|
SHI¿ITE
DOCTRINE.
Shi¿ite
doctrine
is
usually
considered
to
be
based
on
five
principles.
The
first
three,
called
"the
principles
of
religion"
(osául
al-din;
a
somewhat
ambiguous
ascription
which
may
also
mean
"theology";
Gimaret
EI2),
are
fully
shared
with
Sunnism:
belief
in
the
unity
of
God
(tawháid);
in
the
mission
of
the
prophets
and
especially
that
of
the
last
among
them
Moháammad
(nobowwa);
belief
in
the
existence
of
reward
and
punishment
in
the
hereafter
(ma¿a@d).
The
last
two,
known
as
"principles
of
the
School"
(osáául
al-madòhab,
i.e.
Imamism)
are
belief
in
divine
justice
(¿adl)
and
in
the
sacred
nature
and
mission
of
the
imams
(ima@ma;
now
refer
to
Sobhani,
2001,
chap.
2).
However,
to
articulate
matters
of
faith
in
such
a
manner
seems
reductionist
and
late.
It
is
true,
for
example,
that
some
earlier
works,
al-Nokat
al-e¿teqa@diyya
by
ˆaykò
al-Mofid
(d.
413/1022;
Mofid,
1993,
X,
pp.
16-47)
or
Osául
al-din
by
Fakòr-al-Din
Moháammad
b.
al-¿Alla@ma
al-Háelli
(q.v.;
d.
771/1369;
mss.
nos.
349
and
350
at
AÚsta@n-e
qods)
and
al-Nezáa@miyya
fi
madòhab
al-ema@miyya
by
Moháammad
Kòwa@jagi
ˆira@zi
(16th
century;
Kòwa@jagi
ˆira@zi,
1997)
lean
in
this
direction;
however,
almost
all
other
such
texts,
both
in
Arabic
and
Persian,
seem
to
have
been
written
from
the
17th
and
18th
century
onwards
(T®ehra@ni,
II,
pp.
181-196).
Moreover,
not
all
authors
are
in
agreement
regarding
the
list
of
principles.
According
to
an
early
treatise,
Osául
al-din
attributed
to
the
8th
imam
¿Ali-al-Rezµa@
(q.v.),
these
principles
are:
divine
unity,
the
science
of
the
licit
(¿elm
al-háala@l),
the
science
of
the
illicit
(¿elm
al-háara@m),
obligatory
(wa@jeba@t)
and
recommended
(mostaháabba@t)
deeds
(Kanturi,
I,
pp.
49-50).
In
his
Osául-e
din
written
in
Persian
(mss.
nos.
39
and
351
at
AÚsta@n-e
qods)
Ahámad
b.
Moháammad
Ardabili
(q.v.;
993/1585;
known
as
Moqaddas-e
Ardabili)
deleted
"justice"
from
his
list
of
the
Five
Principles.
In
his
Nawa@der
al-akòba@r,
Molla@
Mohásen
Fayzµ
Ka@æa@ni
(q.v.;1091/1680)
seems
to
have
added
¿aql
(spiritual
intelligence
as
well
as
dialectical
and
logical
reason)
and
¿elm
(initiatory
knowledge
and/or
religious
science;
Ka@æa@ni,
1996,
chaps.
1
and
2).
Finally,
the
same
author
might
present
different
lists
of
the
"principles";
for
example
Z˜iya@÷-al-Din
Jorja@ni
(c.
9th
/15th
century)
proposes
five
principles
in
his
Resa@la-ye
osául-e
kòamsa,
whereas
in
his
Resa@la-ye
osául-e
din,
he
deletes
ma¿a@d
and
adds
four
other
principles,
namely:
devotion
towards
the
imams
(tawalli),
dissociation
from
enemies
of
the
latter
(tabarra@),
ordering
good
(amr-e
ma¿ruf)
and
forbidding
evil
(nahy-e
monkar;
Jorja@ni
1997,
pp.
179-88,
225-32).
In
reality,
Shi¿ite
doctrine
is
much
more
complex
than
that
of
the
five
principles
which
seem
to
bear
the
mark
of
the
rationalist
tradition
from
Buyid
Baghdad
(see
POLITICAL
SHI¿ISM)
and
appear
to
have
been
inspired
by
the
Mo¿tazelite
osául
kòamsa.
In
the
summary
that
follows,
an
attempt
will
be
made
to
present
the
doctrinal
foundations
upon
which
the
articles
of
faith
and
most
essential
beliefs
of
Imami
Shi¿ism
specifically
rest.
This
will
provide
a
better
understanding
of
both
the
essential
structural
traits
as
well
as
finer
points
that
will
not
be
discussed
here,
notions
such
as
the
variability
of
divine
decisions
(bada@÷),
preservation
of
the
secret
(taqiyya),
intercession
(æafa@¿a/tawassol),
divine
Grace
(lotáf).
