Ana səhifə

The development of shiite political thought from shura to wilayat al-faqih


Yüklə 0.82 Mb.
səhifə8/22
tarix27.06.2016
ölçüsü0.82 Mb.
1   ...   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   ...   22

VERTICAL INHERITANCE

 

The Imamate Shiites believe that the Imamate extends in the offspring of Hussain only from the eldest to the next, as they believe also in the impossibility of transferring it to a brother or nephew or uncle or cousin.

They depended in this, on the verse “ And blood relations among each other have closer personal ties in the Decree of Allah” which is based on the same verse they depend on the Imamate of the children of his brother, Hassan or any other of his brothers or cousins or all the other people. It is the right of the children of Hussain only and none else. It will never leave them to other than them till the hour (of judgment). (18)

Kulayni has reported, so also Saduq, Mufid and Tusi, traditions from Imam Sadiq, which point to the law of vertical inheritance and the continuation of the Imamate till the day of resurrection. He said: “ The Imamate will not be in two brothers after Hassan and Hussain. But it will be in the off springs and off springs of off springs, and likewise to the day of resurrection.” (19)

 

 

 



THE CONTINUATION OF THE IMAMATE TO THE DAY OF RESURRECTION

 

With the rejection of the theory of Shura (consultation)—on the part of the philosophers of the theory of Divine Imamate as a way of electing the Imam, it became necessary to extend this theory (of Imamate) from the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to the day of Resurrection. It will not be confined to a specific period of time. Hence we have Hisham bin Hakam in his debate with Dirar saying. “ It is necessary that there must be in any period one possessing this attribute of infallibility till the hour (of judgment)”. (20)



Abu Basir has reported from Abu Jafar (Baqir), that he said while interpreting the following verse: “ O you who believe obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority…” they are the Imams from the off springs of Ali and Fatimah till the time of the Hour.”(21)

Ishaq bin Ghalib has reported from Abu Abdullah (Sadiq) in his sermon wherein he mentioned the qualities of the Imams and their attributes: “ Allah has chosen them for His creation from the children of Hussain, from the off springs of each (earlier) Imam, He chose them and is pleased with them …. So that whenever an Imam will pass away, He appoints for His creation from his offspring an Imam.” (22)

 

Sheikh Saduq has also said in the Introduction of his work ‘Ikmal al-Din’: “The purpose of citing the saying of the prophet (peace be upon him). “ The two (the Book and the Family) will never separate till they come together to the pond (of the Prophet)” is to establish the matter of Allah’s evidences to the day of resurrection, due to his statement of non-separation of the two till them come to the pond, similarly is his statement “ Their similitude is like that of the stars, whenever one disappears, another one appears till the day of resurrection” this is a confirmation of our statement that the earth will never be devoid of Allah’s evidence (Hujjah) for His creation.” (23)



It was also reported from Rida that he said: “ The first of those who learn lessons from the signs of Allah’ (al- Mutawassimin) was the Messenger of Allah, then the Commander of the faithful (Ali) after him, followed by Hassan, then Hussain and then the Imams from the children of Hussain till the day of resurrection.” (24)

It has also been reported from him, “The Imams are from the children of Ali and Fatimah to the end of time”  (25)

Imamate leadership) belonged to the Messenger of Allah (peace is upon him), who handed it over to Ali, by the command of Allah in a pattern ordained by Allah. So it became in his chosen offsprings, those bestowed with knowledge and faith…. So it will be in the children of Ali exclusively, till the day of Judgment.” (26)

Based on the above, there was no predetermined list of the names of the subsequent Imams. That was left to the vicissitudes of time to determine. There are a number of Hadiths that show that the Imams do not know those to succeed them before, but they only know that in the last moments of their life. In this regard Saffar reported from Imam Sadiq that he once said: “The previous Imam will not die till Allah makes known to him to whom he will pass the will (of Imamate)…” And the succeeding Imam will know his Imamate in the last moment of the life of the previous Imam.” (27)

In view of the lack of a predetermined list of names of the Imams beforehand, the Imamate Shiites considered the issue of identifying the new Imam of great importance. Saffar says: “Harath bin Mughirah once asked Imam Sadiq: “By what do we know the owner of the affairs (Imam)?" He answered, “By tranquility, humility, knowledge and will.” (28)

Kulayni says: “Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abi Nasr once asked Imam Rida, “If the Imam dies by what do we know the one to succeed him? He replied “The Imam has signs among which are: To be the eldest, to possess the will, and to go before the people and ask, to whom has so and so given the will? It will be said to so and so. And the weapon to us is like the ark to the children of Israel, Imamate will be wherever the weapon is. “In another narration, As for the knowledge of the (legal) matters there is no evidence on that.” (29)

Thus the Imamate Shiites used to ask the previous Imams on the identity of the succeeding Imams and used to insist on that. Many a times, the Imams refused them that knowledge.  (30)

 

WHAT SHOULD THE SHIITES DO WHEN IGNORANT OF THE IMAM (OF THE TIME)?

