Seeking the Ta`līm: A Central Ismaili Doctrine

How do individuals come to know and worship God?

Image of Sunrise over Al-Azhar Masjid. Image from the Look Photos.

Table of Contents

· Table of Contents · Preface · Introduction to Ta`lim ∘ The Teaching ∘ The Story of Salman al-Farsi (RA) ∘ Continuing the Teaching ∘ Premises and Implementation · Who are the Ulu’l Amr? ∘ Military Leaders ∘ A Scholarly Body ∘ Political leaders ∘ The Imams · Introduction to Fiqh · Approaches to Sources of Guidance in Islam ∘ Qur’an ∘ Sunnah ∘ Companions ∘ Scholars · Issues with the Methods of Scholars ∘ Ijma ∘ Qiyas ∘ Submission to Legitimate Authority · The Solution to these Issues ∘ Changing Practices of Ismailis ∘ Answering Objections to the Ta`lim Doctrine · Conclusion ∘ Further Reading

Preface

Please read our disclaimer article before continuing.

The Ta`lim (تَعْلِيم) doctrine, or the doctrine of authoritative teaching, is central to Ismaili belief and action. When we are young, we are taught at Bait ul-Ilm from the Ta`lim Curriculum. Alongside being a set of beliefs for Ismailis, the Talim doctrine was also formulated as a polemical tool against those who wished to attack Ismailis by Sayyidna Hasan bin Sabbah (often shortened to Hasan Sabbah), may God be pleased with him. Hasan Sabbah was an Ismaili Dai who spread the dawah in Persia during the Fatimid Caliphate. However, after the Nizari Ismailis split from the Mustali Ismailis in 1095 CE, the center of power shifted to Alamut in modern-day Iran, which Hasan Sabbah conquered as he began his dawah, converting every member of the castle to the Ismaili cause. Before the Nizari Ismailis split from the Fatimids, they spread the work of Hassan Sabbah on the Talim doctrine to such an extent that one of the epithets of Ismailis that the Abbasids used was the Talimiyya.

Unfortunately, nearly all work on the articulation of Ta`lim had been lost after the Mongols sacked Alamut in 1256 CE. Some work remains in the writings of Ismaili Dai al-Shahrastani, may God be pleased with him, in his work titled the Book of Sects and Creeds or in Arabic, Kitab al-Milal wa ‘l-Nihal, where al-Shahrastani quotes Hassan Sabbah, but these quotations are few in number. There are also details about Hasan Sabbah's personality in his autobiography, Sargdhasht-Sayyidna (Biography of our Master). Although the actual work has not survived, small extracts can be found within the accounts of Persian historians.

This treatise offers the authors’ best attempt to resurrect this element of the dawah, drawing on the writings of the Ismaili Dais and our own understanding of the topic. We have primarily directed our writing towards Ismailis, with a secondary audience being other Muslim readers.

The intended conclusion for Ismaili readers is that obedience to the Imam is not taqlid, meaning it is not an unfounded obedience. It is incumbent upon all Ismailis to listen to the Imam, but there is a reason for Ismailis’ unflinching devotion to the Imam of the Time. Further, we wish to answer questions about what Ismailis consider to be bid`ah (i.e., innovation in the religion) and why Ismailis practice differently than other Muslims.

The Imam’s word on the Faith is taken as an absolute rule. Every Ismaili is expected to accept it. The Community always follows very closely the personal way of thinking of the Imam. It’s one of the particularities of Ismailis. An Ismaili who did not obey my word in matters of Faith, would not be excommunicated, he would still be a Muslim. He simply would no longer be a member of the Jamath — the Community of Ismaili Muslims.

— Imam Shah Karim Shah (AS), Sunday Times, 1965

It is not for a believing man or woman — when Allah and His Messenger decree a matter — to have any other choice in that matter. Indeed, whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone ˹far˺ astray. — (33:36)

We pray that our work does justice to the efforts of the Ismaili Dais and to the teachings of our Imam.

Image from Iran Negin Travel. Artist depiction of Alamut Castle.

O Allah, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.

In the name of God, we begin.

Introduction to Ta`lim

In this article, we aim to introduce our readers to one of the most important doctrines in Islamic history, and in the history of all religions, the Ta`lim doctrine.

In accordance with Shia doctrine, tradition, and interpretation of history, the Holy Prophet (S.A.S.) designated and appointed his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Mawlana Ali Amiru-l-Mu’minin (Alayhi-s-salam), to be the first Imam to continue the Ta’wil and Ta’lim of Allah’s final message[.]

— Previous Ismaili Constitution, Prior to February 2025

The Teaching

Human beings are creatures in need of authoritative instruction. When we are young, we need another to teach us to walk and talk; as we age, we require instruction in the maths and sciences; and as we age further, we attempt to provide instruction to others as it was provided to us.

Similarly, as is true in the physical development of a child, it is true that mankind requires a teacher in religious and spiritual matters, or they will be left in spiritual infancy, attempting to crawl towards a goal they are unable to reach. Self-instruction puts oneself in the role of the instructor, but the person who does this to himself will realize, through his own struggle towards perfection and knowledge, that he is imperfect and lacking knowledge. Thus, demonstrating the need for a teacher to bridge the gap between a student's potential development and current inadequacies.

Unlike the study of mathematics or the sciences, the belief and action of the believer are what are necessary for their Hereafter. Therefore, if it is necessary to seek certainty in mathematics and science, which is the practice of any mathematician or scientist, it is certainly necessary to seek certainty in religion for the believer. However, in religion, there is no experiment that can confirm the validity of a particular understanding; texts can be read, but how they are read and applied varies according to the individual's understanding. That is why there is so much disagreement between scholars about individual practices. Without the Imam of the Time, disagreement among scholars is inevitable, and religious truth becomes inaccessible. Ismailis have relayed this to the Ummah for centuries and continue to do so today: no amount of scholarly disputation yields certainty — only the divinely guided teacher (i.e., Imam) can bring one to true knowledge.

Since our knowledge and foresight do not encompass the ultimate ends of affairs, and we are unable to choose truth through our own judgement [based on] opinion (ra’y) and analogy (qiyas), evil comes into existence through the injudicious use of free will (ikhtiyar). For example, it is a specific requirement for a student that he should have need [of instruction], wherein lies his good; and of a teacher that he should have no such need, and therein lies his good. Now, if we do not submit to the discipline of instruction and, instead, aspire to be a teacher, we will give up the need which is proper to us and in which our good lies. By conceiving ourselves to be independent [of a teacher] — which is inappropriate, and therein lies evil for us — we forsake that good and fall into evil. We seek refuge in God from this.

— Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (RA), The Paradise of Submission, tr. S.J. Badakhchani, p.53

The innate rationality of human beings allows them the ability to recognize a problem, but not the knowledge to solve it. This idea is present in the scriptures of the Ahl al-Kitab (i.e., People of the Book), more broadly known as the Abrahamic religions. In Judaism, there is Prophet Musa, in Christianity, there is Prophet Isa, and in Islam, there is Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Each of these figures is necessary to actualize the potential of their communities, moving them from ignorance and waywardness to knowledge and steadfastness.

So if they fail to respond to you [O Messenger], then know that they only follow their desires. And who could be more astray than those who follow their desires with no guidance from Allah? Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people. — (28:50)

Indeed, what we are suggesting is not new but very, very old. In the Old Testament, New Testament, and Final Testament, we can find evidence of the Ta`lim doctrine and of its necessity therein.

The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.” — (Exodus 24:12)

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah [i.e., Prophet Isa, peace be upon him]. — (Matthew 23:8–10)

Just as We have sent among you a messenger [i.e., Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings upon him] from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know. — (2:151)

The shahadah itself is proof of the Ta`lim doctrine, in which the first statement “There is no god but God” is not complete without the testimony “and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.” The very statement that makes someone a Muslim is a testament to the universality of the concept of authoritative instruction. Indeed, the perennial monotheism of Islam has always been implemented through the mediation of the Guide, endowed with divinely granted authority over the people. The first historical narrative presented in the Qur’an is the story of Prophet Adam, peace be upon him, and Iblis. Specifically, Iblis is cursed by God for refusing to recognize the authority of Adam. Although Iblis did not reject Allah, he did reject the authority of Adam and refused to prostrate to him and, in doing so, rejected God.

˹Remember˺ when your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to place a successive ˹human˺ authority [khalifa] on earth.” They asked ˹Allah˺, “Will You place in it someone who will spread corruption there and shed blood while we glorify Your praises and proclaim Your holiness?” Allah responded, “I know what you do not know.” — (2:30)

Every one of the companions of the Prophet of God is a proof for the doctrine of Ta`lim. Our predisposition or fitrah alerts us to what is wrong, but it does not teach us what is correct. If intuition were enough, any of the companions of the Prophet would have been able to derive the teachings of Islam on their own. Instead, the companions of the Prophet understood enough to reject idolatry and polytheism, but not enough to establish the beliefs and actions of Islam independently.

Among all the companions, the quintessential example of Ta`lim is found in the story of Salman al-Farsi (RA).

The Story of Salman al-Farsi (RA)

Salman al-Farsi began as the son of a Zoroastrian priest. His father was the leader of their community, and Salman was trained to take over for him, being taught the ways of Zoroastrianism and eventually caring for the fire that Zoroastrians venerate and worship. Using his innate intellect, Salman recognized the errors in his forefathers’ ways. However, while Salman does recognize what is wrong, he does not know what is correct. He only recognizes that the fire that his community worships cannot be worthy of this because it depends on him for fuel and protection. One day, Salman’s father was busy with his tasks in their village and told Salman to tend to their garden. This provided Salman with a chance outside the house, because he tells Abdullah ibn Abbas (who conveys this story) that his father kept him closely guarded and prevented him from exploring the outside world. When Salman goes outside, he hears some hymns being sung and is drawn towards a group of Christian worshippers. Salman listened in the background and returned to his father, who was very worried. He informed his father that he believed that these Christians were on is better than what they were on.

I went out, heading towards his garden, and I passed by one of the Christian churches, where I could hear their voices as they were praying. I did not know anything about the people because my father had kept me in his house. When I passed by and heard their voices, I entered upon them to see what they were doing. When I saw them, I was impressed with their prayer and I was attracted to their way. I said: By Allaah, this is better than the religion that we follow. By Allaah, I did not leave them until the sun set, and I forgot about my father’s garden and did not go there. I said to them: Where did this religion originate? They said: In [Greater] Syria. Then I went back to my father, who had sent people out to look for me, and I had distracted him from all his work. When I came to him, he said: O my son, where were you? Did I not ask you to do what I asked? I said: O my father, I passed by some people who were praying in a church of theirs, and I was impressed with what I saw of their religion. By Allaah, I stayed with them until the sun set. He said: O my son, there is nothing good in that religion. Your religion and the religion of your forefathers is better than that. I said: No, by Allaah, it is better than our religion. He was afraid for me, and he put fetters on my legs and kept me in his house.

— Musnad Ahmad (5/441)

Shortly after this, Salman escapes from his father and goes to find a Christian teacher. This is already a demonstration of the first key point for Ta`lim: the necessity of a teacher. Rejecting Zoroastrianism was not sufficient; if Salman wanted the truth, he needed to find a teacher to guide him to the correct path. Unfortunately, Salman found a teacher who was not righteous. He says the following:

When I reached Syria, I said: Who is the best person in this religion? They said: The bishop in the church. So I went to him and said: I like this religion, and I would like to stay with you and serve you in your church and learn from you and pray with you. He said: Come in. So I went in with him, but he was a bad man. He would command them and exhort them to give charity, but he kept a great deal of it for himself and did not give it to the poor; he had amassed seven chests of gold and silver. I hated him deeply when I saw what he was doing, then he died and the Christians gathered to bury him. I said to them: This was a bad man; he commanded you and exhorted you to give charity, but when you brought it to him he kept it for himself and did not give any of it to the poor.

— Musnad Ahmad (5/441)

Through this next part of Salman’s story, we get a second key point of Ta`lim: the necessity of finding the truthful and authoritative teacher. It is not the case that any teacher is sufficient, but instead that some teachers are greater than others. Thankfully for Salman, the successor to this bishop was a righteous man who based his beliefs and actions on the teachings of Prophet Isa (AS). Salman says about him:

Then they brought another man and appointed him in his place. Salmaan said: I have never seen a man who does not offer the five daily prayers who was better than him; he shunned this world and sought the Hereafter and no one strives harder than him night and day. I loved him as I had never loved anyone before, and I stayed with him for a while. Then when he was about to die, I said: O So and so, I was with you and I loved you as I had never loved anyone before, and now the decree of Allaah has come to you as you see; to whom do you advise me to go? What do you command me to do? He said: O my son, by Allaah, I do not know of anyone today who follows what I followed. The people are doomed; they have changed and abandoned most of what they used to follow, except for a man in Mosul [i.e., Iraq].

— Musnad Ahmad (5/441)

Salman, who had already travelled from Persia to Damascus, was now being sent to an area in modern-day Iraq. This process, where Salman goes from one teacher to another, happens a few different times. Salman travels from Persia to Syria, Syria to Iraq, Iraq to Turkey, and eventually back to Damascus. This emphasizes a third tenet of Ta`lim: it is necessary to seek out the teacher, not only to acknowledge the need for them. The last teacher that Salman al-Farsi received tutelage from directed him to Arabia. This man says that there will be a Prophet in this area and that there will be signs of Prophethood by which Salman can recognize him. The signs are as follows:

1. The Prophet will not eat from charity.
2. However, the Prophet will eat from a gift.
3. There will be a seal (i.e., mark) of Prophethood on his back.

Given this information, Salman sets off to Arabia, but he ends up as a slave for more than a decade, and he is sold from one owner to another until finally, he ends up in Medina. While in Medina, he hears about a man claiming to be a Prophet. This makes Salman ecstatic. Eventually, Salman approaches the Prophet, doing so with caution. This is because he has not yet confirmed that this man is who he claims. Therefore, he provides the Prophet with three tests, in accordance with the three signs that his previous teacher had given to him.

First, Salman brings charity, from which the Messenger of God does not eat, but he gives it to his companions. Second, Salman brings a gift, and the Messenger of God eats with his companions. Third, and finally, Salman is able to spot the seal of Prophethood on the back of Muhammad (SAW).

I greeted him with salaam then I moved behind him, trying to look at his back to see the Seal that my companion had described to me. When the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw me going behind him, he realized that I was trying to find confirmation of something that had been described to me, so he let his rida’ drop from his back, and I saw the Seal and recognized it. Then I embraced him, kissing (the Seal) and weeping, and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “Turn around.” So I turned around and I told him my story as I have told it to you, O Ibn ‘Abbaas.

— Musnad Ahmad (5/441)

SubhanAllah! Salman found the Teacher.

Not only did Salman find Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and attach himself to the Messenger, but he became one of the foremost companions of the Prophet and later of Imam Ali (AS).

“Salman is from us. He is a member of my [Prophet Muhammad’s] family (ahl al bayt).”

— Hakim, III, 691/6541; Haythami, VI, 130; Ibn Hisham, III, 241; Ibn Sa‘d, IV, 83.

Know that this Imamate is a reality [which] will never cease, change or be altered. It will continue forever to be transmitted through the progeny of our lords *(mawalina).* It will never leave them, whether in form, meaning or reality. With regard to the situation of others [from the Imam’s family], each of them enjoys a connection to our lord in a different fashion. One of them, like Salman, is related [to the Imam] in his interior reality (ma`na) rather then his external appearance (shakl), [i.e., their kinship is purely spiritual, not physical]. [Thus, the Prophet said of him], `Salman is one of us [our family]’ Another, such as Mustali, is connected to him merely in his external appearance without any relation to his interior reality.**

— Imam Hasan ‘ala Dhikrihi al-Salam (AS) as quoted by Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, The Paradise of Submission, tr. S.J. Badakhchani, p.122

Salman al-Farsi’s father did not accept that the authoritative teaching was necessary, but the Christian leaders did. Specifically, the need for the correct teaching tracing back to Prophet Isa (AS). Salman did not spend any time without a teacher after he accepted the need for one, except for his time in slavery. He went from one teacher to another until he finally found Prophet Muhammad, who had declared that he was the teacher for mankind and that following him was obligatory.

But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly. — (4:65)

We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a deliverer of good news and a warner to all of humanity, but most people do not know. — (34:28)

He is the One Who raised for the illiterate ˹people˺ a messenger from among themselves — reciting to them His revelations, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, for indeed they had previously been clearly astray — along with others of them who have not yet joined them ˹in faith˺. For He is the Almighty, All-Wise. — (62:2 to 62:3)

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was not only sent to reveal the Qur’an, but to teach and interpret it. Specifically, the Prophet was sent to provide the ta`lim for his people because revelation alone is insufficient. This is confirmed even in the Sunni orthodox tafsir, Ma’arif al-Qur’an.

