Isna-e-Ashariyya and the Doctrine of Imamate

Even many of our educated people are not aware of the significance of the doctrine of Imamate in Isna Ashariyya and the place it occupies among the Shias belonging to that sect. They do not know that it is one of the fundamental articles of their faith like belief in Unity of God, Prophet hood, and the Hereafter and Resurrection.

The Isna Ashariyya Shias believe that as God had raised up the chain of Apostleship as a necessary sequel to His Justice, Wisdom and Grace and raised up Prophets and Messengers for the guidance of mankind who were free from sin and it was essential and obligatory to obey them, and whose raising up was the Ultimate Proof or Argument of God and it made man accountable for his deeds, just in the same manner He set up the chain of Imamate, after the death of the Last Prophet (peace be upon him), to guide and led the bondmen and serve as the Argument on His behalf, till Eternity, and appointed twelve Imams, and on twelfth Imam the world will come to an end. These twelve Imams are, like the Prophets, the Ultimate Proof or Argument (Hujjat) of the existence of God, and they all are innocent and it is obligatory to obey them. In point of rank and station, they are equal to the Last Prophet, but are superior to and excel all the other Prophets. The believe in the Imamate of these twelve Imams is a pre-requisite of salvation like belief in Apostleship.

The first of the twelve Imams, the Isna Ashariyya Shias hold, was Hazrat Ali and he was nominated by the Holy Prophet himself, under the specific order of God, eighty days before his death, and at the place of Ghadir-e-Khum on the return journey from the Haj. Likewise, Hazrat Ali’s elder son, Hazrat Hasan, was designated to succeed him, and then, Hazrat Husain was to succeed his elder brother, and, after his death, he was to be succeeded by his son, Hazrat Ali bin al Husain (Imam Zainul Abidin). After Imam Zainul Abidin, the successor was to be his son. Mohammad bin Ali (Imam Baqar), who, in turn, was to be succeeded by his son, Jafar Sadiq, and, the latter, by his son, Musa Kazim, and, then, by his son, Ali bin Musa Raza, and, thereafter by his son, Mohammad bin Ali Taqi and after him his son, Ali bin Mohammad Naqi, and, then, his son, Hasan bin Ali Askari, and, finally, the twelfth Imam Mohammad bin al Hassan (the Absent Imam Mehdi) would succeed as the Imam According to Shia theology Imam Mehdi was born about eleven hundred and fifty years ago, and, then, disappeared miraculously at the age of four or five years, but is still alive and lives in some cave. (It is the belief of the Shias, but the historical fact is that Hasan bin Ali Askari had died issueless as categorically stated by his brother, Jafar bin Ali who had succeeded to the inheritance of his brother). The chain of successors ends with the Absent Imam. But, since it is necessary for the appointed Imam to exist in the world in order to serve as the living Argument on behalf of God and it is the responsibility of God that he does so, the twelfth Imam will live till the Last Day and appear from the Cave some time before it, and bring with him the real Quran compiled by Hazrat Ali (which is different from the present Quran) as, also, Mushaf-e-Fatima, and all the other articles and treasures of knowledge like Al-Jafr and Al-Jamia for the guidance of humanity which he had inherited from the preceding Imams.

According to the reported sayings of the Innocent Imams and the belief of the Shias, all the twelve Imams were nominated by God Himself as the Imams and the Caliphs and successors of the Prophet of Islam. They were innocent like the Prophets and to obey them was and is obligatory and binding in the same way as to yield obedience to all the Apostles had been made compulsory for their followers by the Lord. After the Prophet the Imams serve as the Argument on behalf of God and their rank and station is such that the world exists because of them. Should the world be without the Imam, even for a short while the earth will sink and the whole universe will be destroyed. All the Imams possessed miracles and the angels used to visit them as they visited the Apostles and they were favoured with Ascension (Mairaj) and the Scriptures of God were revealed to them. They possessed knowledge of al that had happened in the past in the world and will happen in future till the end of time. They were endowed with the knowledge that had been bestowed upon all the Prophets. They had with them the ancient Scriptures like Torah. Psalms of David and the Bible and could read them in the language in which these had been revealed. They, also, possessed the knowledge they had acquired not through the Quran or the Last Prophet, but directly from God and other special sources. They had the authority too declare a lawful thing unlawful and vice-versa. Every Imam knew his hour of death and his death was in his control. The above is only a summary, in our own words, of the sayings of the Imams which are preserved in the most authentic books of Isna Ashariyya regarding the doctrine of Imamate and the Imams. We have learnt all this from those very volumes. Now, we shall be reproducing, in support of the aforementioned remarks, what has been said in the standard Shi’ite books appertaining to Imamate, and on the basis of the reports and sayings of the Imams.

