Part 3: Imamate
Our Doctrines Concerning:
Imamate
Infallibility of the Imam
Attributes and Knowledge of the Imam
Obedience to the Imams
Love for the Ahl al-Bayt
The Holy Imams
Imamate being Decided by Divine Commission
Number of the Imams
Al-Mahdi
The Return (Raj`ah)
Taqiyyah (Pious Dissimulation)
Imamate
We believe that Imamate
is one of the fundamentals of the religion; one’s faith is imperfect without belief in Imamate. It is also unacceptable to depend upon one’s fathers, folks, or mentors as regards the belief in Imamate, no matter how great these individuals might be; rather it is obligatory upon every individual to investigate and evaluate the matter of Imamate as exactly as it is obligatory to investigate the Unity of the worshipped Lord and Prophethood.
Release from one’s liability from religious duties and obligations depends upon one’s belief in Imamate, as it is then obligatory to obey the Imam in the performance of one’s religious duties. However, if Imamate is not accepted as one of the fundaments of religion, it is then obligatory on account of reason to believe in Imamate to be released from one’s liability from religious duties and obligations because not all duties and obligations can be decided with certainty without sufficient knowledge; therefore, it is necessary to refer to persons who we believe have achieved such knowledge of religious duties, such as the Imam, according to the faith of the Imamiyyah, and others, according to each sect’s faith.
Even if man does not believe in Imamate and does not suppose that it is a fundamental of Islam, he should, examine the concept of Imamate, if only to absolve himself of responsibility in this matter.
We also believe that Imamate, just like Prophethood, is a necessary grace of Almighty Allah. As a result, there must be in each age an imam (leader) to represent the Prophet in his missions of guiding and leading human beings towards the right path that they might achieve prosperity and pleasure in this world as well as the next. Such a leader must also enjoy the same authority enjoyed by the Prophet, such as supreme authority over the people, so that he can manage their affairs and interests, maintain justice among them and wipe out injustice and oppression.
Accordingly, Imamate is only a continuation of prophethood, and the reason for which Almighty Allah sends messengers and prophets is also the reason why the Prophet must be succeeded by an Imam.
In view of that, we, the Imamiyyah Shi`ah, state that Imamate cannot be decided without a commission from Almighty Allah conveyed to us by the Holy Prophet (s) or the previous Imam (`a). Imamate is thus not subordinate to selection or choice by the people, for they are not authorized to nominate anyone to this position if they desire and to depose anyone they do not like from this position and thus remain without an Imam, because:
مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يَعْرِفْ إمَامَ زَمَانِهِ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً
He who dies without recognition of the Imam of his time has in fact died just like the ignorant ones who died before accepting Islam.
Through uninterruptedly transmitted narrations, reporters quoted the Holy Prophet (s) as having confirmed the previous decision.
From the above, we conclude that it is impossible that any age can be devoid of a Divinely commissioned leader, it being obligatory on the people to obey him (i.e. the Imam), whether they like him or not, support him or not, obey him or not, or whether he is present or absent from their sight.
In the same way as it is acceptable for the Prophet (s) to absent himself from people’s sights, such as his disappearance from view in the cave
or in the col,
it is acceptable for the Imam to absent himself from view, be his occultation long or short, according to reason. Almighty Allah has said in the Holy Qur'an:
وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ
And there is a guide for every people. (13/7)
وَإِنْ مِنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خَلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ
There is not a nation but a warner has passed among them. (35/24)
Infallibility of the Imam
We believe that an Imam, just like a Prophet, must be infallible from all vices and defects, whether open or concealed, from childhood up to death, deliberately or unintentionally.
An Imam must be free from inadvertence, error, or unawareness, because the Imams, just like the Prophets, are maintainers of the religious law and they must stand out firm for it. The proofs that have convinced us to believe in the inerrancy of the Prophets are the same as those that have convinced us to believe in the inerrancy of the Imams. An Arabic verse says:
It is not impossible for Allah to unite the whole world in one person.
Attributes and Knowledge of the Imam
We believe that an imam, just like a prophet must be the best of all mankind in attributes of human perfection, such as courage, generosity, chasteness, truthfulness, decency, prudence, reason, wisdom, and morality.
The evidence on this doctrine is the same as that which we gave for the prophet's superiority.
An imam receives all Divine knowledge and laws, as well as information, from the Prophet or the Imam preceding him.
When a new question arises, he must have knowledge of it through inspiration, which he receives by way of power of sacredness that Almighty Allah has placed in him. Hence, when he gives attention to something and wills to know it in actuality, he will neither miss nor fail to hit it, without reason-based proofs or instructions of mentors. The knowledge of an imam can however be increased and intensified. As a result, the Holy Prophet (s) used to pray to Almighty Allah saying,
رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
O Lord, increase my knowledge! (20:114)
Psychological studies have proven that each human being passes by an hour or several hours in his lifetime during which he can have knowledge of a number of things by intuition, which is part of inspiration, by virtue of the power that Almighty Allah has granted man to acquaint himself with such knowledge. This power, however, differs among people; increase or decrease owing to each man’s nature. During such hours, man’s mind suddenly gets to know certain things without intervention of the thought process or instruction of mentors. In fact, each individual can experience such states many times in his lifetime.
On the grounds of this experimental fact demonstrated by ancient and recent philosophers, certain people can attain their utmost inspirational competence.
On the strength of this fact, we can conclude that the Holy Imams (`a) hold the highest degree of the power of intuition, especially when we come to know that they possess the purest minds that are ready to receive information at all times, in all states, and under all circumstances. Accordingly and as has been previously maintained, when the Imam gives attention to something and wills to know it, he will know it through this holy inspirational power without premeditation, introduction, or instruction of mentors. Such information will then manifest itself in the minds of the Holy Imams in the same way as visible things reflect themselves in mirrors without dimness or obscurity.
This fact reveals itself very clearly in the history of the Holy Prophet (s) and Imams (`a) who never attended the classes of any mentor, nor received the instructions of any scholar since early childhood up to maturity. Nobody ever taught them any aspect of science or art, including reading and writing. History tells us that they were never reported to have joined elementary schools or studied under a teacher.
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In spite of this they never delayed an answer to any question that was addressed to them. Moreover, their tongues never uttered the statement, ‘I do not know,’
and they never withheld the answer to a question so as to consult others or deliberate,… etc.
Unlike the Holy Imams (`a), biographies of every Muslim jurisprudent, narrator, or master scholar contains information about the names of those who educated, taught, and trained them in fields in which they excelled. Moreover, such biographies contain situations in which such scholars could not find answers to many questions and doubted many others. This is indeed ordinary in the lives of human beings in all places and times.
