ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Faith of the Imamiyyah Shi'ah Part 3: Imamate Our Doctrines Concerning: • Imamate • Infallibility of the Imam • Attributes and Knowledge of the Imam • Obedience to the Imams • Love for the • The Holy Imams • Imamate being Decided by Divine Commission • Number of the Imams • Al-Mahdi • The Return (Raj`ah) • Taqiyyah (Pious Dissimulation) Imamate We believe that Imamate([^1]) is one of the fundamentals of the religion; one’s faith is imperfect without belief in Imamate.

It is also unacceptable to depend upon one’s fathers, folks, or mentors as regards the belief in Imamate, no matter how great these individuals might be; rather it is obligatory upon every individual to investigate and evaluate the matter of Imamate as exactly as it is obligatory to investigate the Unity of the worshipped Lord and Prophethood.

Release from one’s liability from religious duties and obligations depends upon one’s belief in Imamate, as it is then obligatory to obey the Imam in the performance of one’s religious duties.

However, if Imamate is not accepted as one of the fundaments of religion, it is then obligatory on account of reason to believe in Imamate to be released from one’s liability from religious duties and obligations because not all duties and obligations can be decided with certainty without sufficient knowledge; therefore, it is necessary to refer to persons who we believe have achieved such knowledge of religious duties, such as the Imam, according to the faith of the Imamiyyah , and others, according to each sect’s faith.

Even if man does not believe in Imamate and does not suppose that it is a fundamental of Islam, he should, examine the concept of Imamate, if only to absolve himself of responsibility in this matter. We also believe that Imamate, just like Prophethood, is a necessary grace of Almighty Allah.

As a result, there must be in each age an imam (leader) to represent the Prophet in his missions of guiding and leading human beings towards the right path that they might achieve prosperity and pleasure in this world as well as the next. Such a leader must also enjoy the same authority enjoyed by the Prophet, such as supreme authority over the people, so that he can manage their affairs and interests, maintain justice among them and wipe out injustice and oppression.