This article is about Imamate as the principle of Shi'a school. For explanation about Imams of Shi'a, see Imams of Shi'a.
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Imamate (Arabic: إمامة /Persian: امامت), from a Shi'a point of view, is the leadership of the Islamic society, designated by God to succeed the Holy Prophet (s) in all religious and worldly affairs. It is among the principles of Shi'a school and one of the points of difference between Shi'a and Sunnis. The importance of this principle among shi'a led them to be titled as Imamiyya.

According to shi'a teachings, the Holy Prophet (s) made a lot of efforts to introduce his caliph and the leader of Muslims after himself since the beginning of his mission. His efforts towards this aim began since his first public invitation by introducing Imam 'Ali (a) as his caliph and successor and continued until the last days of his life on the way back from Hajjat al-wida' on Dhu l-Hijja 18 in Ghadir Khumm.

Sunni Muslims also emphasize on the necessity of an Imam and to obey him, however, they believe that it is upon the Muslim umma to elect an Imam and that the Holy Prophet (s) has not appointed any person as his successor.

During history, shi'a have found different opinions about the number of Imams (a); thus, some became Zaydi, some Isma'ili and some Waqifi who stopped after Imam al-Kazim (a) [and did not follow Imam al-Rida (a)].

According to Imami Shi'a resources, the number of Imams (a) is twelve; the first of whom was Imam 'Ali (a) and the last one of whom is Imam al-Mahdi (a). After Imam 'Ali (a), Imam al-Hasan (a) and then his brother Imam al-Husayn (a) became Imam and after these three, nine descendants of Imam al-Huasyn (a) became Imam one after another.


Meaning of Imam

Usul al-Din (Beliefs)
Main Beliefs TawhidProphethoodResurrection'AdlImamate
Furu' al-Din (Practical Orders)
'Ibadi Orders PrayerFastingKhumsZakatHajjJihad
Non-'Ibadi Orders Forbidding the EvilEnjoining the GoodTawalliTabarri
Sources of Ijtihad Qur'anSunnaReasonIjma'
Virtues ForgivenessGenerosityGenerous help
Vices Greater SinsKibr'UjbGhururJealousy
Challenging Issues
Succession of the Prophet (s)Shafa'aTawassulTaqiyyaMourningMut'aCompanions


Scholars LitterateursScholars of UsulPoetsScholars of RijalFaqihsPhilosophersBibliographersExegetes
Mecca: Al-Masjid al-Haram
Medina: Al-Masjid al-NabawiAl-Baqi'
Al-Quds: Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa
Karbala: Shrine of Imam al-Husayn (a)
Kadhimiya: Shrine of al-Kazimayn (a)
Samarra: Shrine of al-'Askariyyayn (a)
Mashhad: Shrine of Imam al-Rida (a)
Damascus: Zaynabiyya
Qom: Shrine of Lady Fatima al-Ma'suma
Shiraz: Shah Chiragh
Ithna 'AshariyyaIsma'iliyyaZaydiyyaKaysaniyya

Literal Meaning

Literally, imamate means leadership and the word imam refers to one or thing followed by people. Accordingly, different examples for this meaning have been provided in Arabic dictionaries such as the glorious Qur'an, the Prophet's (s) successor, an imam in congregational prayer, a commander of an army, a guide of passengers, a caravan leader, a camel herder and a scholar who is followed.[1]

Imam in the Qur'an

In the Qur'an, the word "imam" is used both for some human beings and for referring to other issues; non-human usages of this word are: Lawh mahfuz,[2] an open highway[3] and the Book of Moses (a).[4]


The cases of the imam of the truth are: prophets (s),[5] righteous servants of God[6] and the oppressed.[7]



Technical Meaning

Theologians have defined imamate in two ways;




Imamate in the View of Shi'a

Shi'a regards imamate one of the Islamic doctrines of faith, but Mu'tazilites, 'Asharites and other Islamic schools consider it among Furu' [secondary beliefs]. Accordingly, shi'a have a more prominent position for imamate compared with sunnis. In shi'a culture, imamate includes more duties and responsibilities, in addition to those of a caliph. Its importance can be clearly understood from verses of the Qur'an and hadiths about imamate because according to shi'a, imamate is in fact a matter similar to prophethood.

