Sunni Feedback on The Issues of Infallibility and Ahulbayt [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Necessity of the Existence of Imam al-Mahdi (AS)
This article addresses the necessity of the existence of the Representative
of Allah on the earth at any time.

The opponents of Shia protest
that although Shia consider the Imam necessary in order to expound
the injunctions and verities of religion and to guide the people,
the occultation of the Imam is the negation of this very purpose,
for an Imam in occultation who cannot be reached by mankind cannot
be in any way beneficial or effective.

The opponents argue that
if God wills to bring forth an Imam to reform mankind, He is able
to create him at the necessary moment and does not need to create
him thousands of years earlier.

In answer to this, it must be said that such people have not really
understood the meaning of the Imam, for the duty of the Imam is
not only the explanation of the religious sciences and external
guidance of the people.

In the same way that he has the duty of
guiding men outwardly, the Imam also bears the function of Walayah
and the internal guidance of human.

The divinely appointed Imam
directs human's spiritual life and orients the inner aspect of
human action toward God.

Clearly, his physical presence or absence
has no effect in this matter.

Imam is the representative of Allah
(Khalifatullah) on the earth, and is His vice-regent.

He is the
connection between the heavens and the earth, and is appointed
by Allah as the intermediate for the rest of creatures.

His existence
is always necessary even if the time has not as yet arrived for
his outward appearance and the universal reconstruction that he
is to bring about.

Let me provide an example to clarify this delicate issue.

Any
human needs blood to continue his life, and the existence of blood
is necessary in every single moment of life.

This need is NOT,
in anyway, independent of God.

He is God who has created this
need for human, and He is the one who has fulfilled it.

Similarly
the function of Imam over the rest of creatures is NOT independent
of God.

He was Allah who created this need for the universe and
He was Allah who has fulfilled it.

Allah (SWT) wished the inhabitants
of the earth not to be able to live without the existence of His
representative on the earth, the same way that Allah wished our
body not to be able to survive without blood.

Notice that in the
above examples, both Imam and blood are no more than the creation
of Allah.

A divinely appointed Imam is a human, but being human does not
mean that he could not have any authority over other human by
the permission of Allah.

The closer the human is to Allah, the
more authority he will have.

Closeness to Allah is obtained through
obedience and piety.

When one reaches that level of perfection,
he does not desire anything except Allah's orders.

Imam is not
divine, but he is fully supported by divine power.

He has been
given authority as the Quranic verses below testifies.

This authority
has come from Allah and is also controlled by Allah.

Another example would be to consider a company with a president
and some managers and employees.

The one who is closer to the
president (in his position or any other aspects) has more authority
than the others.

This authority is given and is controlled by
the president at any time.

This authority is not in parallel with
the authority of president, and remains as long as the president
wishes to.

The authorized person does not feel independence and
can not do anything against the order of the president, otherwise
the position will be taken away from him.

The president has appointed
that person to carry out a task.

Similarly, a divinely appointed Imam is NOT considered a parallel
power beside Allah, and his authority is NOT independent of Allah
since Allah does NOT relinquish His Majesty and Sovereignty to
ANYONE.

If He gives His righteous Servant a certain power or authority,
He will still have control over that individual.

Quran testifies
that Allah has ASSIGNED some Imams with authority to guide mankind:

And We assigned them Imams who guide by our authority
and We have inspired in them the doing of good deeds.

(Quran
21:73)
Also:

And We appointed from among them some Imams who guide
by our authority since they were patient and believed firmly
in Our Signs.

(Quran 32:24)
Moreover, on the commentary of Quranic verse: And lo! verily
I am Forgiving toward him who repents and believes and does good
deeds, and afterward he accept guidance [20:82], Ibn Hajar
mentioned that it is narrated from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS)
as well as Thabit al-Lubnani that, the end of verse means he
is guided to the Wilayah of the Ahlul-Bayt.

(al-Sawa'iq
al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch.
11, section 1, p235).

Allah, Exalted, also said:

O' you who believe! Obey Allah, and Obey Apostle and those
from among you who are given authority (by Allah).

(Quran 4:59)
Who are those Imams whom Allah gave them authority and are to
be obeyed beside the Prophet?

