ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imamate and Leadership Answer To an Objection ( 103 ) Lesson Eleven There are people who think that if government were to originate with the people themselves with the members of society choosing their own leader from among qualified persons relying in their choice on their own desires perceptive capacities and relative knowledge of the strong and weak points of various individuals this would be more in accord with freedom and democracy and thus enable mankind to attain its highest ideal.

They imagine further that if the people are not permitted to have any share in the choice and designation of their leader and if the office of Imam or caliph is not a fully elected one the people will see in him simply a ruler who has been imposed on them. The error underlying this view is the identification of the appointed office of the Imam with tyranny.

However we see that in world politics tyranny comes to prevail as the result of a coup d'etat a revolution or a military intervention and all that counts in a tyranny is the personal views and decisions of the ruler. However from the point of view of Shi'ism there are certain inviolable criteria for the post of Islamic leadership. If someone lacks those criteria it is impossible for him to lead Islamic society or to be recognized as its legitimate ruler.

The rationale for the appointed nature of the post of Imam is that the Lord of the Worlds knows His creation perfectly; He knows the nature of man and his interaction with the world better ( 104 ) than any scholar and is better aware than people are themselves of their own interests.

Hence it is that He chooses as the leader and guardian of the Muslims the best and worthiest individual one who has unique attributes such as complete immunity from sin and a life utterly free from the pull of instinctual desire.

The one so chosen by God has himself no right to legislate and since the Islamic concept of law is based on God's exclusive legislative prerogative his sole point of reference is God's laws and commands as they descended by way of revelation into the pure heart of the Prophet peace and blessings be upon him and his family. In all his programs and plans the divinely chosen leader draws inspiration exclusively from religion striving always to implement God's commands as a matter of duty.

When God is the source of all legislation His laws necessarily embrace all the true interests of man.