Congratulations on the occasion of Birthday of Imam Hadi (Peace be upon Him)

Abolhassan Imam Ali Alnaghi, known as Hadi (p.b.u.h.), the tenth leader and Imam of Shiite was born in a place named: Sarya, around Medina, the middle of month: Zihajeh in the year: 212 Hijri Ghamari.

The most well-known epithet of the tenth Imam is Naghi and Hadi and is also named: Abolhassan Alsales. Imam Hadi (p.b.u.h.) was elected in the year: 220 Hijri (lunar calendar) after his dear father was martyred, while Imam was eight years old. The duration of Imamate of that respected Imam was 33 years.

Imam is one who has been lead to God intrinsically, not that he is guided to anyone else or he is by no means guided. Therefore, Imam is one who is safe of sin and violation. It means:

1)      he makes no mistake in interpretation of divine knowledge and God inspirations and he transfers to others without any alteration, anxiety, intervention of self, the real text which is reflected to his heart.

2)      In notification of the orders of God and in guidance of the people, he moves the people in the direct path in both apparent and inner respects.

3)      He is not suffering from injustice and sin.

Continuing the same subject, we consider the case of Imamate after prophet Abram (p.b.u.h.) whose question is replied by Almighty God as follows: “My bond shall not go to one who has oppressed others even a little, (sura: Baghareh, verse: 124) and shall go to those people who are absolutely not oppressors”. This is exactly innocence.

Imam is a person who has committed no sin during the whole term of his life and one who has committed even a little sin or error, or has committed barbarism or polytheism, even if he has later repent, and even if the effect of sin has been removed, shall not make Imam.

The people are classified in four categories considering the rational division:

1)      Those who are oppressors during the whole term of his life.

2)      Those who have been pure and innocent of all sin and has not committed any oppression during the whole term of their life.

3)      Those who have been oppressors in the beginning of their life and have repent later in their life and have been guided by God.

4)      Those who have been pure and innocent in the beginning of their life, but in the end of their life, they have committed sin.

Rank of Abram (p.b.u.h.) is higher than that he might ask God to consider Imamate and rank of Imam in the first or the fourth categories. He shall never suggest God to consider rank of Imam for a person who has committed an error during his life, so only the second and the third remain.

Among, these two, God prescribes: “I shall not let the oppressors inherit my bond.” So, it is clear that those who have committed sin in the beginning of their life, even if they repent later and are guided by God shall not make Imam because in a manner oppression might be applied to them. So, only one group will remain, those who have not committed any sin, any error and have stayed pure during the whole term of their life, and this is the meaning of innocence.

In general, there are seven cases which are very important considering the matter of Imamate which distinguishes Shiite and Sunni.  

1)      Imamate might not be selected, but it is a matter of election by God, announced to the people by Prophet or by the former Imam through miracles, because, firstly, this rank is introduced by God in Holy Koran as a matter of divine election (God instructed him: “I shall elect you as the leader of the people.” (sura: Baghare, verse: 124). Secondly, Imamate is a divine power in the soul of Imam through which Imam has been informed of inner side of all the objects and heaven.

2)      Imam shall be infallible enjoying infallibility of God. Imam has passed all the stages of self to join the being of God in whose soul there is the will of God without intervention of carnal soul and his action is the essence of God’s inspiration. So, he is infallible and pure of all the pollutions of soul which is the meaning of infallibility.

3)      Imam shall be elected by God. It means that his sciences and comprehensions occur through certainty and metaphysical inspirations and God trusts his actions and affairs.

4)      The earth and the whole people living there, shall have a leader all the time and never the earth is empty of the messenger of God, because, God calls all the people in the afterlife, through their leaders. Thus, there is no man among the human generation, except if he has a leader and no man shall be found on the earth without a leader.

5)      Imam is aware of all the actions, dialogue, deeds and good behaviors of the creatures of God and no science is concealed of him.

6)      Imam is well informed of all the affairs the people need whether in substance or in resurrection.

7)      Imam is higher than all the humans considering the soul virtues and divine habits and it is impossible that one is higher than Imam considering morals and humanity. So, since the path of God is a path of good habits and pure soul and since Imam is higher than all others at this rank, therefore, Imam guides the people to truth through the path of good habits. In this case, if two people are found, of whom, one is better than the other, certainly, the better one shall be Imam to the other. Because,  the one whose horizon of heaven and soul is clear, shall be able naturally to guide the other to his own place, who is not in that horizon, and in this case, he is his Imam.

The seven above-mentioned cases make the important principles of Imamate and the other issues shall be appurtenance to them.