At the very outset, it should be noted about the Isna Ashariyya books on the tradition that just as among us, the Sunnis, Sahi Bukhari and Sahi Muslim etc., are the collection of the Traditions of the holy Prophet in which his sayings and doings are related with authoritative references in he same way there are books on the Traditions among the Isna Ashariyya Shias as well but in them very little space has been devoted to reports concerning the sayings and doings of the sacred Prophet. – hardly five per cent and the rest of it contains the narrations of deeds and events relating to the Imams from their own sources. It could of course not be otherwise from the Shia point of view, because, according to them, now only the Imams are the Ultimate Proof and Argument of God, and the source of guidance for the Ummat and as stated earlier their place is equal to that of the holy Prophet and higher than that of all the other Apostles.

According to Isna Ashariyya Shias, the most reliable and authentic among their books on the Traditions is Abu Jafar Yaqub Kalini Razi’s Al-Jami-ul-Kafi which in their view, enjoys the same distinction as Sahi Bukhari does among the Sunnis, or even greater.1

We have, before us, the edition that was published about a hundred years ago by Nawal Kishore Press of Lucknow. We shall be drawing largely upon it for what we are going to write here. It is the most authentic source of knowledge of the Isna Ashariyya faith. It is divided into four volumes, has about 2.500 pages, and contains over 16,000 narrative and traditions.

The Hujjat (Ultimate Proof) of God for bondmen can not be established without an Imam.

It is related in the Chapter called, Kitabul Hujjat, in Usul-e-Kafi that the sixth Imam Jafar Sadiq once said:-

"The Ultimate Proof (Hujjat) of God on hiss creatures is not established without an Imam so that through him men may obtain knowledge and awareness of him and His religion".

This chapter contains several other narrations bearing the same import and in almost the same words.

The world can not exist without an Imam

The next chapter in the book is entitled. The world can not endure without the Hujjat (Imam). There are several narrations in it on this subject from which we shall be reproducing the following two:-

Abu Hamza relates: "I asked Imam Jafar Sadiq whether the earth can exist without an Imam. He replied, ‘If the earth is left without an Imam it will sink’". (Usul-e-Kafi. P. 104).

It is narrated that Imam Baqar said, "If the Imam is taken away from the earth even for an hour, the earth and all that is on it will shake like waves that rise in the ocean". (p. 104).

Recognition and acceptance of Imams is a Prerequisite of Faith.

Imam Baqar or Imam Jafar (once) said. "No one can be a true believer unless he acquires knowledge of God. His Prophet and all the Imams particularly, the Imam of his time". (Usul-e-Kafi, p. 105).

It is related by Zuraih; he relates that "I asked Imam Jafar Sadiq about the Imams after the Prophet (peace be upon him) to which he replied: ‘Amir-ul-Momini Hazrat Ali was the Imam after the Prophet. After him, Hasan was the Imam, and, after him, Husain was the Imam, and after him. Ali Bin AL-Husain was the Imam and then Mohammad bin Ali (Imam Baqar) was the Imam. Whoever denies it is like the denier who denies God and His Prophet’". (p. 106).

The command to believe in Imamate and the Imams and to preach it came through all the Prophets and Divine Scriptures:

It is narrated in Usul-e-Kafi that Imam Jafar Sadiq said: "Our Wilayat (authority on men and other creatures) is just like the Wilayat and authority of God. Every Prophet sent by God was sent with this commandment and the command to proclaim it". (p. 276).

Again, on this very page, it is stated that the seventh Imam, Abul Hasan Musa Kazim, son of Imam Jafar Sadiq, (once) said:-

"The Imamate of Ali is recorded in all the Books of God brought by the various Prophets and God sent no Messenger who did not bring the command of God to believe in the Apostleship of Mohammad (peace be upon him) and succession to it of Hazrat Ali and to proclaim it". (p. 276)

The Light revealed by God to believe in which along with the Lord and His Messengers is ordained in the Quran means the Imams.

