Twelver Shi'ah Rejection of Finality of Prophesy (Notes for Debate)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا رسول الله

Twelver Shi’ism is a heresy which manifestly contravenes the fundamental Islamic belief in the Finality of Prophesy. Here I shall present nine strong arguments to establish my charge:

1. They venerate Mukhtar bin Abi Ubaid al-Thaqafi who claimed Prophesy and Revelation for himself through the Angel Gabriel

Proof:

فِي ثَقِيفٍ كَذَّابًا وَمُبِيرًا

In Thaqif there is a Kadhdhab (Mukhtar) and a destroyer (Hajjaj) (Sahih Muslim)

لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ ثَلَاثُونَ كَذَّابًا مِنْهُمْ الْعَنْسِيُّ وَمُسَيْلِمَةُ وَالْمُخْتَارُ

The Hour will not be established until there come thirty liars, among them the Ansi, Musailimah and Mukhtar (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaibah; v.6, p.191, #30590)

عَنْ رِفَاعَةَ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى الْمُخْتَارِ فِي قَصْرِهِ فَقَالَ قَامَ جِبْرَائِيلُ مِنْ عِنْدِي السَّاعَةَ

Rifa’ah bin Shaddad, radi Allahu anhu, narrates that he entered upon Mukhtar in his palace, and Mukhtar said: “Gabriel just came to me this hour” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

2. They believe the Angel Gabriel revealed a new scripture called the Mushaf Fatimah to sayyidatuna Fatimah, radi Allahu anha, after the Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, passed away

3. They believe the Twelve Imams are superior to the Prophets and that the rank of Imamate is better than Prophesy. Believing that Prophesy has been replaced by something better than it (Imamate) defeats the purpose of Finality of Prophesy. Like a king who says that kingship has ended after me, there is no king after me, but in his stead come emperors who are superior to kings. What then is the rationale for the Finality of Prophesy according to the Twelvers?

4. They admit that the Imams are rationally Prophets, and thatrationally there is no distinction between Prophets and Imams. Baqir al-Majlisi said:

وَبِالْجُمْلَةِ لَا بُدَّ لَنَا مِنَ الْإِذْعَانِ بَعْدَمَا كَانُوا عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ أَنْبِيَاءَ وَبِأَنَّهُمْ أَشْرَفُ وَأَفْضَلُ مِنْ غَيْرِ نَبِيِّنَا صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْأَوْصِيَاءِ وَلَا نَعْرِفُ جِهَةً لِعَدَمِ اتِّصَافِهِمْ بِالنُّبُوَّةِ إِلَّا رِعَايَةَ جَلَالَةِ خَاتَمِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَلَا يَصِلُ عُقُولُنَا إِلَى فَرْقٍ بَيْنَ النُّبُوَّةِ وَالْإِمَامَةِ وَمَا دَلَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الْأَخْبَارُ فَقَدْ عَرَفْتُهُ

[the Imāms] are nobler and superior than the Prophets with the exception of our Prophet sall Allāhu alaihi wa-ālihi wasallam. We don’t know why the ascription of Prophesy isn’t given to them except for Prophet Muhammad being khātam al-Anbiyā. Our intellects cannot understand what is the difference between Prophesy and Imamate (Bihār ul-Anwār; v.26, p.82)

Shaikh al-Mufid said:

وَإِنَّمَا مَنَعَ الشَّرْعُ مِنْ تَسْمِيَةِ أَئِمَّتِنَا بِالنُّبُوَّةِ دُونَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَقْلُ مَانِعًا مِنْ ذَٰلِكَ لِحُصُولِهِمْ عَلَى الْمَعْنَى الَّذِي حَصَلَ لِمَنْ ذَكَرْنَاهُ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلَامُ

The religious law has only prohibited us from ascribing Prophesy to our Imāms although the intellect does not prohibit this, because they have acquired the qualities that we have mentioned for the Prophets peace be upon them (Awā’il al-Maqālāt; p.45)

5. They believe Allah is unjustified is establishing Hujjah upon the creation without an Imam:

أَنَّ الْحُجَّةَ لَا تَقُومُ للهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ إِلَّا بِإِمَامِ

The issue that Allah’s holding people accountable remains unjustified without the Imam (al-Kafi; v.1, p.103, ch.61)

whereas Allah says:

رُسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِیۡنَ وَ مُنۡذِرِیۡنَ لِئَلَّا یَکُوۡنَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَی اللّٰہِ حُجَّۃٌۢ بَعۡدَ الرُّسُلِ

Apostles as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no Hujjah against Allah after the Apostles

(Surah 4, Ayah 165)

6. Imams have legislative authority in declaring Halal and Haram like the Prophets:

إِنَّمَا الْوُقُوفُ عَلَيْنَا فِي الْحَلالِ وَالْحَرَامِ فَأَمَّا النُّبُوَّةُ فَلا

"To refer to us (as the Divine authorities) is valid only in finding the lawful and unlawful matters. To refer to us as prophethood is not valid." (al-Kafi; p.160, ch.110, no.2)

7. Imams have exact same position of the Prophet, peace be upon him, except they are only allowed to marry four wives:

الائِمَّةُ بِمَنْزِلَةِ رَسُولِ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه إِلا أَنَّهُمْ لَيْسُوا بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلا يَحِلُّ لَهُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَا يَحِلُّ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه فَأَمَّا مَا خَلا ذَلِكَ فَهُمْ فِيهِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ رَسُولِ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه

"The Imams possess the position of the Messenger of Allah except that they are not prophets and the number of wives permissible for the Holy Prophet is not permissible for them. In the aspects other than these they possess the same positions as the Messenger of Allah did" (al-Kafi; p.160, ch.110, no.7)

8. They believe that believing in Imams is necessary as part of Iman like believing in Prophets

لا يَكُونُ الْعَبْدُ مُؤْمِناً حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ الله وَرَسُولَهُ وَالائِمَّةَ كُلَّهُمْ وَإِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ وَيَرُدَّ إِلَيْهِ وَيُسَلِّمَ لَهُ

"One will not be considered a Believer until he knows Allah, His Messenger and all of the Imams and the Imam of one’s time, acknowledges his divine authority and submits his affairs to the Imam." (al-Kafi; v.1, p.105, ch.64, no.2)

9. They believe that the Imams are Ma’sum ‘anil-khata like the Prophets