Imamate in Shia doctrine facts for kids

In Shia Islam, the Imamah (Arabic: إمامة) is a belief that certain people from the family line of the Islamic prophet Muhammad should be accepted as leaders and guides of the Muslim community after Muhammad's death. This belief also states that these Imams have special knowledge and authority from God, and are part of the Ahl al-Bayt, Muhammad's family. Their role is to explain the Quran and provide guidance.

What the Word "Imam" Means

The word "Imām" means someone who stands or walks "in front." For Sunni Muslims, it often refers to a person who leads prayers in the mosque. It can also mean the head of a "school of thought" (madhhab).

However, for Shia Muslims, this is just the basic meaning. In a religious sense, the word "Imam" only applies to those members of Muhammad's family who are considered perfect and unable to make mistakes (infallible). They are chosen by the Imam before them.

Introduction to Imamah

Shia Muslims believe that only these special Imams have the right to be leaders (Caliphs). This means they see all other leaders, whether chosen by agreement (Ijma) or not, as people who took power unfairly. This is because Shia Muslims believe the position of a leader is given by God, not by people.

All Muslims agree that Muhammad said: "To whomsoever I am Mawla, Ali is his Mawla." This saying has been shared in many books by both Sunni and Shia Muslims. The main disagreement between Sunni and Shia Muslims is what the word 'Mawla' means. For Shia Muslims, it means 'Master' or 'Leader,' just like when it was used for Muhammad himself. They believe Muhammad publicly chose Ali as the 'Mawla' for all Muslims shortly before his death. This is why those who saw Ali as Muhammad's direct successor became known as the Shia. For Sunni Muslims, 'Mawla' simply means 'beloved' or 'revered,' with no other special meaning.

Different Shia Groups

Within Shia Islam, different groups formed because they disagreed about who should be the next Imam. This is similar to how the Shia and Sunni groups first separated over who should lead after Muhammad. Each disagreement about succession led to a new group (tariqah) within Shiism. Each Shia group followed its own line of Imams, leading to different numbers of Imams for each group. When the family line of a separating Imam ended with no heir, it was believed that the last Imam or his unborn successor went into a hidden state called Occultation.

The largest Shia group is the Twelvers, often simply called "Shia." After them are the Nizari Ismailis, known as "Ismailis," and then the Mustalian Ismailis, also called "Bohras." There are even more divisions within the Bohra group. The Druze group started as part of the Fatimid Ismailis but separated after the death of their leader. The Shia Sevener group no longer exists. Another small group is the Zaidi Shias, or "Fivers." They do not believe their last Imam went into Occultation.

Even though all these Shia groups belong to the Shia branch of Islam, they have big differences in their beliefs. There is a complete break in beliefs between Shia groups whose last Imams are hidden and the Shia Nizari Ismailis, who do not believe in Occultation and believe they must always have a living Imam.

Twelver Shia Beliefs

Further information: Twelve Imams

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Sources of ijtihad or Sources of jurisprudence The Qur'an Tradition of The Infallibles (Hadith collections) Consensus (Ijma') Reason ('Aql)
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Twelver Shia Muslims believe that Imamah is one of the main principles of faith. Just as the Quran (verse 4:165) says that prophets must be appointed, so too must someone take the prophet's role after he dies. This is so people have no excuse against God. The same reason that required prophets also applies to Imamah. God must appoint someone similar to the prophet in his qualities and perfection (Ismah) to guide people without any religious mistakes.

They refer to the Quranic verse 5:3, which says: "...This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion..." This verse was revealed when Muhammad appointed Ali as his successor on the day of Ghadir Khumm.

Based on the Quran (verse 2:124), Shia Muslims believe that Imamah is a position given by God. Imamah is always linked with guidance, a guidance given by God's command. This guidance leads humanity to its true purpose. According to verse 17:71, no time can be without an Imam. So, an Imam is chosen by God, is protected by God, and knows everything needed for humans to find truth and reach their goal.