Obedience to the Imams
We believe that the Holy Imams (`a) are the very men of authority whom Almighty Allah has ordered people to obey,
the witnesses over the nations, the doors opening the way to Almighty Allah, the paths leading to Him, the signs pointing out to Him, the bearers of His knowledge, the interpreters of His revelations, the pillars of [the belief in] His Oneness, and the custodians of His recognition. By virtue of this, they have always been the cause of security for the inhabitants of the earth just as the stars are the cause of security for the inhabitants of the heavens,
as is expressed by the Holy Prophet (s) who has further demonstrated their positions by saying,
مَثَلُ أهْلِ بَيْتِي فِي هَذِهِ الأمَّةِ كَسَفِينَةِ نُوحٍ؛ مَنْ رَكِبَهَا نَجَا، وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا غَرِقَ وَهَوَى
The likeness of my Household in this nation is the Ark of Noah; whosoever embarked upon it was saved, but whoever turned away from it was drowned.
As for the Glorious Qur'an, it has described them, saying:
بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
[They are] honored servants who speak not until He has spoken and act by His Command. (21/26-7)
Furthermore, they are those whom Almighty Allah has kept away from impurity and cleansed with a thorough cleansing.
Furthermore, we believe that the commandments of the Holy Imams (`a) are verily the commandments of Almighty Allah, their prohibitions are His prohibitions, to obey them is to obey Him, to disobey them is to disobey Him, to adhere to them is to adhere to Him, and to show enmity towards them is to show enmity towards Him. It is also forbidden to reject them, because to reject them is to reject the Holy Messenger (s), and to reject the Holy Messenger (s) is to reject Almighty Allah.
It is thus obligatory to submit to them, give oneself over to them, and accept whatever they say.
Pursuant to this, we believe that the religious laws, commissioned by Almighty Allah, must not be derived from any resource other than their salubrious resources, yet it is invalid to take these laws from other than them, and the religious responsibility of any person who refers to other than them is not fulfilled. Indeed, such a person must not feel content that he has carried out the duties imposed upon him by Almighty Allah unless he carries them out according to the teachings of the Holy Imams (`a).
In this tumultuous ocean overcrowded with billows of seditious, misleading, litigious, and fallacious matters, the Holy Imams (`a) represent Noah’s Ark; whosoever embarks upon it will be definitely saved, but whoever falls behind will be drowned.
In this thesis, we will not seek to prove that the Holy Imams (`a) were the legal caliphs (i.e. religious and political leaders of the Muslim nation) and successors of the Holy Prophet (s), and that they possessed Divine authority, because proving it will not bring back the circle of time or restore the usurped rights to their due owners. The most important point in this thesis is to prove the obligation of referring to the Holy Imams (`a) in obtaining the religious laws of Almighty Allah, and in gaining the directions of the Holy Prophet (s) in their most accurate forms.
The purpose of this discussion is to verify the fact that to receive the religious laws of Islam from reporters and scholars who have not derived them from the Holy Imams’ (`a) pure resources and have not sought light from their luminous sources is definitely deviation from the straight path of religion. Moreover, a Muslim, who learns his religious duties from any other source besides the Holy Imams (`a), must not be sure that he has fulfilled his duties towards Almighty Allah because there is a great divergence in opinions among the different sects of Muslims regarding the laws of Islam. An ordinary Muslim faces immense difficulty in choosing for himself from these divergent sects and schools. He is required to probe and investigate until he acquires a decisive pretext before Almighty Allah to follow a certain sect that he believes will lead him to the actual laws enacted by the Lord and thus, fulfill his duties toward Him. Generally, a certain engagement with a duty is required for certain release from it.
Categorical proofs demonstrate that it is obligatory to refer to the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) in the learning of the religious laws and that they are the genuine resources of the Divinely revealed laws of the religion after the Holy Prophet (s); at least on account of his authentically reported following statement:
إنِّي قَدْ تَرَكْتُ فِيكُمْ مَا إنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي أبَداً؛ الثَّقَلَيْنِ، وَأَحَدُهُمَا أكْبَرُ مِنَ الآخَرِ: كِتَابَ اللهِ، حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إلَى الأرْضِ، وَعِتْرَتِي أهْلَ بَيْتِي. ألاَ وَإنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ
Verily, I am leaving among you that which shall forever save you from straying off [the straight path of the religion] as long as you hold fast to them. They are the Two Weighty Things [thaqalayn]
one of which is more significant than the other: [first] the Book of Almighty Allah, which is a rope extending from the heavens to the earth, and [second] my progeny [‘itrah],
the members of my Household [Ahl al-Bayt]. Verily, they shall never separate from one another until they join me at the Divine Pond.
This tradition has been unanimously narrated by both Sunni and Shi`ite reporters alike. If you consider this momentous tradition carefully, you will come across marvelous and persuasive structure and significance. For instance, how remarkable the following statement is:
I am leaving among you that which shall forever save you from straying off [the straight path of religion] as long as you hold fast to them.
What the Holy Prophet (s) has left with us is the Two Weighty Things together, which he has considered one thing and has declared that it is not sufficient to hold fast to one of them and leave the other; rather, safety from straying off can be achieved only through holding fast to both of them.
Another example, very clear is the purport of the following statement:
These two will never be separated from each other until they join me at the Pond.
Whoever separates these two from one another and shuns holding fast to both of them shall never touch on true guidance. In view of this fact, the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) have been the ark of salvation and the security for the inhabitants of the earth; sinking into the bottomless tumults of deviation is the unavoidable fate of everyone who fails to join them; and perdition will be the end result.
To claim that such holding fast to them stands for mere love for them without accepting their instructions and following their course is definitely fleeing from the right; a method adopted by the extremists who deliberately design to ignore the accurate course of interpreting Arabic words.
Love for the Ahl al-Bayt
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur'an:
قُلْ لَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ
Say (O Muhammad, unto mankind): I do not ask for any wages for this except uncontaminated love and respect for my kinsfolk. (42/23)
We believe that besides the obligation of holding fast to the Ahl al-Bayt (`a), each and every Muslim is under another obligation, which is to profess themselves to love the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) and hold them dear. This is because Almighty Allah, in the aforesaid holy verse, has clearly demanded the people’s love for them.
The Holy Prophet (s) said:
حُبُّ أهْلِ بَيْتِي عَلاَمَةُ الإيمَانِ، وَبُغْضُهُمْ عَلاَمَةُ النِّفَاقِ. مَنْ أحَبَّهُمْ أحَبَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ، وَمَنْ أبْغَضَهُمْ أبْغَضَ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ
Love for my Household is a sign of belief, and to show enmity towards them is a sign of hypocrisy.
