کتاب اعتقاد ما( انگلیسی)

CHAPTER FIVE :IMMATLEADER SHIP

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44 -THERE IS ALWAYS AN IMAM

WE BELIEVE that as God has decreed to sendHis Apostles with divine Guidances, so also for any age or time, God Has appointed an Imam to look after the people, leading them to the rightious path, and to guard the divine Law against ay deviation. Imam has to know clearly, the necessities of the ages, and lead the people to the true path of God. He invites and teaches the people to obey the prophets and to follow the LAW. If not so, man will fail to obtain the goal for which he is created. i. e. prosperity and perfectoin.

Then the LAW will be abandoned, and people have to wander! This is why we believe that after our prophet, inany age or time there has always been, and there will

be, an Imam to teach and to lead.*( IMAM primarily means: HE WHO ISFOREMOST' hence a religious leader, a MODEL, aPATTERN or one who leads the congregational prayer.) the translator )

" O, You who believe! fear Allah and be with those whoare truthful."

THE HOLY QURN S 9: 911

This verse of QURN does not point a certaintime or a distinct age. It rather unconditionally orders the people to be the followers of the truthful Imam.

All the famous commentators have taken theword: TRUTHFUL to mean an innocent Imam whois free of guilt and sin.

54THE REALITY OF IMAMT

WE BELIEVE that Imamat is not only theapparent rulership or leadership of a caliph, but rather a high spiritual or religious position. Besides ruling and governing the Islamic society, an Imam has the overall leadership of this mortal life of people as well as that

of Hereafter. He guides the Soul and Mind of people, and guards against any deviation to occur in the LAW, meanwhile he drives at the targets assigned by the prophet.

This is the same high rank that God gave toABRAHAM after passing the stages of prophethoodand the steps of apostleship and many other exams.

When ABRAHAM asked his Lord to assign theposition of Imamat to some of his near kins, he wasanswered that this title or position will not be given tothe oppressors or SINNER.

" And remember when ABRAHAM was tried by hisLord with certain commandments. which he fulfilled.

God said to him," I will make you an Emam to thepeople." He said," What about making Imams out of myoffspring?" God answered," No! My covenant is notwithin the reach of the oppressors."

THE HOLY QURN S 2: 421 It is evident that such a high moral and religious position cannot be abridged or lowered to the apparent rulership or leadership, or else the verse will

not hand over a reasonable meaning or sense. WE BELIEVE that all the Archprophets had thedignity and grade of Imamat through theirp rophethood. This is because whatever they decreedby their prophethood they put it to ACTION as anImam. So was the great prophet of Islam, when at thebeginig of his missioin he conveyd the messages of Godto His servants, and meanwhile he carried on hisleadership teaching people and leading them to thepath of truth.

WE BELIEVE that after the prophet Mohammad, his mission was continued by the innocent Imams whosucceeded him from among his nearest kins and theiroffspring.

By the definitions given above, to reach the highrank of an Imam, very difficult and heavy conditionsare to be observed, such as piety to the level ofinnocence, having the highest level of knowledge ofreligion and the LAW, and also full acquaintance withthe human needs in any age or time.

64IMAM MUST BE INNOCENT

WE BELIEVE that an Imam should be free ofguilt or SIN. As a matter of fact one who is not innocent, can not be trusted to teach the realities of the LAW and the tenets of a divine Religion. It is for his innocence that we hold an Imam's word or deed as a religious proof.

74IMAM IS THE GUARDIAN OF THE LAW

WE BELIEVE that an Imam has to know all aboutthe roots and branches, and the commandments of Islam. He has to know the full meanings and the EXEGESIS of QURN, and that he takes his knowledge from the prophet or the preveious Imam; and it is such a knowledge which is trustworthy among our people.( THE SHIITE )

84IMAM MUST BE APPOINTED OPENLY AND CLEARLYBY THE PROPHET

WE BELIEVE that Imam who is the successor ofthe prophet must be clearly and openly appointed by

the Messenger of God. Imam's appointment also islike that of the prophet and has to be decided by God Himself.

This is because the distinction of piety at the levelof innocence, and such that high level of knowledgeneeded to make some one an Imam, is at the power ofGod and His Apostle, and no one else. We thereforeknow not our Imams to be elected by the vote orchioce of people.

05THE SHIITE IMAMS ARE APPOINTED BY THEPROPHET HIMSELF

WE BELIEVE that the prophet of Islam appointedall the twelve Imams as his successors one after the other.

In SAHIH MOSLIM,( A FAMOUS SONNIREFERENCE BOOK )We read:" In a place between Mecca and Medina which isnamed KHOMM GHADIR, the prophet made aspeech for thousands of Moslim, through which hesaid,