This
summary
is
mainly
based
on
the
earliest
corpus
of
Hadith
reporting
traditions
going
back
to
the
first
three
centuries
of
the
Hijra
and
mostly
of
Mesopotamian
provenance,
and
more
specifically,
from
the
city
of
Kufa
(van
Ess,
I,
pp.
395-96).
This
corpus
was
primarily
put
into
writing
between
approximately
250/864
and
350/961
by
traditionalists
belonging
to
the
Iranian
Schools
of
Qom
and
Rayy,
such
as
Abu
Ja¿far
Barqi
(274/887
or
280/893),
Sáaffa@r
Qomi
(290/902-3),
¿Ali
b.
Ebra@him
Qomi
(towards
307/919),
Abu'l-Nazµr
Moháammad
b.
Mas¿ud
¿Ayya@æi
(q.v.;
circ.
320/932),
Moháammad
b.
Ya¿qub
Kolayni
(329/940-41),
Ebn
Abi
Zaynab
No¿ma@ni
(towards
360/971)
and
Ebn
Ba@bawayh
al-Sáaduq
(q.v.;
381/991;
Amir-Moezzi
1992,
pp.
48-54;
2004,
pp.
85-88).
The
veritable
axis
around
which
the
entire
Shi¿ite
doctrine
revolves
is
the
figure
of
the
imam.
By
summarizing
to
a
great
extent,
one
might
even
say
that
Shi¿ism
is
fundamentally
an
imamology.
Indeed
from
theology
to
ethics,
from
Koranic
exegesis
to
canonical
law,
from
cosmology
to
ritual
and
to
eschatology,
all
doctrinal
aspects,
all
the
chapters
of
faith
are
determined
and
find
ultimate
meaning
by
a
special
conception
of
the
figure
of
the
Guide.
One
could
say
that
Shi¿ism
developed
around
a
two-fold
vision
of
the
world
(weltanshauung).
Let
us
examine
how
the
figure
of
the
imam,
in
his
different
dimensions,
is
omnipresent
there
and
acts
as
a
veritable
centre
of
gravity.
(1)Dual
vision.
All
reality
possesses
at
least
two
levels:
one
manifest,
apparent,
exoteric
(záa@her),
and
another
non-manifest/inner,
secret,
esoteric
(ba@táen),
hidden
beneath
the
apparent
level
and
able
to
consist
of
other
levels
still
further
hidden
(ba@táen
al-ba@táen).
This
dialectic
of
the
apparent
and
the
hidden,
the
exoteric
and
esoteric,
distinct
but
nonetheless
interdependent,
constitutes
a
fundamental,
omnipresent
credo.
It
is
at
work
in
the
different
spheres
of
faith
(Amir-Moezzi,
1997).
First
in
theology:
God
Himself
comprises
two
ontological
levels:
first,
of
the
Essence
(dòa@t).
This
is
said
to
be
forever
inconceivable,
unimaginable,
above
all
thought,
beyond
all
knowledge.
It
can
only
be
described
by
God
through
revelations
and
can
only
be
apprehended
by
a
negative
apophatic
theology.
This
recalls
the
Deus
absconditus,
the
unknowable
that
forms
the
hidden,
esoteric
level
of
God,
the
level
of
the
absolute
abscondity
of
God
(Kolayni,
n.d.,
I,
pp.
140sq.
and
169sq.;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1958,
chap.
11;
idem,
1978,
chaps.
2,
6
and
28;
idem
1984,
pp.
2sqq.)
However,
if
things
were
to
remain
so,
no
relation
would
be
possible
between
the
Creator
and
His
creatures.
Thus
God,
in
his
infinite
grace,
lets
blossom
in
his
own
being
another
level:
of
Names
and
Attributes
(asma@÷
wa
sáefa@t)
by
which
He
reveals
himself
and
makes
himself
known.
This
revealed
level,
recalling
the
Deus
revelatus
of
Christian
theology,
is
no
longer
God
the
Unknowable,
but
God
the
Unknown
who
aspires
to
be
known.
It
is
the
exoteric,
manifest,
revealed
level
of
God
that
can
be
known
in
Him
(Sáaffa@r,
pp.
61-66;
Kolayni,
n.d.,
I,
pp.
196
and
283sq.;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1978,
chaps.
12,
22
and
24).
Now,
the
Names
and
Attributes
act
in
creation
by
means
of
vehicles,
"Divine
Organs,"
which
are
just
as
much
locations
for
the
manifestation
of
God
(mazáhar,
majla@),
as
they
are
theophanies.
The
theophany
par
excellence,
the
most
exalted
place
of
revelation
for
the
Divine
Names,
i.e.
of
that
which
can
be
known
of
God,
is
the
Imam
in
his
cosmic
dimension,
a
metaphysical
being
that
comprises
all
divine
Organs.
It
is
the
Imam
in
an
ontological
sense–archetypal,
universal
(Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1958,
pp.
114-16
and
149-53;
idem,
1985,
chap.
22;
Amir-Moezzi,
1992,
pp.
73sqq.).