Whosoever loves them has in fact loved Almighty Allah and His Messenger; and whosoever shows enmity towards them has in fact shown enmity towards Almighty Allah and His Messenger.
Indisputably and unquestionably, love for the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) is one of the necessary fundaments of Islam. This belief is held by all Muslims, despite their divergent and different opinions, except a few factions who adopted the enmity of the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) and, as a result, were called ‘Nawasib’ (i.e. those who show open hostility to the Household of the Holy Prophet). Consequently, they are included with those who reject the decisive form of Islam. As a general rule, whosoever rejects the established form of the religion, such as the obligation of prayers and fasting, is decided as having rejected the origin of the Mission of Islam and the Mission of Islam altogether, as is confirmed by established proofs, even if one has uttered the profession of faith (i.e. shahadah).
Thus, hostility to the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) is one of the testimonies of one’s hypocrisy, and to love them is one of the signs of true faith. Consequently, hostility to the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) is clear hostility to Almighty Allah and to the Holy Prophet (s).
Almighty Allah has commanded us to love the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) and to hold them dear because they are worthy of such love and devotion by virtue of their occupying nearby positions to Almighty Allah, high levels of eminence, and absolute innocence from polytheism, acts of disobedience, and whatever drives away from the area of His pleasure.
It is wrong to even imagine that Almighty Allah might impose upon us the love of someone who disobeys Him or fails to obey Him as He should be obeyed, because all Almighty Allah’s,creatures, in His view, are His servants whom He has created equally, the noblest among them, in His sight, being the most righteous.
Thus, the person/s whom Almighty Allah imposes upon His creatures to love and hold dear must be the most righteous and the most virtuous of all; otherwise, another person would be worthier of such love. It might also be said that Almighty Allah - far be it from Him - prefers some people to others unjustly or playfully without these preferred people deserving such preference!
The Holy Imams
Concerning our belief in our Holy Imams (`a), we do not imitate the Extremists (ghulat) and the Immanentists (hululiyyun):
كَبُرَتْ كَلِمَةً تَخْرُجُ مِنْ أَفْوَاهِهِمْ
A monstrous word it is, issuing from mouths. (18:5)
We believe that our Imams are human beings like ourselves, i.e. they enjoy the same rights that we enjoy and they are required to do the same obligations that we are required to do; except that they are noble servants of Almighty Allah Who has granted them special honor and bestowed upon them His authority, because they occupy the highest ranks of human perfection, such as knowledge, piety, courage, nobility, and chastity, as well as all moral standards and nobilities of character. Hence, no human being can ever attain the peculiarities that they hold.
Accordingly, they have been the worthiest of being leaders, guides, and authorities after the Holy Prophet (s) in giving instructions, interpretations and explanations of the religious laws and the Holy Qur'an as needed by people.
In this respect, our Imam, Ja`far al-Sadiq (`a), says:
مَا جَاءَكُمْ عَنّا مِمَّا يَجُوزُ أنْ يَكُونَ فِي المَخْلُوقِينَ وَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوهُ وَلَمْ تَفْهَمُوهُ فَلاَ تَجْحَدُوهُ، وَرُدُّوهُ إلَيْنَا. وَمَا جَاءَكُمْ عَنَّا مِمَّا لاَ يَجُوزُ أنْ يَكُونَ فِي المَخْلُوقِينَ فَاجْحَدُوهُ وَلاَ تَرُدُّوهُ إلَيْنَا
Whatsoever, which is possible for the creatures to hold, is reported to you about us, but you have had no previous idea about it or you have not been able to understand it, then you must not deny it; rather, you must refer it to us. However, if what is reported to you about us is impossible for the creatures to hold, then you must deny it and you must not refer it to us.
Imamate Being Decided by A Divine Commission
We believe that Imamate, like prophethood, cannot be decided by anything except a commission from Almighty Allah that is declared by His Messenger or the Divinely commissioned Imam when he nominates his successor in Imamate.
Without any difference, Imamate submits to the same laws of Prophethood in this respect. In plain words, no human being holds the right to express his opinion about the one whom Almighty Allah chooses as guide and leader for entire humanity. Similarly, none has the right to nominate, propose, or select such persons, because this mission needs one upon whom Almighty Allah has bestowed sacredness from His Sacred Spirit and who is ready to undergo the burdens of general leadership and capability to guide all human beings; and such a person cannot be nominated by anyone except Almighty Allah Who, alone, has the right to select him.
We also believe that the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (s), did nominate his successor and representative who would be the leader (i.e. imam) after him. He thus declared his cousin, `Ali ibn Abi-Talib (`a), to be the commander of the believers, the keeper of the Divine Revelation, and the leader of people on many occasions. Moreover, the Holy Prophet (s), on that day in Ghadir Khumm (known as the Ghadir Day), appointed Imam `Ali (`a) to the position of the next leadership and ordered the attendants to pay homage to him as their next leader. He thus said:
ألاَ، مَنْ كُنْتُ مَوْلاَهُ فَهَذَا عَلِيٌّ مَوْلاَهُ. اَللَّهُمَّ وَالِ مَنْ وَالاَهُ، وَعَادِ مَنْ عَادَاهُ، وَانْصُرْ مَنْ نَصَرَهُ، وَاخْذُلْ مَنْ خَذَلَهُ، وَأدِرِ الحَقَّ مَعَهُ كَيْفَمَا دَارَ
Behold! `Ali is (now) the master of everyone who has regarded me as his master. O Allah! (please do) support whoever supports `Ali; and be the enemy of whoever incurs the hostility of `Ali; and aid whoever aids `Ali; and forsake whoever forsakes `Ali; and make the right turn to any side that `Ali takes.
That was not the first occasion; in fact, the first occasion on which the Holy Prophet (s) declared the leadership (Imamate) of Imam `Ali (`a) was when the Holy Prophet (s) invited his nearest relatives and members of his clan and declared the following before all of them:
إنَّ هَذَا أخِي، وَوَصِيِّي، وَخَلِيفَتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي؛ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأطِيعُوا
Verily, this (`Ali) is my brother, my successor, and my vicegerent after me. You must then listen to him and obey him.
When the Holy Prophet (s) said the above about him, Imam `Ali (`a) had not yet come of age.
On many other occasions, the Holy Prophet (s) repeated the following statement:
يَا عَلِيُّ، أنْتَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى، إلاَّ أنَّهُ لاَ نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي
O `Ali! Your position in relation to me is the same as (Prophet) Aaron’s position in relation to (Prophet) Moses except that no Prophet is to come after me.
