Imamate and Nahjul Balagha : A perspective

There
is a famous tradition from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) recorded by both -
the Shias and the Ahle Sunnah traditionalists-

'One who dies without recognizing the Imam of
his time, dies the death of ignorance.'

This means that even if a person accepts and conforms to all
the Islamic beliefs and puts in practice all the edicts, but dies without
recognizing the Imam of his time, his death will be on ignorance and apostasy.
Such a person is condemned to eternal Hellfire regardless of his deeds in
this world. This is because good deeds will only benefit a person provided
his beliefs are correct, as espoused by the Quran and traditions. Hence, any
person, who wants to secure himself from the raging fire of hell, should necessarily
possess the recognition of the Imam of his time and not simply rely on his
worship and virtuous deeds.

Two Kinds Of Imams:

The Holy Quran has mentioned two types of leaders (Imams). The first type
is the one who leads the people towards Hell. Allah declares in Surah Qasas:
41,

'And We made them Imams who call to the Fire,
and on the Day of Resurrection they shall not be assisted.'

It means that the end of the one who accepts such an Imam
will be in Hell.

The second group of Imams guides the people by Allah's command. Surah Sajdah:
24 points out

'And We made of them Imams to guide by Our command
when they were patient, and they were certain of Our communications.'

'Say: Is there any of your associates who guides
to the truth? Say: Allah guides to the truth. Is He then Who guides to the
truth more worthy to be followed, or he who himself does not go aright unless
he is guided?

What then is the matter with you; how do you judge?'

(Surah Yunus : 35)

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) has described the characteristics of both kinds of Imams
in his orations. 'The reality of people is not understood by their names but
by the pattern of their behavior and mannerisms. Just as clothes hide the
defects of the body, external manners cloak the defects of the soul. A connection
of the soul is a necessity between the Imam and the follower. If a person
(i.e. Imam) is not pious in his own heart, he will not be able to guide his
followers towards piety and servitude. Hence if we desire Heaven and want
to safeguard our eternal life from the chastisement of the Hellfire, then
we have to search for an Imam whose inner and outer selves both are complete
manifestations of divine command. Such an Imam must necessarily be adorned
with piety completely, i.e. must be an infallible.

We will discuss the characteristics of the Imam of Hellfire and the Imam who
guides to the truth, in the light of the sermons of Hazrat Ali (a.s.).

The Imam of the Hellfire:

'...certainly, the worst man before Allah is
the oppressive Imam who has gone astray and through whom others go astray.
He destroys the accepted Sunnah and revives abandoned innovations. I heard
the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) predict -On the Day of Judgement the oppressive
Imam will be brought without anyone to support him or anyone to advance excuses
on his behalf, and then he will be thrown into Hell, where he will rotate
as the hand-mill rotates. Then eventually he will be
confined to its hollow.'

(NahjulBalagha, Sermon 164, vol. 1, pg. 608-609, Ansariyan Publications)

An oppressor is not only the one who usurps the rights of others and persecutes
others. The Quran declares,

'...and whoever exceeds the limits of Allahthese
it is that are the unjust.'(Surah
Baqarah : 229)

These include those disobedient of Allah's commands, who have violated His
edicts and exceeded His limits. The Quran further proclaims,

'and whoever did not judge by what Allah revealed,
those are they that are the unjust.'

' (Surah Maidah : 45)

If somebody makes additions to the religion or forbids an obligation, he has
violated the divine command which tantamounts to injustice.

Therefore, any person who has not been appointed an Imam by Allah and he claims
this position for himself, he has transgressed the limits of Allah and has
disregarded Allah's orders. He is a tyrannical and an oppressive leader, whose
end has been described above in Hazrat All's (a.s.) sermon.

Indeed the Holy Quran condemns even those people as oppressors who befriend
such persons -

'...and whoever makes friends with them, these
are the unjust.'

(Surah Mumtahenah : 9)

Imam of light and guidance:

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) outlines the characteristics of the just and rightly guided
Imam,

'You should know that among the creatures of
Allah, the most distinguished person before Allah is the just Imam who has
been guided (by Allah) and guides others. So, he stands by the recognised
ways of the Prophet's (s.a.w.a.) behaviour (Sunnah) and destroys the innovations.
The (Prophet's (s.a.w.a.)) ways are clear and they have signs, while innovations
are also clear and they too have signs.'