The above verses of Quran prove beyond doubt that a divinely appointed
Imam has authority and he guides.

The authority of Imam is not
restricted over a group of people but also covers every other
creatures (see Quran 36:12 which uses the word Imam for keeping
the account of everything).

Again, this authority is controlled
by Allah.

Allah also said in Quran:

(O' Muhammad!) You are but a Warner, and for every community
there exists a Guide.

(Quran 13:7).

Prophet Muhammad was a Warner, and the Imams of his Ahlul-Bayt
were each a Guide for the people of their time.

In fact, the following
Sunni commentators of Quran narrated that the word Guide
in the above verse was Imam Ali (AS):

Tafsir al-Tabari, v13, p72;

Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Razi, on the commentary of verse
13:7
Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor, by al-Suyuti, under verse 13:7
of Quran
Kanz al-Ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v6, p157
Noor al-Absar, by al-Shablanji, p70
Kunooz al-Haqa'iq, by al-Manawi, p42.

If there should be a Guide for each time, as the verse 13:7 testifies,
then my question is: Who is this guide today? There should be
an alive Imam in every instant of time, in order the above verses
make sense.

This is another proof for the fact that Imam al-Mahdi
(AS) is alive.

Moreover, Allah said:

That which is spared by Allah (on the earth) is better for you
if you are believers.

(Quran 11:86)

The above verse is another proof for the fact that there exists
one individual at each era who is spared by Allah (Baqiyyatullah)
on the earth to maintain the cause of faith and he is the Imam
of that age, and this position was never vacated so long as the
earth carries even one human being.

This, in fact, is a doctrine of Shia Muslims that a Proof
(Hujjah) of Allah should always exist on earth for earth
to continue its function as a living place for human being.

It
is NOT that Hujjah is god or life-giver, rather it is because
Allah has created the world for the best of His servants.

The
best of Allah's creation is the one who is the most obedient to
him at each time.

Other creatures are considered to be secondary
objects in the sight of Allah.

Besides, there are traditions stating
that if it happens that there exists only one human on the earth,
he is the Proof (Hujjah) of Allah.

This implies that
Allah never left the human on the earth without His representative.

At the time of the prophets, the Hujjah were the prophets.

Now
that there will be no prophet after Prophet Muhammad, the Hujjah
is his living Ahlul-Bayt at each era till the day of resurrection.

The necessity of the existence of a Hujjah on the earth follows
that this world will end when the last Imam passes away.

Beside what we quoted from Quran, let us quote some traditions
from Sunni sources to support the above assertions.

Ahmad Ibn
Hanbal and many others narrated:

The Messenger of Allah said: The stars are amnesty for
the inhabitants of the heavens, and if the stars go away (i.
e.
,
become non-existent), the inhabitants of the heavens will be destroyed.

And my Ahlul-Bayt are amnesty for the inhabitants of the earth,
and if my Ahlul-Bayt go away (i.
e.
, all die), the inhabitants
of the earth will be destroyed.

Sunni references:

Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p671, Tradition
#1145
Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, p14
Manaqib Ahmad, and many more such as al-Tabarani, etc.

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch.
11,
section 1, p234
Musnad, Abu Ya'ala, on the authority of Salama Ibn Awka' in
which the wording is: The stars are amnesty for the inhabitants
of the heavens, and my Ahlul-Bayt are the amnesty for my Ummah.

Also:

The Messenger of Allah said: The stars help prevent the
inhabitants of the earth from being drowned, and my Ahlul-Bayt
are the protectors of my community against disputes (in religious
matters).

Therefore, whichever groups among the Arabs opposes
my Ahlul-Bayt, shall be split up by dissensions and will become
(a party of) Satan.

Sunni reference:

al-Mustadrak, by al-Hakim, v3, p149, who said this tradition
is authentic (Sahih).

al-Tabarani, quoting Ibn Abbas
Also in al-Manaqib Ahmad, as quoted by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari.

al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch.
11,
section 1, p234

Ibn Hajar mentioned the above two traditions as well as many other
similar ones under the commentary of the following Quranic verse:

It is not for Allah to punish them while you are among
them.

