It is a title for the specific elite who have a leading...

It is a title for the specific elite who have a leading position in their communities be it a positive and righteous leadership or a negative and destructive one. Thus, the Almighty God appointed Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) an ‘imam’ for people,(1) and also commanded (s.a.w.w) and his companions to fight back against the ‘imams of Kufr’ (the leading figures of the infidels) who violated their oaths after their covenant and attacked the religion of Islam.

(2) Imam Ali (a.s) is a leader who was appointed by (s.a.w.w) through revelation. Therefore, he is a righteous leader, and following his leadership and guidance would lead to the true Sunna of the Prophet of Islam which leads to Paradise. Do Shia follow Imam Ali (p) rather than (P)?! Sometimes people wonder why is it that the Shia consider themselves the followers of Imam Ali (a.s). Are we not supposed to follow the guidance of the Prophet of Islam?

Do they follow Imam Ali rather than following the Sunnah of ?! The answer is that both Shia and Sunni Muslims claim they are following the guidelines and the teachings revealed to the Prophet of Islam. However, after the demise of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his pure progeny) two main schools of thought emerged in introducing Islam to the next generations; i.e. The School of Kholafa (known as Sunnis), and the School of Ahlul-Bait (known as Shiites).

The Shia believe that following the words and actions of Imam Ali (a.s) and the other 11 Imams of Ahlul-Bayt (a.s) leads to the actual teachings of the Prophet of Islam. Therefore, when they say they are the Shia of Imam Ali (a.s) they mean they are the followers of (s.a.w.w) through the path of his best student; Imam Ali (peace be upon him). A rabbi visited Imam Ali (a.s) and asked: “When did your Lord come into existence?! The Imam replied: “When He did not exist to say when did He exist?

My Lord was before ‘Before’ without any ‘before’ and after any ‘After’ without ‘after’ and there is no end or limit to His goal. All limits end with Him and He is the end of all limits.” The astonished rabbi said: “Are you a prophet?!” the Imam replied: “Woe unto you! Indeed, I am one of the slaves of Muhammad (s.a.w.w).”(3) Imam Ali (a.s); Whose Imam is He? 1. Imam ul-Mu’mineen (The Imam of the believers) Imam Ali (a.s) is the first Imam and the leading figure of all believing Muslims.

Historically it is an indisputable fact that he was the very first person who believed in Islam.