(NahjulBalagha, Sermon 164, vol. 1, pg. 608, Ansariyan Publications)

In another sermon, Hazrat Ali (a.s.) declares, 'Certainly
the Imams are the vicegerents of Allah over His creatures and they introduce
Allah to His creatures. None will enter Paradise except he who recognises
them (Imams) and knows Allah, and no one will enter Hell except he who rejects
them and denies Him.

(Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 152, vol. 1, pg. 554, Ansariyan Publications)

He elaborates on this further,

'0 my Allah! You know that it was neither our
(Ahle Bait) objective to seek power, nor to acquire anything from the treasures
of the world. Rather we wanted to restore the signs of Your religion and to
spread prosperity into Your cities so that the oppressed among Your creatures
may be safe and Your forsaken commands could be established. 0 my Allah! I
am the first who was inclined (towards Thee) and who heard and responded (to
the call of Islam).

No one preceded me in prayer except the Prophet (s. a. w. a.).'

'You certainly know that he who is in charge of honour, life, booty, (enforcement
of) legal commands and the leadership of the Muslims should not be a miser
as his greed would aim at their wealth. Similarly he should not be ignorant
as he would then mislead them with his ignorance, nor should he be rude as
he would estrange them with his rudeness.

He should not be unjust in distributing wealth by preferring one group to
another, nor should he accept bribes while taking decisions, as he would forfeit
the rights of some and decree without decisiveness, nor should he

ignore the Sunnah as he would ruin the people.

(Nahjul Balagha, Sermon 131, vol. 1, pg. 496, Ansariyan Publications)

By
referring to these brilliant sermons, it becomes abundantly clear that the
leader and Imam who possesses the following characteristics can alone guide
the people towards the truth.

1. Heisguided.

2. He guides others towards the true path.

3. He enlivens the Sunnah.

4. He destroys innovations.

5. His recognition is the cause of deliverance for the people.

6. His rejection is the cause of eternal chastisement.

7. He does not desire worldly power and authority.

8. He does not crave for the treasures of the world.

9. He makes manifest the signs of religion.

10. He establishes peace and tranquility in Allah's cities.

11. He provides shelter to His oppressed servants.

12. He revives the forgotten commands.

13. He is not a miser.

14. He is not ignorant.

15. His traits and mannerisms are not evil and wicked.

16. He is not a coward.

17. He is not a corrupt.

18. He does not destroy the Sunnah.

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) highlights the above points in another sermon,

'Certainly, there is no obligation on the Imam
except what has been devolved on him from Allah, namely to convey warnings,
to exhort and advice, to revive the Sunnah, enforce penalties on those

liable and issue shares to the deserving.'

(NahjulBalagha, Sermon 105, vol. 1, pg. 400, Ansariyan Publications)

The Ahle Bait (a.s.):

If we search for the characteristics of the rightly guided Imam, we find that
these traits are present only in the pure and infallible members of the Ahle
Bait (a.s.). Hazrat Ali (a.s.) exhorts,

'Look at the people of the Prophet's (s.a.w.a.)
family - Ahle Bait (a.s.). Adhere to their direction. Follow their footsteps
because they will never misguide you, and never throw you into destruction.
If they sit down, you too must sit down, and if they rise, you also rise.
Do not go ahead of them, as you will go astray and do not

lag behind them, as you will be ruined.

(NahjulBalagha, Sermon 97, vol. 1, pg. 378, Ansariyan Publications)

"Where
are those people who have lied and have tormented us and have deceitfully
claimed that they are 'the ones firmly rooted in knowledge' and not us? (They
lie against us and covet over position) because Allah, the All-Merciful has
exalted our status and has made them inferior to us. He has conferred upon
us an eminence from which He prevented them from surpassing us. He allowed
us entry to the transcendental sphere of divine revelation, which He denied
them. Remember that guidance could be acquired and ignorance could be dispelled
through us only. Undoubtedly the Imams shall be from the Quraish, from the
Bani Hashim. This divine appointment has been made for this august progeny,
and none else deserves this sublime and sacred rank.'

(NahjulBalagha, Sermon 144, vol. 1, pg. 528, Ansariyan Publications)

These
assertive and decisive statements make it abundantly clear that the rightful
possessors of Imamat and Caliphate are the Ahle Bait (a.s.). No one else is
deserving of this honour and station. Only the Ahle Bait (a.s.) can direct
the people to the path of guidance and lead them to paradise. If somebody
considers a person other than them as his leader, guide and Imam, he has deviated
and is far from guidance.

