The Imam of the Righteous Present in Every Generation per the Qur’an

Section 5 & 6 of "Where is Imamat Found in the Qur’an?": Key Qur’anic verses about God appointing hereditary Imams through prophetic history with Shi‘i Ismaili commentary and ta’wil.

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The following material (Sections 5 and 6, along with the annotation) is excerpted from the Ismaili Gnosis article, “Where is Imamat Found in the Qur’an?” (comprising 15 sections). The article’s footnotes and links provide in-depth insights, both exoteric and esoteric, on Qur’anic verses and concepts related to Imamat. For a more comprehensive understanding, please refer to the original article via the link provided at the end of this piece.

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5. Imam al-Muttaqin: Imam of the Righteous (Qur’an 25:74)

Another Qur’anic verse that specifically mentions the Imam in his role as a living guide to follow is 25:74:

• And those who say: ‘Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives (azwaj) and our descendants (dhurriyyah) the comfort of our eyes (qurrata a‘yun), and make us (ij‘alna) the Imam for the righteous (li’l-muttaqina imaman).’

Before delving into this verse, let us briefly return to Qur’an 2:124:

• And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with Words which he completed, He [the Lord] said: ‘Certainly, I am the one who is appointing (ja‘il)¹ you an Imam for humankind.’ He [Ibrahim] said: ‘And [appoint Imams] from my descendants (dhurriyyah)’. He answered: ‘My covenant (‘ahdi) is not within the reach of wrongdoers’.²

When we read 2:214 in light of the various Qur’anic verses cited earlier in this article — including 14:35,³ where Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ prayed for protection from the impurity of idolatry⁴ for himself and his progeny, and 37:100,⁵ where he implored his Lord to grant him a righteous son⁶ — it becomes clear that when God declares that His covenant (‘ahd) regarding Imamat is not within the reach of wrongdoers (2:124), He is not only assuring Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ (and the readers of the Qur’an) that Imamat will remain within his righteous progeny, but also affirming that these descendants, like Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ himself, will be pure and perfect exemplars (imams) of monotheism (tawhid).⁷ The Ismaili da‘i Ibn al-Haytham confirms:

“The Imamate will not be inherited by someone who embraces polytheism nor one who reaches maturity as a polytheist, even if he then accepts faith and Islam. None will inherit the Imamate who is not pure from the beginning.”⁸

Ibn al-Haytham, Kitāb al-Munāẓarā (Book of Discussions), translated by Wilferd Madelung and Paul E. Walker as The Advent of the Fatimids: A Cotemporary Shi‘i Witness (London: I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2000), 80.

It is due to their inherent, divinely bestowed purity, knowledge, certainty, and authority that the Imams serve God as guides for humanity and exemplars for the righteous (muttaqin). As we read in the Qur’anic verses examined in Section 3:

• “You [O Muhammad] are indeed a warner, and for every people (li-kulli qawm) there is a guide (hadi)” (13:7).⁹

• We made all of them righteous (salihin). We appointed them Imams guiding (yahduna) by Our Command (amr) and We inspired (awhayna) them to do good deeds and to establish (iqama) prayers (salat) and giving of alms (zakat); and they served Us” (21:72-73).¹⁰

• “We appointed from among them [i.e., among the children of Israel] Imams guiding (yahduna) by our Our Command (amr) when they were patient and had certainty about Our signs” (32:24).¹¹

Thus, it is only the True Guide of the time (13:7)¹², who guides by God’s Command (21:73, 32:24), that serves as the Imam al-Nas (2:124)¹³ and Imam al-Muttaqin (25:74).¹⁴ In the Fatimid Ismaili book of jurisprudence, Da‘a’im al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam), al-Qadi al-Nu‘man records the following exchange between Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾ and a pair of believers:

He [the Imam] heard a man circumambulating the Ka‘ba saying,

‘O God, make me one of those who, when they are reminded of the revelations of their lord, fall not deaf and blind thereat’ (25:73).

‘O Lord, include me among those who say, Our Lord, Vouchsafe us comfort of our [eyes from our] wives and our offspring, and make us patterns [exemplars] (imaman) for the righteous (li’l-muttaqin) [i.e. those who ward off evil]’ (25:74).

[The Imam] said to him,

‘You have indeed asked your Lord for an thing exceeding the proper bounds. You have asked that He set you up as an exemplar (imam) for the godfearing [al-muttaqin], obedience to whom is obligatory.’

One of his companions then asked, ‘May I be thy ransom [O Imam], to whom does the first verse [25:73] refer?’ He [the Imam] replied that it was revealed with regard to them [i.e., about the believers]. He [the companion] then asked about the second [verse 25:74], and [the Imam] said, ‘[It was revealed] with regard to us [i.e., about the Imams].’

