97 - شَرائِطُ الإمامَةِ وخَصائِصُ الإمامِ‏

97. Conditions and Qualifications of the Imam

(وَجَعَلْنا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنا لَمّا صَبَرُوا وَكانُوا بِآياتِنا يُوقِنوُنَ) .¹

"And amongst them We appointed Imams who guide [the people] by Our command, when they had been patient and had conviction in Our signs." ²

(أَفَمَنْ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْحَقِّ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُتَّبَعَ أَمَّنْ لا يَهِدّي إِلّا أَنْ يُهْدى‏ فَما لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ ) .³

"Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who guides not unless he is [himself] guided? What is the matter with you?" ⁴

305.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا يَحمِلُ هذا الأمْرَ إلّا أهلُ الصَّبْرِ والبَصَرِ والعِلْمِ بِمَواقِعِ الأمرِ .⁵

305.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'None can bear this responsibility [Imama] except those who are patient, and have insight and knowledge of the circumstances of this issue.' ⁶

306.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام: يَحتاجُ الإمامُ إلى‏ قلبٍ عَقُولٍ، ولسانٍ قَؤولٍ، وجَنانٍ على‏ إقامةِ الحَقِّ صَؤولٍ .⁷

306.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The Imam needs a wise heart, an expressive tongue and a staunch soul [i.e. authority] in establishing the truth.' ⁸

307.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : مَن نَصَبَ نَفْسَهُ للنّاسِ إماماً فَلْيَبدأ بتعليمِ نَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ تعليمِ غيرِهِ ، ولْيَكُنْ تأديبُهُ بسِيرَتِهِ ، قبلَ تأديبِهِ بِلِسانِهِ .⁹

307.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'One who appoints himself as a leader of the people must first begin by educating himself before educating others; he must discipline through his own behaviour, before disciplining with his tongue.' ¹⁰

308.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا يُقيمُ أمْرَ اللَّهِ سُبحانَهُ إلّا مَنْ لا يُصانِعُ ولا يُضارِعُ ولا يَتَّبِعُ المَطامِعَ .¹¹

308. Imam Ali said, 'None can uphold the command of Allah, Glory be to Him, save one who can neither be bribed, nor does he give up, nor follows coveted desires.' ¹²

309.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : كِبارُ حُدودِ وَلايةِ الإمامِ المَفْروضِ الطّاعةِ أنْ يُعْلَمَ أنَّهُ مَعْصومٌ مِنَ الخطأِ والزَّلَلِ والعَمْدِ ، ومِنَ الذُّنوبِ كُلِّها صغيرِها وكبيرِها ، لا يَزِلُّ ، ولا يُخْطئُ ، ولا يَلْهو بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الاُمورِ المُوبِقَةِ للدِّينِ ، ولا بِشَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ المَلاهي ، وأنَّهُ أعْلَمُ النّاسِ بِحَلالِ اللَّهِ وحَرامِهِ ، وفَرائضِهِ وسُنَنِهِ وأحْكامِهِ ، مُسْتَغْنٍ عَنْ جَميعِ العالَمِ ، وغَيْرُهُ مُحتاجٌ إلَيْهِ ، وأنَّهُ أسْخَى النّاسِ وأشْجَعُ النّاسِ .¹³

309.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Among the definitions of the custodianship of an Imam whose obedience is obligatory is to know that he is immune from committing mistakes, errors, intentional wrongs, and from all sins, petty and grave. He never makes mistakes or sin, and neither is he ever diverted from the issues that endanger the religion by any sort of diversion. He is the most knowledgeable of all people about what Allah has made lawful and unlawful, His obligations, recommendations and rulings. He stands needless of the entire world whilst they all need him. And he is the most generous and courageous of men.' ¹⁴

310.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : وقَدْ عَلِمْتُمْ أنَّهُ لايَنبغي أنْ يَكونَ علَى الفُروجِ والدِّماءِ والمَغانِمِ والأحْكامِ وإمامةِ المُسلِمينَ : البَخيلُ فَتَكُونَ في أموالهِمْ نُهْمَتُهُ ، ولا الجاهلُ فَيُضِلَّهُمْ بِجَهْلِهِ، ولا الجافي فَيَقْطَعَهُمْ بِجَفائهِ ، ولا الحائفُ (الجائف) للدُّولِ فَيَتَّخِذَ قوماً دُونَ قومٍ ، ولا المُرْتَشي في الحُكْمِ فَيَذْهَبَ بالحُقوقِ ويَقِفَ بها دُونَ المَقاطِعِ ، ولا المُعَطِّلُ للسُّنّةِ فَيُهْلِكَ الاُمَّةَ .¹⁵

310.Imam Ali (AS) said, 'You certainly know that he who is in charge of the honour, the lives, the booty [enforcement of], the commandments and the leadership of the Muslims must not be: a miser, as he would avidly crave their wealth, nor an ignorant man as he would then mislead them with his ignorance, nor crude in his manner for he would estrange them with his crudeness, nor one who deals unjustly with the distributing of wealth thus preferring one group over another, nor one to accept bribes in his ruling lest he forfeit people's rights and pass judgments without them [their rights], nor one to suspend recommended practices whereby he would ruin the community.' ¹⁶

311.الإمامُ الحسينُ عليه السلام - في كتابهِ إلى‏ أهلِ الكوفةِ - : فَلَعَمْري ، ما الإمامُ إلّا الحاكمُ بالكِتابِ ، القائمُ بالقِسْطِ، الدّائنُ بِدِينِ الحَقِّ ، الحابِسُ نَفْسَهُ على‏ ذاتِ اللَّهِ .¹⁷

311. Imam Husayn (AS), in his letter to the inhabitants of Kufa said, 'By my life, an Imam is only one who rules by the Book, a maintainer of justice, bound to the right religion, and controls himself for the sake of Allah.' ¹⁸

312.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام - في تَبْيينِ عَلَامةِ الإمامِ - : طَهارَةُ الوِلادَةِ وحُسْنُ المَنْشأ، ولا يَلْهو ولا يَلْعبُ .¹⁹

312. Imam al-Baqir (AS), explaining the traits of an Imam, said, '[He must be] of legitimate birth and well-bred, he neither gets distracted nor does he play.' ²⁰

313.الإمامُ الرِّضا عليه السلام - في صِفَةِ الإمامِ - : مُضْطَلِعٌ بالإمامةِ ، عالِمٌ بالسِّياسَةِ .²¹

313. Imam al-Rida (AS), describing an Imam, said, 'Thoroughly proficient with leadership and well-versed in politics.' ²²