The Imams as Possessors of Divine Authority (Ulu'l-Amr) in the Qur’an
Sections 7-9 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.
The following material (Sections 7-9, 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.
7. Ulu’l-Amr: Obeying the Imams in Authority (Qur’an 4:59)
As mentioned earlier, in addition to Qur’anic verses which explicitly mention the word Imam, there are others that deserve attention as they contain themes and terms related to the concept of Imamat, particularly in the context of divinely-appointed leadership within the hereditary line of descent from the Prophet’s family. Through Qadi al-Nu‘man’s Disagreements of the Jurists, we were introduced to verse 4:59 and the term ‘Ulu’l-Amr—the Ones in Authority—which, as evident from the word amr (Command, Authority), aligns with the description of the “Imams who guide by Our Command (bi-amrina)” (21:73, 32:24). To recall, in Surah al-Nisa’, the believers are commanded:
“O you who believe: obey God, and obey the Messenger and the Ulu’l-Amr amongst you…” (4:59).1
It is noteworthy that the Qur’an uses a single command, “obey”, to signify obedience to God, and likewise employs just one single command when instructing believers to obey both the Messenger and the Ulu’l-Amr. While there are two recipients of obedience after the command to obey God, only one command is used to establish the believers’ obligation to obey them both. This clearly indicates that the level of authority and degree of obedience required for the Messenger and the Ulu’l-Amr are equivalent.2 Therefore, the Imams have always explained that the Ulu’l-Amr to whom obedience is due refers to them:
“We are the ones God means by this.”
Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir⁽ᶜ⁾, in al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam), Volume 1, 29.
“They are the Imams of the House of the Messenger of God… they are the Imams from among us whose obedience is obligatory… We are the Ulu’-Amr to whom God has commanded the referral.”
Imam Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq⁽ᶜ⁾, in al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam), Volume 1, 33-37. See also Twelver source Usul al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Ch. 16.
Drawing out the wisdoms of the “verse of obedience”, Hujjat Hamid al-Din Kirmani writes in his Lights to Illuminate the Proof of the Imamate:
When He said, “O, you who believe, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you” [4:59], God imposed on the believers three acts of obedience in one verse, each linked to the others. Obedience to those in authority is not obedience to the Messenger and obeying the Messenger is not obeying God, but no one can accept the first without the second or the second without the third. Those addressed in the verse are the mass of the believers, both those in the era of the Messenger and those after him; it is not specific.
On the part of God, it is impossible to impose on His servant obedience to someone and connect it with obedience to His Messenger and yet not to make that same person exist — that would be to impose an obligation that could not be fulfilled — or not to make him infallible, like the Messenger, and crowned with sacred and sublime traits.
With regard to the addressee in the verse being the masses among whom no group is singled out to the exclusion of another, added to the impossibility of God depriving any community of someone they are obligated to obey, it is necessary that there exist for the community someone who is rightly the subject of their obedience, and their following his command in regard to God and the religion of God. The person from whom one takes orders is the Imam. Hence, the Imamate is necessary.
Ḥamīd al-Dīn al-Kirmānī, Master of the Age: An Islamic Treatise on the Necessity of the Imamate, 77).
For believers, it is inconceivable that the Merciful and Compassionate Lord would require obedience to someone who does not exist or can not be identified. Thus, after the Messenger—whose authority (amr) was accepted by all Muslims of his time, it is the infallible Imams, guiding by God’s Command, who are the Ulu’l-Amr and must, therefore, be obeyed. As Sayyidna Ja‘far b. Mansur al-Yaman—the exalted Fatimid Ismaili hujjat and author of profound esoteric treatises affirms:
whoever obeys the Messenger on the exoteric [aspects] but disobeys him on the esoteric [aspects] — by which [the Messenger] designated his Legatee [i.e. ‘Ali] — ‘his work will be annihilated and he will be among the losers in the Hereafter’ [Q. 5:6]. Indeed, the Messenger is the Imam of his era, and when he leaves this world, it is necessary that there is an Imam whom God has made it an obligation to obey, as He made it an obligation to obey the Messenger. God’s words — He is Mighty and Sublime: ‘Obey God, obey the Messenger and the holders of authority (ūlū al-amr) from amongst you’ [Q. 4:59] are an indication of this. There is no era at all where worshipping is possible without the Imam of that era. After the Messenger, the Imamate is not suitable except for the one appointed as an Imam by the Messenger — may God bless him — in the same way that God appointed the Messenger [to function] as a Messenger, and not as an Imam.
