ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Significance of Imamat [specially in the Viewpoint Of] Nahjul Balaghah Chapter 8: Imamat from the Viewpoint of the Imams The general discussion of the question of Imamat is coming to an end with this discourse. A further discussion of this question will consist of the study of the Prophetic traditions relating to Imam Ali and other Imams and the sayings of the early Imams in respect of the subsequent Imams.

All these traditions are of the nature of authoritative directive, in regard to the designation and appointment of the Imams. Perhaps a number of points included in the present discourse have already been covered by the discussion already made, but as these points reflect the spirit of the question of Imamat, we propose to discuss them again with reference to the sayings of the Imams in this connection. We also propose to quote some extracts from al-Kafi, Book of Hujjah.

We have several times said that Imamat in the sense in which the Shi'ah or at least their Imams talk about it is different from the Imamat of which the Sunnis speak. The question of Imamat is also different from that of government, which is so often the subject of discussion nowadays. Basically the question of Imamat closely follows that of Prophethood, not in the sense that Imamat is something inferior to Prophethood, but in the sense that it resembles Prophethood.

The great Prophets were both Prophets and Imams at one and the same time. Imamat is a spiritual state. In this connection the Imam have laid stress on the concept of man. Let us review our concept of him so that this point may become clear. What Kind of a Being is Man? Do you know what kind of a being basically man is? There are two points of view.

According to one of them man, like all other living beings, is a 100% material being, which as a result of a series of material changes has developed to the utmost possible to which degree a material being could develop. Life whether in plants, animals or men is a manifestation of the gradual development of the matter without the interference of any non-material element in their existence.

(We have used the word element only for want of any better expression.) Every wonderful quality existing in any being emanates from its material structure. On this basis the first man or the first man who appeared in this world must have been the most primitive men. It is with the passage of time that man has gradually developed.