Al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam, translated by Asaf A.A. Fyzee and completely revised and annotated by Ismail Kurban Husein Poonawala as The Pillars of Islam: Da‘ā’im al-Islam of al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Volume 1, 33 (translation modified).

Thus, according to Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾, it is the Shi‘i Imams from the progeny of the Prophet who are specifically being referred to in 25:74,¹⁵ and it is they — “obedience to whom is obligatory” — who are the Imams (leaders, exemplars) for the righteous (li’l-muttaqin imam). Further exegeting the verse for us is ‘Allamah Hunzai, who highlights the aspect of the verse that indicates the ever-living presence of the Imam through the Imam’s lineage or progeny, collectively referred to in the commentary below as the infinite “chain of Imamat”:

In verse 25:74, the word “Imām” is mentioned in this way: “And those who pray: Our Lord! Vouchsafe us the joy of our eyes from our wives and our offspring (dhurriyyāt) and make us the Imām of the righteous.” One of the salient wisdoms of this verse is that this prayer is specially related to the most noble Imāms, for it is solely their characteristic to become Imāms even in the position of their progeny or offspring (see verse 3:33-34).¹⁶

It is clear from this supplicatory verse that the true Imām can be Imām even in the personalities of his children and grandchildren. Thus the doctrine of the Ismā‘īlīs that Mawlānā ‘Alī⁽ᶜ⁾ is alive and present in the human attire of Mawlānā Shāh Karīm al-Ḥusaynī⁽ᶜ⁾ is correct.

The above-mentioned verse mentions in a wisdom-filled way that the chain of Imāmat is infinite. That is, according to this verse, every Imām will pray to his Lord not only in the past, but also in the present and the future to make him the Imām of the righteous in the position of his sons and the coming generations in addition to his own personality, and this will continue forever without any end. [….]

To be the Imām of the righteous should not be understood in the sense that first there are some righteous people and subsequently the Imām comes into existence. Rather, it means that people attain righteousness as a result of the Imām's guidance and then due to this relationship with them, he is called the 'Imām of the righteous'. Or, in other words, since the Imām is always here in this world, then as a result there are also righteous people and righteousness.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Recognition of Imam, 14-15).

In the next section, we will examine another Qur’anic verse (17:71) which echoes the same wisdom discussed in the above commentary on 25:74 — namely, that through the blessed lineage, the presence of the Imam is ensured in every generation.

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6. A Present Living Imam for Every Age and Time (Qur’an 17:71)

The practice or custom (sunnah) of God — where He appoints Imams, one after another, through their descendants or offspring (dhurriyah) to continue ‘forever without any end’ — is reflected in Qur’an 17:71:

• “On the Day when We summon (nad‘u) all peoples (kullu unas) with their Imam (bi-imamihim). Then he who is given his record (kitabahu) [of deeds] in his right hand will read it [with pleasure]. And no one will be wronged (la yuzlamuna) in the least [i.e., they will not be dealt with unjustly]” (17:71).¹⁷

Commenting on this verse, Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾ indicates that in every period, there is always a living Imam present among the people, who cad — and indeed must — be recognized. In the Da‘a’im al-Islam we read:

With reference to the Qur’ānic verse On the day when We shall summon all men with their Imam (17:71), he [i.e. Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾] said, “[That means] with the one whom they have held as their ‘Imam’ in this world, ‘Alī will be summoned for the period in which he lived and similarly Ḥasan and likewise Ḥusayn.” He [Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾] then enumerated the Imams [in turn] and went on, “The Messenger of God has said, ‘He who dies without recognizing the Imam of his time, dies the death of ignorance’.”

al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam), Volume 1, 36 (translation slightly modified; see also Twelver source Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Ch. 128 and Ch. 25; Usul min al-Kafi, Vol. 2, Kitab al-Iman wa l-Kufr, Chapter 13.).

In his work Lights to Illuminate the Proof of the Imamate, the illustrious Ismaili hujjat and philosopher Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani (d. after 1021) refers to Qur’an 17:71 to argue for the absolute necessity of the Imamat and elaborates on the reason for the continuous presence of Imams in every era:

God has spoken of ‘The day we shall summon [nad‘u] all peoples with their Imams’ [17:71]. But, if in every era and time, there were not an Imam and the earth were to be without one, even though people successively come into existence, the statement of God would be a lie. It is impossible to imagine that the words of God are a lie. Thus, it is essential that there be an Imam for every age in whose name God summons his people. Hence, the Imamate is necessary.