Ja‘far b. Manṣūr al-Yaman, Kitāb al-Kashf, translated by Fârès Gillon as The Book of Unveiling: Early Fatimid Ismaili Doctrine in the Kitāb al-Kashf, attributed to Ja‘far b. Manṣūr al-Yaman, 351-52.
Therefore, at any given time, the Imam al-Muttaqin (The Imam of the Righteous), mentioned in Qur’an 25:74,3 who is always present and living, is the one whom true believers must obey to fulfill the Divine Command in 4:59 and be counted among the righteous (mutaqqin) worshipers.4
8. Ulu’l-Amr and the Great Kingdom given to Abraham’s House (Qur’an 4:51-59)
Turning once more to the Ikhtilaf Usul al-Madhahib, we learn that an inquirer asked Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾ about the the identity of the Ulu’l-Amr. In response, the Imam referenced several verses from Surah al-Nisa’ leading up to 4:59, explaining how each verse, including 4:54 — “For We bestowed upon the House of Ibrahim the Scripture and Wisdom, and We bestowed on them a Great Kingdom [Mulk Azim]” — referred to the Imams from the Prophet’s family (Ahl al-Bayt). Qadi al-Nu‘man reports:
In regard to the word of God “Obey God and obey the Messenger and the Ones in Authority among you” [4:59], he [Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾] was asked: “Who are the Ones in Authority?” He began by reciting the verse, “Have you not looked at those to whom was given a portion of the Book, how they believe in idols and false deities, and say of those who disbelieve: They {i.e., the false leaders who are actually disbelievers} are more rightly guided than those [true Imams] who believe?” [4:51]. Then he [the Imam] turned to the questioner and added, “They {erroneously} say about the ‘leaders of error’ and about those {false leaders} who call people to Hell that they are more rightly guided in their path than the [true] Imams belonging to the family of Muḥammad.”
Then he recited, “Those are they whom God has cursed, and for him whom God has cursed, you (O Muḥammad) will find no ally. Or have they even a share in the Kingdom [al-Mulk]? Then in that case, they would not give mankind even the speck on a date stone” [4:52-53]. Then he [the Imam] turned again to the questioner and explained to him, “This {i.e., “a share in the Kingdom”} means a share in the Imamate and the Caliphate [Khilāfah]….
Then he recited the verse, “Or are they jealous of the people because of that which God of His bounty has bestowed upon them? For We bestowed upon the House of Ibrahim the Scripture and Wisdom, and We bestowed on them a Great Kingdom [Mulk Azim]” [4:54]. Then he turned again to the questioner and explained, “We are the people who are envied for what God has bestowed upon us, including the Imamate, which is the ‘Great Kingdom.’”
Then he recited after that up until God’s word, “God commands you that you restore deposits to their owners” [4:58]. Then he turned again to the questioner and explained, “He meant us by this: that the first of us should pass on to the Imam who comes after him the knowledge, books, and weapons that God entrusted to him.”
Then he recited, “and, if you judge between people, that you judge justly” [4:58]. Then he turned again to the questioner and explained, “God commanded us that we [Imams] should judge by the justice which is in our hands when we are manifest (ẓuḥurnā) {i.e., our authority is publicly recognized}.” Then he explained, “O you who believe”—meaning all the believers until the Day of Resurrection—“Obey God and obey the Messenger and the Ones in Authority [Ulu’l-Amr] among you” [4:59]5—for we are the Ones in Authority that God intended.”
Al-Qāḍī al-Nuʿmān, The Disagreements of the Jurists, 82-83 (translation slightly modified).(See also, The Pillars of Islam: Da‘ā’im al-Islam of al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Volume 1, 27-29).
