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imam

 
Dictionary: i·mam  I·mam (ĭ-mäm') pronunciation
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also n. Islam
    1. In law and theology, the caliph who is successor to Muhammad as the lawful temporal leader of the Islamic community.
    2. The male prayer leader in a mosque.
    3. The Muslim worshiper who leads the recitation of prayer when two or more worshipers are present.
    1. A male spiritual and temporal leader regarded by Shiites as a descendant of Muhammad divinely appointed to guide humans.
    2. An earthly representative of the 12 such leaders recognized by the majority form of Shiism.
  3. A ruler claiming descent from Muhammad and exercising authority in an Islamic state.
    1. Any one of the founders of the four schools of law and theology.
    2. An authoritative scholar who founds a school of law or theology.
  5. Used as a title for an imam.

[Arabic 'imām, leader, imam, from 'amma, to go before, lead.]


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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: imam
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Head of the Muslim community. In Sunnite Islam the imam was identical with the caliph, designating the political successor of Muhammad. The Sunnites held the imam to be a man capable of error but deserving obedience provided he maintained the ordinances of Islam. In Shi'ite Islam the imam became a figure of absolute religious authority, possessed of unique insights into the Qur'an and divinely appointed and preserved from sin. With the historical disappearance of the last imam, there arose a belief in the hidden imam, who is identified with the mahdi. The term imam is also given to Muslims who lead prayers in mosques and has been used as an honorary title.

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Columbia Encyclopedia: imam
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imam (ĭmäm') [Arab.,=leader], in Islam, a recognized leader or a religious teacher. Among the Sunni the term refers to the leader in the Friday prayer at the mosque; any pious Muslim may function as imam. The term has also been used as a synonym for caliph (see caliphate), the vicegerent of God. The Shiites, with their numerous denominations throughout history, have developed specific meanings for the term. Zaydi Shiites recognize as Imam any pious descendant of Ali and Fatima who earns his recognition as a leader through struggle. Twelve-Imam Shiite dogma restricts the Imams to Ali, his sons Hasan and Husayn, and nine direct linear descendants of Husayn. Twelve-Imam Shiite doctrine presents the Imams as infallible intermediaries between the human and the divine. The continuous presence of the Imams being a prerequisite for human salvation, al-Mahdi, the last Imam, is considered in occultation (hidden from humanity) since 874 only to return near the end of creation as a messiahlike figure. For Ismaili Shiites, the succession of the Imams breaks off from the Twelve-Imams line with Ismail, the son of Jafar al-Sadiq (see Ismailis). At present the Nizari subgroup of the Ismailis is the only group whose members claim a living and visible Imam in the person of Shah Karim al-Husayn, Aga Khan IV. The use of the title "imam" by the Iranian revolutionary leader Ruhollah Khomeini and by the Lebanese Shiite leader Musa al-Sadr signaled a new development in Twelve-Imam Shiite doctrine, since neither could not claim to be the Hidden Imam returned, reflecting the desire to transcend the passive waiting for the reappearance of the Mahdi and promote the reincorporation of political activism into Shiite religious life.

Mideast & N. Africa Encyclopedia: Imam
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Religious title. The term derives from the Arabic amma, "to lead." Among Sunni Muslims, and imam refers to the leader of the prayers in a mosque. For Shiʿite Muslims, however, the term refers to the legitimate leader of the Muslim community, a position extending back to the first imam, Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad who also became the fourth caliph. Following Ali's death, the imamate devolved to his sons Hasan and Husayn, and thereafter to their descendants. The Shiʿite concept of imam involves considerably greater power and influence than for Sunnis, for the Shiʿite imams possessed special spiritual powers to interpret the will of God.

Islamic Dictionary: imam
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"Leader." The one who leads the salat prayer service in the mosque. In Shiite Islam, imam also refers to one of the revered early leaders of the community (a designated descendent of 'Ali) who both ruled in the political sense and also interpreted doctrine with infallible, God-given wisdom.

Wikipedia: Imam
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A depiction of Imam Ali

An imam (Arabic: إمام plural ائمة A'immah‎, Persian: امام) is an Islamic leadership position, often the leader of a mosque and the community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads the prayer during Islamic gatherings. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have an Islamic question. In smaller communities an imam could be the community leader based on the community setting.