Why Only Specific Members of Muhammad's Family?

Sunni Muslims do not agree with the idea of Imamah based on their understanding of Quran verse 33:40. This verse says that Muhammad, as the last of the Prophets, "is not the father of any of your men." This is why God let Muhammad's sons die young. Sunnis believe Muhammad did not name a successor because he wanted the Muslim community to decide through discussion (shura).

However, some ask why Muhammad's family members should not inherit parts of his character, like leadership (imama), wisdom (hikma), and ruling (hukm), even if not prophethood. If God truly wanted no one from Muhammad's family to succeed him, why did his grandsons and other relatives not die like his sons?

It is believed that the divine leader must be from Muhammad's family. According to Ali al-Ridha, since people must obey the leader, there should be a clear sign to identify him. That sign is his well-known family connection to Muhammad and his clear appointment. This helps people easily recognize and follow him. Otherwise, others might seem more noble than Muhammad's family, and people would follow them instead. But Muhammad is much more noble than others to be in charge and obeyed.

Also, once Muhammad's prophethood is accepted, people would easily follow his family. It would not be hard for anyone. Following the family of corrupt people, however, would be difficult. This might be why Muhammad and other prophets were known for their noble family backgrounds. It is believed that all of Muhammad's ancestors were true Muslims. Jesus also came from a religious family, as the Quran mentions that after his birth, people said to Mary: "O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste."

The Ismā'īlī View

The Isma'ili belief about Imamah is different from the Twelvers. This is because Ismailis had living Imams for centuries after the last Twelver Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, went into hiding. Ismailis followed Isma'il ibn Jafar, the older brother of Musa al-Kadhim, as the rightful Imam after their father, Ja'far al-Sadiq. Ismailis believe that whether Imam Ismail died before Imam Ja'far or not, he passed on the leadership to his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il as the next Imam.

According to Isma'ilism, God sent seven great prophets called Nātiqs ("Speaker") to spread and improve His religion, Islam. Each of these great prophets also had an assistant called Sāmad ("Silent") Imām. At the end of each series of seven Sāmads, a new great Nātiq was sent to improve the faith. After Adam and his son Seth, and after six Nātiq–Sāmad series (like Noah–Shem), (Abraham–Ishmael), (Moses–Aaron), (Jesus–Simeon, son of Jacob), (Muhammad–Ali); the series of Nātiqs and Sāmads was completed with Muhammad ibn Isma'il.

Why Imams from Only Specific Family Members

Ismailis see Imams as the true representatives of God. God made all prophets His representatives. Each prophet's time was distinct. After one prophet, God created the next. Islam believes that Muhammad is the last prophet. Muhammad appointed his specific representative, Ali. Ali made Imams his next representatives, and one Imam appointed another, continuing to this day. The Isma'ili view is that these Imams must only come from their family line, and their appointment is necessary. The Earth cannot remain without the presence of an Imam.

Zaidi View

Zaidiyyah or Zaidi is a Shia group named after the Imam Zayd ibn Ali. Followers of the Zaidi beliefs are called Zaidis (sometimes called Fivers in the West). However, there is also a group called the Zaidi Wasītīs who are Twelvers.

Zaydis believe that the leader of the Muslim community must be a Fatimids: someone from Muhammad's family through his only surviving daughter Fatimah. Her sons were Hasan ibn ʻAlī and Husayn ibn ʻAlī. These Shia Muslims called themselves Zaydi to show they were different from other Shia who refused to fight alongside Zayd ibn Ali.

Zaydis believe Zayd ibn Ali was the rightful Imam because he led a rebellion against the Umayyad Caliphate. He believed they were unfair and corrupt rulers. Muhammad al-Baqir did not take part in political action. Zayd's followers believed that a true Imam must fight against corrupt rulers. The famous Muslim legal scholar Abu Hanifa, who started the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam, supported Zayd's rebellion. He also secretly encouraged people to join the uprising and gave money to Zayd.

