63 Baqra-124-regardingimamat

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

I would just discuss about the verse, wherein Allah Subhanau Wa Taala.said:

[In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful... “And (remember) when his Lord tried Abraham with (His) commands, and he fulfilled them, He said: Lo! I have appointed thee a leader for mankind. (Abraham) said: And of my offspring (will there be leaders)? He said: My convenant includeth not wrongdoers.”] We are still discussing about these verses that these reach Allah Subhanau Wa Taala. The Almighty Allah says: He tested Abraham several times for The prophet Abraham was able to complete them. complete them: Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said

So after he that I am

appointing you as a leader of mankind. Allah Subhanau Wa Taala did not say that I am appointing you as a leader of Mouminin or Muslims. He says

. It is for the humanity. Even that Christians and the Jews and non

Muslims all of them are included in it and they are the believers of this notion. That the prophet Abraham and all the Imamms and of all mankind he is their leader. So Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said

the first; that

that I am appointing you as a

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

leader of mankind. This is the divine plan that Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is the one who appointed Abraham. Now He is like a counsel who has to sit down and appoint Prophet Abraham. And that’s why the followers of Ahl-eBaet, also we believe that the Imam is or the Imam has to be appointed by Allah or by the prophet or by the Imam to appoint the coming Imam or the previous imam has to appoint the coming Imam. Because this Imam is in position as not a position that people have to come and sit down and choose who they want to be an Imam. And one of the reasons that we say that is Allah subhanau Wa Taala says

that I am the one appointing you.

Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said to Abraham “Go and have a counsel and have a Muslim to appoint you as a leader” Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said that I am the one making you/appointing you as a leader. And Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said

: I am appointing you as an

Imam. What is the meaning of (Imam)? In Arabic, when we say the word (

) Imam comes from the world (

) amam. Amam means in front. So

when we say Imam is the one who is in front. And the basic meaning, the first meaning of the word Imam as that this word is used for a person who leads people for prayers. And he is called Imam because he stands in the front of the people. And then people do whatever he does. When he goes to Rukoo(

) people go to Rukoo. That’s what a prophet said one of the

that Imam what he always says therefore people are to imitate and copy him: Rukoo with him.

when he goes to Rukoo, people also go to when he goes to Sujood, they also go to Sujood. This

is the Imam which both the schools of thought are agreed on this word. That this is the word Imam. So that’s why if you come to the word Imam which is the one who is the leader who is in front. And the word Imam, it can be a good leader, a good example for people and it can also be bad example for

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

people and the word Imam and Qura’n also spoke of them. The Quraan has used in several verses when he says the word Imam that leader of the believers. And sometimes also Qura’n uses the word Imam meaning the leader that’s of the Satan. And the Quraan mentions that on the Day of Judgment people will be called by their Imams. Quran says that on the Day of Judgment people will be divided into groups and groups. So Allah Subhanau Wa Taala wants to call them by the groups. The group will be called by their Imams/leaders at the Day of Judgment and also some of them will be called in the groups of the Shaiytaan who is their leader. Therefore, Quran explains that there are two kinds of leaderships. Two kinds of Imams there are Imams of Hudaa and Imam of Zalaal-Imam of guidance and imam of misguidance. That’s why Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is talking about the Imam which is the leadership or the guidership. The leadership of their heroes. So anyway the fact of the meaning of the word Imam that what we said is the Imam who leads the prayers. And then there is another meaning of the word Imam, who is when they said the word Imam they name a leadership. And these words offer world issues. And that is one of the understandings of some groups of our Sunnies brothers. Sunnies call word Imam. They name one who is leader and takes care of people at first in this world. They call him Imam. That is number 2. Number 3, some say Imam. If the meaning of the word Imam is the word as a person who is a leader of the people and first of this world and the affairs of their religion. The first was about these world affairs. And the second one is the meaning of the word Imam and they want who take care of their leader who takes care of the affairs of people of their religion and affairs of the world as well. This is also said by some groups of Sunny Scholars. The word Imam means a leadership which takes the responsibility of people’s issues in this