Ḥamīd al-Dīn al-Kirmānī, al-Maṣābīḥ fī Ithbāt al-Imāma (Lights to Illuminate the Proof of the Imamate), translated by Paul E. Walker as Master of the Age: An Islamic Treatise on the Necessity of the Imamate, 77).

Simply stated, as long as people continue to be born in this world and generations succeed one another, there must always be an Imam for every time. Through the the Imam of the time, God’s summons (da‘wa) continues, providing believers with the means to return to their Lord.

Like Sayyidna al-Kirmani, Abu Ya‘qub al-Sijistani (d. 971), an earlier da‘i and prominent representative of an Ismaili form of ‘Neoplatonic’ philosophical wisdom (hikmah), also referenced Qur’an 17:71, along with 13:7 and 21:73 — three key verses reviewed in this article — to argue for the ever-presence of a divinely guided, rightly guiding Imam. Accordingly, in an important study on the concept and role of knowledge in Ismailism, which — as expected — includes a discussion on the necessity of an infallible Imam and the continuity of Imamat after the Prophet, Dr. Faquir Muhammad Hunzai writes:

Al-Sijistānī in his al-Iftikhār, referring to the Qur’anic verses: ‘One day We shall summon all people with their Imam’ (Qur’an 17:71), ‘You are a warner only, and for every people is a guide’ (Qur’an 13:7), ‘And We appointed them Imams who guide by Our command’ (Qurʾan 21:73), says that by these verses, God makes it clear that there is an Imam in every age, who guides by the command of God to His religion and to His straight path. Therefore, it is necessary for there to be a guiding and guided Imam for people in every age, and the world is never devoid of such a guide. And the matter is not as ordinary people think, that God has neglected His creatures and left them without someone to invite, guide and command them.

Al-Sijistānī further argues [in his al-Iftikhār]:

“By God sending Messengers to people and neglecting them after their departure without appointing … an Imam lies the main part of corruption which leads to disorder and perdition. The proof of this is the differences which appeared in the umma which led to the shedding of blood … and accusing each other of infidelity. The cause of this was nothing but diverting the Imamate from the one to whom God had granted it … When God has sent a learned and wise Messenger to unite the people by the purity of his soul and the subtlety of his mind with the power of revelation conferred upon him, (and) a noble sharī‘a and a sound and perfect Book (tanzīl) and then He does not appoint someone to guard and protect them in the ages (to come), it would be a mockery, futility and weakness from Him, but He is free from and above such things” (Abū Ya‘qūb al-Sijistānī, Kitāb al-iftikhār, ed. M. Ghālib [Beirut, 1980], p. 71, passage translated here by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai).

Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, “The Concept of Knowledge According to al-Kirmānī”, in Reason and Inspiration in Islam: Theology, Philosophy and Mysticism in Muslim Thought — Essays in Honour of Hermann Landolt, ed. Todd Lawson (London, I.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies, 2005), 130.

As can be seen in the passage above, according to Sayyidna al-Sijistani — and indeed the Ismaili position on succession to the Prophet in general — “diverting the Imamate from the one to whom God had granted it” is no trivial matter or insignificant doctrinal difference amongst various schools of thought. Rather, such an action carries dire consequences, resulting in corruption, disorder, and perdition. For the Ismailis, therefore, adhering to God’s guidance on this matter — as revealed in the Qur’anic verses and Prophetic Traditions — is essential for the physical and spiritual well-being of the ummah, which can remain strong and united only when — just as in the time of God’s Messenger⁽ˢ⁾ — all believers recognize, honor, and follow the single, unifying authority who, as the divinely appointed Imam and successor to the Prophet, is always present to guide by God’s Command (21:73, 32:24) and to serve as the actual means through which all people are summoned to their Lord (17:71).

While 17:71 indeed serves as Qur’anic evidence of the perpetual presence of a divinely appointed Imam on earth, the verse’s original context, which pertains to the Day of Judgement (or Resurrection), should not be overlooked. Drawing attention to this wisdom-filled aspect of 17:71¹⁸ is ‘Allamah Hunzai, whose comment below anticipates our discussion in Section 7 by highlighting the role of the sahib-i amr — ‘custodian of God’s command’:

…the Imām of the time is always present and living amongst the people of every time, as confirmed and corroborated in the following verse: “On the day We shall call all people with their Imām” (17:71). This means that on the Day of Reckoning, without the Imām of the time, no witness, justice, intercession and salvation is possible for the people. Thus, it becomes evident that from the beginning of the world to the time of Ḥazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾, from Hazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾ to the Seal of the Prophets, and from the Seal of the Prophets till the Day of Reckoning, the holy chain of Imāmat continues.