The
knowledge
of
his
reality
is
thus
tantamount
to
that
which
can
be
known
of
God,
since
the
cosmic
Imam
constitutes
the
revealed
aspect,
the
exoteric
level
of
God
(Amir-Moezzi,
1996a).
In
turn,
the
cosmic
Imam
possesses
an
apparent
level
and
a
hidden
dimension.
His
esoteric,
his
unrevealed
aspect,
is
precisely
his
metaphysical
aspect,
cosmic,
"in
the
sky"
according
to
an
expression
from
one
of
the
oldest
sources
(e.g.
Sáaffa@r,
pp.
107-8;
Fora@t,
374;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1958,
pp.
110-11).
His
exoteric,
his
apparent
level,
his
place
of
manifestation
-
these
are
the
historical
imams
of
the
different
cycles
in
sacred
History
(Sáaffa@r,
pp.
61-66;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1985,
chap.
22).
Here
we
are
already
dealing
with
prophetology.
Indeed
for
Shi¿ites,
each
great
prophet,
each
messenger
of
God,
is
accompanied
in
his
mission
by
one
or
many
imams:
from
Adam,
the
First
Man
and
prophet,
to
Moháammad,
"the
seal
of
legislative
prophethood,"
having
followed
Noah,
Abraham,
Joseph,
Solomon,
Moses
and
Jesus
among
others.
Moreover,
these
different
cycles,
these
great
messengers
and
their
imams
are
interlinked
by
an
uninterrupted
chain
of
minor
prophets,
imams
and
"saints"
that
together
constitute
the
great
family
of
the
"Friends
of
God"
(wali,
pl.
awliya@÷
Alla@h),
those
who
bear
and
transmit
Divine
Friendship
or
Alliance
(wala@ya),
(Pseudo
(?)
–Mas¿udi,
passim;
Amir-Moezzi,
1993,
pp.
319-20),
a
key
term
in
all
of
Shi¿ite
doctrine
to
which
we
return
shortly.
These
are
the
places
of
manifestation
of
the
archetypal
cosmic
Imam,
his
revealed
face.
In
Imami
Shi¿ism,
the
awliya@
par
excellence
are
the
group
of
the
Fourteen
Impeccable
Ones:
Moháammad,
his
daughter
Fa@tÂema
and
the
twelve
imams.
Thus,
thanks
to
a
theology
of
successive
"cascading"
theopanies,
knowledge
of
what
is
knowable
in
God,
the
ultimate
mystery
of
being,
begins
by
knowledge
of
the
man
of
God.
In
this
manner,
a
theology
of
theophany
(tajalli)
seeks
to
avoid
both
ta÷tÂil
(agnosticism,
a
theological
conception
maintaining
effective
knowledge
of
God
to
be
impossible)
as
well
as
taæbih
(associationism
/assimilationism),
a
conception
that
establishes
creaturehood
as
the
epistemological
basis
for
knowledge
of
the
divine
(Corbin
1971-2,
index
s.v.)
What
do
the
Friends
of
God
accomplish?
They
enable
the
word
of
God
to
reach
man.
At
specific
moments,
this
is
revealed
by
the
Holy
Books,
sacred
scriptures
brought
by
important
legislating
prophets
that
the
Koran
calls
"those
endowed
with
firm
resolution"(ulu'l-¿azm).
Now,
this
Revelation
too
possesses
an
exoteric,
apparent
aspect,
and
an
esoteric
secret
dimension,
a
"letter"
beneath
which
a
"spirit"
is
hidden,
to
use
the
Pauline
analogy.
The
prophet-messenger
is
surely
privy
to
both
levels,
however,
his
mission
consists
of
presenting
the
letter
of
the
Revelation,
its
exoteric
level,
"that
which
has
descended
(tanzil),
to
a
majority
of
people
(akt¯ar),
to
the
mass
of
believers
(¿a@mma)
from
his
community.
As
just
mentioned,
he
is
accompanied
in
his
mission
by
one
or
more
imams.
It
is
evident
that
the
sources
do
not
all
agree
on
the
names.
For
example,
the
most
recurrent
list
names
Seth
as
imam
of
Adam,
Sem
as
imam
of
Noah,
Ishmael
as
that
of
Abraham,
Aaron
or
Joshua
for
Moses,
Simon,
John
and
all
the
disciples
for
Jesus,
obviously
¿Ali
and
his
descendants
for
Moháammad
(Pseudo
(?)
–Mas¿udi,
pp.
8-90;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh
1970,
vol.
IV,
chapter
72,
pp.
129-30;
idem,
1985,
chapter
22,
n.
1
and
chap.
58;
nos.
4-5;
Rubin,
1979,
passim;
Kohlberg,
1980,
passim).
By
rigorous
complementarities
and
parallelism,
the
mission
of
the
imams
is
precisely
to
teach
the
"spirit"
of
the
Book,
its
esoteric
level
revealing
the
secret
of
its
origin
(ta÷wil),
not
to
all,
but
to
a
minority
of
initiated
(aqall)
that
constitute
the
elite
(kòa@sásáa)
of
the
community.