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

world financially either, socially, or any part of their life in this world included their religion. That is taking care of the people preaching people logic laws and implementing geological social justices always educates the people individually as well as educates the people in general. And this is no justice also including what they call after this life. And if you see this fourth one includes anyone’s single part of a man’s life that the Imam has the responsibility of taking care of people’s affairs not only in this world but also after this life and the Day of Judgment as well. So these call of Imama is deeper that produces the meaning of the word Imam. And this is what they are the followers of Ahl-e- Bait says about the word Imam, about the meaning of the word Imam. So therefore, when you look at the word Imam according to these understandings according to this definition which is the first definition of word Imam that means that the Imam’s possibility is to establish guardian, establish justice or in general as to make sure that taking people to their destination which is close to Allah Subhanau Wa Taala. And that takes each and every part of imambians life. And that is the exact responsibility of Imam, heavier than prophet. And this is why followers of Imam Quran based philosophy say that first and foremost level of Imam with this definition is much higher than the level of the prophets. Because some of the prophets Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said their responsibility is to go and talk to people and that’s it. Whether they understand or not. They follow it or not. Or they follow or not. Their responsibility is to say it and that’s it. But if you look at the responsibility of an Imam in this definition, that is much higher than the responsibility of a prophet. Therefore, the position of Imam is much higher according to our understanding. If you do not apprehend that what is the position of Imam then you must come to know that Quran gives an example is like a sun that

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

comes here to give the light and light to the plants. Exactly the same position is of the Imam. That the Imam whose responsibility is to give the life to the human beings but with spiritual life. Exactly in the same way the sun comes to give life to the plants in order to reach us. The Imam also has responsibly to give internal life to the people and this what the Quran said Allah Subhanau Wa Taala only describes The Prophet Muhammad – that Allah is the one who sent blessings open to you and he is the fountainhead of all blessings to you

,

in order to take you out from the darkness to the lightand at the same time he is so merciful to the believers. Allah Subhanau Wa Taala just got in to the prophet. That is how the prophet is. And he delineates in this verse that you see the nature of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala. We see there are other blessings Allah Subhanau Wa Taala sent to the prophet which is through the internal which you and I can see. And that is Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said that sending the blessings is divine for the mankind. And at the end we are not taking the belief is from out of darkness to the lightness. And who does the Allah Subhanau Wa Taala sent the prophet and the Imam. And they are responsible to take Iman from darkness to the lightness. Therefore in general the word imam here as a leadership of the mankind who takes the responsibility of people’s issues in this world and after this world either in this world either their religious affairs or the worldly affairs is both responsibility of Imam in this case. So Allah Subhanau Wa Taala says here

that I am

appointing you as an imam. Here according to this verse Allah Subhanau Wa Taala has made prophet Abraham and Imam after he was made a prophet. And this is one of the other reasons that we say the position of Imam is not higher than the procedure of the prophethood. What? Because

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

Allah Subhanau Wa Taala appointed Abraham as the Imam after he was a prophet and a messenger. This is what the Imam Jafar Sadiq said in this hadith

that Allah Subhanau Wa

Taala appointed Abraham as a servant before he as appointed as a prophet that the first was the first step of Iman to be whatever you want to be in the sight of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala the first that is Imam to be a servant of Allah whatever you want to be in the sight of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala, that the first of imam to be a servant. Allah Subhanau Wa Taala promoted him

and

then

did

he

become

Nabi

he

became

a

prophet.

after he was a prophet for a while Allah Subhanau Wa Taala promoted him and then he became Rasoola he became a messenger. In this we have Rasool and Nabi. Our Rasool is much higher than the Nabi and Nabi is a prophet that Allah Subhanau Wa Taala sent to the group of people in order to go and continue spreading the message that the previous prophet preached the sacrosanct values of being a pious messenger to believers to those people-. In other words the word prophet is a prophet that Allah Subhanau Wa Taala sent to the people to go and help a messenger in order to believe the book that was given to him. But there was a messenger is the one Allah Subhanau Wa Taala sent to people would be a book a constitution with him. So in other words as Rasool is the one who has been sent with the book and the prophet is the one who has been sent without a book. So at that point you can have more than one prophet at the time that you can not have more than one messenger at a time. More than one at the time that you can not have more than one messenger at a time. That you can have one prophet and one messenger at the same time or one messenger and thousands of prophets but you can not have two messengers at the same time. Because each messenger comes with the book and each book is different from their era. So when the books come and if they are two

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

they give conflict between the two prophets and two messengers. By the prophet their responsibility is to have the messenger to spread the word of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala. So, therefore, the level of the position of the messenger is not higher than the level of a prophet. That’s why the Imam said here that Allah Subhanau Wa Taala appointed him as a messenger as he appointed as a prophet. That he was a prophet for while then he became a messenger. He was promoted to the level of a messenger. Then then Allah Subhanau Wa Taala after a

we

while after he became a messenger Allah Subhanau Wa Taala promoted prophet Abraham and then he became as a friend of Allah Khalil-u-llah. then after a while after he became Khalik