A question arises here that the natural order of wording in the verse should have been thus: [1] recitation or teaching of words; followed by [2] teaching of meaning; and consequently [3] making pure by inculcating righteous deeds and high morals. However, in most places the Qur’an has changed the sequence by inserting ‘[3] tazkiyah or making pure’ between ‘[1] tilawah (recitation) and ‘[2] ta` lim (teaching)…whereas probably Allah wanted to maintain separate identities of the Divine blessings and the three Prophetic duties separately identifiable. By changing the natural order in most places, the Holy Qur’an has probably alluded to this fact.

— Ma’arif al-Qur’an* for 62:2*

According to the present verses, “teaching the Book” is a prophetic function distinct from “reciting the Verses”. We can easily infer from it the principle that in order to understand the Holy Qur’an it is not sufficient merely to know the Arabic language, but that it also requires the “teaching” of the Holy Prophet ﷺ … Had it been the only qualification required, one could have easily mastered all the sciences and the arts on which one could find books written in the language one knew. To learn the meanest craft, then, one needs the regular and constant guidance of a teacher. This being so, how can one hope to understand, unaided, the Holy Qur’an which has something to say on the most difficult subjects possible, ranging from theology to philosophy and physics? Had a competence in the Arabic language been sufficient for this task, scores of Jewish and Christian scholars and men of letters in the Arabic countries today would have been counted among the greatest commentators as would have been Abu Jahl ابو جھل and Abu Lahab ابو لہب in the days of the Holy Prophet…but that such an understanding can be acquired only through the teaching of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and that to separate the one from the other, and to make an attempt at interpretation on one’s own is no more than a self-delusion.

— Ma’arif al-Qur’an* for 2:129*

Salman al-Farsi not only found someone who claimed to be a teacher for mankind and to fulfill this necessary function, but also found someone who could trace his appointment back to the previous authoritative teacher. Salman’s last Christian teacher informs him of a coming Prophet. This is a directive, not from this bishop, but from Prophet Isa (AS). Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reminds the community of this for those who do not know.

And ˹remember˺ when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel! I am truly Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah which came before me, and giving good news of a messenger after me whose name will be Aḥmad.” Yet when the Prophet came to them with clear proofs, they said, “This is pure magic.” — (61:6)

Prophet Muhammad’s teaching is not an isolated event but a continuation of the previous authoritative teaching of Prophet Isa, who in turn continued and confirmed the teachings of Prophet Musa before him. Peace be upon them all.

The core message of Islam is submission to God — indeed, that is what ‘islam’ literally means in Arabic. To submit oneself to God is not a simple task and is one that requires a teacher. For Muslims, Muhammad is the ultimate guide to embark on this journey with.

— Dr. Stephen Burge, The Prophet Muhammad: Islam and the Divine Message, p.27

This brings us to the fourth and final point on Ta`lim that can be ascertained through the story of Salman al-Farsi: Who is the group that says the teaching is necessary, and specifically, who says that it is continuously necessary?

The answer during the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) were the Muslims. The answer after the death of the Prophet were the followers of Imam Ali. The answer after the death of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq were the followers of Imam Ismail — the Ismailiyya. The answer after the death of Imam al-Mustansir Billah were the followers of Imam Nizar. Therefore, the adepts of truth are the Nizari Ismailis who have attached themselves to the Authoritative Teacher — Imam Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, may God exalt his mention — and follow his teachings without compromise or apology.

O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you [Ulu’l Amr]. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution. — (4:59)

There are many Muslims who will reject this conclusion because they believe that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the last Prophet and therefore the last authoritative Teacher. While they are correct that Prophet Muhammad is the last and final of the Prophets, and it is correct to point to the Qur’an as the final revelation brought to mankind, it is incorrect to assume that the revelation does not have an associated teacher to accompany it as was the established precedent for any divinely guided community.

Continuing the Teaching

While revelation has been preserved, it still needs to be interpreted, applied and taught. However, this cannot be done by anyone, for if it is done by fallible and impure individuals, their conclusions will always be tainted by their fallibility and impurity.

The prejudices and biases of the human inclination toward our nafs (i.e., ego) will leave lessons distorted and rulings corrupted. It is like shooting an arrow without considering the wind or swimming without considering the current. The target will never be hit, and the destination will never be reached.

They have taken their rabbis and monks as well as the Messiah, son of Mary, as lords besides Allah, [1] even though they were commanded to worship none but One God. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. Glorified is He above what they associate ˹with Him˺! — (9:31)

[1] When ’Adi ibn Ḥâtim, a companion of the Prophet (ﷺ), heard this verse, he said, “But the Jews and Christians do not worship their rabbis and monks!” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Do the rabbis and monks not forbid the permissible and permit the forbidden, and they obey them?” ’Adi answered, “Yes, they do.” The Prophet (ﷺ) concluded, “This is how they worship them.” Collected by At-Tirmiⱬi.

Considering how previous communities have distorted the instruction of their appointed teachers, we must examine who the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) left to interpret, apply, and teach it. Through this inquiry, it will be found that the Seal of the Prophets left his family, the descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), with the Qur’an forever, never to be separated. They are the purified ones whose instruction is necessary for the continued guidance of the community, without which the community would be left astray.

Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of ˹pre-Islamic˺ ignorance. Establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep ˹the causes of˺ evil away from you and purify you completely, O members of the ˹Prophet’s˺ family! — (33:33)

“I saw the Messenger of Allah during his Hajj, on the Day of ‘Arafah. He was upon his camel Al-Qaswa, giving a Khutbah, so he said: ‘O people! Indeed, I have left among you, that which if you hold fast to it, you shall not go astray: The Book of Allah and my family, the people of my house.’” — Tirmidhi 3786 (Grade: Sahih)

The Prophet (SAW) said, “There is someone from among you who will fight for the (correct) interpretation of this Qur’an, just as I fought for its revelation.” We stretched ourselves up (hoping to be the person the Prophet (SAW) was referring to), and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar were (also) amongst us. The Prophet (SAW) said, “No. Rather, it is khasif al n’al (the repairer of the sandals) (referring to ‘Ali).” We came to give him (i.e. ‘Ali) the glad tidings (of what the Prophet (SAW) said). He (the narrator) said, “It was as if ‘Ali heard it (himself).” — Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal

The Prophet’s family continue the authoritative teaching of their ancestors, namely Prophet Ibrahim, the father of the Prophets, and his descendants. Talim did not begin after the Prophet Muhammad with Imam Ali. Talim is a constant reality — a reality that must be confronted by those seeking the truth. Authoritative instruction, provided by the authoritative instructor, must always be present, before, during and after revelation for the guidance of mankind.

And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.” He pleaded: “And also (Imams) from my offspring!” He answered: “But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers. — (2:124)

This translation is from the Yusuf Ali translation. Other common translations leave out the word “Imam” but the Arabic is إِمَامًۭاۖ. The transliteration of this is “Imaman”.

Or do they envy people for what Allāh has given them of His bounty? But We had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom. — (4:54)

Premises and Implementation

To conclude this section, we will summarize the Ta`lim doctrine beginning with a question. We will ask whoever expresses an opinion on God, whether he knows this through his own reasoning or through instruction? This question can be answered through four steps, following the journey of Salman al-Farsi very closely.

1. Taking his own reasoning means he cannot reject another’s reasoning. If he does, he makes himself his own teacher and the teacher of another. In the very act of rejecting the reasoning of another, he declares that the man whose reasoning he rejects is in need of another.
2. The person who upholds the need for instruction should be asked, would any teacher suffice, or does the teacher need to be truthful and authoritative? If they affirm the former, then they may not reject the teacher of another. If they say no, then they accept the need for a truthful and authoritative teacher.
3. If the need for a truthful and authoritative teacher is established, is it not necessary to learn from him? Or should people learn from any teacher without determining one teacher in particular, with no regard for truthfulness and authority? With respect to authority, if authority can be granted by those who have no authority, then how can they claim their teacher is authoritative when this quality is derived from those who can only claim the opposite?
4. The legitimate teacher proves his authority through the very nature of his knowledge and requires no further proof other than his existence. As such, his very existence and claims of authority are sufficient proof of his legitimacy. Specifically, which group recognizes that the teaching is necessary and must be continued by necessity?

These are the basic premises of the Talim doctrine, summarized. The famous American historian [Marshall G.S. Hodgson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Hodgson) has also expressed the Talim doctrine in the form of four premises:

(i) That for absolute truth, such as religion seemed to require, a decisive authority (an Imam) is needed, for otherwise one man’s reasoned opinion is as good as another’s and none is better than a guess;

(ii) that this proposition itself is in fact all that reason as such can furnish us with;

(iii) finally, then, that, as no reasoned proof could demonstrate who the Imam was (only that he was needed),

(iv) the Imam must be he who relied on no positive, external proof of his own position, but only on pointing out explicitly the logically essential but usually only implicit need.

— Dr. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: A Debate on Reason and Authority in Medieval Islam, p.54

A more in-depth explanation of each of these points has been given by Hassan Sabbah, which has been documented and expounded by al-Shahrastani as the following:

In the first chapter al-Sabbaḥ says that whoever expresses an opinion about the knowledge of God must say one of two things. He must either say: I know God only from reason and reflection without the need of instruction from a teacher; or, the knowledge of God is not attained by reasoning and reflection but rather by instruction from a teacher. Whoever says the former may not reject another’s reason and reflection; if he does so, he has himself become a teacher, because in his very rejection he is teaching, as well as pointing out that the one whose reasoning and reflection are rejected is in need of another. These two divisions are therefore necessary, because when a man expounds a view or holds an opinion he does so either of his own accord, or on another’s authority. This is the substance of the first chapter, which is a refutation of those who uphold independent judgment and reasoning.

In the second chapter he says that, as the need for a teacher has been shown, the question arises would any teacher at all be suitable, or whether there would be a need for a truthful teacher? He replies that whoever holds that any teacher will do may not reject his opponent’s teacher. If he does so he has shown the need for a truthful and reliable teacher. It is said that this is in refutation of the Traditionalists.

In the third chapter he asks: If the need for a truthful teacher is established, does it not become necessary first to know who the teacher is, then to find him, and, finally, to learn from him? Or is it possible to learn from any teacher without determining one in particular and ascertaining his truthfulness?

The second case, he says, goes back to the first. Whoever cannot walk along a path without a guide and companion, then [for him] the finding of the companion has priority over the path. This is a refutation of the Shi’ites.

In the fourth chapter he says that there are two classes of people. The first consists of those who say that in order to know God we stand in need of a truthful teacher who must first of all be known as such and specified; after that we must learn from him. The other class learns about everything from anyone whether he is a teacher or not. The preceding arguments have shown that the truth lies with the first group; their leader must, therefore, be regarded as the chief exponent of the truth. Similarly, he shows that falsehood lies with the second group, and so their chiefs must be the chief exponents of falsehood.

He says: This is how through the truth we come to know the exponent of the truth in a general way; after this through the exponent of the truth we come to know the truth in a detailed way. Thus a vicious circle is avoided.

By the truth al-Sabbaḥ meant our need, and by the one making known the truth the one who is needed. He further said that through our need we come to know the imam, and through the imam we come to know the extent of our need.

— Al-Shahrastani (RA), Book of Sects and Creeds, pp. 168–169

If there is a Christian alive during the time of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, we can consider how this doctrine could have been used to guide them to the truth of the Prophethood of Muhammad.

First, this Christian would consider whether their reason alone is sufficient, or if they need a teacher. They would notice that a teacher is necessary, which is why there were previous teachers such as Moses, David and Jesus. Peace be upon them all.

Second, they would consider whether any teacher is authoritative or if only some teachers could claim authority. They would conclude that not any teacher can be taken, because Jesus opposed the Jewish Pharisees, who were a part of the Sanhedrin (Jewish scholarly body) during his lifetime.

Third, this Christian would consider whether it is possible to stop at the recognition of the need for an authoritative teacher, or must you follow and learn from them? They will see that you must learn from and follow them. For example, during the lifetime of Christ, it would not be acceptable to recognize Jesus' authority and not follow him — that would be the path of Judas.

Fourth, they would consider that if Jesus was the teacher, does there need to be anyone after him? If Jesus is sufficient to fulfill the role of teaching for all time, then there is no need for the Church Fathers and Councils to determine the doctrine, practice and theology of Christians. However, by the very existence of such Church Fathers and Councils, there is an implicit acceptance of the need for continued instruction. Further, it cannot be the case that the need for authoritative instruction is fulfilled by a body because it is not possible to take one teacher’s instruction without rejecting the others within that body. Then, in choosing between one person and another, authoritative teaching is rejected, and individual reasoning is left. In choosing one teacher over another, our Christian is making submission to God a matter of personal preference — what methods, practices and logic do I prefer from my teacher?

Perhaps our Christian is resistant and points to apostolic succession as an example of inherited authority from the time of Jesus, peace be upon him. Even if the authoritative instruction offered is only present after Jesus, maybe that is sufficient? Unfortunately, apostolic succession is claimed by multiple groups that contradict one another, so it cannot be determined which of the two, three, or four groups should be followed. Further, groups claiming apostolic succession, such as the Papacy among Catholics, rely on methods like the conclave to select the next teacher for their community — they do not rely on the authoritative teaching of the previous instructor and thus reject the authority of their own teacher.

The only one who claims to provide the infallible religious teaching necessary for mankind is Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him. Importantly, the Holy Prophet does not say that his teachings are isolated, but are an extension of previous teachings stretching back to the time of Prophet Adam, peace be upon him. This means he not only recognizes the need for teaching in his time, but in all times. This differentiates him from false claimants such as Ibn Sayaad.

And those who disbelieved say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?” You are only a warner, and for every people is a guide. — (13:7)

Following this deduction, our Christian would accept Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the Messenger of God and Islam as his religion.

After the Holy Prophet, a teacher must be sought, just as Salman sought teachers between Prophet Isa and Prophet Muhammad. It is not the case that God prefers one people over another, fulfilling the Teaching for one time and abandoning others to their whims and desires for hundreds or thousands of years.

The forcefulness of Hasan’s demonstration is based entirely on the exhibition of a need, a desire in man: no man is he who does not desire an absolute certainty. The disciplines that one would call of ‘understanding’ mathematics, logic or grammar cannot satisfy such a desire. The purpose of such a desire differs radically. If ‘the world cannot exist without an Imam’ this is not meant in the sense that he will require prophetic revelation, but by virtue of a superior requirement for communal cohesion…

If there did not exist a human manifestation (mazhar) of the Divine Word, the Imam of the Resurrection, the only link possible between men would be one of submission by the weak to the powerful.

— Christian Jambet, tr. Hafiz Karmali, A Philosophical Commentary to The Paradise of Submission, p.202

This submission of the weak to the powerful has been seen numerous times throughout Islamic history. For example, the Abbasid government was originally Mutazila, and imprisoned, tortured and killed those who did not conform to the Mutazila creed. Another example is Ibn Saud, the founder of the Saudi state, who wanted to establish his control across Arabia. His army led the slaughter of more than 3000 Yemeni pilgrims who wanted to attend Hajj. Finally, we can look at the switch between Sufism to Salafism over the past 200–300 years. Sufism was the primary approach in Islam and is still widely popular today. Salafism was a small minority but has grown substantially in popularity, in large part due to the Salafi propagation being supported by the wealth of gulf countries.

Is the correct opinion in the religion the one that is able to subjugate the others? The Fatimids, Abbasids, and Ottomans have all held Mecca and Medina for hundreds of years and were on opposing views. It is impossible that the truth of the religion and the explanation of its practices are determined by the strength of the army that supports that viewpoint.

In case there is any doubt about our previous explanation, the obvious consequences of abandoning Ta`lim are evident from the historical examples above. These examples illustrate once again the necessity of the infallible teacher who provides religious instruction.

Ta`lim is the omni-expressivity of the community with regard to a supra-essential unity, of the truth of the Philosopher-King of whom the Ismaili Imam is, assuredly, the most clear vision that Islam has proposed.

— Christian Jambet, tr. Hafiz Karmali, A Philosophical Commentary to The Paradise of Submission, p.203

Who are the Ulu’l Amr?

Without determining the identity of the Ones with Authority, obedience to Allah and to His Messenger is impossible. Allah cannot be obeyed without obedience to the Messenger, and obedience to the Messenger cannot be determined in the absence of the Messenger without the Holders of Authority.

There are three interpretations surrounding the aforementioned Ulu’l Amr. The first is that the “Holders of Authority” are military leaders, and the second is that they are the general scholars of religion. The third is a fringe view that the authors have encountered less often, but it holds that political leaders are holders of authority. We will explain why all of these views are false, God willing.