Imamate and Caliphate


Leadership of the Islamic society after the Prophet (s) is called both caliphate and imamate and the one who take over this position is called both caliph and imam. From the point that people have to follow him, he is called imam and from the point that his leadership is in succession of the Prophet (s), he is called caliph. Therefore in Islam, Imam is the caliph and successor of the Prophet (s). However, about the question whether he can be called as Khalifatallah [vicegerent of Allah], there are two opinions among Sunni scholars; some regarded it permissible and some others considered it impermissible.[13] Ahl al-Bayt (a) have also regarded imamate as vicegerency of God and His Prophet (s).[14]

Imamate as the Divine Promise

The glorious Qur'an has regarded Imamate higher than prophethood, because about the Prophet Abraham (a), it has mentioned that after he (a) achieved the position of prophethood and was successful in trials and divine tests, the position of Imamate was granted to him.


Moreover, in this verse, God refers to Imamate as His promise. Therefore, this position is not subject to election by people. This has also been mentioned in hadiths.[15]

Imamate as the Cause of Religion's Perfection

Ikmal verse
Main article: Al-Ikmal Verse

One of the hadiths which have been mentioned as the cause of revelation from the verse Ikmal al-din[16] [perfection of religion] is the great position of imamate. According to these hadiths, the mentioned verse has been revealed about the event of Ghadir Khumm when by the order of God, the Prophet (s) introduced 'Ali (a) as the leader of Islamic society after himself.[17] Accordingly, Islam reached its desired perfection through Imamate.

Main article: Tabligh verse

The verse of Tabligh[18] is also referring to the same issue; since, according to this verse and the hadiths about the cause of its revelation, Imamate has such a great position that if the Prophet (s) did not announce it, it was as if he (a) had not accomplished his mission and his efforts would be lost.[19]

Importance of Imamate on the Day of Judgment

According to the glorious Qur'an, on the Day of Judgment, everyone goes to his own leader:

"The day We shall summon every group of people with their imam" (17:71)

This is also mentioned in a hadith both shi'a and Sunnis have narrated from Imam al-Rida (a). it says that on the Day of Judgment, every group is summoned by their divine book and the tradition of their prophet and leader.[20]


In many hadiths narrated from Imams (a), it is mentioned that prayer, zakat, fasting, hajj and wilaya are the pillars of Islam, among which wilaya has a better position because it is the key and guide to the rest.[22]

Necessity of the Existence of Imam (a)

From the viewpoint of Twelver shi'a theologians, imamate is incumbent and its necessity is theological; i.e. it is incumbent upon God, not necessary for people. The meaning of this necessity is that it is a matter required by justice, wisdom, grace and other attributes of God's perfection; and since, abandoning it implies a deficiency in God and thus impossible, thus doing it is necessary and incumbent upon God. However, this obligation roots in God's attributes of perfection, not an outside obligation. As God has made mercy and guidance obligatory upon Himself, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi says, "Twelver shi'a believe that appointment of Imam is an act of kindness; because it draws people near to obedience and away from disobedience; and that kindness is incumbent upon God."[23]

Non-Shi'a Schools

Most Islamic schools consider imamate necessary, even though there is a disagreement about whether it is a jurisprudential, theological or rational obligation.

  • 'Asharites: They regard it obligatory but because they do not believe in rational goodness and evil [Husn and Qubh 'Aqli] and any obligation for God, they regard imamate obligatory for people due to hadiths, not rationally obligatory. 'Adud al-Din al-Eyji believes that 'Asharites consider appointment of Imam obligatory according to hadiths meaning that existence and appointment of Imam is necessary because God has said so, not because our intellect has concluded it.[24]
  • Mu'tazilites: Mu'tazilites, Maturidites, Abadiyyas and a group of Zaydis regarded imamate incumbent upon people. Some Mu'tazilites regarded the necessity of imam rational and some others considered it necessary due to hadiths.[25]

Reasons for Necessity of Imamate

Verse of Uli al-Amr

Uli al-Amr verse
Main article: Uli al-Amr Verse

"O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you." (4:59)

In this verse, God orders people to obey Uli al-Amr, thus, they need to exist in the first place so that people obey them.[26] Taftazani refers to this reason and says. "the necessity of obedience from Uli al-Amr requires its actualization."[27]