The
Shi¿ites
thus
claim
their
minority
status
to
be
a
sign
of
privilege
(Amir-Moezzi,
1998,
pp.
196
sq.;
Kohlberg,
2000,
passim).
Without
initiatory
teaching
by
the
imam,
the
text
of
revelation
does
not
reveal
its
depth,
like
a
barren
letter
whose
spirit
were
to
remain
unknown;
this
explains
why
the
Koran
is
called
the
silent
book
or
imam
(keta@b/ema@m
sáa@met)
whereas
the
imam
is
said
to
be
the
eloquent/speaking
Koran
(Qor÷a@n
na@táeq)
(Ayoub,
passim;
Bar-Asher,
pp.
141sqq.).
Thus
the
prophet-messenger
(nabi,
rasul)
is
said
to
be
the
messenger
of
the
exoteric
of
religion
or
of
the
exoteric
religion
that
Shi¿ite
vocabulary
calls
esla@m,
literally,
"the
submission,"
that
is
to
say
submission
to
the
letter
of
Revelation
thus
making
the
mass
of
believers
moslem,
the
"submitted"
or
"muslims."
In
parallel
terms,
the
imam
(ema@m,
wali)
is
the
messenger
of
the
esoteric
of
Revelation,
the
initiator
into
spiritual
religion–concealed
beneath
the
letter–technically
called
ima@n,
literally
"faith."
The
people
of
faith,
the
faithful
believers
(mo÷menun),
are
therefore,
according
to
technical
vocabulary,
those
initiated
into
the
secrets
of
religion,
the
people
of
spiritual
hermeneutics,
adepts
of
the
imam,
in
a
word,
Shi¿ites,
(Corbin,
1971-72,
index
s.v.
ta÷wil;
Jambet,
2003,
passim)
which
is
why
all
religions
have
had
their
majority
"Muslims"
and
their
minority
"Shi¿ites,"
a
mass
of
"people
of
the
exoteric"
(ahl
al-záa@her),
unable
to
fathom
depth
and
an
elite
consisting
of
"people
of
the
esoteric"
(ahl
al-ba@táen),
initiated
into
spiritual
levels
of
the
faith.
The
historical
Shi¿ites,
those
of
historical
Islam,
thus
form
the
last
link
in
a
long
initiatory
chain
that
traverses
history,
going
back
to
Adam
and
the
initiated
"Shi¿ites"
of
his
imam
Seth.
However,
a
distinction
is
made
between
those
satisfied
with
exoteric
aspects
of
their
imams'
teaching
and
those
that
seek
to
grasp
secret
dimensions
of
the
latter,
superficial
Shi¿ites
and
authentic
Shi¿ites
respectively.
Thus,
there
exist
exoteric
Shi¿ites
and
esoteric
Shi¿ites
(No¿ma@ni,
pp.
300-302;
Eska@fi,
pp.
37-43).
And
what
in
the
ultimate
analysis
is
the
initiatory
teaching
of
these
imams
in
succession?
No
less
than
the
unveiling
of
the
mysteries
of
God,
the
world
and
man;
that
is
to
say,
in
Shi¿ite
terms,
mysteries
of
the
Imam,
the
Man
manifesting
in
the
universe,
both
metaphysical
as
well
as
physical,
the
revealed
God,
secret
of
secrets
of
all
religions.
The
terrestrial
imams
are
thus
presented
as
the
bearers
and
transmitters
of
a
Secret
whose
content
is
precisely
the
metaphysical
Imam.
The
dual
vision
of
the
world
may
be
represented
by
a
table
consisting
of
"complementary
pairs"
based
on
the
dialectical
of
the
manifest
and
the
hidden:
|
| MANIFEST
|
HIDDEN
|
|
| Exoteric
(záa@her)
|
Esoteric
(ba@táen)
|
| Names
and
Attributes
|
Essence
|
| Prophet/prophethood
(nabi/nobowwa)
|
Imam/imamate
(ema@ma/wala@ya)
|
| Letter
of
the
Revelation
(tanzil)
|
Spiritual
hermeneutics
(ta÷wil)
|
| Submission
to
exoteric
religion
(esla@m)
|
Initiation
into
esoteric
religion
(ima@n)
|
| The
Majority/the
masses
(akt¯ar/¿a@mma)
|
The
Minority
/the
elite
(aqall/
kòa@sásáa)
|
|
(2)
Dualistic
Vision.
Concurrent
with
this
dual
vision,
Shi¿ite
doctrine
is
based
upon
another
fundamental
belief:
a
dualistic
vision
of
the
world.
According
to
this,
the
history
of
creation
is
a
story
of
a
cosmic
battle
between
the
forces
of
Good
and
Evil,
between
light
and
darkness.
Given
the
vital
role
of
initiation
and
knowledge,
as
we
have
just
seen,
one
might
say
that
Good
is
knowledge
and
Evil
is
ignorance.
