Is Imamate a Fundamental Principle of Religion? And Is It Proven by Definitive Evidence?
For the Shia, Imamate is a fundamental principle of religion, just like the Oneness of Allah, Prophethood, and Divine Mission, along with prayer, zakat, fasting, and pilgrimage, etc. In their books of beliefs, numerous traditions regarding this are found.
Shia and Traditions of Imamate:
Al-Kulaini has narrated from Abu Ja’far, who said that the foundation of Islam is based on five things: prayer, fasting, zakat, pilgrimage, and Wilayah.
And no announcement has been made like the propagation of Wilayah. People accepted the other four pillars but abandoned Wilayah.
In Sharh al-Kafi, while explaining the status of this hadith among the Shia, it is written “Muwathaq ka al-Sahih” — this hadith is extremely reliable among them, just like authentic narrations.
In this narration, they have omitted the testimony, which is an important and greatest pillar of Islam, and replaced it with Wilayah. Then they consider it the greatest pillar and say that no announcement has been made like the propagation of Wilayah.
Another hadith also indicates this, in which the previous text is mentioned with more words. The narrator says, I asked, “Among these pillars, which is the best?”
He said: “Wilayah.”
This hadith is established with an authentic chain of narration, as the Shia scholars have said. See:
And it is also narrated that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ascended (Mi’raj) one hundred and twenty times, and each time Allah commanded the Prophet, peace be upon him, to give preference to every obligation, then to Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, and then to other Imams.
We have not been able to understand why this repetition occurred every time?
Did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, forget, or was there another reason?
Then, Allah Almighty mentions only one Isra in His Book; where did this one hundred and twenty Isra come from?
Among the narrations attributed to Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, may Allah have mercy on him, Kulaini has brought fifteen such narrations in his book Al-Kafi, none of which are transmitted from our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. We Ahl al-Sunnah take our religion only from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
Support of the Ash’ari Scholars for the Religion that Imamate is a Principle:
In the books of beliefs, Twelver scholars have relied on this belief and have quoted it in their writings. Here, we present only three examples as a sample:
The Twelver Shia scholar Ja’far al-Subhani said in his book Al-Milal wal-Nihal:
“Is Imamate among the fundamentals of religion or among the branches of religion?”
Under this title, what he says in his own words is:
“The Shia have agreed from the beginning that Imamate is one of the fundamentals of religion.”
Muhammad Rida Mazhar says:
“We hold the belief that Imamate is one of the fundamentals of religion. Without belief in it, faith is not complete.”
And Khomeini also says the same:
“Imamate is one of the fundamentals of the religion of Islam.”
Whereas the other four fundamentals, which were mentioned alongside Imamate in the previous lines and which Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah call the pillars of Islam, are all proven among the Ummah by definitive proofs from the Book of Allah. However, there is no definitive proof of Imamate found in the Book and Sunnah.
The Pillars of Islam according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah:
Before we mention the authentic narration from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in which the pillars of Islam are described according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, on which the foundation of Islam is established, including an important pillar of Allah’s religion, which some people have removed from this narration that describes the pillars of Islam. Without it, Islam is not complete, and in its place, they have introduced Wilayah (spiritual authority). However, this pillar is present in the hadith narrated from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, but they have replaced it with Wilayah? And then it is also mentioned in another narration. This great pillar is to bear witness to لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله.
In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, it is narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
بنى الإسلام على خمس شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمداً رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم واقام الصلاة وايتا ٔ الزكاة الحج وسوم رمضان
“Islam is built upon five pillars: bearing witness that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakat, performing Hajj, and fasting in Ramadan.”
There is no mention of Wilayah in this narration.
Proofs of the Pillars of Religion from the Holy Quran:
In the following lines, definitive proofs from the Book of Allah will be mentioned which establish these pillars.
First Pillar: Divinity and Prophethood:
Divinity: In hundreds of verses, the divinity of Allah Almighty has been described. One such divine statement is:
وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ
“And your god is one Allah, there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.”
Also He said:
اللهُ لا إلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ …
“Allah is the only true God; there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer.”
Prophethood:
The blessed name of the Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم appears explicitly four times in the Quran, while the description of prophethood or messengership and the associated calls are mentioned in several verses. For example, the Divine command is:
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا ۖ
“Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is the Messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You will see them bowing and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure.”
Also, the Divine command is:
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
“And Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم is only a messenger; messengers have passed away before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels will never harm Allah at all; but Allah will reward the grateful.”
And the Divine command is:
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ
“Say, O people! I am the Messenger of Allah to you all, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him. He gives life and causes death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him so that you may be guided.”
And the Divine command is:
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.”