Besides, many holy Qur'anic verses and traditions have confirmed the general leadership of Imam `Ali (`a), such as the following holy verse:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
Only Allah is your Guardian, and His Messenger, and those who believe - those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow. (5/55)
This holy verse was revealed to speak of Imam `Ali (`a) when he gave his ring as alms while he was bowing in a prayer.
The purpose for which this thesis has been written does not conduce to citing or explaining all the holy verses and traditions concerning the Imamate of Imam `Ali (`a).
In the same manner, Imam `Ali (`a) declared the Imamate of Imam al-Hasan (`a) and Imam al-Husayn (`a). The latter declared the Imamate of Imam `Ali ibn al-Husayn (Zayn al-`Abidin) (`a) and so did every Imam concerning the next Imam up to the last of them who will be discussed in an independent chapter of this book.
The Number of Imams
We believe that the Holy Imams, who are truly the worthiest of holding Imamate in its actual sense,
are our authorities in the religious laws of Islam and they are twelve in number
who have been commissioned by Almighty Allah to hold the position of leading the Muslim nation. The Holy Prophet, Muhammad (s), had referred to all of them by name
before each Imam declared the name of the person who would be the next Imam after him. They are thus as follows, Peace be upon them all:
1. Abu’l-Hasan, `Ali ibn Abi-Talib, al-Murtadha (the Well-Pleased); BH (before Hijrah) 23 - AH (After Hijrah) 40.
2. Abu-Muhammad, al-Hasan ibn `Ali, al-Zaki (the Pure); AH 2 - AH 50.
3. Abu-`Abdullah, al-Husayn ibn `Ali, Sayyid al-Shuhada' (The Master of Martyrs); AH 3 - AH 61.
4. Abu-Muhammad, `Ali ibn al-Husayn, Zayn al-`Abidin (The Adornment of the Worshippers); AH 38 - AH 95.
5. Abu-Ja`far, Muhammad ibn `Ali, al-Baqir (The Ripper of Knowledge); AH 57 - AH 114.
6. Abu-`Abdullah, Ja`far ibn Muhammad, al-Sadiq (The Veracious); AH 83 - AH 148.
7. Abu-Ibrahim, Musa ibn Ja`far, al-Kazim (The Suppressor of Rage); AH 128 - AH 183.
8. Abu’l-Hasan, `Ali ibn Musa, al-Ridha (The Amiable); AH 148 - AH 203.
9. Abu-Ja`far; Muhammad ibn `Ali, al-Jawad (The Magnanimous); AH 195 - AH 220.
10. Abu’l-Hasan, `Ali ibn Muhammad, al-Hadi (The Guide); AH 212 - AH 254.
11. Abu-Muhammad, al-Hasan ibn `Ali, al-`Askari (Resident of `Askar City); AH 232 - AH 260.
12. Abu’l-Qasim, Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, al-Mahdi (The Well-Guided); AH 256 - …
The twelfth Imam, al-Mahdi (`a), is Almighty Allah’s argument against His creatures in the present day. He is the awaited savior who shall reappear (after occultation) to fill the earth with fairness and justice as it is filled with injustice and prejudice; may Almighty Allah hasten his advent and make easy his reappearance.
Al-Mahdi
The Good Tidings of the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (`a),
a descendant of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra' (`a)
who will spread justice and equity throughout the globe after it has been overcome by injustice and oppression,
are indisputably reported from the Holy Prophet (s) by all Muslims who, apart from their various sects and opinions, have recorded and reported his traditions in this regard.
The belief in the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (`a) during the last period of existence of this globe is not an inventive idea that is embraced by the Shi`ah alone due to their being oppressed, as is falsely claimed by some malevolent, mistaken writers. They exert all efforts to rim this Divine, deep-rooted belief with a baseless frame, alleging that the belief in the advent of a leader who shall cleanse the earth from the filths of oppression has been the produce of the dreams of the Shi`ah.
Among the other unquestionable beliefs that were brought by Islam, the belief in al-Mahdi (`a) has been firmly established in the minds of all Muslims. Their intellects were saturated with it to the extent that those who claimed Mahdism in the first century after the advent of Islam - such as the followers of Kaysaniyyah,
the `Abbasids,
a group of the `Alawiyyah,
and many others - easily deceived the public and used this belief to grab power and authority. The false claim of Mahdism was thus the surest way to influence the public and prevail over them.
We, the Shi`ah, incontrovertibly believe in the religion of Islam as the truest and the seal of all Divine religions and we do not expect any other religion to reform humanity. We are witnessing great oppression on this globe, the dangerous spread of corruption, the Muslims’ retreat from their religion, the inactivation of the laws and regulations of Islam in all Muslim countries, and the Muslims’ non-compliance with even one per mil of the laws of Islam. In spite of all that, it is still imperative for us to wait for the Relief that will restore Islam’s power and capability to reform the world that is sinking in the arrogance of oppression and corruption.
Besides, Islam cannot restore its power and domination over entire humanity while it is still encountering the current and earlier diversity of its followers in its laws, regulations and opinions, their heresies and distortions of its laws and seditious arguments that they have been attaching to it.
The religion of Islam cannot restore its strength unless a great reformer appears to lead it, reunify the divergent word of its followers, refute the distortions of the vain doers, and abrogate the heresies and heterodoxies attached to it through custody and grace from Almighty Allah. He will make this reformer a well-guided person enjoying a momentous position and grant him general authority over human beings and an extraordinary power to fill the earth with justice and fairness and root out injustice and oppression.
In short, the current corruptive conditions of humanity, which have attained their climax in dishonesty and wrong - despite our belief in Islam as the truest and the sealing of all religions - demand that we must expect this reformer, namely Imam al-Mahdi, to come and save the world from its sufferings.
In view of this fact, all Muslim sects and non-Muslims believe in this expectation; yet the difference between the Imamiyyah Shi`ah and the others is that the Imamiyyah Shi`ah believe that this reformer is a definite, well-known person who was born in AH 256 (AD 870) and still alive. He is the son of al-Hasan al-`Askari (`a) and his first name is Muhammad, as has been proven through predictions of the Holy Prophet (s) and the Holy Imams (`a) as well as the uninterrupted narrations about his birth and his concealment from human sight.
It is impossible to suspend Imamate in any age even though the Imam may be invisible for a certain time before he reappears on a day predefined by Almighty Allah other than Who none can predict or determine.