Military Leaders

Regarding the first group, military leaders cannot be considered the Holders of Authority because obedience to such people cannot be considered mandatory, as is commanded by God. This is because military leaders are fallible, and the crimes committed by such individuals are not confined to the present day.

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to the tribe of Jadhima and Khalid invited them to Islam but they could not express themselves by saying, “Aslamna (i.e. we have embraced Islam),” but they started saying “Saba’na! Saba’na (i.e. we have come out of one religion to another).” Khalid kept on killing (some of) them and taking (some of) them as captives and gave every one of us his Captive. When there came the day then Khalid ordered that each man (i.e. Muslim soldier) should kill his captive, I said, “By Allah, I will not kill my captive, and none of my companions will kill his captive.” When we reached the Prophet, we mentioned to him the whole story. On that, the Prophet (ﷺ) raised both his hands and said twice, “O Allah! I am free from what Khalid has done.” — Sahih Bukhari 4339

This incident with Khalid demonstrates that it is not necessary to listen to military leaders, nor should they be listened to in certain circumstances.

The other companions would have been wrong to follow the command issued by Khalid to kill their captives. When the companions came back to the Messenger (SAW), he wanted nothing to do with Khalid. This proves that military leaders are not the holders of authority. Obedience to them is not mandatory. However, obedience to the divinely appointed guide, the Prophet Muhammad, is mandatory.

Qadi Numan’s approach to explaining why the military leaders cannot be the Ulu’l Amr is strictly logical, as he explains the invalidity of this argument. The military leaders receive their orders and dictates from the “imams” of their school, who are scholars. But the Qur’an tells all believers to follow the Ulu’l Amr. Therefore, if all believers must follow the Ulu’l Amr — scholars included — then the very act of military commanders obeying scholars contradicts the Qur’an.

As for the assertion of those who allege that those in authority are the commanders of the raiding parties, it in fact establishes the superiority of these latter over their Imams, who ordered them on these expeditions. It furthermore makes the Imams’ obedience to them obligatory and the obedience of all the faithful as well, given that the words of God ‘O ye who believe’ embrace all the faithful. No believer is therefore excluded from God’s injunction to obey ‘those in authority’, except by a clear proof from the Book or an explanation from the Messenger who was charged to expound [God’s word]. The commonality will not discover any such rule, since, according to them, obedience to the commander of the raiding party is limited only to his own party (and not to all the Muslims). Hence their claim is rendered void by their own argument.

— Qadi al-Numan (RA), Da’a’im al-Islam, tr. Asaf A.A. Fyzee, p.32

Now we will consider if the scholars themselves are the holders of authority.

A Scholarly Body

Regarding the scholars, it is clear that a scholarly body cannot be the Holders of Authority. We have already mentioned that the priests and rabbis (i.e., scholars) of previous communities led them astray. If there are only scholars that are to be followed, without the confirmation from an infallible divinely appointed Teacher, then any opinion can be taken, even contradictory statements. However, this means that taking one opinion ipso facto rejects the other opinions. Therefore, if scholars are the Holders of Authority to whom obedience is mandatory, then it is impossible to follow this command, because one scholar cannot be obeyed without disobeying another.

As for the others, who say that the ones intended [by ‘those in authority’] are the learned ones (‘ulama’), they mean the ‘ulama’ of the commonalty, and they all differ from one another, and obedience to some requires disobedience to others. If the believer follows one, he disobeys others; but God does not command obedience to a group who differ among themselves, with the one ordered to obey not knowing whom to follow. Thus this assertion is so clearly unsound as to render the refutation of him who propounds it superfluous.

— Qadi al-Numan (RA), Da’a’im al-Islam, tr. Asaf A.A. Fyzee, p.32

For all the scholars of Islam, they will tell you that the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had greater knowledge than they do. The scholars’ knowledge comes from the analysis of the actions of the Prophet and his companions. However, we can see that the companions had many disagreements, and to resolve them, they went to the Holy Prophet (SAW). They did not say that each opinion was valid, especially when there are contradicting opinions.

There are two examples that we can see with Umar bin al-Khattab:

1. When he heard a different mode of recitation of the Qur’an called a qiraat
2. When Umar was disappointed after the Treaty of Hudaybiya

In the first case, we see that Umar was of the opinion that one of the companions of the Prophet (SAW) was wrong in his recitation of the Qur’an, so he grabbed him and brought him to God’s Messenger to confirm his conclusion. However, Umar’s conclusion was rejected.

I heard Hisham b. Hakim b. Hizam reciting Surah al-Furqan in a style different from that in which I used to recite it, and in which Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had taught me to recite it. I was about to dispute with him (on this style) but I delayed till he had finished that (the recitation). Then I caught hold of his cloak and brought him to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, I heard this man reciting Surah al-Furqan in a style different from the one in which you taught me to recite. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) told (me) to leave him alone and asked him to recite. He then recited in the style in which I heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Thus was it sent down. He then told me to recite and I recited it, and he said: Thus was it sent down. The Qur’an was sent down in seven dialects. So recite what seems easy therefrom. — Sahih Muslim 818a

For the second case, we see a more severe example of disagreement where Umar no longer believes Allah’s Messenger is a Prophet. He asks the Prophet (SAW), who confirms for him that he is a Prophet of God, but Umar needs further confirmation and goes to Abu Bakr, who repeats this sentiment to Umar. Again, we have contradicting opinions; both cannot be valid. To follow Umar’s opinion in this instance instead of Abu Bakr’s opinion would take you outside Islam.

`Umar bin Al-Khattab said, “I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, ‘Aren’t you truly the Messenger of Allah?’ The Prophet (ﷺ) said, ‘Yes, indeed.’ I said, ‘Isn’t our Cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Then why should we be humble in our religion?’ He said, ‘I am Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.’ I said, ‘Didn’t you tell us that we would go to the Kaba and perform Tawaf around it?’ He said, ‘Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Kaba this year?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘So you will visit it and perform Tawaf around it?’ “ `Umar further said, “I went to Abu Bakr and said, ‘O Abu Bakr! Isn’t he truly Allah’s Prophet?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Then why should we be humble in our religion?’ He said, ‘Indeed, he is Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to him as, by Allah, he is on the right.’ — Sahih Bukhari 2731, 2732

It is clear that two or more opinions can form even when analyzing the same events or statements. However, it is not permissible to follow any of these statements. Accepting a position from one of our examples above means rejecting the other statement because they are mutually exclusive positions. This demonstrates the impossibility of a body of any kind, whether they be scholars or not, to be the Holders of Authority.

Political leaders

A view that has become more popular recently is the idea that political leaders are the Holders of Authority. However, this idea is impossible given the history of corrupt political leaders in Islam after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). For example, Yazid was the Caliph during his time, during which he sent an army to slaughter the family of the Prophet, including Imam Husayn (AS).

Humayd b. Muslim reported: When ‘Ubaydallah had entered the palace, and the people had entered, the call — “the prayer is general” — was made and the people gathered in the great mosque. Ibn Ziyad ascended the pulpit. He said, “Praise be to God, Who has revealed the truth and the followers of truth . He has given victory to the Commander of the Faithful, Yazid b. Mu’awiyah, and his party. He has killed the liar who is the son of a liar, al-Husayn b. ‘Ali, and his Shi’ah.”

— Al-Tabari, tr. I.K.A Howard, The Caliphate of Yazid b. Muawiyah, p.167

The grandson of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of God be upon them both, understood his grandfather's teachings much better than the tyrant Yazid, and demonstrated to us that political leaders do not need to be held in authority or obeyed under all circumstances. However, obedience to the Ulu’l Amr is mandated, and there are no exceptions provided in the Qur’an. Therefore, we can conclude that political leaders cannot be the holders of authority among us.

If there is any doubt, then Zainab bint Ali (AS), the lioness of Karbala, the daughter, sister and aunt to an Imam, dissolves any doubt as she shakes the Umayyad tyrants with her speech in Yazid’s courtroom.

My sister Zaynab was older and cleverer than I. She said that that would not happen. She said to the Syrian, “By God! You are a liar! By God! You are too lowly born! Such a thing is not for you, nor for him!” Yazid cried out angrily, “By God! You are a liar! That is for me. If I wish to do it, I can do it.” She retorted, “No, by God! God would only let you do that if you left our faith and professed belief in another religion.” Yazid screamed, distraught with anger, “Dare you face me in this way! It is your father who has left the religion, and your brother.” Zaynab replied, “You, your father and your grandfather have been guided by the religion of God, the religion of my father, the religion of my brother and my grandfather.” He shouted, “Enemy of God, you lie!” She answered, “You, a commander who has authority, are vilifying unjustly and oppress with your authority.” By God! It was as if he were ashamed, he became silent.

— Al-Tabari, tr. I.K.A Howard, The Caliphate of Yazid b. Muawiyah, p.171

The event of Karbala will never be forgotten by Ismailis. The Ismaili flag is green with a red stripe diagonally through the centre. The red represents the blood and sacrifice of Imam Husayn (AS).

“I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) one night concerning some need, so the Prophet (ﷺ) came out while he was covering up something, and I did not know what it was. Once I had tended to my need, I said: ‘What is this that you were covering up?’ So he uncovered it, and I found it was Hasan and Husain [peace be upon them] upon his hips. So he said: ‘These are my two sons, and the sons of my daughter. O Allah! Indeed, I love them, so love them, and love those who love them.’” — Tirmidhi 3769 (Grade: Sahih)

The Prophet loved Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn so much, peace be upon them, that he referred to them as his sons, even though they were technically his grandsons. It is said that Imam al-Hasan (AS) in particular would enjoy playing on the back of the Messenger while he prayed.

May our lives be spent in submission to your cause, O Household of the Messenger.

The Imams

Image of the plaque outside the entrance of al-Azhar Park, Cairo. Taken by the authors June 30th, 2025.

Given the above evidence, it is clear that military leaders, scholars or political leaders cannot be the Holders of divinely granted Authority from amongst us. Instead, the only option is that it is a single infallible (masoom) Imam who leads the people. That Imam may also act in the capacity of a military leader, a scholar, or a political leader, but his role ultimately eclipses all of these definitions. This also aligns with the precedence established in Islam. For every divinely guided community, there was a divinely appointed Guide. Authority was not handed to military leaders or scholars — it was upheld by whoever God chose to lead the people. This is true whether the person was a Prophet or not, such as King Talut.

Those most entitled to this appellation, ulu ‘l-amr, and the ones to whom it is applied, are the Imams, for authority is wholly theirs. They are the ones with authority. This is evident to the one who has reflected on the matter. God does not link obedience to Him and to His Messenger, with obedience to one who does not have authority in all matters permissible, and who does not carry out God’s and His Messenger’s injunctions in executing God’s ordinances on His earth. [How] then are all living beings commanded to listen to and obey them?

[…]

Ja’far b. Muhammad: Al-Hasan b. Ṣāliḥ b. Hayy and [his brother] ‘Ali asked him, with reference to the verse O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and those of you who are in authority (4:59), as to the identity of the ulu ‘l-amr. [The Imam] replied, “The ‘ulama’.’ Then when the two had left him, ‘Ali b. Ṣāliḥ said [to his brother], ‘We have gained nothing [from this] since we did not ask who these ‘ulama’ were.’ They therefore went back and asked him, and [the Imam] replied, ‘[They are] the Imams of the House of the Messenger of God.’

— Qadi al-Numan (RA), Da’a’im al-Islam, tr. Asaf A.A. Fyzee, pp.32–33

Infallibility is a necessity for the Guides of mankind because God could not appoint someone to guide the people who has the ability to misguide them. It is also impossible for the Messenger to link the Qur’an, which is perfect, with something imperfect. Divine inspiration or wisdom is not only possessed by Prophets but by others as well, such as Maryam, Luqman and Khidr, peace be upon them all.

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called ‘Ali on the Day (of the battle) of At-Ta’if, and spoke privately with him, so the people said: ‘His private conversation with his cousin has grown lengthy.’ So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘I did not speak privately with him, rather Allah spoke privately with him.’” — Tirmidhi 3726 (Grade: Da’if)

The Imams are the sound authorities to which people should refer in times of dispute. Their judgment is superior to all jurists, and their authority is legitimate.

And when they hear news of security or fear, they publicize it. Had they referred it to the Messenger or their authorities, those with sound judgment among them would have validated it. Had it not been for Allah’s grace and mercy, you would have followed Satan — except for a few. — (4:83)

Umar said, “Our best Qur’an reciter is Ubai **and our best judge isAli**[.] — Sahih Bukhari 4481

Among the names of the divinely appointed Imams is the Ahl al-Dhikr, the People of Knowledge, to whom all disputes should be referred.

[Prophet], all the messengers We sent before you were simply men to whom We had given the Revelation: you [people] can ask those who have knowledge if you do not know.— (16:43)

Allah, the Majestic and Sublime, did not say, “Ask yourselves, O ignorant people,” or, “Refer what you do not know to yourselves.”

It is the way of the followers of the Imam to refer disagreements to what he has ruled. The People of the Truth say, concerning this, “We refer the matter to the Ones in Authority, as God commanded in that regard, and we ask the People of Knowledge about it,” while other Muslims say, “We deduce it on our own.” We have shown that in adopting this view, these other Muslims contradict the Book of God and the Practice of His Messenger, who directed the people to submit to the divinely appointed authorities.

Some who are separated from the Guides of God are disobedient or disrespectful. They should fear Allah and the Day they are resurrected in front of Him. Those with authority do not need to cater to those with none, nor should they fit the image of anything other than what God has decreed.

The disbelieving chiefs of his people said, “We see you [Prophet Nuh] only as a human being like ourselves, and we see that no one follows you except the lowliest among us, who do so ˹hastily˺ without thinking. We do not see anything that makes ˹all of˺ you any better than us. In fact, we think you are liars.” — (11:27)

The people of Noah denied before them, and they denied Our servant and said, “A madman,” and he was repelled. — (54:9)

We leave the punishment of those who disbelieve in the Hands of Ad-Darr.

This method of leadership is the one with an established precedent in the Qur’an. For every divinely guided community, there is a divinely appointed leader. There is no instance where a community mentioned in the Qur’an appoints its own leader, provides authority to a body of scholars or allows there to be no leader and libertarian interpretation.

We have already explained the limitations of the scholars and the necessity of obeying the Imams who were left with the Qur’an by the Holy Prophet. However, due to the prominence of the second view — the view that the holders of authority are the scholars — we will expound on this point further in the following sections.

Introduction to Fiqh

Fiqh is understood as jurisprudence or legal practice. Simply, fiqh is the study of Islamic texts to reach conclusions about the implementation of Muslim beliefs. Specifically, Usul al-fiqh is the study of the Qur’an and Sunnah (i.e., the way of the Prophet) to determine how a Muslim should pray, fast, give alms, make pilgrimage, and more. Islamic jurists will also develop methods for approaching the Qur’an and the Sunnah, which are important to understand.

Talim cannot be properly appreciated without understanding the methods in which Talim is not present. Specifically, the necessity of the commands of the Imam cannot be appreciated without understanding the consequences of replacing such commands with the fatwas of scholars and jurists.

The approaches derived by jurists are inherently contradictory and analyze the sources of Islam through the lens of pre-existing conclusions. However, it is not our intention to say that these methods are of no use, but that they are of limited use. The methods of scholars and jurists are circumscribed and cannot be the sole means to reach the Unlimited.

For Sunnis, there are six canonical books of hadith, referred to as Kutub al-Sittah, which are thought to contain the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family. They are:

1. Sahih al-Bukhari
2. Sahih al-Muslim
3. Jami at-Tirmidhi
4. Sunan Abu Dawood
5. Sunan Ibn Majah
6. Sunan an-Nasai

Other notable works include the Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, which is quoted frequently.

For the Shia, in particular the Ithna Ashari, there are four main books of hadith that also include statements from early Imams such as Imam al-Baqir and Imam as-Sadiq, may the peace and blessings of God be upon them and their progeny. They include:

1. Sahih al-Kafi
2. Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih
3. Tahdhib al-Ahkam
4. Al-Istibsar

Other notable works include Nahj al-Balagha (lectures and writings of Imam Ali), Bihar al-Anwar, and Wasa’il al-Shia.

There are five main madhaib (i.e., schools of law) within Islam to which the jurists we have mentioned belong. (The Amman Message that was agreed upon by 500 Muslims scholars considers eight madhaib total). We have provided an introduction to them below, where the first four are Sunni, and the final is Shia.