We see from the above that the Qur’anic verses leading up to 4:59 position the Ulu’l-Amr as the rightly-guided ones (4:51), truly capable — in the eyes of God — of judging with justice (4:58) and as being related to the House of Hazrat Ibrahim⁽ᶜ⁾, i.e., the Prophet’s righteous progeny who are given the Kitab and the Wisdom, and entrusted with the “Great Kingdom” (4:54).6 According to Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾, this “Great Kingdom” (Mulk Azim) refers to the Imamat and Khilafat, a position envied by some who will seek to usurp it for themselves. When Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾’s father, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾, was asked about 4:54, he replied:
The words “Mulk Azim (the Great Kingdom) [refer to the fact] that God appointed among them Imams (Leaders); those who obey them, obey God, and those who disobey them, disobey God. This is [the substance of] “the Great Kingdom”. How can they therefore acknowledge it regarding Abraham’s family and yet deny it in relation to Muḥammad’s family?
Imām al-Bāqir, in al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Da‘ā’im al-Islam (The Pillars of Islam), Volume 1, 29 (translation slightly modified); see Twelver sources where the Imams give the same commentary.
(See also Arzina R. Lalani, Early Shī‘ī Thought: The Teachings of Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir, 64-65).
9. The Imams as the Possessors of Knowledge: Exoteric and Esoteric Benefits for Obedient Believers (Qur’an 4:59, 4:83, 29:49, 13:43, 3:7)
Apart from remaining obedient to God’s command, recognizing and affirming the true Imams as Ulu’l-Amr and obeying them serves only to benefit the believers. Due to their distinct, divinely-bestowed knowledge and being rightly guided by God, it is the Messenger and the Imams to whom the believers should turn and adhere (i.e., obey) when seeking knowledge and answers to complex matters. As the Qur’an states:
“And when there comes to them a matter of security or fear, they spread it abroad; and if they had referred it to the Messenger and to the Possessors of Authority (Uli’l-Amr) among them, those among them who are able to think out the matter (yastanbiṭūnahu) would have known it. If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy upon you, all but a few of you would have followed Satan” (4:83).
The eminent, Qur’anic scholar, ‘Allamah Hunzai, offers a profound elucidation of the term istinbāṭ7— appearing as “yastanbiṭūnahu” in the above verse — drawing out subtle nuances related to seeking knowledge and obedience to the Ulu’l-Amr by linking 4:83 with 4:59:
The word “istinbāṭ” is mentioned [as “yastanbiṭūnahu”] only in one holy verse (4:83) but due to its link with the ulu'l-amr (the custodians of the Divine command), its meaning spreads from the beginning to the end of the Holy Qur’ān. For it means to verify, establish or substantiate something, or to reflect properly, or it is the wisdom and ta’wīl, or the bāṭin (esoteric aspect) of a verse. In this sense, istinbāṭ is in every place of the Noble Qur’ān.
[…] The wisdom-filled allusion of this verse is that mu’mins should have faith and certainty in their hearts about the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr, so that they may attain the grace of istinbāṭ from the Imam of the time….As you know, Divine knowledge was revealed to the Holy Prophet, who granted it to the ulu'l-amr (i.e. the Imams) and they open the door of knowledge and wisdom to their representatives.
These two verses (4:59, 4:83), namely, the ‘verse of obedience’ and the ‘verse of deduction’ respectively, become one subject because they are about the ulu'l-amr and they are the exegesis of one another. Verse 4:59 says: “O you who believe! obey God and obey the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr from among you (who are with you throughout history and in all the cycles); then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to God and the Prophet, if you believe in God and the last day; this is better (for you) and very good with respect to ta’wīl.”
An extremely important point…is that, just as obedience to the ulu'l-amr (i.e., the Imāms) is enjoined upon mu’mins after obedience to God and the Prophet, similarly, it is also enjoined upon mu’mins to have recourse to them with problems and disputes.8 But obedience comes first and then having recourse to them. Therefore, if someone has recourse to God, the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr for a solution on a question of knowledge, without first being obedient, the door to knowledge and wisdom does not open. For the first and foremost requisite is obedience.