It is also believable that the disappearing Imam’s survival for such a long time is a miracle granted to him by Almighty Allah - a miracle that is not more marvelous than the miracle of his holding the responsibility of Imamate while he was just five years old after his father passed away and moved towards the Supreme Comrade. It is also as marvelous as the miracle of Prophet Jesus (`a) who spoke to people as a Prophet while he was a child in the cradle.
Besides, to live longer than the natural age of human beings, as is imagined by people, does not contradict or disagree with biological sciences. Even though modern science has not yet gained access to what may prolong man’s life, it is undeniable that Almighty Allah has power over all things and can do whatever He wills. Examples are already touched on; the Holy Qur'an has informed us about the long life span of Prophet Noah (`a) and about the continuous existence of Prophet Jesus (`a). However, if we doubt the Holy Qur'an, then we must bid farewell to Islam!
It is thus very surprising for a Muslim individual who claims absolute belief in the Holy Qur'an to wonder about the possibility of such an occultation.
It is worth mentioning and worth remembering in this respect that our expectation of al-Mahdi (`a), the savior and reformer, does not mean, by any means, that Muslims should not lift a hand to support their religion, restore their rights, strive painstakingly for its sake, act upon its laws and regulations, enjoin the right, or forbid the evil. Quite the opposite, Muslims are always required to carry out the religious duties, act upon the religious instructions revealed by their Lord, exert all possible efforts to acquaint themselves with these instructions and duties in their best manners through following the most accurate ways that lead to them, enjoin the right, and forbid the evil. Verily, “All of you must be supervisors and all of you are responsible for your subjects.”
For that reason, no Muslim individual is allowed to dispense with his duties under the pretense that he is expecting al-Mahdi (`a), the reformer guide, because such unfounded pretense neither releases any Muslim individual from liabilities nor authorize him to postpone the doing of a duty.
The Return (raj`ah)
The Imamiyyah Shi’ah, adopting the reported traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (`a), believe that, after the advent of Imam al-Mahdi (`a), Almighty Allah will raise some people from the dead
in the very forms that they had had before their death so as to honor a group of them and dishonor others, and to give ascendancy to the right group over the wrong and restore the rights of the oppressed ones from the oppressors.
This return will be restricted to those who enjoy supreme ranks of faith and those who enjoy notorious degrees of corruption. After the return, they will die again and be resurrected on the Day of Judgment to receive the reward or punishment that they deserve because of their deeds. This is understood from Almighty Allah’s information in the Holy Qur'an about the manners of those who would not take advantage of the first raising from the dead in this world before they will be again resurrected on the Day of Judgment. After they incur hatred from Almighty Allah, they will desire a third resurrection through which they will wish to perhaps act righteously and make amends. Reporting their desire, the Holy Qur'an says:
قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ فَاعْتَرَفْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلْ إِلَىٰ خُرُوجٍ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ
[They will say:] Our Lord! Thou hast caused us to die two deaths, and Thou hast given us twice to live; now we confess our sins. Is there any way to go forth? (40/11)
As the Holy Qur'an has actually proclaimed the Return to this world, reported traditions of the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) have confirmatively given details of this belief and the Imamiyyah Shi`ah have unanimously agreed upon its authenticity. However, a few Imamite individuals have interpreted the Return as the restoration of political authority and power to the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) when the Awaited Imam, al-Mahdi (`a), shall come. Yet, they have denied the return of certain personalities and the raising of others from the dead.
As for Sunni Muslims, they consider the belief in the Return to be so heretical that to believe in it is hideous atheism. Similarly, Sunni biographers have decided the belief in the Return as one of the calumnious and defamatory features due to which a reporter believing in it is rejected and his reports are declined. Moreover, it seems that they have regarded the belief in the Return as heterodox as disbelief in Almighty Allah or even more heretical! As a result, the belief in the Return has been the most insulting and vituperative feature attributed to the Imamiyyah Shi`ah.
Undoubtedly, such sort of evil-intended intensifications were used by Muslim sects as expedient to vituperate each other and wage campaigns against each other. Actually, such intensification is unjustified because the doctrine of the Return taints neither the doctrine of monotheism nor Prophethood. It rather confirms them, since the Return bespeaks Almighty Allah’s absolute power to raise the dead and to resurrect - two extraordinary matters that can act as miracles for our Prophet, Muhammad, and for his Household, peace be upon them all.
This miracle is similar to Prophet Jesus’ (`a) miracle of restoring the dead to life even though the miracle of the Return is more profound, because it represents the resurrection of dead persons after their bodies have become dust:
قَالَ مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
Says he (man): ‘Who will give life to the bones when they are rotten?’ Says (Allah): ‘He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is cognizant of all Creation.’ (36/78-9)
Some people have disapproved of the doctrine of the Return, claiming that it is part of metempsychosis, which is totally in the wrong. In fact, these people do not have the faculty to differentiate between metempsychosis and somatic resurrection, while the Return is a sort of such somatic resurrection. Metempsychosis stands for the transmigration of the souls or, in plain words, the passage of the soul of a creature into a new body completely separated from the first creature’s body unlike the somatic resurrection, which stands for the reformation of the same body along with its psychological features. The Raj`ah holds the same definition.
If the Return is considered to be a sort of metempsychosis, then Prophet Jesus’ restoring the dead to life must have been a sort of metempsychosis, too; and if the Return is a sort of metempsychosis, then the somatic resurrection and the final assemblage on the Judgment Day must be such, too.
In the long run, the issue of the Return can be discussed through the following two probabilities exclusively:
First: the Return is impossible to take place practically.
Second: The traditions pertaining to the doctrine of the Return are untrue.
Supposing that these two probabilities are true, the disbelief in the Return must not be of such an extreme degree of enormity as depicted by the rivals of the Shi`ah.
To tell the truth, the other Muslim sects adopt too many beliefs that are impossible to believe, or have not been proven by a single authentic tradition. Nevertheless, these beliefs have not taken them out of the circle of Muslims nor have they caused them to be charged of atheism.
Too many are the examples of such baseless beliefs: some of them believe that the Holy Prophet (s) was liable to forget, to be inattentive, or even to disobey Almighty Allah!
Others believe that the Holy Qur'an is as eternal as Almighty Allah!
Others believe in Almighty Allah’s (conditional) threat! Others believe that the Holy Prophet (s) did not nominate a successor!
Nevertheless, the two aforementioned probabilities are false. As already cited, the Return is a sort of somatic resurrection and the final assemblage (after death), which is not impossible, and the only difference between the Return and the Resurrection is that the Return will take place at a predefined time in this world, and all points of evidence proving the Resurrection are applicable to the Return.
