UNPACKING THE MOST INTRIGUING QUESTIONS IN THE QURAN
Tuesday 12 May 2020 (19th Night of Ramadan 1441)
Ahlul Bait (a.s) Masjid, Ottery, Cape Town
Mowlana Syed Aftab Haider
B. HOW DOES IMAMAT BENEFIT US ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT?
The second point I wish to expound upon is on the question of where our concept of Imamat has been discussed in the Holy Quran. Numerous verses cited above (not all) present the discussion on Imamat quite clearly. You can look forward to the next discussion where we will address the qualities of an Imam. We will then understand who qualifies to be an Imam, based upon these verses of the Holy Quran.
This means that the Holy Quran does not only explain the term Imam, but rather, it also explains the status of an Imam, and the qualities and attributes required of an Imam. We will understand from this discussion, who is capable of being an Imam from the Quranic perspective.
EVERY NATION IS CALLED BY THEIR IMAM ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
The Quran is saying that on the Day of Judgement, our recognition or identity card is through our Imam. Then, supporting this we have the Hadith recorded overwhelmingly in Sunni and Shia resources that the one who dies not knowing the Imam of his time dies the death of an ignorant ie. a Jahil like those people before Islam!
What we understand from this is the connection between death as a Jahil and Imamat. This is not a Shia Hadith! When the Holy Quran says that we will be recognized by our Imam on the Day of Judgement, the view of majority of mainstream Muslims is that the Imam referred to here is the Holy Quran.
A closer inspection shows that this view is inconsistent with the DIRECT meaning of this verse 71 of Surah Israa (chapter 17) noted above:
يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ
One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams.
This verse is not saying that we will be called together by the Book. It is quite explicit in referring to us being called by our respective Imam. If it was meant to be understood that we will be called by the Book, then that is a reference to all people being called by the Quran.
This is different to what this verse is saying, that we shall be called by OUR Imam, whereas the Quran is one Book for all of humanity, after the revelation of the Quran and the Prophethood of the seal of Prophets, Muhammad (SAWA).
This Book is therefore for everybody. If we want to say that Imam in this verse refers to the Book, then there is only one Book for everyone. It therefore does not make sense that everyone will be called by their Book if there is only one Book! Imam in this verse therefore refers to the leader whom we followed in whatever time, from Nabi Adam (a.s) until the Day of Judgement, on which day we will be resurrected with our Imam.
WE WILL TAG ALONG WITH OUR IMAM ALL THE WAY TO PARADISE ON THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT
I would like to now take this a little deeper. On the Day of Judgement, we have the embodiment of our actions. This means that whatever we have done in this world will be embodied and presented to us in the form of punishment or reward.
An example is backbiting, which the Holy Quran refers to in verse 12 of Surah Hujraat (chapter 49 of the Holy Quran) as being like eating the flesh of your dead brother! Now, on the Day of Judgement, this sin of backbiting will be presented to you in the form of the dead flesh of your brother! Similarly, all our deeds will manifest itself.
On a more positive example, we understand in light of the verses of Surah Noor (chapter 24 of the Holy Quran), that the people of Paradise will have Noor. This Noor is the embodiment of their good deeds and their foreheads will be shining with this Noor!
The Quran also says that the people destined to Hell will beg from the people of Paradise to borrow some of their Noor, because they are in complete darkness in the Hellfire. The people of Paradise will reply that it is not possible, despite them having free will to do so. The reason they will reply saying that its not possible is that there is nothing for the people of the Hellfire which can manifest in the form of Noor. Therefore, they cannot get this Noor, because there is no Noor to manifest in the darkness of the Hellfire.
Similarly, we said that relationships will also embody on the Day of Judgement, the same way that deeds will embody. This is the meaning of verse 71 of Surah Israa (chapter 17) noted above:
يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ ۖ
One day We shall call together all human beings with their (respective) Imams.
Your relationship with your Imam will manifest on the Day of Judgement. If you are following a leader of disbelief (Kufr and Shirk) then naturally, this relationship with your leader will manifest on the Day of Judgement and you will be called through this leadership.
Conversely, if you truly follow the infallible Imams, who are the leaders of the pious, led by the soul of Imamat in the form of Imam Ali (a.s), then this pious relationship will manifest on the Day of Judgement in this form. You will simply follow them along when they are moving towards Paradise!