There is a whole chapter in Usul-e-Kafi entitled, ‘Imams are the Light of God’, the first tradition of which reads:-

It is related by Khalid that "I enquired from Imam Baqar about this verse of the Quran.

ARABIC TRANSLATE

Believe, then, in God, and His Apostles and the Light which We have sent down.1

"The Imam, thereupon, relied: ‘O Abu Khalid! By God, this light means the Imams’". (P. 117).

Wherever the Quran refers to the Light revealed by God, it means, in the view of the whole Ummat and of any one who has some knowledge of Arabic language. The Glorious Quran itself which is the Light of Guidance revealed by God and to believe in which is as obligatory as to believe in God and His Prophets. (The context in which these verses have been revealed, also, corroborates it). But according to Shi’ite traditions, Imam Baqar, Imam Jafar and Imam Musa Kazim are reported to have said that it meant not the Quran, but the twelve Imams of the Shias and the command had been sent down to believe in them along with believing in the Lord and His Messengers.

Obedience to Imams is obligatory:

It is narrated by Abu al Sabah; he says: "I swear that I heard Imam Jafar Sadiq saying" ‘I swear that Ali is the Imam and God has made obedience to him obligatory, and Hasan is the Imam and God has made obedience to him obligatory and Ali bin Husain (Zainul Abidin) is the Imam and God has made obedience to him obligatory, and his son, Muhammad bin Ali (Imam Baqar) is the Imam and God has made obedience to him obligatory" – (p. 109).

Another narration tells that Imam Jafar Sadiq once said: "We are those to obey whom God has made obligatory. It is essential to recognize and accept us. Mere ignorance will not serve as an excuse. Those who recognize and accept us are true believers and those who deny us are infidels. Those who neither recognize us nor deny us are misguided and erring till they come back to the right path and profess loyalty to us which is obligatory". (p. 110).

Yet another tradition of the same import is from Imam Baqar which ends with these words: "This is the religion of God and His angels’". (p. 111).

Obedience to Imams is as obligatory as to the Prophets:

It is related by Abul Hasan Ata that he heard Imam Jafar Sadiq saying: "Join the Awsiya1 (Imams) with the Prophets in the matter of obedience (i.e. regard obedience to the Imams obligatory in the same way as obedience to the Prophets)" (p. 110).

Imams have authority to declare anything lawful or unlawful:

It is related by Mohammad bin Sanan that : "I enquired from Abu Jafar Sani (Muhammad bin Ali Taqi) about the mutual differences of Shias in respect of the lawful and the unlawful. He replied: O Mohammad God has been unique in His Oneness since eternity. He then created Mohammad, Ali and Fatima who remained as they were for thousands of years. Thereafter God created all the other things of the world and made them (Mohammad Ali and Fatima), a witness to the creation of those things and declared obedience to them obligatory for all creatures and entrusted all their affairs to them. Thus they make lawful whatever they like and unlawful whatever they do not like excluding w hat Allah likes". (p.278).

It is wroth mentioning that while commenting on this tradition. Allama Qazwini has explained that by Mohammad Ali and Fatima are meant not only those three persons but all the Imams of their lineage1.

Anyhow, the substance of Imam Jafar Sani’s reply is that since the Imams had been given authority to make anything lawful or unlawful it so happened sometimes, that while an Imam declared a thing or act lawful another declared it unlawful and it was because of this that differences arose among Shias about legality or illegality of a thing.

Like the Prophets the Imams too, are Innocent:

Another chapter contains a long sermon of the eight Imam Ali bin Musa Raza in which he extols the virtues of the Imams and respeatedly stresses about them that they were innocent. At one place, he says"

"Imam is free from sins and faults and defects of all kinds".

And again:

"He (Imam) is innocent. God’s special help is with him. God keeps him on the right path and he is protected from error, forgetfulness and prevarication. God bestows upon him the exceptional blessing of innocence so that he may be the Ultimate Argument to His servants and witness to His creatures". (P. 121-122).

Birth of Imams:

A chapter in Usul-e-Kafi is devoted wholly to the birth of the Imams. The first tradition appearing in it is particularly noteworthy, but it is so long that only a summary of it can be given here.

