[22] Imamah (Leadership) - Introduction 2

A series of discussions on the teachings of Imam Sadiq (sixth Imam of the Muslims), from the book Misbah ash-Sharia (The Lantern of the Path)

In His Name, the Most High

This is part twenty-two of an ongoing series of discussions on the book attributed to Imam as-Sadiq entitled ‘Misbah ash-Sharia’ (the Lantern of the Path).

As is the case for each of the sessions in this series (and previous series), there is a requirement for the reader to at the very least take a cursory look at the previous sessions - though studying them properly is more beneficial - as the nature of this subject matter requires a building up of understanding in a step by step manner.

Since each session builds on the one before, it is crucial that the previous sessions are studied - at least in a cursory manner, though fully is more beneficial - so we can try to ensure that misunderstandings and confusion do not ensue, as well as ensure we can garner more understanding from each session.

The previous parts can be found here:

The Lantern of the Path - Index

Video of the Majlis (Sermon/Lecture)

This write up is a companion to the video majlis (sermon/lecture) found below:

Contents

• Majlis - Misbah ash-Sharia - Servitude - Part 22 - Imamah - Introduction 2

• Maqtal - Martyrdom of Imam as-Sadiq

• Nohe - Ja'fari Beloved Imam, Sadiqi Light of Rasul

• Ziyarah - Ziyarat Aal-i-Yaseen

Recap

In the previous session — the twenty-first in this series on Misbah ash-Sharia — we entered a new phase of our journey by beginning our exploration of Imamah (Leadership).

Building on our extensive discussions on The Lantern of the Path (Misbah ash-Sharia) and the first hadeeth therein, on Ubudiyyah (Servitude), which included the principles of Tawheed (Divine Unity), Adalah (Divine Justice), Nubuwwah (Prophethood), and especially Wilayah (Divine Guardianship), we introduced Imamah not as a detached topic, but as an extension of Wilayah itself.

We were reminded that Imamah is not merely a leadership structure, nor is it reducible to a list of historical biographies. It is in fact the continuation of the Prophetic mission — the ongoing presence of divine guidance on earth after the Prophet’s departure.

This divine guidance spans a period of 250 years, encompassing the lives of the first eleven Imams, beginning with Imam Ali (a) and concluding with Imam Hasan al-Askari (a). It is best understood through the metaphor of a “250-year-old person” — one unified being navigating a long and arduous mission. Though each Imam lived in different eras and faced different challenges, their mission, essence, and character were one and the same. As Imam as-Sadiq (a) stated, “We are all one light.”

We also reflected on the deep inadequacy of many existing biographies of the Imams, especially in languages like English. Often reduced to birthdates, martyrdom dates, and ritual anecdotes, they fail to convey the intellectual, spiritual, and strategic richness of the Imams’ lives — the very richness needed to inspire a believing and thinking community in our time.

In response, we were called to reframe our understanding of the Imams not as isolated heroes, but as a cohesive, divinely guided continuum. Their different outward strategies, far from contradictory, are better understood as adaptive responses to varying conditions, like a mountaineer adjusting his path to reach the same summit.

Finally, the session closed with a reminder that the purpose of this journey is not academic curiosity — but spiritual transformation. To truly walk the path of Imamah is to prepare oneself: for reform, for resistance, and for the return of the Awaited One — may our souls be his ransom.

We now continue that journey, in His most magnificent name, and with full reliance on Him, and certainty in His love and compassion for all His creation, that He will assist us in learning, understanding and following the path of the 250 year-old person.

Imamah (Leadership) - Part 2

Introduction

وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ فِعْلَ الْخَيْرَاتِ وَإِقَامَ الصَّلَاةِ وَإِيتَاءَ الزَّكَاةِ ۖ وَكَانُوا لَنَا عَابِدِينَ

We made them imams, guiding by Our command, and We revealed to them [concerning] the performance of good deeds, the maintenance of prayers, and the giving of zakat, and they used to worship Us.

- Quran, Surah al-Anbiya (the Chapter of the Prophets) #21, Verse 73

Following our concluding of the previous session - part of the introduction on Imamah - we now need to, in order to ensure we gain as much as possible from these sessions, and that we properly understand the subject, need to briefly recap on some elements of Prophethood, as well as Wilayah.

This will not be as detailed of a recap, as the discussions we have had previously, so I would still very strongly recommend that anyone reading this, examine at the very least, the discussions we’ve already had on Prophethood and Wilayah, so as to ensure they get the most of this, and future, sessions in this section on Imamah.

The Objectives of Prophethood

Prophethood, we have learned as two key objectives:

1. Bringing about a revolution within a wayward society

2. Establishing a tawheed-oriented society

Prophets are commissioned and appear to human societies at certain times throughout history, when there is a necessity for the coming of a Prophet.

Generally, this is the point at which the human society is in need of a turning point, a revolution, and the establishment of just and fair society.

For centuries, anti-human powers have done their best to falsify and distort the values and ideals of human society, turning the form of societies into something grotesque and toxic.

It is at such junctures, generally, that God commissions Prophets.

In other words, he comes to destroy, to overthrow the distorted and damaged form of society, and to dispel the principles and tenets upon which this decadent and degenerate society is based; changing the form of society; to replace reactionary and false principles and values, with revolutionary and tawheed-centric principles and values, those of Islam, those of Tawheed.