Second Pillar of Prayer:
Many texts have been revealed regarding the obligation of prayer and its establishment, in which prayer is declared a condition of faith. For example, the Divine command is:
إِنَّ الصَّلوةَ كَانَتْ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتبًام موقوتا
“Indeed, prayer is prescribed for the believers at fixed times.”
And the Divine command is:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلوةَ وَأتُوا الزَّكُوةَ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُوا لِلانْفُسِكُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ تجدوه عند الله إن الله بمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِير
“And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do is Seeing.”
And the Divine command is:
وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَاتَّقُوهُ ۚ وَهُوَ الَّذِي إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
“And establish prayer and fear Him. And it is He to whom you will be gathered.”
And the Divine command is:
فَإِن تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَإِخْوَانُكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ ۗ وَنُفَصِّلُ الْآيَاتِ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
“If they repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, then they are your brothers in religion; and We detail the verses for a people who know.”
Third Pillar Zakah:
Wherever prayer is mentioned, zakat is also mentioned alongside it. But regarding its obligation individually, these are the verses.
The Divine command is:
إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“Indeed, zakat and alms are for the poor and needy, and those employed to collect [zakah] and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and for freeing slaves and those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the stranded traveler – an obligation from Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.”
And the Divine command is:
وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُوا مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ
“Establish prayer, give zakat, and bow with those who bow [in worship].”
Fourth Pillar: Fasting:
The Divine command is:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
“O believers! Fasting has been prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.”
And the Divine command is:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ الشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ بِكُمُ الْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ الْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا الْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَاكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
“Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance for the people and clear signs of guidance and criterion between right and wrong. So whoever among you witnesses this month should fast it, and whoever is ill or on a journey should make up the missed days later. Allah intends ease for you and does not intend hardship. And so that you may complete the prescribed period and glorify Allah for guiding you, and perhaps you will be grateful.”
The Fifth Pillar of Hajj:
The Divine command is:
وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَيْتِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
“And pilgrimage to the House is a duty unto Allah for mankind, for whoever is able to undertake the journey to it; but whoever disbelieves – then indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.”
These five pillars are proven with definitive evidence in the Quran. There is no disagreement about them; all groups of the Ummah accept them. So where is the definitive evidence for Imamate in the Quran?
Just as there is evidence regarding these pillars, and according to your belief, the ruling on all of them is the same, there is absolutely no evidence in the Quran from beginning to end for that Imamate in which you have faith and belief.
Then how do you imagine that Imamate is one of the principles or pillars of religion? And there is not a single proof in the Book of Allah for its obligation.
If you say that there are many proofs about this, then we say: present just one proof.
The Twelvers and the Proof of Imamate from the Quran:
If you say that the Divine command is:
إنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ الله وَرَسُوله والَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِيْنَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ ويُؤْتُونَ الزَّكوة وهم ركعُونَ
“Your ally is none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].”
This is their most important argument which they present as proof. According to their titles, Sheikh al-Taifah – al-Tusi says:
Among the Quranic texts on Imamate, the strongest proof is this verse:
إنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ الله وَرَسُولُه وَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلوةَ ويُؤْتُونَ الزَّكوة وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Your ally is none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].”
And Tabarsi has said: After the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), this verse is also one of the three clear, indisputable proofs of Imamate.
We ask, where is Imamate mentioned in this verse?
If you say that Wilayah (guardianship) is mentioned here in the sense of Imamate,
then we ask: How did you interpret Wilayah as Imamate?
It does not mean Imamate. Before this verse, other verses have passed in which Wilayah is mentioned. And what you have stated is against the consensus of both Shia and Ahl al-Sunnah. You should carefully reflect on these verses and then understand their interpretation in context.
The Divine command is:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ 51 فَتَرَى الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ يُسَارِعُونَ فِيهِمْ يَقُولُونَ نَخْشَىٰ أَن تُصِيبَنَا دَائِرَةٌ ۚ فَعَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَ بِالْفَتْحِ أَوْ أَمْرٍ مِّنْ عِندِهِ فَيُصْبِحُوا عَلَىٰ مَا أَسَرُّوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ نَادِمِينَ 52 وَيَقُولُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَهَٰؤُلَاءِ الَّذِينَ أَقْسَمُوا بِاللَّهِ جَهْدَ أَيْمَانِهِمْ ۙ إِنَّهُمْ لَمَعَكُمْ ۚ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا خَاسِرِينَ 53 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِي اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى الْكَافِرِينَ يُجَاهِدُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَائِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ 54 إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ 55 وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ 56 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ 57 وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَعْقِلُونَ 58
“O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers [to be] the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant. And when they listen to what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflowing with tears because of what they have recognized of the truth. They say, ‘Our Lord, we have believed, so register us among the witnesses. And why should we not believe in Allah and the truth that has come to us while we wish that our Lord would guide us to the straight path?’ Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans – those [among them] who believed in Allah and the Last Day and did righteousness – will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve. O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]. And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – indeed, the party of Allah – they will be the predominant. O you who have believed, do not take those who have taken your religion in ridicule and amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the disbelievers as allies. And fear Allah if you should [truly] be believers. And when you call to prayer, they take it in ridicule and amusement. That is because they are a people who do not use reason.”
