Introduction
October 23, 2025Chapter 1 – The Possession of Supernatural Powers by the Infallible Imams that enable them to Destroy their Enemies
October 23, 2025BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Foreword
Since Imamah is the cornerstone upon which Imami Shi’ism is built—their concept necessitating the existence of an infallible Imam in every era—the Imamiyyah have proceeded to establish numerous proofs for his existence. Among the most prominent is their claim that the most important purpose for his existence is to preserve the religion from distortion and to correct any omissions or alterations in case they occur, as has been mentioned in their transmitted reports and the statements of their scholars, as follows:
1. The transmitted reports of the Imamiyyah
1. The trusted authority of the Imamiyyah, Muhammad ibn Yaqub al Kulayni — reported from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar — from Abu ‘Abdullah al Imam Jafar al Sadiq ‘alayh al Salam, who said:
إن الأرض لا تخلو إلا وفيها إمام كيما إن زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم وإن نقصوا شيئا أتمه لهم
The earth is never devoid of an Imam, so that if the believers add anything to the religion (by way of reprehensible innovation), he may remove it, and if they omit anything, he will complete it for them.[1]
2. The hadith scholar of the Imamiyyah, Muhammad ibn al Hasan al Saffar, narrated several reports, among them:
عن إسحاق بن عمار عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال سمعته يقول إن الأرض لا تخلو إلا وفيها عالم كلما زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم وإن نقصوا شيئا تممه لهم
Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar reports that he heard Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam saying, “The earth is never devoid of a learned one. Whenever the believers add anything to the religion (by way of reprehensible innovation), he removes it, and if they omit anything, he completes it for them.”
عن إسحاق بن عمار قال سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول إن الأرض لن تخلو إلا وفيها عالم كلما زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم إلى الحق وإن نقصوا شيئا أتمه لهم
Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar reports that he heard Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam saying, “The earth will never be devoid of a learned one. Whenever the believers add anything, he returns them to the truth, and if they omit anything, he completes it for them.”
عن أبي حمزة عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام أنه قال لم يتنازل عن الأرض إلا وفيها منا رجل يعرف الحق فيما زاد الناس فيه شيء قال فقد زادوا وإذا نقصوا منه قال قد نقصوا
Abu Hamzah narrates that Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam said, “The earth has never been devoid except that within it is a man from us who knows the truth. So if the people add anything to it, he says, ‘They have added,’ and if they omit anything from it, he says, ‘They have omitted.’”
عن أبي بصير عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه قال إن الله لم يدع الأرض إلا وفيها عالم يعلم زيادة ونقصان في بعض زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم وإذا نقصوا وأكمله لهم، فقال خذوه كاملا ولولا ذلك لالتبس على المؤمنين أمرهم ولم يفرقوا بين الحق والباطل
Abu Basir narrates that Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam said, “Indeed, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala does not leave the earth except that within it is a learned one who knows the increase and decrease on earth. So, if the believers add anything, he returns them to the truth, and if they omit, he completes it for them, thus leaving it complete. Were it not for that, matters would be confused for the believers and they would not differentiate between truth and falsehood.”
عن إسحاق بن عمار قال قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام إن الأرض لم يستسلم من أن يكون فيها من يعلم الزيادة والنقصان فيما جاء المسلمون بزيادة طرحها وإذا جاؤوا بالنقصان وأكمله لهم ولولا ذلك لاختلط على المقاوم أمرهم
Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar reports that Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam said, “The earth will never be devoid of one who knows the increase and decrease. So, when the Muslims bring an addition, he discards it, and when they bring an omission, he completes it for them. Were it not for that, matters would become confused for the Muslims.”
وعن أبي حمزة قال قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام لن تبقى الأرض إلا وفيها رجل منا يعرف الحق فيما زاد الناس فيه قال قد زادوا وإذا نقصوا منه قال قد ينقصوا وإذا جاؤوا به صدقهم ولم يكن كذلك لم يعرف الحق من الباطل
Abu Hamzah narrates that Abu ‘Abdullah ‘alayh al Salam said, “The earth will not remain except that within it is a man from us who knows the truth. So if the people add anything to it, he says, ‘They have added,’ and if they omit anything from it, he says, ‘They have omitted.’ And when they bring the truth, he confirms them. Were it not so, truth would not be distinguished from falsehood.”