 

There are traditions that categorically declare the possibility of the Shiites not knowing the Imam, and it design for them what to do in such circumstances. Kulayni reported that a man once asked Abu Abdullah Saying: “ If it happens that I don’t find the Imam to follow that should I do? “ He replied, Love whom you love and hate whom you hate, till Allah cause him to appear.” (31)



Likewise Saduq has reported from Imam Sadiq that he said “ What will you do when you remain for a long period of your life, not knowing your Imam?” It was said: “ If that happens what shall we do? “ He replied, “ Hold onto the first one till he appears.” (32)

All of Kulayni, Saduq and Mufid have reported a tradition from Isa bin Abdullah Al- Alawi from Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Muhammad (peace be upon him) he said: “ I said to him “ May I be your ransom If you pass away, may Allah not show me that day—Whom should I follow (as Imam)? He pointed to Musa. I then said “If Musa passes away whom should I follow? He said, His son. “I said, “If his son passes away and left a big brother and a small son, whom should I follow (emulate)”? He replied “Follow his son, and in this manner, forever.” I said to him “If I do not know him nor his place what should I do? “He said: “You should say: O Allah I follow whoever remain of your evidences (Imams) from the children of the gone Imam, that will suffice you.” (33)

There is one other narration from Zurrarah bin A’yun, Ya’qub bin Shu'aib and Abd al-A’la, that once they asked Imam Sadiq. “ If something happens to the Imam, what should the people do?” He replied “They should be as Allah has said: “ Of every troop (group) of them, a party only should go forth that they (who are left behind) may get instructions in religion, and that they may warn their people, when they return to them, so that they may be aware (of evil).” I said, “What will be their condition.” He replied, “They are excused.” I then said, “May I be your ransom, what will be the condition of those waiting till the return of the learned? He said, “May Allah have mercy on you, were you not aware that there were 250 years between Muhammad and Isa (peace be upon him), some people died while confessing the religion of ‘ Isa (peace be upon him) and waiting for the religion of Muhammad, and so Allah gave them double reward.” I said, “We have set forth and some of our people die on the way.” He replied, “ And whosever leaves his home as an emigrant unto Allah and His Messenger and death overtakes him, his reward is then surely incumbent upon Allah….” I then said, “We then reached the city and we found the owner of the affairs (Imam) has closed his doors upon himself and has lowered his curtains…” He then said: “This affair is only through a clear evidence, i.e. when you enter the city, you shall say: “To whom did so and so pass his will (on Imamate)? They will reply: “To so-and -so.”  

 

SECRECY IN THE THEORY OF IMAMATE

 

We have seen in the previous chapter that the theory of Divine Imamate based on infallibility and text, was not widespread and was unknown in the midst of the Shiites and the members of the Prophets household themselves, in the first century of Hijrah. There was no sign of it in Madinah. It, in fact started underground from Kufah in the beginning of the second century. The theologians who started it were concealing it on the Prophet of the doctrine of ‘insinuation’ Taqiyyah and non-disclosure (Kitman)… Abu Jafar al-Ahwal nick named Mumin al-Taq, a well-known  theologian, and considered as a pioneer pillar of the theory, did admit that it was kept secret, and that even Zayd bin Ali was not aware of it. It surprised and also shocked him that Imam Sajjad did inform  ‘Mumin al-Taq’ of it, but did not inform of (that theory). (35)

Despite the claim of Mumin al-Taq, of the theory being attributed and linked to the members of the Prophet’s family, his statements do reveal the complete secrecy that surrounds the theory at the time of its inception in Kufah, to the extent that Zayd bin Ali bin Hussain was unaware of it, while he was in Madinah and in the laps of his father, and despite what he enjoyed of piety, knowledge, asceticism and the spirit of Jihad, even to the extent of his amazement when he heard the statement of Mumin al-Taq.

