The major difference between the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah and their Shia brothers is the concept of Imamah. The Shia believe in their twelve Infallible Imams. The Christians have exalted the status of Prophet Isa (عليه السلام) to a level higher than that of a human, and for this, Allah has condemned them in the Quran. Likewise, the Shia have exalted their Imams to a level of Shirk, granting them powers, abilities, and qualities only befitting of Allah Almighty.
Muslims believe that nobody can help us or hurt us except Allah Almighty. He is the absolute reason for our survival and existence on this earth. Without Allah, the human species would be extinct.
Instead of believing that our existence revolves around Allah, the Shia believe that their existence revolves around the Imam. Ayatollah Ibrahim Amini declared: “If the Imam is absent the human species will be extinct.”
(Source: http://www.victorynewsmagazine.com/WhatBenefit12thImaminOccultation.htm )
This is truly a contradiction to the verse in the Quran in which Allah says: “Allah has granted you life…” (Quran, 45:26)
The full text of the Ayatollah reads as follows:
“The existence of the Imam as a perfect and unique embodiment of humanity serves as a link between the material and the spiritual world. If the Imam is absent the human species will be extinct. If there is no Imam then God cannot be known or worshipped perfectly. Without the Imam the link between the material and the spiritual becomes severed. The heart of the Imam is like the source of electricity that distributes light to numerous lights. The illumination and energization of the hidden universe first mirrors in the heart of the Imam and then from there it reflects on the hearts of humankind. The Imam is the heart of the created universe and the leader and guide of humankind.”
(Source: http://www.victorynewsmagazine.com/WhatBenefit12thImaminOccultation.htm )
What is truly perplexing is the fact that the Infallible Imams are not mentioned in the Quran at all. If they truly were so important that existence was impossible without them, then where is this mentioned in the Quran? Where does it say in the Quran that Allah cannot be worshipped without the Imam? Where in the Quran does it say that the link between the material world and the spiritual world becomes severed without the Imam? Where in the Quran does it mention that the Imam is the heart of the very universe? If the Imam was truly the heart of the universe, wouldn’t this have been mentioned in the Quran?
One of the Infallible Imams of the Shia, Imam Sadiq, said the following about himself:
“We are the leaders of the Muslims, God’s proofs for His creatures, masters of the believers, guides for the Godfearing, and those invested with discretionary authority over the affairs of the Muslims. We are the security for the dwellers of the earth, just as the stars are the security of the dwellers of the heavens. It is because of us that the heavens descend on earth whenever God permits. It is because of us that the rain descends and blessings of earth come out of it. If we had not been on earth its dwellers would have been consumed in it.”
(source: http://www.karbala-najaf.org/Fourteen/Occultation.htm )
Arrogance (Khibr) is Haram (forbidden). How can the Imams talk about themselves in such an arrogant manner as this? Truly, if the Shia are adamant in their belief that Imam Sadiq said all of this self-praise, then this only makes the Imam seem like a pompous egoist. Let us simply look at the humbleness of the Prophet Muhammad (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) who was instructed to say repeatedly that he was just another man. Allah Almighty says in the Quran: “Say [O Muhammad]: ‘I am but a man like yourselves’” (Quran, 18:110)
How can the Imams be the masters of the believers? Where in the Quran does it say that the Imams are our masters? Surely, Allah is our Master, Glorified and Exalted be He! It is Allah who gives rain and the Imams have nothing to do with causing rain to shower the earth. Allah says in the Quran: “See you not that Allah sends down rain from the sky…” (Quran, 22:63)
Imam Al-Rida–yet another of the Shia Imams–was also very arrogant about himself (if we give credence to Shia sources). In Al-Kafi, the most reliable of the four Shia books of Hadith, Imam Al-Rida says the following about himself:
“The Imam is utterly free of sin and pure of all fault. He is celebrated for his knowledge and his forbearance…The Imam is unique in his age, in the sense that no one can attain his rank. No scholar can come within range of his knowledge, and he is unequalled in all his qualities. He possesses all virtues and worthy attributes without any striving on his part, and he is adorned with all lofty characteristics.” (Al-Kulayni, Al-Kafi, Vol. I, p.200, Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
How can the Imam possess all the good things without even striving for them? This is truly an exaggeration beyond bounds. Every human being must strive, and Allah commands His followers to do so.