In verse 4:59, the command to refer ideological disputes to the ulu'l-amr is not apparent, but in verse 4:83, this command is very clear, because the latter verse is the exegesis of the former verse.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Qurratu'l-Ayn, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Coolness of the Eye, 8-10 (for the complete version, click this footnote9).
Qadi al-Nu‘man reports that with regard to the Possessors of Authority (Ulu’l-Amr) mentioned in verse 4:83, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾ said “that they are the Imams from the Messenger of God’s House, endowed by God as ‘the Possessors of Knowledge’, who elicit and bring it [i.e., knowledge of the matter] to light. Thereafter God prescribed obedience to them [the Imams] and said, O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and the Messenger, and those of you who are in authority” (4:59) (The Pillars of Islam, vol. 1, 33).
By referring to the Imams as “the Possessors of Knowledge”, Imam al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾ recalls verse 29:49 — But it is clear ayat (signs, verses) in the hearts of those who have been given knowledge — about which the Imam affirmed, “We [Imams] it is who are referred to in this verse; we are those who have been given knowledge.” Similarly, the Imam interpreted verse 13:43 — Say [O Prophet]: ‘Allah and those who have [true] knowledge of the Kitab, is sufficient witness between me and you’10 — explaining, “It is we [Imams] who are denoted [by ‘those who have knowledge’], and ‘Ali is the first, the most excellent, and the best of us after the Prophet” (The Pillars of Islam, vol. 1, 30-31; see Twelver source Usul min al-Kafi, Kitab al-Hujjah, Ch. 23).
When asked about verse 3:7, one of the most critical verses concerning complete knowledge of the Qur’an — And none knows its esoteric interpretation (ta’wil) except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge (al-Rasikhun fi’l-‘ilm)11 — Imam al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾ asserted:
God’s Messenger is the most profoundly versed of them in knowledge, for God instructed him in all that He revealed to him of the revelation [tanzīl] and its interpretation (ta’wīl), and nothing was revealed to him without knowing its ta’wil also. Then the vicegerents [awsiyā’, i.e., Imams] coming after him, being well versed in knowledge [rāsikhūn fi'l-‘ilm], know the ta’wīl of the Qur’an in its entirety.
Imam Muḥammad al-Bāqir⁽ᶜ⁾ in The Pillars of Islam: Da‘ā’im al-Islam of al-Qāḍī al-Nu‘mān, Volume 1, 31.
The following excerpt, which concludes this section, is from Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai’s concise and insightful biography of Hazrat ‘Ali⁽ᶜ⁾. It offers valuable clarity and reinforcement of the salient points mentioned or alluded to above.
In the context of the above discussion, some of the most famous aḥādīth of the Prophet and sayings of Ḥazrat ‘Alī concerning knowledge can be discussed for a deeper understanding. […] Ḥazrat ‘Alī is recorded as having said: 'Ask me regarding the Book of God for verily there is not a verse but I know whether it was revealed by night or day, in the plains or on the mountains'. The holy Qur’ān affirms this in Sūrah-yi Ra‘d (13:43): "And they who disbelieve say: You are no messenger of Allah. Say: Allah and he who possesses the knowledge of the Book is sufficient witness between me and you." In Islam the condition of two witnesses is fulfilled in this verse that Allah and Ḥazrat ‘Alī were the two witnesses of Prophet Muḥammad's prophethood. With such comprehensive knowledge of the Qur’ān, Ḥazrat ‘Alī used to explain and elaborate the verses to the other Muslims, even during the time of the Prophet.
Indicating to this knowledge of Ḥazrat ‘Alī, it is further recorded in both Sunni and Shi‘ah sources that the Prophet, on one occasion indicating Ḥazrat ‘Alī with his hand, said: 'Verily he will fight you for the sake of the ta'wīl of the Qur’ān, as I have fought you for its tanzīl'. This particular ḥadīth is significant for the way it clearly delineates the different roles of the Prophet and Ḥazrat ‘Alī. Tanzīl (which literally means 'bringing down' or 'to cause to descend') was the main function of the Prophet. Further, it was linked to the teaching of the ẓāhir (exoteric) of the kitāb or the Qur’ān. Ta'wīl (which literally means 'to take back to the origin'), is the main function of the Imams. It is related to the interpretation of the Qur’ān giving its esoteric meaning and wisdom to the faithful. It can be seen that both the tanzīl and ta'wīl are only for those people who obey the Imams and the Prophets. As the Qur’an says: "O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those of you who are the bearers of (Divine) authority" (4:59).