1. **Hanafi**: The largest madhab in the world with the largest number of adherents. Predominantly in former Ottoman territories and modern regions like the Balkans, Central Asia, the Levant, South Asia and of course, Turkey. The founder of the madhab is Abu Hanifa, who was a student of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS). Abu Hanifa is called the “Greatest imam” by Sunnis.
2. **Maliki**: Predominantly found in North and West Africa. The Ismailis dealt frequently with Maliki adherents because the Fatimid empire was primarily based in North Africa. The Maliki madhab emphasizes the practice of the early people of Madinah as one of their sources of guidance. The founder was Malik ibn Anas, who was a student of Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS).
3. **Shafi’i**: Commonly found in North America. During Fatimid times, the Shafi’i madhab was the most common school of law practiced among Sunni citizens of the Empire. Many of the thinkers that we have quoted in previous articles, like al-Subki and al-Ramli, were Shafi’i in jurisprudence. The founder of the madhab is al-Shafi’i who was a student of Malik.
4. **Hanbali**: Commonly found in Saudi Arabia. Often considered the most limiting of the madhabs and should not be confused with the Athari (i.e., Hanbali) aqeedah. However, the founder of the madhab, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, contributed to both Sunni theology and jurisprudence, which is why his name comes up for schools in both. He was a student of al-Shafi’i.
5. **Jafari*: The Ithna Ashari (Twelver Muslims) adhere to the Jafari* madhab, named after Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS). This is the primary madhab in Iran. The Ismailis have also historically adhered to this school. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (AS) is referred to as the “Master of the Sciences” and was a prolific teacher in both the natural and religious sciences.

Each of these schools of law reaches their own conclusions, but the associated jurists all use similar methods.

The next section of this article aims to demonstrate just how limited these methods are, and the section following it will explain how to address these limitations.

Approaches to Sources of Guidance in Islam

For Ismailis, there are three sources of guidance (Imam Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, France, 2025):

1. The Holy Qur’an
2. The example and teachings (i.e., Sunnah) of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
3. The Farmans (i.e., commands) of the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS)

Ismailis share the first two sources of guidance with other Muslims, but without the third, the first two sources cannot be properly understood and applied.

Qur’an

Image of the Birmingham Qur’an manuscript. The manuscript has been carbon dated between 568 CE and 645 CE. The Messenger began conveying the Qur’an in approximately 610 CE and stopped in 632 CE. The text is from Surah Maryam (19) and Surah Taha (20).

For all Muslims, the Holy Qur’an is considered the true Word of God, the Exalted. It is unlike any other speech or text and is beautiful in its recitation and meaning. Each Muslim community, whether they be Ismaili, Ithna Ashari or Sunni, all share the same Qur’an. However, the Qur’an cannot be read alone or in isolation. If the Qur’an alone were enough, then the Qur’an would not refer to something other than itself for guidance, as is done numerous times.

They ask you ˹O Prophet˺ regarding the spoils of war. Say, “Their distribution is decided by Allah and His Messenger. So be mindful of Allah, settle your affairs, and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are ˹true˺ believers.” — (8:1)

It is evident from the above verse and the evidence from previous sections that there needs to be some interpretation of the Qur’an for it to be properly applied. This conclusion is reinforced by the most famous Sunni Sheikhs, including two of the founders of the four Sunni madhabs.

Imam Abu Hanifa said, “Had it not been for the Sunnah, none of us would have understood the Qur’an.” Imam al-Shafi’i said, “Everything the imams say is an explanation of the Sunnah, and the entire Sunnah is an explanation of the Qur’an.”

— Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Hadith Studies, p.XVII

The reason Abu Hanifa and al-Shafi’i are so adamant about the necessity of the Sunnah is that the Qur’an does not describe how to pray or give zakat, or how to complete many other actions, even though it commands their completion. The only way to know how to complete these actions is to look to the one who revealed the Qur’an.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) prophesied a time when there would be those who rejected his hadith and would take only from the Qur’an, believing it to be sufficient. If the logical deduction that the Qur’an is not sufficient cannot convince the reader, then the prophecy of the Messenger should prove our point beyond a doubt.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Soon there will come a time that a man will be reclining on his pillow, and when one of my Ahadith is narrated he will say: ‘The Book of Allah is (sufficient) between us and you. Whatever it states is permissible, we will take as permissible, and whatever it states is forbidden, we will take as forbidden.’ Verily, whatever the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) has forbidden is like that which Allah has forbidden.” — Sunan Ibn Majah 12 (Grade: Hasan)

This hadith is more relevant than ever because an increasing number within the Muslim Ummah believe that the Qur’an is sufficient and that there is no need for any continuing guidance alongside it. This was not true during the time of the Messenger, and it is not true now. However, we will soon see why the ahadith are insufficient for the believer's authoritative guidance today.

For this discussion, it is worth mentioning that some parts of the Qur’an may become abrogated. This is called naskh. There are three types of abrogation:

1. Abrogation of the recitation and the ruling
2. Abrogation of the recitation and not ruling
3. Abrogation of the ruling and not the recitation

The evidence for the first case can be found in a verse on nursing and its quantity that was later abrogated.

‘A’isha reported that it had been revealed in the Holy Qur’an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah’s Apostle (ﷺ) died and it was before that time (found) in the Holy Qur’an (and recited by the Muslims). — Sahih Muslim 1452a

The evidence for the abrogation of the recitation, but not the ruling, can be found in an event narrated by Umar regarding the penalty for stoning for adultery.

Verily Allah sent Muhammad (ﷺ) with truth and He sent down the Book upon him, and the verse of stoning was included in what was sent down to him. We recited it, retained it in our memory and understood it. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) awarded the punishment of stoning to death (to the married adulterer and adulteress) and, after him, we also awarded the punishment of stoning, I am afraid that with the lapse of time, the people (may forget it) and may say: We do not find the punishment of stoning in the Book of Allah, and thus go astray by abandoning this duty prescribed by Allah. Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah’s Book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or it there is pregnancy, or a confession. — Sahih Muslim 1691a

The evidence of the abrogation of the ruling and not the recitation is found in the Qur’an itself, in Surah al-Baqarah.

Those of you who die leaving widows should bequeath for them a year’s maintenance without forcing them out. But if they choose to leave, you are not accountable for what they reasonably decide for themselves. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. — (2:240)

As for those of you who die and leave widows behind, let them observe a waiting period of four months and ten days. When they have reached the end of this period, then you are not accountable for what they decide for themselves in a reasonable manner. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. — (2:231)

The ahadith mentioned for the first two types of abrogation are not known to us from Shia books. However, knowledge of abrogation across understandings in Islam, including which verses have been abrogated and which verses abrogate, is important for all Muslims to have a proper understanding of the rulings of the Qur’an. It is particularly important to mention in this treatise because it helps us understand the role of the Qur’an and the importance of its interpretation. The abrogation of Qur’anic ayahs in light of the changing circumstances of the community is evidence that the Qur’an is not a static text but a dynamic one, adapting to the changing circumstances of the believers. Given that the Qur’an cannot interpret and apply itself, there needs to be someone alongside the Qur’an with authority to interpret and apply it in the way God intends.

This idea is not unique to the Ismailis but also to other Muslims. For example, during Umar’s time as the Caliph, he suspended the punishment for theft. He did this because he viewed the punishment provided in the Qur’an by Allah as not having been warranted, since many people were stealing out of desperation, not greed.

Continuing our discussion on abrogation, there is another type of abrogation that is not formally recognized but is nonetheless present, and that is the abrogation through time. This form of abrogation does not change the recitation or the ruling, but the ruling is regarding a matter that must be completed another way due to the specificity of the verse.

Take from their wealth ˹O Prophet˺ [sadaqah] to purify and bless them, and pray for them — surely your prayer is a source of comfort for them. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. — (9:103)

Surely those who pledge allegiance to you ˹O Prophet˺ are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. Allah’s Hand is over theirs. Whoever breaks their pledge, it will only be to their own loss. And whoever fulfils their pledge to Allah, He will grant them a great reward. — (48:10)

The above verses are examples of this form of abrogation. The Prophet (SAW) took from the wealth of his companions to purify them, but who continues this action? The companions pledged their allegiance to the Prophet, but who do we pledge our allegiance to now? Given the impossibility of the Prophet continuing these actions and the timeless nature of the Qur’an, there must be someone. The answer is the present living Imam, Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Hussaini.

We bring forward these examples to further express the need for continued guidance from the Qur’an, showing that it was revealed at a specific time and place and requires continuous interpretation for proper application, given the changing circumstances of the believers.

Bringing the issue back to Ta`lim, if the Qur’an were sufficient as a source of authoritative instruction, it would not rely on something other than itself to convey its message and teachings. Therefore, the Qur’an cannot be the sole source of authoritative guidance for those seeking it.

Now we will look at the Sunnah and how the methods used to understand it demonstrate that the Sunnah alone is inadequate to understand the Qur’an.

Sunnah

Example of a hadith with its chain of transmission (isnad). Taken from LEGAL ANALYSIS OF THE JU’ALAH CONTRACT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF AHKAM HADITH.

The first thing that we should mention is that what counts as Sunnah is debated amongst Muslims. Are the ahadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and their chains of narration, the only material that should be considered? Some say yes, and others say no. What about the community of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)? Should they be considered? If so, what parts of the community? If it is only the companions, which companions, because many of them differ significantly. Most importantly, who is deciding what counts, and how do we adhere to these different opinions?

Let us first address the hadith literature. Are the ahadith sufficient for a Muslim to practice their religion? One of the glaring problems with over-reliance on the hadith literature is that there is debate as to what is considered authentic among the ahadith. There are three primary grades for hadith:

1. Sahih = Authentic
2. Hasan = Good
3. Da’if = Weak

One reason for grading the ahadith rather than the Qur’an is that the Qur’an was memorized by hundreds during the time of the Prophet (SAW) and is memorized by millions today. The same cannot be said for the hadith literature because it is so much more vast. Another reason for skepticism regarding ahadith is that the major historical effort to compile them took place 200 to 300 years after the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). During those 200 to 300 years, events arose that introduced greater uncertainty into their veracity. Some of these events took place during Abu Bakr’s time, when he burned his hadith collection and Umar’s time, when he banned writing ahadith. Ironically, there are debates about the authenticity of these events themselves.

Our discussion of skepticism towards the ahadith will continue during our refutation of al-Ghazali.

A complete analysis of the hadith sciences is beyond the scope of this article, but there is a specific practice within the hadith sciences that we wish to discuss that introduces even more skepticism. This is the practice of al-Jarh al-Tadil. One of the ways hadith are graded is based on the reliability of the narrators within the isnad — the chain of narration from the Prophet (SAW) to the one producing the hadith. This is obviously a subjective endeavour to judge the reliability of a person, and it is even more subjective when the beliefs of the narrator are being used to judge them as unreliable. The scholars of hadith have identified ten factors considered deficiencies in a narrator; five are associated with uprightness (al-adalah), and five with accuracy (al-dabt). The five associated with uprightness are:

1. Lying (al-Kidhb)
2. Being Accused of Lying (al-Iyyiham bi al-Kidhb)
3. Open Sin (Fisq)
4. Being Unknown (Jahalah)
5. Innovation (Bid`ah)

This criterion results in an echo-chamber in which someone can be deemed al-jarh, meaning flawed, and their narrations discarded on the basis of a disagreement between a scholar and one of the narrators. For example, take the definition of innovation bid`ah provided by a Sunni scholar:

Innovation (Bid`ah): Having views and beliefs that are contrary to well-known beliefs.

— Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Hadith Studies, p.52

We can see the circular reasoning here: accept ahadith only from those who are not “deviated” from mainstream belief, but how do we determine what should be the mainstream belief? By referring to ahadith. A practical example is Sahih Bukhari, the most authentic book in Sunni literature regarding the compilation of the hadith. This is what Mufti Waseem Khan says about Shia narrators in Bukhari:

Imam Al Bukhari, inspite of having fundamental differences with the Khawarij, transmits from Imran bin Hittan al Dawai, a staunch Khawarij, but he does not accept a single report in his Sahih from a Rafidi (staunch Shi’a). The reason for this is that the former regard the liar as a kafir (unbeliever), whereas the latter permit mistaking (and concealing) the facts according to their belief in Taqqiyah. The Khawarij, on account of their belief that a liar is a kafir will not lie/fabricate in the matter of transmitting traditions. The Shia’s, on account of their allowance and compromise in the concept of Taqiyyah (concealing the truth) accommodate lying and do not consider it as being sinful.

— Mufti Waseem Khan, Shi’a Narrators in Sunni Texts, Fatwa on IslamQA

Bukhari accepts hadith from the Khawarij who waged war on Imam Ali (AS) during the Battle of Nahrawan, and who are responsible for the killing of Imam Ali (AS) when he was in prayer. This is not deemed as deviated from mainstream belief nor as open sinning. However, the “staunch” Shia are, by default, accused of lying on the basis of the belief in taqiyyah. Taqiyyah, for those who do not know, is the principle in Islam that you can dissimulate from your beliefs to preserve your life or property. It is not the acceptance of lying to spread false beliefs. Lying is forbidden for Ismailis (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Zanzibar, 1899, Farman #48 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 1). This is an obvious straw man, but it goes unnoticed for those who are not aware of the methods of the hadith scholars.

Considering this, it should come as no surprise that the six main books of hadith for Sunnis do not contain many of the hadith in Shia books. Nor should it come as a surprise that the resulting Sunni hadith canon largely reflects and reinforces pre-existing Sunni theological commitments, while systematically marginalizing or excluding alternative early Islamic perspectives — particularly Shiʿi ones — not because of demonstrable dishonesty in transmission, but because of theological presuppositions built into the very criteria used to judge reliability.

We do not mention these issues to disregard the hadith corpus entirely. The ahadith have been quoted extensively by the Ismaili Dais, but the Dais will quote from Sunni and Shia sources. Further, if any Ismaili wants to reject all of the hadith outright, they should refer to recent Farmans by Amir ul’Muminin (Imam Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, Uganda, 2025).

Next, let us consider what else could be considered within the Sunnah. For example, are the actions of the citizens of Medina considered part of the Sunnah?

For Malik ibn Anas, the founder of the Maliki madhab, the answer is yes. For other scholars, such as Abu Hanifa and al-Shafi’i, the answer is no. In Malik’s estimation, the actions of the community in Medina during his time were worth more than a hadith, if there were limited chains of narration of a hadith. For example, Malik mentions in his Muwatta (i.e., a type of hadith compilation) that the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) folded his hands in prayer. However, after analyzing the chain(s) of narration of the hadith, Malik gave precedence to the actions of the people in Medina, which is why Maliki Sunnis pray with their arms by their side. This is in contrast to other Sunnis who pray with their hands folded. This is another example of the arbitrary and subjective decision-making of scholars. This shows that exactly what counts as Sunnah is debated, reaffirming the need for a guiding force alongside the Qur’an to teach and apply it in the same manner as the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) intended. This is why Ismailis understand the teachings of the Prophet (SAW) in light of the guidance of the Imam, the one whose authenticity has no doubt and for whose authority there is no debate.

For the example of hand position during Salah, the Shia point to the Imams of Ahl al Bayt, such as the teacher of Abu Hanifa and Malik, the Imam of his Time: Imam Jafar as Sadiq (AS). Imam as-Sadiq mentions that the hands should be at the sides, and this is how Shia Salah looks. For Ithna Ashari Shia, this is true during the daily salah, and for Ismailis, it is true during any voluntary salah they perform and during the Salat al-Eid.

In terms of Ta`lim, we can see the issues of referring to the Sunnah as an authoritative source of guidance. The primary one of which is that there is disagreement as to what is included within the Sunnah and how to approach the application of what is within the Sunnah. Therefore, neither the Qur’an nor Sunnah nor their combination can fulfill the need for authoritative teaching for those seeking it.

Finally, let us consider if the actions of the companions are considered a part of the Sunnah, and if so, which companions would be considered?

Companions

There is a misguided notion that has existed in the Muslim world for 1400 years. This notion is that any of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) can be followed. This is not correct.

The belief is based on certain ahadith, such as the following:

`Umar b. al-Khattab [said] he heard God’s messenger say he had asked his Lord about disagreement among his companions after his death and received the revelation, “Your companions, Muhammad, are in my estimation in the position of the stars in the sky, some stronger than others, but all having light. So, I consider him who holds to anything about which they disagree to be rightly guided.” He also told that God’s messenger said, “My companions are like the stars, so whichever of them you copy, you will be guided.” — Mishkat al-Masabih, Book 26 Hadith 0 (English)

We can declare that the understanding that any companion can be followed is misguided, one reason for which is that there are more credible hadith that state that there are companions who will be placed in Hellfire on the Day of Judgement.