Unlike Twelver Shia Muslims, Zaydis do not believe that Imams are perfect and unable to make mistakes. The Imamate can be passed down to anyone from Muhammad's household.

The Period of Hiding

Twelver View

The period of hiding (ghaybah) is split into two parts:

• Ghaybah al-Sughra or Minor Occultation (874–941): This was the first few decades after the Imam's disappearance. During this time, people could still communicate with him through special representatives.
• Ghaybah al-Kubra or Major Occultation: This began in 941 and is believed to continue until a time chosen by God. Then, the Mahdi will reappear to bring complete justice to the world.

During the Minor Occultation (Ghaybah al-Sughrá), it is believed that al-Mahdi stayed in touch with his followers through four representatives (an-nuwāb al-arbaʻa). These representatives acted as a link between him and his followers. When believers had a problem, they would write their concerns and send them to the representative. The representative would get the Imam's decision, stamp it, and return it. The representatives also collected religious taxes (zakat and khums) for the Imam.

For Shia Muslims, the idea of talking to a hidden Imam was not new. The two previous Twelver Imams had sometimes met their followers from behind a curtain. Also, during the harsh rule of later Abbasid leaders, Shia Imams were often treated badly and held as prisoners. So, their followers had to communicate with them through messengers or in secret.

Shia tradition says that four representatives acted one after another:

1. Uthman ibn Sa’id al-Asadi
2. Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Uthman
3. Abul Qasim Husayn ibn Ruh al-Nawbakhti
4. Abul Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad al-Samarri

In 941 (329 AH), the fourth representative announced an order from al-Mahdi. He said that the representative would soon die, the special representation would end, and the Major Occultation would begin.

The fourth representative died six days later. Shia Muslims continue to wait for the Mahdi to reappear. In the same year, many important Shia scholars, like Ali ibn Babawayh Qummi and Muhammad ibn Ya'qub Kulayni, also passed away.

One idea is that the Hidden Imam is on Earth "among the Shia" but "in disguise." There are "many stories" of the Hidden Imam "showing himself to important religious scholars."

The Ismā'īlī View

Ismailis are different from Twelvers because they had living imams for centuries after the last Twelver Imam went into hiding. They followed Isma'il ibn Jafar, the older brother of Musa al-Kadhim, as the rightful Imam after his father Ja'far al-Sadiq. Ismailis believe that whether Imam Ismail died before Imam Ja'far or not, he passed on the leadership to his son Muḥammad ibn Ismail as the next Imam. Their line of Imams is shown below (the years they were Imam are in brackets):

First Phase

The eighth Imam, Abd Allah al-Akbar of the Ismaili Shia, remained hidden. However, he continued the Ismaili movement in the 9th century in Salamiyah, Syria. The eighth to tenth Imams (Abadullah, Ahmed, and Husain) stayed hidden and worked against the rulers of that time. The first phase of hiding ended with the 10th Imam. The 11th Imam Abdullah al-Mahdi Billah, pretending to be a merchant, and his son traveled to Sijilmasa. They were fleeing persecution by the Abbasids. Imam Abdullah founded the Fatimid Caliphate. The Fatimid Ismaili Imams continued until the 20th Imam, also holding the position of caliph and ruling a large part of the Arabian Peninsula.

Second Phase

When the twentieth Imam, al-Amir bi-Ahkami'l-Lah (died AH 526 (1131/1132)), passed away, his two-year-old child at-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim (born AH 524 (1129/1130)) was appointed the twenty-first Imam. Those who supported Tayyeb became the Tayyibi Ismāʿīlī. Since Tayyeb was too young to lead the religious mission (dawah), Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi, the Da'i al-Mutlaq, acted as his regent. Imam Tayyeb went into hiding, and the second phase of seclusion began. The Da'i was given full authority and became independent from political activities. Over time, the Tayyibi group split further into several smaller groups, each led by different Dais. These Da'i al-Mutlaqs continue to act on behalf of the hidden Tayyibi Ismāʿīlī Imams to this day. Dawoodi Bohra is the largest sub-group among the Tayyibi Ismāʿīlī, with followers in many countries.