[…] The dissemination of true knowledge is the major function of the Imams from the progeny of the Prophet and Ḥazrat ‘Alī, as the first Imam or Asās (the foundation Imam) is the archetypal embodiment of true knowledge.
[…] Ḥazrat ‘Alī was the custodian of the knowledge of the Qur’ān, both exoteric and esoteric, as already mentioned. Not only is this evident from the Traditions of the Prophet and the sayings of Ḥazrat ‘Alī , but it is also substantiated by the Qur'an, which says:
“He it is Who has revealed unto you (Muḥammad) the Scripture wherein are clear revelations — They are the substance of the Book — and others (which are) allegorical. But those in whose hearts is doubt, pursue, forsooth, that which is allegorical seeking (to cause) dissension by seeking its ta'wīl. None knows its ta’wīl save Allah and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge (rāsikhūn fi'l`ilm)” (3:7).
In Da‘a’im al-Islām of Qāzi Nu‘mān, Mawlānā Muḥammad al-Bāqir in a reply to a question who is referred to as 'those who are firmly grounded in knowledge (rāsikhūn fi'l-‘ilm)', said that the Messenger of Allah was the most excellent among the rāsikhūn fi'l ‘ilm, who was the master of tanzīl and the ta’wīl. Then the awsiyā’ (his legatees) who came after him were the rāsikhūn fi'l-‘ilm, who know its (i.e., the tanzīl's) ta'wīl in its totality.
Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai, Ḥazrat Alī⁽ᶜ⁾, 34-37 (translation slightly modified).
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Qur’an 4:59: “O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Prophet and the ‘possessors of authority’ (ulu'l-amr) from among you; then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to God and the Prophet if you believe in God and the last day; this is better (for you) and very good with respect to ta’wīl.”
‘Allamah Hunzai: Verse 4:59 says: "O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and the ulu'l-amr from amongst you." That is, in addition to obedience to Allah and the Prophet, obedience to the Imam from the progeny of the Prophet, whose Imamat is established from the Qur’ān and Ḥadīth, is obligatory. Contrary to this, worldly kings and rulers cannot be the ulu'l-amr, nor is any example of them found in the age of Prophethood, the ideal age of Islam. In the same sūrah in verse 4:54 there is the mention of the giving of the Book, the wisdom and a great kingdom to the progeny of Ibrāhīm and here, according to the context of the subject, by the progeny of Ibrāhīm are meant to be Muhammad (s.a.s.) and his progeny [Thousand Wisdoms, wisdom 133].
The remainder of verse 4:59 says: "And then if you quarrel concerning any matter (i.e., about their recognition), refer it to Allah and the Messenger (i.e., refer again to the Qur’ān and the Ḥadīth) if you believe in Allah and in the last day, this is best and fairest (way) with respect to ta’wil” [Thousand Wisdoms, wisdom 134].
Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Ḥazār Ḥikmat, translated as A Thousand Wisdoms, wisdoms 133-134, pages 77-78.
Sayyidna al-Kirmani: God imposed obedience to the Imam by means of His declaration: ‘O, you who believe, obey God and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you’ [4:59]. Thus, He [i.e. God] connected it [i.e. obeying the Imam] to obeying Him and obeying His Messenger. Wisdom precludes the linking of a pearl with dung, or the noble with the base, or the pure with the unclean. For that reason, it is necessary that the linking of obedience to the Imam with obedience to the Messenger who is infallible happens because the one is like the other. If the linking of obedience to the Imam with obedience to the infallible Messenger happens because of the one being like the other, and obedience to the Messenger and its being an obligation is because of his being infallible, it is necessary that obedience to the Imam is obligatory because of his own infallibility. Therefore, the Imam is infallible.