With respect to the above-mentioned verse (17:71), it is also correct to say that on the Day of Resurrection, God will call people through their Imām of the time, for the Imāms of guidance are the intermediaries and the means between God and the people. This shows that every act of God related to command and guidance and every task related to the people's obedience of God and His pleasure is accomplished through the custodian of [God’s] command (ṣāḥib-i amr).¹⁹

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated as Recognition of Imām, 100-101.

Before proceeding to the next section, it is important to note that some — though not all — translations of 17:71 misrepresent its message by mistranslating the term imam — in “bi-imamihim (with their Imam)” — as “book” or “record” (e.g. “On the Day when We shall summon all men with their record [bi-imamihim], whoso is given his book [kitabahu]…”). However, the verse clearly distinguishes between imam and kitab, mentioning them separately. It explicitly states that people will be summoned to God bi-imamihim (with their Imam), followed by the mention of each individual receiving kitabahu (his record or book of deeds) to read.

Additionally, the distinct pronoun suffixes — imamihim (their Imam) and kitabahu (his record)—emphasize this separation. They indicate that each individual (as would be expected) has a separate kitab or book of deeds ("his record"), which is distinct from the Imam of each time, who serves as the witness over a collective of people ("their Imam").

In the next few sections, we will gain greater clarity on the role and purpose of the Imams who — according to the wisdom of Qur’an 17:71 — are present at all times and who — as God’s Messenger emphasized — must be recognized during one’s lifetime and, as we are about to see, obeyed by true believers seeking to be counted among God’s worshipers.

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Additional Material: Ismaili Tafsir and Ta’wil for Deeper and Esoteric Understanding

1. Ismaili Gnosis: In Qur’an 2:124, God speaks of Himself as “the appointer” (jā‘il) of Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ as the Imam of humankind. The Arabic word jā‘il is an ‘active participle’ (ism fa‘il) of the verb “to appoint” (ja‘ala). This verbal form — literally meaning “the appointer” — indicates “a continuous action, a habitual state of being, or a permanent quality...as a verbal adjective for an on-going action” (Gadalla, 2017, 63). In other words, the Qur’anic verb usage indicates that God continually appoints Imams for humankind.

In that sense, Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾’s appointment as Imam is not a singular and isolated event; rather, it reflects God’s established way, or habit (sunnah) to continuously appoint Imams age after age. The Qur’an uses the same agentive verb jā‘il in verse 2:30 when referring to God appointing Adam as His vicegerent or representative on earth: When your Lord said to the angels: ‘I am appointing (jā‘ilun) a vicegerent (khalifah) in the earth.’ In other words, the Qur’anic worldview dictates that the appointment of the Imam or God’s Vicegerent is always executed by God, not by the community: Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills — they have no choice in the matter. Glorified and Exalted is Allah above what they associate [with Him]! (28:68).

Ismaili Gnosis, “Where is Imamat Found in the Qur’an?”, Section 2.

2. ‘Allamah Hunzai: The word Imam had been used as a special religious technical term before the revelation of the Qur’ān, in the time of Ḥaḍrat Ādam and prominently in the time of Ḥaḍrat Ibrāhīm and then in the community of the children of Ismā‘īl and the children of Israel. The word Imām has always been used literally for a worldly leader and technically for a religious leader, whose rank apparently is next to a great Prophet. In the lifetime of every great Prophet, he has remained as his miraculous wazīr (minister) and after him, his heir, legatee (waṣī) and successor. In order to make this most exalted meaning of Imam understandable, a wisdom-filled Qur’ānic verse is presented, which is:

“When his Lord tried Ibrāhīm with [perfect] Words, and he fulfilled them (as the luminous dhikr). (Then) He said: I make you an Imam for humankind. He pleaded: And (make Imams) from my descendants also! He answered: (Do not worry) My covenant (which has the characteristic of justice) is not within the reach of wrongdoers” (2:124).

That is, the rank of Imāmat will continue in your progeny, until the Resurrection and will not be given to others.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Dū‘ā: Essence of ‘Ibādat, translated from Urdu into English by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai, 43.

