grace? What can the Prophet or Imam be likened to?

Third Lecture: The Imam’s specific traits

Before we delve into the subject, one point should be explicitly stated: It can be easily understood from the Holy Qur’an that the position of imamate is the most prestigious position for a person to have. It is even higher than that of prophethood. This is because in the story of Abraham, the idol-destroyer Prophet(s), the Qur’an states:

وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَاماً قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لاَ يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ

And when his Lord tried Abraham with certain words, he fulfilled them. He said: Surely, I will make you an Imam of men. Abraham said: And of my offspring? My covenant does not include the unjust, said He. [Qur’an 2:124]

In this way, having fulfilled the position of prophethood (nubuwwah) and messengership (risalah) and having passed different tests, Abraham attained the rank of having the material and spiritual leadership of the people.

Besides having the positions of nubuwwah and risalah, the Prophet of Islam enjoyed the position of Imamate and the leadership of the people. Other prophets also enjoyed such a position.

On the other hand, the qualifications necessary for any social or religious position vary for different positions. The higher the position, the heavier one’s tasks and obligations would be.

For instance, one who fills the positions of a judge, witness or a Friday Imam should be just. When such a heavy set of qualifications are necessary for a judge, we could only imagine how heavy the qualifications of a Prophet must be.

The following are among the characteristics of an Imam:

1. Infallibility or Sinlessness

An Imam, like the Prophet, should be immune from commenting sins, or else he could not occupy such a demanding position and enjoy the confidence of the society.

An Imam should capture the people’s hearts and his commands should be acceptable to all without question. One who has indulged in sins could never have such a position and could never be trusted by the community.

One who commits errors in his daily affairs could never be relied on in communal affairs. No doubt, a Prophet should be infallible, but such a condition is necessary for an Imam as well.

Such a proposition could still be verified in another way: “The Rule of Benevolence” upon which the existence of both the Prophet and Imam rely, implies such an attribute (i.e. infallibility). This is because the Prophet and the Imam’s objectives could not be carried out without their having the attribute of infallibility.

2. Having Great Knowledge

Like a Prophet, the Imam is the source of knowledge for the people. He should have a thorough knowledge of the major and minor principles of Islam, of the Holy Qur’an, of the Prophet’s tradition, and of what is related to Islam in general; this is because he is both the protector of the Shariah and the leader of the nation.

Those who become worried over complex issues, or resort to others for minor things, or whose knowledge is not sufficient, would never be eligible for the leadership of mankind.

In sum, the Imam should be the most knowledgeable and the wisest man about God’s rules. He should be able to fill the gap after the death of the Prophet and put Islam into practice with no deviations whatsoever.

3. Bravery

The Imam should be the bravest individual in Islamic society. This is because, without bravery, leadership cannot exist: bravery in the face of severe accidents, against the tyrants and the unjust, and bravery in the face of both the internal and external enemies of the Islamic nation.

4. Piety and Austerity

We know well that those who have fallen in love with the superficial, material things of this world are very easily deceived and the chance of their going astray is very high.

Concerning the good things of this world, the Imam should be a prince and not a captive. He should be free from all sorts of worldly shackles, free from the chains of selfishness, free from wealth, and worldly considerations. He should be the one who cannot be deceived, or influenced.

5. Ethical Attractiveness

Regarding the Prophet(s), the Holy Qur’an says:

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظّاً غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لاَنفَضُّواْ مِنْ حَوْلِكَ

Thus, it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hardhearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you. [Qur’an 3:159]

Not only should the Prophet(s) but the Imam or any social leader as well should possess an attractive disposition and temper.

No doubt, it would be disadvantageous for the Prophet or Imam to be ill-tempered. However, they are free from such shortcomings.

These are the main characteristics which the great Shi`ah scholars have postulated for the Imam. However, the Imam should have other distinctive traits to which we shall not refer here.

THINK AND ANSWER

Why is Imamate man’s highest position?

Did the Prophet of Islam and other major prophets hold the position of Imam?

If the Imam was not infallible, what sorts of problems would be created?

Why should the Imam command a high degree of knowledge?

For what reasons should the Imam be the bravest, the most pious, the most upright and the most ethically and attractive person?