Why Do I Need the Imam?
Ishq e Karimi - I am a blank paper; you are the ink and the writer. Alhamdulillah.
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
The Ismaili Imamat is a supra-national entity, representing the succession of Imams since the time of the Prophet Muhammad. The role of the Ismaili Imam is a spiritual one; his authority is that of religious interpretation. It is not a political role; in the contemporary era, the Imams do not govern any land. At the same time, Islam believes fundamentally that the spiritual and material worlds are inextricably connected. Faith does not remove Muslims or their Imams from daily, practical matters in family life, in business, in community affairs. Faith, rather, is a force that should deepen our concern for our worldly habitat, for embracing its challenges, and for improving the quality of human life.
- Speech to the Parliament of Canada 2014
Wo Suraj na hota to binaayi bhi bekaar hai
Chaand ke bina Andheri raat hai
Har diya har lamp uska ek aks tu jaan le
Yahi maksad e Pir Shah din me hai
I am seeking help from my teachers (PIRs) and Imam Shah e Karim al Akram.
This is a very basic article on Imamat. Understanding the concept of Imamat is the most fundamental requirement for the Jamaat today.
I won't go into history. We will try to understand the nature of Imamat from the Quran and its philosophical context.
I have divided the discussion on the necessity of an Imam into two parts so readers don't find it lengthy. The first part consists of a basic and simple example of this necessity. In the next part, we will delve deeper into the philosophy our Dais and PIRs provided.
The Role of the Imam: Why Do I Need the Imam?
The most important question that comes to mind is, why do I need the Imam? I have the Quran. That is enough for me.
Allah asks us to read the Quran, the book of nature, and observe our surroundings. As a cricket fan, I have noticed that a cricket team needs a captain and a vice-captain. This necessity extends to every team sport.
Similarly, in the political systems of various nations, we see the roles of the president and vice president, or the prime minister and vice prime minister.
In educational institutions, we have a principal and vice principal. In short, leaders are required everywhere. People depend on leaders and sometimes even idolise them.
The primary role of leaders is to guide people, unite them, and help them achieve their milestones.
How can we achieve spiritual goals without a proper leader if we need leaders in temporal matters?
I emphasise "proper" because we cannot choose faith leaders. Only Allah chooses them.
We have numerous questions and doubts when we open any book to learn. We seek explanations from teachers.
Similarly, we often feel confused when reading the Quran. For example, in Ayat (2:189), Allah asks to come to the house from the gate. What does this mean today? How do we understand Allah's references to crescent moons, intellect, and the method of entering the house?
Imagine a building with a large tower. We cannot enter the house from any window except the gate.
We often seek guidance. We look to scholars, but scholars, having only studied books, provide explanations based on their understanding, which might need more proper interpretation (Taawil).
In the field of information technology, we see numerous software and websites. As lay users, we interact with the user interface, but layers of code are behind it. Code is behind the code, leading to the machine and binary languages.
As lay users, we see binary code representing only 0 and 1. How would we interpret it? The user interface provides output received from an interpreter.
Even a browser or window cannot understand the programmer's language directly. The code is interpreted and converted into a binary language for the machine to understand and back into layman's terms for users.
This is how a computer works, right?
In spiritual matters, Allah is the Noor of all worlds, unseen by our eyes.
The Imam of the time is the living guide, the beacon of divine light, whose wisdom and guidance are essential for the spiritual elevation of humanity. He is the bridge between the seen and the unseen, guiding the faithful on the path of truth and enlightenment.
Allama Nasiruddin Nasir Hunzai
Allah chooses people (3:33) to guide others in layman's terms. In the period of prophethood, this system sees the Imam working behind the veil (Asaas) and the Prophet (Naatiq) working in front.
This system adapts to the times, so we refer to the Imam as the Imam of the time. Though their roles and titles differ, the Prophet and Imam share the same Noor. They are two sides of the same coin.
The Prophet delivers the message, and the Imam of the time interprets it according to the people's needs.
There is a deep, hidden interpretation (Baatin) in Ayat (2:189). Inshaallah, we will try to understand its essential meaning with the guidance of the Imam of the time.
Although we have the Quran, our intellect alone cannot grasp its hidden meanings. We require Taawil; otherwise, Allah would not mention the people of the book in the Quran.
Despite having a book given by Allah through Prophet Musa (a.s), people began editing it, reflecting human selfishness. Can we rely on a leader we elect or someone who studies the Quran and begins teaching it? Allah knows better, so He chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrahim, and Imran over others (3:33).
Allah's rule (Sunnat) never changes (48:23). Allah completed the line of prophethood with Rasool e Akram (s.a.s), but this does not mean He withdrew His light from the people. The period of Imamat began with Ali (a.s).
The main difference between the Imam and the Prophet is that the Imam does not preach faith to invite people. As Allah mentioned, He created the heavens and the earth in six days and established Himself above the throne (7:54).
This implies that Allah sent six Naatiq (Adam, Noah, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Muhammad (s.a.s)) and sent His light as the Imam.
Imams (a.s) interpret faith and the Quran, and their Momins (PIRs) preach and invite people to the faith.
We will discuss PIRs in a later article, but this is a very basic article for the needs of the time's Imams.
In the following article, we will explore the philosophical and deeper context of the necessity of an Imam of the time.
The Imam of the time is a manifestation of the divine light, guiding humanity towards spiritual and moral perfection. His knowledge and wisdom are a beacon that dispels the darkness of ignorance and leads seekers to the path of truth and enlightenment.
"Diwan" of Nasir Khusraw: This is a collection of his poetry where he often reflects on his philosophical and theological views.
"Rawshana-i-nama" (The Book of Enlightenment): This book delves into his philosophical thoughts and interpretations.
Ya Ali madad.