Then

the son of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala then Allah Subhanau Wa Taala wanted to promote Abraham. Abraham said

in

achieving

Then imam said the

victory

Allah

of the prophet Subhanau

Wa

Taala

I am making you, I am appointing you as an Imam for

mankind. Then Imam Jaffar Sadique said

Allah

Subhanau Wa Taala made him imam. So then imam’s position for Abraham was the last level that was Abraham bestowed upon you can see prophet whose prophethood came before being the messenger. And the messenger also comes and then after being a messenger than the other level which is the much higher level of higher than the prime messenger hood which is the Khalil (friend). Then after became Khalil of Allah the friend of Allah there the last position of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala will give the Imam a prestigious position which is the highest position in Islam. And that’s why our scholars what they say that our Imams are much better than the other prophets. If we included the

one of the reasons is this because

prophet Abraham has to pass these themes, has to be a good saver, has to be

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

a good prophet, has to be a messenger, has to be a Khalil and then because an Imam. That our imam from the day one they were Imams. They needn’t have to go through all these procedures in order to become an Imam. They are better than them and that is one of the reasons and other reasons other too the one of the reasons is that you see prophet Abraham as Allah Subhanau Wa Taala

Oh lord show me how you

bring life how you bring the dead back to life. Abraham said

will you believe

I believe but I just want to make sure , I just

want to have some Iman in my heart . Allah Subhanau Wa Taala told prophet Abraham that go and get some birds and slaughter them and put their meat together, mix their meat together and then put them on the top of mountain then call them

they will come to you as you call them.

Allah Subhanau Wa Taala wanted to show Abraham how he raised the dead after they die. This is the level still requires to know with depth that how Allah Subhanau Wa Taala raises or brings the dead back to life. Now we go to Imam-e-Ali when they ask him

If Allah

Subhanau Wa Taala will take the cover from where we see the day of judgment that this is the day of judgment , that the people go to hell , people go to the paradise, he says my (Iman), my faith will not even increase. Is there going to be some other entity that is Iman which is going to increase his Iman. That you go to the prophet Abraham he says

I still

want to increase Iman. So you see two people one of them. Other one is prophet Abraham according to the Quran which is much better. Of course the teacher who is Imam Ali that is one of the reasons we say our Imam almost better than the messengers, exact the prophet Muhammad. The prophet Musa also he asked to see Allah Subhanau Wa Taala as well. Allah Subhanau Wa Taala told him to look at there mountain as the mountain moves then you see me that if

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

not. He went and was waiting

Allah Subhanau Wa

Taala appeared on the mountain and the mountain and then

the

Musa fell down and was unconscious. It was the prophet Musa. So I don’t need the kind of this thing for the increase of my Iman, is already a need in order to increase his Iman. Quran

so many places at the end Allah

Subhanau Wa Taala said to Ulama that there should be the reason that prophet Abraham has attained that high position they said the reason is that Allah Subhanau Wa Taala tested him to slaughter his own son to test him difficulty of doing so that you can ask someone to do is to kill his son. In the situation that son is the message who helps him. Is the son whom all life then you ask him to slaughter his own son. Then prophet Abraham was about to and Allah Subhanau Wa Taala lifted that responsibility from him. Allah Subhanau Wa Taala tested Abraham in this untoward command to slaughter his own son, but he did not. So if he deserves that higher position he gets totally for one of them. He went to slaughter his son but he did not. That the other passion not only that he was slaughtered also his son was also slaughtered. And to be slaughtered his son became ready. Prophet Abraham wanted to slaughter his son but he did not. Now you may intellectually get Imam Hussain who was killed (martyred) and his son Ali ul Akbar his son Abdul Rabiya were all killed (martyred) for the sake of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala. It was the one who was slaughtered. Because this one deserved the high position because he wanted to have it and this one not that he wanted he did it. And in the way of the high culmination of Islam and for the sake of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala his own child also Ali ul Akbar was also killed on that day. And his own little child who is Ali Abdul Rabiya that three month old child also was killed on that day for the sake of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala which one was of the too much better. Of course the one who sacrificed his life and his family. And that is one of the reasons that we say

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

our imams are also much better than Iman. Anyway the Supreme being appointed the prophet Abraham as an Imam of the all level of because of the test that he passed. Therefore, the last position among the dead is the position of noble prestige.

