INTRODUCTION

Since very long centuries, the Shiite political thought has been linked with the theory of the right of Khilafah (Caliphate) and the leadership of Muslims, which they accord to the members of Noble Prophet’s family, (Ahl al-Bayt), as it rejects Shura (consultation) as a means of electing the Imam (the leader), due to the pre-requisites of infallibility, (appointment) by text, and divine nomination. Imamate Shiites are divided into two main sects namely: (Al-Isma’iliyyah), who ruled over North Africa for a number of centuries, and (Al-Ithna Ashariyyah). Twelver-Imam Shiites, who believe in the existence of the twelfth Imam- Muhammad bin Hassan Askari and his occultation- from the middle of the third century of Hijrah to date.

As a result of limiting the Imamate in (the infallible and the occult twelfth Imam), and due to their waiting for his appearance, the Twelver-Imam Shiites thought, is marked by political isolationism and absolute negativism, till the birth of the idea of public representation of Imam Mahdi by the Jurists, and its later development to Wilayat al-Faqih (the guardianship of the Faqih) (Jurist), whereby the Shiite thought was able, through the leadership of Imam Khomeini, to establish an Islamic Republic in Iran, at the end of the 14^th century of Hijrah .

Despite the fact that the Shiite thought does not consider the Faqih (Jurist) infallible, Imam Khomeini gave the ruling Faqih, in his capacity as the representative of the infallible, full authority and powers of the Imam and the great Prophet; he also considered that authority as part of Allah’s authority, and gave the Faqih the right to act contrary to the provisions of the constitution and the will of the people.

All these motivated me to make a review research on the juristic deductions of the idea of Wilayat al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist-Consult), which I held before. I wanted to study it anew. I did possess some parts of the details of the issues at hand.

I differed with the Imam, in specifying the different roles (in government), the separation of powers and the dependence of the idea of the Guardianship of the Jurist-Consult on Shura and the will of the people.

Before writing the final results of the study, I deem it right to give an historical introduction which will cover the history of the religious authority, from the beginning of the Major Occultation, and that is by a perusal of the early fiqhi books and the life history of scholars, in order to see which of the scholars believed in the idea of the Wilayat Al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist-Consult) and it was reflected in his political stand on issues, and what kind of activities he performed? I unexpectedly discovered that the earlier scholars did not accept idea of the Wilayat Al-Faqih (Guardianship of the Jurist-consult); or rather they were completely ignorant of it… I found also that some of them like Sheikh AbdulRahman Al-Hilli, in fact wrote refuting the idea, when Zaydite Shiites proposed it as a solution to the crisis of the Occultation (ghaybah); I discovered also that the first to write on it was Sheikh Naraqi in his ‘Awaid al-Ayyam’ before around 150 years. I found that The preceding scholars were found to believe in the idea of awaiting the occult Imam Mahdi and they also prohibit political activity, revolution or the establishment of a government and the performance its functions, at the time of the Occultation, due to the non-fulfillment of the two conditions of infallibility and a text (on the appointment of) the Imam.

I used to hold contrary views with some scholars in the past, who prohibit political activity or even coming closer to it. I used to hear some scholars reciting the famous Hadith “Any banner raised before the appearance of Al-Mahdi is a banner of misguidance and the owner is a Taught’ (Satan or anyone worshipped instead of Allah). Even though I considered this Hadith to be a weak (inauthentic) one and not so important, I couldn’t recognize the depth of the negative thought that engulfs the hauzah (the religious seat of learning in Shiite circles), and how it is rooted in history and supported by an elaborate philosophical scholasticism (al-Kalam).

Here I paused to ask myself: If the idea of the Guardianship of the Jurist is a recent and Nobel idea, unknown to the preceding earlier scholars, then what about abandoning, the four special representatives in the political thought of the age of the Major Occultation.

Based on this I decided to study the minor occultation age and the thought and stand of the four representatives of Imam Mahdi. I was very much amazed when I found also that they believe in ‘waiting’ and abstaining from any kind of political activities. I have the opportunity of discovering in the course of my research, historical ambiguities and question marks revolving around the truth of the claim of the four representatives, being special deputies of the occult Imam Mahdi, as part of more than twenty claims to the same effect. A lot of doubt hovers over all of them. I tried my utmost to understand what kind of political system Imam Mahdi has bequeathed for the Shiites after his occultation. Has he pointed to it? Has he left them to no avail? Why has he not explicitly and textually said anything on authority (almarji'iyyah), public representation, and Guardianship of the Jurist or Shurah? Why he said nothing on the necessity of establishing a Shiite state, during his occultation. Why didn’t the earlier scholars close to him understand that from him? Why did they stick to the idea of waiting?

