Recent from talks
Imamate in Shia doctrine
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Imamate in Shia doctrine
In Shia Islam, the Imamah (Arabic: إمامة) is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imams possess divine knowledge and authority (Ismah) as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. These Imams have the role of providing commentary and interpretation of the Quran as well as guidance.
The word "Imām" denotes a person who stands or walks "in front". For Sunni Islam, the word is commonly used to mean a person who leads the course of prayer in the mosque. It also means the head of a madhhab ("school of thought"). However, from the Shia point of view this is merely the basic understanding of the word in the Arabic language and, for its proper religious usage, the word "Imam" is applicable only to those members of the house of Muhammad designated as infallible by the preceding Imam.
The Shia believe that only the A'immah (Imams) have the legitimate right to serve as caliphs, viewing all other caliphs—whether chosen by consensus or otherwise—as political leaders who usurped a divinely designated role.
According to the hadith, Muhammad said: "To whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is his Mawla."[citation needed] This hadith has been related in different ways in no less than 45 Shia and Sunni hadithic sources,[citation needed] including compendia by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and others.The major conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims centers on the interpretation of the word "mawla." For Shia Muslims, "mawla" means "master" and holds the same elevated significance as it did when the term was used to address Muhammad during his lifetime. They believe that Muhammad publicly designated Ali as "Mawla" for all Muslims at the Ghadiri Khum Oasis, just months before his death. This event involved Muhammad’s closest companions—Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (the three future Caliphs who preceded Ali)—taking Ali's hand in both of theirs as a token of their allegiance to him. Those who viewed Ali as Muhammad's immediate successor, even before Muhammad's death, came to be known as the Shia.
In contrast, for Sunni Muslims, "mawla" means "beloved" or "revered" and does not hold any significant implications beyond that.
Within Shia Islam (Shiism), the various sects came into being because they differed over their Imams' successions, just as the Shia–Sunni separation within Islam itself came into being from the dispute that had arisen over the succession to Muhammad. Each succession dispute brought forth a different tariqah (literal meaning 'path'; extended meaning 'sect') within Shiism. Each Shia tariqah followed its own particular Imam's dynasty, resulting in different numbers of Imams for each particular Shia tariqah. When the dynastic line of the separating successor Imam ended with no heir to succeed him, then either he (the last Imam) or his unborn successor was believed to have gone into a concealment known as The Occultation.
The Shia tariqah with a majority of adherents are the Twelvers who are commonly known as "Shia". After that come the Nizari Ismailis commonly known as the Ismailis, then the Mustalian Ismailis also called the "Bohras", and there are further schisms within their Bohri tariqah. The Druze tariqah initially were part of the Fatimid Ismailis but separated from them after the death of the Fatimid Imam and Caliph Al Hakim Bi Amrillah. The Shia Sevener tariqah no longer exists. Another small tariqah is that of the Zaidi Shias, or the "Fivers"; they do not believe in the Occultation of their last Imam.
Although all these different Shia tariqahs belong to the Shia (as opposed to the Sunni) sect in Islam, there are major doctrinal differences between the main Shia tariqahs. After that there is the complete doctrinal break between all the different Shia tariqahs whose last Imams have gone into Occultation and the Shia Nizari Ismailis, who deny the concept of Occultation and so have to have a present and living Imam until the end of time.[citation needed]
Hub AI
Imamate in Shia doctrine AI simulator
(@Imamate in Shia doctrine_simulator)
Imamate in Shia doctrine
In Shia Islam, the Imamah (Arabic: إمامة) is a doctrine which asserts that certain individuals from the lineage of the Islamic prophet Muhammad are to be accepted as leaders and guides of the ummah after the death of Muhammad. Imamah further says that Imams possess divine knowledge and authority (Ismah) as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. These Imams have the role of providing commentary and interpretation of the Quran as well as guidance.
The word "Imām" denotes a person who stands or walks "in front". For Sunni Islam, the word is commonly used to mean a person who leads the course of prayer in the mosque. It also means the head of a madhhab ("school of thought"). However, from the Shia point of view this is merely the basic understanding of the word in the Arabic language and, for its proper religious usage, the word "Imam" is applicable only to those members of the house of Muhammad designated as infallible by the preceding Imam.
The Shia believe that only the A'immah (Imams) have the legitimate right to serve as caliphs, viewing all other caliphs—whether chosen by consensus or otherwise—as political leaders who usurped a divinely designated role.
According to the hadith, Muhammad said: "To whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is his Mawla."[citation needed] This hadith has been related in different ways in no less than 45 Shia and Sunni hadithic sources,[citation needed] including compendia by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and others.The major conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims centers on the interpretation of the word "mawla." For Shia Muslims, "mawla" means "master" and holds the same elevated significance as it did when the term was used to address Muhammad during his lifetime. They believe that Muhammad publicly designated Ali as "Mawla" for all Muslims at the Ghadiri Khum Oasis, just months before his death. This event involved Muhammad’s closest companions—Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman (the three future Caliphs who preceded Ali)—taking Ali's hand in both of theirs as a token of their allegiance to him. Those who viewed Ali as Muhammad's immediate successor, even before Muhammad's death, came to be known as the Shia.
In contrast, for Sunni Muslims, "mawla" means "beloved" or "revered" and does not hold any significant implications beyond that.
Within Shia Islam (Shiism), the various sects came into being because they differed over their Imams' successions, just as the Shia–Sunni separation within Islam itself came into being from the dispute that had arisen over the succession to Muhammad. Each succession dispute brought forth a different tariqah (literal meaning 'path'; extended meaning 'sect') within Shiism. Each Shia tariqah followed its own particular Imam's dynasty, resulting in different numbers of Imams for each particular Shia tariqah. When the dynastic line of the separating successor Imam ended with no heir to succeed him, then either he (the last Imam) or his unborn successor was believed to have gone into a concealment known as The Occultation.
The Shia tariqah with a majority of adherents are the Twelvers who are commonly known as "Shia". After that come the Nizari Ismailis commonly known as the Ismailis, then the Mustalian Ismailis also called the "Bohras", and there are further schisms within their Bohri tariqah. The Druze tariqah initially were part of the Fatimid Ismailis but separated from them after the death of the Fatimid Imam and Caliph Al Hakim Bi Amrillah. The Shia Sevener tariqah no longer exists. Another small tariqah is that of the Zaidi Shias, or the "Fivers"; they do not believe in the Occultation of their last Imam.
Although all these different Shia tariqahs belong to the Shia (as opposed to the Sunni) sect in Islam, there are major doctrinal differences between the main Shia tariqahs. After that there is the complete doctrinal break between all the different Shia tariqahs whose last Imams have gone into Occultation and the Shia Nizari Ismailis, who deny the concept of Occultation and so have to have a present and living Imam until the end of time.[citation needed]