When
Hazrat Ali (a.s.) appointed Janab Mohammad ibn Abi Bakr as governor of Egypt,
he (a.s.) wrote a letter to him in which he said:

'The leader towards guidance, and tlie leader
towards destruction, the friend and the enemy of the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.), can never be

alike.'

(NahjulBalagha,
Letter No. 27, vol. 2, pg. 314, Ansariyan Publications)

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) has tried to awaken the consciousness of man with this powerful
statement. The statement appeals to the people to open their eyes and refer
to their intellects and then decide with deep reflection - Are the leaders
of guidance and the path bearers to paradise equal to the guides towards the
hell fire and darkness? Never! Awaken and decide for yourselves.

Chain of guidance:

It is crystal clear that Imamat is the exclusive right of the Ahle Bait (a.s.)
and anyone who claims this right for himself/themselves is a liar and an oppressor.
There is a well-known tradition from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) widely narrated
by all scholars and traditionalists in their books. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
prophesied,

'This nation will have twelve leaders and guides
and all of them will be from the Quraish. The one who leaves them will not
harm them.' (i.e. the one who has distanced himself will be among the losers,
because his death will be that of ignorance).

(Musnad-e-Ahmad b. Hanbal, vol.5, pg. 312)

The
tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) clearly highlights that there will
only be twelve Imams till the Day of Judgement and all these leaders will
be from the tribe of Quraish. Within the Quraish, the Imams will be from Bani
Hashim. From the traditions mentioned above we conclude that after the demise
of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) till the Day of Resurrection, this nation will
have twelve Imams and all of them will be from Bani Hashim.

Regarding the tradition from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) -

"I leave among you two weighty things (Saqalain),
the Book of Allah and my progeny',

Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was asked - Who is the progeny? He (a.s.) replied:

Hasan
(a.s.), Husain (a.s.) and the nine Imams (a.s.) from the progeny of Husain
(a.s.), of whom the ninth one will be the Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) and the Qaim (a.t.f.s.).
Neither will they separate from the Book of Allah nor will the Book of Allah
separate from them, till they meet the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) at the
Pool ofKausar.'

(Kamaluddin,
vol.1, pg. 240-241)

Aamir
b. Kasir asked Hazrat Ali (a.s.): 0 Ameerul
Momineen (a.s.)! You have made us aware of the guides of disbelief and the
caliphs of evil, now introduce to us the guides of truth and the real guides
after you.' Hazrat Ali (a.s.) informed him,

'Yes, surely it is the promise of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) to me that this
religion will have twelve Imams and leaders, nine of whom will be from the
progeny of Husain (a.s.). The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) has narrated,
'When I went to the heavens for Meraj, I saw written on the pillar of the
Arsh-

'There is no god except Allah, Muhammad (s.a.w.a.) is His Messenger, and I
have aided him through Ali (a.s.) and I have helped him through Ali (a.s.)'

And I saw twelve Lights. I asked: 0 My Lord! Whose lights are these ?

The reply was -

These lights are of Imams from your progeny.

Then I (Ali (a.s.)) asked:

0 Messenger of Allah, will you not tell me their names?'

The Holy Prophet replied,

'Yes, certainly. You are Imam and Caliph after me, you will repay my debts
and fulfill my promises. After you will be your two sons, Hasan

(a.s.)
and Husain (a.s.), and after Husain (a.s.) will be his son Ali - Zainul Abedeen
(a.s.), after All (a.s.) will be his son Muhammad (a.s.) whose title is Baqir.
After Muhammad (a.s.) will follow his son Jafar (a.s.) whose title is Sadiq.
After Jafar (a.s.), will be his son Moosa (a.s.) whose title is Kazim. After
Moosa (a.s.), will be his son Ali (a.s.) whose title is Reza. After Ali, his
son Muhammad (a.s.) will succeed him and his title is Zaki. After Muhammad
(a.s.) will follow his son Ali (a.s.) whose title is Naqi. After Ali (a.s.)
will come his son Hasan (a.s.) whose title is Ameen and Askari. After him
will be the son of Hasan (a.s.), Qaim (a.t.f.s.), whose name will be my name
and who will bear maximum similarity with me. He will fill the earth with
justice and equity as it would have been filled with oppression and injustice.'

There
isn't just one tradition like this. We find several traditions on these lines
and the number goes up to 20. For instance, Hazrat Ali (a.s.) recounts from
the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who has categorically stated that from the time
of his (s.a.w.a.) death till the Day of Qiyamat there will only be twelve
Imams, and then each has been mentioned by his name.