3. Qur’an 14:35: “Preserve me and my children from worshipping idols.”

‘Allamah Hunzai: It is mentioned in sūrah-yi Ibrāhīm (14:35) that Ḥazrat Ibrāhīm⁽ᶜ⁾ prayed to Almighty God to protect him and his progeny (i.e., present and future children) from idolatry because not only is it deviation (14:36) but impurity (22:30) as well. This prayer mentions both external and internal idolatry. In short, in this prayer of Ḥazrat Ibrāhīm⁽ᶜ⁾ he supplicates to remain pure and innocent by refraining from all types of sins. The holy Prophet⁽ˢ⁾ said: “I am the fruit of the prayer of my forefather Ibrāhīm⁽ᶜ⁾”. Thus it is evident that all the Prophets and Imams from the progeny of Ibrāhīm⁽ᶜ⁾ are pure and infallible by birth.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, ‘Ilmī Khazāna, translated by Azeem Ali Lakhani as Treasure of Knowledge (Part 2), 26.

4. The impurity of idolatry is mentioned in 22:30: “So shun the impurity of idolatry, and shun words of falsehood.”

5. Qur’an 37:100: “My Lord give me a righteous son” (Rabbi hablī mina’ṣ-ṣālihīn).

Sayyidna Ibn al-Haytham: Abraham desired the Islam [submission to God] of his sons and to acquaint them with faith prior to their reaching maturity and before they would know and worship the idols. That was confirmed in the mind of Abraham by the word of God and His making it clear in the statement of Him who has no partner, “And Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain edicts which he carried out; He [i.e. God] then said, “I will make you the leader [Imām] of the people;” He [i.e. Abraham] asked, “And also from my offspring?” He [i.e. God] said, “My assurance does not apply to the evildoers” [2:124]. At that Abraham desired more and he said, “Preserve me and my children from worshipping idols” [14:35], and he said, “My Lord give me a righteous son” [37:100]. God, the Mighty and Glorious, thus informed Abraham that the Imamate will not be inherited by someone who embraces polytheism nor one who reaches maturity as a polytheist, even if he then accepts faith and Islam. None will inherit the Imamate who is not pure from the beginning.

Ibn al-Haytham, Kitāb al-Munāẓarā [Book of Discussions], translated by Wilferd Madelung and Paul E. Walker as The Advent of the Fatimids: A Cotemporary Shi‘i Witness, 80.

6. God responds to Abraham’s prayer: “So, We gave him the good news of a forbearing (ḥalīm) boy” (37:101).

7. Ismaili Gnosis: Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾’s statement or request — ‘And [make Imams] from my descendants also’ — expresses his prayer for God to continue appointing Imams from his lineage, a request that God granted to him. God’s reply — ‘My covenant (ahdi) is not within the reach of the wrongdoers’ (2:124) — clarifies that the divine covenant (‘ahd) of Imamat is never bestowed upon sinners. Thus, the divinely-ordained Imamat of Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ will only continue among his descendants who are pure of all sins. It is important to note that immediately after 2:124, God confirms that His covenant (‘ahd) is with Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ progeny, stating: ‘We covenanted (‘ahadna) with Ibrahim and Isma‘il to purify My House’ (2:125).

Therefore, Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾’s request (in 2:124) is entirely consistent with God’s established way of providing guidance for humanity. As ‘Allamah Hunzai explains,

According to the custom of God, the Wise, we should note the principle that He always chooses for the task of guidance from the family of Prophethood, just as He chose Ḥazrat Ādam, Ḥazrat Nūh [Noah], the progeny of Ḥazrat Ibrāhīm and the progeny of Ḥazrat ‘Imrān above all the people of the world (3:33), as he granted the progeny of Ḥazrat Ibrāhīm the Book, wisdom and the great kingdom (4:54) and as, in accordance with this divine law, Ḥazrat Ibrāhīm prayed for this special mercy that the Imamat may remain in his progeny until the Resurrection (2:124).

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Mīwah-yi Bihisht, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Fruit of Paradise, 58.

The correct understanding of God’s reply to Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾ in 2:124 is that the Imamat will remain with his righteous descendants (dhurriyah) and not with any wrongdoers (zalimin) who might unjustly attempt to usurp the Imamat or Khilafat (Caliphate). The editors of The Study Qur’an explain further:

The response to Abraham’s prayer [in 2:124] means that a wrongdoer or tyrant would not deserve a covenant [‘ahd] with God and could not rightly be an Imām; or it means that such a person could be an imām, but an imām who does wrong would not receive the promise of the Hereafter; or it can simply be read as meaning that not all of Abraham’s descendants would be virtuous, as in 37:113: And We blessed him [i.e. Abraham] and Isaac. And among their progeny are the virtuous and those who clearly wrong themselves. In Shiism, the fifth and sixth Imams have cited this verse to indicate that God does not set up or allow an unjust “imam”. Elements similar to those in this verse are found in 25:74: Our Lord! Grant us comfort in our spouses and our progeny, and make us imams for the reverent.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Caner Dagli, Maria Massi Dakake, Joseph Lumbard, Mohammed Rustom, The Study Qur’an: A New Translation and Commentary, 57 note 124.

