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== Reasons for Necessity of Imamate == | == Reasons for Necessity of Imamate == | ||
=== Verse of Uli al-Amr === | === Verse of Uli al-Amr === | ||
{{main|Uli al-Amr Verse}} | |||
"O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you." (4:59) | |||
In this verse, God orders people to obey Uli al-Amr, thus, they need to exist in the first place so that people obey them. | In this verse, [[God]] orders people to obey [[Uli al-Amr]], thus, they need to exist in the first place so that people obey them.<ref>Tusi, ''Talkhis al-muhassal'', p.407</ref> | ||
Taftazani refers to this reason and says. | Taftazani refers to this reason and says. "the necessity of obedience from Uli al-Amr requires its actualization."<ref>Taftazani, ''Sharh al-maqasid'', vol.5 p.239; </ref> | ||
=== Hadith | === Hadith Man mat === | ||
The Prophet (s) said, | {{main|Hadith Man mat}} | ||
[[The Prophet (s)]] said, "One who dies not knowing Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance."<ref>Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol.23 p.76-95; Mas'udi, ''Ithbat al-wasiyya'', vol.1 p.112-115; Hakim Niyshaburi, ''al-Mustadrak'', vol.1 p.150,204; Ibn Hanbal, ''Musnad'', vol.12 p.277, vol.13 p.188; Ibn Abi l-Hadid, ''Sharh nahj al-balagha'', vol.9 p.125</ref> | |||
Some Islamic | Some Islamic [[theologian]]s has interpreted this [[hadith]] as the reason for the necessity of imamate, since according to this hadith, knowing Imam at any time is a religious duty and requires constant existence of Imam.<ref>Taftazani, ''Sharh al-maqasid'', vol.5 p.239; Abu Hanifa, ''Sharh al-fiqh al-akbar'', p.179; Tusi, ''Talkhis al-muhassal'', p.407</ref> | ||
=== Tradition of Muslims === | === Tradition of Muslims === | ||
Some theologians have regarded the tradition of Muslims as the reason for necessity of imamate since it can be understood from the tradition of Muslims that they have considered the necessity of imamate a certain and unshakable issue. The disagreement between shi'a and Sunnis has been actually over the case of imamate, not its principle. Abu 'Ali and Abu Hashim Jubba’i and some others have referred to the consensus of | Some theologians have regarded the tradition of Muslims as the reason for necessity of imamate since it can be understood from the tradition of Muslims that they have considered the necessity of imamate a certain and unshakable issue. The disagreement between shi'a and Sunnis has been actually over the case of imamate, not its principle.<ref>Mir Sayyid Sharif, ''Sharh al-mawaqif'', vol.8 p.346; Taftazani, ''Sharh al-'aqa'id al-nasafiyya'', p.110; Amudi, ''Ghaya al-maram'', p.364; Shahristani, ''Nihaya al-aqdam'', p.479</ref> Abu 'Ali and Abu Hashim Jubba’i and some others have referred to the consensus of companions on necessity of imamate.<ref>Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar, ''al-Mughni'', vol.1 p.47</ref> | ||
=== | === Qa’ida Lutf [Rule of Kindness] === | ||
The most important rational reason theologians bring for necessity of Imamate is the Rule of Kindness. | {{main|Qa’ida Lutf}} | ||
The most important rational reason theologians bring for necessity of Imamate is the Rule of Kindness. Shi'a theologians consider Imamate a clear example of the Rule of Kindness and have said that [[God]] should be kind to His servants and appointing and introducing Imam is an act of kindness, thus imamate is incumbent upon God. | |||
To explain that imamate is an act of kindness, | To explain that imamate is an act of kindness, [[al-Sharif al-Murtada]] said, | ||
"We know that human beings have rational duties and we know that the duty-bound are not [[infallible]]. Therefore, the reason for necessity of imamate is that any intelligent person who is familiar with the common sense and the tradition of the wise would know that whenever there is a competent and wise leader in a society who stand against tyranny and evil and defends justice and human values, social situation will be readier for development of virtues and values and this nothing but God’s grace, since kindness is what causes the duty-bound turn to obedience and virtues and turn away from vices and evil. Therefore, imamate is an act of kindness towards the duty-bound."<ref>Sharif al-Murtada, ''al-Dhakhira'', p.409-410</ref> | |||
Theologians such as Ibn | Theologians such as [[Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani]], [[Sadid al-Din Humsi]], [[Nasir al-Din al-Tusi]] and others have had different explanations for imamate and its necessity with regards to the mentioned rule [of Kindness].<ref>Bahrani, ''Qawa'id al-maram'', p.175; Halabi, ''Taqrib al-ma'arif'', p.95; Humsi, ''al-Muqidh'', vol.2 p.240; Hilli, ''Kashf al-murad'', p.490; Fadil Miqdad, ''Irshad al-talibiyyin'', p.328</ref> | ||
Even though Mu’tazilite theologians have accepted the Rule of Kindness, they do not accept its effect on this issue and that imamate is an act of kindness and have mentioned some criticisms which | Even though Mu’tazilite theologians have accepted the Rule of Kindness, they do not accept its effect on this issue and that imamate is an act of kindness and have mentioned some criticisms which al-Sharif al-Murtada have answered to in ''[[al-Shafi fi al-imama]]''. | ||
== Philosophy of Imamate == | == Philosophy of Imamate == | ||