It is related by a special confident and disciple of Imam Jafar Sadiq named Abu Baseer that the day on which Imam Jafar Sadiq’s son. Imam Musa Kazim, (who became the Seventh Imam) was born. Imam Jafar said : Every Imam and Wasi, is born in this manner: the night during which it is willed by God for his mother to conceive him in her womb. God sends an angel with a glass of a most delicious syrup to his father, and makes him drink it. The angel then tells him to co-habit with his wife which he does and the mother conceives the child". Imam Jafar, thereupon described in detail how it happened to his great grand father. Imam Husain as a result of which his grand father. Imam Zainul Abidin was born and then, the same thing happened to Imam Zainul Abidin as a result of which his father, Imam Baqar was born and then the same thing happened to Imam Baqar as a result of which he himself was born, and on the night on which his newly born son, Musa Kazim was conceived in the womb of his mother the same thing had happened to him as well. An angel had come to him from God with a very fine and delicious glass of syrup and told him to cohabit with his wife which he did and she became pregnant with the child". The narration goes on to say that when an Imam and Wasi comes out of the womb of his mother his hands are on the ground and the head is raised towards the sky. (p. 244).

Ten exceptional characteristics of Imams:

Zurarah narrates that Imam Baqar (once) said: "There are ten sign of Imams. He is born perfectly neat and clean and circumcised and when he comes out of the womb of his mother it is in such a way that the palms of both of his hands are placed on the ground and he is loudly reciting the Kalima1 of Islam. He does not need to take a bath after the loss of sperm. When he sleeps only his eyes sleep and the heart remains awake and he never yawns nor stretches his limbs. He sees in the rear in the same way as he sees in the front. His stool smells like musk and for the earth the command of God is to cover it up and to swallow it. When he puts on the armour of the holy Prophet it fits him perfectly, but if anyone else wears it no matter whether he is tall or short, the armour turns out to be longer by a span." (p. 246).

Imams are conceived not in wombs of their mothers, but in their sides and they are born out of their thighs:

Allama Majlisi, too, includes in his Haqqul Yaqeen the following tradition on the same subject, related by the eleventh Imam Hasan Askari.

It says: "We, the Awsiya of the Prophets are not conceived in wombs of our mothers but in their sides. We do not come out of the wombs, but out of the thighs of our mothers. We are the Light of God, and, hence, we are kept away from filth and uncleanliness".2

Imamate is higher than Apostleship:

Allama Baqar Majlisi, further asserts in his book entitled, Hayat-e-Qulub that "Imamate is higher to Prophethood and Apostleship". (Vol. III; P. 10).

Shias believing in Imams are dwellers of Paradise even if they be vicious, licentious and oppressors. All other Muslims, even if they be righteous, are doomed to Hell.

To revert of Usul-e-Kafi, it says that Imam Baqar (once) said:

"God will not spare from chastisement the community which believes in an Imam who has not been nominated by Him (like Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Omar and Hazrat Usman) even if that community (Ummat) is righteous and doer of good deeds. And God will spare from chastisement those who believe in Imams designated by Him even if, in their practical lives, they are oppressors, wicked and evildoers". (p. 238).

There is another narration by a devoted disciple of Imam Jafar, Abdullah bin Ali Yafur, which tells that once, he said to the Imam : "When generally, I meet people I am surprised to find that those who do not believe in your Wilayat and Imamate i.e. who are not Shias and believe in the Wilayat and Imamate of so-and-so i.e., Abu Bakr and Omar they possess the virtues of sincerity, integrity, truthfulness and trustworthiness and those who believe in your Wilayat and Imamate (i.e. happen to be Shias) they are devoid of honesty, truthfulness and trustworthiness (but are perfidious, treacherous, liars and cheats)".

Upon it, Imam Jafar sat up and said to him in a state of great anger:

"The faith and religious deeds of a person who believes in an Imam not nominated by God are neither right and creditable nor acceptable. A person who believes in the Wilayat and Imamate of the just Imams nominated by God will be exempted from punishment by God. (Meaning that however wicked and evil-doer such a person may be he will attain salvation if he believes in the Imamate of the Twelve Imams". (p. 238).

