Shi'ite Doctrine of Wilayat al-Takwiniyah (Cosmic Authority) for the Imams

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله

In the previous blog entry I quoted Twelver Shi’ite sources which establish that their belief and concept of Imamate manifestly contravenes the fundamental belief in the Finality of Prophesy. In this article I shall quote the infamous Khomeini, founder of the so-called “Islamic Republic” of Iran, to the effect that the belief of the Shi’a about their Imams manifestly violates the most central tenet of Islam—Tawhid (monotheism):

فان للامام مقاما محمودا ودرجة سامية وخلافة تكوينية تخضع لولايتها وسيطرتها جميع ذرات هذا الكون، وان من ضروريات مذهبنا أن لائمتنا مقاما لا يبلغه ملك مقرب ولا نبي مرسل

(al-Hukumat al-Islamiyah, p.52)

"The spiritual status [maqāman mahmūdan] of the Imām is a universal divine viceregency that is sometimes mentioned by the Imāms. It is a viceregency pertaining to the whole of creation, by virtue of which all the atoms in the universe humble themselves before the holder of authority. It is one of the essential beliefs of our Shī‘i school that no one can attain the spiritual status of the Imāms, not even the cherubim or the prophets" (Islamic Government, p.68)

Hamid Algar explains this statement further in a footnote:

"The ‘governance’ (vilāyat) of the Imāms is intrinsic to their persons, unlike that of the fuqahā; moreover, its scope is not limited to men but embraces the whole of creation. They therefore exercise ‘cosmic governance’ (vilāyat-i takvīnī), in part through the performance of miracles. This form of vilāyat is common to the Imāms and to the foremost of the prophets, who exercised a governmental function while also propagating a divine message. The statement here that ‘no one can attain the spiritual status of the Imāms, not even the cherubim or the prophets’ thus carries the strict sense that the Imāms are superior to those prophets whose mission lacked the dimension of governmental leadership."

In summary, Khomeini claims, representing the madhhab of the Shi’a, that the Imams possess wilayat al-Takwiniyah meaning they possess control and authority over the entire universe, all of the atoms and particles, the laws of nature or physics, etc. This is clearly shirk (polytheism) of the worst kind, as it is a contravention of the Rububiyah (Lordship) of Allah Most High Who alone is Lord of the worlds. Hamid Algar has also explained in his footnote that this wilaya or divine authority which the Imams possess is essential or personal “intrinsic to their persons”. Furthermore, Khomeini claims that the Imams are superior to even the Prophets and Angels in this sense, i.e., their cosmic authority known as wilayat al-Takwiniyah