The Prophet (ﷺ)…added, “The first to be dressed on the Day of Resurrection, will be Abraham, and some of my companions will be taken towards the left side (i.e. to the (Hell) Fire), and I will say: ‘My companions! My companions!’ It will be said: ‘They renegade from Islam after you left them.’” — Sahih al-Bukhari 3349

Further, there were some companions who were in direct opposition with one another. For example, Muawiyah cursed Imam Ali (AS) on the pulpit and publicly reviled him. This is after the fact that he went to war with the Imam (AS) and tried to seize power from him at the Battle of Siffin.

“I was with Ibn Abbas in Arafat and he said: ‘Why do I not hear the people reciting Talbiyah?’ I said: They are afraid of Muawiyah.’ So Ibn Abbas went out of his tent and said: “Labbaik Allahumma Labbaik, Labbaik! They are only forsaking the Sunnah out of hatred for Ali.’” — Sunan Nasai 3006 (Grade: Hasan)

Amir b. Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas reported on the authority of his father that Muawiya b. Abi Sufyan appointed Sa’d as the Governor and said: What prevents you from rebuking Abu Turab (Hadrat ‘Ali), whereupon he said: It is because of three things which I remember Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) having said about him that I would not rebuke him and even if I find one of those three things for me, it would be more dear to me than the red camels. — Sahih Muslim 2404d

These statements by Muawiyah are in direct contrast with the teachings of the Prophet (SAW).

‘Ali observed: By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) gave me a promise that no one but a believer would love me, and none but a hypocrite would nurse [a] grudge against me. — Sahih Muslim 78

If it is true in the religion of Islam that it is a principle to follow the Prophet’s companions, then when one companion performs an act, someone else, whether a companion or otherwise, must not contradict him in that, since the Messenger of God commanded that one emulate each companion’s behaviour. So in the disunity of these very same companions, they violated the command of the Messenger of God.

From another perspective, if following either Imam Ali or Muawiyah is acceptable, then there is no difference in the deen of Allah between the oppressed and the oppressor, the just and the unjust, the killed and the killer. Given the impossibility of this, it can be concluded that it is not acceptable to follow any of the companions, only a select few.

Consequently, when the Prophet stated, “My Companions are like the stars. No matter which of them you follow, you will be led aright,” he meant thereby the Imams among his descendants, for they are the ones who should be adopted as authorities and the ones by whom those seeking guidance may be guided aright. It was reported about them that they and the Book of God are the two weighty matters which will not part until they arrive at the Heavenly Pool,’ and testimony of the Messenger has been soundly established that they are more properly considered superior and capable of guidance.

— Al-Qadi al-Numan (RA), tr. Devin J. Stewart, Disagreement of the Jurists, p.42

This conclusion leads to many practical differences between the Shia and the Sunni. For example, the Taraweeh prayer said during the holy month of Ramadan is done by Sunnis but not by Shia. The Shia do not agree with the practice of Taraweeh because it was not something commanded by the Prophet himself.

“So, ‘Umar said, ‘In my opinion I would better collect these (people) under the leadership of one Qari (Reciter) (i.e. let them pray in congregation!)’. So, he made up his mind to congregate them behind Ubai bin Ka’b. Then on another night I went again in his company and the people were praying behind their reciter. On that, ‘Umar remarked, ‘What an excellent Bid’a (i.e. innovation in religion) this is[.]” — Sahih Bukhari 2010

In connection with our discussion of the Sunnah, many Sunnis believe the actions of the companions of the Prophet are encompassed in the Sunnah and adhere to that understanding, whereas the Shia do not adhere to the understanding of many of the companions due to their treatment of the Household of the Messenger.

For Ismailis, it is our belief that there can be changes in the religious practices of the community of the Prophet (SAW), but those changes must be instituted specifically by those he endowed with authority.

We appointed for Moses thirty nights then added another ten — completing his Lord’s term of forty nights. Moses commanded his brother Aaron, “Take my place among my people [ukhlufni/اخْلُفْنِي], do what is right, and do not follow the way of the corruptors.” — (7:142)

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing Ali as his deputy (in Medina).Ali said, “Do you want to leave me with the children and women?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me.” — Sahih Bukhari 4416

When Prophet Musa (AS) left his community, Prophet Harun (AS) was left in charge of them. The word used is ukhlufni which has the same root as khalifa or in English, successor. After Prophet Musa died, Prophethood continued in Prophet Harun’s lineage to Prophet Ilyas (AS) for example but not in the lineage of Prophet Musa.

Now, we will continue our discussion of the sources of guidance within Islam by examining the scholars who make these decisions about the Qur’an and Sunnah.

Scholars

At this point, a few things should be clear to the reader:

• The Qur’an requires interpretation
• The Sunnah does not have defined boundaries as to what is included within it
• The hadith literature frequently relies on the confirmation bias of the authenticator
• Companions cannot be equal in their transmission or understanding of the Sunnah because they contradict one another

Given that the Qur’an requires interpretation and that the Sunnah does not have clear boundaries as to what books, narrations, people and communities are included within the Sunnah, the natural question becomes, who has decided what should be included within the Sunnah? By doing so, those making these decisions have determined how to interpret the Qur’an and, therefore, have dictated what the believer's worship should look like. Those individuals are the scholars and jurists within the Islamic world.

The laws in the Qur’an and Sunnah require a process of interpretation. Muslims are in agreement concerning the necessity of following the Qur’an and Sunnah, but Muslim jurists acknowledged that the Qur’an and the Sunnah always have an interpreter.

— Dr. Emad Hamdeh, What is a Madhhab? Exploring the Role of Islamic Schools of Law, Yaqeen Institute

While there are some safeguards in place to ensure that no one individual deviates too greatly, this has not stopped scholars from contradicting one another in even the most basic aspects of the religion.

For example:

• The Hanafi madhab says that non-fish seafood is haram (i.e., forbidden). This includes lobster, prawns, scallops and other seafood. This means that, according to the Hanafi school, those who eat such seafood are doing something impermissible.
• The Hanafi madhab says that you can get married without a wali (i.e., guardian). However, this marriage is not accepted by other madhabs, although some Hanbali scholars also offer this opinion. This is the difference between a valid and an invalid marriage.
• The Shafi’i madhab says that any contact with the opposite gender that is not a mahram, even your spouse, invalidates wudu. This is significant because with an invalid wudu (i.e., ablution), the salah is invalid. If the salah is invalid, the believer would fail to uphold their primary obligation — their prayer.
• Wudu is even more diverse in what is allowed. One view that is significantly different is that the Hanbali madhab allows for wiping over cotton socks. This is in contrast with the views of the other madhabs, which allow for strict leather socks with certain specifications. Again, this is the difference between a valid and invalid ablution — and therefore, an accepted and rejected prayer in the eyes of different schools.
• Zakat is a pillar of Islam, and there seems to be debate over what is permitted and what is not. The Hanafi madhab pays zakat based on a silver nisab. This means that Sunni Hanafi Muslims will pay based on their wealth above a certain level, but that level is calculated in silver. In contrast, the other madhabs pay based on a threshold determined by the modern value of gold. Therefore, someone would only have to pay if they had much more wealth if they belonged to the Maliki madhab, for example, compared to the Hanafi madhab. The nisab for silver is ~$950, and for gold is $12,000. This means if you have $10,000 in assets, you would pay on silver but not on gold.
• There are also differences as to whether Zakat can be given to Muslims or non-Muslims. The Hanafi and Shafi’i madhabs do not allow for zakat to be given to non-Muslims, but the Maliki and Hanbali madhabs do allow for zakat to be given to non-Muslims on the condition that they are already inclined to Islam. This difference is severe because it is the difference between upholding a pillar of Islam and failing in your obligations. According to half of the madhabs, your obligation would not be met if zakat is given to non-Muslims inclined to Islam and according to the other half, the obligation would be met.

Summary table of some of the very many differences in fiqh.

The differences between the madhaib and their respective scholars are significant because such differences determine whether an obligation is met or neglected.

We have not even begun to mention the differences between schools of aqeedah (i.e., creed) of which there are too many to count. For example, between the Maturidi, Ashari and Athari, many of the Athari believe that God is literally above His Throne and descends beneath it with a literal face, arms, legs and more. While the others — Maturidi and Ashari — believe that God is not literally above His Throne and does not have a literal face, arms, legs and other attributes. Furthermore, Maturidi and Ashari scholars hold that whoever affirms that God possesses any of these literal features has committed disbelief. In return, many Athari scholars believe that the Maturidi and Ashari are destined for Hellfire for their beliefs and are deemed deviant sects. These views are completely irreconcilable and in complete contradiction with one another.

The views on intercession between scholars in aqeedah are, without a doubt, even more opposite from one another if possible. If we look at the Shaykh al-Islam al-Subki juxtaposed against the views of “Shaykh al-Islam” Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhaab. Below are al-Wahhab’s statements on intercession, including asking for help from the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

“Calling upon the dead, asking for their help, or offering them gifts or sacrifices are all forms of shirk. Setting up intermediaries (wasā’iṭ) between oneself and God, making supplication to them, or asking their intercession with God is unbelief (kufr) by the consensus of the community.”

— Muhammad al-Wahhab (d. 1792 CE), Andrew Rippin, “Islam and the Politics of Violence,” in David J. Hawkin (ed.), Twenty-first Century Confronts its Gods (Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 2004), 129–140: 134–135

Contrasted with al-Subki’s views on asking for help from the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), which are in complete opposition to the above views:

Know that intermediation (tawassul), seeking assistance (istigātha), and intercession through the Prophet unto his Lord, may He be praised and exalted, is permitted and praiseworthy. Their being permitted and praiseworthy is a matter well-known to every religious person, reputed among the actions of the Prophets and Messengers and the lives of the righteous ancestors, as well as the scholars and laymen among the Muslims. Nobody among the people of religions denied it nor did they hear about it in any time period until Ibn Taymiyya came along and spoke about it by casting doubt upon the weak and he innovated something which has no precedent in history.

— Taqī al-Dīn al-Subkī (d. 1355 CE), al-Shifā’ al-Saqām fī ziyāra khayr al-anam, 4th ed. (1998), p.293.

The former view is that recognizing the intercession of the Messenger (SAW) is something that removes you from the religion and is the greatest sin in Islam, which is shirk (i.e., polytheism). The latter view is that recognizing the intercession of the Messenger (SAW) is something that is permitted and praiseworthy. The obvious opposition between the two positions in creed highlights the problem of reliance upon scholars. To accept one is to reject the other. This is why the holders of authority — the Ulu’l Amr — cannot be scholars because the scholars are an inherently contradictory body. Allah has commanded complete obedience to the holders of authority, but if those who hold authority are scholars, Allah has commanded a contradiction. This is impossible and allows us to reaffirm our rejection of the proposition that the scholars are the Ulu’l Amr.

The differences in the jurisprudence and in creed show that scholars hold mutually exclusive positions on many issues. Neither can be correct, so who is telling the truth? There is no formal method to prove one way over another. This means that Muslims are left to pick and choose whatever views align with their own preference or that of their forefathers. In following one position over the other, submission to God is no longer an act of absolute conviction but one of personal choice — tainted by the analogy, inferences and guesswork of the selected scholars.

Image depicting the overall flow of following the Qur’an and Sunnah without Ahl al Bayt.

Each group among them claims that their opponents err in their understanding and are wrong in their interpretations. But had they followed the Guide, they would not have gone astray, and had they resorted to the Ones in Authority, as God commanded them, they would not have arrived at conflicting opinions.

The consequences of this are not only seen in the fundamental issues within Islam, such as prayer, zakat and marriage, but also in the everyday dealings of Muslims. For example, can a Muslim play chess? According to many of the most famous jurists, such as Abu Hanifa, Malik ibn Anas and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, the answer is a resounding no. What about photography? Again, according to many jurists, the answer is no, photography of animate beings is completely forbidden. Even on a topic like riba, there is no agreement on what constitutes riba, whether it is simple interest or usury (i.e., predatory lending), and on which methods should be used to avoid it. Journalist John Foster reports a conversation with an “investment banker based in Dubai” where the banker demonstrates the concept of fatwa shopping:

“We create the same type of products that we do for the conventional markets. We then phone up a Sharia scholar for a Fatwa … If he doesn’t give it to us, we phone up another scholar, offer him a sum of money for his services and ask him for a Fatwa. We do this until we get Sharia compliance. Then we are free to distribute the product as Islamic.

— John Foster, How Sharia-compliant is Islamic banking?

Within the same madhab, there have even been disagreements over something as simple as alcohol. In the past, the Hanafi madhab allowed some forms of alcohol if it was used in a way that was non-intoxicating. This is because they viewed the verse in Surah Al-Maidah forbidding alcohol as referring to a type of grape juice or wine. Therefore, they said that other forms of intoxicating drinks were acceptable. This was the position of Abu Hanifa. However, Hanafis today will completely reject alcohol consumption in any form, whether intoxicating or not. This case demonstrates for the reader that even when referring to the same sources, such as the “Qur’an and Sunnah,” the end result from scholars, even from the same school, are in complete opposition to one another: the intoxicating substances that would not be allowed at all today would be allowed in significant quantities in the past.

For Ismailis, the answer to these questions is completely clear because we refer to a single authoritative Teacher — the Imam of the Time, Mawlana Shah Rahim al-Hussaini. That is why, with confidence, Ismailis can say that God does not have a physical body nor is He sitting “above” His Throne in a literal sense (Imam Shah Karim Shah (AS), India, 1967), chess is permissible to play (Global Encounters Games, Dubai, 2025), it is permissible to take photographs of animate objects (Prince Hussein Aga Khan, The Living Sea, Aga Khan Museum), interest is understood as usury which is categorically forbidden (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Islam: The Religion of my Ancestors) and alcohol consumption is forbidden and has always been completely forbidden — even one drop of it (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), India, 1891, Farman #7 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 1).

Our belief is that the thing which separates man from the animals is his power of thought. Anything that impedes this process is wrong. Therefore alcohol is forbidden.

—Imam Shah Karim Shah (AS), Sunday Times, 1965

This is not to say that Ismailis are a monolith; there may be practices for Ismailis in North America that are not present for Ismailis in Iran. For example, Canadian Ismailis practice Du’a Karavi, while Iranian Ismailis practice Mubay’ah. Both reflect the act of affirming allegiance to the Imam, but they are done slightly differently.

The Ta`lim doctrine does not require that the body of believers be a monolith but does require that any differences are accepted or instituted by the Imam of the Time, the successor to the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the continuation of authoritative guidance.

In one famous example, two groups were sent out to Banu Quraiza, and one group interpreted the Prophet’s (SAW) words as an incentive to hurry, not as a reason to delay the prayer. The second group took the Prophet’s (SAW) words literally and did not pray until they reached Banu Quraiza, even if that meant delaying the prayer. When the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) reached them, he accepted both of their practices.

On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “None of you Muslims) should offer the `Asr prayer but at Banu Quraiza’s place.” The `Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, “We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu Quraiza,” while some others said, “No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet (ﷺ) did not mean that for us.” Later on It was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he did not berate any of the two groups. — Sahih Bukhari 4119

This example is often used to justify the differences between madahib and scholars, but it actually works against such claimants. This is because when there were differences, these differences were referred to the authoritative Teacher, who confirmed that both practices were acceptable. In other instances of disagreement between the companions that we have already reviewed, the disagreement was not permissible, and the Prophet of God supported one position and rejected the other.

This is the practice of Ismailis today. If the answer is unknown, it is first and foremost referred to the teachings of the Imam to determine the correct answer.

Whenever something continues to perplex you and thus be difficult for you, and remains obscure and thus intractable, refer it in the final instance to the Commander of the Faithful, so that he might direct you to the correct ruling on the issue, so that you might adopt it and act upon it accordingly, for he is the remnant of the Caliphs who were guided by God and the descendant of the Rightly Guided Imams, for God, exalted and sublime be His praise, has decreed that people consult them, draw from their knowledge, and refer matters of importance to them. God said: «<Had they referred it to the Messenger and to the Ones in Authority among them, then those who derived it from them would have known it.» (Q 4:83) He, glorious be His name, said: <<So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know.>> (Q 16:43) The eloquent Prophet and the truthful Messenger, Muḥammad, said, “I have left among you two weighty matters, the Book of God and my progeny, the People of my House. You will not go astray as long as you hold fast to them, for they will not separate until they approach the heavenly pool.” He who adopts as guides God’s Wards in His earth has been led to the correct path, has grasped the strongest link, and has earned the fullest share of the blessings of this world and the next.

— Imam al-Muizz (AS), quoted by al-Qadi al-Numan, tr. Devin J. Stewart, Disagreement of the Jurists, p.26

This is the correct method, not arbitrarily referring to one scholar or another based on the length of that scholar’s beard.