We have seen in the previous chapter, the clear denial of Imam Sadiq of the statement that the Imamate is imposed by Allah, which was reported by Kulayni in ‘Al- Kafi. Hence, the Imamate Shiites used to conceal and cover their statements, which they attribute to the Imams in layers of secrecy, Taqiyyah and concealment. They claim that the Imams were not disclosing these opinions to the general masses. They only mentioned them in private, and they advised that it should be maintained in that form of concealment. They considered these traditions difficult, and cannot be borne except by true and reliable believers. And that the punishment of anyone spreading it among the people is death by sword.” (36) 150

Muhammad bin Hassan Saffar has reported in his book, ‘Basa’ir al-Darajat’ a number of narrations being spread between the Imamate and extremist Shiites, in the necessity of secrecy and concealment, and the dangers of revealing and declaring (Secrets).

He wrote many chapters on that affair, and he narrated from Imam Baqir a statement to his companions: “If your tongues have ribbons (tied to them), I would have told each person what he has (of good or evil).” (37)

He (Saffar) also reported from Jabir bin Yazid Al- Ja’fari from Abu Abdullah who said: “ Our affair is secret in secret, and a concealed secret in a concealed secret, a secret that must remain a secret, a secret upon a secret, and a secret covered by a secret.” (38)

It has also been reported from Imam Sadiq his saying. “My father was a father far excellence. He used to say: “If I can get three people, to whom I will bestow knowledge as a trust, and they are qualified for that and deserve it.  I would have mention what need not to be researched in the legal and non-illegal matters, and what will become of it till the day of Resurrection…. Our traditions are very difficult, no one believe in them, save those whose heart have been tested in faith (Iman).” (39)

He also said: “ If not because of the fear that it will reach some people other than you, as part of it has already reached them, I would have given you a book, so that you will not need anyone till the custodian (qaim) appears.” And he also said: “I do not find the one to talk to…. If not because of that I would discuss something with a man among you, who would not leave. Madinah, except that his two eyes will be brought (he would be killed), for that I will say: “I will not say it.”(40)

Saffar also reported a narration from Abu Basir, who says in it, that he went to Imam Abu Abdullah to ask him on knowledge. He said I started by saying. “May I be your ransom I am asking about an issue, there is no one here who hears my statement.”? He said that Abu Abdullah raised the curtain between himself and another house; he looked inside it and then said, “ Ask what you wish.” This shows the seriousness of the secrecy of the tradition. (41)

The theory of Imamate initially was based on the knowledge of the Imams regarding the unseen (Al-Ghayb), as a way of establishing the relationship between the Imam and Allah. We have seen that in the debate between Hisham bin Hakam and the Syrian that Hisham claimed that Imam Sadiq told him of all that happened on his way from Syria to Muna. But Imam Sadiq has always denied having the knowledge of the Unseen. He said in very clear terms “ What a surprise for some people who claim that we know the Unseen. No one knows ‘al-Ghayb’ except Allah. I had intended to beat my housemaid so and so, but she left me, I do not know now in which house she is. This narration was transmitted by Sadir, Abu Basir Maisir, Yahya al-Bazzaz and Dawud al-Ruqiy, who say that Imam Sadiq came to them angrily, and then he denied the knowledge of the Unseen. Sadir has added to this narration that, he went to the Imam in the company of Abu Basir and Maisir after he has left his seat and has gone inside his house. They said to him secretly, “May we be your ransom, we heard you saying so and so on your housemaid, and we know that you have vast knowledge.” He said to them that, he has the knowledge of the Book. That the knowledge of this person in relation to the knowledge of the Imam is like a drop of rain water as compared to the great ocean.”(42)

We can also discern secrecy or insinuation (Taqiyyah) in another narration transmitted by Saif al-Tammar, where he says: “We were one day with Abu Abdullah as a group of Shiites from  'al- Hijr’ and he said: “ Is there any spy with us?” We then turned right and left but did no see anyone. We then said to him. “ There is no spy with us.” Then he continued: “ By the Lord of the Ka’bah and the Lord of the House (three times), if I were among Musa and Khidr, I would have told them I am more knowledgeable than them, and would have told them what would not be in their possession. This is because Musa and Khidr were given the knowledge of what had happened, but were not given the knowledge of what is going to happen to the day of Judgments. While the Messenger of Allah was given the knowledge of what happened and what is going to happen to the day of Resurrection, and we inherited it from the Messenger of Allah as inheritance. (43)

Despite the clear inconsistency in this tradition, which attributes the knowledge of the Unseen to Imam Sadiq, and which says at the same time that he initially asked of the presence of any spy around them, despite all this, it carries in it the meaning of secrecy contrary to what the Imam used to declare.