Ismaili Gnosis, “Where is Imamat Found in the Qur’an?”, Section 2.

8. See note 5 above.

9. Imam al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾: The warner is the Messenger of God, and in every age there is an Imam from among us to guide the community towards the message brought by him. Thus the first of the guides after him (the Prophet) is ‘Alī b. Abi Talib, then the vicegerents (awṣiyā) [i.e., Imams], one following the other after him, the best of salutations be upon them all.

Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir⁽ᶜ⁾, as quoted in al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam, translated by Asaf A.A. Fyzee and completely revised and annotated by Ismail Kurban Husein Poonawala as The Pillars of Islam: Da‘ā’im al-Islam of al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Volume 1, 30.

10. ‘Allamah Hunzai: In verse 21:73 God says: “And We made them the Imāms [of the people] who guide by Our Command.”

The wisdom of this verse shows that the true Imāms are appointed by God Himself and they guide the people according to His will and command. Further this verse shows that in order to command and guide [the people], He always speaks to the Imām. Whether we call this Divine Speech the special favour (tawfīq-i khāṣṣ) or the luminous guidance (nūrānī hidāyat), it is received from God continually and afresh by the Imāms according to the requirements and needs of their time and place. Since the Divine command (amr-i bārī) is their prerogative, i.e., on the one hand they receive it and on the other they convey it to the people, then it is in this sense that they are called ulu'l-amr (those who possess the Divine command, 4:59).

Every wise person who believes in God’s existence can, on reflection, understand that in view of the law of the mercy of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful, it is absolutely impossible that He may remove His means of command and guidance (i.e., the Imām of the time) from among the world’s people at any time. Again, it is absolutely impossible that the people of the world may dispense with the source of His guidance at any time. Thus, it is necessary and indispensable that the Imām should always be alive and present among the people in human attire in every age, whether it is the cycle of Prophethood or the cycle of Imāmat.

It should be clear that the time which has elapsed from Ḥazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾ to the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., the holy Prophet Muḥammad⁽ˢ⁾ is called the cycle of Prophethood and the time which continues from him till the Resurrection is called the cycle of Imāmat. The difference between these two cycles is that during the cycle of Prophethood, by God’s command some Imāms used to perform the duties of Prophethood in addition to the function of Imāmat, whereas in the cycle of Imāmat, since it is the cycle of Resurrection, the pure Imāms from the progeny of Prophet Muḥammad⁽ˢ⁾ perform only the duties related to the matters of Imāmat.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Recognition of Imam, 22-23.

11. ‘Allamah Hunzai: In verse 32:24 God says: “And We made from among them Imāms who guide according to Our Command and they were patient and had certainty about Our signs (spiritual miracles).”

The explanation of this verse is that God made the Imāms from the [chosen] category (jins = genus) of the Prophets, who adopted patience in physical and spiritual trials. The external trials that the Prophets and Imāms undergo are known to all, but very few are aware of the internal trials with which they are tested.* It should be known that the internal trials are purely spiritual, and are full of knowledge, wisdom, rectitude and guidance. Through these trials, the son of the Imām ascends the ranks of the ḥudūd-i dīn one by one until he succeeds to the rank of Imāmat.

This verse also shows that the true Imām guides the people according to God’s command. This means that whatever guidance the Imām gives to the people is, in reality, from God and thus God’s command continues in this world. Indeed, only that guidance which is according to God’s command is the right guidance. It leads to the ultimate destination, gives the correct answer to every difficult question and the right solutions for the problems created by time and place.

With regard to the Imāms’ certainty it should be borne in mind that there is a great difference between believing in God’s signs and having certainty about them, because belief is both common and special, whereas certainty is special only. Thus, in the above verse the statement that the pure Imāms have certainty about God’s signs indicates that all the wisdoms and realities of the knowledge of certainty, the eye of certainty and the truth of certainty are manifest and evident to them and no sign of God is hidden from them.

All these matters are related to the Imām’s recognition, that is, they are useful only to those who believe in the doctrine of Imāmat and have reached one of the levels of the Imām’s recognition.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated as Recognition of Imam, 31-32.

*Author’s Note: Regarding ‘Allamah Hunzai’s comment, “The external trials that the Prophets and Imāms undergo are known to all, but very few are aware of the internal trials with which they are tested”, compare with Qur’an 2:124: And when his Lord tried Ibrahim with Words and he fulfilled them. (Then) He said: “I am making you an Imam for mankind.”