Ultimately creating a new social order based on the true teachings of God, and under the leadership, guardianship and authority of God, through His awliya (his representatives).

Revolution as Redemption: The Shia Conception of Divine Uprising

In the historical context of Christendom, particularly within Catholicism, the Reformation was perceived as a destabilising revolution — a threat to the established order. Consequently, the Counter-Reformation was cast as a necessary counter-revolution, aimed at restoring authority and halting what was seen as societal disintegration.

This reaction was, in many ways, natural for a religious structure already in power. From the perspective of institutional dominance, any fundamental shift is perceived not as renewal, but as rebellion.

By contrast, within Islam — and more specifically within Shia Islam — the concept of revolution holds a profoundly different meaning.

Shia Islam, historically marginalised and often persecuted, has rarely represented the dominant power structure. Even in the post-revolutionary era following the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the broader Islamic world has often remained resistant, if not hostile, to the principles upheld by Shia theology.

As a result, in Shia thought, revolution is not reactionary, but redemptive.

It is the path of resistance against tyranny, the overthrow of injustice, and the restoration of divine order. Righteous scholars and thinkers within the Shia tradition have consistently described such movements — whose goal is the establishment of a tawheed-oriented society rooted in God’s justice — as revolutionary in the highest sense of the word.

Far from bearing a negative or subversive connotation, revolution in Shia Islam is sacred.

It is the manifestation of qiyam — the principled uprising seen in the legacy of Prophets, and most notably in the stand of Imam Husayn at Karbala.

To revolt against injustice, to reclaim the divine mandate, and to establish God’s sovereignty on earth — this is not merely permitted in Shia theology; it is an obligation.

Thus, where others may see rebellion, Shia Islam sees redemption.

The Two Core Functions of Prophethood

Upon close reflection, we can identify two essential functions that every divinely appointed Prophet is tasked with:

1. To present a set of revolutionary principles—a transformative vision rooted in divine truth.

2. To establish and institutionalise these principles within a social framework: a tawheed-oriented society governed by the values of divine justice, unity, and submission to God.

This dual responsibility is most clearly fulfilled by the Ulu al-Azm — the Prophets of Firm Resolve — who not only convey divine guidance but are also tasked with implementing it at the level of social and political reality. However, the responsibility to establish and maintain such a God-centered order is not limited to them; it is also incumbent upon all Prophets, and indeed upon every individual who truly follows their path.

As we have discussed previously, if a Prophet of Firm Resolve comes to a nation and proclaims a revolutionary program, yet fails to establish a new social order grounded in tawheed — if they do not translate revelation into social transformation — then their mission remains incomplete.

Take, for example, Prophet Musa (Moses) and his confrontation with the Pharaoh of Egypt. Imagine that he successfully initiates a divine revolution, confronts Pharaoh, and dismantles the tyrannical structures of that society. Suppose further that he succeeds in rallying the people and toppling the oppressive regime.

However, if he were then to fall short of building a new society upon the divine principles he proclaimed — if he failed to construct a tawheed-oriented order, to assume leadership of this new framework, or to appoint a successor to continue its preservation and evolution — then the divine mission entrusted to him would remain unfulfilled.

Thankfully, we know from the Quranic narrative that all Prophets commissioned by God did establish, at least in embryonic or foundational form, communities and societies rooted in tawheed. Even if such societies were small, short-lived, or faced eventual decline, the act of establishing them was a vital and necessary function of their Prophethood.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is no exception. He fulfilled both functions: delivering the revolutionary message of Islam and laying the foundations for a just, God-oriented community. The survival or sustainability of these societies, while important, is a separate discussion. What matters is that the principle of establishing divine order was carried out.

In summary, the work of Prophets is not only to declare truth, but to make it manifest in social, spiritual, and political reality — to bring the divine word to life in the form of a living, breathing society that moves toward God.

The Struggle of Prophet Muhammad in Establishing the Islamic Society

Islam arrived with a clarion call that laid the groundwork for a profound social revolution. The preparatory phase of this revolution would take thirteen years to mature and reach fruition.

While the Prophet Muhammad remained in Makkah — prior to his migration to Madinah and the establishment of a new community there — his mission consisted solely of effort and perseverance. From the perspective of the shortsighted, these efforts appeared futile, even meaningless.

It was a time marked by sacrifice, by torture, and by alienation from one’s own kin. The nascent Muslim community was subjected to group exile in Shiʿb Abī Ṭālib — a narrow valley on the outskirts of Makkah. There, in the seventh year of Prophethood, they endured three years of brutal isolation under the Quraysh-imposed economic and social sanctions — a period of relentless “maximum pressure.”

For those of weak faith, the early years of Islam — prior to the Prophet’s migration — were marked by unbearable hardship. Hunger, poverty, deprivation, physical and emotional harm, despair, doubt, and disillusionment were commonplace.

Yet these struggles were not incidental. They were the necessary preconditions for revolution. This stage of tribulation was essential to ascend to the summit of leadership — the position from which society could be transformed. The Prophet’s migration to Madinah represented that very turning point: the moment when years of effort began to bear fruit, and a new, tawheed-oriented society began to take shape.