عن أبي حمزة الثمالي عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال إن الأرض لا توجد الا وفيها منا من يعرف الحق فيما زاد الناس قال قد زادوا وإذا نقصوا منه قال قد نقصوا ولولا ذلك كذلك لم يعرف الحق من الباطل
Abu Hamzah al Thumali relates that Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam said, “The earth will not remain except that within it is one from us who knows the truth. So, if the people add, he says, ‘They have added,’ and if they omit from it, he says, ‘They have omitted.’ Were it not so, truth would not be distinguished from falsehood.”
عن محمد بن مسلم عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام قال إن الله لم يدع الأرض إلا وفيها عالم يعلم أعظم والنقصان من دين الله زاد المؤمنون شيئا ردهم وإذا نقصوا شيئا ما ولما ذلك لا ليتصرفوا على مسؤوليتهم
Muhammad ibn Muslim narrates that Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam said, “Indeed, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has not left the earth except that within it is a learned one who knows the increase and decrease in the religion of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala. So, if the believers add anything, he returns them to the truth, and if they omit anything, he completes it for them. Were it not for that, matters would become confused for the believers.”
عن عبد الاعلى مولى آل سام عن أبي جعفر قال سمعته يقول ما ترك الله الأرض بغير عالم ينقص ما زاد الناس وما نقصوا ولولا ذلك لا يختلطون على الناس ويقومهم
‘Abdul A’la, the freed slave of Al Sam, relates that he heard Abu Jafar ‘alayh al Salam saying, “Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has not left the earth without a learned one who reduces what the people have added and increases what they have omitted. Were it not for that, matters would become confused for the people.”[2]
2. The statements of the scholars of the Imamiyyah
1. The ‘Allamah of the Imamiyyah, Ibn al Mutahhar al Hilli, said:
والجواب أن وجود الإمام نفسه لطف لوجوه أحدها أنه يحفظ الشرائع ويحرسها عن الزيادة والنقصان
The answer is that the existence of the Imam is itself a divine grace for several reasons: one of them is that he preserves the sacred laws, safeguarding them from addition and omission.[3]
He also said:
فيحتاج إلى الإمام في أمور الثالث حفظ الشرع من الزيادة والنقصان ويكون من قرب الناقلين فمتى وقع منهم ما هو جائز عليهم من الإعراض عن النقل بين ذلك وكان قوله الحجة فيه
The need for the Imam lies in three matters: preserving the sacred law from addition and omission. This is possible by the proximity of the transmitters, so that whenever they commit—as is permissible for them—neglect or omission in transmission, he may clarify it, and his statement becomes the decisive proof in that regard.[4]
2. The mujaddid of the Imamiyyah school, al Wahid al Bahbahani, said:
وأيضًا يدل على حجية الإجماع الأخبار المتواترة في أن الزمان لا يخلو عن حجة كي إن زاد المؤمنون شيئًا ردهم وإن نقصوا أتمه لهم ولولا ذلك لاختلط على الناس أمورهم ومضمون هذه الأخبار ضروري مذهب الشيعة وجعلوه من الاعتقادات وأصول الدين في كتبهم الكلامية
Also, the consecutively transmitted reports indicating that the era is never without a proof—so that if the believers add anything, he returns them, and if they decrease, he completes it for them; and were it not for that, matters would become confused for the people—demonstrate the authority of consensus. The content of these reports is a necessary principle of the Shia school; they have made it one of the articles of faith and fundamentals of the religion in their theological works.[5]
3. Muhammad al Rayshahri says:
وهذه الرواية أيضاً كذيل الرواية الواردة في علل الشرائع ترى أن فلسفة الإمامة حراسة الإسلام القويم وصيانته من التحريف