12. ‘Allamah Hunzai: It is said in verse (13:7): "Verily you are a warner, and to every nation (qawm) there is a guide [hādi]." (see Shī‘ī translations and commentaries of the Qur’ān and the books on the Manāqib of Mawlā ‘Alī). From the time of Ādam till the Resurrection of resurrections, the people of every age are a nation [qawm], and for every nation God has appointed a guide [hādi], who is the Imam of the time.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Ḥazār Ḥikmat, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as A Thousand Wisdoms, wisdom 940, page 490.

13. ‘Allamah Hunzai: Question: How do the people of the world benefit from the inner sacrifices of the exalted Imam? Is there any such allusion in the Qur’ān? Answer: The wisdom-filled allusion of the Qur’ān says that the Imam of the time is not only the Imam of the righteous (imāmu'l-muttaqin, 25:74), but the Imam of the people (imāmu'n-nās, 2:124) as well. However, the great difference is that, the door of knowledge and wisdom opens instantly (in this world) for the righteous, whereas for the masses it is closed in this world.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Ḥazār Ḥikmat, translated as A Thousand Wisdoms, wisdom 358, page 194.

14. ‘Allamah Hunzai: Is the Imam only for the righteous? The answer is that the Guide of the time is, in general, the Imām of all people (2:124) and in particular, the Imam of the righteous (25:74) so that through their free will people should take advantage of the Imām's guidance and the righteous may receive spiritual knowledge from the Imām directly. The unique way of teaching via the luminous voice has continued since the time of Ḥazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾, and so for the people who go through the bitter experience of resurrection, the greatest advantage is that their soul, which is an angel, can receive the luminous teaching of the Ādam of the time.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Tajribāt-ī Rūḥānī, translated by Eshrat Rumi Zahir as Spiritual Experiences, 110.

15. ‘Allamah Hunzai: Imāmu'l-Muttaqīn (The Imām of the righteous, 25:74): “And those who pray: O our Lord! Grant us of our wives and our offspring (dhurriyyāt) coolness of our eyes and make us the Imām of the righteous ones.” This prayer is specific to the Imāms. In the language of wisdom it is said in it that the chain of Imāmat started from the time of Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾ and is going to continue and last until the Resurrection of resurrections. This is because the story of the righteous ones has continued from the inception of religion; read the story of Ḥazrat-i Hābil⁽ᶜ⁾ (5:27). From it we have to understand the allusion that the word offspring (dhurriyyat) is not only related to the future, in fact there is the mention too of how the present Imām was also the Imām in the past.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Qur’ānī Minār, translated as Qur’ānic Minarets, 69.

16. ‘Allamah Hunzai: Question 938: This question is about Sūrah-yi Āl-i ‘Imrān (3:33-34): "Verily Allāh chose Ādam and Nūh and the descendants of Ibrāhīm and the descendants of ‘Imrān above (all His) creatures. Offspring, one from the other." In fact, there are several questions here:

1. Are all of these chosen people Prophets?

2. Who is Ḥazrat ‘Imrān⁽ᶜ⁾?

3. There is no mention of the progeny of Ādam and Nūh⁽ᶜ⁾ in this Divine choice, is there some secret in this?

4. Is Islām's perfect system of guidance mentioned in this noble verse?

Answer 938:

• These chosen ones are the Prophets and Imāms.

• This ‘Imrān is Ḥazrat Imām Abū Ṭālib⁽ᶜ⁾, whose noble name was ‘Imrān.

• These were from one family chain who were descended one from the other and, in these words all the righteous from the progeny of Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾ and Nūh⁽ᶜ⁾ are included. See also Sūrah-yi Maryam (19:58) and Sūrah-yi Ḥadīd (57:26).

• Yes indeed the perfect system of guidance in Islām is mentioned in this noble verse.

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Ṣanādīq-i Jawāhir, translated as Caskets of Pearls (Volume 2), 147-48.

17. Qur’an: 17:71: “On the Day when We summon all peoples (kullu unas) with/through their Imam (bi-imamihim). Then he who is given his record (kitabahu) in his right hand will read it [with pleasure]. And no one will be wronged in the least.”

Sayyidna al-Kirmani: There is no doubt that the Imam must exist for the worship of God and that God never leaves His earth devoid of an Imam in each and every time, who upholds the rights of God and who, as His proof to His servants, is the guidance to His absolute unity, who represents them to their Lord ‘on the Day wherein We summon the people through their Imam’ [17:71].

Ḥamīd al-Dīn al-Kirmānī, al-Maṣābīḥ fī Ithbāt al-Imāma, translated as Master of the Age, 118.