Whenever any point of view is affirmed, in it there lies also repudiation of its opposite, that which is upheld by your adversary. What is the basis for difference between the two points of view? Is it merely that each has reasoned differently? If so, each then resorts to claiming the superiority of his reasoning over the other, and thus there is no solid basis for distinguishing the truthfulness of one from the other. Either you acknowledge an authoritative source for your claim (i.e. talim), or you distinguish arbitrarily between the two points of view. And how is this to be done? By length of beard? Or whiteness of face? Or by frequency of coughing? Or by vehemence in claiming?

— Dr. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: A Debate on Reason and Authority in Medieval Islam, p.56

Dr. Mitha is quoting al-Ghazali who is rephrasing the Ismaili argument at the beginning of his book.

Conclusively, we can say that if scholars are the intended source of guidance for believers, this puts the community in an epistemic stalemate because there is no definitive way to distinguish among these subjective opinions. Specifically, there is no way to differentiate between subjective opinions without an authoritative source, and the only community that believes in such continuous authoritative guidance are the Shia Ismaili Muslims.

Unfortunately, the rejection of divine guidance in favour of speculative scholarship has occurred many times. The Jews preferred their Rabbis over the Messiah, the Christians preferred their Priests over the Seal of the Prophets, and the other Muslims preferred their Fuqaha over the Imam of the Time.

Next, we will continue to expound on some of the issues with scholars and on why there are so many differences, despite everyone claiming to follow the same guidance of the Qur’an and the final Prophet.

Issues with the Methods of Scholars

For the Muslims who do not have the Farmans of the Imams, there are four main sources of authority:

1. Qur’an
2. Sunnah
3. Ijma (i.e., Consensus of Scholars)
4. Qiyas (i.e., Analogical Deduction of Scholars)

There are a number of verses in the Quran and narrations from the Prophet that identify the sources of the Shari’ah and the order of priority between them. For example, Allah says in Surah al-Nisa’, “O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best (way) and best in result.” The commentators mention that “obey Allah” refers to the Quran, “obey the Messenger” refers to the Sunnah, “obey those in authority among you” refers to having recourse to ijma’, and “if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger” refers to Qiyās.

— Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Usul al-Fiqh, p.45

The error in the above understanding is that the ayah connects the obedience of Allah to the obedience of the Messenger, and the obedience of the Messenger to the obedience to the Ones with Authority. The operation is and, not or. Without obedience to the Messenger, there is no obedience to Allah, and without obedience to the Ones with Authority, there is no obedience to the Messenger.

The Qur’an was not revealed in a way that was isolated from its surroundings, and if it is treated as such, then incorrect verdicts on history, beliefs, and legal action could be reached. The context, audience, abrogation and other subtleties of the Qur’an require the reader of the text to rely on an interpreter. For example, if someone were trying to learn how to pray from the Qur’an, they would begin to pray 3 times per day.

Establish prayer ˹O Prophet˺ at both ends of the day and in the early part of the night. [1] Surely good deeds wipe out evil deeds. That is a reminder for the mindful. — (11:114)

[1] This verse talks about the five daily prayers. The prayers at the two ends of the day are the dawn prayer (Fajr) at one end and the afternoon prayers (Ẓuhr and ’Aṣr) at the other. Prayers in the early part of the night include the sunset (Maghrib) and late evening (’Ishâ’) prayers.

In the above verse, there are three time periods mentioned, but the Sunni translator, Dr. Mustafa Khattab, indicates that this actually includes 2 prayers within two of the time periods (this was true during the Prophet’s time). In the morning, there is one; in the afternoon and night, there are two each, for a total of five. Upon inspection, it seems that only three prayers are being commanded, one within the early hours of the night and one at each end of the day. However, the Sunnah is used to understand and approach the verses of the Qur’an, ensuring their correct application for the believer. Approaching the Qur’an without the Sunnah results in the interpreter unable to understand the context, meaning and direction of the verses they are viewing.

Similarly, the Sunnah cannot be approached without the Ones in Authority. The context, meaning and direction of the Sunnah cannot be applied by fallible individuals without their fallibility corrupting the lessons conveyed.

An example of this are the earliest Hanafi scholars. They referred to a hadith that mentioned Umar bin Khattab diluting alcohol and then drinking it. Even though the Qur’an forbids intoxicants (Q 5:90), these scholars used the actions of one of their foremost companions and someone whom the Sunnis deem to hold authority, to approach the interpretation and application of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

How should the believers know who has authority? They are told. The Messenger bestowed his authority to Imam Ali (AS) in accordance with the Will of Allah. Imam Ali appoints his successor in the same way, and his successor follows suit, and so on and so forth.

Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah. But whoever turns away, then ˹know that˺ We have not sent you ˹O Prophet˺ as a keeper over them. — (4:80)

We bear witness that we heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say on the day of Ghadeer Khumm; **Am I not closer to the believers than their own selves and my wives are their mothers?** We said: Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: “If I am a person’s mawla then `Ali is also his mawla; O Allah, take as friends those who take him as a friend, and take as enemies those who take him as an enemy.” — Musnad Ahmad 961 (Grade: Hasan)

Whoever turns away from the Ones in Authority has turned away from Allah. Whoever is their friend, Allah is their friend, and whoever is their enemy, Allah is their enemy.

The scholars, neither in their consensus nor in their deduction, can claim any kind of authority from the Messenger. Nor can they make any claims about the correctness of their claim. In contrast, the Guides from God can make such claims and can point to inherited authority.

If a man does not recognize the Imam (wāli) of his time, does not accept him as such, treats his orders as already contained in the plain commandments of the shari’at, ascertains from the ordinary theologians (‘ulama-y-i zahir) the indications (ma’ni) of the Qur’an and the various hadiths concerning the institution of Imamat, and if he acts according to the theologians opinion, all his pious acts will be fruitless and his troubles useless, he will finally go to Hell. This is because the correct meaning of the Qur’an and ḥadīths is only with the Imam. The Prophet, peace be upon him, himself said that whoever accepted his progeny (‘itrat) and the Book of God as his guidance would never be lost.

**— **Imam Mustansir Bi’llah II (AS), Pandiyat-I Jawanmardi, Translated by W.Ivanow, p. 19

Those other than the Imam cannot be linked to obedience to Allah and the Messenger because their guesswork originates from their own limitations. The believers cannot be subjected to a scholar whose opinion X on Day 1 contradicts opinion Y on Day 2, which in turn contradicts opinion Z on Day 3.

For example, the Imam’s statements are juxtaposed with Abu Hanifa, whose fallibility shines through his own statements:

Abu Hanifa, may Allah have mercy on him, said to his student Abu Yusuf one day, “Woe to you, O Ya’qub! Do not write down everything you hear from me. Indeed, I may have an opinion today and abandon it tomorrow, or I may have an opinion tomorrow and abandon it the day after tomorrow.”

— Tārīkh Baghdād 15/544

The legitimate Authorities will never contradict Allah and His Messenger, but they may contradict the understanding of Allah and His Messenger from those without authority. However, the illegitimate authorities will risk contradicting Allah and His Messenger so long as they align with the understanding of Allah and His Messenger to those without authority.

Returning to the beginning of this discussion, the last two sources of guidance for those detached from the Imam, ijma and qiyas, are what determine the understanding of the first two sources, which we have already shown. However, if the first two sources are supposed to be the authoritative instruction of the believer, then we see them tainted by the personal preference of the consensus and analogy from those to whom authority has been given, but for whom it cannot be confirmed.

Ijma

The idea of ijma is consensus. Essentially, if a large number of jurists can reach the same conclusion, then it is impossible that they are all astray. Therefore, the consensus of jurists, either during your lifetime or before, is a “safe” source of guidance for the believer to fall back on if they are not sure of the correct action on an issue.

The technical definition of ijma is as follows:

The unanimous agreement of the mujtahids (independent jurists) of the Ummah of Muhammad after his death in a specific era on a legal ruling.

— Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Usul al-Fiqh, p.64

If such an agreement is reached, the authority of the consensus is binding on all believers, and it is considered obligatory to act according to it and not oppose this agreement.

It is considered obligatory to act upon the Ijma and its opposition is prohibited. Also, an issue that has been agreed upon through Ijma can’t be undone and subject to ijtihad once again. The scholars of Usul write, “Ijma ensures the correct interpretation of the Qur’an, faithful understanding and transmission of the Sunnah, and the legitimate use of ijtihad.”

— Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Usul al-Fiqh, p.67

In practice, ijma has often been invoked for rulings on which only a majority, not a universal consensus, existed within or beyond a particular school. Some modern-day scholars also argue that ijma can take place today through conferences and seminars that invite qualified, trained scholars from various parts of the Muslim world to discuss issues and determine legal rulings.

There are different proofs that proponents of consensus use to establish their claims. They all arise from the belief that the community will not agree upon an error or mistake and that the majority is rightly guided.

“I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘My nation will not unite on misguidance, so if you see them differing, follow the great majority.’” — Sunan Ibn Majah 3950 (Grade: Da’if)

Taking this hadith and similar reports at face value raises a number of problems.

If the Ummah will not agree upon a mistake, then how should we approach the early Mutazila? Soon after the Umayyads, the schools of aqeedah began to form, and the Mutazila, who are universally rejected today by the Sunni school, originally adopted the Mutazila creed, which became the official theology of the Abbasids in the 9th century CE. Another example is Taqi al-Din al-Subki and Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Al-Subki claims that there is a consensus that accepts and encourages intercession until Ibn Taymiyya, which is more than 700 years of scholarship after the Messenger of Allah. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab claims there was consensus during his time, approximately 1200 years after the Messenger of Allah, rejecting any form of intercession entirely. These differences are mutually exclusive and irreconcilable. The law of non-contradiction dictates that one be true and the other be false. These contradictions cannot be doubted nor concealed. Therefore, how should we take the hadith above at face value, knowing that understanding cannot be true?

This is like what we have quoted above from their predecessors such as Abū Ḥanifah, Mālik, al-Shafi’i, and others besides: they asserted what they claimed to belong to the religious obligations and legal rulings of God, then switched from that to a different opinion. We have shown the invalidity of this against them. On account of this, they made their religion a matter of frivolity and jest, as God stated.

— Al-Qadi al-Numan (RA), tr. Devin J. Stewart, Disagreement of the Jurists, p.90

Next, we look at the claims about the majority and the idea that the majority must be obeyed. The question we ask such proponents is “What majority should be obeyed?”

Today, the majority in the two Holy Cities are Hanbali Athari; previously, it was the Ottomans who were Hanafi Maturidi, and before them, there were the Seljuks whose institutions were largely Shafi’i Ashari. Further, during the rivalry with the Abbasids, the Fatimids were the majority in educational institutions such as al-Azhar, which they founded and which became the heartbeat for learning in the Islamic world. Should the Sunnis concede their position to say that the Ismailis and the Fatimids were correct and those dissidents against them are incorrect?

If you obey the majority of those on earth, they will make you lose the way of Allah. They follow nothing but whims, and they do nothing but make conjectures. — (6:116)

The above examples demonstrate that following the majority does not yield any answers, only further confusion. This is because it is not clear which majority should be followed. Does the truth change because the number of adherents to falsehood increases? This is not possible.

They have also adduced as proof reports that they have transmitted from the Messenger of God. They reported: “The Messenger of God said, ‘God will not let my nation agree on an error.” The Prophet explained, “One group of my nation will continue holding to the truth, and those who abandon them will not harm them until the command of God comes to pass.” About this, we say to them: We have explained to you the meaning of the term “nation,” and God will not let it unite on an error. Even if the ones you intend actually constituted the entire nation, there is no doubt that when that nation disagrees over something, the truth lies with only some of them. If you adopt the opinion of those members of the nation who adhere to the truth, then you also will adhere to the truth, but if you go against it, you have left the nation that God characterized as possessing moral probity. The Messenger also said: “He who is content to reside in the midst of the gardens of Paradise, let him adhere to the majority, for Satan is with the lone man, but is farther away from two”; “There are three things for which the heart of the Muslim will not be filled with rancor: devotion to God’s work, giving advice to the Imams of the Muslims, and adherence to the majority, for their prayer protects them from all sides”; “The hand of God is over the majority, and whoever leaves the majority has died as if he were still in the Time of Ignorance.”

One should respond to them: Do you think that when a majority group arises and unites around a falsehood you must adhere to it and join that group in false belief? To those whose opinions are always with the group of adherents to the truth, we say: You have spoken the truth. Is this not the relevant group intended by these reports? The answer must be, “Yes.” They cannot possibly say that group of the of the proponents of falsehood is intended. We then say to them: There is no difference between you and us in this matter; and we must seek the truth and side with its proponents the both you wherever they stand, because of God’s word: «O you who believe, fear God and be with the truthful!»

— Al-Qadi al-Numan (RA), tr. Devin J. Stewart, Disagreement of the Jurists, p.78

What we have written above is only an argument against the proofs used for ijma, but more can be said about the issues of consensus beyond the narrations used to support its legitimacy. We have summarized three of these issues below:

1. Who is included in this consensus? The Shia, for example, are not considered as a part of the consulted jurists for Sunni ijma. How is it justified that you have claimed consensus when it is only from those selected to agree in the first place?
2. The consensus of what group should be considered? Should the consensus of 700 years of scholars before al-Subki be taken as true, or the jurists during the time of Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and afterwards who disagree with them?
3. Ijma is based on the exegete's understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah, but there is no authority for their exegesis. This results in an unending loop of unauthoritative individuals, some of whom derive understanding, others who confirm it, and those who derive further understanding based on this previous confirmation. No part of this process can claim to fulfill the role of authoritative teaching.

Regarding our first point, Qadi al-Numan explains the confirmation bias or concluding “consensus” while considering those who object to the consensus as heretical.

One should object to these: Then what is your proof against the nation’s sects from which you have dissociated yourselves, attributing correct belief to yourselves, while considering them to be among the proponents of heretical views? Have they confessed and conceded this to you, acknowledging that you are believers and that they are heretics? Or do they claim the like of what you claim, and attribute to you the like of what you attribute to them? In the latter case, since you admit that the label of “the nation” applies equally both to them and to you, then what is the evidence that you are more deserving than they of being considered believers? What right do you have to aver that the sect that the Messenger attested was guided aright be yours and not theirs, and that God’s witnesses over His worshipers be part of your group and not theirs? You are thus arguing, in effect, that your consensus is a binding argument against them, without any evidence other than your mere claim, while they make a similar claim. Your need to dispute with them about the fundamental principles of faith and that which causes the designation of belief to apply to believers is much more pressing than your need to establish authoritative proof in your favor through your claim to represent the majority, since what you have claimed can only be correct once they have given up their claim, either through concession on their part to you, or through the decision of someone who may permissibly act as an arbiter between you.

— Al-Qadi al-Numan (RA), tr. Devin J. Stewart, Disagreement of the Jurists, p.78

The process of ijma is comparable to the ecumenical councils of the Christians, who said that those who obey are correct, while those who dissent are heretical and incorrect. However, neither the scholars of ijma nor the church fathers can claim authority to make these claims.

Qiyas

Ijtihad (i.e., independent interpretation) is where jurists will turn to their own interpretation or that of their colleagues. Specifically, this method of interpretation was developed in response to questions that demanded answers not explicitly mentioned in the Quran or the Sunnah. One particular method of this independent interpretation is called qiyas (i.e., argument/reasoning by analogy).

Technically, Qiyas is defined as the extension of a legal ruling from an existing case (al-asl) to a new case (al-far) on the basis of a common effective cause (illah).

—Dr. Furhan Zubairi, Introduction to Usul al-Fiqh, p.73

The way qiyas works is that scholars would examine well-known rulings rooted in the Quran or the Sunnah and seek to understand their rationale. Then, when new cases or questions came up that had (according to the scholars) the same or similar reasoning/judgment (hukm) behind it, they would apply the well-known ruling.

There are four elements of qiyas:

1. al-Asl: The original case whose ruling is mentioned in a text from the Qur’an, Sunnah or Ijma. It is also referred to as the maiqis alayh or the case upon which the analogy has been built.
2. al-Illah: The effective case, which is the underlying cause that leads to the ruling. This is the most significant player in the whole process of qiyas. It is the direct cause of the legal ruling.
3. al-Far: The new case whose ruling is not mentioned in a text from the Qur’an, Sunnah or ijma. This is also called the maqis, the case for which the analogy is constructed. It must be something whose ruling has not been explicitly mentioned.
4. al-Hukm: The ruling mentioned in the text for the original case that is extended to the new case.

For example, let’s take the ruling on alcohol:

1) Case (Asl): Alcohol is forbidden

2) Reason (‘Illah عِلّة): it intoxicates

3) New case (Far): Drugs that also intoxicate

4) Apply the same ruling (Hukm): Drugs are forbidden

Although we would agree with the outcome in this case — due to guidance from the Imam — we would not agree with all outcomes grounded in qiyas. The underlying rationale for providing this example was to give readers an idea of how qiyas works.

