Preface

Praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and Companions.

The one who closely follows the differences between the Islamic groups certainly knows that the fundamental point that sets the Imami Shia sect apart from all others is their belief in the need of the existence of an infallible Imam^[1] after the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam until the coming of the Hour.

Shia authority and ‘Allamah, Muhammad Rida al Muzaffar says:

فلا بد أن يكون في كل عصر إمام هاد يخلف النبي في وظائفه … وعليه لا يجوز أن يخلو عصر من العصور من إمام مفروض الطاعة منصوب من الله تعالى

In every era, there must be an Imam of guidance, who succeeds the Prophet in his tasks. Based on this, no period of time must be devoid of an Imam whose obedience is obligatory, appointed by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.^[2]

It was natural and expected that the Shia try to prove the validity of this belief and defend this belief by all possible means. From one side, they present what they hope backs up their call with intellectual and textual^[3] proofs. From another side, they initiate a merciless attack on the beliefs of the Muslims who do not believe in this Shia Imamah.

If this matter of Imamah remained within the known bounds of academic research in a way that it would be presented as an academic theory resulting from the efforts and research of intellectuals after they studied different proofs and that this theory was subject to discussion, evaluation, and criticism by the men of knowledge and sound opinion, without the need of denying the opinions of those who oppose it and exiling them outside the folds of Islam, then we could have said that there may not have been much harm, as it simply would be a result of human thought, not a non-negotiable fundamental Islamic belief.

However, the Shia scholars took a very dangerous turn with this belief, far from the discussions taking place between the groups within the circle of Islam. This is because they counted the matter of Imamah as being from the foundations of faith like Tawhid^[4], Nubuwwah^[5] and Ma’ad^[6]. They even consider it to be higher than some of those great foundations such as prophethood.

From the contemporary Shia scholars who consider it from the foundations of faith are:

1. Shia Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma, Muhaqqiq, and ‘Allamah, Jafar al Subhani, who says in his book al Milal wa al Nihal, under the title “Is Imamah from the foundations or the branches”:

الشيعة على بكرة أبيهم اتفقوا على كونها أصلاً من أصول الدين وقد برهنوا على ذلك في كتبهم ولأجل ذلك يُعَدُّ الاعتقاد بإمامة الأئمة من لوازم الإيمان الصحيح عندهموأما أهل السنة فقد صرحوا في كتبهم الكلامية أنها ليست من الأصول

All of the Shia have agreed that it is from the fundamentals of faith, and they proved it in their books. This is why they consider that the belief in the leadership of the Imams is necessary for correct Islamic belief. As for the Ahlus Sunnah, they wrote in their books that it is not a fundamental.^[7]

2. Shia scholar, al ‘Allamah Muhammad Rida al Muzaffar says:

نعتقد أن الإمامة أصل من أصول الدين لا يتم الإيمان إلا بالاعتقاد بها

We (the Shia) believe that Imamah is a foundation from the foundations of religion, and that iman^[8] cannot be achieved without believing in it.^[9]

3. Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini said:

الإمامة إحدى أصول الدين الإسلامي

Imamah is one of the foundations of Islamic religion.^[10]

4. Shia scholar ‘Abdul Hussain al Muzaffar says:

ولأجل هذا وجب علينا أن نبحث عن الإمامة لأنها أصل من أصول الدين ولا يستقيم بدونها

This is why it is obligatory upon us to discuss Imamah, as it is a foundation from the foundations of the religion and faith is incorrect without it.^[11]

5. Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma Naser Makarem Shirazi says:

فالإمامة في نظر طائفة الشيعة وأتباع مذهب أهل البيت عليهم السلام من أصول الدين والأسس العقائدية بينما تعتبر في نظر طائفة أهل السنة من فروع الدين والأحكام العملية

Imamah in the view of the Shia sect and the followers of the Ahlul Bayt ‘alayhim al Salam is from the foundations of religion and fundamentals of faith. On the other hand, the Ahlus Sunnah sect considers it from the branches and practical rulings.^[12]

6. Ayat Allah al Sayed ‘Ali al Hussaini and al Sayed al Milani say:

وأما أن الإمامة من أصول الديانات والعقائد أم هي من الفروع فالحق إنها من الأصول كالنبوة

Is Imamah from the foundations of religion and faith or is it from the branches? The truth is: It is from the foundations just like prophethood.^[13]

7. Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma al Sayed Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din al Musawi says:

فعلم أنها ترمي إلى أن ولاية علي من أصول الدين كما عليه الإمامية

Know that it shows that the Wilayah of ‘Ali ^[14] is from the foundations of religion, as the Imamiyyah believe.^[15]

With this dangerous turn, the Shia scholars made Imamah a cross-roads between them and other Muslims, putting an obstacle to realising Islamic unity between the great majority of Muslims and the individuals belonging to the Imami Shia sect. It even made the Shia live in sadness and complete isolation from the rest of the Islamic world, with a huge gap that cannot be filled because of the current nature of their belief in Imamah.

Logically and as a result of this dangerous belief they adopted and forced on themselves, anyone who opposes them in their belief in Imamah has the same ruling as that of a person who denies one of the three Islamic foundations: 1- Affirming the oneness of Allah. 2- Believing in the prophets of Allah. 3- Believing in the Day of Resurrection. Since the Muslims agree that the one who denies one of these three foundations is a disbeliever, the Shia scholars naturally ruled that the one who denies this fourth foundation (i.e., Imamah) that they themselves added must also be a disbeliever who deserves to go to the Hellfire.

Not only do they believe that the ones who oppose them in the matter of Imamah will end up in Hellfire like the Jews, Hindus, and pagans, but they believe that they will receive even greater punishment than people of other faiths.

1. After citing some of the Shia narrations that prove what we mentioned, the Shia Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma and leader of the Shia of his time, Muhammad Hasan al Najafi, comments on them:

وعلى كل حال فمنشأ هذا القول من القائل به استفاضة النصوص وتواترها بكفر المخالفين وأنهم مجوس هذه الأمة وشر من اليهود والنصارى التي قد عرفت كون المراد منها بيان حالهم في الآخرة

Either way, the origin of this opinion are the many mutawatir^[16] narrations that prove the disbelief of those who oppose us, that they are the Zoroastrians of this nation, and that they are worse than the Jews and the Christians, so you (reader) know what this implies concerning their condition in the Afterlife.^[17]

2. Classical Shia scholar and leader of their sect at his time, al Mufid says:

واتفقت الإمامية على أن من أنكر إمامة أحد الأئمة وجحد ما أوجبه الله تعالى من فرض الطاعة فهو كافر ضال مستحق للخلود في النار

The Imamiyyah (Shia) have agreed that he who denies the Imamah of one of the Imams and rejects their obedience which Allah has ordered, then he is a disbeliever, misguided, and deserving to abide in Hellfire forever.^[18]

3. Shia al ‘Allamah Zayn al Din al ‘Amili affirms that there is consensus on this matter:

ولذا نقلوا الإجماع على دخولهم النار

And this is why they (the Shia scholars) have reported that they will enter the Fire by consensus.^[19]

4. The leader of the Shia sect Nasir al Din al Tusi says in Nur al Barahin by Ni’mat Allah al Jaza’iri:

إن الإمامية قد تفردوا بأن دخول الجنة والنجاة لا يكون إلا بعد ولاية آل محمد عليهم السلام واعتقاد إمامتهم وأما باقي الفرق الإسلامية فقد أطبقوا على أن أصل النجاة هو الإقرار بالشهادتين

The Imamiyyah have adopted the unique opinion that paradise and salvation cannot be obtained except through believing in the Wilayah of the family of the Prophet ‘alayhim al Salam and believing in their Imamah. As for the rest of the Muslims, they agreed that salvation can be obtained after affirming the two testimonies of faith.^[20]

I ask, which of the two groups leans more towards unity and love? Is it the Twelver Shia who agree on the disbelief of anyone who disagrees with them and banish their opponents to Hellfire? Or the mainstream Muslims, the Ahlus Sunnah, who believe that if anyone bears testimony that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is His messenger, he will enter Paradise?

