And it is used for various meanings...

And it is used for various meanings: Successor of the Prophet; Religious Guide, and hence the Prophet; Divine book; One who leads in prayer. All the above meanings are based on the basic concept of "Guidance" and "Leadership" Also, it is used for the "Path" (because it leads from one point to another). In the Qur'an it has also been used for the "Books of deeds" in which our actions are recorded.

Now see the examples: (1) Qur'an, 2:124 - Here Imam has been used for "Leader" (in the sense of "prophet") (2) Qur'an, 25:74; 21:73; 32:24 - It is used for Leader, meaning "Religious Guides". (3) Qur'an: 9:12 and 28:4 - Here also it is used for Leaders' who lead people to Hell (or should we say, "Who mislead"). (4) Qur'an: 17:71 - mentions of "Imam" in the meaning of "Leader" and, of course, good and evil, both types. (5) In 15:79, this word has been used for "way" or "path".

"Imam-e-Mubin" in this ayat cannot be translated in any other way. Now before explaining the meanings of "Imamin Mubin" (in 36:11) let me explain one thing: According to numerous 'Ahadith' of the Holy Prophet and Imams, "The Qur'an has been revealed...... and for each of its Ayats there an 'appearance' (apparent meaning) and a 'hidden' meaning....." (This Hadith has been narrated by the Sunnis from the Holy Prophet s.a.w).

According to Shia faith, both types of meanings have to be believed, as both are from Allah; and both meanings are complementary to each other. In this ayat of Sura "Yasin", the apparent meaning is the "Book of Deeds", which has been described in various ways by various translators. And its "inner" meaning may be known from the tradition of the Holy Prophet, narrated by the famous Sunni Mufassir, and Muhaddith, Imam Jalaluddin Suyuti in his Tafseer "Ad- Durrul Manthur (Vol.

V, Page 261, Egypt edition):- "Abd bin Hamid, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abi Hatim have narrated from Quatadah that this ayat means that "everything is preserved in a "Leader" (The Arabic word implies a human being.) And our 5th Imam (a.s.) has said that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) explaining this ayat before Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar said-(in a long Hadith) turning towards All bin Abi Talib: "Verily, this is that 9Imam Mubin) in whom Allah has contained the knowledge of everything." I hope this explanation will satisfy you that neither the "outer" meaning given by our Sunni brethren is wrong, nor is the "inner" meaning described by our 5th Imam (as.) on the authority of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.).