The entire arrangement was made so that people would know that Allah and His
Prophet (s.a.w.a.) had already selected the Imams. It was not that anyone
could be an Imam according to the wishes of the Islamic nation. It was not
that an Imam who was supposed to follow his father in the chain of Imamat,
died in his father's lifetime, leaving the chain of Imamat suspended until
the people appointed the deceased's son as the Imam in his place.

All the above traditions, were narrated when Janabe Ismail b. Jafar Sadiq
was not even bom. The list of Imams (a.s.) narrated by the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
and Hazrat Ali (a.s.) does not show Janabe Ismail's name. Therefore, if he
was never destined to be an Imam then where does the question of usurping
his Imamat arise?

Another thing that is evident is that the twelve Imams (a.s.) enumerated in
the prophetic tradition mentions the first Imam as Hazrat Ali (a.s.) and the
twelfth and last Imam as Hazrat Wali-e-Asr (a.t.f.s.), who is the Imam of
our time and is alive on this earth today and is amongst us but we are deprived
of his meeting due to our sins and disobedience.

Asbagh b. Nubata (r.a.) a very reliable companion of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) narrates,
'I presented myself before Hazrat Ali (a.s.). I saw that he was engrossed
in some thought and marking with his blessed finger on the earth. I queried,
'0 Ameerul Momineen (a.s.)! What is the matter, I find you today in some perplexity,
making signs on the earth, do you love this earth? He (a.s.) replied:

"I swear by Allah that it is not so. I
have never befriended this world, rather I was reflecting about that son,
the eleventh one from my progeny. He is the Mahdi (a.t.f.s.), who will fill
the earth with justice and equity as it was filled with injustice and tyranny.
There is an occupation for him in which some people will be deviated while
others will be guided.

(Kamaluddin, vol. 1, pg. 288-297, A'laamul Wara, pg. 400)

How
clearly Hazrat Ali (a.s.) has described and illuminated the chain of guidance
and Imamat. Who could be more unfortunate and wretched that despite such a
clear and illumined chain of guidance and Imamat, rejects it for those deviated
guides who have usurped Hazrat Ali's (a.s.) right? Those who have harassed
and persecuted Janabe Zehra (s.a.), burned down her door and waged war against
her husband - the rightful Imam and celebrated on his martyrdom and were the
main protagonists of the incident of Karbala. Their sons killed Imam Husain
(a.s.) in Karbala, they made captives the Ahle Bait (a.s.) and martyred them
one after the other.

Their lives were devoid of Islamic teachings, they opposed the Quranic commands
secretly and publicly, they were steeped in sins and prohibited acts and abandoned
the religious obligations completely. They were prisoners of their carnal
desires and neglected the hereafter and in this manner deprived themselves
of guidance. Then how was it possible for them to guide others?

Guidance has only one path and that path is the way of Hazrat Ali b. Abi Talib
(a.s.), finally terminating in Imam Mahdi (a.t.f.s.) who is the Imam today.
There is no other path leading to true guidance and there is no other guarantee
for success and happiness in the world and the hereafter.

We end this discussion with the declaration of Hazrat Ali (a.s.) inviting
everyone to leave aside prejudices and rise above personal interests, to purify
the intellect and consciousness, to decide about one's own end, lest the coming
of the Angel of Death finds us perplexed and uncertain. Today there is time
and tomorrow could be too late. Our decision will take us either to Paradise
or to Hell. Let us not spoil our hereafter for this fleeting world.

'Observe this world, which you desire, towards
which you move with desire and proximity, which sometimes angers you and at
other times makes you happy. It is neither your actual abode nor the station
for which you were created, nor is it the place towards which you are invited.'

'Take lesson, for it is not going to remain for you, nor are
you in it forever. If it has beguiled you with its charm then it has also
made you fearful with its wickedness. Do not be influenced by its scare and
do not seek it greedily out of its fear.'

'Advance towards that abode towards which you have been invited and turn your
hearts away from this world. None of you should lament like maids on deprivation
of a thing of this world. Be patient on the obedience of Allah and wish for
the completion of the bounties by safeguarding that which has been commanded
by our Book to be safeguarded.'

'Pay heed, if you have safeguarded your religious
beliefs then loss of anything of this world will not harm you. And if you
have wasted and destroyed your religion then none of the worldly things, which
you have safeguarded, can bring you any benefit.'

(Nahjul Balagah, Sermon 173, vol. 1, pg. 644, Ansariyan Publications)

May
Allah turn our hearts towards truth and give us the blessing of patience!

absence and must re-affirm our pledge with him.