The Imams are equal in rank to the Last Prophet, but superior and higher to all other Prophets and creatures of God:

In section Al-Hujjah of Usul-e-Kafi, there is a long discourse by Imam Jafar Sadiq on the superior rank and position of Hazrat Ali and other Imams. Imam Jafar Sadiq says:

"I act on the commands brought by Ali and refrain from what he forbade. His superiority is like that of Mohammad, and Mohammad was superior to all the creatures of the Lord. Anyone objecting to an order of Ali is like him who objects to an order of God and the Prophet and anyone denying or repudiating him in a big or small matter is like him who attributes partners to Allah. Ali was the Gate of God and except through him, no one could reach God by any other gate and he was the Path of God and whoever took to any other path was destined to be ruined. The superiority and excellence endures, similarly, for all the other Imams, one after the other".

Hazrat Ali said that all the Angels and Apostles had affirmed for him as they had affirmed for the Holy Prophet, and it was he who would send people to Heaven and Hell.

The aforementioned tradition, further, tells that Hazrat Ali used often, to say: "I am the person who on behalf of God, will award Paradise or Hell to people. I possess the staff of Moses, and the ring of Solomon and for me all the Angels and Ar-Ruh (the spirit who is superior to Gabriel and all the other angels) had made the affirmation as they had for Mohammad". (p. 117).

Imams possessed all the knowledge of the past and future and they even excelled the illustrious Prophet Moses in knowledge:

A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi is entitled, "Imams have all the knowledge of the Past and the Future and nothing is hidden from their eyes".

The first narration, in it, is concerning Imam Jafar Sadiq who is reported to have said in an assembly of his close confidants that: "Had I been between Moses and Khizr. I would have told them that I possessed greater knowledge than bot of them and would have revealed to them what they knew not for both Moses and Khizr knew only about the past. They were not endowed with knowledge of the future and all that is going to take place till Doomsday. We have gained that knowledge as an inheritance from the Prophet (peace be upon him)." (p. 160).

On the Day of Resurrection the Imams will give testimony in respect of people of their time.

It is related that Imam Jafar was (once) asked about the following verse of the Quran.

ARABIC TRANSLATE

What will be their state when We bring of every people witness, and, O Prophet. We bring thee a witness against these ? (IV:41). Imam Jafar replied: "This verse (does not relate to other communities but it relates only to the Ummat of Mohammad (Peace be upon him). In every Age there will be an Imam from among us who will testify in respect of the People of his time and Mohammad will be our witness". (p. 112).

Further, Hazrat Ali is reported to have said: "God Almighty has made us pure and innocent and witnesses over His creatures and Hujjat (Ultimate Proof) of His own existence.". (p. 113).

All the Scriptures revealed to preceding Prophets like Torah, Bible and Psalms, are with the Imams and they read them in their original languages.

Another Chapter of Usul-e-Kafi bears the titled: "The Imams have with them all the Books revealed by God to Prophets of yore and in spite of difference in language they read and understand them".

In it, traditions appropriate to the heading and some events concerning Imam Jafar Sadiq and his son. Musa Kazim are mentioned. In the preceding chapter of Usul-e-Kafi, also, there are narrations bearing the same import. For example, Imam Jafar is reported to have said: "We possess the knowledge of Torah1, Bible and Psalms of David and an authentic record of all that was in the Tablets." (p. 137).

In another chapter, there is one more saying of Imam Jafar Sadiq which reads: "We possess Al-Jafrul Abyaz." On being asked what it was, he said: "It means Psalms of David, Torah of Moses, Bible of Christ and Scriptures of Abraham". (p. 147).

Besides the Quran and Hadith, the Imams have other exceptional sources of knowledge:

There is a chapter in Usul-e-Kafi dealing with the ‘Scripture’ Jafar, Jame’a, and Mus-haf-e-Fatima. The first narration, in it, is very long. It is, therefore, presented briefly here in these words:

Abu Basir who, according to Shia traditions, was a great confidant of Imam Jafar Sadiq narrates: "I went to Imam Jafar Sadiq and said to him that I wanted to enquire about a very special thing and asked if no outsider was present. The Imam, (thereupon), lifted the curtain between his room and the next and said there was none and I could enquire from him anything I liked.2" I asked about the knowledge and enlightenment of Hazrat Ali and the Imams. Imam Jafar Sadiq gave a detailed reply the last part of which was: We possess Al-Jafr; and what do people know of Al-Jafr? I requested him to tell upon which he said that (it is a leather bag or sack) which contains all the (llm) knowledge of the Prophets and their successors and of men of knowledge born among the Israelites. He, then, said: We also have Mushaf-e-Fatima, and what do people know about it? It is a book three times more voluminous than your Quran and, by God, not a word of your Quran is found in it.". (p. 146.).