5. Ayat Allah al ‘Uzma Abdul Hussain Sharaf al Din says:

وإن عندنا صحاحاً أُخَر فزنا بها من طريق أئمتنا الاثني عشر … وإليكها في أصول الكافي وغيره تعلن بالبشائر لأهل الإيمان بالله ورسوله واليوم الآخر لكنها تخصص ما سمعته من تلك العمومات المتكاثرة بولاية آل رسول الله وعترته الطاهرة … ولا غرو فإن ولايتهم من أصول الدين

We have other authentic narrations that we acquired by means of our twelve Imams. Here are some from the book Usul al Kafi and others. These reports give glad tidings to the believers, those who believe in Allah, His Messenger, and the Final Day, yet all this is only exclusive to those who follow the Wilayah of the family of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and his pure progeny. This is not strange, since their Wilayah is from the foundations of the religion.^[21]

6. Top Shia scholar, al Murtada, who carries the title of ‘Alam al Huda, says concerning those who do not believe in Imamah:

مما يدل أيضا على تقديمهم عليهم السلام وتعظيمهم على البشر أن الله تعالى دلنا على أن المعرفة بهم كالمعرفة به تعالى في أنها إيمان وإسلام وأن الجهل والشك فيهم كالجهل به والشك فيه في أنه كفر وخروج من الإيمان وهذه منزلة ليس لأحد من البشر إلا لنبينا صلى الله عليه وآله وبعده لأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام والأئمة من ولده على جماعتهم السلام …. والذي يدل على أن المعرفة بإمامة من ذكرناه عليهم السلام من جملة الإيمان وأن الإخلال بها كفر ورجوع عن الإيمان إجماع الشيعة الإمامية على ذلك فإنهم لا يختلفون فيه

What also proves their (peace be upon them) superiority and their greatness from among the humans, is that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala showed us that knowing them is like knowing Him, in that it signifies Islam and iman, and He showed that being ignorant of them and doubting them is like being ignorant of Him and doubting Him, in that it signifies kufr and disbelief. This honour is not given to anyone except our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and after him the chief of believers ‘Ali `alayh al-Salam and the Imams from his progeny. What proves to us that the leadership of those whom we mentioned is from iman while disbelieving in them is kufr is the consensus of the Imami Shia; they do not differ on this.^[22]

7. Sheikh al Ta’ifah al Tusi says:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وبه ثقتي إذا سألك سائل وقال لك ما الإيمان فقل هو التصديق بالله و بالرسول وبما جاء به الرسول والأئمة عليهم السلام كل ذلك بالدليل لا بالتقليد وهو مركب على خمسة أركان من عرفها فهو مؤمن ومن جهلها كان كافرا وهي التوحيد والعدل والنبوة والإمامة والمعاد

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate; in Him I trust. If a questioner asked you, “What is faith?” Say, “It is to believe in Allah, the Messenger, and what the Messenger and the Imams ‘alayhim al Salam have brought. It is based on five pillars, the one who knows them is a believer and the one who is ignorant of them is a disbeliever. They are: the oneness of Allah, the justice of Allah, Prophethood, Imamah and Resurrection.^[23]

8. The Shia Muhaqqiq, ‘Ali ibn al Hussain al Karaki says:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم وبه نستعين في التتميم الحمد لله والصلاة على رسوله محمد وآله الأطهار . يجب على كل مكلف حر وعبد ذكر وأنثى أن يعرف الأصول الخمسة التي هي أركان الإيمان وهي: التوحيد والعدل والنبوة والإمامة والمعاد بالدليل لا بالتقليد. ومن جهل شيئا من ذلك لم ينتظم في سلك المؤمنين واستحق العقاب الدائم مع الكافرين

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate; on Him we rely. Praise be to Allah and peace be upon His messenger and his pure family. He who is religiously accountable, whether a free-man or a slave, a male or female, must know the five foundations that are pillars of faith: the oneness of Allah, the justice of Allah, Prophethood, Imamah, and Resurrection. He who is ignorant of any of these, he does not walk the path of iman and deserves eternal punishment with the disbelievers.^[24]

Indeed, the Shia scholars have applied those beliefs on the ground of reality. All those who disagree with them on Imamah, they excommunicate them, curse them, and banish them to Hellfire forever. The ugly Shia proclamation of excommunication reached all Muslims, no matter what their rank and virtue is, so they excommunicated the Companions of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the best generation humanity ever knew, including the Rightly-guided Caliphs of Islam.

The reason they excommunicated the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum is simply because they did mutual consultation when appointing their leader and accepted to give authority to other than ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu.

