Imams- Appointed by Allah

We believe that only Allah can appoint a person to be Imam and ummah has no right, mandate, understanding or capability to appoint a person as the successor of Holy Prophet (sawa).

·      وَ أَنْزَلَ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ وَ هِيَ آخِرُ عُمُرِهِ ص‏ الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ‏ وَ أَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَ رَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلامَ دِيناً «2» وَ أَمْرُ الْإِمَامَةِ مِنْ تَمَامِ الدِّينِ وَ لَمْ يَمْضِ ص حَتَّى بَيَّنَ لِأُمَّتِهِ مَعَالِمَ دِينِهِمْ وَ أَوْضَحَ لَهُمْ سَبِيلَهُمْ وَ تَرَكَهُمْ عَلَى قَصْدِ سَبِيلِ الْحَقِّ وَ أَقَامَ لَهُمْ عَلِيّاً ع عَلَماً وَ إِمَاماً وَ مَا تَرَكَ لَهُمْ شَيْئاً يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ الْأُمَّةُ إِلَّا بَيَّنَهُ فَمَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَمْ يُكْمِلْ دِينَهُ فَقَدْ رَدَّ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ رَدَّ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ كَافِر….

Imam Reza (as) said to his companion “During the last visit of the Holy Prophet to Makka for pilgrimage towards the end of his life the following verse of the Holy Quran was sent to him. "On this day I have perfected your religion, completed My favors to you, and have chosen Islam as your religion . . .." (5:3) The issue of Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) is part of the completion of religion. The Holy Prophet (DivineSupremeCovenantBody) did not leave this world before explaining to his followers the principles of their religion and show them the path clearly. He, in fact, left them on a point of a path that faced the direction of the truth. He raised Ali (DivineSupremeCovenantBody) among them as a flag and an Imam (Leader with Divine Authority). He did not leave anything that his followers needed without full explanation. Those who think that Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has not completed His religion, they rejected the Book of Allah and those who reject the Book of Allah they have become expressed unbelievers in it. (Usul Kafi Vol 1 page 199 in Noor and Kitabul Hujjah Chapter 15, 1^st tradition in English)

We believe that the duty of the ummah is merely following the Imam appointed by Allah. It is beyond the scope of the ummah to think about the appointment or its appropriateness.

·      …. بِهِ هَلْ يَعْرِفُونَ قَدْرَ الْإِمَامَةِ وَ مَحَلَّهَا مِنَ الْأُمَّةِ فَيَجُوزَ فِيهَا اخْتِيَارُهُمْ إِنَّ الْإِمَامَةَ أَجَلُّ قَدْراً وَ أَعْظَمُ شَأْناً وَ أَعْلَى مَكَاناً وَ أَمْنَعُ جَانِباً وَ أَبْعَدُ غَوْراً مِنْ أَنْ يَبْلُغَهَا النَّاسُ بِعُقُولِهِمْ أَوْ يَنَالُوهَا بِآرَائِهِمْ أَوْ يُقِيمُوا إِمَاماً بِاخْتِيَارِهِمْ إِنَّ الْإِمَامَةَ خَصَّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْخَلِيلَ ع بَعْدَ النُّبُوَّةِ وَ الْخُلَّةِ مَرْتَبَةً ثَالِثَةً وَ فَضِيلَةً شَرَّفَهُ بِهَا وَ أَشَادَ بِهَا ذِكْرَه‏

"Do they know the value of Imamat and its status in the Ummat that they have permitted their selection? Imamat, in fact, is far sublime in values, greatest in position, highest in status and the most exclusive issue in all aspects. It is the most profound issue and deep for the intellect of the people to reach and grasp it in their opinions, or to appoint an Imam through their selection. (Usul Kafi Vol 1 page 199 in Noor 3.5 and Kitabul Hujjah Chapter 15, 1^st tradition in English)