As we have previously discussed, the migration to Madinah was not a spontaneous or coincidental event. The common account presents the story simply: that a group of people from Yathrib (the pre-Islamic name of Madinah) — later known as the Ansar (the Helpers) — heard the recitation of Quranic verses, were moved by the message, and invited the Prophet to their city. He accepted their invitation, migrated, and lived there for thirteen years until his passing.

However, this telling misses the depth and significance of what actually occurred.

The First Need: Law and Order

At that time, two urgent needs emerged side by side, mirroring one another in both form and function.

The first was Madinah’s need. The city was mired in a state of tribal chaos — a cycle of petty revenge, fratricide, and internecine warfare had left it weary and broken. Its leaders were incapable of governance, and internal strife had reduced it to a plaything in the hands of various Jewish tribes who held the upper hand socially and economically.

The city was humiliated, fragmented, and leaderless. It desperately needed structure — not necessarily a divine programme, for it lacked the wisdom even to perceive such a need — but it did feel the pressing necessity for law, order, and leadership. It needed someone capable of taking over the reins of administration and offering stability.

This was the first pressing need.

The Second Need: The Prophet’s Mission

The second need was that of the Prophet himself. His message had been categorically rejected in Makkah. His own tribe ostracised him; his followers were tortured; and even in the town of Ta’if, he was greeted with stones and denied the most basic hospitality.

The other tribes in the surrounding regions each rejected him in their own way. Even those who expressed some interest demanded conditions — notably, the right to choose his successor after his death — which the Prophet could never accept.

Having endured these cumulative defeats — and these were necessary defeats, without which no divine movement can mature — the Prophet now stood at a crossroads. These early trials are like the formative years of human development: the ten, eleven, and twelve-year-old must endure struggle before reaching the maturity of adolescence.

What he needed now was prepared ground: a society broken enough to be remade. Madinah, with its exhausted factions and scorched political landscape, was like a field cleared by a forest fire — ready for new seeds to be sown.

These two needs — the Prophet’s divine mission and Madinah’s need for leadership — suddenly stood before one another. The Prophet called them to Islam, and they recognised the opportunity before them.

A covenant was formed. The Prophet then quietly departed by night, instructing his followers to join him — declaring it a religious obligation upon the believers of Makkah to emigrate to Madinah.

The Birth of a New Society

In Madinah, the Prophet began to lay the foundations of a new order. He established a governmental structure, a society rooted in tawheed, and an ideal model for human social and individual existence.

He formed a civil and administrative framework, one which addressed not only the political dimensions of life, but also the spiritual and ethical needs of humanity — all within the bounds of divine law.

This is, ultimately, the true purpose and function of Prophethood: not only to convey divine truths, but to translate them into a living, breathing reality — a society that orients itself wholly towards God.

The Divine Blueprint: Revolution, Order, and the Enduring Islamic Society

With the emergence of this new society, a divinely revealed framework was unveiled — a comprehensive dispensation composed of principles, values, laws, and commands, designed to administer the emerging Islamic order.

It was a system that made clear:

If you steal, then this is your punishment.

If you injure or assault another, then this is your punishment.

And you, O ruler — if you govern with injustice, then this is your punishment.

It was a framework not just for the individual, but for the one entrusted with authority:

If you, O ruler, see wrongdoing and fail to act as required — or act in a manner contrary to justice — then this too has a consequence.

It defined punishment for those who seek to dominate by force.

It defined the path to divine proximity for those who genuinely strive to draw near to God.

And it laid down the protocols and remedies for those who reject the values that uphold Islam and its social system — showing how they may be dealt with, or corrected, in line with divine justice.

This revealed order provided all the necessary provisions to ensure the perpetuation of the Islamic society — not merely for a generation or a few centuries, but until the Day of Resurrection.

This new creation — called “Islam” — was not intended as a passing phenomenon. It was designed to endure. And in order for it to endure, it required a set of commandments and teachings, revealed to the Prophet, and gathered and preserved.

The Prophet did not simply convey these teachings; he instructed that they be documented, that they be recorded and compiled into a reference — a living record to be placed into the very heart of the Islamic community.

To that society he said:

“Here is your guide. Refer to it when the need arises. Continue your journey in accordance with what it teaches.”

What is this “book”?

It is not only the Qur’an that is implied by this term — though the Qur’an is certainly at its centre. What is meant here is the entire body of divine instruction: the revealed Book, the Prophetic example (sunnah), his words, his actions, the moral, legal, and spiritual teachings that make up the fabric of Islamic civilisation.

This “book” — this totality of Islam’s intellectual and ethical heritage — was handed to the newly formed society with the solemn instruction:

“This is in your hands. It is the medicine for your continued life. It is the guidance you cannot live without.

Hold on to it — tightly. And walk forward with it.”

The Continuation of the Islamic Order After the Prophet’s Passing

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ ۚ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا ۗ وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ

Muhammad is but an apostle; [other] apostles have passed before him. If he dies or is slain, will you turn back on your heels? Anyone who turns back on his heels, will not harm God in the least, and soon God will reward the grateful.

- Quran, Surah Aal-i-Imraan (the Chapter of the Family of Imraan) #3, Verse 144

Muhammad is but a Messenger.

If, as a newly guided Muslim, you imagined that there was something inherently immortal in his person — that his presence alone was the essence of the message — then you were mistaken.

Will you now, upon his departure, turn back on your heels?

Will you allow doubt to cloud your conviction, and return to the path of pre-Islamic ignorance from which you were delivered?

