What the defination of imam according to Ahlus Sunnah and how many imams are there?. If there are only four then why we call others imam also like Iman Baqir, Imam Jafar etc. Also what is the difference between the concept of imam between Ahlus Sunnah and fiqa-e-jaafiryaa
There is a huge difference between the concept of Imaamat according to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa?ah and between the shiah’s concept of it.
According to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa?ah, an Imam in any field, is a leader and a master in that particular field e.g. Imam Bukhari is an Imam in Hadith, Imam Razi is an Imam in Tafsir etc. The ?Four Imams? viz. imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Malik, Imam Shafi?i and Imam Ahmad are so titled on account of there being Imams in the field of jurisprudence(Fiqh) and Imams of their Mazhabs. There are only four imams of the Mazhabs, as according to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa?ah there are only four Rightful Mazhabs.
As for the Shiahs, their concept of Imamat is difference. They believe in 12 Imams, to whom they accord a status higher then that of Prophethood. They believe that these 4 imams are infallible, That they have the right to render something lawful as unlawful and vise versa. They also consider obedience of these Imams as Fard and disobedience to them as Kufr. According the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaa?ah, these Imams (with the exception of the 12th who never existed) are pious servants of Allah from the Family of Rasulullah (Saw).They never claimed to have any of the supernatural powers that the Shiah attribute to them and were all part of the Ahlus sunnah wal jamaa?a. This belief of the Shiahs is completely in opposition to Islamic beliefs and is contrary to our belief of Khatmun Nububat (Belief in the termination of Prophethood on Nabi (SAW).
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Ml. Hussein Kadodia
FATWA DEPT.
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