The search for the Minor Occultation led to another issue: The existence of Imam Mahdi-Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, when for the first time in my life I found serious doubts and perplexity surrounding the issue of those days, and lack of clear picture on the part of the Musawite Imamate Shiites, who became divided after the death of Imam Hassan Askari without an apparent heir, into fourteen (14) different sects, and were scattered to the right and to the left, the thing that caused me greater shock and encouraged me to pursue research on the issue, with the persistent urge to arrive at decisive and clear conclusions that will end the perplexity.

To my utter amazement, I discovered the extent of my ignorance of the history of Shiites, that I neither read nor hear about the details of perplexity and historical doubts on the birth of the twelfth Imam, despite the fact that I used to be a staunch missionary of the Twelver-Imam Shiites, sect from my childhood. I grew up in the hauzah and authored a number of books on the Imams of Ahl Al-Bayt and have read a lot… At that time I discovered the absence of history subject in the curricula of the educational hauzah (seminary) which is limited to Arabic language, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh (principles of Jurisprudence, philosophy and Logic, there is not a single lesson on Islamic or Shiite history.

Anyway, the research on the existence of Imam Mahdi is very sensitive and hold intellectual, political and social danger, and may turn a lot of things upside down and may form a strategic turning point in my life and the life of the society I belong to.

I was not able to abandon the suspended questions that present themselves to me, for I have to answer them in the affirmative or in the negative. I found that intellectual honesty and religious responsibility have made it incumbent on me to continue the research till the end.

I praise Allah the Almighty for the second time… that I was in Iran, the citadel of Imamate Shiite thought, and I visited the libraries of Tehran, Qum and Mashad. I did not leave a single old or new book on the topic, except that I made a thorough and deep study of it. And instead of the ambiguity being cleared and the doubts dispelled, the picture became more blurred and confusing. I found some earlier scholars declaring that there is no accepted sound and sufficient historical evidences on the birth of the twelfth Imam, and that it was said only on the basis of Ijtihad (Juristic deduction), philosophical speculation and guess.

I also found some scholars of the sect declaring that it is necessary to accept the existence of the Twelfth Imam, or recant the idea of Imamate, as it will come to an end with the death of Imam Hassan Askari without an issue to succeed him in the position of Imam. This is what made me conduct a new research on the doctrine of Imamate itself, and I found that it was a creation of theologians (Scholastic Scholars), and is remote, and in fact contrary to the statements and authentic traditions of the Imams, which clearly reject the monopoly of power and authority, and its revolving in a hereditary manner. These (Statements) call for the choosing of the Imam by the Ummah though Shura (consultation).

I also discovered in the course of the work, the existence of a very strong relation between the subject of believing in the existence of Imam Mahdi, and the idea of waiting, which has dominated the Shiite political thought in a period of one thousand years, and prohibits any kind of political activity in the period of the occultation. This very idea is responsible for the collapse of the Shiite and their eventual exit from real of life. These is also a strong relation between religious authority (al-Marji’iyyah al-diniyyah) the Guardianship of the Jurist-consult (Faqih) which give the religious authority or ruler absolute powers similar to the powers of the infallible Imam or the Great Prophet (S.A.W), and suppresses the possibility of public participation in governance and establishment of a just political system.

In this work, I pursued research on the development of the Shiite political thought from the idea of Shura believed by the Shiite of the first generation, followed by the belief in the Imam which is based on infallibility, a text and miracles, and evolved in the second century of Hijrah, and the challenges faced by it, during the second and third centuries, till when it reached a blind alley with the death of Imam Hassan Askari without an apparent issue, as Allah’s evidence on mankind.

I also studied all the evidences advanced or are being advanced, by theologians and historians on the birth and existence of the twelfth Imam Muhammad bin Hassan Askari, which can be divided into three major categories namely: philosophical-rational evidence, historical evidence, traditional textual evidence. So I had an in-depth study of these evidences evaluating and ascertaining their authenticity.

After that I studied the negative effects this idea brought on the Twelver-Imam Shiites throughout history. I also recorded the various attempts of Shiites to come out of this serious crisis, including the many efforts of bringing about Shiite Fiqhi or political revolutions against this negative thought. I finally paused at the last stage of the development of Shi'ah political thought, i.e. the stage of Wilayah al-Faqih (the Guardianship of the Faqih). I reflected on its positive and negative aspects, and I presented at the end the idea of Shurah – the idea of the members of the Prophet’s household and the first generation Shiites with the hope that Shiite political thought will revert to it in future.

Ahmad Alkatib