WHO ARE THE TERM "IMAMIYYAH" APPLIED TO?

[Taqavi]

 

Who are the term "Imamiyyah" applied to?

 

The word "Imamiyyah" is derived from the word "Imam," which in Arabic means leader or someone whose words are followed.[1] Therefore, the term "Imamiyyah" refers to a group who follow an Imam appointed by Allah after the departure of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).[2]

Thus, any group that believes in an Imam appointed by Allah (SWT) after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) can be called Imamiyyah. In this case, the term Imamiyyah is synonymous with Shia and includes all sects of the Shia, as Shia are those who follow the Imam appointed by Allah (SWT), Ali (AS), and prefer him over other companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).[3]

However, over time, the term Imamiyyah has been applied to the Twelver Shia Muslims who believe that after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), Imamate was passed on to Ali (AS) and then to his son, Imam Hassan (AS), and then to his son, Imam Hussain (AS), and so forth until Imam Mahdi (ajtfs).[4]

Fakhr Razi says Imamiyyah is a group of Shia who say: The Imam after the noble Prophet (SAW) is Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS), then his son Hassan (AS), then his brother Hussain (AS), then his son Ali bin Hussain (AS), then his son Muhammad Baqir (AS), then his son Ja'far Sadiq (AS), then his son Musa Kazim (AS), then his son Ali bin Musa al-Reza (AS), then his son Muhammad Taqi (AS), then his son Ali Naqi (AS), then his son Hassan Zaki (AS), Then his son Muhammad (ajtfs), who is the Imam Qaim, is the awaited one by the world.[5]

Twelver Shia or Imamiyyah relies on numerous traditions to believe in the Imamate of these twelve Imams,[6] such as the hadith of Loh, which has been narrated in various sources of Shia.[7]

 

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[1] . Lisan al-Arab: Ibn Manzoor, Vol. 12, p. 25 / Majma al-Bahrain: Tarihi, Fakhr al-Din, Vol. 1, p. 105.

[2] . Awwal al-Maqalat: Mufid, Muhammad ibn Numan, Vol. 1, p. 38.

[3] . Maqalat al-Islamiyeen: Ash'ari, Ali ibn Isma'il, Vol. 1, p. 5.

[4] . Awwal al-Maqalat fi al-Mazahib wa al-Mukhtarat: Sheikh Mufid, Vol. 1, page 38.

[5] . Al-Mohssal: Razi, Fakhr al-Din, Vol. 1, page 575.

[6] . For more study, refer to the question "How many imams are there after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and who are they?"

[7] . Al-Kafi: Sheikh Kulayni, Vol. 1, page: 527 / Al-Ghaybah: Numaní, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, p. 62 / Kamal al-Din: Sheikh Saduq, Vol. 1, p. 308.