The
battle
between
these
respective
forces,
of
these
universal
antagonistic
powers,
is
woven
into
the
fabric
of
existence.
According
to
cosmogonic
traditions,
what
marks
creation
ever
since
its
origin,
is
the
battle
between
the
armies
of
cosmic
Intelligence
(al-¿aql)
and
those
of
cosmic
Ignorance
(al-jahl),
respectively
symbols
of
the
Imam
and
his
adepts
on
the
one
hand,
and
the
Enemy
of
the
Imam
and
his
supporters
on
the
other
(Barqi,
I,
pp.
196-98;
Kolayni
n.d.,
I,
pp.
23-26;
Pseudo
(?)-Mas¿udi,
pp.
1-3;
Ebn
ˆo¿ba,
pp.
423-25;
Amir-Moezzi,
2000a,
pp.
59-60).
This
primordial
battle
has
repercussions
from
one
age
to
another,
opposing
the
Friends
of
God
and
their
faithful
adepts
to
forces
of
Ignorance
in
each
period.
Using
Koranic
expressions,
Shi¿ite
texts
speak
of
the
permanent
battle
between
the
people
of
the
right/benediction
(asáháa@b
al-yamin/maymana)
and
those
of
the
left/malediction
(asáháa@b
al-æema@l/maæ÷ama)
(Qomi,
II,
pp.
357-61
and
453;
Fora@t,
pp.
465,
513-14).
According
to
theories
of
cycles,
which
are
far
from
being
clear,
ever
since
creation,
the
world
has
known
two
kinds
of
government
(dawla):
of
God
in
which
prophets
and
imams,
as
guides
of
light
and
justice,
are
able
to
openly
teach
esoteric
truths,
and
that
of
Satan
in
which
these
truths
can
only
be
transmitted
and
practiced
secretly,
as
the
world
in
this
case
is
under
the
influence
of
the
guides
of
darkness
and
injustice.
Satan
having
been
the
adversary
(zµedd)
of
Adam,
the
history
of
adamic
humanity
is
marked
by
adversity
and
violence
by
demonic
forces
of
Ignorance;
during
the
adamic
cycle,
these
forces
will
remain
dominant–a
majority
driving
the
minority
of
persecuted
initiates
towards
marginality
and
isolation
(Pseudo
(?)
–Mas¿udi,
14sqq.,
¿Ayya@æi,
I,
p.
199;
Kohlberg
1980,
pp.
45-46).
Thus
it
will
be
until
the
End
of
Time
and
the
advent
of
the
Mahdi,
the
eschatological
savior,
who
will
definitively
conquer
the
forces
of
Evil
(Amir-Moezzi,
2000a).
With
the
advent
of
each
religion,
due
to
usurpation
of
power
by
the
"guides
of
injustice,"
within
the
community
there
takes
shape
a
majority,
all
the
while
subject
to
the
letter
of
this
religion,
that
refuses
to
believe
in
the
existence
of
a
hidden
spirit
beneath
the
letter
and
thus
challenges
the
existence
of
the
imam
as
master
of
hermeneutics.
Manipulated
by
its
guides
of
ignorance,
this
majority
thus
deprives
religion
of
its
most
profound
element,
condemning
itself
to
decadence
and
violence.
The
Adversaries
(zµedd,
pl.
azµda@d),
Enemy
of
the
Imam
and
his
supporters,
are
therefore
not
necessarily
pagans
or
adepts
of
another
religion.
The
Israelites
that
betray
Moses
by
worshipping
the
golden
calf
and
Moháammad's
Companions
who
reject
¿Ali's
election
are
not
non-Jews
or
non-Muslims,
but
those
who
deny
the
esoteric
dimension
of
religion
(the
term
applied
here
again
is
wala@ya)
by
rejecting
the
authority
of
the
initiated
Guide.
They
are
the
ones
that
the
Shi¿ites
term
"people
of
the
exoteric,
appearances,
superficiality"
(ahl
al-záa@her,
according
to
different
meanings
of
the
word
záa@her),
those
subject
to
literal
religion
or
rather
Muslims
gone
astray
(moslem
zµa@ll)
(Kohlberg,
1980,
pp.
45-46;
Amir-Moezzi,
1998,
passim).
Thus
in
strictly
doctrinal
terms
(though
in
reality
history
proves
to
be
much
more
complex
in
terms
of
actual
conduct)
an
initiated
Shi¿ite
will
feel
closer
to
a
Jewish
or
Christian
"Shi¿ite"
i.e.
one
who
is
initiated
into
the
esoterism
of
Judaism
and
Christianity,
than
a
Muslim
Sunni
exoterist,
considered
from
the
outset
as
an
adversary.
Moreover,
it
is
true
that
most
early
Shi¿ite
texts
sing
the
praises
of
the
Shi¿ites
as
a
whole
(e.g.
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1963-64)
but
other
texts
make
a
clear
distinction
between
"true
Shi¿ites,"
i.e.
those
truly
initiated
into
the
imam's
teachings,
and
"superficial
Shi¿ites,"
or
the
mass
of
believers
who
only
have
a
shallow
understanding
of
the
doctrine
and
can
quite
easily
be
led
astray
(see
above).