Ḥamīd al-Dīn al-Kirmānī, al-Maṣābīḥ fī Ithbāt al-Imāma, translated as Master of the Age. 80-81.
‘Allamah Hunzai: 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 verses 3:33-34).
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.
‘Allamah Hunzai: Amongst the countless beauties of the wise Qur’ān is that one verse in it is explained by another verse or verses. One such example is verse 4:59 which is related to the subject of obedience, the greatest subject of religion. It is verse 4:80: "He who obeys the Messenger, surely obeys Allāh." This Divine teaching makes it evident that to obey the holy Prophet is of very great importance. However, for the wise people, the question arises whether this obedience is direct or indirect. The explanatory verse which answers this question is as under:
"O you who believe! Obey Allāh and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority from amongst you" (4:59).
It becomes clear from this luminous guidance that obedience to Allāh's Messenger is possible through the pure Imāms who are those vested with authority because other than them there is no such chain which continues and lasts as long as the world lasts. The proofs for this are in the Qur’ān and the Ḥadīth. It is they whom God has considered His light and He has considered the chain of Imamat His light (5:15; 7:157; 24:35; 4:174; 57:28; 9:32; 61:8).
Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Qur’ānī Minār, translated as Qur’ānic Minarets, 138.
‘Allamah Hunzai: …whether directly or through the Prophet,…the Imām holds the great rank of the vicegerent of God. That is, the Imām as the ṣāḥib-i amr (the owner of Divine command or authority) continues to be the plenipotentiary and the guardian in the exoteric and esoteric guidance of religious matters. As for the answer to…the question, “What does it mean to be an Ismā‘īlī in a general sense?”, is that an Ismā‘īlī is such a muslim and a mu’min who acts upon the Qur’ān and Islam according to the commands of God, the Prophet and the ulu’l-amr i.e., the pure Imāms (4:59). The mu’min is convinced that the vicegerent of the Prophet, i.e., the Imām of the time, who is the light of guidance, is always present and existent in this world and without his blessed existence the affairs of religion cannot be managed (57:28). The mu’min absolutely believes that the position of the Imām of the time is not only as the light (5:15) and the Teacher (mu‘allim) of the Qur’ān (2:150-1) but is also the speaking Qur’ān (45:29).
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Saw Su’āl, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Hundred Questions, 142-43.
‘Allamah Hunzai: The spiritual kingdom of the progeny of Ibrāhīm and the progeny of Muḥammad (s.a.s.), is called the great kingdom (mulk-i ‘aẓīm, 4:54) and the kingdom of the people of Paradise is called the magnificent kingdom (mulk-i kabīr, 76:20). The purpose of this law is that people should duly recognise the spiritual king of their time, so that they may be granted the kingdom of paradise as an ever-lasting reward of this great recognition.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, ‘Ilmī Bahār, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Spring Of Knowledge, 22.
‘Allamah Hunzai: Istinbāṭ primarily means "to dig a well and bring out water for the first time". Secondarily it is used in the sense of thinking, reflection, to penetrate deeply (see Qāmūsu’l-Qur’ān, p. 717). For instance, istanbaṭa'sh-shay’ means to reveal a thing from its hidden state. Verse 4:83, in which it is used, clearly means that after the holy Prophet, it is the ulu'l-amr, the Imams from the progeny of the holy Prophet, who bring out the inner meaning of the Qur’ānic verses, because it is they who know the ta’wīl of the Qur’ān.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Ḥazār Ḥikmat, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noomohamed-Hunzai as Thousand Wisdoms: An Encyclopaedia of Ta’wīl, wisdom 980, page 510.
Sayyidna al-Kirmani: God made it obligatory to refer what one does not know about, or that in which there is a difference of opinion, to the Messenger. He decreed referring to him in His saying: ‘If you quarrel concerning a matter refer it to God and the Messenger’ [4:59]. In regard to what one wanted to know concerning matters that were the subject of contention and difference in respect to issues of religion during the time of the Prophet, the authority was him, but it was not possible nor feasible for him to remain in the world to be among his community to the end so that they could refer to him that in which there occurred a difference or a issue of religion regarding which they did not have sure knowledge. Accordingly, it was necessary to put in the place of the Messenger someone to whom to refer those issues of religion about which there were differences, so that the decision would be his in that matter and the command of God would be upheld. The person who assumes the place of the Messenger is the Imam. Thus, the Imamate is essential.