This report also—like the the report mentioned in ‘Ilal al Shara’i’—holds that the philosophy of Imamah is the guardianship of true Islam and its protection from corruption.[6]
4. Al Sharif al Murtada, known among them as ‘Alam al Huda, said:
والحاجة مع ذلك كله إلى الإمام ثابتة لأن الناقلين يجوز أن يعرضوا عن النقل إما بشبهة أو تعمد فينقطع النقل أو يبقى فيمن ليس نقله حجة ولا دليل فيحتاج حينئذ المكلفون إلى دليل هو قول الإمام وبيانه وإنما يثق المكلفون بما نقل إليهم وأنه جميع الشرع ليعلمهم بأن وراء هذا النقل إمامًا متى اختل استدرك عما شذّ منه
The need for the Imam remains established despite all this, because it is possible for the transmitters to neglect transmission, whether due to a doubt or intentionally, thereby interrupting the transmission or leaving it in a state where its narration is neither authoritative evidence nor proof. At that point, those morally responsible would need a proof, which is the statement and clarification of the Imam. The morally responsible only gain confidence in what has been transmitted to them and that it constitutes the entirety of the sacred law because they know that behind this transmission is an Imam who, whenever something deviates, rectifies what has strayed from it.[7]
He also said:
غير أن هذا مما يؤمن وقوعه لقيام الدلالة عندنا على أن لله تعالى حجة في كل زمان حافظا لدينه مبينا له متلافيا لما يجري فيه من زلل وغلط لا يمكن أن يستدركه غیره
Consider that this safeguarding is assured in occurring due to the establishment of proof according to us that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala has a proof in every era—a preserver of His religion, clarifying it, and rectifying the errors and mistakes that occur within it, which no one else can correct.[8]
5. Sheikh al Ta’ifah Muhammad ibn al Hasan al Tusi said:
فأما إذا فرضنا النقل بلا حافظ معصوم من وراء الناقلين فإنا لا نثق بأنه وصل جميعه وجوزنا أن يكون وقع فيه تقصير أو كتمان لشبهة أو تعمد وإنما نأمن وقوع شيء منه لعلمنا أن من ورائه معصوما متى وقع خلل تلافاه
As for when we assume transmission of the religion without there being an infallible preserver behind the transmitters, then we are not certain that all of it has reached us, and we consider it possible that some negligence or concealment may have occurred within it due to doubt or intentionally. We are only assured that nothing of this occurs because we know that behind it is an infallible one who, whenever a defect occurs, rectifies it.[9]
6. The Marja’ (religious authority) of the Imamiyyah, Naser Makarem Shirazi, said:
الإمام عليه السلام حافظ للشرع وقد صرّح علماء الكلام بذلك عند قولهم بوجوب نصب الإمام عليه السلام ولزوم النص عليه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله و أنه لولاه لاندرست آثار النبوة
The Imam is a preserver of the sacred law. The theologians have explicitly stated this when they argued for the necessity of appointing the Imam by the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for were it not for him, the traces of prophethood would have been effaced.[10]
Through these explanations, it becomes clear that the primary purpose for the necessity of an infallible Imam’s existence in every era is to preserve the religion from distortion and to rectify and amend it in case any alteration occurs.
[1] Al Kulayni: Al Kafi, 1/177.
[2] Al Saffar: Basa’ir al Darajat, 1/353-355.
[3] Al Hilli: Kashf al Murad fi Sharh Tajrid al I’tiqad, p. 340.
[4] Al Hilli: Al Alfayn, p. 358.
[5] Al Bahbahani: Al Fawa’id al Ha’iriyyah, p. 302.
[6] Al Rayshahri: Al Qiyadah fi al Islam, p. 47.
[7] Al Murtada: Tanzih al Anbiya, p. 237.
[8] Al Murtada: Al Shafi fi al Imamah, 1/192.
[9] Al Tusi: Al Iqtisad, p.188.
[10] Al Shirazi: Anwar al Faqahah, p. 515.