Saturday, January 8, 2011

Imaams in Shee'ah

The Shee'ah give their Imaams the divine attributes of infallibility. Muhammad Rida al-Muzaffar mentions in his book Faith of Shia Islam,
"We believe that, like the Prophet, an Imaam must be infallible, that is to say incapable of making errors or doing wrong, either inwardly or outwardly, from his birth to his death, either intentionally or unintentionally because the Imaams are the preservers of Islaam and it is under their protection"
("Muhammad Rida al-Muzzafar, Faith of Shia islam (USA: Muhammadi Trust of Great Britian and Norther Ireland; 2nd edition 1983) p 32")

The Shee'ah claims that their Imaams have knowledge of the past, present, the future and the unseen, the ability to change destiny and maintain control over creation. Al-Muzaffar continues:
"... the Imaam is able to understand information about anything, anywhere and at any time."(ibid)

This so called 'Roohullah' (spirit of Allah) and 'Aaytullah' (sign of Allah) Musavi al-Khomaynee said:
"Certainly the Imaam has a dignified station, a lofty rank, a creational Caliphate and a sovereignty and mastery over all atoms of creation. It is definitely a basics belief in our school of thought, that our Imaams occupy a station unattainable by either an angel of the highest rank or a major Prophet"
("Khomeini, al-Hukoomah al-Islaamiyaah (Beirut: at-Talee'ah Press, Arabic edition, 1979) p 52-53")

The Shee'ah equivalent to the Muslim scholar al-Bukhaaree, al-Kulaynee dedicated a special chapter in his book titles:
"Surely people have no truth except what came from the Imaams and everything which did not come from them is false"

("Muhammad Ibn Ya'qoob al-Kulaunee, al-Kaafee ('Iraan: 1278 AH/1861 CE) p 407")

According to al-Khomaynee the book al-kaafee ("al-kaafee fee 'Usool is a collection of sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad and the twelve Imaams of the Shee'ah. It is was compiled by the Shee'ah historian al-Kulaynee (d. 941 CE) and is the most respected of Shee'ah traditions.")is considered by Shee'ah in the same way that Saheeh ul-Bukharee is considered among the Muslims. The Shee'ah elevate their Imaams to the point of infinite knowledge. The following chapter headings in al-Kaafee attest to this belief:
"Chapter: The Imaams have knowledge of all that was given to the angels and the Prophets"
("Al-Kaafee (iraan, 1278AH) p 225")

"Chapter: The Imaams know when they will die and they only die by their choice"
(ibid p 258)

"Chapter: The Imaams have knowledge of the past and the future and nothing is hidden from them"
(ibid p 269)

Hoor al-'Amalee related a tradition in his Tahdheeb from Toosee under the caption:
"This chapter is about the superiority of the twelve imaams over all creatures, the Prophets and The Angels"
(al-Fusool al-Muhammah (Qum) p 51)

All of these concepts oppose the Qur'aan:
"There is nothing like Him (Allah) and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing"
(ash-Shooraa 42: 11)

"There is none comparable to Allah"

(al-Ikhlaas 112: 4)

"Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allah"
(an-Naml 27 : 65)

"He is the knower of the unseen an He does not reveal His secrets to anyone. Except to him who he chooses namely a messenger of His"
(al-Najam 72: 26-27)

"Surely the knowledge of the hour is with Allah alone. It is He who sends down rain and He who knows what is in the wombs. Nor does anyone know what he will earn tomorrow, nor does one known in what land he is to die. Certainly with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted with all things"
(Luqmaan 31: 34)

Allah, Most High, does not reveal the unseen matters except to whoever Allah chooses from the Prophets and Messengers, as Allah said. Allah does not reveal information about the unseen realms to others, only Prophets, Messengers and angels. The Quran does not mention that Imaams are capable of acquiring secret hidden esoteric knowledge from the unseen world.
Its also very arrogant for a normal man to emerge and call himself "Roohallah" (the spirit of Allah) or "Aayaatullah" (sign of Allah)?
The Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) never asked people to call him by such names neither did any of the Prophets or Messengers. So how can a man decide from his own desires that people should call him the "spirit of Allah". In this from islaam? The Quran mentions how people should worship Allah, Most High:

"indeed, those who you call upon besides Allah are only servants (creations) like you" (al-A'raaf 7: 194)

"And (yet) among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals (to Him). They love them as they should love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in their love for Allah"
(al-Baqrah 2 : 165)

"Say (Muhammad): I am only a man like you, to whom it has been revealed that your god is on God. So whoever hopes for the meeting with this Lord let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone"
(al-Kahf 18 : 110)

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