Hawzah News Agency- Did the “System of Imamate” cease with the Minor Occultation [of Imam Mahdi (pbuh)] and the beginning of the Major Occultation, and will this system be reestablished after the uprising of Imam Mahdi (pbuh), or is the “System of Imamate” continuous?
The System of Imamate is a divine and unbreakable chain, with no period of intermission, and exists in every time and era; it has been established since the era of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) until now; and it will remain as long as the world remains, as Imam Ali (pbuh) said:
«لَا تَخْلُو الْأَرْضُ مِنْ قائِم لِلهِ بِحُجَّهٍ؛ إِمَّا ظَاهِراً مَشْهُوراً، أَوْ خَائِفاً مَغْمُوراً، لِئَلَّا تَبْطُلَ حُجَجُ اللهِ وَبَیِّناتُهُ.»
The earth is never devoid of those who maintain Allāh’s plea either openly and reputedly or, being afraid, as hidden so that Allah’s proofs and evidences should not be rebutted.(Nahj al-Balagha, Hikmat 147)
It is obligatory upon everyone to know the “System of Imamate” and to believe in it; And at any time and in any place, people must only obey this system.
Everyone must determine which system they obey and which authority they are submitting to in their life and all their affairs. They must determine whether they accept submission to the authority of Allah or to the authority of a tyrant, and whether they are believers in Allah or believers in a tyrant.
Unfortunately, most Muslims have not paid enough attention to this very important issue and have not understood the meaning of "Wilayah"; and have neglected the importance of this aspect of “Wilayah”, which is obedience. Those practicing Muslims who are considered very religious are content with performing rituals and obligations and abandoning forbidden things.
According to the "Shia" school of thought, which states that the System of Imamate is permanent and continuous, always and in all circumstances, submission to the Sharia government is a fundamental obligation.
- Governing is exclusive to Allah:
«إِنِ الْحُکْمُ إِلَّا لِلّٰهِ.»
- Only Allah should be worshipped and obeyed, and obedience should be pure for Him, and people should be submissive and obedient to His government:
«أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ.»
- That is the upright religion:
«ذَلِکَ الدِّینُ الْقَیِّمُ.»
(Surah Yusuf, verse 40)
The System of Imamate means the government of Allah; and submission to it means submitting to the command of Allah, living under the authority of Allah, and not believing in a government other than Allah’s; therefore, it makes no difference whether it was during the times when the Imams(pbut) were present, but the usurpers of the government prevented their official intervention in affairs, or in the era of the Greater Occultation when the Imam (pbuh) is not observed; every Muslim must only follow the System of Imamate.
Since the belief in the system of Imamate is a branch of the belief in the Oneness of Allah, the authority of Allah, and the sovereignty of truth, whoever dies without recognizing the Imam of his time has died the death of ignorance; As the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
«مَنْ مَاتَ وَلَمْ یَعْرِفْ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ مَاتَ میْتَهً جَاهِلِیَّهً.»
(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 32, p. 321)
And since obedience to other systems is a form of intellectual and practical polytheism, Imam Sadiq (pbuh) said in a hadith:
«لَا دِینَ لِمَنْ دَانَ اللهَ بِوِلایَهِ إِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ لَیْسَ مِنَ اللهِ.»
“Whoever worships Allah by following an oppressive leader, who is not from Allah, has no religion.”(Kafi, vol. 1, p. 375)
As a result of these hadiths, we may understand that the system of Imamate is not limited, but is continuous and eternal, and is not limited to the era of presence of Imam, it has always existed, has never been recessed, and will never be recessed.
This discussion continues...
Adapted from “Answers to Ten Questions About Imamate; by Ayatollah Safi Golpayegani" with slight modifications.
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