Will you discard that noble garment — the one Islam has so perfectly tailored for you — and instead clothe yourself once again in the worn rags of an outdated and unjust order?

Will you abandon the luminous social system that Islam brought forth — one rooted in justice, unity, and divine purpose — only to revert to the crumbling structures that once enslaved your soul?

The Messenger has departed, yes. But the message, the law, the path — they endure.

It is not he who was eternal, but what he was sent with.

So hold fast to what remains, and walk forward with clarity and conviction.

The Prophet Has Passed — What Now for the Ummah?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has passed on. Like all prophets, he was mortal, and his life spanned sixty-three years. Other prophets lived shorter lives among their people — such as Prophet Yahya (John) and Prophet Isa (Jesus), peace be upon them. Although Jesus was not martyred or buried among his people, and instead was raised by God, his earthly mission was similarly brief. These examples show that the duration of a prophet’s presence among his people does not determine the permanence of his message.

So, what becomes of a community after the departure of its Prophet?

Two Critical Needs After Prophethood

This society now faces two essential needs — and in understanding these, we uncover the very meaning and purpose of the institution of Imamah.

The first need is this: to open the “book” left behind — the divine guidance — and to understand it, internalise it, and apply it. The second is to align this understanding with the evolving needs of society.

The Prophet does not merely proclaim a divine message. He also establishes a social order built upon it. But that message, profound as it is, requires time to settle — to take root in hearts and minds, to penetrate society at every level. This is not because the message is incomplete, but because people and cultures need time to absorb and live by it.

The Need for Interpretation and Explication

The creed must be interpreted, explained, and made practical. Its values and laws must become embedded in daily life — and for that, someone must continue the Prophet’s task.

This is the role of the Imam: the most knowledgeable in the faith, the custodian of divine wisdom, and the interpreter of revelation.

At this point, it is important to clarify that we are not engaging in theological polemics. If someone outside the Shia tradition were to ask, “Why do you believe in Imamah?” or “What are the conditions that must be met for someone to be an Imam?” — we are not, in this forum, entering into debate. That discussion belongs in another setting.

Our purpose here is to reflect upon the beliefs held by the Shia — to clarify them, expand upon them, and explore their practical and spiritual implications.

Why the Imams Are Essential

So, the fundamental reason for the continuation of divine leadership — for the institution of Imamah — is this: that society is in urgent need of guidance. The religion must be explained, safeguarded, and propagated. After the passing of the Prophet, who will assume this critical task?

If the eleven Imams had not succeeded the Prophet, preserving his teachings and clarifying their meaning, we would not have the Islam we know today. Through their teachings and presence, the Imams ensured that the religion was not lost to time.

Even within Sunni scholarship, their influence is undeniable — though often unacknowledged. Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, for example, is almost absent from major Sunni hadith collections such as Sahih al-Bukhari, yet his intellectual and cultural impact on the Islamic world — Sunni and Shia alike — is immense and enduring.

The Impact of a Scholar on Civilisation

It is simply the nature of knowledge: a great scholar influences society, even if society does not fully attribute its development to him. His impact is felt, whether or not it is formally acknowledged.

This sentiment was captured by the late Egyptian jurist and scholar Shaykh Muhammad Abu Zahra, a respected voice in Sunni legal tradition. In his book on Imam Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, he affirms that all the major scholars of Islamic sciences — hadith, jurisprudence, Quranic exegesis and more — ultimately owe their foundations to him. Imam al-Sadiq, he says, was their greatest source of knowledge.

This influence was not limited to Imam al-Sadiq. Each of the Imams left an indelible mark on the intellectual, spiritual, and legal landscape of their time.

The First Duty: Interpreting the Faith

Of course, the closer we come to the end of the cycle of Imamah — the time of the ninth, tenth, and eleventh Imams — the role of interpretation diminishes slightly, while another dimension of Imamah becomes stronger. That second dimension is leadership — and we will turn to that shortly.

In any case, when a society loses its Prophet — its revolutionary guide and founder of a new tawheed-oriented order — it needs stabilisers. It needs a framework to keep the faith intact, to preserve the teachings for future generations, and to allow the religion to grow and flourish in ever-changing circumstances.

Imams serve as that framework. They interpret revelation with divine insight, ensuring that Islam remains alive, intelligible, and applicable — not just for the generation of the Prophet, but for all who come after.

This, then, is the first duty of the Imams: the clarification and interpretation of the religion.

The Second Duty: Leadership of the Ummah

But the second duty is no less vital: leadership.

As Imam Ali (peace be upon him) says in Sermon 40 of Nahjul Balagha:

“Every society stands in need of a leader.”

This is central to our understanding of Islam.

Unlike some ideological systems — such as Marxism — which claim that societies may one day run themselves without leadership, Islam teaches that people will always need guidance. After the passing of the Prophet, someone must take the helm — someone capable of steering the ship of society along the path the Prophet set in motion.

This person must not only lead with strength and wisdom, but must be rooted in the same divine mission as the Prophet himself. Their leadership is not in conflict with the freedom of society — rather, it enables and protects it.

A Balanced Structure: Political and Spiritual Guidance

A society requires both types of guidance: political leadership to manage affairs, and spiritual-intellectual guidance to uphold the truth and explain the sources of law.

