Imamah (Ismaili doctrine)

Last updated July 02, 2019

The doctrine of the Imamate in Isma'ilism differs from that of the Twelvers because the Isma'ilis had living Imams for centuries after the last Twelver Imam went into concealment. They followed Isma'il ibn Jafar, elder brother of Musa al-Kadhim, as the rightful Imam after his father, Ja'far al-Sadiq.^[1] The Ismailis believe that whether Imam Ismail did or did not die before Imam Ja'far, he had passed on the mantle of the imamate to his son Muhammad ibn Isma'il as the next imam.^[2]

Ismāʿīlism is a branch of Shia Islam. The Ismāʿīlī get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor (imām) to Ja'far al-Sadiq, wherein they differ from the Twelvers who accept Musa al-Kadhim, younger brother of Isma'il, as the true Imām.

Twelver or Imamiyyah is the largest branch of Shia Islam. The term Twelver refers to its adherents' belief in twelve divinely ordained leaders, known as the Twelve Imams, and their belief that the last Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, lives in occultation and will reappear as the promised Mahdi. According to Shia tradition, the Mahdi's tenure will coincide with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Isa), who is to assist the Mahdi against the Masih ad-Dajjal.

Imamate is a word derived from imam and meaning "leadership". Its use in theology is confined to Shia. An imam is the head or leader of an imamate and is similar to a caliph or khalifah with one major difference: While a caliph is more of a political head of a state, the imam is a religious as well as a political head of a group of people. While the caliph cannot change the religious laws and their jurisprudence, an imam also can not change the original religious laws but can derive verdicts based on Quran, Tafseer, Ahadith and Prophet's Sunnah as per new requirements or new problems faced.

The Seven Imāms

Qarmatian - Imamāte of Seven Imāms^[3]

According to some early Isma'ilis, the Seveners, as well as the Qarmatians, a splinter group, the number of imams was fixed, with seven Imams preordained by God. These groups considers Muhammad ibn Isma'il, the foundation Imam of the Isma'ili branch of Shia Islam, to be the Mahdi and to be preserved in hiding, which is referred to as the Occultation.^[4]

al-Ismāʿīliyya al-khāliṣa / al-Ismāʿīliyya al-wāqifa or Seveners was a branch of Ismā'īlī Shīʻa. They became known as "Seveners" because they believed that Isma'il ibn Jafar was the seventh and the last Imam. They believed his son, Muhammad ibn Isma'il, would return and bring about an age of justice as Mahdi. Their most famous and active branch were the Qarmatians.

The Qarmatians were a syncretic branch of Sevener Ismaili Shia Islam that incorporated elements of Zoroastrianism. They were centered in al-Hasa, where they established a religious-utopian republic in 899 CE. They are most known for their revolt against the Abbasid Caliphate.

Muhammad ibn Ismāʿīl alias Maymūn Al-Qaddāḥ was the son of Isma'il ibn Jafar; he was an Ismāʿīlī Imam. The majority of Ismāʿīlī follow his descendants through his son Wafi Ahmad. His descendants further founded the Fatimid Empire, also called the Nizari and Mustaali.

Qarmatians believed that Muhammad ibn Isma'il was Imām al-Qā'im al-Mahdi and the last of the great messenger - prophets.^[3] On his reappearance, he would bring a new religious law by abrogating the one conveyed by the Prophet Muhammad. Qarmatians recognized a series of Seven law-announcing prophets called ūlul’l-ʿazm, namely, Nūh, Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, ʿIsā, Muhammad bin ʿAbd Allāh, Ali ibn Abu Tālib, and Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl, who was the seal of the series.^[3]

al-Qāʾim Āl Muḥammad, also al-Qāʾim bi ʾl-sayf, is a messiah-like figure in Shia Islam, sometimes equated with the Mahdi. The term first came into use in the eighth century to refer to a future member of the family of Muḥammad who would rise up and defeat the wicked rulers of the age and restore justice.

The Mahdi is an eschatological redeemer of Islam who, according to some Islamic traditions, will appear and rule for five, seven, nine, or nineteen years before the Day of Judgment and rid the world of evil.

Nûh ibn Lumik ibn Mutushalkh, known as Noah in the Old Testament, is recognized in Islam as a prophet and apostle of God. He is an important figure in Islamic tradition, as he is one of the earliest prophets sent by God to mankind. According to Islam, Noah's mission was to warn his people, who were plunged in depravity and sin. God charged Noah with the duty of preaching to his people, advising them to abandon idolatry and to worship only God and to live good and pure lives. Although he preached the Message of God with zeal, his people refused to mend their ways, leading to building the Ark and the Deluge, the Great Flood. In Islamic tradition, it is disputed whether the Great Flood was a global or a local one. Noah's preaching and prophet-hood spanned 950 years according to Quran.