In
the
historical
context
of
the
fierce
conflict
between
Sunnis
and
Shi¿ites,
given
this
dualistic
vision
of
the
world,
two
factors
become
critical.
First,
discretion:
Indeed,
in
order
to
protect
one's
own
life
and
security,
and
those
of
one's
imam
and
his
companions,
as
well
as
the
integrity
of
his
doctrine,
"secrecy"
designated
by
terms
such
as
taqiyya,
ketma@n
and
kòab÷
is
a
canonical
obligation
for
the
Shi¿ite.
Under
the
rule
of
Satan,
which
is
the
case
for
humanity
today,
revealing
secret
teachings
not
only
arouses
disbelief
but
invites
mockery,
creates
incomprehension,
begets
curses
and
provokes
violence
(Kohlberg,
1975,
1995).
Secondly,
in
the
realm
of
feelings
and
sentiments,
there
is
emphasis
on,
sincerity
of
intention,
whose
necessity
is
underlined
by
unrelenting
repetition
in
the
sources:
the
faithful
Shi¿ite
is
constantly
called
upon
to
cultivate
unconditional
love,
loyalty
at
all
costs
and
willful
submission
towards
the
imam
the
attributes
required
from
a
disciple
with
respect
to
his
master.
The
term
used
to
designate
this
intense
feeling
is
again
one
frequently
mentioned
above,
namely,
wala@ya.
However,
the
believer
is
simultaneously
called
upon
to
dissociate
from
enemies
of
the
imam,
to
practice
bara@÷a
(Kohlberg,
1986,
passim).
In
a
universe
governed
by
war
and
its
constraints,
sacred
alliance
(wala@ya)
with
the
initiating
guide
and
the
knowledge
he
dispenses
cannot
be
complete
unless
accompanied
with
sacred
dissociation
(bara@÷a)
from
those
who
seek
only
to
destroy
true
knowledge
and
its
bearers
(Amir-Moezzi,
2002,
passim).
Here
too,
one
might
represent
the
dualistic
vision
of
things
by
a
table
formed
of
"opposing
terms"
based
on
the
dialectic
of
Good
and
Evil:
|
| GOOD/KNOWLEDGE
|
EVIL/IGNORANCE
|
|
| Cosmic
Intelligence
(al-¿aql)
|
Cosmic
Ignorance
(al-jahl)
|
| The
Imam
and
his
initiated
faithful
|
Adversaries
(¿adoww)
of
the
Imam
and
their
supporters.
|
| Guides
of
light/justice/guidanceGuides
of
darkness/injustice/
error
(a÷emmat
al-nur/¿adl/hoda@)
|
(a÷emmat
al-záala@l/záolm/zµala@l)
|
| People
of
Right
/
benediction
People
of
the
Left
/
malediction
(asáháa@b
al-yamin/maymana)
|
(asáháa@b
al-æema@l/maæ÷ama) |
| Love
/
Alliance
with
the
imamHatred
/
dissociation
from
his
Enemy
wala@ya
|
bara@÷a
|
|
The
specifically
Shi¿ite
faith
seems
to
be
characterized
by
this
double
vision
of
the
world.
The
dual
conception
of
reality,
illustrated
by
"complementary
pairs,"
can
be
represented
by
a
vertical
axis
of
Initiation,
since
the
transition
from
manifest
to
hidden,
from
exoteric
to
esoteric,
occurs
thanks
to
the
sacred
teaching
of
the
imams,
proximity
to
the
divine
and
understanding
of
the
mysteries
of
being.
Similarly,
one
might
apply
the
symbol
of
the
horizontal
axis
of
Battle
to
the
dualistic
vision
of
the
world,
illustrated
by
the
"pair
of
opposites,"
universal
and
perpetual
battle
between
forces
of
knowledge
and
those
of
ignorance.
Initiation
and
battle:
the
entire
historical
destiny
of
Shi¿ism
can
be
considered
as
a
tension
between
these
two
constants
which
are
its
very
own,
since
it
considers
that
the
first
determines
spirituality
of
humanity
and
the
second
its
history,
since
the
believer
is
constantly
called
upon
to
keep
himself
in
balance
at
the
point
of
intersection
of
these
axes
(Amir-Moezzi,
1992,
pp.
308-10;
2004,
pp.
38-40).
Moreover,
one
notices
that
the
notion
of
wala@ya
is
the
only
one
to
be
found
in
both
schemes;
this
serves
to
illustrate
its
principal
role
in
the
very
structure
of
the
doctrine.
Designating
not
only
the
nature,
status
and
function
of
the
imam
but
also
the
believer's
attitude
towards
him,
the
term
has
become
almost
synonymous
with
Shi¿ism
since
the
Shi¿ites
very
often
call
themselves
"people
of
wala@ya"
(ahl
al-wala@ya)."
The
figure
of
the
imam.