The Shia are known for their exaggeration in matters of faith. This exaggeration and innovation can be clearly seen on the Shia book on Imamate, available on the Al-Islam.org website. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq said the following:
“Whenever the Imam wishes to be informed of something, God informs him of it…We are the administrators of God’s affair, the treasures of His knowledge, and the repository of His revealed mysteries…God’s greatness requires that when He appoints a person as His proof to mankind He discloses to him the knowledge of the heavens and the earth.” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
Imam Jafar also said:
“If I were to meet with Musa and Khidr, I would tell them that I am more knowledgeable than both of them, and I would expound to them matters unknown to them. For they knew only what had been and what was, and they knew nothing of what would happen down to the Day of Ressurection, whereas we have inherited knowledge of all that from the Prophet.” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
Imam Jafar is reported by the Shia to have said the following to his peers: “I swear by God that knowledge of the first things and the last things has been bestowed on us [Imams].” On hearing this utterance of the Imam, one of his companions asked him wether he had knowledge of the unseen. He [Imam Jafar] answered:
“Woe upon you that you find it necessary to ask such a question. We are fully informed of each drop of sperm in the loins of men and the wombs of women. Woe upon you; open your eyes, and let your hearts perceive the truth! We are God’s proof, dwelling among His creation, but only the believers whose faith is as firm as the mountains of Tihamah has the ability to perceive this truth. I swear by God that if I wished I could inform you how many pebbles exist in the world, even though their number is constantly growing, by night and by day.” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
These quotes are all contradictory to the Quran, in which Allah declares that He and He alone possesses knowledge of the Unseen. This idea that the Imams can see the Unseen, that they can know everything about the heavens and the earth, and all of these other exaggerations are contradictory to the spirit of Islam. To give the attributes and qualities of Allah to the creation is the unforgiveable sin that is known as Shirk.
- Ali ibn abi Talib (رضّى الله عنه)
The Shia indirectly slander Ali (رضّى الله عنه) by attributing fallacious statements to him. If we were to believe these reports, then we would be forced to see Ali (رضّى الله عنه) as having Khibr (arrogance). Hence, the Ahlus Sunnah categorically rejects these statements as fabrications. Ali (رضّى الله عنه) is reported by the Shia to have said the following:
“He [Allah] opened up for me channels of knowledge permitting me to know when every death occurs, when disasters descend, what are men’s genealogies, and the decisive speech (that separates truth from falsehood); He permitted me to hook upon the world of the unseen, so that past and future events were unfolded before me; He perfected religion for mankind, completed His blessing for them, and accepted Islam for them as religion for them by appointing me as the holder of divine authority. and He instructed Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, to inform the people of all that. These are God’s gifts to me, so may praise be given to Him alone.” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
The Shia originate from the Saba’ites, followers of Abdullah ibn Saba. They praised Ali (رضّى الله عنه) excessively and eventually exalted his status to equal to the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم). Today, the Shia deny that they originate from the Saba’ites, yet the statements about Ali (رضّى الله عنه) seem to verify the link between Abdullah ibn Saba and the Shia. Let us examine a statement attributed to Ali (رضّى الله عنه) by the Shia, in which Ali (رضّى الله عنه) is said to be equal in knowledge to the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم); according to the Shia, Ali (رضّى الله عنه) said:
“I swear by God Who holds my soul in His hand that I know all that the Prophet knew, and that I know all of the past and all of the future, up until the Day of Resurrection.” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
Not even the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) knew all of the future, as mentioned in the Quran itself:
“Say (O Muhammed), ‘I do not say to you that I possess the treasures of Allah. Nor do I know the future. Nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I simply follow what is revealed to me.” (Quran, 6:50)
It is Kufr to say that Ali (رضّى الله عنه) knew all of the future, for it is denying this verse in the Quran in which the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) himself denies this ability. Imagine the reaction of the Shia if the Ahlus Sunnah declared that Umar bin Khattab (رضّى الله عنه) was equal in knowledge to the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم)!
