The most reliable Shia book of Hadith is Al-Kafi. In it, we find narration after narration about Imamah, and we shall herein examine some of the troubling Shia Hadith. It should be noted that this is only the tip of the iceberg and that we will only be giving a brief glimpse into the exaggerations of the Shia in regards to their Imams. However, anyone well-versed in Shia theology knows that there are entire volumes of books extolling their Imams in such a manner.
It is interesting to note here that both the Prophets and Imams are mentioned here, but the Shia are keen on saying that their religion derives from their Imams, not the Prophets. Whereas the Ahlus Sunnah derives their faith solely from the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم), the Shia derive theirs from their Imams. Indeed, the Shia even say that their Imams’ sayings and actions are considered Hadith, unlike the Ahlus Sunnah which only considers the Prophet’s sayings and actions as Hadith. Quran and Hadith are the two sources for Islamic jurisprudence, and so the fact that the Shia derive their Hadith from an outside source is significant.
How can the Shia claim that their Imams know the fate of everyone, when the Quran states that Prophet Muhammad (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) did not even know his own fate, let alone the fate of everyone else. Allah Almighty says:
“Say (O Muhammad): “I am not the first of the messengers, and I have no idea what will happen to me or to you” (Quran, 46:9)
The truth is that only Allah Almighty knows who will be sent to Paradise and who will rot in Hell-Fire. This is beyond the knowledge of human beings, and to say that an Imam can know this is to take away from the exclusive powers of Allah. Allah’s name is Al-Aalim (the All-Knowing, Omniscient); it is implicit in this name that Allah is the only one who is All-Knowing, and hence the usage of the definite article “Al” (the).
-
3. “The Imams possess all the knowledge granted to the angels, Prophets and Messengers.” (Al-Kulaini, Al-Kafi, p.255)
Again, we see how the Shia believe in Dajjals (false prophets) whom they call Imams. According to the Shia, these Imams are more knowledgeable and powerful than the Prophets.
- 4. “The Imams know when they will die, and they do not die except by their own choice.” (Al-Kafi, p. 258.)
How can the Shia claim that their Imams can avert their own death when Allah challenges human beings in the Quran:
“Avert death from your ownselves, if you speak the truth!” (Quran, 3:168)
Death is a decree from Allah and Allah alone, and none can avert it nor does anyone have a choice in it. Allah Almighty says in the Quran: “those for whom death was decreed would certainly have gone forth to the place of their death [no matter what]” (Quran, 3:154)
- 5. “The Imams have knowledge of whatever occurred in the past and whatever will happen in the future, and nothing is concealed from them.” (Al-Kafi, p. 260.)
We could quite literally replace the word “Imam” with “Allah.” Only Allah Almighty possesses all knowledge of the past, present, and future. And nothing is concealed from Allah Almighty. How can the Shia claim that their Imams are equivalent to Allah in this aspect? Surely, Allah Almighty can conceal things from the Imams. Allah says in the Quran:
“And with Him are the keys of the unseen treasures– none knows them but He!” (Quran 6:59)
“Say: No one in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen but Allah; and they do not know when they shall be raised.” (Quran, 27:65)
There are innumerable Quranic verses to this effect in which Allah declares that He knows and human beings do not know: “You know them not, We know them” (Quran, 9:101)
This is a typical Shia exaggeration. How can the Imams know all different languages without having studied them? It is well known that when the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) would appoint certain people to learn the languages of foreign nations so that they could be ambassadors to that nation; the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) himself did not know any other language other than Arabic, and even in Arabic he was illiterate.
Nobody can encompass all the knowledge of the Quran. Even the words “Alif Lam Meem” cannot be explained by human beings. This is a miracle known only to Allah. Indeed, the depth of the Quran is beyond man.
- 8. “Signs of the Prophets are possessed by the Imams.” (Al-Kafi, p. 231.)
This again shows how the Shia believe in false prophethood. Their Imams have all the characteristics of Prophets. Despite the fact that they call them by a different name, there is no difference between Imams and Prophets.
-
9. “When the Imams’ time comes, they will rule in accordance with the ruling of the prophet David and his dynasty. These Imams will not need to ask for presentation of evidence before passing their judgments.” (Al-Kafi, p. 397.)
Only Allah Almighty is the Judge, so how can a human pass judgement without evidence? This was not the Sunnah of the Prophet. (Also, we wonder why the Imam would use the Shariah of Prophet Dawud [عليه السلام] as opposed to that of Prophet Muhammad [صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم]?)
- 10. “There is not a single truth possessed by a people save that which originated with the Imams, and everything which did not proceed from them is false.” (Al-Kafi, p.277.)
This is another absurd exaggeration of the Shia. How can all truths be derived from the Imams? What about the Third Law of Thermodynamics? Was this truth also orginated from the Imams?
Khomeini, in his book Al-Hukoomatul-lslamiyyah (the Islamic government), claims that the Twelve Imams are infallible, and he raises them to a level above the heavenly angels and the commissioned Prophets of Allah; he stresses:
“Certainly, the Imam commands a noble station and lofty position; a creative vicegerency to whose rule and power submit the very atoms of all creation. And an essential tenet of our Shi’ite sect is that the Imams have a position which is reached neither by the angels [in the highest heaven] nor by any commissioned messenger of God. ” (Khomeini, Al-Hukoomat ul-lslamiyyah, pp. 52-53)
We wonder how the Shia could claim that the very atoms of all creation submit to the Imams. Surely, we should only submit to Allah and Allah alone.
Khomeini further stated:
“The teachings and directives of the Imams are just like those of the Quran; it is compulsory on one to follow them and carry them out.” (Khomeini, Al-Hukoomat ul-lslamiyyah, pp. 52-53)
Here we see how the Shia have gone away from the Quran and instead place their Imams as to be equivalent of the Quran. Indeed, this is why we find no proof for the Shia faith from the Quran, but rather we only find it in the sayings of the Imams (which the Shia refer to as their Hadith).
Article Written By: Ibn al-Hashimi, www.ahlelbayt.com