(Quran 8:33)
Then Ibn Hajar comments that: Ahlul-Bayt are amnesty for
the inhabitant of the earth the same as the Messenger of Allah
was amnesty for them.

In the next page, after mentioning
a tradition from Sahih Muslim which states that after the end
of government of Justice in the last days, just before the day
of resurrection Allah sends a wind which takes the souls of all
the believers and only wrong-doers will remain when the earthquakes
of hour of resurrection occurs.

Then Ibn Hajar comments:

To my opinion, it probably refers to the Ahlul-Bayt, since Allah
created this world for the sake of the Prophet, and has made its
existence conditional to the existence of his Ahlul-Bayt for they
have certain virtues in common with the Prophet as Fakhr al-Razi
mentioned, and because the Messenger of Allah said on their virtue
that: O Allah! They are from me and I am from them
since they are a part of him as their mother, Fatimah, was a part
of him.

Thus they (Ahlul-Bayt) are also amnesty for the earth
(similar to what the above verse establishes for the Prophet himself).

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch.
11,
section 1, p234
In another tradition, it is narrated that:

The holy Prophet was asked: What would be the condition
of the people after the Ahlul-Bayt, and he replied: Their
condition will be like that of an ass whose spine is fractured.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, p143
These traditions, therefore, leave no room for any doubt regarding
to existence of Ahlul-Bayt in each era, and that the Imam of the
time, Imam al-Mahdi (AS), is alive.

Now look at the following
tradition:

The Messenger of Allah said: Regard the Ahlul-Bayt among
you as the head to the body, or the eyes to the face, for the
face is only guided by the eyes.

Sunni references:

Is'af al-Raghibeen, by al-Saban
al-Sharaf al-Mua'abbad, by Shaikh Yusuf al-Nabahani, p31,
by more than one authority

Also the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said:

In every generation of my followers there are going
to be just and righteous members of my Ahlul-Bayt to counteract
the alterations and corruption's which the misguided people will
try to make in my religion, to remove the false allegations of
the untruthful and contradict the misinterpretations of the ignorant.

Be aware! Your Imam shall be your representative before Allah,
so be careful whom you adopt as your representative.

Sunni references:

al-Sirah, by al-Mala
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch.
11, section 1, p231
under the commentary of verse: And stop them, for they shall
be questioned! [37:24]

And now a saying from Commander of Believers, Imam Ali (AS):

I and my pure holy descendants and my virtuous household
are most sober in childhood and when we grow up we are the wisest:
we are the means through which Allah shall exterminate falsehood
and break the teeth of blood-thirsty wolves and restore you the
freedom by removing the ropes that are tied around your necks.

Allah wished to commence (all things) through us, and to
complete (all things) through us.

Sunni references:

Kanz al-Ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v6, p36
Aydah al-Ishkal, by Abd al-Ghani

The clear and unequivocal terms in which the Holy Prophet has
directed us about these matters in the above-mentioned traditions
cannot be surpassed or equaled in any other language.

The word
Ahlul-Bayt can not cover all the family of the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

This label applies only to those who occupy the position of Imams
by Divine Decree, as established by reasons and upheld by the
traditions.

Learned scholars from the major section of the Muslims
also admit this.

For instance, Ibn Hajar writes in his al-Sawa'iq
al-Muhriqah:

The Ahlul-Bayt, whom the Holy Prophet has designated as
protectors are the learned men among his family, since the guidance
can be attained only through them.

They are like the stars
through whom we are guided in the right direction, and if the
starts are taken away (or hidden) we would come face to face with
the signs of the Almighty as promised (i.
e.
, the Day of Resurrection).

This will happen when the Mahdi will come, as mentioned in the
traditions, and the Prophet Jesus will say his prayers behind
him, the Dajjal will be slain, and then the signs of the Almighty
will appear one after another.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch.
11,
section 1, p234
This is why the demise of the twelfth Imam will bring the end
of the world, and this is one of the reasons that he should be
alive.

In another place, Ibn Hajar writes:

The traditions which describe the necessity of adherence
to Ahlul-Bayt until the day of Judgment, also imply that the existence
of the righteous members of the family of the Prophet will NOT
terminate until the day of Judgment the same way as the Book of
Allah will remain.

