Theological Instructions

LESSON THIRTY-NINE: THE KNOWLEDGE AND THE INFFALIBILITY OF THE IMAM

Introduction

In lesson thirty-six we have discussed the differences between the Shi’ite and Sunnite schools of thought with regards to the subject of Imāmah. This difference seems to have three specific issues, the Imam for the Shi’ites, must be nominated by God the Supreme, be infallible and possess Divine knowledge. In lesson thirty-seven these three issues were intellectually proven and in lesson thirty-eight we have provided traditional proofs for the divine nomination of the Imams. However, now we will explain the infallibility of, and the Divine knowledge held by the Imams.

The infallibility of the Imam

Having established Imāmah as being a Divine institution, and the appointment for this position of Ali (a) and his progeny by God the Supreme, their infallible nature can be established by the following verse:

“He said, ‘My pledge does not extend to the unjust.” (al-Baqarah:124) The Divine nomination applies to those who are free from corruption and sin.

Furthermore the verse known as the verse of ‘those in authority’, charts-out the absolute obedience due to them and regards the level of obedience to them as being on the same level as obedience to the Prophet (s) and God the Supreme. Therefore the command of obedience towards those in authority must indicate their infallibility.

In the same manner, the infallibility of the Prophet’s Household can be proven through the verse known as the verse of ‘purification’ (āyat al-tathīr):

“Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O people of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.” (al-Ahzāb:33) It is necessary to mention that we have more than seventy traditions from the Sunnite school, confirming that this particular verse was revealed in honor of the ‘five immaculate ones’ (al-khamsa ashāb al-kisā’). Sheikh Saduq narrates from Imam Ali that the Prophet of God said:

“O Ali! This verse has been revealed for you, Hassan, Hussain, and the Imams who will come from your progeny.” I asked him:

“How many Imams will be there after you?” He said:

“You! O Ali and after you Hassan, and after him Hussain, and after him his son Ali, then his son Mohammed, then Ja’far, then Musa, then Ali, then Mohammed, then Ali, then Hassan, then his son the proof of God”.

After this he added:

“This is how their names have been written upon the Divine Throne and I asked God the Supreme whose are these names? He said “O Mohammed they are the Imams after you and they have been purified from sin and their enemies have been cursed by Me.” Likewise in the tradition of the two weighty things (thaqalayn), the Prophet had regarded his Household as carrying the same weight as that of the Holy Qur’an, and has emphasized on

the fact that they will never separate. This in itself is a proof for the infallibility of the Prophet’s Household.

The Knowledge of the Imam

It is without doubt that the Household of the Prophet were more acquainted with the knowledge of the Prophet than other men were. The Prophet himself has said:

“Do not teach them as they are more knowledgeable than you.” Imam Ali was with the Prophet’s from the very young age and was brought up in his house and he remained with the Prophet until the last minute of his (the Prophet’s) life, thus culminating and absorbing knowledge directly from him. Hence the Prophet said:

“ I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate,” and Imam Ali is quoted as saying “ The Prophet of God taught me a thousand doors of knowledge, each one opening a thousand other doors (for every door he taught) and I learnt everything…” However the knowledge of the Imams was not limited to that taught by the Prophet.

They were also bestowed with Divine knowledge and taught the secret sciences in an intuitive manner. These particular methods of instruction have been mentioned in the Qur’an as with the cases of Khizr (a), Dhul Qarnayn, Mary (a) and the mother of the Prophet Moses (a). It has been defined as revelation but different to the kind of revelation received by the prophets. The infallible ones, even from a very young age were bestowed with knowledge of these sciences and were needless of any form of education from others, and were qualified to be Imams, even in their childhood.

This issue can be understood from many traditions of the Imams, and whilst focusing upon their infallibility the authenticity of those traditions can be established. However before mentioning any examples, we would first like to refer to a verse in the Noble Qur’an, which regards the importance of an individual or individuals who have ‘knowledge of the book’:“Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and he who possesses the knowledge of the Book”. (al-Ra’d:43) There is no doubt in the understanding of the greatness of the station of those who have the knowledge of the book, as it is a clear and certain fact that their testimony is parallel to that of God the Supreme. It has been referred to in another Qur’anic verse, and it is stated that Imam Ali is to be counted after the Prophet:“Is he who stands on a manifest proof from his Lord, and whom a witness of his own [family] follows?”(Hūd:17). The word “from him” indicates that this witness is actually one of the Prophet’s relatives and a member of his household. There are dozens of narrations from both the Sunnite and Shi’ite sources stating that this witness is Ali bin Abi Tālib. Some of these narrations are as follows:Ibn Al-Maghazeli Al-Shafi’i narrated from Abdullah ibn ‘Ata, that: I was sitting with Abi Ja’afar (Imam Baqir) when Abdullah ibn Salam passed by us (Abdullah was one of the people of the book who converted to Islam during the time of the Prophet), I said:m Is this man the son of he who was described as possessing the knowledge of the book?

He said: No, it is your friend Ali bin Abi Taleb, about whom many Qur’anic verses were revealed, such as: “and he who possesses the knowledge of the book”(al-Ra’d:43.)“Is he who stands on a manifest proof from his Lord, and whom a witness of his own [family] follows?”(Hūd: 17). “Your guardian is only Allah, His Apostle, and the faithful” (al-Māi’dah :55) There are also many narrations from both schools of thought (Shi’ite and Sunnite), which state that the use of the word “Shāhid” in the Qur’anic chapter Hūd, verse 17, actually refers to Imam Ali (as). When we reflect upon the word used “from him”, we realise that it can only refer to him.