Our opposition to qiyas arises from the teachings of the family of the Messenger (AS), who explicitly condemn qiyas. In one instance reported by Qadi al-Numan, Imam Jafar as-Sadiq condemns the use of qiyas when speaking with Abu Hanifa.

“Once Abu Hanifah came to see Imam Abu ‘Abdallah [Jafar as Sadiq] (AS) who said to Abu Hanifah, “O Abu Hanifah, do you practice analogy as I hear you do?” Abu Hanifah replied, “Yes, I do practice analogy.” The Imam then said to him, “Do not practice it because the first person who used analogy was Satan when he said, “Lord, you have created me from fire and created him from clay.” He analogized fire with clay. If he would have analogized the light in the clay and fire he would have learned about the difference between the two lights and the excellence of one over the other.”

— Sahih al-Kafi, Book 2, Chapter 19, Hadith #20

However, we can consider why analogy is invalid and the wisdom behind the Imam’s restriction upon it.

First, Allah, the Most High, has said that the Qur’an is an explanation of everything.

˹Consider, O Prophet,˺ the Day We will call against every faith-community a witness of their own. And We will call you to be a witness against these ˹people of yours˺. We have revealed to you the Book as an explanation of all things, a guide, a mercy, and good news for those who ˹fully˺ submit. — (16:89)

Where Allah does not provide explicit guidance, he allows His Messenger to dictate to the people of his time. The Messenger provides all of the guidance necessary for the people of his time.

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, left us behind and no bird flaps with its wings but that he had given us some knowledge about it. — Sahih Ibn Hibban 65

The Messenger, at the direction of Allah, directs the community to follow his family, who will provide continued guidance with the Qur’an.

If anything is left unclear by Allah, His Messenger clarifies it. If the Messenger leaves anything unclear, the Ahl al-Bayt clarifies it for the community.

The Imam Jafar as Sadiq was asked about the meaning of the words of Allah: “For every nation there is a guide.” (13:7)

The Imam said “that every Imam is the guide in his own time.”

— Sahih al-Kafi, Book 4, Chapter 10, Hadith #1

The opinion that God did not set forth in His Book or in the speech of His Messenger the knowledge necessary for rulings in the religion is invalid.

Allah, the Most High, did not tell the people to clarify the unknown for themselves whenever it was difficult for them or when they did not know what the ruling was, but rather stated: “So ask the People of Knowledge if you do not know” and “Obey the Messenger and the Holders of Authority from amongst you.” He did not say, “extract that by analogy,” as is claimed or “speculate about it for yourselves,” as is asserted.

Those who forbid what is permissible and derive their own legal rulings are condemned by Allah in the Qur’an.

O believers! Do not forbid the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not like transgressors. — (5:87)

Lost indeed are those who have murdered their own children foolishly out of ignorance and have forbidden what Allah has provided for them — falsely attributing lies to Allah. They have certainly strayed and are not ˹rightly˺ guided. — (6:140)

Do not falsely declare with your tongues, “This is lawful, and that is unlawful,” ˹only˺ fabricating lies against Allah. Indeed, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed. — (16:116)

The jurists who dictate to the masses defend their action under the guise of ahadith, such as the one below:

That he heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) saying, “If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct (i.e. agrees with Allah and His Apostle’s verdict) he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, (i.e. against that of Allah and His Apostle) even then he will get a reward.” — Sahih Bukhari 7352

Whoever expresses that any judge is rewarded, whether they be correct or incorrect, should then accept that God rewards al-Qadi al-Numan who refutes them. If they say this does not refer to al-Qadi al-Numan, then they demonstrate a proof against themselves by illustrating the personal preference and confirmation bias involved in their path.

Another example is the Ottoman Mufti in Palestine, Yusuf al-Nabhani. Al-Nabhani mentions that he invokes the Messenger of Allah’s name as a means to receive aid from Allah. According to the understanding affirmed by Sunnis for the above hadith, he is rewarded. However, according to the consensus claimed by Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and his modern-day followers, Yusuf al-Nabhani became an apostate when he invoked the name of the Prophet for help.

“My efforts have been hindered, help me O Messenger of God (adriknī yā Rasūl Allāh)”. After invoking the Messenger of God for help one thousand, three hundred and fifty times, al-Nabhānī reported that his problem was solved: “I sought assistance (istaghathtu) through the Prophet (bi l-nabī) from God to relieve me of that difficulty… the occurrence of this affair is only through the blessing (baraka) of the Prophet, seeking assistance (istighātha) from God through him, and invoking blessings upon him.”

— Yūsuf al-Nabhānī, Shawāhid al-Haqq, ed. ʿAbd al-Wārith Muḥammad ʿAlī (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-ʿIlmiyyah, 2007), p.248

The understanding that any judge who tries to rule is rewarded, even if they are blatantly wrong, is foolish. The Messenger indicated as much during his time, but these narrations are not considered when the proponents of personal whim wish to establish their view.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The judges are three kinds: two judges are in Hellfire and one judge is in Paradise. A man who judges without the truth while he knows it, he is in Hellfire. A judge who has no knowledge and violates the rights of people, he is in Hellfire. A judge who judges with the truth, he is in Paradise.” — Tirmidhi 1322 (Grade: Sahih)

The judge who provides verdicts with no knowledge, such as those who deduce it without guidance from those appointed by God, they are in Hellfire. The judge who provides verdicts in accordance with those appointed by God, such as al-Qadi al-Numan, are in Paradise by the Mercy of Allah.

The Messenger condemned those who tried to pass judgment in accordance with their own understanding instead of referring it to him.

We set out on a journey. One of our people was hurt by a stone, that injured his head. He then had a [wet] dream. He asked his fellow travellers: Do you find a concession for me to perform tayammum? They said: We do not find any concession for you while you can use water. He took a bath and died. When we came to the Prophet (ﷺ), the incident was reported to him. He said: They killed him, may Allah kill them! Could they not ask when they did not know? The cure for ignorance is inquiry. It was enough for him to perform tayammum and to pour some drops of water or bind a bandage over the wound (the narrator Musa was doubtful); then he should have wiped over it and washed the rest of his body.— Sunan Abu Dawood 336

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, did not validate the judgment of these companions and instead asked Allah to kill them! The Messenger said, “The cure for ignorance is inquiry.” He did not validate their judgment, deduction or ill-formed conclusions. The scholars of today could ask when they do not know, but instead of referring to what the Messenger of God left his community, they view themselves above that and refer to their own judgement instead.

[T]he Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Beware of narrating from me except what I taught you, for whoever lies about me on purpose, then let him take his seat in the Fire. And whoever says (something) about the Qur’an according to his (own) opinion, then let him take his seat in the Fire.” — Tirmidhi 2951 (Grade: Da’if)

The proof for analogy is sometimes presented in different forms based on varying hadith, but one of the most popular is about a woman who asked Rasool’Allah (SAW) if it was possible for her to perform pilgrimage on behalf of her deceased mother:

A woman from the tribe of Juhaina came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, “My mother had vowed to perform Hajj but she died before performing it. May I perform Hajj on my mother’s behalf?” The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, “Perform Hajj on her behalf. Had there been a debt on your mother, would you have paid it or not? So, pay Allah’s debt as He has more right to be paid.” — Sahih Bukhari 1852

This hadith cannot be used as a proof of qiyas by the Messenger because Allah has promised that the Messenger does not speak out of any whim.

Nor does he speak of his own whims. — (53:3)

The questioner was a woman who knew the ruling regarding debts by a certain label. Then something belonging to that category presented itself to her that did not resemble it, and she inquired about it. Once she was informed of it, she recognized it, not because she was informed of the underlying cause and then commanded to derive this ruling by analogy therefrom.

The Messenger of God never approved the methodology of analogy; he encouraged the use of the intellect. Among the many differences is that the use of the intellect is deductive rather than the inductive process that analogy requires. The proponents of analogy have analogized from the Messenger’s statements the permissibility of analogy. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, never allowed for the aql to be used in a way that would allow for a way in which God and His Messenger are circumvented. The intellect is a means to understand and apply the command of God, not a crutch to replace it.

Those from previous communities used their analogy, preferences and deduction to circumvent the commands from God in accordance with whatever is more pleasing to them. Allah curses them and makes an example out of them for others who wish to walk the same path.

Ask them ˹O Prophet˺ about ˹the people of˺ the town which was by the sea, who broke the Sabbath. [1] During the Sabbath, ˹abundant˺ fish would come to them clearly visible, but on other days the fish were never seen. In this way We tested them for their rebelliousness. — (7:143)

[1] The people of Aylah, an ancient town by the Red Sea, were forbidden to catch fish on the Sabbath. However, on Saturdays fish were everywhere, whereas on weekdays no fish were seen. To get around the prohibition, some decided to lay their nets on Fridays and collect the fish caught in their nets on Sundays. Those opposed to this practice were divided into two groups: one group tried to convince the offenders to honour the Sabbath, but soon gave up when their advice was not taken seriously. The second group was persistent in giving advice to the Sabbath-breakers. Eventually, the Sabbath-breakers were punished whereas the other two groups were saved.

What we have described thus far are the issues with the concept and the proof of analogy, but there are also issues with its implementation, even if the concept were accepted.

1. How do you determine that the previous case is similar?
2. How do you know you have derived the correct cause from this previous case?
3. How have you established your use of analogy over another?

The most relevant point we mentioned regarding Ta`lim is the third.

To those who rely on their analogy instead of the Ones in Authority, what would the argument be against someone who drew an analogy like yours and professed the opposite of your opinion concerning it? The same goes for everything that has been compared and declared lawful or unlawful by your analogy. There will always be someone who opposes you concerning it, with an analogy like the one you have adopted; he could prove your analogy invalid through the very kind of argument that you used to show its validity, show it to be false in the same way you showed his to be incorrect.

Those who uphold analogy in their rulings against the direction of the Imams from the lineage of Abraham rule as a result of a cause that has been proven to their satisfaction. The opponents of such a ruling who agrees with them on the validity of analogy as a principle but opposes them on a particular issue can easily claim that something was valid according to his understanding in the way the original jurist has claimed, and consider it proved to his own satisfaction, so that his claim would render the other’s claim null, just as the original jurist tried to do to him.

Both the jurists and those who follow them only follow their preferences and desires. They take the opinion of whatever is more pleasing to them.

Clearly, qiyas cannot claim to fulfill any role in authoritative teaching and only leads others to more contradictions.

However, we are not denying, nor would anyone deny, that the term analogy has a valid meaning, or that things resemble each other in certain aspects and differ from each other in other aspects. We do not declare comparisons and analogies impossible for those things for which limits have not been established, and conditions have not been imposed on us. Instead, we declare it impossible to give a legal ruling in religion on the basis of analogy because the rulings of the religious law are not to be ultimately referred to human intellects because only God is responsible for giving rulings.

Submission to Legitimate Authority

The crux of the issue of submission to the authority of scholars is that it is illegitimate and arbitrary. The scholars themselves cannot point to any inherited authority given to them by Allah or His Messenger. They have bestowed this authority on themselves or received it from others who have no authority to begin with. In contrast with the Household of the Messenger, the Guides from God are those whose authority is legitimate and to whom submission is acceptable.

For those detached from the Imam of the Time, if the People of the House related to you a report to an effect from the Messenger, then you would say that you must accept it from them, just as we consider it incumbent on ourselves to accept what our Imams, the continuation of the Household, have transmitted to us.

Look at the people of the Prophet’s family. Adhere to their direction. Follow their footsteps because they would never let you out of guidance, and never throw you into destruction. If they sit down, you sit down, and if they rise up you rise up. Do not go ahead of them, as you would thereby go astray and do not lag behind of them as you would thereby be ruined.

— Imam Ali (AS), Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 97

The people of previous religions independently adopted what they did specifically because they deemed that best and most preferable, and considered it true and correct in their view because they deemed it best. If it is considered permissible to resort to preference in subsidiary questions of religion, then you are bound to consider it permissible regarding the heart of the religion itself. Otherwise, how can you rule on the subsidiary questions without adopting the same method for the fundamental principles? But if rulings are provided in this fashion, then their proponents are obliged to admit that the Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians and idolaters are correct in their religious rulings that they deem best and prefer. Similarly, they would be compelled to admit this about the adherents of all religious sects, since they deem their own views best, just as those proponents of personal preference prefer their own.

For believers who refer an issue to the Imam and cannot find it among his commands, it remains their responsibility to act in accordance with their understanding of what they know from the Qur’an, Sunnah and Farmans. The difference between this approach and that of the scholars is that such jurists and scholars do not seek a ruling in the Imam's commands; they immediately refer to their own deductions, analogies, and conclusions. They then dictate to others what is permissible and what is not based on their interpretation. Further, they do this regarding issues in which the Imam has not permitted them to do so.

Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “If the religion were based upon one’s opinion, one might expect the bottom of the leather sock to be wiped instead of the top. I have seen the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wiping over the upper part of his leather socks.” — Sunan Abu Dawood 162 (Grade: Sahih)

Wiping over the socks is not permissible for a valid wudu within Ismaili hikmah, based upon the guidance of the Imams who did not confirm this alleged teaching. We provide this as an example for those outside the teachings of the Imam.

Given the analysis thus far, it is unequivocal that the Qur’an does not meet the criteria for authoritative guidance due to its reliance on the Sunnah, nor does the combination of the Qur’an with the Sunnah due to the reliance of the Sunnah on scholars, who are given authority from the lay people who provide this authority based on personal preference and whim.

For those looking to submit to God, where should they turn?

The Solution to these Issues

The rope of Imamate after Prophet Muhammad, the peace and blessings upon him and his family. Both Imam Ali and the Messenger are descended from Prophet Ibrahim through Prophet Ismail. Prophet Muhammad and Imam Ali share the same grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib.

The Ismailis are the only Muslim community that has a present living Imam. They are the only ones who can trace the inherited authority of their Imam back to the Prophet (SAW) and are the only ones who can claim they have not separated the Qur’an and Ahl al-Bayt (AS).

Further silly information which is accepted by many historians concerns the ‘Ubaydid (-Fatimids), the Shi’ah caliphs in al-Qayrawan and Cairo. (These historians) deny their ‘Alid origin and attack (the genuineness of) their descent from the imam Ismail, the son of Ja’far as-Sadiq. They base themselves in this respect on stories that were made up in favor of the weak ‘Abbasid caliphs by people who wanted to ingratiate themselves with them through accusations against their active opponents and who (therefore) liked to say all kinds of bad things about their enemies. We shall mention some such stories in our treatment of the history of (the ‘Ubaydid-Fatimids). (These historians) do not care to consider the factual proofs and circumstantial evidence that require (us to recognize) that the contrary is true and that their claim is a lie and must be rejected.

— Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddimah, tr. Franz Rosenthal, pp.15–16

There is no dispute about the authority of the Imam or the authenticity of his statements. When he issues a Farman — a command — it is heard by thousands and recorded immediately. He was appointed by Imam Shah Karim Shah (AS), who was appointed by Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), who was appointed by Imam Shah Ali Shah (AS), who was appointed by Imam Hasan Ali Shah (AS) and so on until the time when Imam Ali (AS) was appointed by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

This nass is necessary because it differentiates between a relative of the Messenger and the Household of the Messenger. It is the difference between Abu Lahab and Ali ibn Abu Talib. Many relatives of the Messenger exist at once and claim competing modes of guidance, such as the Supreme Leader of Iran and the King of Jordan. However, neither can claim any appointment from those in authority, only recognition from those with none.

Those who come after the Messenger may not cite the Qur’an or anything else as evidence, without the Guide who has been appointed for them after the Messenger and who undertakes what the Messenger used to undertake for the people of his time, explaining the Book of God and upholding it for the people of his age and time. If inference or preference were permissible for you without a guide, as our opponents claim, then you would have no argument against those who contradict you when they claim to have inferred something from the Book or Practice, just as you have done, but espouse an opinion that is contrary to the one you have adopted. People in the age of the Messenger did not have the right to infer from the Qur’an and the Sunnah what they did not know without the Messenger, but rather God commanded them to refer to him and ordered him to explain to them what He had revealed to him. The Messenger was the guide who guided them, the leader who led them, and the one who explained to them what God revealed; neither the Qur’an nor Sunnah nor their combination are able to uphold themselves, so they cannot function as the guide for the people. The Messenger’s family fulfill this role for the people of their time, to ensure the correct continued teaching and application.