Then at the end the Quran it is said

-prophet Abraham asked his Allah Subhanau Wa Taala will include entire his descendants as Allah Subhanau Wa Taala said that the injustice done to him that tyrant among the heretics will never get to the position. Well Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is talking about here.

which is opposite of the word al-dhlaalah

opposite of justice, zulum- injustice and the adaala as justice. For adaala we just apprehend the spirits of justice because in its roots for the meaning that the word adaala is to put some thing where it is supposed to be. some people say no the adaala was the justice which is to give each and everyone what they deserve. They are right. That’s why we call it justice. And then to know the word justice is the equality among people that this is not right. So the correct and correct definition of the word justice in Islam is to deal each and everyone of what they deserve what they are supposed to get. And it should bear the witness which will call injustice or just for the evident distinguish. That is what the al-zulum and al-zulim.( ) So Allah Subhanau Wa Taala says -

-what Allah

Subhanau Wa Taala. meant to that. In Arabic for more clarity we have-we have injustice among some can do injustice to himself that the prophet Adam says in the Quran

Oh lord I have done

injustice to myself. Injustice to himself! And some times among us do injustice to somebody else. But the Quran Allah Subhanau Wa Taala has invited no nation to injustice to themselves or injustice to others. It means that injustice in general whether Iman is injustice to himself or injustice to

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

other people or other creatures is all come under word zulum which is injustice in general. So, injustice to himself or injustice to others that does not deserve that position and this one of reason what we say that Imam has to work, has to be infallible. Because if a person who is not infallible either he has done injustice to himself or injustice to somebody else and that is some people under the impact of Iman that injustice to himself or to others that he does in deserve that position which has the leadership of mankind. This is where the infallibility of the Imam of lies with strongest possible proof of being infallible because of the imam’s congenital nature was to be a leader of Iman. It has to be an example, has to be infallible in order to be able to lead the people because he is going to be an example for people. He is going to be the speaking Quran, the working Quran, the material of the Quran so therefore that imam has to be worth infallible since his life and the words what he utters in his life is the true verbatim of the Quran. And there could be no speck of any doubt in this regard. Exactly the Quran is infallible, Quran that does not carry any mistake. Subhanau

Wa

Taala

said

in

Quran said Allah the

Quran

-now in pursuance to the Quran look by the sight of the Quran or to follow up the Quran because this Quran was revealed from the lords of the lords - Rabul Alamin. So the Quran that is infallible does not make any mistake. So the teacher of the Quran has to be infallible as well. The teacher of this Quran has to be far from any ambiguous or fallible errors that that does make no respect.

As the reason of the word

because this is

between Allah Subhanau Wa Taala and mankind that the leader of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala appointed by him has to be and example and good example to the multitude. That is why we see that lot of our Imam. We have used this verse right of the day of the prophet (PBUH) to show to the

THE DIVINE CONCEPT OF IMAMAT By Shaikh Jalilu Issah

people that preview of Khulafaa (caliphates). And that is injustice to Allah Subhanau Wa Taala and zulum. Because even worshiping something other than Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is zulum. Messenger said and the Quran said that if associated something to Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is sheer injustice. The prophet Luqman said to his son; -

oh my son

do not associate anything what Allah has prohibited strictly. Then he said -because to associate him Allah with ill partner is a grave injustice. That the Quran says to

that the grave injustice

that worship something other than Allah Subhanau Wa Taala is grave injustice and mortal sin.

And the preview of Khulafaa, that they are

worshiping the idols which mix the injustice in an unjust. So, therefore that disqualified according to the Quran. Now because Quran says

Quran said no say that no

injustice when worshiping something else and to associate them with Allah is an injustice. Quran said -

-Quran described it as a grave injustice.

Allah Subhanau Wa Taala what he said

-the injustice, the

unjust the Qura And then you do the association of Allah Subhanau Wa Taala, the partner is a great injustice. The Quran says and those even those Khulafaa they have done injustice to themselves according to the Quran. That this disqualifies them from that position. That’s why we say that the position of being in the pinnacle of sin/error-free domain has to be by the imam who is infallible and that is one of the reasons there we say they are infallible. Because if they are not; then Allah or the prophet will drive them by nails. And then the punishment in order to penalize them by nailing is the sound proof that they are infallible in true letter and spirit.