The Imamate Shiites termed this kind of act as ‘Taqiyyah' so as to interpret the phenomenon of contradiction and inconsistency between the statements of the Imams from the Prophet’s family (Ahl al- Bayt) and their open day-to-day behavior, which was based on Shura and natural knowledge, and between the claim of divine Imamate, based on a text, appointment and divine knowledge of the unseen, which the Imamate Shiites were secretly attributing to the members of the Prophet’s family. As the members of the Prophet’s family vehemently denied such statements attributed to them, the Imamate Shiites and the esoteric (Batini) sects generally interpret their statements, and hold onto their claims contrary to these denials under the pretext of strong Taqiyyah.’

It is well known that Imam Sadiq did curse one of the extremists, who claimed divine nature for him. He dissociated himself from him. The name of that person was, Abu al-Khattab, the leader of Khattabiyyah set. When the Shiites told him of the position of the Imam regarding his belief, he interpreted the statement, saying that he was only referring to another man in Basrah called Qatadah al-Basri nicknamed Abu al-Khattab. When the Imam expressed whom he meant saying: “By Allah I meant none other than Muhammad bin Miqlas bin Abi Zaynab, the leper the servant of Banu Asad”, Abu al- Khattab said: “Surely Abu Abdullah intended by cursing us openly, cursing our opponents, in secret.” He interpreted Allah’s statement: “ As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working in the sea. So I wished to make a defective damage in it, as there was a king behind them who seized every ship by force.” Kahf, as meaning that the ship stands for Abu al- Khattab and the poor people being his companions, and the king behind them connotes Isa bin Musa the Abbasid.” (44)

Due to the above it became obligatory to maintain ‘Taqiyyah’ as a condation for the continuation of the Imamate theory and for linking it to the members of the Prophet’s family.

 

 

 



REFERENCES

 

1.      1.      Baqir Sharif al-Qurashi: Hayat al-Imam Musa bin Ja’far’ vol.1P. 111 Sadr: Al-Shi’ah al- Imamiyyah, P. 126



2.      2.      Ashari: Al Maqalat wa al-firaq, p.17

3.      3.      Mufid: Al –Masail al-Jaroudiyyah/ A number of letters, P. 166

4.      4.      ibid. P.6

5.      5.      Al-Shafi, vol. 2, p.128

6.      6.      Mufid: Al-Fusul al-Mukhtarah, P.262 Tusi: Al-Ghaybah, P.16, Talkis al- Shafi, vol.4, P.192

7.      7.      Mufid: Al- Irshad, PP. 278 –279 Al- Hilli: Nahj al-Haqq P. 168

8.      8.      Mufid: Al- Rasa'il al-Ashr P. 169, Al-Thaqaan/ A number of letters, P. 180

9.      9.      Murtada: Al-Shafi, Vol. 3, P. 146

10.  10.  Al- Karajiki: Al-Istinsar, P. 3, Printed in the Alawite Publishing House in Najaf al- Ashraf, 1346 A.H, from a manuscript copy existing since seven centuries in the library of Mirza Muhammad Hassan al- Shirazi, in Samirra’i. It was attached to another book on the same subject by the name of: ‘Muqtadab al- Athar Fi al- Nass ala al-A’imah al-Ithna’ Ashar’ by Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Hassan bin ‘Iyash bin Ibrahim bin Ayyub, Abu Abdullah al- Jauhari, D. 401 A.H).

11.  11.  Mufid: Al- Thaqalan, P. 10

12.  12.   Khazzaz: Kifayah al- Athar, P. 246 Saduq: Ikmal al-Din, P 416

13.  13.  ‘Iyashi. Al-Tafsir, Vol. 2P, 291

14.  14.  ibid. Vol.2 P, .72

15.  15.  Saduq: Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, Vol. 2, P .82

16.  16.  Saduq: Ikmal al-Din P. 120

17.  17.  Ali bin Babawaih Saduq: Al- Imamah wa al- Tabsirah Min al- Hayrah, P. 177

18.  18.  Mufid: Al-Rasail al- Ashr, Summarised from his statements on Zaydites, P. 157

19.  19.  Kulayni: Al- Kafi, Vol. 1. P. 286 and Mufid: Al- Irshad, P. 289 and Saduq: Ikmal al- Din, P. 414 and Tusi: Al: Al-Ghaybah’ P. 118

20.  20.  Saduq: Ilal al- Shara i.e. P. 203, Chapter 155

21.  21.  Saduq: Ikmal al-Din P. 222

22.  22.  Kulayni: Al- Kafi, Vol. 1 P. 204

23.  23.  Saduq: op. cit, P. 204

24.  24.  Saduq: op. cit, P. 245

25.  25.  Saduq: Uyun al- Akhbar, vol. 2, P 131 and Ataridi: Musnad al- Rida, P 108