According to the Shia, Ali (رضّى الله عنه) said:
“He [Allah] opened up for me channels of knowledge permitting me to know when every death occurs, when disasters descend, what are men’s genealogies, and the decisive speech (that separates truth from falsehood); He permitted me to hook upon the world of the unseen, so that past and future events were unfolded before me; He perfected religion for mankind, completed His blessing for them, and accepted Islam for them as religion for them by appointing me as the holder of divine authority. And He instructed Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, to inform the people of all that. These are God’s gifts to me…” (Source: http://al-islam.org/leadership/ )
Truly this is an exaggeration beyond bounds, indicative of the Shia faith as a whole. The Shia find no corroboration in the Quran for these errant beliefs.
Al-Kafi is the most reliable of the four Shia books of Hadith. In it, we find Hadith after Hadith wherein the Imams decare their own greatnesses to the world to behold. One such Hadith is:
“We [the Imams] are the eyes of Allah in his creatures and the final authority in all human beings.” (Usool-e Kaafi, Vol. No. 1, Page No. 145)
The methodology in which the Shia exalt their Imams is very similar to the manner in which the Christians exalt Prophet Isa. In another Hadith, the Shia Imams declare:
“The Imam knows his hour of death and his death is in his control.” (Usool-e Kaafi, Vol. No. 1,Page No. 258)
According to the Shia, nothing can remain hidden from the Imams, and they have a complete knowledge of past, present and future. (Usool Al-Kafi, Vol. No. 1, Page No. 260) The Imams could supposedly tell who is going to Paradise and who is going to Hell-Fire merely by listening to a person’s voice. “By listening to the voice of a person, the Imams can tell if the person was destined to go to hell or to heaven; they would thus answer his questions accordingly.” (Usool Al-Kafi, p. 185) We see here that the Shia are granting Ali the role of the Creator–namely to judge people.
In the Shia book Khilaqat-e-Norania, the Shia say that the Imam possesses authority to declare anything lawful or unlawful. (Khilaqat-e-Norania, Page No. 155) This is completely contradictory to the Quranic injunctions, in which Allah Almighty warns the believers not to declare the lawful to be unlawful and vice/versa, and that this right was given only to Allah and His Messenger.
In Usool Al-Kafi, the Shia Haidth declares “The Imams are the face of Allah.” (Usool Al-Kafi, p83.) This is blasphemy to declare a human being to be the face of Allah.
Another narration in Al-Kafi brazenly declares: “All of the earth belongs to the Imams.” (Al- Kulaini. Al-Kafi, p.407) How this contradicts the Quran, where Allah declares: “To Allah belong all things in heaven and earth!” (Quran, 31:26)
The following is another Shia Hadith in Al-Kafi: “There is not a single truth possessed by a people saved that which originated with the Imams, and everything which did not proceed from them is false.” (Al- Kulaini, Al-Kafi, p.399) Does this not contradict the Quran, which says Allah is the originator of all truth, not human beings, as narrated in verse 24:25: “…and they will realize that Allah is the (very) Truth, that makes all things manifest.” (Quran, 24:25)
This article is only the tip of the iceberg, but it is a good insight into the manner in which the Shia exalt their Imams and commit Shirk in the process. What is the most perplexing is the fact that if any of these statements about the Imams were really true, then why is this not mentioned in the Quran? Surely, it is significant to mention the greatness of the Imams in the Quran if all creation depends on the Imams and life cannot be sustained without them. And yet, the Quran remains completely silent on the Imams. This is something for the Shia to ponder upon.
Article Written By: Ibn al-Hashimi, www.ahlelbayt.com