Imām	Personage	Period
1	Ali ibn Abi Taleb ^[3] Imām and a messenger - prophet (Rasūl) as well	(632–661)
2	Hasan ibn Ali	(661–669)
3	Husayn ibn Ali	(669–680)
4	Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin	(680–713)
5	Muhammad al-Baqir	(713–733)
6	Ja'far al-Sadiq	(733–765)
7	Muhammad ibn Isma'il ^[3] Imām al-Qā'im al-Mahdi also a messenger - prophet (Rasūl)	(775-813)

Early beliefs

According to the early Ismāʿīlis, God sent Seven great prophets, known as nātiq "speakers", in order to disseminate and improve Islam. All of these great prophets has an assistant, the Sāmad (Silent) Imam. After six silent imams, a nātiq was sent to reinvigorate Islam. After Adam and his son Seth, and after six “Nātiq” (Speaker) – “Sāmad” (Silent) silsila^[5] (Noah–Shem), (Abraham–Ishmael), (Moses–Aaron or Joshua), (Jesus–Simeon), (Muhammad bin ʿAbd Allāh–Ali ibn Abu Tālib); the silsila of “Nātıqs and Sāmads have been completed with (Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl as-ṣaghīr (Maymūn al-Qaddāh^[6]) – ʿAbd Allāh Ibn-i Maymūn^[7] and his sons).

Prophets and messengers in Islam Individuals who Muslims believe were sent by God to various communities in order to serve as examples of ideal human behavior and to spread Gods message on Earth

Prophets in Islam are individuals who Muslims believe were sent by God to various communities in order to serve as examples of ideal human behavior and to spread God's message on Earth. Some prophets are categorized as messengers, those who transmit divine revelation through the intercession of an angel. Muslims believe that many prophets existed, including many not mentioned in the Qur'an. The Qur'an states: "There is a Messenger for every community". Belief in the Islamic prophets is one of the six articles of the Islamic faith.

Adam is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, he was the first man. The word adam is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as "mankind". Biblical Adam is created from adamah (earth), and Genesis 1–8 makes considerable play of the bond between them, for Adam is estranged from the earth through his disobedience.

Seth, in Judaism, Christianity, Mandaeism, Sethianism, and Islam, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other children mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. According to Genesis 4:25, Seth was born after Abel's murder, and Eve believed God had appointed him as a replacement for Abel.

Early Ismāʿīlis believed that hierarchical history of the mankind is created in Seven Eras of various durations each one inaugurated by "speaker-prophet" (known as nātiq). In the first Six Eras of human history, nātiqs or ūlul’l-ʿazm had been Adam, Nūh, Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, ʿIsā, Muhammad bin ʿAbd Allāh. Qarmatians, on the other hand, originally included Ali ibn Abu Tālib instead of Adam in their list of law-announcing prophets. Later substitution of Adam in place of Ali as one of the nātiqs, and the reduction of Ali's rank from a prophet level to that of Muhammad's successor indicate the renouncement of their extremist views. Furthermore, they believed that each of the first six nātiqs were succeeded by a spiritual legatee called wāsi or foundation asās or silent sāmit, who interpreted the inner esoteric (batin) meaning of the revelation. Each sāmit in turn was followed by Seven Imāms called atimmā', who guarded the true meaning of the scriptures and the laws.^[8]

Adam in Islam The first man and Prophet in Islam

Âdam or Aadam is believed to have been the first human and nabi on Earth, in Islam. Adam's role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawa, as the "mother of mankind". Muslims see Adam as the first Muslim on Earth, as the Quran states that all the Prophets preached the same faith of Islam.

Abraham in Islam Prophet and the greatest ancestor to Muhammad

Abraham, known as Ibrahim, in Arabic, is recognized as a prophet and messenger in Islam of God. Abraham plays a prominent role as an example of faith in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Muslim belief, Abraham fulfilled all the commandments and trials wherein God nurtured him throughout his lifetime. As a result of his unwavering faith in God, Ibrahim was promised by God to be a leader to all the nations of the world. The Quran extols Ibrahim as a model, an exemplar, obedient and not an idolater. In this sense, Abraham has been described as representing "primordial man in universal surrender to the Divine Reality before its fragmentation into religions separated from each other by differences in form". The Islamic holy day Eid al-Adha is celebrated in memory of the sacrifice of Abraham, and each able bodied Muslim is supposed to perform the pilgrimage to pay homage at the Ka‘bah in the Hijazi city of Mecca, which was built by Abraham and his son Ishmael as the first house of worship on earth.

Moses in Islam One of the most important prophets in Islam

Mūsā ibn ʿImrān known as Moses in Judaeo-Christian theology, considered a prophet and messenger in Islam, is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Qur'an, his name being mentioned 136 times. The Qur'an states that Musa was sent by God to the Pharaoh of Egypt and his establishments and the Israelites for guidance and warning. Musa is mentioned more in the Qur'an than any other individual, and his life is narrated and recounted more than that of any other prophet. According to Islam, all Muslims must have faith in every prophet (nabi) and messenger (rasul) which includes Musa and his brother Aaron. The Qur'an states:

And mention in the Book, Moses. Indeed, he was chosen, and he was a messenger and a prophet. And We called him from the side of the mount at [his] right and brought him near, confiding [to him]. And We gave him out of Our mercy his brother Aaron as a prophet.

