Lesson 9 and 10: Imamat, Ummah and Velayah (Provice) - Religious Studies Notes PDF

**Lesson 9 and 10** **Imamat, Ummah and Velayah (Provice)** **The meaning of Ummah** Ummah literally means a group of people who have something (Like geography or religion) in common. Religion is the most important common feature in Quranic function of Ummah. In Islamic culture when people preser...

**Lesson 9 and 10** **Imamat, Ummah and Velayah (Provice)** **The meaning of Ummah** Ummah literally means a group of people who have something (Like geography or religion) in common. Religion is the most important common feature in Quranic function of Ummah. In Islamic culture when people preserve the tradition of the Holy Prophet of Islam and follow it, Ummah is maintained and fulfilled. This (type of) Ummah is qualified to be the heirs of the earth. The Islamic Ummah is called Ummah of the apocalypse. It means Islamic Ummah is the best of Ummah: وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ (21:105) *We have written in the Psalms, after the Remembrance: \'The righteous among My worshipers shall inherit the earth. \' (21:105)* كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ مِنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ (3:110) *You are the best nation that ever existed among humanity. You command people to good and prohibit them from evil, and you believe in God. Had the People of the Book accepted the faith (Islam), it would certainly have been better for them. Some of them have faith, but most of them are evil doers. (3:110)* - Velayah and Imamat: In Islamic pint of view, a person has the quality of ruling and guiding people who has the position of province (Velayah). The word /Velayah/ and its synonyms are used in the holy Quran 40 times in different meaning: friendship, company and ally, and, in a very specific concept it means Supervisor or guardian. In spiritual concept Velayah means the closeness of Human spirit to Allah. A person is close to Allah who has the spiritual quality. And the highest level of this closeness belongs to the holy prophet of Islam and Imams who has the responsibility of guiding and leading Ummah. **Imamat of Imam Ali and his progenies** - **Logical criteria for appointing Imam** Allah the almighty, based on his absolute wisdom, leads all humanity toward perfection. This leading is based on the nature and inner desire of every human. This inner desire is called "loving the absolute perfection". Allah has given this desire to humanity and also gave them the appropriate potentiality to achieve it. We know that holy prophet and Imams are the intermediaries for this guidance and leading. Therefore, the Holy prophet and Imams are supposed to have the level of perfectionism. As we discussed, Imams have the special responsibility even higher than prophet. Therefore some special characters for them are essential, like infallibility, having the best of knowledge and character. In Shia believe, Imamat is as important as Nobovat. It is within the realm of wisdom and will of Allah. So, we are unable to recognize Imams by simply owing allegiance to. There are two types of proof of Imamat after prophet: Obvious ones and hidden ones. The obvious proofs are unquestionable and so clear that there is no need for extra reasoning and interpretation. In Shia believe the Imamat of Imam Ali has both obvious proof and hidden proof. There are three sayings testifying the Imamat of Imam Ali: 1. Salute Ali as the commander of faithful. 2. He (Ali) is the person who is my successor among you. Listen to him and obey him. 3. You are my brother, minister, executor and successor. **There are verses of Quran proving the imamat of Imam Ali:** **Anzar verse:** وَأَنْذِرْ عَشِيرَتَكَ الْأَقْرَبِينَ(26:214) *Warn your close relatives (26:214)* In this verse Allah the almighty commanded the holy prophet of Islam to call for his near relatives to be gathered. Then, after announcing his divine mission, asked for their help and said: whoever helps me with my divine mission will be my successor and executor. And Imam Ali was the only one who accepted the prophet's invitation. **Velayah verse:** إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ (5:55) *Your guardian can be only Allah; and His messenger and those who believe, who establish worship and pay the poordue, and bow down (in prayer). (5:55)* There are some narrations that this verse refers to Imam Ali when he was bowing down in prayer, he donated his ring to a poor man. **Advertising (Tabligh) verse:** يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ (5:67) \* O Messenger, deliver what is sent down to you from your Lord; if you do not, you will not have conveyed His Message. Allah protects you from the people. Allah does not guide the nation, the unbelievers. (5:67)* This verse sent down in prophet's final Haj in Ghadi-e Khom, it is one of Shia's logics that prophet appointed Imam Ali as his successor there. **Obedience (Eta'at) verse:** يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا (4:59) *Believers, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you dispute about anything refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and the best interpretation. (4:59)* According to this verse obeying prophet and the authority (Ulu'l-amr) is just as important as obeying Allah. According to Shia interpretation which is more confirmed Ulu'l-amr refers to Imam Ali. Imam Reza in a letter to Ma'mun mentioned all of 12 Imams as Ulu'l-amr. He Sunni scientist, Hakim Haskani, narrated a Hadith from the Holy prophet addressing Imam Ali that: *"my companies are those whom Allah insisted on obeying them and you are the first one of them."* **The Hadith of Saqlain:**  انِّی تَارِک فِیکمْ أَمْرَینِ إِنْ أَخَذْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا- کتَابَ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَهْلَ بَیتِی عِتْرَتِی I \[Muhammad\] left among you two treasures which, if you cling to them, you shall not be led into error after me. One of them is greater than the other: The book of God ([Quran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran)), which is a rope stretched from Heaven to Earth, and \[the second one is\] my progeny, my [Ahl al-Bayt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahl_al-Bayt). These two shall not be parted until they return to the pool \[of abundance in paradise, [kawthar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawthar). **Asna Ashar (twelve) Hadith:** In this Hadith the holy prophet of islam illustrated his successors.