Ḥamīd al-Dīn al-Kirmānī, al-Maṣābīḥ fī Ithbāt al-Imāma, translated as Master of the Age, 76.
‘Allamah Hunzai: The word “istinbāṭ” is mentioned only in one holy verse (4:83), but due to its link with the ulu'l-amr (the custodians of the Divine command), its meaning spreads from the beginning to the end of the Holy Qur’ān. For it means to verify, establish or substantiate something, or to reflect properly, or it is the wisdom and ta’wīl, or the bāṭin (esoteric aspect) of a verse. In this sense, istinbāṭ is in every place of the Noble Qur’ān.
[…] The translation of the verse under discussion is: “And when there comes to them news of security or fear, they spread it abroad; and if they had referred it to the Messenger and to those in authority (ulu'l-amr) among them, those among them who can search out the knowledge of it [yastanbiṭūnahu] (i.e., the ḥudūd-i dīn) would have known it” (4:83). The wisdom-filled allusion of this verse is that mu’mins should have faith and certainty in their hearts about the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr, so that they may attain the grace of istinbāṭ from the Imam of the time, and the physical and spiritual ḥudūd. In this verse, the word “min-hum” (from among them) is mentioned twice, of which the first is used for the ulu'l-amr and the second for the ḥudūd under them. As you know, Divine knowledge was revealed to the Holy Prophet, who granted it to the ulu'l-amr (i.e. the Imams) and they open the door of knowledge and wisdom to their representatives.
These two verses (4:59, 4:83), namely, the ‘verse of obedience’ and the ‘verse of deduction’ respectively, become one subject because they are about the ulu'l-amr and they are the exegesis of one another. Verse 4:59 says: “O you who believe! obey God and obey the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr from among you (who are with you throughout history and in all the cycles); then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to God and the Prophet, if you believe in God and the last day; this is better (for you) and very good with respect to ta’wīl.”
An extremely important point which should be remembered forever is that, just as obedience to the ulu'l-amr (Imāms) is enjoined upon mu’mins after obedience to God and the Prophet, similarly, it is also enjoined upon mu’mins to have recourse to them with problems and disputes. But obedience comes first and then having recourse to them. Therefore, if someone has recourse to God, the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr for a solution on a question of knowledge, without first being obedient, the door to knowledge and wisdom does not open. For the first and foremost requisite is obedience.
In verse 4:59, the command to refer ideological disputes to the ulu’l-amr is not apparent, but in verse 4:83, this command is very clear, because the latter verse is the exegesis of the former verse. Further, obedience is prior to having recourse and having recourse follows it. If a fortunate mu’min truly obeys God, the Prophet and the Imām, he automatically has recourse and without formal questioning, receives answers to all his questions. And this is the perfect guidance.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Qurratu'l-Ayn, translated by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai as Coolness of the Eye, 8-10.
‘Allamah Hunzai: According to the gist of verse 13:43, the knowledge of the heavenly Book is with the light of ‘Alī. This means that whoever wants to acquire knowledge and wisdom of the Qur’ān must have recourse to the Imām of the time with utmost devotion and willingness, so that the Imām through his special exoteric and esoteric guidance may open to him the door of Qur’ānic knowledge and wisdom. It follows that the key to the knowledge and wisdom of all Qur’ānic verses is Ismailism and the recognition of the Imām.
‘Allāmah Naṣīr al-Dīn Naṣīr Hunzai, Pīr Nāṣir-i Khusraw awr Rūḥāniyyat, translated as Pīr Nāṣir Khusraw and Spirituality, 38.
For more on the necessity of ta’wil (esoteric interpretation) and a discussion on the controversy regarding 3:7, see Faquir Muhammad Hunzai, “Ta’wīl of the Qur’ān and the Sharī‘a According to Hakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw”.
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