Contents

Shi'a imams

Main article: Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

In the Shi'a context, imam has a meaning more central to belief, referring to leaders of the community. Twelver and Ismaili Shi'a believe that these Imams are chosen by God to be perfect examples for the faithful and to lead all humanity in all aspects of life. They also believe that all the Imams chosen are free from committing any sin and have a status directly parallel to those of a prophet, infallibility which is called ismah. These leaders must be followed since they are appointed by God.

Twelver

Here follows a list of the Twelvers Imams:

Number Name
(Full/Kunya)		 Title
(Arabic/Turkish)[1]		 Birth–Death
(CE/AH)[2]		 Importance Birthplace (present day country) Place of death and burial
1 Ali ibn Abu Talib
علي بن أبي طالب
Abu al-Hassan
أبو الحسن		 Amir al-Mu'minin
(Commander of the Faithful)[3]
Birinci Ali[4]		 600–661[3]
23–40[5]		 The first Imam and the rightful successor of the Prophet of all Shia; however, the Sunnis acknowledge him as the fourth Caliph as well. He holds a high position in almost all Sufi Muslim orders (Turuq); the members of these orders trace their lineage to Muhammad through him.[3] Mecca, Saudi Arabia[3] Assassinated by Abd-al-Rahman ibn Muljam, a Kharijite in Kufa, who slashed him with a poisoned sword.[3][6] Buried at the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf, Iraq.
2 Hassan ibn Ali
الحسن بن علي
Abu Muhammad
أبو محمد		 al-Mujtaba
Ikinci Ali[4]		 624–680[7]
3–50[8]		 He was the eldest surviving grandson of Muhammad through Muhammad's daughter, Fatimah Zahra. Hasan succeeded his father as the caliph in Kufa, and on the basis of peace treaty with Muawiya I, he relinquished control of Iraq following a reign of seven months.[9] Medina, Saudi Arabia[7] Poisoned by his wife in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the orders of the Caliph Muawiya.[10] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
3 Husayn ibn Ali
الحسین بن علي
Abu Abdillah
أبو عبدالله		 Sayed al-Shuhada
Ūçüncü Ali[4]		 626–680[11]
4–61[12]		 He was a grandson of Muhammad. Husayn opposed the validity of Caliph Yazid I. As a result, he and his family were later killed in the Battle of Karbala by Yazid's forces. After this incident, the commemoration of Husayn ibn Ali has become a central ritual in Shia identity.[11][13] Medina, Saudi Arabia[11] Killed and beheaded at the Battle of Karbala.[11] Buried at the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala, Iraq.
4 Ali ibn al-Hussein
علي بن الحسین
Abu Muhammad
أبو محمد		 al-Sajjad, Zain al-Abedin

[14]

Dorduncu Ali[4]		 658-9[14] – 712[15]
38[14]–95[15]		 Author of prayers in Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya, which is known as "The Psalm of the Household of the Prophet." [15] Medina, Saudi Arabia[14] According to most Shia scholars, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph al-Walid I in Medina, Saudi Arabia.[15] Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
5 Muhammad ibn Ali
محمد بن علي
Abu Ja'far
أبو جعفر		 al-Baqir al-Ulum

(splitting open knowledge) [16]

Besinci Ali[4]		 677–732[16]
57–114[16]		 Sunni and Shia sources both describe him as one of the early and most eminent legal scholars, teaching many students during his tenure.[16][17] Medina, Saudi Arabia[16] According to some Shia scholars, he was poisoned by Ibrahim ibn Walid ibn 'Abdallah in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Hisham ibn Abd al-Malik.[15]. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
6 Ja'far ibn Muhammad
جعفر بن محمد
Abu Abdillah
أبو عبدالله		 al-Sadiq[18]


(the Trustworthy)