The first seven Mustaali and Nizari imams

Taiyabi Mustaali and Nizari imams

The Nizari and Mustaali have several Imams in common; the Nizari consider Ali the first Imam and his son Hasan a pir while the Mustali label him al-Asās or "the Foundation" and call Hasan the first Imam.

The Nizaris are the largest segment of the Ismaili Shi'i Muslims, who are the second-largest branch of Shia Islam, second only to the largest, the Twelver. Nizari teachings emphasize human reasoning, or ijtihad—using educated, independent reasoning in solving legal questions; pluralism—the acceptance of racial, ethnic, cultural and inter-religious differences; and social justice. The Aga Khan, currently Aga Khan IV, is the spiritual leader and Imam of the Nizaris. The global seat of the Ismaili Imamate is in Lisbon, Portugal.

Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam. He ruled as the fourth caliph from 656 to 661, but is regarded as the rightful immediate successor to Muhammad as an Imam by Shia Muslims.

Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi master or spiritual guide. They are also referred to as a Hazrat or Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint" and could be interpreted as "Elder". In Sufism a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons and individual guidance. Other words that refer to a Pir include, Murshid, Sheikh and Sarkar. In Alevism, Pir's are considered a direct descendant of Ali.

Nizari	Musta'li	Personage	Period
1	Asās/Wāsīh	Ali	(632–661)
Pir	1	Hasan ibn Ali	(661–669) Mustaali
2	2	Husayn ibn Ali	(669–680) (Mustaali) (661 - 680) (Nizari)
3	3	Ali ibn Husayn Zayn al-Abidin	(680–713)
4	4	Muhammad al-Baqir	(713–733)
5	5	Ja'far al-Sadiq	(733–765)
6	6	Isma'il ibn Jafar	(765 - 775)
7	7	Muhammad ibn Isma'il	(775-813)

Imams after Muhammad ibn Isma'il

Ahmad al-Wafi (Abadullah) (813-829)
Muhammad at-Taqi (Ahmed ibn Abadullah) (829-840)
Radi Abdullah (840-881)

Related Research Articles

Ismāʿīl ibn Jaʿfar al-Mubārak was the eldest son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq. He is also known as Isma'il Al-Ãraj ibn Ja'far. Following Ja'far's death, the Shia community split between those who would become the Twelver Shia and those who believed that the Imamate passed to Ja'far's son, Isma'il; the Isma'ili branch of Shia Islam is accordingly named for Isma'il. According to both the Nizari and Mustaali Shia sects, he is the rightful successor of the sixth Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq, and the seventh Imam.

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References

↑ Rise of The Fatimids, by W. Ivanow. Page 81, 275
↑ Ismaʿilism xvii. The Imamate In Ismaʿilism at Encyclopædia Iranica
1 2 3 4 5 Daftary, Farhad (2007). Cambridge University Press (ed.). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. p. 97.
↑ MUHAMMAD BIN ISMAIL (158-197/775-813)
↑ Encyclopedia Iranica, DAWR (1)
↑ Öz, Mustafa, Mezhepler Tarihi ve Terimleri Sözlüğü (The History of madh'habs and its terminology dictionary), Ensar Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 2011. (This is the name of the trainer of Muhammed bin Ismā‘īl ibn Jā’far. He had established the principles of the Batiniyya Madh'hab, later.)
↑ Encyclopaedia Iranica, "ʿAbdallāh b. Maymūn al-Qaddāḥ: Legendary founder of the Qarmatian-Ismaʿili doctrine and alleged forefather of the Fatimid dynasty"
↑ Daftary, Farhad (1990). Cambridge University Press (ed.). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. p. 139.

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[1] Rise of The Fatimids, by W. Ivanow. Page 81, 275

[IMAMATE_IN_ISMAʿILISM-2] Ismaʿilism xvii. The Imamate In Ismaʿilism at Encyclopædia Iranica

[Rasūl-3] 1 2 3 4 5 Daftary, Farhad (2007). Cambridge University Press (ed.). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. p. 97.

[4] MUHAMMAD BIN ISMAIL (158-197/775-813)

[5] Encyclopedia Iranica, DAWR (1)

[Öz-6] Öz, Mustafa, Mezhepler Tarihi ve Terimleri Sözlüğü (The History of madh'habs and its terminology dictionary), Ensar Yayıncılık, İstanbul, 2011. (This is the name of the trainer of Muhammed bin Ismā‘īl ibn Jā’far. He had established the principles of the Batiniyya Madh'hab, later.)

[7] Encyclopaedia Iranica, "ʿAbdallāh b. Maymūn al-Qaddāḥ: Legendary founder of the Qarmatian-Ismaʿili doctrine and alleged forefather of the Fatimid dynasty"

[Ismāʿīlis-8] Daftary, Farhad (1990). Cambridge University Press (ed.). The Isma'ilis: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge: University of Cambridge. p. 139.