The Imamate and Its Role in the Exposition of the Divine Sciences
In the discussion of prophecy, it was mentioned that, according to the immutable and necessary law of general guidance, each created species is guided through the path of genesis and generation toward the perfection and felicity of its own kind.
The human species is not an exception to this general law. Man must be guided through the very “instinct” of seeking reality and through thought concerning his life in society in such a way that his well being in this world and the next is guaranteed. In other words, to attain human happiness and perfection, man must accept a series of doctrines and practical duties and base his life upon them.
It has, moreover, already been said that the way to understand that total program for life called religion is not through reason but through revelation and prophecy, which manifests itself in certain pure beings among mankind who are called prophets. It is the prophets who receive from God, through revelation, the knowledge of men’s duties and obligations as human beings and who make these known to men so that by fulfilling them men may attain felicity.
It is evident that in the same way that this reasoning proves the necessity for knowledge to guide men to the attainment of happiness and perfection, it also proves the necessity for the existence of individuals who preserve intact the total body of that knowledge and who instruct the people when necessary. Just as the Divine Compassion necessitates the existence of persons who come to know the duties of mankind through revelation, so also it makes it necessary that these human duties and actions of celestial origin remain forever preserved in the world and as the need arises be presented and explained to mankind. In other words, there must always be individuals who preserve God’s religion and expound it when necessary.
The person who bears the duty of guarding and preserving the Divine Message after it is revealed and is chosen by God for this function is called the Imam, in the same way that the person who bears the prophetic spirit and has the function of receiving Divine Injunctions and laws from God is called the Prophet. It is possible for the Imamate 1 and prophecy (Nubuwwab) either to be joined in one person or to be separate.
The proof given previously to demonstrate the inerrancy of prophets, also demonstrates the inerrancy of the Imams, for God must preserve His true religion intact and in such a state that it can be propagated among mankind at all times. And this is not possible without inerrancy, without Divine protection against error.
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1 Editor’s note: In this context of course Imamate refers to the specific Shiite conception of Imam and not to the general Sunni usage of the term which in most instances is the same as caliph.
Adapted from: “Shia” by: “Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i”