We can understand the importance of possessing the knowledge of the Book when we read the story of Solomon and the summoning of the throne of Bilquis. The Qur’an has mentioned: “The one who had knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye” (al-Naml:40) From this Qur’anic verse one is able to recognise that if this miraculous effect can be achieved through possessing partial knowledge of the Book, then how great is the power of those whom possess complete knowledge. Imam Sadiq (a) has referred to this fact in another narration:

“I, Abu Basir, Yahya Al- Bazzaz and Dawud ibn Kathir were in the reception room -‘majlis’, of Abu Abdullah (a), when he came out to us in a state of anger. He took his place and said: “How strange it is that some groups claim that we know the unseen.

No-one knows the unseen but Allah; to whom belong Might and Majesty. I had intended to bear my female slave, but she fled from me and I did not know in which room of the house she was.” Sadir said: “But when he stood up from the ‘majlis’ and went into his private quarters, I, Abu Basir and Maysar went in and said to him: ‘May we be made your ransom, we heard you say this and that about the matter of your female slave, and we know that you have a very broad and extensive knowledge, but we do not attribute knowledge of the unseen to you.’” He said: ‘Have you found in what you have read of the Book of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty: Said he who possessed knowledge from the Book: “I will bring it to thee, before ever thy glance returns to thee (al-Naml:40)?’” He said: “I said: ‘May I be made your ransom, I have read it.’ He said: ‘Did you understand who the man was? Did you know how much of the knowledge of the Book he possessed?’” He said: “I said: ‘Tell me about it.’ He said: ‘It was the amount of a drop from the deep blue sea of knowledge, but what portion of the knowledge of the Book was that?’” He said: “I said: ‘May I be your ransom, how little that IS!’ then he said: ‘O Sadir, how much is it! (unless it be that) Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, compares it to the knowledge which I shall tell you about, O Sadir, have you also found in what you have read of the Book of Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty:

Say: “Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and whosoever possesses knowledge of the Book” (Ra’d:43)? He said: “I said: ‘Yes, I have read it, may I be your ransom.’ He said: ‘Is he who possesses knowledge of the Book, (but only) some of it?’ I said: ‘No, rather he who possesses knowledge of the Book, all of it.’” He said: “Then he pointed with his hand to his chest and said: ‘The knowledge of the Book, by Allah, all of it, is in our possession; the knowledge of the Book, by Allah, all of it, is in our

possession.’” (p.252- 254 vol. 1 al-Kāfi al-Usūl - Part 2, the book of divine proof III) Now we will present some narrations with regards to the knowledge of the Prophet’s Household: In a along narration Imam Rida (as) said: “Verily, when Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, selects a slave for the affairs of His slaves, He expands his breast for it; He entrusts to his heart the fountains of wisdom, and profoundly inspires him with knowledge. So after this, he does not stammer in answers, and he does not deviate from the truth in them. Thus he is infallible, supported by Allah; he is accommodated to the right path, his steps being firmly guided; he will be safe from errors, slips and stumbling. Allah distinguishes him by this, because he is His Proof over His slaves, and His witness over His creatures - ‘that is the bounty of Allah, He gives wisdom to whom He will, and Allah is of bounty abounding’ (al-Hadīd:21, Jum’ah:4) “’ So, do they have the power to do the like of this, so that they can choose him? Or can the one that they choose have this attribution so that they may prefer him?” (p.103-104, vol. 1 al-Usūl - Part 2, book of divine proof II).

Also from Al-Hassan ibn Yahya Al-Mad’ini from Abi Abdullah (s), who said: I asked the Imam: Tell me how would an Imam be able to answer any question? He replied: Inspiration, revelation or perhaps both.” (Bihār al-Anwār vol.26 p.58) And in another narration, Imam Sadiq (a) said:” An Imam who does not know what will happen to him and how his life will pass, is not a person who can be the proof of Allah over His creation.” (al-Kāfi, p.261 vol. 1 al- Usūl - Part 2, book of divine proof III) ” It has also been mentioned in many narrations, that Imam Sadiq has said: “Verily when the Imam wishes to know (something), he knows it.” And in other narrations Imam Sadiq was asked about the Qur’anic revelation: ‘Even so, We have revealed to thee a spirit of Our bidding’. He said it is one of the created things of Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, it is greater than Jibrai’īel and Mīkā’īl. It was with the Messenger of Allah (s); it informed him and directed his steps, and it is with the Imams after him.” (al-Kāfi, p.307, vol. 1 al-Usūl - Part 2, book of divine proof IV).

Questions

  1. Mention the Qur’anic verses by which one can prove the infallibility of the Imam.

  2. Mention the narrations, which prove the infallibility of the Imam.

  3. What are the special channels from which the Imam can receive knowledge?

  4. Who are the people who possessed a similar type of knowledge in the past?

  5. Which Qur’anic verse proves the Imam’s knowledge? How would you argue using it?

  6. Clarify the importance of the knowledge of the book?

  7. Mention an example of the narrations referring to the Imams’ knowledge.