There is no reason for astonishment except that we have not come across such raising of the dead during our lifetime and we also ignore the reasons for or the obstacles against the happening of such Return due to which we confess or deny it. As a general rule, it is not easy for man’s imagination to admit something that man has not encountered before, exactly like those who find strange the resurrection on Judgment Day; so, they, as the Holy Qur'an demonstrates, wonder:
مَنْ يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
‘Who will revive these bones after they rot and become dust?’ (36/78)
قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ
Say: ‘He will revive them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is Cognizant of all Creation.’ (36/79)
In such a situation, where there is no intellectual evidence either to deny or to prove it, we must have recourse to religious texts, which stand as the resources of Divine Revelation. The Holy Qur'an, the most authentic and major source of Divine Revelation, has comprised texts proving the possibility of the return to the worldly life after death, such as the miracle of Prophet Jesus (`a) who restored the dead to life. In this respect, the Holy Qur'an reads:
وَأُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ
[Jesus said] And I heal the blind and the leprous and bring the dead to life with Allah's permission. (3/49)
The Holy Qur'an also reads:
قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحْيِي هَٰذِهِ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ اللَّهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ
[Uzair wondered] When will Allah give it life after its death? So, Allah caused him to die for a hundred years then raised him to life. (2/259)
As has been previously cited, the Holy Qur'an reads:
قَالُوا رَبَّنَا أَمَتَّنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ وَأَحْيَيْتَنَا اثْنَتَيْنِ فَاعْتَرَفْنَا بِذُنُوبِنَا فَهَلْ إِلَىٰ خُرُوجٍ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ
[They will say] Our Lord! Thou hast cause us to die two deaths, and Thou hast given us twice to live; now we confess our sins. Is there any way to go forth? (40/11)
This holy verse cannot hold any reasonable sense unless it is interpreted to denote the doctrine of the Return (to the worldly life after death), even though some exegetes of the Holy Qur'an have exerted overabundant efforts to drive it away from this doctrine, but all their efforts have been incompatible with the sense of the holy verse.
As for the second aforesaid probability, it is unfounded because the issue of the Return is one of the necessary subjects on which the Holy Imams (`a) have laid great stress through their uninterruptedly reported traditions.
On balance, it is rather odd that a famous writer, namely Ahmad Amin, who claims holding considerable knowledge, says in his book of ‘The Dawn of Islam (Fajr al-Islam)’:
Judaism can obviously be seen in Shi`ism through the belief in the Return (Raj`ah).
To answer this claim, Judaism can also be seen in the Holy Qur'an more obviously through the same doctrine of the Return, which is mentioned on many occasions in the Holy Qur'an, as has been previously cited.
Moreover, Judaism and Christianity must be seen in many of the doctrines and laws of Islam, because the Holy Prophet, Muhammad (s), has come confirming the bygone Divine religions even though he has abrogated some of their laws. As a result, the emergence of Judaism and Christianity in some doctrines of Islam is not a fault of Islam, even if it be the doctrine of the Return, as is claimed by Ahmad Amin.
In any case, the doctrine of the Return is not among the fundaments of the religion that must be investigated and believed; rather, we have believed in it corresponding to the authentic traditions reported from the Holy Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) whom we believe to be inerrant. The belief in the Return is finally one of the unseen matters that we have adopted because of the information received from our Holy Imams (`a) and which is not impossible for Almighty Allah.
Pious Dissimulation (taqiyyah)
Imam al-Sadiq (`a) is reported to have said in an authenticated tradition:
التَّقِيَّةُ دِينِي وَدِينُ أبَائِي
Taqiyyah
is my belief and the belief of my forefathers.
He (`a) also said,
مَنْ لاَ تَقِيَّةَ لَهُ لاَ دِينَ لَهُ
Whosoever has no taqiyyah
has no belief.
Raised as their motto, the Ahl al-Bayt (`a) used to practice taqiyyah in order to protect themselves and their followers from harm, prevent bloodshed,
enhance the conditions of Muslims, unify their situations, and reunite their scattered intentions.
Taqiyyah is still the distinctive feature of the Imamiyyah Shi`ah amongst the other sects and nations. As required by the naïve nature of sound reason, it is normal for every human being to conceal his beliefs and guard himself against pitfalls when he anticipates that a danger will befall him or his property if he proclaims or speaks out his beliefs openly.
History confirms that the Imamiyyah Shi`ah and their Imams (`a) faced more tyrannical oppression than any other sect or nation.
Most of the time, the Imamiyyah Shi`ah had to practise taqiyyah to conceal their actual beliefs from their rivals and hide their doctrines and private rites in order to avoid persecution in their worldly and religious affairs. This is why the Imamiyyah Shi`ah, and none else, have been known for their abidance of taqiyyah.
Mentioned in detail in the books of Shi`ite jurisprudence, taqiyyah has certain rules and regulations in terms of its obligation or non-obligation that are defined according to the diversity of the conditions that bring about anticipated harm.
Taqiyyah is thus not obligatory under all circumstances; rather it is sometimes allowable while on other occasions, it becomes forbidden, such as in conditions like when support of the religion and serving and striving for Islam rely upon the open declaration and demonstration of the truth. In such conditions, neither property nor lives should be preferred to religion.
Correspondingly, taqiyyah becomes forbidden under such circumstances; killing of innocent people, circulation of the wrong, causing corruption to religious principles, or serious injuries to Muslims by misleading them or exposing them to injustice and oppression.
Contrary to the opinion of the rivals of Shi`ism, taqiyyah does not mean that the Imamiyyah Shi`ah should form a secret association purposed for demolition and destruction, nor does it mean that the religion and its laws become such undiscovered secrets that those who believe in them must never divulge them. This is definitely untrue, because books and writings of the Imamiyyah Shi`ah on various subjects such as jurisprudence, laws of Islam, theology, and doctrines are too many to be counted and much more than any other nation or sect.
Our doctrine of taqiyyah has been used by rivals of the Imamiyyah Shi`ah as another reason to kill them. It seems as if nothing will quench their thirst but that swords find their way to the necks of the Shi`ah so as to annihilate them as was done during the rule of the enemies of the Holy Prophet’s (s) Household, such as the Umayyad, `Abbasid, and Ottoman dynasties.
However, if those who vituperate the Imamiyyah Shi`ah for their belief and practice of taqiyyah, claiming that this practice is illegal on grounds of religious laws, we must then invite them to listen to the following points:
First: We follow our Imams (`a) and abide by their instructions, which represent the most excellent guidance to the truth. These Holy Imams (`a) have ordered us to believe in and practice taqiyyah and imposed it upon us to practice it when necessity rules. Moreover, in the view of our Holy Imams (`a), taqiyyah is part of the religion, as expressed by Imam al-Sadiq’s previously cited saying:
مَنْ لاَ تَقِيَّةَ لَهُ لاَ دِينَ لَهُ
Whosoever has no taqiyyah has no belief.