Warning:

It should be kept in the mind that in the reply of Imam Jafar Sadiq, as related by the narrator of the above tradition. Abu Basir, the Quran has twice been called Your Quran, and about Mus-haf-e-Fatima it has been said that "it is three times the size of Your Quran and not a word of Your Quran is found in it". In our view, it is among the thousands of false narrations and statements that are mentioned in the Shia books like Usul-e-Kafi, on the authority of Abu Basir etc., appertaining to the Imams. It is really impossible to suppose about a Believer that dissociating himself from the Quran, he can call it the Quran of others. Some of the Christians and Arya Samajist politicians used, of course, to talk to Muslims in that vein. Anyway, we are certain in our minds that Imam Jafar Sadiq. Imam Baqar and other men of the holy Prophet’s lineage of revered memory never gave expression to such a thing. In fact, such traditions have been concocted by the people who invented the Shi’ite faith and attributed it to Imam Jafar Sadiq. Imam Baqar etc., and Abu Basir, too, is one of them. Moreover, Abu Basir and Zurarah etc., who are the narrators of such traditions and in our opinion the main architects of the Shi’ite creed used to live in Kufa while Hazrat Imam Baqar and Hazrat imam Jafar Sadiq lived in Medina. These people used to come to Medina and, on return, relate the traditions like these in their exclusive circles and it is upon such reports and narrations that the foundation of Shiaism rests.

Mus-haf-e-Fatima:

In the above narration Mus-haf-e-Fatima has been mentioned. It is related by Abu Basir again that once in reply to a question by him about the Mushaf Imam Jafar Sadiq said:-

"When God raised up His Prophet from the earth and he died, Fatima was so overcome with grief that it was known only to God. The Lord then sent an Angel to console he in her grief and to talk to her. Fatima related it to Hazrat Ali who told her to let him know when she felt the Angel had come and heard his voice. She, thus, informed Hazrat Ali of the arrival of the Angel who wrote down what he heard the Angel say till a whole volume got ready (and this is Mus-haf-e-Fatima)." P. 147.

All the deeds of men are presented before Imams:

It is related that (once) Abdullah bin Aban-AL-Zaiyat, who was close to Imam Raza said to him: "Please pray for me and for members of my household". The Imam said. "Do I not pray for you ? By God, your deeds are presented to me every day and night." (Meaning that on the presentation of his deeds he prays for him)".

The tradition goes on to tell that when Abdullah bin Aban felt amazed over it, Imam Raza said to him: "Do you not read this verse of the Quran: Allah will behold your actions (and so) will His Messenger and the believers (IX. 105) ? By God, Mominoon (believers) in it means. Ali Ibn Abi Talib". P. 134.

In his commentary Allama Qazwini says that while stressing upon the word at mominoon in the above verse. Imam Raza has mentioned only the name of Hazrat Ali for the reason that Imamate started with him otherwise it denotes him as well as all the other Imams of his progeny. (As-Safi: Vol. III; Pt.1; p. 140).

Angels visit the Imams:

A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the hedline which translated into English reads: Imams are the mainsprings of knowledge and trees of Apostleship, and the angels visit them".

It is stated in this Chapter that Imam Jafar Sadiq (once) said: "We are the Trees of Apostleship, the Houses of Mercy, the Kesy of Wisdom the Treasures of Knowledge and the Angels visit us". (p. 125).

On every Friday night Ma’iraj (Ascension) is granted to the Imams and they are taken to the ‘Arsh’ (Highest Heaven) and countless new branches of knowledge are revealed to them.

Imam Jafar Sadiq is reported to have said: "Four us there is a peculiar splendour in the Friday nights. The souls of the dead Prophets, and, in the same way, the souls of the dead successors of the Prophet as appointed by him, and the soul of the living successor present in your midst are raised up towards the sky till they all reach the highest Heaven. On reaching there, they circumambulate round the Arsh1 seven times and near every pillar of it, they offer two rak’ats2 of prayers. Thereafter, all these souls are returned to the bodies in which they dwelt earlier. The Prophets and Wasis (successors). Then, make the morning in the state that they are full of joy. The Wasi living among you makes the morning in the state the there is an addition in his knowledge to the extent of a vast multitude". (p. 155).