Then how did you consider it permissible to interpret this as Imamate? And in other places, you yourself have interpreted Wilayah as other than Imamate, as is in your tafsirs. The Quran is full of these words. And these words with their various derivatives sometimes refer to Allah and sometimes to people. And in none of these places does the word mean Imamate. So why here was this word reversed and an attempt made to extract the meaning of Imamate from it?
The Wilayah mentioned in the Quran does not refer to Shia Wilayah:
This word has appeared in the Book of Allah without any annexation approximately twenty times. Here its meanings are helper, protector, and guardian. For example, the Divine command is:
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَمَا لَكُم مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
“Do you not know that the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah alone, and besides Allah you have no friend or helper?”
And the Divine command is:
وَلَن تَرْضَىٰ عَنكَ الْيَهُودُ وَلَا النَّصَارَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ هُدَى اللَّهِ هُوَ الْهُدَىٰ ۗ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُم بَعْدَ الَّذِي جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ ۙ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن وَلِيٍّ وَلَا نَصِيرٍ
“And never will the Jews or the Christians be pleased with you until you follow their religion. Say, ‘Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.’ And if you were to follow their desires after knowledge has come to you, then you would have against Allah no protector or helper.”
And this noun has also appeared annexed to a manifest noun. The Divine command is:
للَّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَوْلِيَاؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُ يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَاتِ ۗ أُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ
“Allah is the ally of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light. And those who disbelieve— their allies are Taghut (false deities), who take them out of the light into darknesses. Those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.”
And the Divine command is:
إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ وَهَٰذَا النَّبِيُّ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا ۗ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“The ones closest to Ibrahim are those who follow him, and this Prophet and the believers. And Allah is the ally of the believers.”
And sometimes it has appeared annexed to a pronoun. The Divine command is:
بَلِ اللَّهُ مَوْلَاكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ النَّاصِرِينَ
“But Allah is your protector, and He is the best of helpers.”
Here its interpretation is given as support, as is evident from the word مولكُم, because after it is said وهو خير الناصرين .. So the meaning is that Allah alone is your helper and protector, and He is the best helper. The same applies to the other instances as well. So how then was imamate inferred? Also, in the Arabic lexicon, the words مولكُمْ ، مَوْلُهُمْ ، مَوْلاه ، وليكم، وليهم appear. Where do these words mean imam? If Allah’s intention was imamate, it would have been clearly stated that:
علي امامكم Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, is your imam.
Or it would have been said:
علي وال عليكم meaning Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, is your ruler.
Or it would have been said: He is your wali al-amr (governor).
If imamate was one of the pillars of religion, these words would have been appropriate for that subject. So why did Allah, the Exalted, not mention the name of Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him? And why were your attributes not clearly stated that you are the imam, as other pillars of faith have been explained?
The interpretation of Wilayah itself is a decisive argument:
If you say that we interpret this because it is mentioned in the books of Tafsir that this verse was revealed in the honor of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), such as in some Tafsirs where it is stated that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) gave his ring in charity while in the state of Ruku (bowing), then we say: this text itself does not indicate Imamat, nor can it be understood without the text of the Sunnah. So how do you think that this issue is proven with definitive evidence? And definitive evidence cannot be accepted until all scholars of principles agree on its indication. So how can all the previous pillars be proven with definitive evidence from the Qur’an, which itself indicates those principles? And there is no need for any external statement. Whereas the proof of Imamat itself requires an external proof for its interpretation. And according to your belief, this issue is among those fundamental matters on which, in your view, faith and disbelief, Paradise and Hell depend.
The Occasion of Revelation of the Verse:
Firstly: The external evidence you people rely on, that is, the cause of revelation, is itself not correct. So why do you trust such evidence about your religion which is not authentic in your religion? This narration has three chains of transmission, all three are weak narrations.
First: In its chain is Ayub bin Suwaid. Much has been said about him. Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He is weak.”
Imam Ibn Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He was a thief of hadith and an unreliable person.”
Second: In the chain is Ghalib bin Abdullah Al-Qutai’i Al-Jazari. About him, Yahya bin Ma’in, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He is an unreliable person.”
Dar Qutni, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “He is abandoned.”
Third: In the chain is Muhammad bin Salmi bin Kahil. Allama Jawzjani, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He was very weak in hadith.”
Ibn ‘Adi, may Allah have mercy on him, says: “He heard hadith from his father.” Then he began to count his rejected narrations.