Second: The legitimacy of taqiyyah is proclaimed in the Holy Qur'an:
... إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ
…not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of his faith. (16/106)
This holy verse was revealed to discuss the manner of`Ammar ibn Yasir who had to show disbelief in order to save himself from the enemies of Islam.
On another occasion, the Holy Qur'an clarifies:
إِلَّا أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً
…except that when you [have to] guard yourselves against them with thorough guarding… (3/28)
On a third occasion, the Holy Qur'an says:
وَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مُؤْمِنٌ مِنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَكْتُمُ إِيمَانَهُ
And a believing man of Pharaoh's people who hid his faith... (40/28) (40/28)
Notes
لاَ تَخْلُو الأرْضُ مِنْ قَائِمٍ للهِ بِحُجَّةٍ؛ إمَّا ظَاهِراً مَشْهُوراً أوْ خَائِفاً مَغْمُوراً، لِئَلاَّ تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللهِ وَبَيِّنَاتُهُ
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ ۖ وَقُلْ رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
إنَّ اللهَ لاَ يَجْعَلُ حُجَّةً فِي أرْضِهِ يُسْألُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ فَيَقُولُ: ’لاَ أدْرِي !‘
إنَّ الأرْضَ لاَ تُتْرَكُ إلاَّ بِعَالِمٍ؛ يَحْتَاجُ النَّاسُ إلَيْهِ وَلاَ يَحْتَاجُ إلَى النَّاسِ، يَعْلَمُ الحَلاَلَ وَالحَرَامَ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ
الأئِمَّةُ مِنْ وُلْدِ عَلِيٍّ وَفَاطِمَةَ إلَى أنْ تَقُومَ السَّاعَةُ
نَزَلَتْ فِي عَلِيِّ بْنِ أبِي طَالِبٍ وَالحَسَنِ وَالحُسَيْنِ
قُولُوا لَهُمْ: إنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ نَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلاَةُ وَلَمْ يُسَمِّ اللهُ لَهُمْ ثَلاَثاً وَلاَ أرْبَعاً حَتَّى كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ هُوَ الَّذِي فَسَّرَ ذَلِكَ. وَنَزَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ الزَّكَاةُ وَلَمْ يُسَمِّ لَهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ أرْبَعِينَ دِرْهَماً دِرْهَمٌ …
وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَىٰ أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ
الأئِمَّةُ مِنْ أهْلِ بَيْتِ رَسُولِ اللهِ جَعَلَهُمُ اللهُ أهْلَ العِلْمِ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ، ثُمَّ أوْجَبَ طَاعَتَهُمْ فَقَالَ :
أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ
اَلنُّجُومُ أَمَانٌ لأِهْلِ السَّمَاءِ، وَأَهْلُ بَيْتِي أَمَانٌ لأُمَّتِي
النُّجُومُ أمَانٌ لأهْلِ السَّمَاءِ، وَأهْلُ بَيْتِي أمَانٌ لأهْلِ الأرْضِ؛ فَإذَا ذَهَبَتِ النُّجُومُ أتَى أهْلَ السَّمَاءِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ، وَإذَا ذَهَبَ أهْلُ بَيْتِي أتَى أهْلَ الأرْضِ مَا يَكْرَهُونَ
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
الرَّادُّ عَلَيْنَا رَادٌّ عَلَى اللهِ، وَهُوَ عَلَى حَدِّ الشِّرْكِ بِاللهِ
سَنَفْرُغُ لَكُمْ أَيُّهَ الثَّقَلَانِ فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
وَكَيْفَ تَعْمَهُونَ وَبَيْنَكُمْ عِتْرَةُ نَبِيِّكُمْ؟ وَهُمْ أزِمَّةُ الحَقِّ وَأعْلاَمُ الدِّينِ وَألسِنَةُ الصِّدْقِ! فَأنْزِلُوهُمْ بِأحْسَنِ مَنَازِلِ القُرْآنِ، وَرِدُوهُمْ وُرُودَ الهِيمِ العِطَاشِ
إنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ… وَعِتْرَتِي أهْلَ بَيْتِي
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
اَللَّهُمَّ هَؤلاَءِ أهْلُ بَيْتِي، فَأذْهِبْ عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْسَ
وَأبُوكُمَا خَيْرٌ مِنْكُمَا
( العِتْرَةُ) أنَا وَالحَسَنُ وَالحُسَيْنُ وَالأئِمَّةُ التِّسْعَةُ مِنْ وُلْدِ الحُسَيْنِ؛ تَاسِعُهُمْ مَهْدِيُّهُمْ وَقَائِمُهُمْ، لاَ يُفَارِقُونَ كِتَابَ اللهِ وَلاَ يُفَارِقُهُمْ حَتَّى يَرِدُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ حَوْضَهُ
كَذَبوا! إنَّمَا نَزَلَتْ فِينَا خَاصَّةً: فِي أهْلِ البَيْتِ؛ فِي عَلِيٍّ وَفَاطِمَةَ وَالحَسَنِ وَالحُسَيْنِ: أصْحَابِ الكِسَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ
أبْشِرْ يَا عَلِيُّ! فَإنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ عَهِدَ إلَيَّ أنَّهُ لاَ يُحِبُّكَ إلاَّ مُؤمِنٌ وَلا يُبْغِضُكَ إلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ
لاَ يُحِبُّكَ إلاَّ مُؤمِنٌ وَلا يُبْغِضُكَ إلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ أوْ وِلْدُ زَنِيَّةٍ أوْ حَمَلَتْهُ أمُّهُ وَهِيَ طَامِثٌ