There are many other traditions of a similar nature:

The Imams possess all the knowledge bestowed by God on Angels, Prophets and Messengers and much more which has not been granted even to Prophets and Angels.

The title of another chapter reads: "The Imams possess all the knowledge which has been granted by God to Angels, Prophets and Messengers".

The first tradition in this chapter tells that Imam Jafar (once) said "God has two kinds of knowledge – one which He has bestowed on His Angels. Prophets and Messengers and we, too, are endowed with it, and the other which He has reserved for Himself (and has not granted even to Angels. Prophets and Messengers). When God begins anything out of His special knowledge. He communicates it to us and, also to the Imams who have gone before us". (p. 85).

In the Night of Power (Shab-e-Qadr) every year God reveals a Book to the Imams through Angels and Ar-Ruh.

In the Chapter, Babul Bada, of Usul-e-Kafi there is a tradition saying that Imam Jafar Sadiq, while explaining the Quranic verse 39 of Sura-i-Ra’ad.

TRANSLATE ARABIC

"What God pleaseth He will wipe out or confirm; and with Him is the knowledge of the Book" observed that "only that thing is obliterated which was existent already, and that thing is confirmed which was not existent previously".

The commentator of Usul-e-Kafi, Allama Qazwini remarks: "For every year there is a separate book. It means that book which contains exegesis of the commands. Imam of the day will need for the next year. The angels and Ar-Ruh descend with that book on the Night of Power on the Imam of the day". (vol., II;P.129).

It should be remembered that Ar-Ruh according to the Shias, does not denote Archangel Gabriel. He is superior to him and all the other angels. It ahs been made abundantly clear in Al-Safi (Vol., II; P.229).

It is, further, related that Imam Baqar said: "It has been decreed by God that every year a night will occur in which a book will descend detailing all the affairs and events of the next year until the same night of that year". P 153).

Imams know their Hour of Death. Their death is in their control:

A Chapter in Usul-e-Kafi bears the title "Imams (Peace be upon them) know when they will die and their death occurs at their own volition." (p. 158).

The same is the substance of the sayings of imam appearing in it. The last one, of course, needs particular attention, and, hence, we are reproducing it here.

Imam Baqar is reported to have said: "God Almighty had sent down a force (of angels) from the heavens (to Karbala) to help Husain. It had reached (half-way) between the sky and the earth. Then, God gave option to Husain to accept the help and utilize the force or to meet Him (through death and martyrdom) whereupon he preferred meeting the Lord (i.e., martyrdom)." P. 159.

In the light of this narration, Shias may like to think, again, over their mourning and bewailing that the martyrdom (of Imam Husain).

The Imams also possessed all the miracles of the former Prophets:

In Usul-e-Kafi a Chapter is entitled: "Description of the miracles of the Prophets of the past which the Imams possessed".

The substance of the first saying, in this chapter, of Imam Baqar is that the staff of Moses which was his main miracle really belonged to Adam which went on being passed from one owner to another till it reached Moses and it was now with Imam Baqar and will reach the Awaited Imam in due course. It will have the same power as it had at the time of Moses. (p. 141).

The narration goes on to say that one night Hazrat Ali came out after Isha Prayers and declared – "The Imam of the day has come out before you. He is putting on the shirt of Adam and the ring of Solomon and is holding the staff of Moses". (p. 142).

The Imams are the lords of the world and the Hereafter. They can grant whatever they like to anyone:

In section al-Hujjah of Usul-e-Kafi there is a chapter entitled: "The whole earth is the property of the Imam (Peace be upon him)". In it, it is stated that once replying to one of the questions of Abu Basir, Imam Jafar Sadiq remarked: "Do you not know that this world and the world Beyond belong to the Imam. He can grant whatever he likes to anyone". (p. 259).

Imamate is the combination of Prophethood and Divinity:

The extracts reproduced above from the most authentic book of Shias will show that according to the religion of Isna Ashariyya, the Imams possessed all the special qualities, powers and miracles of the Prophets put together, and they ranked higher to every Prophet of the past including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Christ and were equal in rank and position to Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him). Further still, they possessed the attributes of divinity. They knew the seen as well as the unseen; everything of the past and of the future. Nothing was hidden from them. Forgetfulness, error and prevarication were out of the question for them. They had creative authority over every particle of the Universe. They were the Lords of this world as well as the next. They could bestow whatever they liked on anyone or withhold it from him.