Imamah (Shia doctrine)

Imamah (Arabic: إمامة‎) is the Shia Islam doctrine (belief) of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shia believe that the Imams are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muhammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority (Ismah) as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt, the family of Muhammad. These Imams have the role of providing commentary and interpretation of the Quran as well as guidance to their tariqa followers as is the case of the living Imams of the Nizari Ismaili tariqah.

According to Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, the Imam is a means through which humans receive divine grace, because "He brings men closer to obedience (of Allah) and keeps them away from disobedience." As fulfilling the human being is his wish, it is logical that God appoint Imam to subject man to his wishes. So his existence and his deeds display two forms of grace of God toward man.

Etymology

The word "Imām" denotes a person who stands or walks "in front". For Sunni Islam, the word is commonly used to mean a person who leads the course of prayer in the mosque. It also means the head of a madhhab ("school of thought"). However, from the Shia point of view this is merely the basic understanding of the word in the Arabic language and, for its proper religious usage, the word "Imam" is applicable only to those members of the house of Muhammad designated as infallible by the preceding Imam.

Imamah (Ismaili doctrine)

The Ismā'īlī doctrine of Imāmah (Arabic: اٍمامة‎) differ from that of the Twelvers because they had living imams for centuries after the last Twelver Imam went into concealment. They followed Isma'il ibn Jafar, elder brother of Musa al-Kadhim, as the rightful Imam after his father Ja'far al-Sadiq. The Ismailis believe that whether Imam Ismail did or did not die before Imam Ja'far, he had passed on the mantle of the imāmate to his son Muḥammad ibn Ismā'īl al-Maktum as the next imam.

The Seven Imāms

Qarmatian - Imamāte of Seven Imāms

According to Qarmatian imāmate the number of imāms are fixed as in Ithnā‘ashariyyah but it's Seven instead of Twelve. The imāmate of Qarmatian-Seveners is different than the current Mustaali-Tayyibi and Nizārī Ismā'īlī imāmates. The imāmate considers Muħammad ibn Ismā'īl al-Maktum - The founder of Ismā'īlīsm as The Mahdi in Ghaybah.

The Maymūnī-Ismā'īlī ʿAqīdah

According to Ismā‘īlīsm, Allah has sent "seven" great prophets known as “Nātıq” (Spoken) in order to disseminate and improve his Dīn of Islam. All of these great prophets has also one assistant known as “Sāmad (Silent) Imām”. At the end of each seven “Sāmad” silsila, one great “Nātıq” (Spoken) has ben sent in order to reimprove the Dīn of Islam. After Adam and his son Seth, and after six “Nātıq” (Spoken) – “Sāmad” (Silent) silsila (Noah–Shem), (Abraham–Ishmael), (Moses–Aaron), (Jesus–Simeon), (Muhammad bin ʿAbd Allāh–Ali ibn Abu Tālib); the silsila of “Nātıqs and Sāmads have been completed with (Muhammad bin Ismā‘īl as-ṣaghīr (Maymûn’ûl-Qaddāh)–ʿAbd Allāh Ibn-i Maymûn and his sons).

Imamate in Nizari doctrine

The Imamate (Arabic: إمامة‎) is a concept in Nizari Isma'ilism which defines the political, religious and spiritual dimensions of authority concerning Islamic leadership over the nation of believers. The primary function of the Imamate is to establish an institution between an Imam who is present and living in the world and his following whereby each are granted rights and responsibilities.

The Nizari Imamate follows a genealogy of male Imams originating with Muhammad by his daughter Fatimah and cousin Ali and then through their son Hussein and his descendants up to the present day. Each ordained successor Imam of this lineage is charged with serving the Nizari Ismailis of his era who pay the zakat (tithe) dues to him as the designated Nizari Imam by giving them in return religious and spiritual guidance and also striving for their physical well-being to the best of his ability.

With respect to their spiritual nature, the Imams are considered incarnations of the divine word as well as conduits between God and the Ummah. Based on this belief, the Nizari Ismaili concept of Imamate differs from that of the Twelver's concept in that the Nizari Imams possess the authority to interpret the Quran according to the times and change or even abrogate any aspect of "The Way/The Path" (Sharia) of Islam.