وَاللهِ، إنَّهُ مِمَّا عَهِدَ إلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ أنَّهُ لاَ يُبْغِضُنِي إلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ وَلاَ يُحِبُّنِي إلاَّ مُؤمِنٌ
مَنْ أبْغَضَ أهْلَ البَيْتِ فَهُوَ مُنَافِقٌ
لاَ يُحِبُّنَا أهْلَ البَيْتِ إلاَّ مُؤمِنٌ تَقِيٌّ، وَلا يُبْغِضُنَا إلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ شَقِيٌّ
إنَّ لِكُلِّ بَنِي أبٍ عُصْبَةً يَنْتَمُونَ إلَيْهَا إلاَّ وِلْدَ فَاطِمَةَ، فَأنَا وَلِيُّهُمْ، وَأنَا عُصْبَتُهُمْ، وَهُمْ عِتْرَتِي، خُلِقُوا مِنْ طِينَتِي. وَيْلٌ لِلمُكَذِّبِينَ بِفَضْلِهِمْ! مَنْ أحَبَّهُمْ أحَبَّهُ اللهُ، وَمَنْ أبْغَضَهُمْ أبْغَضَهُ اللهُ
أنَا سَيِّدُ وِلْدِ آدَمَ، وَأنْتَ يَا عَلِيُّ وَالأئِمَّةُ مِنْ بَعْدِكَ سَادَةُ أمَّتِي. مَنْ أحَبَّنَا فَقَدْ أحَبَّ اللهَ، وَمَنْ أبْغَضَنَا فَقَدْ أبْغَضَ اللهَ، وَمَنْ وَالاَنَا فَقَدْ وَالَى اللهَ، وَمَنْ عَادَانَا فَقَدْ عَادَى اللهَ، وَمَنْ أطَاعَنَا فَقَدْ أطَاعَ اللهَ، وَمَنْ عَصَانَا فَقَدْ عَصَى اللهَ
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ
إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
إبْنَايَ هَذَانِ إمَامَانِ؛ قَامَا أوْ قَعَدَا
أنَا سَيِّدُ النَّبِيِّينَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ أبِي طَالِبٍ سَيِّدُ الوَصِيِّينَ، وَإنَّ أوْصِيَائِي بَعْدِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ: أوَّلُهُمْ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أبِي طَالِبٍ وَآخِرُهُمُ المَهْدِيُّ
إنَّ خُلَفَائِي وَأوْصِيَائِي وَحُجَجُ اللهِ عَلَى الخَلْقِ بَعْدِي الإثْنَا عَشَرَ: أوَّلُهُمْ أخِي وَآخِرُهُمْ وَلَدِي
( أخِي) عَلِيُّ بْنُ أبِي طَالِبٍ
( وَلَدي) المَهْدِيُّ الَّذِي يَمْلَؤها قِسْطاً وَعَدْلاً كَمَا مُلِئَتْ ظُلْماً وَجَوْراً. وَالَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالحَقِّ بَشِيراً وَنَذِيراً، لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إلاَّ يَوْمٌ وَاحِدٌ لَطَوَّلَ (اللهُ) ذَلِكَ اليَوْمَ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ فِيهِ وَلَدِي المَهْدِيُّ. فَيَنْزِلُ رُوحُ اللهِ عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ فَيُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُ، وَتُشْرِقُ الأرْضُ بِنُورِ رَبِّهَا وَيَبْلُغُ سُلْطَانُهُ المَشْرِقَ وَالمَغْرِبَ
التَّقِيَّةُ مِنْ دِينِي وَدِينِ آبَائِي، وَلا إيمَانَ لِمَنْ لاَ تَقِيَّةَ لَهُ
إنَّمَا جُعِلَتِ التَّقِيَّةُ لِيُحْقَنَ بِهَا الدَّمُ، فَإذَا بَلَغَ الدَّمَ فَلَيْسَ بِتَقِيَّةٍ
… وآمُرُكَ أنْ تَسْتَعْمِلَ التَّقِيَّةَ فِي دِينِكَ، فَإنَّ اللهَ يَقُولُ :
لَا يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا أَنْ تَتَّقُوا مِنْهُمْ تُقَاةً ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ ۗ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ الْمَصِيرُ
وَقَدْ أذِنْتُ لَكُمْ فِي تَفْضِيلِ أعْدَائِنَا إنْ ألْجَأكَ الخَوْفُ إلَيْهِ، وَفِي أظْهَارِ البَرَاءَةِ إنْ حَمَلَكَ الوَجَلُ عَلَيْهِ، وَفِي تَرْكِ الصَّلَوَاتِ المَكْتُوبَاتِ إنْ خَشِيتَ عَلَى حَشَاشَةِ نَفْسِكَ الآفَاتِ وَالعَاهَاتِ. فَإنَّ تَفْضِيلَكَ أعْدَائَنَا عِنْدَ خَوْفِكَ لاَ يَنْفَعُهُمْ وَلاَ يَضُرُّنَا، وَإنَّ إظْهَارَكَ بَرَاءَتَكَ مِنَّا عِنْدَ تَقِيَّتِكَ لاَ يَقْدَحُ فِينَا وَلاَ يُنْقِصُنَا. وَلَئِنْ تَبْرَأُ مِنَّا سَاعَةً بِلِسَانِكَ وَأنْتَ مُوَالٍ لَنَا بِجَنَانِكَ لِتُبْقِيَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ رُوحَهَا الَّتِي بِهَا قِوَامُهَا وَمَالَهَا الَّذِي بِهِ قِيَامُهَا وَجَاهَهَا الَّذِي بِهِ تَمَسُّكُهَا وَتَصُونُ مَنْ عُرِفَ بِذَلِكَ مِنْ أوْلِيَائِنَا وَإخْوَانِنَا فَإنَّ ذَلِكَ أفْضَلُ مِنْ أنْ تَتَعَرَّضَ لِلْهَلاَكِ وَتَنْقَطِعَ بِهِ عَنْ عَمَلٍ فِي الدِّينِ وَصَلاَحِ إخْوَانِكَ المُؤمِنِينَ. وَإيَّاكَ ثُمَّ إيَّاكَ أنْ تَتْرُكَ التَّقِيَّةَ الَّتِي أمَرْتُكَ بِهَا فَإنَّكَ شَائِطٌ بِدَمِكَ وَدِمَاءِ إخْوَانِكَ، مُعَرِّضٌ لِنِعْمَتِكَ وَنِعْمَتِهِمْ لِلزَّوَالِ، وَمُذِلٌّ لَهُمْ فِي أيْدِي أعْدَاءِ دِينِ اللهِ. وَقَدْ أمَرَكَ اللهُ بِإعْزَازِهِمْ فَإنَّكَ إنْ خَالَفْتَ وَصِيَّتِي كَانَ ضَرَرُكَ عَلَى إخْوَانِكَ وَنَفْسِكَ أشَدَّ مِنْ ضَرَرِ النَّاصِبِ لَنَا، الكَافِرِ بِنَا
التُّقَاةُ التَّكَلُّمُ بِاللِّسَانِ، وَالقَلْبُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالإيمَانِ. فَلا يَبْسُطُ يَدَهُ فَي قَتْلٍ، وَلاَ إلَى إثْمٍ، فَإنَّهُ لاَ عُذْرَ لَهُ
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Author: Allamah Mohammad Reza Al-Mudhaffar
