Imamate in Islamic ThoughtLesson 3

The Twelve Imams

• In addition to the plethora of traditions which speak of the status and authority of Ahlul Bayt, there are also a set of traditions in Sunni sources which highlight the existence of 12 guided leaders after the Prophet.

• The Twelver Shias are the only sect within Islam who have been able to identify these twelve guides and share their wisdom and guidance.

• The Twelver Shias , who constitute the majority of Shia Muslims, believe that the Prophet was succeeded by twelve imams:

The Twelve Imams

• 1. Imam Ali b. Abi Talib (d. 40 AH)• 2. Imam Hassan b. Ali al-Mujtaba (d. 50 AH)• 3. Imam Hussein b. Ali al-Shahid (d. 61 AH)• 4. Imam Ali b. al-Hussein al-Sajjad(d. 95 AH)• 5. Imam Muhammad b. Ali al-Baqir (d. 114 AH)• 6. Imam Ja’far b. Muhammadal-Sadiq (d. 148 AH)• 7. Imam Musa b. Ja’far al-Kadhim (d. 183 AH)• 8. Imam Ali b. Musa al-Ridha (d. 203 AH)

The Twelve Imams

• 9. Imam Muhammad b. Ali al-Jawad (d. 220 AH)• 10. Imam Ali b. Muhammad al-Hadi (d. 254 AH)• 11. Imam Hassan b. Ali al-Askari (d. 260)• 12. Imam Muhammad b. al-Hassan al-Mahdi

The Mahdi

• After the death of his father in 260 AH, the twelve imam went into occultation, appearing only to a few leading Shia.

• The belief in a savior is shared by most, if not all, religious traditions.• In Islam, the idea of a savior, is one of the most fundamental

doctrines referenced in both the Quran and hadith literature.• Ayatollah Safi Gulpaygani, for instance, states that there are 6,207

traditions in Shia and Sunni sources about the Mahdi.• We’ll begin by examining the concept of the Mahdi and work

backwards.

The Mahdi

ذلا دعب نم روبزلا يف انبتك دقلو نوحلاصلا يدابع اھثری ضرلأا نأ رك“We have written in the Psalms after the Reminder: My righteous

servants shall inherit the earth.” Quran 21:105

نیثراولا مھلعجنو ةمئأ مھلعجنو ضرلأا يف اوفعضتسا نیذلا ىلع نمن نأ دیرنو“We wanted to endow those who were considered inferior on earth, and make them into leaders and make them inheritors.” Quran 28:5

The Mahdi

لاجر ھیف ثعبی ىتح" اوقفتا مث." مویلا كلذ Dا لوطل" ھثیدح يف ةدئاز لاق." موی لاإ ایندلا نم قبی مل ولنم ضرلأا لأمی" رطف ثیدح يف داز." يبأ مسا ھیبأ مساو يمسا ھمسا ئطاوی يتیب لھأ نم" وأ." ي كلمی ىتح ایندلا يضقنت لا وأ بھذت لا" نایفس ثیدح يف لاقو." اروجو املظ تئلم امك لادعو اطسق

يمسا ھمسا ئطاوی يتیب لھأ نم لجر برعلاIf only one day of this world remained. God would lengthen that day (according to

the version of Za'idah), till He raised up in it a man who belongs to me or to my family whose father's name is the same as my father's, who will fill the earth with equity and justice as it has been filled with oppression and tyranny (according to

the version of Fitr). Sufyan's version says: The world will not pass away before the Arabs are ruled by a man of my family whose name will be the same as mine.- The

Prophet (s)

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud, v. 4, p. 1831

The Mahdi

ةلیل يف ;ا ھحلصی تیبلا لھأ انم يدھملا

”The Mahdi is one of us, the people of the Household. Allah will rectify him in a single night.”- The Prophet (s)

Source: Sunan Ibn Majah, v. 5, p. 541

The Mahdi

ةمطاف دلو نم يترتع نم يدھملا

“The Mahdi will be of my progeny from the descendants of Fatima.”-The Prophet (s)

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud, v. 4, p. 1832

The Mahdi

نباىسیع لزنیف- لاق- ةمایقلا موی ىلإ نیرھاظ قحلا ىلع نولتاقی يتمأ نم ةفئاط لازت لا ضعب ىلع مكضعب نإ. لا لوقیف. انل لص لاعت مھریمأ لوقیف ملسو ھیلع الله ىلص میرم

." ةملأا هذھ ;ا ةمركت. ءارمأ“A group of my nation will fight for the truth until the Day of

Judgement. When Jesus, son of Mary, descends, and their leader will ask him to lead the prayer, Jesus will decline, saying: No, verily among

you, God has made leaders for others to honor this nation.”- The Prophet (s)

Source: Sahih Muslim, v. 3, p. 1524

The Twelve Leaders/Caliphs

• In one set of hadith, the words ‘amir’ and ‘caliph’ are used to denote the twelve successors of the Prophet.