Hadith Man mat

Main article: Hadith Man mat



Tradition of Muslims

Some theologians have regarded the tradition of Muslims as the reason for necessity of imamate since it can be understood from the tradition of Muslims that they have considered the necessity of imamate a certain and unshakable issue. The disagreement between shi'a and Sunnis has been actually over the case of imamate, not its principle.[30] Abu 'Ali and Abu Hashim Jubba'i and some others have referred to the consensus of companions on necessity of imamate.[31]

Qa'ida Lutf [Rule of Kindness]

Main article: Qa'ida Lutf

The most important rational reason theologians bring for necessity of Imamate is the Rule of Kindness. Shi'a theologians consider Imamate a clear example of the Rule of Kindness and have said that God should be kind to His servants and appointing and introducing Imam is an act of kindness, thus imamate is incumbent upon God.

To explain that imamate is an act of kindness, al-Sharif al-Murtada said,

"We know that human beings have rational duties and we know that the duty-bound are not infallible. Therefore, the reason for necessity of imamate is that any intelligent person who is familiar with the common sense and the tradition of the wise would know that whenever there is a competent and wise leader in a society who stand against tyranny and evil and defends justice and human values, social situation will be readier for development of virtues and values and this nothing but God's grace, since kindness is what causes the duty-bound turn to obedience and virtues and turn away from vices and evil. Therefore, imamate is an act of kindness towards the duty-bound."[32]

Theologians such as Ibn Maytham al-Bahrani, Sadid al-Din Humsi, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi and others have had different explanations for imamate and its necessity with regards to the mentioned rule [of Kindness].[33]

Even though Mu'tazilite theologians have accepted the Rule of Kindness, they do not accept its effect on this issue and that imamate is an act of kindness and have mentioned some criticisms which al-Sharif al-Murtada have answered to in al-Shafi fi al-imama.

Philosophy of Imamate



However, Twelver shi'a have stated two kind of goals for the existence of Imam:


Delivering Religion



Therefore, to compensate for this deficiency, Sunnis have had to use means such as Qiyas [deduction by analogy], Istihsan [judicial preference] and other sources which do not bring about certitude.

Qiyas, Istihsan and other non-certain methods are regarded invalid by shi'a, since we do not have any authentic rational or legitimate proof according to which such methods can be used in the process of judgment. For example, fasting the last day of Ramadan is obligatory, the first day of Shawwal forbidden and the second day of Shawwal is recommended while these days are the same apparently. Therefore, just based on their similarity, one cannot extend the ruling for one to another.

From shi'a viewpoint, the Prophet (s) has delivered Islam fully and there has not been any deficiency in it to be compensated by Qiyas or Istihsan. However, due to people's lack of maturity and lack of many issues at that time, many rulings would not be applied to common people at that time. The Prophet (s) taught these rulings to Imams after himself so that they later explain them to people.

Guarding Religion



Explaining Religious Teachings


Attributes and Requirements of Imamate


Main article: Infallibility


God-given Knowledge

Main article: God-given Knowledge



Main article: Wilaya


Authoritativeness of his Words and Necessity of his Obedience


Imams (a) of shi'a

Main article: Imams of Shi'a



Imams (a) are 12 and their names are:

Question about Incompatibility of Imamate with Khatamiyyat [the End of Prophethood]

As it was mentioned, imamate is among challenging doctrines which has been the center for many arguments since early Islam. One of the questions mentioned about it is that imamate as explained above and shi'a believe in is incompatible with Khatamiyyat [the End of Prophethood]; since, the person qualified for imamate as shi'a believe in has no difference with the Prophet (s).[40]

Ja'far Subhani answered this question as below:



Moreover, some others believe that imamate as defined above is only a result of shi'a's exaggeration and has not been existed in early authentic Islamic texts and beliefs of the shi'a in the first centuries.

