Where is Imamat Found in the Qur’an?

Key Qur’anic verses about God appointing hereditary Imams through prophetic history with Shi‘i Ismaili commentary and ta’wil.

“We are, and will continue to seek out knowledge and understanding, particularly, from the Qur’an, so that my murids can look forward to the future with interpretation which is correct… and it is important that, as time evolves, we should continue under the guidance of the Imam to seek clarity and understanding from the Qur’an-e-Shariff. And I want my spiritual children to know that this is an endeavor which is being undertaken on an ongoing basis, and that guidance will be given on a continuing basis.”

Mawlana Shah Karim al-Husayni⁽ˢ⁾
(Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, August 17, 2007)

Historically, all Muslims—including Sunnis and Shi‘is—have believed that the office of the Imamat (imāmah) is explicitly mandated in the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad⁽ˢ⁾.

The Sunni consensus holds that the existence of the Imamat and the appointment of an Imam is a collective “obligation of religion” (min wajibat al-din). Scholars from all four Sunni legal schools (madhahib) agree that the Imamat is an absolute necessity for both religious and political welfare, according to God’s revelation. This is evident in the writings of early Hanafi, late Hanafi, Hanbali, Maliki, and Shafi‘i scholars, as well as in the works of modern Sunni scholars who argue for the necessity of Imamat. The Shi‘i perspective asserts that the Imamat is indispensable for the welfare of humanity and is necessitated both by divine revelation (Qur’an and Sunnah) and human intellect (‘aql).

Thus, all Sunni and Shi‘i Muslims, based on their own traditional sources and scholarship, jointly affirm that the Qur’an explicitly mandates the office of the Imamat and the perpetual existence of a divinely-ordained Imam for human welfare. Their primary difference lies in how such an Imam is appointed and the criteria that qualify someone for the office of Imamat. The Sunni theologian al-Taftazani articulates this distinction as follows:

There is consensus that installing an Imam is an obligation. The disagreement is on whether the obligation is upon God or upon creation, by revelational evidence or rational. And [our Sunni] school holds that it is an obligation upon the creation through revelation, as the Prophet said, ‘Whoever dies without knowing the Imam of his time dies in pre-Islamic ignorance’.

Sa‘ad al-Din al-Taftāzānī (d. 792/1390), Sharḥ al-ʿAqāʾid al-Nasafiyya (Karachi: Maktabat al-Bushrā, 1430/2009), 353–54, quoted in Anjum, “Who Wants the Caliphate?”.

This article highlights key Qur’anic verses cited by both Sunnis and Shi‘is to demonstrate the necessity of Imamat. We begin by listing the verses and then explain how each supports the Shi‘i concept of Imamat, drawing on Qur’anic commentaries from Imam Muhammad al-Baqir⁽ᶜ⁾ and Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq⁽ᶜ⁾—figures esteemed as pious scholars in Sunni tradition and revered as infallible Imams by Ismailis and Twelvers. Overall, the various Qur’anic and Imamat materials included in this article encompass 25 years of academic research including unpublished translations of primary sources.

The article’s footnotes and hyperlinks delve deeper into the material, offering detailed insights and elucidations through exoteric and esoteric commentaries with a focus on Shi‘i Ismaili ta’wil (esoteric interpretation) of various Qur’anic verses, terms, and concepts related to Imamat, drawing from the works of great Ismaili da‘is of the past and present. Since the footnotes provide extensive additional material, particularly on the batin (esoteric) and spiritual dimensions of the subject, readers may find it helpful to first read through the main body of the article to grasp the key points and arguments. They can then revisit the article for a second reading, exploring the footnotes, annotations, and hyperlinks for a deeper understanding.

This article is essential, required reading for Ismaili parents and young members of our Jamat who may feel hesitant or uneasy about engaging with the Qur’anic text when articulating their Ismaili Muslim beliefs. We also hope that Ismaili Muslims, as well as Muslims from the Zaydi, Twelver, and Tayyibi (Bohra) traditions of Shi‘i Islam, will find the references valuable for grounding their understanding of the divinely-ordained Imamat within the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.

Ya ‘Ali Madad,
Ismaili Gnosis
12/25/2024
ismailignosis@gmail.com