THE SUPERIORITY OF THE IMAMS OVER THE PREVIOUS PROPHETS

[Taqavi]

What is the reason for the superiority of the Imams over the previous prophets?

In the beginning, it is stated that the Prophet (s) is superior to all human beings and even the previous prophets of God. The Prophet himself said: "God has given me superiority over all His prophets and messengers."[1] It is also narrated from Imam Sadiq (a) that he said: "God, the Exalted, has composed His Greatest Name of seventy-three letters, and of those letters He gave two letters to Jesus, and with those two letters Jesus raised the dead, healed the blind from birth, and cured leprosy. He gave four letters to Moses, eight letters to Abraham, fifteen letters to Noah, and twenty-five letters to Adam, but He taught seventy-two letters of those letters to the Messenger of God Muhammad (s) and did not teach one letter to anyone."[2]

With reference to this introduction, it is stated in numerous narrations that everything that God bestowed upon His Prophet (s) was later given to his successors, except for prophethood, and the infallible Imams (a) have all the virtues of the Prophet except that they are not prophets. The noble Prophet (s) himself addressed Imam Ali (a), saying: "You see what I see, and you hear what I hear, except that you are not a prophet."[3]

Imam Hassan (a) says: "No one from the predecessors and no one from the future has surpassed Imam Ali (a) in any virtue"[4] It is important to note that the position of Imamate is higher than the position of prophethood[5] and the Imams, although they were not prophets, but they had the position of Imamate. Imam Sadiq (a) said: "The Prophet (s) was both an Imam and a prophet, but Ali (a) was an Imam but not a prophet."[6]

Therefore, just as the noble Prophet Muhammad (s) is superior to all other prophets, the infallible Imams (s) are also superior to all prophets except the last Prophet (s), and whatever God had given to His previous prophets, has been inherited by the infallible Imams. Imam Sadiq (a) says: "Every prophet who has inherited knowledge or otherwise, it has ultimately reached the Imams (a)."[7]

In conclusion, mentioning this narration is very appropriate:

Sa'asa'a bin Sohan entered the Commander of the Faithful when he had been struck and said: "O Commander of the Faithful, are you superior, or Adam, father of mankind?" Imam Ali (a) replied: "It is not good for a person to boast of himself, God said to Adam: "'O Adam, dwell with your wife in paradise..."[8] and God made many things lawful for me that I did not approach and abstained from. Then he asked: Are you superior, or Noah? Imam Ali (a) replied: Noah cursed his people, and I did not curse my oppressors; Noah's son was an infidel, but my two sons are the masters of the youth of paradise. He asked: Are you superior, or Moses? He replied: God sent Moses to Pharaoh, and he said: "I fear they will deny me,"[9] until God said, "Do not fear, for no prophet in My presence shall fear.[10]" And Moses said, "My Lord, I have killed a soul, so I fear they will kill me."[11] But I did not fear when the Prophet of God (s) sent me to recite Surah Bara'at to Quraysh during the Hajj season, despite the fact that I had killed many of their leaders, yet I went to them, recited the Surah, and did not fear them. He asked: Are you superior to Jesus, son of Mary? He replied: Jesus' mother was in Jerusalem, when the time of her delivery came, she heard a voice saying: Go out, this house is a place of worship, not a place of childbirth. But my mother, Fatima bint Asad, when her time of delivery was near, she was by the Ka'ba, the wall of the Ka'ba split, and a voice told her to enter. So she entered the Ka'ba and I was born there, and this virtue has not been for anyone, neither before me nor after me.[12]

According to the stated contents, it is clear evident that the infallible Imams (a) had a higher position than all past prophets.

 

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[1] . Al-Burhan fi Tafsir al-Quran; Al-Bahrani, Al-Sayyid Hashim Vol: 1 P: 205.

[2] . Al-Kafi Vol: 1 Page: 230 Hadith 2.

[3] . Sayyid Razi, Nahj al-Balagha, Khutba 192 (Qasida).

[4] . Al-Kafi Vol: 1 Page: 457." "قَدْ قُبِضَ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ رَجُلٌ مَا سَبَقَهُ الْأَوَّلُونَ وَ لَا يُدْرِكُهُ الْآخِرُونَ

[5] . For more information refer to " Is the position of imamate higher than the position of prophethood and risalat?".

[6] . Al-Ilal Al-Shara’i, Sheikh Saduq, vol. 1, p. 175.

[7] . Al-Kafi Vol: 2 Page: 232

[8] . Al-Baqarah: 35 " "يا آدم اسكن أنت وزوجك الجنة

[9] . Al-Shu'ara: 12 " "إني أخاف أن يكذبون

[10] . Al-Naml: 10 " "لا تخف إني لا يخاف لدي المرسلون

[11] . Al-Qasas: 33 " "رب إني قتلت منهم نفسا فأخاف أن يقتلون

[12] . Al-Lameat al-Bayda; Al-Tabrizi Al-Ansari, vol. 1, p. 220.