WHAT IS THE MEANING OF "امام مفترض الطاعة" (IMAM UL-MUFTAREDO AT-TA'A) AND WHO DOES IT INCLUDE?

[Taqavi]

What is the meaning of "امام مفترض الطاعة" (Imam ul-Muftareḍo at-Ta'a) and who does it include?

 

 

The word “مفترض” (Muftareḍ) is derived from the Arabic root “فرض” (farḍ), which means “to oblige”,[1] and the word at-Ta’a: “الطاعة” means “obedience” or “submission".[2]

Putting it all together, “Imam ul-Muftareḍo at-Ta’a” could be interpreted as “ the Imam whose obedience is obligatory”.

In the term "Imam ul- Muftareḍo at-Ta'a" means an Imam whose unquestioning obedience is necessary for everyone, as clarified by Allamah Tabataba'i.[3]

The noteworthy point is how and for whom this definition of obedience without question is proven?

In response, it is stated that the Holy Qur'an says: "O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those vested with authority (ulu'l-amr) among you"[4] Scholars have interpreted this verse as unquestioning obligatory obedience for all.

Allamah Tabatabai says about this verse, just as it is obligatory to obey the Holy Prophet (S.W) unquestioningly, it is also obligatory to obey the Imam. This is because obedience to the "ulu'l-amr" in the verse, without repeating the verb, indicates that obedience to the "ulu'l-amr" is linked with obeying the Messenger. [5]

Furthermore, according to this noble verse, great scholars such as the late Tabarsi[6] and Sheikh Tusi[7] also believe in the designation of this status for the Imams (A.S). It is important to note that the meaning of "ulu'l-amr" in the verse is, according to narrations, the Ahlul Bayt (A.S).

The holy Prophet (S.W) repeatedly emphasized this point during his lifetime, as seen in the Hadith Thaqalayn.[8] The late Abu al-Salah Halabi, a Shiite jurist and theologian in the fourth and fifth century, highlighted the necessity of obeying the Ahlul Bayt unconditionally based on the Prophet's absolute words in the Hadith Thaqalayn.[9]

Sheikh Saduq also narrates from Aisha in which the Prophet (S.W) acknowledges this status for Imam Ali (A.S).[10] In another narration, Imam Sadiq (AS) explicitly states that God made our obedience obligatory.[11] Even Sheikh Kulayni in Kitab al-Kafi includes a chapter entitled "The Obligation of Obedience to the Imams (A.S)" and quotes seventeen narrations in this regard.[12]

Based on this, there are only the Imams (A.S), who are "Imam ul- Muftareḍo at-Ta'a", i.e., they are individuals to whom it is obligatory for everyone to obey unquestioningly.

 

---

[1] . Taj Al-Aroos: Al-Zabidi, Murtadha; vol: 18, p: 485 / Lisan Al-Arab: Ibn Manzur; vol: 7, p: 202.

[2] . Lisan Al-Arab: Ibn Manzur; vol: 8, p: 240 / Taj Al-Aroos: Al-Zabidi, Murtadha; vol: 21, p: 462.

[3] . Al-Mizan Fi Tafsir Al-Quran: Al-Alamah Al-Tabatabai; vol: 4, p: 391.

[4] . Al-Nnisa: 59, يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ""

[5] . Al-Mizan Fi Tafsir Al-Quran: Al-Alamah Al-Tabatabai; vol: 4, p: 391.

[6] . Majma Al-Bayan Fi Tafsir Al-Quran: Al-Sheikh Al-Tabrasi; vol: 3, p: 114.

[7] . Al-Tibyan Fi Tafsir Al-Quran: Al-Sheikh Al-Tusi; vol: 3, p: 236.

[8] . Ma’ani Al-Akhbar: Al-Sheikh Al-Saduq; vol: 1, p: 90 / Al-Kafi: Al-Sheikh Al-Kulayni; vol: 1, p: 287 / Kamal Al-Din Wa Tamam Al-Ni’mah: Al-Sheikh Al-Saduq; vol: 1, p: 64 / Al-Muharrar Al-Wajiz Fi Tafsir Al-Kitab Al-Aziz: Ibn Atiyyah; vol: 5, p: 230 / Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih (Sahih Muslim), Muslim Ibn Al-Hajjaj : Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqi, vol: 4, p: 1873, H 36 / Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi), Al-Tirmidhi Al-Sulami, Muhammad Ibn Isa : Ahmad Muhammad Shakir and others, vol: 5, p: 662, Bab (Manaqib Ahl Bayt Al-Nabi), H 3786 / Musnad Ahmad: Ahmad Ibn Hanbal; vol: 17, p: 170.

[9] . Al-Kafi Fi Al-Fiqh: Al-Halabi, Abu Al-Salah; vol: 1, p: 97.

[10] . Ma’ani Al-Akhbar: Al-Sheikh Al-Saduq; vol: 1, p: 103.

[11] . Al-Kafi: Al-Sheikh Al-Kulayni; vol: 1, p: 186.

[12] . Ibid: p: 185