Appearance
The Bestowed Status of Imāmate
Unlike many positions and ranks, such as jurisprudence (fiqh), independent reasoning (ijtihād), piety (taqwā), and justice (ʿadāla), which are acquired through effort and have clear paths to attainment—just as the way to reach the status of the righteous (abrār) is by spending what one loves for the sake of the true Beloved, meaning God, the Glorified, as He says: “You will never attain righteousness until you spend from what you love” [3:92]—Imāma is a divine covenant and a bestowed position, not one that can be acquired. As God said regarding it: “My covenant does not extend to the wrongdoers” [2:124], declaring Imāma to be His special covenant. This is similar to the ranks of prophethood and messengership, all of which are divine gifts distributed according to God’s wisdom: “God knows best where to place His message” [6:124].
Some have suggested that since attainment (nayl) is two-way, when the covenant and Imāma reach (yanāl) a person, the person can also attain it.(40) While this statement may be linguistically correct, it remains incomplete. For two things, like “A” and “B”, to reach each other, three possible scenarios can be envisioned:
Both A and B move towards each other.
A moves towards B.
B moves towards A.
In this context, attainment applies even when one of the two things is unable to move toward the other, while the other has the ability to move and arrive. Imāma reaching a person falls into this third category, where Imāma is a divinely appointed position that God, the Glorified, establishes and bestows upon a person. It can then be said that the person has attained the Imāma, even though the expressions of “reaching” and “attaining” differ.
Therefore, it cannot be said that just because Imāma reaches only those who are not wrongdoers, anyone who is not a wrongdoer can automatically attain Imāma, as one might attain the leadership of Friday or congregational prayers.
The exalted status of Imāma is a special divine gift that not everyone can attain; it only reaches those whose hearts and souls are safeguarded from the harm of any temptation and the damage of any sin. It can never be achieved through personal acquisition or effort. Rather, it is one of those matters that “comes to the side without the blood of the heart,” although striving for the infallibility (ʿiṣma) that is encouraged and regarded as essential for Imāma is possible.
Two key points must be highlighted: First, infallibility is a requisite for Imāma, and this ʿiṣma—which is a hidden secret of the inner self and the unseen—can only be known by God. Second, Imāma itself is a special divine covenant and gift, not something that can be acquired by effort. This position is not established without a valid naṣṣ (textual proof). In other words, Imāma is granted by divine bestowal and can only be proven through religious text. It is never within the power of an individual or society to grant this position to someone or to choose someone for it.
The wise Qur’an clearly distinguishes between matters of divine appointment and human election. A matter that is part of God’s covenant—not the people’s covenant—must be proven through divine bestowal, which can only be established through valid transmission. In contrast, matters that are related to human affairs—“and their affairs are by consultation among themselves” [42:38]—not God’s affairs, are achieved through the people’s consensus, and a person is elected to a specific position.
Therefore, if someone argues that while a textual proof is sufficient for someone’s Imāma, it is not the exclusive means of establishing it, and that there is another way to recognize someone’s Imāma, they are mistaken. God’s covenant is distinct from matters that are left to human discretion, and Imāma, as part of God’s covenant, can only be established through valid textual evidence.
Note: The wise Qur’an, in explaining the nature of Imāma, uses the preposition “for” (lām) rather than “over” (ʿalā): “Indeed I will make you an Imām for mankind”(41) [2:124], not “over mankind.” This distinction is significant. A guardian (walī) is characterized by intimacy, affection, admiration, and the best interests of those under their guardianship (mawlā ʿalayh), while a ruler (sulṭān) is often associated with privilege, superiority, and exaltation. The Imāma desired by God is one of guardianship (wilāya), not rulership (salṭana).
Of course, a true sulṭān can serve with oversight and care, but without the airs of superiority and authority.