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Imaamah and the Quran: an Objective Perspective

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Imaamah and the Quran: an Objective Perspective Imaamah and the Quran: An Objective Perspective By Abu Salih 1 Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENT ................................................................................................................................ 3 INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 4 Why look into Imaamah as doctrine? ........................................................................................................ 5 CHAPTER ONE: LOOKING INTO IMAAMAH IN SHIAISM................................................................... 5 Usul-e-Deen and Imaamah ........................................................................................................................ 7 Method of Imaam’s appointment............................................................................................................... 7 Existence of an Imaam more Important for Humankind than Existence of a Prophet............................... 8 The Imaams superiority in comparison to all Creation, the Shia view ...................................................... 8 Testimony from Ayatullah Lankarani’s office...................................................................................... 9 Ayatullah Khomeini’s comments.......................................................................................................... 9 The statement from Allamah Majlisi .................................................................................................. 10 Shia Encyclopedia’s statement............................................................................................................ 11 The statement from Peshawar Nights ................................................................................................. 11 Denying Imaamah and its consequences ................................................................................................. 12 What we can conclude about Imaamah in Shiaism.................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER TWO: QURAN AS OUR REFERENCE .................................................................................. 14 Why use the Quran as a first reference .................................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER THREE: “IMAAMS” IN THE QURAN ................................................................................... 17 Uses of Words: Always referring to a Cardinal Belief? .......................................................................... 18 Examining the Word Imaam in the Quran............................................................................................... 19 Category one: “And they were on a Clear Imaam”… Roads and Imaams.......................................... 20 Category Two: Book of Musa as Imaam ............................................................................................ 21 Category three: Evil leaders as “Imaams” .......................................................................................... 22 Category four: The Preserved Tablet as “Imaam” .............................................................................. 24 Category five: Israelites as “Imaams”................................................................................................. 27 Category six: “Imaams” of the pious .................................................................................................. 31 Category seven: Day of Judgement and “Imaams”............................................................................. 33 Category eight: Ishaq (Alayhi Salam) and Yaqub (Alayhi Salam) as “Imaams”................................ 36 Category nine: “Imaam for mankind”… Ibrahim and Imaamah......................................................... 39 The overall conclusion about Imaams in the Quran................................................................................. 46 CHAPTER FOUR: “NABIS” AND “RASOOLS” IN THE QURAN ......................................................... 47 Examining the Word Nabi in the Quran .................................................................................................. 47 Examining the Word Rasool in the Quran............................................................................................... 49 CHAPTER FIVE: GENERAL AND SPECIFIC VERSES OF THE QURAN AND PROBLEMS WITH IMAAMAH.................................................................................................................................................. 52 When did the other Prophets become “Imaams”?............................................................................... 53 How do they present themselves?....................................................................................................... 53 General Problem Two: Prophets for every nation, Imaams for every time?............................................ 54 Not until Allah sends a Prophet?......................................................................................................... 55 The dilemma of Shias concerning Isa (Alayhi Salam) and the Imaamah up to Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) .................................................................................................................. 58 General Problem Three: Proof for all of humanity? ................................................................................ 59 Objections to this view........................................................................................................................ 60 General Problem Four: The most knowledgeable?.................................................................................. 62 Geeneral Problem Five: Prophecies and Imaams?................................................................................... 67 Ibrahim and the Dua for the Prophet to come in Land of Makkah...................................................... 67 Isa (Alayhi Salam) and the coming of Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam)....................... 67 The Unlettered Prophet....................................................................................................................... 68 CHAPTER SIX: MUHAMMAD (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) AS “IMAAM”? ................................ 69 How was Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) addressed? ...................................................... 70 Muhammad referred to by name, any hint of him being an Imaam? .................................................. 70 “Oh Imaam”? ...................................................................................................................................... 71 People of the Book, the coming of Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam), and Imaamah?........ 73 2 Pagans and coming of Muhammad (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam)… as an Imaam?.......................... 74 Not explaining Imaamah to the Pagans?............................................................................................. 75 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................ 76 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................................................ 77 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENT All the praises and thanks are to Almighty Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, who has guided me to the path of Islam and provided me with the opportunity to write this work. Without his help, no endeavor can succeed. I would like to thank the Sunni brothers whose personal experiences helped me examine the Shia concept of Imaamah in the Quran. Their initial ideas and explanations were valuable as a stepping-stone for my entire work. I also extend my thanks to the brothers who went through the drafts of my book and gave me their insights and suggestions for ways to improve my work in both its content and organization. I look forward for their helpful collaboration in any future works I undertake. Finally, I pray for the guidance of all who read this work. May Allah help those who seek the truth and guide us to the path of Islam. 4 INTRODUCTION I became interested in Shia-Sunni discussions a few years ago. I had a number of Shia friends, and I noticed that they were doing some of the Islamic rituals differently. Naturally, I developed a desire to “correct” their ways. However, my knowledge of the differences between the two sides was minimal. As a result, I saw myself pulled into one of the following topics of discussion: • Who was the rightful Khaliph after the death of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) • The righteousness of the Companions after the death of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) • Status of the Wives of the Prophet (Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Salaam) • Ashura processions and the practice of Ma’tam • Mutah marriage • Battles of Jamal and Sifeen • The proper way to make Wudhu, Adhan, Salat, and other Islamic rituals Without a doubt, the above topics are a source of Sunni-Shia discussion. Surely enough, I was drawn into such points of argument, and so were some of my Sunni friends who were also interested in Shia-Sunni dialogue. However, I never paused to consider what the main doctrinal difference between the two sides was. I guess I was simply too immersed in the back and forth that these discussions tend to cause to ponder about the “bigger picture”. This state of affairs continued
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