1. Shia scholar ‘Ali ibn al Hussain al Karaki stated:

وأي عاقل يعتقد تقديم ابن أبي قحافة وابن الخطاب وابن عفان الأدنياء في النسب والصعاب الذين لا يعرف لهم تقدم ولا سبق في علم ولا جهاد … فعليهم وعلى محبيهم لعنة الله والملائكة والناس أجمعين

Any sane man who believes in giving precedence to Ibn Abi Quhafah, Ibn al Khattab, and Ibn ‘Affan, who are lowly in lineage, stubborn (disbelievers), and it is not known that they had virtues in knowledge or Jihad… on them and on those who love them is the curse of Allah, the angels, and all humanity.^[25]

2. The seal of the Muhaddithin of the Shia, al ‘Allamah Muhammad Baqir al Majlisi says:

أقول الأخبار الدالة على كفر أبي بكر وعمر وأضرابهما وثواب لعنهم والبراءة منهم وما يتضمن بدعهم أكثر من أن يذكر في هذا المجلد أو في مجلدات شتى وفيما أوردناه كفاية لمن أراد الله هدايته إلى الصراط المستقيم

I say: The narrations proving the disbelief of Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and their likes, the rewards offered to those who curse them and disown them, and their innovations, are more numerous than we can count in this volume or many other volumes. But what we presented is sufficient for those whom Allah wishes to guide.^[26]

3. Finally, al Mufid says regarding those Caliphs who preceded ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu:

واتفقت الإمامية وكثير من الزيدية على أن المتقدمين على أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام ضلال فاسقون وأنهم بتأخيرهم أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام عن مقام رسول الله صلوات الله عليه وآله عصاة ظالمون وفي النار بظلمهم مخلدون

The Imamiyyah and many of the Zaidiyyah have agreed that those who preceded the Chief of the believers (‘Ali) are misguided transgressors, and by keeping the Chief of believers `alayh al-Salam from succeeding the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, they are disobedient oppressors, abiding in the Fire for eternity.^[27]

Thus, the Shia scholars have cursed the first three Caliphs, may Allah be pleased with them, they cursed the rest of the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum who agreed on appointing them as leaders and served under them, and they cursed all the Muslims who are pleased with them and love them.

As a result, the scholars of Islam and the Muslims began to look at this Shia belief of Imamah in an objective way, as a serious threat to the unity of the Islamic Ummah. It is a great call to excommunicate all the Muslims just like the call of the Khawarij before them.

In this book, I have decided to adopt one of the most important methods of refuting the Shia theory of Imamah. This chosen method is to prove that the belief in Imamah will lead to great corruption and that the majority of Muslims will reject Imamah if they realised that it is rejected by divine laws and human intellect, without diving into the texts used by the Shia to prove Imamah and discussing their meanings or authenticity.

NEXT⇒ Introduction

^[1] Imam: Leader. The Shia believe that the leader of the nation is infallible and divinely appointed by Allah.

^[2] ‘Aqa’id al Imamiyyah, pg. 102-103.

^[3] Proofs from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

^[4] Tawhid: Oneness of Allah.

^[5] Nubuwwah: Prophethood.

^[6] Ma’ad: The Afterlife.

^[7] Al Milal wa al Nihal, 1/257.

^[8] Iman: Faith, what makes one a believer in Islam.

[9] ‘Aqa’id al Imamiyyah, pg. 102.

^[10] Kashf al Asrar, pg. 149.

^[11] Al Shafi fi Sharh Usul al Kafi, pg. 49.

^[12] Nafahat al Qur’an, 9/10

^[13] Al Imamah fi Ahamm al Kutub al Kalamiyyah, pg. 43

^[14] Wilayah of ‘Ali: A Shia belief meaning the absolute authority of ‘Ali, in other words, his Imamah.

^[15] Al Muraja’at, pg. 260.

^[16] Mutawatir: Mass transmitted

^[17] Jawahir al Kalam, 36/93-94

^[18] Awa’il al Maqalat, pg. 44.

^[19] Bihar al Anwar, 8/368

^[20] Nur al Barahin, 1/64

^[21] Al Fusul al Muhimmah, pg. 32.

^[22] Al Risalah al Bahirah fi al ‘Itrah al Tahirah, 2/251-252.

^[23] Al Rasa’il al ‘Ashr, pg. 103

^[24] Rasa’il al Karaki, 1/59.

^[25] Rasa’il al Karaki, 1/62.

^[26] Bihar al Anwar, 30/399.

^[27] Awa’il al Maqalat, pg. 41-42.

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