There is further discussion on this issue, which cannot be accommodated here because the intention is to inform briefly. These are the chains of those narrations which are thought to have been revealed regarding this matter, but they are not proven by authentic chains.
Then we also say, can you prove these narrations to be authentic? According to your methodology, which you invented for authentic narrations in following Ahl al-Sunnah? Is it authentic even by that?
Secondly: Another narration regarding the cause of revelation of this verse has also come, which is weak but better and closer to the truth in rational reasoning. This narration was transmitted by Imam Tabari, may Allah have mercy on him, before the previous narrations, and he interpreted this verse in terms of the guardianship of faith (wilayat al-imani), not the guardianship of Imamate (wilayat al-imamah). He says: The interpretation of this verse:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Your allies are none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].”
That is, إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا means: O believers, besides Allah and His Messenger, you have no helper except those believers whose qualities Allah Almighty has described.
As for the Jews and Christians, from whom Allah has commanded disassociation and forbidden friendship, they cannot be your guardians and helpers; they are friends and helpers among themselves. So do not make them your allies
.
Then it was said that this verse was revealed concerning Hazrat Ubada bin As-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, when he expressed disassociation from his allies Banu Nadir and declared allegiance to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the believers.
◈ I say: This narration is transmitted with a tone of weakening because it uses the word “Qila” (it was said), which according to the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah indicates weakening.
Then from the same chain it is narrated that when the battle with Banu Qaynuqa occurred, Hazrat Ubada bin As-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, who was from Banu Awf bin Khazraj, went to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and swore allegiance to Allah and His Messenger, disassociating from the Jews. He said: I declare friendship with Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, and the believers, and disassociation from the covenant and guardianship of the disbelievers. Then this verse was revealed:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Your allies are none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].”
Because Hazrat Ubada said that I befriend Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him, and the believers, and disassociate from Banu Qaynuqa.
Then he transmitted from Abu Ja’far Al-Baqir the interpretation that this is the guardianship of all the believers.
Tabari transmitted from his chain, and similarly Ibn Abi Hatim and others narrated from Abdul Malik bin Abu Sulayman, a student of Abu Ja’far, who narrated from Abu Ja’far. He said: I asked you about the interpretation of this verse:
إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ
“Your allies are none but Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship].”
I asked: Who are those who have believed?
He said: Those who have believed.
We said: We have heard that this verse was revealed concerning Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
He said: “Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was among those who believed.”
The investigation of the narration and the reasons for their differences and the invalidity of all narrations is a quick and brief research. This is to inform that most causes of revelation are not a basis for argument. And then to refute those who try to convince the Twelver scholars that Ahl al-Sunnah agree that this verse was revealed about Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, without mentioning the weakness of this narration. All this relates to the chapter of abrogation; otherwise, we accept that every principle can be argued without the Quran.
Why is the name of Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, not mentioned in the Quran?
Then we also say: When Allah Almighty did not explicitly mention the name of Hazrat Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in the Quran, if Allah’s intention was to make him an Imam or attribute Imamate to him, because that would have ended the dispute, as happened with other principles. Especially when according to your principles, Paradise and Hell, faith and disbelief depended on it.
And if you think that such explicitness would cause alteration in the Quran as Khomeini said:
“If the issue of Imamate was proven from the Quran, then those who had no concern for the Quran and Islam, who only sought the world and status, would have used the Quran for their reprehensible purposes and removed those verses from the pages, thus degrading the Quran in the eyes of all the worlds until the Day of Judgment.”
We say: This statement is among the most dangerous sayings because its consequence is the denial of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who promised to protect His Book, and Allah’s promise must be fulfilled in every case. Whoever believes that if Imamate was explicitly mentioned, Allah could not protect His Book, such a person becomes a disbeliever.
انا نَحْنُ نَزَلْنَا الذِكرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحفِظُونَ
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.”
Proof of Imamate and its absence in the Quran:
Like the other pillars, the proof of Imamate cannot be established without mentioning it in the Quran.
Starting again, we say:
How can Allah Almighty impose an obligation on His servants that cannot be mentioned in the Quran for fear of change? And then what sin do those people have who do not find clear evidence in the Quran regarding Allah’s intention, as clear evidence is found for the other pillars? Then they are demanded to hold belief in it, held accountable for it, and without it their deeds are not accepted. Reason does not accept this. It would have been better for us to follow the most important and comprehensive Shia argument from the Quran on this issue, and from the previous discussion it has become clear that there is no evidence in this verse in their favor. Similarly, evidence should also be presented from the pure Sunnah.
If according to their belief, the issue of Imamate is not among those subsidiary matters whose details are sought in the Sunnah, but their reasoning outside the Quran is also extremely weak, then to explain this we will also mention hadith in another issue.