Imams

The name of the last Twelver Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi as it appears in al-Masjid al-Nabawi

Twelver Imams

Most Shia Muslims, known as Twelvers (Ithnā'ashariyya), believe the following people were the rightful successors to Muḥammad. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, except for Hussayn ibn 'Alī, who was the brother of Hassan ibn 'Alī. This belief in succession comes from various Quranic verses, including 75:36, 13:7, 35:24, 2:30, 2:124, 36:26, 7:142, 42:23. They also use references from the Bible (Genesis 17:19–20) and Sunni sayings of the Prophet (Hadith:Sahih Muslim, Hadith number 4478).

List of The Twelve Imams

According to Twelvers, there is always an Imam for each time period. This Imam is the leader chosen by God for all matters of faith and law in the Muslim community. Ali was the first of the Twelve Imams. Twelvers and Sufis believe he was the rightful successor to Muhammad. He was followed by male descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatimah. Each Imam was the son of the previous Imam, except for Husayn ibn Ali, who was the brother of Hasan ibn Ali. The twelfth and final Imam is Muhammad al-Mahdi. Twelvers believe he is currently alive but hidden in the Major Occultation. He will return to bring justice to the world. Twelver and Alevi Muslims believe that the Twelve Imams were foretold in the Hadith of the Twelve Successors. All of the Imams died unnatural deaths, except for the last Imam, who is believed to be in hiding.

Ismaili Imams

The Ismaili line of Imams for both groups (the Nizari and Musta'li) remained united until al-Mustansir Billah (died 1094). After his death, the line of the Imamate split into the Nizari and Musta'li dynasties.

The line of Imams for the Musta'li Muslims (also known as the Bohras/Dawoodi Bohra) continued up to Aamir ibn Mustali. After his death, they believe their 21st Imam, at-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim, went into a Dawr-e Satr (period of concealment) that continues today. When there is no Imam present, they are led by a Da'i al-Mutlaq (absolute missionary). This leader manages the affairs of the hidden Imam until the Imam reappears.

The line of Imams for the Nizari Ismaili Shia Muslims (also known as the Agha-khani Ismailis in South and Central Asia) continues to their current living 49th hereditary Imam, Aga Khan IV (son of Prince Aly Khan). They are the only Shia Muslim community today led by a present and living Imam.

Note: Kaysani's Imām Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah is a descendant of Ali through Ali's wife Khawlah bint Ja'far

Zaidi Imams

The Zaidi branch of Shi'ism started its own line of Imams in the year 897. This line continued without interruption until 1962. In that year, the North Yemen Civil War ended the Imamate and established a republic.

Sunni View of the Shia Imamate

Ibn Taymiyyah (died 728 AH/1328 AD) wrote a long argument against the idea of the Imamate in his book Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah.

The belief of the Twelver Imamah, which also respects the special status of the four Rashidun Caliphs, is shared in Sunni Islam. This is based on the following sayings of Muhammad:

I heard the Prophet of Allah say 'Islam shall not stop being great until there are twelve Caliphs, every one of them being from the Quraish'". (And in another saying) "The affairs of men will not stop getting worse as long as twelve men rule over them, every one of them coming from Quraish. And in another saying: The religion will continue to be strong until the hour comes, as there are twelve Caliphs over them, everyone of them coming from the Quraish.

The affairs of the people will continue to be managed as long as they are led by twelve men, he then added from Quraish.

I will be followed by twelve Khalifas, all will be Quraysh.

Succession

See Also

• Imams of Yemen
• Imamzadeh
• Ismah
• Mahdi
• Succession to Muhammad