Sunni reference: al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar, Ch.
11,
section 1, p232
The occultation of the twelfth Imam is divided into two parts:
the first, the minor occultation (Ghaybah al-Sughra) which began
in 259/873 and ended in 329/939, lasting about seventy year.

On
that period, people were in contact with him through four special
deputies.

These four deputies knew the place of Imam and were
able to directly contact him.

That period served as preparing
his followers to the absence of the Imam.

The second, the major
occultation which commenced in 329/939 and will continue as long
as God wills it.

There is no special deputy in direct contact
with him in this period, and Muslim scholars are his general deputies
at this time without having ability to meet him.

It might be that the Imam (AS) showed himself to someone during the
major occultation, but it was never a regular occurrence, and no one
can claim to meet him anytime he wishes.

Moreover, even if Imam (AS)
appears to a person and gives him an instruction, it is only personal,
and is not meant for all people.

The Shi'a doctrine quite clearly
states that the Imam (AS) would not deputize a person at this time.

In
fact, any claim of receiving new public orders (which are not found in
our traditions narrated from Ahlul-Bayt) during the major occultation
is considered itself to be the proof of the falsity of such claim.

There is NO specific place
of residence known for Imam al-Mahdi (AS) and no one knows his
whereabouts on the earth except Allah, and he has been seen by
different people throughout his life in various locations of the
world.

Imam al-Mahdi (AS) wrote through one of his special deputies during
the minor occultation:

Rest assured, no one has a special relationship with Allah.

Whoever denies me is not from my (community).

The appearance of
the Relief (al-Faraj) depends solely upon Allah.

Therefore those
who propose a certain time for it are liars.

As to the benefit
of my existence in occultation, it is like the benefit of the
sun behind the clouds where the eyes do not see it.

Indeed, my
existence is an amnesty for the inhabitants of the earth.

Pray
much to Allah to hasten the Relief, for therein also lies the
release from your sufferings.

Guidance can be of different ways.

Do we need to see God to guide
us? How about the Prophet who has already passed away? The above
tradition of Imam al-Mahdi (AS) gives a very interesting analogy,
and the same analogy was given by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) on
the account of Imam al-Mahdi (please see the article titled: Leadership
and Infallibility).

If we want to see our way and in order to
walk safely, we need light.

The Sun provides this light for us
even if it is hidden behind the clouds where the eyes do not see
it directly.

Similarly, we benefit from the guidance of Imam al-Mahdi
(AS) even though we can not see him during his period of occultation.

As I mentioned earlier, Imam al-Mahdi and all other Imams and
prophets are not anything but the best creatures of Allah.

They
were NOT divine in any way.

However, I have seen few English translated
Shi'i books in which the phrases like divine Imam
or divine Prophet have been used.

By looking at those
books in the original language, it became evident that by a
divine leader the translator meant a divinely appointed
leader, that is, a leader who has been assigned by Allah
(and not by people).

Such phrases should not any how imply that
those leaders are divine themselves.

This is the matter of understanding
the phrase.

Although there are many translated Islamic books which
have very poor translation, but fortunately the occurrence of
such ambiguous words which are critical to the understanding of
the reader, is quite rare.

Also Imam al-Mahdi (AS) is NOT a prophet, and as such he will
bring neither a new religion nor a new religious law.

He does
not cancel any regulations set by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF),
but he will enforce the true Islamic based on the genuine Sunnah
of the Prophet (PBUH&HF).

However there are some authentic
traditions which state that although Imam al-Mahdi does not bring
any new law when he comes, some people say: he is bringing a new
religion.

Those traditions further explain that it is as a result
of many innovations set by pseudo-scholars into to the religion
of Islam.

Imam al-Mahdi's mission is to reject ALL the innovations
and to revive the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad which was polluted
by people throughout the history.

As a result of ignorance of
people to the true Sunnah of Prophet, they think he is bringing
a new religion.

Some traditions say that Imam al-Mahdi will also
provide the unique interpretation (Tafsir book; divine commentary)
for the Quran.