18. In verse 17:71 God says: “On the day when We shall call together all human beings (kulla unāsim bi-Imāmihim) [of all times] with their [respective] Imām.” It should be borne in mind that, with respect to its literal sense, this verse is like: “Qad alima kullu unāsin mashrabahum (i.e., each tribe knew their drinking place)” (2:60). To understand the wisdom of this noble verse, it is necessary to understand the meaning of 'unās'. Unās is the plural of ins and another form of it is unāsī, which has been used in the Qur’ān for the division of small groups. For instance, Ḥazrat-i Mūsā⁽ᶜ⁾'s people are called ummat-i Mūsā or qawm-i Mūsā. They can also be called nās without being related (to anybody), but they cannot be called unās, because in the Qur’ān it is used for small divisions of people. In other words, unās is used (c) for each of Ḥazrat-i Mūsā's twelve tribes. This means that the people are called unās in relation to the Imām of the time, just as they are called ummat or qawm in relation to the Prophet. This is because of the fact that in every nāṭiq's cycle there are many Imāms and the people of the time of every Imām will be called unās, not ummat or qawm. The above realities reveal that the exalted Imām always exists and is present among the people of the world.

This is why on the Day of Resurrection, God will summon the people of every age with their respective Imām to His court, because He made him the source of guidance and the means of salvation for them, but they did not recognise him. Further, the Imām is the witness of the people's deeds and unless he witnesses their deeds, God will not judge their good and bad deeds.

It is necessary to know the principle that certain of God's attributes are due to their relation to the Prophet and the Imām. In order to know such attributes one should look into God's one hundred names and then the Prophet and Imām's hundred names. Those attributive names of God, which are also mentioned among the Prophet and Imām's names are His names in relation to them. For instance, one of God's attributive names is “al-hādī” (the guide) and the same is that of the Prophet and the pure Imām. Thus, for the wise people it is clear that God is the “guide” in the sense that He sent the Prophet for the sake of guidance and the Prophet is guide in the sense that he guided people in his own time and for their future guidance, he appointed the Imām from his progeny. In this way the work of guidance becomes complete with the Imām. Similarly, another such name among God's names is “ash-shahīd” (the witness), which is also the name of the Prophet and the Imām. This means that God has sent the Prophet as a witness and the Prophet, according to God's command, has made the Imām witness over the people in his own place. Thus, the absolute witness over people's deeds is the exalted Imām. This is the reason that God will call the people of every age with their respective Imām on the Day of Resurrection (17:71).

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated as Recognition of Imam, 20-21.

19. ‘Allamah Hunzai: In the Imāmī books, referring to the saying of the holy Prophet and the pure Imāms, it is mentioned that by “the men on the A‘rāf (the heights)” in the verse: “And on the A‘rāf (heights) are men who recognize them all by their foreheads!” (7:46), are meant the men who are on the heights of ma‘rifat (recognition of God), and they are Ḥazrat-i Mawlānā Murtazā ‘Alī⁽ᶜ⁾ and the legatees, namely, the holy Imāms from his descendants (see Da‘a’imu'l-Islām, Part I, p. 25 [pp. 34-35 in Pillars of Islam, Poonawala edition]).

Since it is a Qur’ānic fact that on the Day of Judgement, the Imām of each respective time will recognize all those who used to recognize him in the world by the light on their faces, it is evident that this Divine law of [providing] the means of (His) mercy, guidance, intercession and salvation i.e., the presence of Imām among the people of the world, is ordained not only for the cycle of the last holy Prophet, but equally for the cycles of all the Prophets. This leads to the conclusion that the Imām of the time is always present and living amongst the people of every time, as confirmed and corroborated in the following verse: “On the day We shall call all people with their Imām” (17:71). This means that on the Day of Reckoning, without the Imām of the time, no witness, justice, intercession and salvation is possible for the people. Thus, it becomes evident that from the beginning of the world to the time of Ḥazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾, from Hazrat-i Ādam⁽ᶜ⁾ to the Seal of the Prophets, and from the Seal of the Prophets till the Day of Reckoning, the holy chain of Imāmat continues.

With respect to the above-mentioned verse (17:71), it is also correct to say that on the Day of Resurrection, God will call people through their Imām of the time, for the Imāms of guidance are the intermediaries and the means between God and the people. This shows that every act of God related to command and guidance and every task related to the people's obedience of God and His pleasure is accomplished through the ‘custodian of [the Divine] command’ (ṣāḥib-i amr).

‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Imām Shināsī, translated as Recognition of Imām, 100-101.