ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Imamate and Leadership Lesson One ( 11 ) The Place of Leadership (*) in Islam The Imam is with respect to the masses composing the ummali the leader and exemplar from whose intellectual power and insight those travelling toward God benefit whose conduct and mode of life they imitate and to whose commands they submit. Imamate has a broad and comprehensive sense that includes both intellectual authority and political leadership.

After the death of the Prophet the Imam was entrusted with the guardianship of his accomplishments and the continuation of his leadership in order to teach men the truths of the Qur'an and religion and ordinances concerning society; in short he was to guide them in all dimensions of their existence.

Such leadership exercised in its true and proper form is nothing other than the realization of the goals of Islam and the implementation of its precepts precepts established by the Messenger of God; it bestows objective existence on the ideal of forming a community and codifying a law for its gover- nance. Imamate and leadership are sometimes understood in a restricted sense to refer to the person who is entrusted with exclusively social or political leadership.

However the spiritual dimension of man is connected intimately with the mission of religion and the true and veritable Imam is that ( 12 ) exalted person who combines in himself intellectual authority and political leadership; who stands at the head of Islamic society being enabled thereby both of convey to men the divine laws that exist in every sphere and to implement them; and who preserves the collective identity and the human dignity of the Muslims from decline and corruption.

In addition the Imam is one whose personality already in this world has a divine aspect; his dealings with God and man his implementation of all the devotional ethical and social precepts of God's religion furnish a complete pattern and model for imitation. It is the Imam who guides the movement of men toward perfection.

It is therefore incumbent on all believers to follow him in all matters for lie is a living exemplar for the development of the self and of society and his mode of life is the best specimen of virtue for the Islamic community.