Second Objective: Requirements For Imamate
According to theologians, there are three requirements of Imamate:
First Requirement
The Imam should be superior to people in every aspect, especially in knowledge; otherwise, the superiority of the inferior and the precedence of the unpreferable would occur and this is rationally evil.
Moreover, the Almighty Allah says:
…أَفَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لَا يَهِدِّي إِلَّا أَنْ يُهْدَىٰ فَمَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ
“…Is then He Who leads unto the Truth more worthy to be followed, or he who does not go aright (himself) unless he is guided? What then is the matter with you? How do you judge?” (10:35).
Then He says:
…هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
“…Are those who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding who will remember [and get a lesson]” (39:9).
He also says:
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“So, ask the followers of the Reminder if you do not know” (16:43).
And when the Almighty Allah addressed the angels:
إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً
“Verily I am going to make in the earth a vicegerent” (2:30).
Then your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a vicegerent, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? He said: Surely, I know what you do not know.
Allah taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels; then He said: Tell Me the names of those, if you are right.
Thus, he exhausted the argument on the angels; that since Adam (‘a) was having more knowledge, that is why he was more eligible for caliphate. Hence, it became clear that being the most learned is a requirement for caliphate. Moreover, when Bani Isra’il did not accept the rulership of Talut, the Almighty Allah said: We bestowed him excess in knowledge and physique; thus, it was learnt that the criterion of rulership was knowledge and valour, because excess of physique is strength and valour, and only a heavy body is not necessary.
Second Requirement
There is consensus among Imamiyyah scholars that the Imam, like the prophet, should be infallible from the first day of his life till the end, from every major and minor sin and there are many widely related traditions on this matter. Also, the Imam is the trustee of Allah on the earth for the religion and world of the people, thus, if he is dishonest in the divine laws, would he be eligible for Imamate? (Never!) On the contrary, according to the statement of Allah, he would be deserving of indictment as the Almighty Allah has said:
أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
“What! do you enjoin men to be good and forget your own selves while you read the Book? Have you then no sense?” (2:44).
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
“O you who believe! why do you say that which you do not do?” (61:2).
كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
“It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do” (61:3).
Also, when the Almighty Allah remarked to Prophet Ibrahim (‘a):
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
“And (remember) when his Lord tried Ibrahim with certain words, then he fulfilled them: He said: “Surely I am going to make you an Imam for men.” (Ibrahim) said: “And of my offspring?” He said: “My covenant will not include the unjust” (2:124).
When Ibrahim beseeched the Almighty Allah to appoint Imam from among his progeny as well, Allah told him that this appointment will not apply to those who are unjust, even though they might be from his descendants. That is those who are unjust to their selves and who commit sins in their lives. Hence, they would not get Imamate.
Moreover, the best advantage of the appointment of the Imam is that he is the protector of the Shari’ah; and if sin and disobedience is allowed to him, it would necessitate another Imam to restrain him from disobedience and correct the mistake he has committed. Thus, he would be the real Imam and not the former. It is also obligatory on the Ummah to obey the Imam in words and deeds as is clear from the verse of Ul al-Amr 1. If he commands divine disobedience and the Ummah does not obey, the same act will become obligatory and unlawful at the same time.
Also, it is obligatory on the Imam to forbid evil. Now, if the people perform that evil act, along with obedience of Imam it would constitute disobedience of Allah and if the Imam does not forbid evil, he would be culpable for skipping an obligation and if obedience of Imam is only in lawful matters and the Imam does not forbid evil, it is necessary that there is another Imam for people; from whom they take their rules of the lawful and unlawful. In that case, they would need two Imams. If he is also not infallible, they would need another Imam. Therefore, either continuity would be necessity, or it would end at an infallible and this argument refers back to many reasonings and would be known through contemplation.
Third Requirement
In view of Imamiyyah, being a Hashemite is among the requirements for the Imam. From textual declaration recorded for each of the Imams especially, it would be known if Allah wills. The opponents do not accept any of these three conditions. And the theologians have mentioned those three qualities and said that the requirements mentioned about the prophets should be present in the Imam as well.
Along with this, there should be no doubt about their lineage, and their mother should also not be unchaste and the Imam should be devoid of all defects causing abhorrence in people, like leprosy, leukoderma, blindness, dumbness, harsh tongue, nasty temperament, miserliness, lowliness, low grade professions, like barber etc and those acts, which prove the weakness of intellect.
Sultanul Muhaqqiqeen (r.a.) has written in one of his treatises that there are eight necessary qualifications of the Imam:
Eight Necessary Qualifications Of The Imam
First Qualification: Infallibility
Infallibility from major and minor sins, some of them were mentioned before.
Second Qualification: Knowledge
He should be knowledgeable in issues necessary for Imamate; like worldly and religious matters: laws of religion, administration of territories, ethics, repelling of enemies of religion, and removal of doubts, because the objective of Imamate is not fulfilled without them.
Third Qualification: Valour
To repel the enemies, defeat the infidels and to make truth prevail. As opposed to soldiers, if the commander flees from the battlefield, it will lead to a great loss for religion.
Fourth Qualification: Superiority
The Imam should be having all perfect qualities like, valour, generosity, forbearance, nobility and knowledge; he should be superior to all his contemporaries in each of these qualities; otherwise, it would tantamount to giving precedence to the inferior, which is rationally evil.
Fifth Qualification: Free Of Defects
He should be free of defects that cause abhorrence among people; whether they be physical, like blindness, leprosy and leukoderma etc; or whether it be in nature, like miserliness, greed, deviation; whether it is in his original creation, like being lowly in lineage, being of illegitimate birth and being indicted of some defect in his lineage or his ancestors’ lineage or whether in secondary matters, like being in a degraded profession, because all this is opposed to grace.
Sixth Qualification: Best In The View Of Allah
His position in the view of the Almighty Allah should be more than that of all the people.
Seventh Qualification: Miracles
Miracles should be displayed by him, that other people are helpless in, so that when need arises they should prove his veracity.
Eighth Qualification: General Imamate
His Imamate should be general and restricted in him, otherwise it would cause mischief among the subjects; and its proof is foremost according to widely related traditions and consensus.