Now, whether that leader must be the most knowledgeable and most just among the people — this enters the realm of theological debate, and we will not delve into those creedal discussions here.

Suffice it to say: the institution of Imamah was divinely designed to fulfil these two ongoing responsibilities — the explanation of the faith, and the leadership of the community. Through it, Islam continues to live, to flourish, and to reach those generations yet to come.

Can the Imam Step Back from Leadership?

What happens if the true leader of society — the one divinely appointed — is prevented from exercising his leadership?

If such a ruler is ousted from his position, can he simply carry on with his other religious duties — continuing to interpret and explain the teachings of Islam — while stepping back from the role of governing, saying,

“Now that I’ve been prevented from leading politically, let others take charge and manage society”?

Can he unburden himself from this heavy responsibility through an act of noble humility?

Is this even an option?

Or is there a third possibility — that perhaps he may relinquish the leadership if it serves the higher interests of Islam, and retain it if those interests demand it?

We argue that he may not step aside under any circumstances.

A Non-Negotiable Obligation

We believe — along with, and indeed taught by, Imam Khomeini, Imam Khamenei and all the righteous Islamic scholars — that the one appointed by the Prophet, the one publicly introduced as his rightful successor, to whom obedience was made obligatory, has no personal discretion in the matter.

Such a person must strive to retain and reclaim this trust and responsibility, should it be taken from him.

Why?

Because this is not a right he may choose to accept or decline.

The Biscuit and the Medicine

To make this clearer, consider this analogy:

If I offer you a biscuit, you may politely decline. You might say,

“Thank you, but I’m not in the mood.”

That’s entirely reasonable.

But now imagine you’ve fallen seriously ill, and a reliable physician prescribes medicine. In this case, it would make no sense to say,

“No, I don’t feel like taking it right now.”

The appropriate response to that would be:

“Too bad.”

You might first be encouraged gently. But if your condition is serious, and persuasion fails, the medicine may be administered by force — for your own good.

Leadership as the Community’s Medicine

Our situation is not unlike this.

A newly established Islamic society, fresh from revolution, is in need of healing. It is like a patient who requires urgent medicine.

Such a society does not have the right to refuse its cure. And the one holding that cure — the Imam — cannot shrug his shoulders and say,

“Well, if you don’t want it, fine. I won’t force it on you. It’s your loss.”

No. It’s not a personal matter.

The Imam is obligated to reclaim his right. He must do everything in his power to deliver the medicine — unless he sees that the patient (the society) is so fragile that forcing the remedy would cause greater harm or even death.

In such a case, he may pause. He may withhold the remedy temporarily until the patient regains enough strength.

And once the patient is stable, he may first try subtle means — concealing the medicine in food, so to speak. And if that doesn’t work, he may once again resort to more direct measures.

This, too, is the reality of Imamah.

The Transmission of Two Prophetic Duties: A Foundational Shia Belief

What follows is not the opinion of a single individual, but the collective belief of the Shia tradition.

We believe that, by divine command, two key responsibilities of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) were passed on—after his departure from this world—to the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace be upon him). These were:

1. The task of interpreting and explaining the teachings of Islam, and

2. The responsibility of leading the political affairs of the Muslim ummah.

The reasoning behind why Imam Ali, and not someone else, was chosen for this trust has already been discussed in detail in our earlier section on Wilayah.

The Twofold Role of the Imamah

The Imamah—the divinely appointed leadership—serves two essential functions:

• Theological Guidance: To ensure the religion’s scripture, beliefs, and laws are accurately understood and preserved.

• Political Leadership: To govern the emerging Islamic society in accordance with the direction set by the Prophet, keeping the community aligned with the divine trajectory.

These are the primary responsibilities of the Imam. They were entrusted by the Prophet to Imam Ali, and subsequently, to the eleven Imams who followed him. The Prophet himself made this designation on several occasions, most notably in his final public sermon at Ghadir Khumm.

Prophetic Testimony to the Twelve Imams: The Twelve Successors Foretold

Both Sunni and Shia sources transmit that the Prophet foretold the number of his rightful successors:

“There will be twelve Imams after me.”

or

“There will be twelve caliphs after me.”

These narrations are so widely reported and through so many independent chains that they fall into the category of mutawātir ma‘nawī—reports with varied wordings but consistent meaning, transmitted by numerous sources.

For instance, in Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Rulings, Hadith #7222), we find:

يَكُونُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ أَمِيرًا

“There will be twelve Amirs (leaders).”

And in Sahih Muslim (Book of Imārah, Hadith #1821a):

لَا يَزَالُ هَذَا الدِّينُ عَزِيزًا إِلَى اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ خَلِيفَةً

“This religion will remain strong until there have been twelve caliphs.”

Additional references are found in:

• Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal

• Sunan Abi Dawud

• Sunan al-Tirmidhi

• al-Mustadrak of al-Hakim

• The works of al-Kattani

Shia Reports Confirming the Same

The Shia hadith tradition also preserves these narrations. For example:

In al-Kafi by Shaykh al-Kulayni, in the Book of Knowledge and Divine Authority:

إِنَّ الْأَئِمَّةَ بَعْدِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ، أَوَّلُهُمْ أَنْتَ يَا عَلِيُّ، وَآخِرُهُمُ الْقَائِمُ…

“The Imams after me are twelve: the first is you, O Ali, and the last is the Qā’im (the Mahdi), through whom God will open the East and West.”