Throughout
this
double
vision
of
the
world,
the
imam's
role
proves
to
be
pivotal
and
fundamental.
Thanks
to
his
very
being
and
his
knowledge,
transmitting
secret
truths,
and
carrying
the
banner
of
knowledge
and
initiating
others
to
follow
suite,
and
ultimately
preventing
the
otherwise
certain
submergence
of
the
cosmos
into
darkness,
the
imam
in
his
many
dimensions
is
truly
the
Alpha
and
the
Omega
of
Shi¿ite
doctrine.
What
is
the
definition
of
the
imam?
What
are
his
special
features?
How
does
the
corpus
of
sacred
texts
of
Shi¿ism,
i.e.
Hadith
going
back
to
the
Impeccable
Ones
(see
ÙAHAÚRDAH
MA¿SUM),
represent
him
in
the
religious
conscience
of
believers?
Three
definitions
seem
discernable
here,
reflecting
the
different
levels
of
reality
that
incarnate
the
figure
of
the
imam,
illustrating
the
famous
words
attributed
to
imam
Ja¿far-al-Sáa@deq
according
to
which
Shi¿ite
doctrine
consists
of
three
levels:
exoteric,
esoteric,
esoteric
of
esoteric
(Saffa@r,
p.
29;
for
the
rectification
of
this
text,
Amir-Moezzi,
1997,
p.
40,
note
8).
(1)Imam
as
religious
scholar.
At
one
level,
the
imam
is
the
uncontestable
master
in
religious
matters
in
the
strict
sense
of
the
term.
He
teaches
exoteric
aspects
of
law,
exegesis,
theology,
cosmology
and
other
disciplines
to
an
audience
comprised
of
all
kinds
of
students:
Shi
¿ites–initiated
and
uninitiated–but
also
to
non-Shi¿ites
(a
large
section
of
the
Hadith
corpus
corresponding
to
these
disciplines
and
the
chains
of
transmission
readily
attest
to
this;
see
also
Amir-Moezzi,
1997,
p.
61).
In
addition
to
the
fact
that
they
are
descendants
of
the
Prophet,
it
is
especially
as
religious
scholars–more
specifically,
as
jurists
and
traditionalists–that
some
imams
are
highly
respected
in
the
Sunni
tradition.
Justifiably
so:
exoteric
teaching
of
an
imam
does
not
contain
any
particularly
Shi¿ite
traits
and
can
therefore
be
heard
and
understood
by
non-Shi¿ites,
without
shocking
them.
(2)Imam
as
initiatory
guide
and
thaumaturge.
In
this
case,
it
is
the
figure
of
the
imam
as
revealed
by
teaching
destined
only
for
Shi¿ites.
The
esoteric
aspects
of
doctrinal
matters,
as
well
as
technical
terminology
lead
to
a
conception
of
the
figure
of
the
imam
that
by
far
exceeds
the
limits
imposed
by
what
is
to
become
Sunni
"orthodoxy."
It
is
at
this
level
that
the
texts
relate
that
the
conception
and
birth
of
the
imam
are
miraculous,
that
he
possesses
a
number
of
supernatural
abilities
since
childhood,
and
especially
that
he
is
imam
because
he
fulfils
two
important
functions:
he
is
the
initiatory
guide
and
thaumaturge
par
excellence.
In
other
words,
he
possesses
initiatory
knowledge
(¿elm)
as
well
as
the
fruit
of
this
wisdom–supranormal
powers
(qodra,
a¿a@jeb;
Amir-Moezzi,
1992,
chap.
3,
III-2,
III-4).
The
sources
of
the
imam's
sacred
knowledge
regarding
the
mysteries
of
God,
man
and
the
universe
are
many.
First,
celestial
sources:
just
like
the
prophets,
the
imam
receives
inspiration
thanks
to
celestial
beings,
whence
his
appellation
muháaddat¯
"one
who
speaks
to
angels"
(Kohlberg,
1979,
passim).
He
is
also
capable
of
celestial
ascension
to
renew
and
increase
his
knowledge
(Amir-Moezzi,
1996b).
Initiatory
science
also
has
occult
sources:
supernatural
forces
that
"leave
a
mark
on
the
heart"
or
"pierce
the
eardrum"
and
"the
column
of
light"
in
which
the
imam
can
contemplate
answers
to
his
questions.
Then
there
are
written
sources:
the
holy
books
of
previous
religions,
the
Koran–all
in
their
complete
versions,
not
falsified–as
well
as
a
certain
number
of
secret
texts
containing
extraordinary
knowledge
transmitted
from
imam
to
imam,
such
as
the
Book
of
¿Ali,
Fa@táema's
Collection,
the
All-Encompassing
Page
(al-sáaháifat
al-ja@me¿a),
the
book
of
Jafr,
etc.
(Amir-Moezzi,
1992,
pp.
185-227;
Kohlberg,
1993,
passim).
Finally,
oral
sources,
that
is
to
say
teaching
received
directly
by
one
or
more
of
the
previous
Guides.