26.  26.  Saduq: op cit, vol. 1, P 261

27.  27.  Saffar: Basair al- Darajat, pp, 473-474 and pp. 477-478

28.  28.  ibid, vol-1 pp 489, and Ibn Babawaih: Al-Imamah wa al- Tabsirah min al- Hayrah, P. 226

29.  29.  Kulayni: Al-Kafi, Vol. 1 P. 284 and Saduq:  Al- Khisal, P. 116

30.  30.  Saffar, op. cit, P. 236 & 239

31.  31.  Kulayni, up. Cit Vol. 1, P 342

32.  32.  Saduq: Ikmal al- Din, P. 348, 350, 351

33.  33.  Kulayni, op. cit vol. 1 Page 86 and Saduq, op. cit P. 350, Mufid: Al- Irshad, P. 289.

34.  34.  Iyashi: Al- Tafsir, vol. 2, PP117-118 and Ali bin Babawih: Al- Imamah wa al- Tabsirah min al-Hayrah, P.226 and Saduq, op. cit. p. 75

35.  35.  Kulayni, op. cit, vol.1, p. 174 Al-Tibrisi: Al- Ihtijaj, Vol. 2, p 141

36.  36.  Kulayni: Raudah al-Kafi, P. 10

37.  37.  Saffar: Basair al Darajat, P. 422

38.  38.  ibid. , P 28

39.  39.  ibid, p. 478

40.  40.  ibid., p, 479

41.  41.  ibid, p. 152

42.  42.  ibid., p 213

43.  43.  ibid,. P.129

44.  44.  Ash’ari: Al- Maqalat wa al-Firaq P.55

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

THE THEORY OF IMAMATE IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES

 

 



 CRITIQUE OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF INFALLIBILITY

 

 Immediately the theory of divine Imamate was born it faced a series of challenges, which put it to the litmus test. Those challenges establish its impossibility. On the one hand, the doctrine of infallibility (‘Ismah), upon which it is based, was a new theory, rejected by the members of the Prophets family and the generality of the Shiites.



That was because the philosophy of infallibility was based on the principle of absolute obedience of those in authority, with little or no room for relativity in this regard, like refuting a statement of the Imam or disobeying him in vices and in what is not permissible, as long as he commands so, or withholding him when his disobedience (fisq) is evident.

This was the same principle that was championed by the impious rulers of the Umayyads, who pressed the Muslims on the basis of that, to obey them in absolute terms in good and evil. This was what led the Imamate Shiite philosophers to inconsistency and contradiction, between the necessity of obeying Allah, the exalted, who commands us to obey also those in authority in the glorious verse “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you…” and the necessity of obeying the rulers in absolute terms even in vices and the impermissible. (1)

It has been established that the verse should be conceived in absolute terms, which can also be understood in relative terms. In fact, this latter opinion is what can be grasped and established on the basis of customs, reason and other Quranic verses, which emphasizes the principle of “ there is no obedience to the created in what involves the disobedience of the creator.”

Even though the verse of ‘those in authority’ applies to the rulers being appointed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in his life, the early Muslims, did not believe that it is in absolute terms, including their obedience even in what involves evil and disobedience. A group of Muslims did refuse to obey a man appointed to head an expedition by the Prophet (peace be upon him), when he ordered the group to enter the fire he has kindled, and demanded from them to obey him. And they said to him, ‘we have escaped from fire, how can we enter it again? They understood obedience to be within the limits of custom, common sense and the law, and not outside them. They returned and narrated what happened to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he confirmed them on their rational stand. He warned them also saying: “If you had entered it, you would have remained in it (forever).”

This further supports the possibility of understanding Quranic verses in relative terms, within the limits of reason, what is known, the life history of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the law, and the impermissibility of understanding them always in absolute terms, even in cases where that contradicts other injunctions, rational or legal.

If absoluteness is lacking and relativity is established in obeying those in authority’, then there will be no need for making the infallibility (Ismah) of the Imam a condition. It will be possible for the Muslims to choose their leader, on the basis of apparent justice, piety and the ability to implement for them the religion, and to command the right and prohibit the wrong. If and when this leader will deviate, they have the right to disobey him, and reject his commands, and even outing him from the post of Imamate. Allah will not impose his obedience on them.

However, the Imamate Shiite theologians have totally rejected the theory of relativity, and they insist on the idea of absoluteness in the verse mentioned above. Due to this, they build their idea of ismah (infallibility) on this foundation. They later established all their other doctrines on the basis of infallibility. (2)

 

1   ...   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   ...   22


Verilənlər bazası müəlliflik hüququ ilə müdafiə olunur ©atelim.com 2016
rəhbərliyinə müraciət