See Also


  1. Ibn Faris, Mu'jam al-Maqayis, p.48; Fayyumi, al-Misbah al-munir, vol.1 p.31-32; Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-'Arab, vol.1 p.157; Raghib Isfahani, al-Mufradat, p.24; Shartuni, Aqrab al-mawarid, vol.1 p.19
  2. Qur'an, 36:12
  3. Qur'an, 15:79
  4. Qur'an, 11:17
  5. Qur'an, 2:124, 21:73, 32:24
  6. Qur'an, 25:74
  7. Qur'an, 28:5
  8. Qur'an, 9:12, 28:41
  9. Mir Sayyid Sharif, al-Ta'rifat, p.28; Bahrani, Qawa'id al-maram, p.174; Fadil Miqdad, Irshad al-talibin, p.325; Taftazani, Sharh al-maqasid, vol.5 p.234; Mir Sayyid Sharif, Sharh al-mawaqif, vol.8 p.345
  10. Hilli, al-Bab al-hadi 'ashar, p.66; Fadil Miqdad, Irshad al-talibin, p.325-326; Fadil Miqdad, al-Lawami' al-ilahiyya, p.319-320; Mir Sayyid Sharif, Sharh al-mawaqif, vol.8 p.345; Amudi, Abkar al-afkar, vol.3 p.416; Taftazani, Sharh al-maqasid, vol.5 p.234
  11. Fayyad Lahiji, Gowhar-i murad, p.461-462; Sarmayiyi iman, p.107
  12. Subhani, al-Milal wa l-nihal, vol.1 p.22
  13. Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddama, p.191
  14. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol.1 p.155
  15. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol.1 p.133-134,149-151,154; Bahrani, Ghaya al-maram, vol.3 p.127-129; al-Burhan, vol.1 p.149-151
  16. Qur'an, 5:3
  17. Amini, al-Ghadir, vol.1 p.230-236; Bahrani, Ghaya al-maram, vol.3 p.328-340
  18. Qur'an, 5:67
  19. Amini, al-Ghadir, vol.1 p.214-223; Bahrani, Ghaya al-maram, vol.3 p.320-327
  20. Tabrisi, Majma' al-bayan, vol.3 p.430
  21. Nahj al-balagha, sermon:252
  22. Kulayni, al-Kafi, vol.2 p.16
  23. Tusi, Talkhis al-muhassal, p.407
  24. Mir Sayyid Sharif, Sharh al-mawaqif, vol.8 p.345
  25. Tusi, Qawa'id al-'aqa'id, p.110; Taftazani, Sharh al-maqasid, vol.5 p.235; Tusi, Talkhis al-muhassal, p.406; Hilli, Kashf al-murad, p.290; Mir Sayyid Sharif, Sharh al-mawaqif, vol.8 p.345
  26. Tusi, Talkhis al-muhassal, p.407
  27. Taftazani, Sharh al-maqasid, vol.5 p.239;
  28. Majlisi, Bihar al-anwar, vol.23 p.76-95; Mas'udi, Ithbat al-wasiyya, vol.1 p.112-115; Hakim Niyshaburi, al-Mustadrak, vol.1 p.150,204; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol.12 p.277, vol.13 p.188; Ibn Abi l-Hadid, Sharh nahj al-balagha, vol.9 p.125
  29. Taftazani, Sharh al-maqasid, vol.5 p.239; Abu Hanifa, Sharh al-fiqh al-akbar, p.179; Tusi, Talkhis al-muhassal, p.407
  30. Mir Sayyid Sharif, Sharh al-mawaqif, vol.8 p.346; Taftazani, Sharh al-'aqa'id al-nasafiyya, p.110; Amudi, Ghaya al-maram, p.364; Shahristani, Nihaya al-aqdam, p.479
  31. Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar, al-Mughni, vol.1 p.47
  33. Bahrani, Qawa'id al-maram, p.175; Halabi, Taqrib al-ma'arif, p.95; Humsi, al-Munqidh, vol.2 p.240; Hilli, Kashf al-murad, p.490; Fadil Miqdad, Irshad al-talibin, p.328
  34. Qadi 'Abd al-Jabbar, al-Mughni, vol.1 p.39-41; Sharh al-usul al-khamsa, p.509
  36. Tabataba'i, al-Mizan, vol.6 p.12
  40. Qifari, Usul madhhab al-shi'a, vol.2 p.655
  41. Subhani, al-Ilahiyyat, vol.4 p.39


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  • Fadil Miqdad. Irshad al-talibiyyin. Qom: Maktab Ayatullah Mar'ashi Najafi, 1405
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