• Jabir b. Samura said: I heard the Prophet saying: شیرق نم مھلك ـ لاق ھنإ يبأ لاقف اھعمسأ مل ةملك لاقف ـ اریمأ رشع انثا نوكی

"There will be twelve leaders”. He then said a sentence which I did not hear. My father said, "All of them will be from Quraysh.”

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, v. 11, p. 70

The Twelve Leaders/Caliphs

رملأا اذھ نإ" لوقی ھتعمسف ملسو ھیلع الله ىلص يبنلا ىلع يبأ عم تلخد لاق ،ةرمس نب رباج نع ام يبلأ تلقف- لاق- ىلع يفخ ملاكب ملكت مث لاق." ةفیلخ رشع انثا مھیف يضمی ىتح يضقنی لا

." شیرق نم مھلك" لاق لاقIt has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said:

I joined the company of the Prophet (s) with my father and I heard him say: This Caliphate will not end until there have been twelve Caliphs among

them. The narrator said: Then he (the Prophet) said something that I could not follow. I said to my father: What did he say? He said: He has said: All of

them will be from the Quraysh.”

Source: Sahih Muslim, v. 3, p. 1452

The Twelve Leaders/Caliphs

دلا اذھ لازی لا ةفیلخ رشع ىنثا ىلإ ازیزع نی“This religion will be exalted as long as there are twelve caliphs.”- The

Prophet (s)

• Each of these traditions mentioned above contain the phrase, “All of them are from Quraysh.”

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud, v. 4, p. 1830

The Twelve Leaders/Caliphs

نانثا مھنم يقب ام ،شیرق يف رملأا اذھ لازی لا

”So long as there remains two people on earth, there will be one from Quraysh who will lead them.”- The Prophet (s)

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, v. 6, p. 7

The Twelve Leaders/Caliphs

• These twelve leaders must be the imams of Ahlul Bayt, out of whom the last one will remain living until the end of this world.

• So long as Islam exists, which is until the end of time, one of these twelve must be present.

• Especially bearing in mind the traditions which indicate that even if there are only two people left on earth, one of them would be from Quraysh and they would lead.

The Twelve Imams

• Some traditions mention the names of the twelve imams.• For example, the Prophet (s) addressed Jabir b. Abdillah al-Ansari, a

companion who lived until the lifetime of the 5th Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir. As the Prophet listed the names of the imams, he reached the name of Imam al-Baqir, and then told Jabir to convey his salam to him, which Jabir did.

Source: Kamal al-Deen wa Tamam al-Ni’mah, v. 1, p. 253-254

The Twelve Imams

• Another example is the well-known , authentic tradition called “The Hadith of the Tablet”.

• God had given it to the Prophet who then gifted it to Lady Fatima on the day of Imam Hussein’s birth.

• This tradition is mentioned in many hadith sources, most notably by al-Kulani in al-Kafi. See al-Kafi v. 1, p. 527

• Some Sunni scholars have tried to explain that the twelve caliphs refer to those rulers whom everyone accepts, such as the first four calips, Muawiyah, Yazid, Abdul Malik and his four sons.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• The authority of the Ahlul Bayt can be studied on two levels:• 1. The permissibility of referring to them as reliable sources in understanding

Islam.• 2. The necessity of referring to the Ahlul Bayt in understanding Islam.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• 1. The permissibility of referring to them as reliable sources in understanding Islam.

• According to the Sunni school of thought, all companions of the Prophet were proofs (hujjah).

• However, the term “companion” is defined quite broadly: a believer who met the Prophet at least once.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• The dominant view among Sunnis is that whoever met the Prophet even for a single session while believing in him is considered a companion and can be relied upon for knowledge of Islam.

• Bukhari defines a companion as:ھباحصأ نم وھف نیملسملا نم هآر وأ ملسو ھیلع الله ىلص يبنلا بحص نمو

“Whoever accompanied the Prophet or [even] saw him from among the Muslims is one of his companions.”

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, v. 6, p. 74

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• In Shia Islam, a companion of the Prophet is a person who believed in the Prophet and lived with him for a considerable period.

• It seems unlikely that a strong relationship with the Prophet can occur within a short period of time as the development of a true friendship naturally occurs over a long period of time.

