The influence of imamate doctrine on Shia-Imamiyyah beliefs

In this study, which aims to reveal the influence of the Imamate doctrine on the beliefs of Shia's Imamiyyah in terms of kalam is traced this influence in the narratives and opinions on the subject compiled from the main sources of Imamiyyah. Asserting that Imamate is based on verse and nomination, Imamiyyah states that the Imam is innocent like a prophet and that obedience to him is obligatory. Imamiyyah, furthermore, using some nas as base to this idea, which it tries to ground rather on narratives, characterizes the companions and other Muslims, who do not adopt the idea nas and nomination, with anti-faith statements, as deprecators to the faith, as a result. Adopting the belief "badâ", which necessitates the defiance "incompleteness" in Allah in order that the imam, allegedly illuminated with transcendent knowledge, and his trustworthiness will not be prejudiced, Imamiyyah presents this belief, on one hand, as the transcendence of Allah and the peak of worshipping Him, while on the other, tries to position it on a legitimate ground by identifying it with "naskh". Identifying Imamate with prophecy and the Imam with the Prophet (p.b.u.h), Imamiyyah makes imams a partner of all the duties and attributes of prophecy as well. It also maintains in the beliefs and understandings of the grave and the life of the Hereafter this superiority and authority it attributes to the imams. Within this context, making imams the subject of grave inquiry, Imamiyyah characterizes them as "the witness of deeds", "mawazinu'l-qist", "the owner of doomsday", "qasimu'l-cenneti wa'n-nar" and states that "Ricalu'l-Araf" is a group constituting of prophets and imams. In addition to the esoteric characteristics of the ta'wils of Imamiyyah in order that it grounds its beliefs and understandings on, the absence of narrations that Imamiyyah quotes in the sources of Sunni ecole degrades the idea nas and nomination to a specific and sectarian level comment.