Altinci Ali[4]		 702–765[18]
83–148 [18]		 Established the Ja'fari jurisprudence and developed the Theology of Shia. He instructed many scholars in different fields, including Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas in fiqh, Wasil ibn Ata and Hisham ibn Hakam in Islamic theology, and Geber in science and alchemy.[18][19][20] Medina, Saudi Arabia[18] According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Medina, Saudi Arabia on the order of Caliph Al-Mansur.[18]. Buried in Jannat al-Baqi.
7 Musa ibn Ja'far
موسی بن جعفر
Abu al-Hassan I
أبو الحسن الاول [21]		 al-Kazim[22]
Yedinci Ali[4]		 744–799[22]
128–183[22]		 Leader of the Shia community during the schism of Ismaili and other branches after the death of the former Imam, Jafar al-Sadiq.[23] He established the network of agents who collected khums in the Shia community of the Middle East and the Greater Khorasan.[24] Medina, Saudi Arabia[22] Imprisoned and poisoned in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Buried in the Kazimayn shrine in Baghdad.[22]
8 Ali ibn Musa
علي بن موسی
Abu al-Hassan II
أبو الحسن الثانی[21]		 al-Rida, Reza[25]
Sekizinci Ali[4]		 765–817[25]
148–203[25]		 Made crown-prince by Caliph Al-Ma'mun, and famous for his discussions with both Muslim and non-Muslim religious scholars.[25] Medina, Saudi Arabia[25] According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Mashad, Iran on the order of Caliph Al-Ma'mun. Buried in the Imam Reza shrine in Mashad.[25]
9 Muhammad ibn Ali
محمد بن علي
Abu Ja'far
أبو جعفر		 al-Taqi, al-Jawad[26]
Dokuzuncu Ali[4]		 810–835[26]
195–220[26]		 Famous for his generosity and piety in the face of persecution by the Abbasid caliphate. Medina, Saudi Arabia[26] Poisoned by his wife, Al-Ma'mun's daughter, in Baghdad, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tasim. Buried in the Kazmain shrine in Baghdad.[26]
10 Ali ibn Muhammad
علي بن محمد
Abu al-Hassan III
أبو الحسن الثالث[27]		 al-Hadi, al-Naqi[27]
Onuncu Ali[4]		 827–868[27]
212–254[27]		 Strengthened the network of deputies in the Shia community. He sent them instructions, and received in turn financial contributions of the faithful from the khums and religious vows.[27] Surayya, a village near Medina, Saudi Arabia[27] According to Shia sources, he was poisoned in Samarra, Iraq on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tazz.[28] Buried in the Al Askari Mosque in Samarra.
11 Hassan ibn Ali
ألحسن بن علي
Abu Muhammad
أبو محمد		 al-Askari[29]
Onbirinci Ali[4]		 846–874[29]
232–260[29]		 For most of his life, the Abbasid Caliph, Al-Mu'tamid, placed restrictions on him after the death of his father. Repression of the Shi'ite population was particularly high at the time due to their large size and growing power.[30] Medina, Saudi Arabia[29] According to Shia, he was poisoned on the order of Caliph Al-Mu'tamid in Samarra, Iraq. Buried in Al Askari Mosque in Samarra.[31]
12 Muhammad ibn al-Hassan
محمد بن الحسن
Abu al-Qasim
أبو القاسم		 al-Mahdi, Hidden Imam, al-Hujjah [32]
Onikinci Ali[4]		 868–unknown[33]
255–unknown[33]		 According to Twelver doctrine, he is the current Imam and the promised Mahdi, a messianic figure who will return with Christ. He will reestablish the rightful governance of Islam and replete the earth with justice and peace.[34] Samarra, Iraq[33] According to Shia doctrine, he has been living in the Occultation since 872, and will continue as long as God wills it.[33]

Fatimah, also Fatimah al-Zahraa, daughter of Muhammed (615–632), is also considered infallible but not an Imam. Many Shi'a believe that the last Imam will one day return.

See Imamah (Shi'a Ismaili doctrine) for Ismaili list of Imams

Sunni imams

Part of a series on Islam
Usul al-fiqh
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The term is also used for a recognized religious leader or teacher in Islam, often for the founding scholars of the four Sunni madhhabs, or schools of religious jurisprudence (fiqh). It may also refer to the imams of the sciences related to Hadith or to the heads of the Prophet's descendants in their times. In other words, Imam Ali is a phrase used by both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, though with different connotations[35].

The Sunni sect does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a sect. The imam in the Sunni sect of Islam is the leader of prayers; the sermon is most often given by the Sheikh.

However, there are some people whom Sunnis call "Imams" who are not prayer leaders. They are not Imams in the Shi'a sense of the word, but they are those who started the four Sunni Madhabs. List:

Madhhab Aqidah Science of hadith
Imam Abu Hanifa Imam al-Ashari Imam Bukhari
Imam Malik Imam Abu Mansur al-Maturidi Imam Abu Dawood
Imam Shafi'i Imam Fakhr al-Razi
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal
Imam Abu Dawood

Zaidi imams as rulers of Yemen

In the Zaidi Shiite sect, Imams were temporal as well as spiritual leaders who held power in Yemen for more than a thousand years. In 897, a Zaidi ruler, Yahya al-Hadi ila'l Haqq, founded a line of such Imams, a theocratic form of government which survived until the second half of the 20th century. (See details under Zaidi, History of Yemen.)