In Kamal ad-Dīn by Shaykh al-Saduq (Vol. 1, p. 253):

“The Imams after me are twelve, all from Quraysh, all from Banī Hāshim. None is separated from the others. They are like a cord stretched between heaven and earth.”

In al-Ghaybah by Shaykh al-Nu‘mānī (p. 59):

كُونُ بَعْدِي اثْنَا عَشَرَ نَقِيباً، كَعِدَّةِ نُقَبَاءِ مُوسَى

“There will be twelve successors after me, like the chiefs among the Israelites in the time of Moses.”

The Comprehensive Role of the Imam: Intellectual and Political Stewardship

The Imam is not merely a ruler nor simply a scholar. His function is comprehensive:

1. Intellectual/Doctrinal: He preserves and expounds upon the theological foundations of the faith, safeguarding both the rational and scriptural underpinnings of the Islamic worldview.

2. Political/Practical: He leads the Muslim community, implementing divine justice and upholding the Prophet’s societal vision.

In essence, the Imam holds the reins of society with one hand and carries the torch of knowledge with the other, guiding both the soul and the structure of the ummah in accordance with divine intent.

The Prophet made it clear that those entrusted with this dual responsibility would be twelve in number.

The Imams Identified by Name

In many narrations—especially those within Shia sources—the twelve Imams are named explicitly. This poses no challenge to historical scholarship and stands as a clear instance of prophetic foresight.

For example, in Kitab al-Ihtijaj, by Ahmad ibn Ali al-Tabrasi (Vol. 1, p. 99), a sermon of the Prophet names his twelve successors:

“Indeed, my successors and the leaders of the Muslims after me are:

My brother Ali,
My son al-Hasan,
My son al-Husayn,
Ali ibn al-Husayn,
Muhammad ibn Ali,
Ja‘far ibn Muhammad,
Musa ibn Ja‘far,
Ali ibn Musa,
Muhammad ibn Ali,
Ali ibn Muhammad,
Hasan ibn Ali,
And Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Mahdi.

They are my successors, my confidants, and God’s proofs (hujjaj) upon my nation after me—the Imams of guidance and the beacons of piety.”

These are the twelve Imams in whom we believe and to whose wisdom and guidance we submit.

The Divine Appointment and Purpose of the Imams

Thus, we come to understand:

• Why these twelve individuals were divinely appointed to the station of Imamah,

• What responsibilities were entrusted to them,

• And what is expected of them by God in fulfilling the mission of Islam after the Prophet’s departure.

These are the matters we have sought to examine and make clear.

The Hallmarks of a True Shia: Understanding the Imam’s Purpose and Walking His Path

A true Shia is one who grasps the purpose of the Imam and strives to follow his path.

Let me be frank: even if we live for a hundred years, if we fail to understand the role of our Imams and do not walk in their footsteps, we have no right to call ourselves Shia.

Others may still refer to us by that name — out of politeness, goodwill, or habit — and that is their choice. But such a title would not reflect the reality of our actions or the seeds we have sown.

If we do not know what path the Imams took, what they aimed to achieve, and the direction in which they wished to steer society, then we ourselves are left without direction.

Our ignorance leaves us wandering.

And if we are unaware of the direction they intended to go, it is as if we have lost sight of our own destination. After all, we claim to be their followers. But without this knowledge, can we truly be called followers (Shia)?

A Call to Reflect

God willing, as we explore the Imams as a singular, continuous “250-year-old person,” I want to reflect on what it truly meant to be a Shia during their time.

I say this with sincerity and a heavy heart: if we were to understand the reality of what it meant to be counted among the Shia then, it would be a cause of shame for most of us today.

It was not merely about ritual devotions or performing acts of worship like fasting in Ramadhan—although these are certainly present in the hadith corpus and remain important.

But these were not the principle elements that distinguished the Shia of that era. Rather, it was something deeper, more existential—something most of us, tragically, lack today.

A Deeper Understanding of Imamah

In those days, the Shia understood the role and purpose of their Imam. They knew where he was going, what path he was on, and what duties fell upon them as followers.

They chose their direction in life accordingly. Their loyalty wasn’t passive or theoretical—it was lived, embodied, and acted upon.

This is why one of the distinguishing features of that early Shia community was the mutual support of the faithful. They lived out the verse: “The faithful are supporters of one another”:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

But the faithful, men and women, are supporters of one another: they bid what is right and forbid what is wrong and maintain the prayer, give the zakat, and obey God and His Apostle. It is they to whom God will soon grant His mercy. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.

- Quran, Surah at-Tawbah (the Chapter of Repentance) #9, Verse 71

They not only lived as believers and died as believers, but they also engendered faith—they increased the number of the faithful. Faith wasn’t an individual possession; it was a seed they sowed in others.

After Karbala: Crisis and Collapse

Following the epic of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, when Imam Zayn al-Abedeen (as-Sajjad) assumed the mantle of Imamah, a dramatic spiritual collapse occurred.

Although people hadn’t lost their beliefs in God or rejected the prophethood of Muhammad, or even the Imamah of Ali, their resolve weakened. Their hearts trembled. Their spirits faltered.