• The Quran also confirms that not all those who lived with the Prophet can be assumed to be pious.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

ل اداصرإو نینمؤملا نیب اقیرفتو ارفكو ارارض ادجسم اوذختا نیذلاو ھلوسرو Rا براح نمنوبذاكل مھنإ دھشی Rاو ىنسحلا لاإ اندرأ نإ نفلحیلو لبق نم

“And those who built a masjid to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunity among the believers and an ambush to him who made

war against God and His Messenger before and they will certainly swear: We did not desire anything but goodness and God bears witness

that they are surely liars.” Quran 9:107

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• Nonetheless, since Sunnis believe that all of the companions were reliable, sound and just, they cannot dispute the authority of the Ahlul Bayt as reliable sources for understanding Islam.

• The importance of following the Ahlul Bayt becomes even more clear when we examine the traditions that highlight their superior knowledge of the Quran and the prophetic legacy.

•

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• It is reported that Umar b. al-Khattab used to say:.رمع كلھل يلع لاو

“Were it not for [the knowledge of] Ali, Umar would have perished.”• It is reported that Abu Hanifa once said:

.دمحم نب رفعج نم ھقفأ ادحأ تیأر ام“I have never met anyone more knowledgeable than Ja’far b.

Muhammad.”

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• There is no ambiguity in these statements, which is why many Sunni scholars clearly asserted that every Muslim is permitted to act according to one of the five Islamic schools of jurisprudence: Ja’fari, Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki, and Shaf’i.

• Even if Sunnis do not recognize Imam al-Sadiq’s superiority, they must at least hold him as an equally valid path to the sunnah of the Prophet.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• 2. Is it necessary to refer to the Ahlul Bayt to understand Islam, or is it merely an option?

• The following well-known traditions indicate its necessity:• Hadith of the Two Weighty Things: نیلقثلا ثیدح : This tradition is

indisputable and was utterd by the Prophet on several occasions. • Despite minor differences in wording, the content is similar across all

versions.• The following insights can be inferred from the hadith:

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• The Quran and the Ahlul Bayt will always be together from the time of the Prophet until the end of the world.

• The Quran must have an interpreter who can speak on its behalf. • The Ahlul Bayt are infallible.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• Hadith of the Ark ةنیفسلا ثیدح : Narrated by both Shia and Sunni Muslims, the Prophet likened his household to the ship of ark of Prophet Noah:

قرغ اھكرت نمو اجن اھبكر نم ،ھموق يف حون ةنیفس لثمك يتمأ يف يتیب لھأ لثم“The parable of my household among you is like the ship of Noah:

Whoever embarked it was saved, and whoever refused was drowned.”

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• The Gate of Repentance ةطح باب : The Prophet also likened his household to the Gate of Hitta in which he asked the Israelites to enter:

كلھھلخدی مل نمو اجن ھلخد نم ةطح باب لثمو

“and the like of the Gate of Hitta. Whoever entered that door attained salvation, and those who refused were destroyed.”

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• The verses related to this hadith read: ةطح اولوقو ادجس بابلا اولخداو ادغر متئش ثیح اھنم اولكف ةیرقلا هذـھ اولخدا انلق ذإو

نینسحملا دیزنسو مكایاطخ مكل رفغن“And We said: Enter this town, and eat thereof freely whenever you wish, and enter prostrating at the gate and say, ‘Relieve [us of the

burden of our sins], that We may forgive your iniquities, and soon We shall increase the virtuous.” Quran 2:58

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

ادجسبابلا اولخداو ةطح اولوقو متئش ثیح اھنم اولكو ةیرقلا هذـھ اونكسا مھل لیق ذإونینسحملا دیزنس مكتائیطخ مكل رفغن

“And when it was said to them, "Dwell in this city and eat from it wherever you will and say, 'Relieve us of our burdens,' and enter the

gate prostrating; We will [then] forgive you your sins. We will increase the doers of good [in goodness and reward].” Quran 7:161

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• Whoever entered the gate was forgiven, and whoever refused was punished. Similarly, those who follow the Ahlul Bayt, receive God’s mercy and forgiveness, and those who arrogantly refuse are punished.

The Authority of the Ahlul Bayt

• Comparable to the Stars: In this hadith the Prophet likens his household to stars:

ةلیبق اھتفلاخ اذإف فلاتخلإا نم يتملأ نامأ يتیب لھأو ، قرغلا نم ضرلأا لھلأ نامأ موجنلاسیلبإ بزح اوراصف اوفلتخإ برعلا نم

“The stars help prevent the inhabitants of the earth from being drowned, and my Ahlul Bayt are the protectors of my community

against disputes (in religious matters). Therefore, whichever Arab group opposes my Ahlul Bayt shall be split up by dissensions and will become

a party of Satan.”