Allamah Amini says: This is the Islamic Caliphate and general Imamate,
which Ahle Sunnat believe in. Imamate in their view is only general rulership for
controlling military and securing and defending boundaries; preventing injustice
of the unjust and securing rights of oppressed; establishments of penalties,
distribution of booties among Muslims, paying them for bearing expenses of Hajj
and Jihad.
Expertise in knowledge and learning is not necessary; on the contrary, he
and the rest of the people are equal in possession of knowledge. Any amount of
knowledge that a judge has, is sufficient.
These judges are before you and you know well their level of knowledge
and you can observe them from close!
Also, the Imam will not be dismissed due to transgression, injustice,
oppression or tyranny. In any case, his obedience is obligatory on Ummah,
whether he is righteous or wanton and no one can oppose him and stage an
uprising against him or confront him.
They have no obstruction and no one could enjoin good or forbid evil to
them.
That is why Muawiyah bin Abu Sufyan was able to sit in Kufa to take
allegiance and people declared immunity from Ali (a.s.) and pledged allegiance
to him.1
It was for this reason that Abdullah Ibne Umar agreed to pay allegiance to
Yazid, the imbiber of liquor.2
It was for this reason that Ayesha said as such. Aswad bin Yazid said: “I
asked Ayesha: Are you not amazed at a man, who is nothing, except a freed
slave; and he disputes with companions of Muhammad with regard to
Caliphate?”
She replied: “There is nothing surprising in this; He (Allah) gives it to the
righteous as well as transgressors. Indeed, Firon ruled over Egypt for four
hundred years.”3
It is on this basis that the statement of Marwan is justified, that he said: “No
one defended Uthman more than Ali.”4
He was asked: “Then why do you abuse him from pulpit?”
He replied: “Rulership will not remain for us, except through this.”
It is on this basis that excuse of Shimr bin Ziljaushan, killer of Imam Husain
(a.s.) is regarded as complete and perfect. Abu Ishaq says: “Shimr bin Ziljaushan
prayed with us. Then he said: O Allah, You are noble and You like nobility; and
You know that I am noble; so please forgive me.”
I said: “How would Almighty Allah forgive you, while you killed the son of
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.)?”
He replied: “Woe upon you, what should I have done? These were my
rulers, who commanded me to do that and I did not oppose them. If I had
opposed them, I would have been worse than these mules.”(5)(6)
It is on this basis that the sanctity of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) was trespassed, the
respect of holy family was destroyed and blood of righteous and honest members
of Shia of Ahle Bayt (a.s.) was shed; and cursing of Imam Ali (a.s.), the favorite
of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) and purified in words of Almighty Allah continued
from the pulpits and Bani Umayyah Caliphs made it a practice in all Islamic
lands till Muawiyah condemned Saad bin Abi Waqqas for abstaining from abusing Imam Ali (a.s.), father of two grandsons of Prophet.7
It is on the basis of this meaning of Caliphate that no kind of nonseriousness and objections were laid against selection of inferior [for imamate] in
spite of presence of superior, as was the viewpoint of first caliph and his
followers, but its evidences are fabricated excuses and politics of that period.
The majority followed the Caliph in according precedence to the inferior
over the superior.
Qadi writes in Mawaqif:8
“Majority considers lawful Imamate of inferior in presence of a superior,
because though he may be more deserving for imamate than the superior, as is
reliable in every issue of Wilayat in identification of its exigencies and
corruptions, and capability of its performance; and how often one having less
precedence in knowledge and practice, is more aware of leadership and he has
more capabilities for it than others. And some have given details and said: If
superior lineage becomes the cause of mischief, it is not obligatory, otherwise it
is obligatory.”
And Sharif Jurjani writes that:
“Like in case of army men and people, who do not listen to the most
superior person, on the contrary, they are obedient to the inferior one.”9 [As in
that case superior lineage would cause of mischief].
Allamah Amini says: Our implication from superiority is that he should
have precedence over rest of the people in every matter and not superior in one
quality and inferior in another. That is why for example, most intelligent (Ufqa)
and steadfast cannot be imagined.
It is obligatory on Allah, the Mighty and the High that He does not leave any
period without such a person. After we prove his existence that it is a grace
obligatory on Almighty Allah, and that person should also be companion of Holy
Quran and the two will not separate from each other till they meet the Prophet at
the Pool.
Even though the army men and others do not obey him, he is like one, who
is obeyed as the Prophet. And Wilayat, which Almighty Allah has destined for
him will not be remote and confused, on the contrary it is obligatory on the rest
of people to be humble and obedient to him.
If not they are targeted by the arrows of jinns as happened in case of Saad
bin Ubadah, chief of the Khazraj tribe.10