The narrations are stark:

وَلَمْ يَبْقَ مَعَهُ – أَيْ الإِمَامِ زَيْنِ العَابِدِينَ – مِنْ شِيعَتِهِ إِلَّا نَفَرٌ يَسِيرٌ، ارْتَدَّ أَكْثَرُهُمْ بَعْدَ الحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ

“And there remained with him (Imam Zayn al-Abedeen) only a small number of his Shia, as most of them apostatised after the martyrdom of al-Husayn.”

— Kitab al-Irshad, Vol. 2, p. 137

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) قَالَ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ بَعْدَ الحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) ارْتَدُّوا إِلَّا ثَلَاثَةً: أَبُو خَالِدٍ الكَابُلِيُّ، وَيَحْيَى بْنُ أُمِّ الطَّوِيلِ، وَجُبَيْرُ بْنُ مُطْعِمٍ

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:

“Verily, the people apostatised after al-Husayn except three: Abu Khalid al-Kabuli, Yahya ibn Umm al-Tawil, and Jubayr ibn Mut’im.”

— Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 46, p. 144

ارْتَدَّ النَّاسُ بَعْدَ قَتْلِ الحُسَيْنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ) إِلَّا أَرْبَعَةً

“The people apostatised after the killing of al-Husayn except four.”

— Al-Kashshi, Ikhtiyar Ma’rifat al-Rijaal, p. 101

But what does this “apostasy” mean?

Did they stop believing in God? No.

Did they deny the Prophet? No.

Did they reject the wilayah of Imam Ali? Not at all.

They believed, like you and I believe. But the Shia of that time collapsed in action, in resolve, in courage.

A True Shia’s Rebuke

Madinah, the cradle of the Shia, saw this collapse firsthand. In its very mosque, the noble Yahya ibn Umm al-Tawil stood and addressed those who still claimed to be the followers of Imam Ali (peace be upon him). He recited the words of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham):

قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

There is certainly a good exemplar for you in Abraham and those who were with him, when they said to their own people, ‘Indeed we repudiate you and whatever you worship besides God. We disavow you, and enmity and hate have appeared between you and us for ever, unless you come to have faith in God alone,’ apart from Abraham’s saying to his father, ‘I will surely plead forgiveness for you, though I cannot avail you anything against God.’

‘Our Lord! In You do we put our trust, and to You do we turn penitently, and toward You is the destination.

- Quran, Surah al-Mumtahinah (the Chapter of the Woman to be Examined) #60, Verse 4

He was not speaking to idol worshippers. He was speaking to those who, like us, claimed to believe in God and Imamah. Yet he disavowed their friendship, saying that between him and them there was enmity—until they truly believed in God alone.

When someone stood and objected, saying, “But we all believe in one God!”—they knew what Yahya meant.

Faith in Action: Resistance and Revival

Despite the initial collapse, a revival began. The circle of Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) grew—first dozens, then hundreds, then thousands. The faithful began to act.

They struggled and fought:

• In Madinah, Kufa, and Basra

• In Bakmara on the outskirts of Kufa

• Even as far afield as Morocco

They rose in righteous resistance against illegitimate authority and tyranny. And they were killed, and they killed, and they bore witness.

By the time of the eleventh Imam, Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him), Madaen, a city neighbouring the capital of the Abbasid caliphate, had become a major Shia stronghold.

This was not just survival. It was regeneration.

They engendered other Shia—not by name, not by heritage, but by example, by action, by loyalty.

True Wilayah, True Tawheed

This is the meaning of following the Imams.

It is to follow Imamah.

It is to live and die by Wilayah.

And it is to understand the real essence of Tawheed.

Not merely to say “There is no god but God”, but to live in such a way that every aspect of one’s life, struggle, and death affirms that there is no authority, no obedience, no loyalty, and no love, except for God and those He appointed.

May we, by God’s grace, come to resemble—if only a little—those true Shia who walked behind the Imams in loyalty, sacrifice, and clarity of purpose.

Conclusion

This brings to a close our brief introduction and cursory recap of Prophethood and Wilayah, and a simplified attempt to grasp the essence of Imamah.

Let it be clear: Imamah is the continuation of Prophethood.

To claim one while rejecting the other is not only illogical—it is spiritually invalid.

It is not enough to say, “I am a follower of Imam Ali.”

Words are not enough.

There must be resolute action—a lived commitment to the mission of the Prophets and Imams.

To be a true Shia is not merely to understand the teachings of God, His Prophet, and the Imams in theory, but to embody them—to walk their path, in both word and deed.

Let us reflect:

In a community numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands, in a city like Kufa, where the Shia were supposedly many—how many stood with Imam Husayn on the Day of Ashura?

Just seventy-two.

Or by some reports, ninety-six, including his family.

What does that tell us?

We will soon turn to the subject of Imam al-Mahdi (may our souls be his ransom, and may God hasten his return), in the section on Mahdawiyyah (Islamic Messianism).

But for now, we must reflect on this:

The Imam is in occultation because of our ineptitude, our lack of readiness, and our lack of sincere belief.