The
miraculous
powers
of
the
imam
flow
mainly
from
his
knowledge.
Most
among
them
are
moreover
presented
as
sciences:
knowledge
of
the
past,
present
and
future;
of
events
in
heaven
and
on
earth;
of
consciences,
of
souls,
languages,
reading
minds,
occult
sciences
etc.
The
imams
can
resuscitate
the
dead,
cure
illnesses,
rejuvenate
the
old,
travel
and
transport
others
supernaturally
etc.
Finally,
they
possess
a
number
of
"objects
of
power"
such
as
the
magical
formula
representing
the
great
Name
of
God
and
relics
with
miraculous
powers
inherited
from
prophets
such
as
Adam's
tunic,
Solomon's
seal,
Moses
ark
or
the
invincible
weapon
belonging
to
Moháammad
(Amir-Moezzi,
2000b;
Loebenstein,
2003).
(3)Imam
as
Revealed
Face
of
God.
This
aspect
of
imamology
forms
the
most
esoteric
chapter
of
theology
and
seems
to
constitute
the
ultimate
secret
of
Shi¿ite
doctrine.
Destined
only
for
initiated
Shi¿ites,
this
teaching
defines
the
terrestrial
imam
as
the
sense-perceptible
manifestation
of
the
cosmic
Imam,
who
in
turn
is
the
place
of
revelation
for
what
God
reveals
of
Himself.
This
definition
clearly
establishes
the
basis—considered
highly
subversive—of
divinization
of
the
Friend
of
God.
Thus
by
a
theology
of
successive
theophanies,
the
terrestrial
imam
is
said
to
reveal
God.
A
limited
number
of
sayings
going
back
to
the
imams,
recalling
the
"paradoxical
speech"
(æatáaháa@t)
of
mystics,
and
disseminated
here
and
there
shrouded
in
the
mass
of
traditions,
audaciously
evokes
the
identity
of
the
imam
in
his
ultimate
ontological
reality
with
God
revealed
through
his
Organs
and
his
Names
and
Attributes
(e.g.
Fura@t,
pp.
178,
371;
¿Ayya@æi,
II,
pp.
17-18;
Ebn
Ba@bawayh,
1978,
pp.
117,
151-52;
Amir-Moezzi,
2002,
pp.
730-32).
In
this
respect,
the
most
significant
texts
are
certain
sermons
attributed
to
¿Ali
b.
Abi
Táa@leb,
imam
par
excellence,
in
which,
by
virtue
of
a
long
succession
of
affirmations,
he
boldly
declares
his
divinity:
"I
am
the
treasurer
of
knowledge;
I
am
the
secret
of
the
invisible;
I
am
the
secret
of
secrets,
I
am
the
Face
of
God;
I
am
the
First;
I
am
the
Last;
I
am
the
Hidden;
I
am
the
Manifest;
I
am
the
created;
I
am
the
Creator;
I
am
the
Supreme
Judge;
I
possess
the
incisive
Word;
I
have
penetrating
insight
into
the
path
of
the
Book;
I
am
the
Compassionate;
I
am
the
Merciful
.
."
(the
words
in
italics
are
part
of
the
Koranic
Names
of
God)
(Amir-Moezzi,
1996a,
passim).
All
these
definitions
of
the
figure
of
the
imam
form
an
integral
part
of
wala@ya–already
encountered
on
many
occasions.
Shi¿ism
defines
itself
as
based
upon
the
concept
of
divine
Alliance
or
Friendship.
Presented
as
the
esoteric
dimension
of
prophethood
(al-wala@ya
ba@táen
al-nobowwa),
the
religion
of
the
imams,
in
its
esoteric
aspect
is
defined
as
being
the
very
secret
of
Moháammad's
religion
(Kolayni,
1969,
II,
p.
14).
The
terrestrial
imam
is
the
guardian
and
transmitter
of
this
secret
whereas
the
cosmic
Imam
is
its
content.
As
the
absolute
model
for
initiated
believers,
the
imam
as
the
Divine
Guide,
presents
the
divinization
of
the
man
of
God
as
the
final
horizon
of
the
doctrine.
The
dual
and
dualistic
visions
of
the
world
as
well
as
the
omnipresent
figure
of
the
imam
as
bearer
of
wala@ya
constitutes
the
core
of
Shi¿ite
doctrine
upon
which
many
religious
beliefs
and
practices
are
grafted.
They
characterize
what
one
is
able
to
know
of
Shi¿ism
from
its
earliest
sources
and
seem
to
distinguish
the
original
esoteric
and
non-rational
tradition
that
predominated
until
the
Buyid
period.
From
this
period
onwards,
with
progressive
influence
of
the
"rationalist
tradition"
of
the
School
of
Baghdad
the
original
doctrine
will
be
masked
in
a
great
many
theological
and
legal
dogmas
(see
POLITICAL
SHI¿ISM).
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(MOHAMMAD
ALI
AMIR-MOEZZI)
February
1,
2005 |