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Imam's Arabic titles are used by the majority of Twelver Shia who use Arabic as a liturgical language, including the Usooli, Akhbari, Shaykhi, and to a lesser extent Alawi. Turkish titles are generally used by Alevi, a fringe Twelver group, who make up around 10% of the world Shia population. The titles for each Imam literally translate as "First Ali", "Second Ali", and so forth. Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 9780028657691. 
  2. ^ The abbreviation CE refers to the Common Era solar calendar, while AH refers to the Islamic Hijri lunar calendar.
  3. ^ a b c d e Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. "Ali". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9005712/Ali. Retrieved 2007-10-12. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa. Gale Group. 2004. ISBN 9780028657691. 
  5. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.190-192
  6. ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.192
  7. ^ a b "Hasan". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9039439/Hasan. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  8. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.194-195
  9. ^ Madelung, Wilferd. "Hasan ibn Ali". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v12f1/v12f1024.html. Retrieved 2008-03-23. 
  10. ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.195
  11. ^ a b c d "al-Husayn". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9041622/al-Husayn-ibn-Ali. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  12. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.196-199
  13. ^ Calmard, Jean. "Husayn ibn Ali". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v12f5/v12f5036c.html. Retrieved 2008-03-23. 
  14. ^ a b c d Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ B. AL-HUOSAYN". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a052.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  15. ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p.202
  16. ^ a b c d e Madelung, Wilferd. "AL-BAQER, ABU JAFAR MOHAMMAD". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v3f7/v3f7a043.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  17. ^ Tabatabae (1979), p.203
  18. ^ a b c d e f Tabatabae (1979), p.203-204
  19. ^ Reseach Committee of Strasburg University, Imam Jafar Ibn Muhammad As-Sadiq A.S. The Great Muslim Scientist and Philosopher, translated by Kaukab Ali Mirza, 2000. Willowdale Ont. ISBN 0969949014.
  20. ^ "Wasil ibn Ata". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9076198/Wasil-ibn-Ata. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  21. ^ a b Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ AL-HAÚDÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a117.html. Retrieved 2007-11-09. 
  22. ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p.205
  23. ^ Tabatabae (1979) p. 78
  24. ^ Sachedina (1988), pp.53-54
  25. ^ a b c d e f Tabatabae (1979), pp.205-207
  26. ^ a b c d e Tabatabae (1979), p. 207
  27. ^ a b c d e f Madelung, Wilferd. "'ALÈ AL-HAÚDÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v1f8/v1f8a117.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  28. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.208-209
  29. ^ a b c d Halm, H. "'ASKARÈ". Encyclopedia Iranica. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v2f7/v2f7a081.html. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  30. ^ Tabatabae (1979) pp. 209-210
  31. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp.209-210
  32. ^ "Muhammad al-Mahdi al-Hujjah". Encyclopedia Britannica Online. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9054165/Muhammad-al-Mahdi-al-Hujjah. Retrieved 2007-11-08. 
  33. ^ a b c d Tabatabae (1979), pp.210-211
  34. ^ Tabatabae (1979), pp. 211-214
  35. ^ The Rightly-Guided Caliphs & The Four Imams

References

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Translations: Imam
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - imam, muhamedansk præst/fyrste

Nederlands (Dutch)
imam (islamitische geestelijke)

Français (French)
n. - imam

Deutsch (German)
n. - Imam (moslemischer Gebetsanführer in einer Moschee)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (θρησκ.) ιμάμης

Italiano (Italian)
imano, imam (figura religiosa musulmana)

Português (Portuguese)
n. - imame (m) (Rel.)

Русский (Russian)
имам

Español (Spanish)
n. - imán

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - imam (beteckning för olika ledare inom islam)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
阿訇, 教长

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 阿訇, 教長

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 마호메트교의 도사, 회교국의 종교적 수장

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - イマーム

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الإمام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מנחה התפילה במסגד, אימאם, תואר כבוד לשליט מוסלמי‬

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