He himself says, in a narration found in many of our books:

لَوْ أَنَّ أَشْيَاعَنَا وَفَّقَهُمُ اللَّهُ لِطَاعَتِهِ عَلَىٰ اجْتِمَاعٍ مِنَ الْقُلُوبِ فِي الْوَفَاءِ بِالْعَهْدِ عَلَيْهِمْ، لَمَا تَأَخَّرَ عَنْهُمُ الْيُمْنُ بِلِقَائِنَا، وَلَتَعَجَّلَتْ لَهُمُ السَّعَادَةُ بِمُشَاهَدَتِنَا عَلَىٰ حَقِّ الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَصِدْقِهَا مِنْهُمْ بِنَا

If our Shia—may God assist them in His obedience—were united in fulfilling their covenant with sincere hearts, then surely our meeting would not be delayed, and they would be blessed with our visitation at the earliest, along with the true recognition of us and the confirmation of our rights.

- Al-Ihtijaj, Volume 2, Page 602 / Ghaybat al-Tusi, Pages 166 & 337 / Al-Kafi, Volume 1, Page 336 / Kamal al-Din, Pages 359–360 / Kifayat al-Athar, Pages 264–265

This single hadeeth—this lament of the Imam—should be enough to make us weep profusely.

But how many of us truly weep?

How many of us live with the urgency to prepare for his return?

How many of us labour—day and night, heart and soul—to pave the way for the Master of the Age, the Awaited Saviour, the one who is waiting for us?

Even those of us who weep—if it is only weeping—let us be clear:

Neither God, nor Imam al-Mahdi, has any need for our tears.

Tears are not the end. They must be the spark—the fire starter—that ignites the flame of love in our hearts, and drives us to action.

We must work—harder and more sincerely than ever before—to build a tawheed-oriented society, to complete the mission of the Prophets and Imams.

We must act so that our Imam will not be endangered when he returns—so that he does not meet the same fate as his forefathers, each of whom was martyred by the powers of their time.

Why did this happen?

Because the vast majority of those who professed to follow them were too weak, too impatient, or too cowardly to come to their aid.

They were content to go through the motions—to commemorate Ashura, to mourn Imam Ali—but without gaining anything real from these blessed lives.

I am reminded of Imam Musa al-Kadhim, who spent seven years in prison in Baghdad.

Where were the Shia?

They would walk to Karbala every year, passing his prison, while the real Husayn of their time was languishing in chains.

Only two Abbasid soldiers guarded him. Two.

And yet thousands of Shia passed that prison again and again, for seven years.

Only a handful—no more than could be counted on one hand—visited him.

And even they could do nothing. They were too few. Too powerless.

Meanwhile, Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid tyrant, sat in his palace, and the so-called Shia clapped for him, while their Imam—their own Imam—was imprisoned and forgotten.

That was seven Muharram’s, seven Arbaeen’s.

And when Harun al-Rashid finally murdered the Imam and displayed his body on the bridge over the Tigris, he said:

“This is the Imam of the Rafidah.”
(The rejectors, a slur for Shia—meaning those who reject illegitimate rule.)

Only then did the Shia appear.

For what?

To mourn. To put up black banners. To hold a funeral.

But mourning without action is betrayal.

It is to pour salt in the wounds of the martyr.

It is to abuse the one you claim to love.

We must reflect.

We must introspect.

We must reform.

We must hold ourselves accountable—before God does.

For we are accountable:

• To God

• To His Messenger

• To His Messengers, who—like the Imams—form a continuous divine chain

• To the Imams, and especially to Imam al-Mahdi

• To his grandfather, Imam al-Husayn

• And to his grandmother, Lady Fatimah az-Zahra

The same Imam al-Husayn we weep for during Muharram and Safar—on Ashura and Arbaeen—yet whom we betray not with our beliefs, but with our actions, our inactions, our habits, and our heedlessness.

In our next session, God willing, we will begin in earnest our discussion on the 250 year old man; which starts with a discussion on the life of the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali, who makes up the first phase in the life of this 250 year old person.

We ask God—sincerely, with humility and desperation—to help us to learn and become better, to grant us the tawfeeq (divinely-granted ability and success) to walk the path of the true Islam of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), to follow—in word and deed—the teachings of the Prophet and the Imams, and to truly be among those whom He counts among the successful.

And from Him alone is all ability, and He has authority over all things.

O God, bless Muhammad and his pure family,

O He who does not reject the desperate,
O He who hears the complaint of the broken,
O He whose mercy precedes His wrath,
And whose pardon outweighs all punishment—

I come to You, not with the provisions of the righteous,
Nor the light of those who see clearly,
But I come to You, heavy with sins,
Dry of heart, like a land deprived of rain.

O my Master,
My thirst is not only for water,
But for Your nearness.
My hunger is not only for sustenance,
But for Your forgiveness.

You see me—
Silent, yet complaining;
Alive, yet dying with distance;
Moving among people,
Yet estranged from myself.

What has he found who has lost You?
And what has he lost who has found You?

So revive this barren soul of mine
With the downpour of Your mercy;
Send upon me a rain from the heavens,
Not only to drench the earth,
But to cleanse my heart.

O Lord,
If You abandon me to myself,
I am the companion of ruin.
If You leave me to my own choosing,
I will choose what brings me shame.

So do not leave me, not even for the blink of an eye.

By the right of Muhammad and his family,
Whom You made lights for the seekers,
Allow me to taste the sweetness of Your forgiveness,
And to find shelter beneath Your Compassion.

O God, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad,
The boats of salvation, the lanterns in the darkness—
And seal this whispered plea with Your mercy,
And not with what I deserve.

Ameen O Lord Sustainer of the Universe,
Ameen O Most Merciful of the Merciful