[quote]
Ibn Sadique wrote
I have said what I have learned about beliefs of Mainstream Muslims (Sunnis) regarding the ‘Shia Imams’. [The reason for the inverted comas is to show that Sunnis don’t take them to be exclusively to be Imams of the Shia .
[/quote]
This position is also erroneous. No section of the Ummah, much less the Sunnies, can privilege the mainstream for themselves. How could we give that privilege to the Sunnies or Sulfies only. What is the logic behind describing the Sunnies/Sulfies as mainstream? Is it their beliefs and practices? Or, is it their number?
In fact any body of believers by themselves constitute a mainstream. Each sect and sub-sect of Islam constitutes mainstream in its own right. Any community is constituted around a set of beliefs and practices and that body of followers of those beliefs and practices becomes a mainstream in its own way. So this argument of mainstream is quite misleading, to say the least.
[quote]
*rehman1: *
Sunni believe is that some of the Imams died and impostors took their place. Due to the nature of underground(takia) shia preaching the Caliphs of those times got rid of the Imams.
Ibn Sadique
The political differences were among the partisans of Bani Hashim and Bani Umaiyah. There were no doctrinal differences among Muslims at the time. There was no such thing as 'Shias' and Sunnis' as we know them today.
Ibn Sadique
The 'Shia' Imams (ra) were very stringently apolitical. It is well documented that they shunned politics and kept themselves very far away from politics and kept themselves busy in teaching of the knowledge of Islam.
[/quote]
Strange! If Sunni believe that Imams were on right path but their descendent were not on their path, they became ignorant after them then how come you say the holy Prophet (PBUH) died and impostors not took his place. No body can take anybody’s place if the status is divine.
IMAMAT literally means to Lead; IMAM means Leader.
In Islamic terminology Imamat means 'Absolute command of the Muslims in all religious and secular affairs, in succession to the Prophet.'
IMAM means 'The man who, in succession to the Prophet, has the right to the Absolute Command of the Muslims in all religious and secular affairs.'
The world KHILALAT means 'to succeed' and KHALIFA means 'successor'.
In Islamic terminology KHILALAT and KHALIFA signify the same meanings as IMAMAT and IMAM respectively.
What is the primary characteristic of Imamat? Is an Imam, first and foremost, the ruler of a Kingdom? Or is he, first and foremost, the Representative of Allah and the Vicegerent of the Prophet?
As Imamat and Caliphate is acceptably the successorship of the Prophet, the above questions cannot be answered till we first decide what is the basic characteristic of a prophet. We must decide whether the prophet is, first and foremost, the ruler of a Kingdom, or is he, first and foremost, the Representative of Allah.
We find in the history of Islam that there was a group which looked upon the Mission of the Holy Prophet as an attempt to establish a Kingdom. Those were the people who were waiting to see the outcome of the war between Muslims and Quraish. These were the Arabs who used to say that Mohammad(saww) be left to his people. If he would emerge victorious over them he is undoubtedly a true prophet. So, according to them, victory was the criterion of truth! If Mohammed(saww) would have been defeated he would have been treated as a liar!
The view that his sacred Mission was nothing but a worldly affairs was repeatedly announced by Abu Sufyan and his clan.
At the time of the Fall of Mecca, Abu Sufyan said to Abbas, "Abbas! Verily your nephew has acquired quite a Kingdom!" Abbas said, "Woe unto thee! This is not Kingship, it is the Prophethood."
Here you find the two opposite views in clear contrast. Abu Sufyan never changed his views. When Uthman became Caliph, Abu Sufyan came to him and advised, "O children of Umayya! Now that this Kingdom has come to you, play with it as the children play with a ball and pass it from one to another of your clan. This Kingdom is a reality; and we do not know whether there is any paradise and hell or not."
Then he went to Uhud and kicked at the grave of Hamza, and said, "O Abu Ya'ala! See that the Kingdom for which you were fighting us has at last come to us."
The same views were inherited by Yazid who said: "Banu Hashim staged a play to obtain Kingdom; actually, there was neither any news from God nor any revelation."
If that is the view held by any Muslim, then he is bound to equalize Imamat with Rulership. According to such thinking the primary function of the Prophet was Kingship, and, therefore, anybody holding the rein of power in his hand is the rightful successor of the Holy Prophet.
But the trouble is that more than 99 per cent of the prophets had no political power; and most of them were persecuted and apparently helpless victims of the political powers of their times. Their glory was not of crown and throne, but of martyrdom and sufferings. If primary characteristic of prophethood is the political power and rulership, then, perhaps not even 50 (out of 124,000) prophets would retain their Divine title of 'Nabi.'
Thus it is crystal-clear that the main characteristic of the Holy Prophet was not that he had political power but that he was the Representative of Allah. And that Representation was not bestowed upon him by his people; but by Allah Himself.
Likewise, his successor's Chief Characteristic can not be the political power; but the fact that he was the Representative of Allah. And that Representation can never be bestowed upon any one by his people; it must come from Allah Himself.
In short, if the Imam is to represent Allah, he must be appointed by Allah.
Like the prophet, an Imam should excel all the Ummah in all virtues, such as knowledge, bravery, piety, charity, etc., and should possess completc knowledge of the Divine Iaw. If it be not so, and this high post be given to a less perfect person when a more perfcct onc is available, the inferior will have been given preference to the superior, which is wrong in the sight of reason and is against the Divine Justice. Therefore, no inferior person can get the Imamat from God when there exists a person superior to him.