Of these four...

Of these four, Abu Hanifa was exclusively given the special title of ‘ al-Imam al-A’dham [^2]’ since his treatise and interpretation of Islamic tenets came to be followed by the largest majority of Muslims, known as the Hanafites. It should be noted here that these four (Abu Hanifa [b. 80- d.150 AH.], Malik [b. 95– d. 169 AH], ash-Shafi’iy [b.150– d. 204 AH] and ibn Hanbal [b.164– d.

241 AH] ) were all born several decades after the time of the Prophet (S) and they were not designated or named as Imams by the Prophet (S), nor did they themselves ever claim to be Imams. It was only a popular prefix added to their names as a tribute, by their followers after their death out of love, affection, and regard.

In much later times, the Sunni sect further diluted the significance of the word ‘ Imam ’, and when any person possessing some knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, he was referred to as an Imam . The Twelver Shia, on the other hand, consider only the twelve Imams (a.s.) designated and named by the Prophet (S), as their temporal and spiritual leaders, and Divine Guides. For the Shia, Imamate is as much a Divine conferment as Prophethood.

The verses of the Qur’an reveal that God conferred Imamate on Abraham. Therefore, an Imam cannot be chosen or elected by men. There are several basic differences between the Twelver Shia and the Sunnis as to who is an Imam. The Twelver Shia consider that the Imams are chosen and designated by God. The Sunnis believe that it is sufficient if the majority of Muslims designate a person as the Imam.

Among the Sunnis, the reputed knowledge of Islamic Jurisprudence is the only criteria for such designation. The Twelver Shia, on the other hand, hold that the Imams are chosen and designated by God; that the Imams are endowed with knowledge of the past, present and the future; of the known and unknown and all the scriptures revealed to the various Prophets, since the Imams are the very embodiment of the Divine Wisdom.

For the Twelver Shia, the supreme commander [ Ulil Amr ], in temporal as well as religious matters, is the Imam of the time. The Sunnis interpret ‘ Ulil Amr’ as the head of the state, separating religion from worldly affairs.

Though, for the Twelver Shia, the terms Imam and Ulil Amr refer only to the twelve designated Imams (a.s.), recently the term was also being erroneously and unfortunately used, in its Sunni sense of the word, by a small section of the Twelver Shia to denote the head of a state.