The Umayyads are gone, the Abbasids are gone, the Seljuks, the Ottomans, all of them, gone. But our Imam is still here. SubhanAllah. How could it be any other way? It is impossible for there to be a time without the guidance of Ahl al-Bayt, since the Messenger of Allah (SAW) promised us they would never be separated from the Qur’an.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indeed, I am leaving among you, that which if you hold fast to them, you shall not be misguided after me. One of them is greater than the other: The Book of Allah is a rope extended from the sky to the earth, and my family — the people of my house — and they shall not split until they meet at the Hawd, so look at how you deal with them after me.” — Tirmidhi 3788 (Grade: Sahih)

The Ismailis have survived the onslaught of the Umayyads, Abbasids, Seljuks, Crusaders and Mongols by the guidance of the Imam. Alhamdulilah.

The solution to the above issues regarding the interpretation and application of the Qur’an and Sunnah is simple: the Ta`lim doctrine. Instead of choosing an opinion of a scholar based on the length of their beard, the guidance that is chosen and followed is that of the present-living Imam, who is claiming the continuation of authoritative guidance from the previous teachers. This Imam must be of the Ahl al-Bayt, and his conclusion is final. What we think is irrelevant, what we like is unimportant, and what is preferred has no place. This is submission and this is Islam.

Allah, the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful, has made submission to Him clear and accessible. He sent His Messenger to convey His Will, and the Messenger instructed the believers to hold fast to the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt. Among the entire Ummah, only one community has consistently claimed continuous guidance through the Ahl al-Bayt, and it is therefore the only community that can claim not to have gone astray. That community are the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Allah has made this guidance clear to His servants; indeed, it is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts.

Image depicting the overall flow of following the Qur’an and Sunnah with the Ahl al Bayt.

From one Imam to another, the believers receive guidance. From one Imam to another, the believers are connected back to Allah and His Messenger. As Imam Jafar as Sadiq (AS) says, the Imams are a rope back to Allah— allowing the believers to pull themselves towards God in their pursuit of complete worship and total surrender.

And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favour upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you — by His grace — became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be ˹rightly˺ guided. — (3:103)

The necessity of the guidance from the Imam and the consequences of breaking from this guidance of the Prophet’s family is warned against in the most severe of terms from the Messenger (SAW) himself:

Abu Dharr says, ‘’The Prophet said, ‘My family are like Noah’s ark. Whoever uses it will be saved and whoever separates from it will drown.” — (Mustadrak Hakam, vol. 3, p.151)

Whoever dies without recognizing the Imam of the Time dies a death of ignorance. Through the Imams, differences are overcome, understanding is reached, and truth is established. Whoever chooses their own personal preference over the Imam is the similitude of Prophet Nuh’s (AS) son, who abandoned the Ark due to the belief that the mountain could protect him.

He replied, “I will take refuge on a mountain, which will protect me from the water.” Noah cried, “Today no one is protected from Allah’s decree except those to whom He shows mercy!” And the waves came between them, and his son was among the drowned. — (11:43)

The realization that the Imam is the authority on the interpretation of the Qur’an and the Sunnah is captured in the writings of a more famous Ismaili Dai, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (RA). Al-Tusi was raised as an Ithna Ashari Shia Muslim, but later took up the cause of the Imam of the Time after receiving some of the Imam's teachings. His application to become an Ismaili is documented in the book Contemplation and Action, where he refers to the Ta`lim doctrine:

[§17] From an esoteric perspective, however, when I had reached a position where I could understand — by the proof that has already been cited — that it was the followers of instruction who were correct, I concluded with no additional troublesome thinking that the true instructor can only be he who is the instructor of the followers of the truth. This person, through whose teaching souls move from potentiality to actuality, must therefore be the instructor of the Ta’limiyān [i.e., the Ismailis].

— Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (RA), Contemplation and Action, tr. S.J. Badakhchani, p.32

The guidance of the Imam is the solution to the contradiction of following scholars and the personal preference of following one over the other. Specifically, the Farmans of the Imam are what allow the believers to reach certainty and avoid doubt about the Will of Allah, Glorified and Exalted He is.

Changing Practices of Ismailis

A common objection to the practices of Ismailis is that they are different from the time of the Messenger (SAW). Ismailis do not deny that the rituals and habits of the Prophet and his companions differ from those of the Ismailis today. However, far from being a proof against the Ismailis, we see this as a demonstration of the legitimacy of our claims.

The Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was also accused of changing the legislation of previous communities, and Allah refutes those who make this claim.

For every community We appointed a code of life to follow. So do not let them dispute with you ˹O Prophet˺ in this matter. And invite ˹all˺ to your Lord, for you are truly on the Right Guidance. — (22:67)

Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him, was also accused by the Jews who followed the Mosaic Code of blasphemy and changing what was previously sent by God. However, the Pharisees had no authority to challenge the Christ, nor did they have any right to disobey God’s provided authority on Earth (Q 2:91).

If we look at the Qur’an to determine who these authorities are that establish the code of life for a given people, we will find the answer in the chapter of the Prophets, Surah al-Anbiya.

We ordered, “O fire! Be cool and safe for Abraham!” They had sought to harm him, but We made them the worst losers. Then We delivered him, along with Lot, to the land We had showered with blessings for all people. And We blessed him with Isaac ˹as a son˺ and Jacob ˹as a grandson˺, as an additional favour — making all of them righteous. And We made them the Imams who guided (people) under Our command, and We inspired them to do good deeds and to establish Salāh and pay Zakāh, and Us alone they worshipped. — (21:69 to 21:73)

The descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) are termed as Imams guiding by the command of God. These Imams are the authorities that establish prayer and zakah. If the reader returns to the verse provided in our introduction, they will see that the Imams appointed by God are among many descendants of Prophet Ibrahim, not only Prophet Ishaq and Prophet Yaqub.

And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said: “I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.” He pleaded: “And also (Imams) from my offspring!” He answered: “But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers. — (2:124)

This proof demonstrates that for every community, there has been an established set of laws for worship, such as prayer and zakah, which were given by the Imams of the lineage of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him and his progeny. The Muslim community today is different from the one 1400 years ago. They face different challenges, obstacles and barriers in the world, which is why it is necessary to have continuing authoritative guidance. While the fact of religious obligations such as prayer remains constant, Ismailis understand that the forms for the fulfillment of such facts may change (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Precious Pearls, Firman no.17).

Moreover, not only is it important to have a different code of life from that of those who came before, but it is necessary to make such changes to determine who are the People of the Truth and who are only following what their forefathers did.

Such a test took place during the Prophet’s life when the Qibla (the direction of prayer) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca, to determine who was with the Messenger fully and who lacked conviction.

And so We have made you ˹believers˺ an upright community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and that the Messenger may be a witness over you. We assigned your former direction of prayer only to distinguish those who would remain faithful to the Messenger from those who would lose faith. It was certainly a difficult test except for those ˹rightly˺ guided by Allah. And Allah would never discount your ˹previous acts of˺ faith. Surely Allah is Ever Gracious and Most Merciful to humanity. — (2:143)

The believers should not expect the shariah (i.e., law) to be equivalent to the tariqah (i.e., spiritual path). They may look as different as day and night, just as two travellers may approach their destination in two different ways, one during the day with a map and one at night using the stars, they both acknowledge the other’s pursuit as valid. It is our belief, however, that the one who uses the stars to guide him is better in his efforts because he can span the ocean, while his counterpart cannot depart from land. The way of the map and its physical landmarks is the way of shariah, but the way of the stars is the way of the tariqah.

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Islam began as something strange and will go back to being strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.’” — Sunan Ibn Majah 3986 (Grade: Sahih)

The way of the tariqah is embodied by Khidr (AS) in the Qur’an, while the shariah is embodied by Prophet Musa (AS). Prophet Musa is told by his Lord that there is one who is more knowledgeable than him, and he goes to seek this man out. Upon finding Khidr, he accompanies him as he completes three acts, all of which go against the intuition and understanding of Nabi Musa. Nevertheless, it is Khidr who is correct and Musa who was wrong. Since Musa could not bear the lessons of Khidr patiently, he was sent away from him, and we do not learn anything else from Khidr in the Qur’an.

He replied, “This is the parting of our ways. I will explain to you what you could not bear patiently. As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people, working at sea. So I intended to damage it, for there was a ˹tyrant˺ king ahead of them who seizes every ˹good˺ ship by force. And as for the boy, his parents were ˹true˺ believers, and we feared that he would pressure them into defiance and disbelief. So we hoped that their Lord would give them another, more virtuous and caring in his place. And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and under the wall was a treasure that belonged to them, and their father had been a righteous man. So your Lord willed that these children should come of age and retrieve their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it ˹all˺ on my own. This is the explanation of what you could not bear patiently.” — (18:78 to 18:81)

In this story, Khidr damages a passing ship, kills a young boy and fixes a wall of a city. Musa protests that he has damaged someone’s property, taken an innocent life and performed some work for free for which it was possible to receive a reward. Khidr responds to Musa and provides the wisdom behind the actions that Musa could not understand.

The difference between Prophet Musa and Khidr, between shariah and tariqah, is the difference between the zahir (i.e., the outward outstanding) and the batin (i.e., inward understanding). This is mentioned by al-Sharastani (RA) in the book Command and Creation:

I [Khidr] am the man of the esoteric (taʾwīl) and you [Prophet Musa] are the man of the exoteric (tanzīl). I pass verdicts based on the inward (bātịn) and you pass verdicts based on the outward (zạ̄ hir). My verdict nullifies not yours; nor does your verdict nullify mine.

— Al-Shahrastani (RA), tr. Daryoush Mohammed Poor, Command and Creation, p. 110

This narrative in the Qur’an is another example of Ta`lim in all its parts: recognizing one’s own shortcomings, seeking out the authoritative teacher and submitting to God through the teachings of this instructor.

This has been the long answer to the question of why Ismaili Muslims have different practices from other Muslims. The short answer is that Ismailis are the only community that can claim a present living Imam from Ahl al Bayt; therefore, because the Ahl al Bayt were left with the Qur’an, they determine what is practiced and how the Qur’an is interpreted.

Answering Objections to the Ta`lim Doctrine

The Ta`lim doctrine was highly appealing during the Fatimid Caliphate and drew many Sunnis to support the Ismailis. This evoked the wrath of Nizam al-Mulk and the Seljuk Sunnis working with the Abbasids, who wanted to reaffirm the basis of their cause with their populace. The Seljuks attacked on two fronts: on one hand, they ordered the execution of the Ismailis and their arrest, and on the other hand, they hired individuals to write against the Ismailis. The most famous of these individuals was al-Ghazali.

In response to the order from the Abbasid Caliph, al-Ghazali wrote his book Infamies of the Esotericists, where he attacked the Ismailis. However, this attack was ultimately very weak, and al-Ghazali later contradicted his own transformation to Sufism. We will not go into every detail of this work, but we will highlight a few key points.

1. Al-Ghazali misrepresents the Ismailis multiple times: in one case, he says that the Ismailis reject reason altogether, but this is not true. This is the straw man fallacy.
2. Al-Ghazali does not provide proof for his claims, such as the claim that the Abbasid Caliph, al-Mustazhir, is the Imam of the Time. There is no proof brought from the Qur’an or any hadith, nor any attempt at a proof of any kind, because there is no proof for his claim.
3. Al-Ghazali contradicts modern Sunnis by establishing the Imamate as a fundamental tenet of religion — something modern Sunnis do not accept. In doing this, al-Ghazali actually harms the modern Sunni cause more than he does the Ismaili cause.

Related to the first point, al-Ghazali states that the Ismailis reject reason altogether, but that is never the Ismaili position. The Ismaili position is that there are inherent limits to the individual’s ability to reach God. This is why Prophets were sent in the first place — if such limits did not exist, there is no need for Prophets to be sent; everyone can deduce their way to the correct answer. Dr. Farouk Mitha points out al-Ghazali’s straw man in his analysis of al-Ghazali’s book:

Apart from the differences of form and terminology (e.g. the elaborate conception of need in al-Shahrastani), the crucial difference between this and al-Ghazali’s version lies in the way in which the relationship between reason and talim is portrayed. Al-Shahrastani’s version implies that recourse to the infallible Imam (hence talim) culminates out of an acknowledgement of the limits of reason, and not, as al-Ghazali insists, the invalidity of reason.

— Dr. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: A Debate on Reason and Authority in Medieval Islam, p.54

One of al-Ghazali’s points on this topic is that it is possible to deduce the truth in the mathematical and scientific realms through personal reasoning. Even though the mathematician or scientist may err, their methods are correct. Similarly, it is possible for a jurist to deduce religious truths through such reasoning. First, it should be clear to the reader that mathematics and scientific conclusions are verifiable and falsifiable, while religious conclusions are not. Second, it should be clear that Allah has never tested his slaves with mathematical and scientific tests during their lives, but with tests of religion. Third, Allah, Glorified and Exalted He is, has never sent mankind guidance through the form of a mathematician or scientist and has never bestowed authority to them in the way that al-Ghazali believes scholars have been bestowed authority.

Regarding the second point, al-Ghazali mentions parts of the Ismaili doctrine that he agrees with but says have been misapplied. For example, he believes in the concept of Imamate, but believes that the Abbasid Caliph is the Imam of the Time. However, al-Ghazali never provides any proof, as Dr. Farouk Mitha again points out.

Recourse to the term fard [i.e., mandatory] enables al-Ghazali to affirm the necessity of the Sunni caliph in every age, and to argue that contrary to those who uphold that there is nobody today who fulfils the requirements of the office, there will always be a qualified candidate in the Sunni community without whose existence the sharia cannot be implemented. In short, the caliph is an indispensable source of legitimacy, and all public appointments such as that of government officials and qadis can only be valid if they issue forth from the caliph. However, it is interesting to note that al-Ghazalis does not specify how exactly al-Mustanzhir qualifies for the imama, except by putting forth the following syllogism:

There must be an Imam in every age, but only he is qualified for the office; therefore he is the rightful Imam.

— Dr. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: A Debate on Reason and Authority in Medieval Islam, p.73

This belief in the necessity of an Imam over the Muslims by al-Ghazali is mentioned in some of his more famous work such as Moderation in Belief:

On showing that appointing an imam is obligatory

We should not think that this obligation derives from the intellect. We have explained that obligations derive from the revelation, except when ‘obligatory’ is interpreted to designate an act, such that there is benefit in performing it or harm in refraining from it. According to this interpretation, it cannot be denied that appointing an imam is obligatory, since it leads to benefit and prevents harm in this worldly life. However, we present a conclusive legal demonstration that it is obligatory. We will not rely solely on the consensus of the Muslim community; rather we bring attention to the basis of this consensus. Hence we say: Well-ordered religious affairs are decidedly a purpose of the man with the revelation (may God bless him and grant him peace). This is an unquestionable premise about which no dispute is imaginable. We add to it another premise, which is that well-ordered religious affairs can only be achieved through an imam who is obeyed. The correctness of the proposition that the appointment of an imam is obligatory follows from these two premises.

— Al-Ghazali, Moderation in Belief, tr. Aladdin M Yaqub, pp.229–230

This is a damning contradiction between al-Ghazali and modern Sunni scholars, who do not say that the appointment of an Imam over the Muslims is necessary. In fact, it has been more than 100 years since such a person has existed. Ironically, the only Muslim group that can claim to have a present living Imam that is obeyed by the community are the Ismailis — in trying to refute the Ismailis, al-Ghazali has proved our legitimacy with his own words.

There are many other issues with al-Ghazali’s futile attempt at refutation, but we believe we have proved our point with these examples. To be fair to al-Ghazali, he was stuck in the position of having to prove that the conjecture of fiqh and kalam was superior to the certainty of Ta`lim. This is impossible because speculation can never take the place of yaqeen.

But they have no knowledge therein. They follow nothing but conjecture; and conjecture avails nothing against Truth. — (53:28)

The authors’ perspective is that al-Ghazali understood the futility of his endeavour and the errors of his ways while writing about the Ismailis. This is because he wrote his book against the Ismailis in 1095 CE, and in the same year, he resigned from his teaching post and began his journey towards Sufism. Five years later, in 1100 CE, al-Ghazali wrote his book Deliverance from Error, in which he recounts his numerous mistakes in life and his newfound dedication to a spiritual path rather than a legalistic one. Historians such as Marshall Hodgson and Henri Laoust have also pointed out this connection.

Al-Ghazali’s turning towards Sufism, which, if we recall, was to begin in earnest very soon after he had written the K. al-Mustazhiri, is perhaps the most articulate expression of his individualistic temperament, leading him to withdraw from the life of the community in order to pursue the dictates of his own personal conscience. Marshall Hodgson and Henri Laoust have both argued that the stirrings of what later developed into al-Ghazali’s existentialist posture (with the emphasis on religious experience) can be traced back to his engagement with the talim doctrine, especially since the talim doctrine, as much as al-Ghazali would wish it to be underplayed, culminated in an act of existential commitment to, and dependence on, the teacher. This interpretation brings to light one of the most fascinating ironies in Muslim intellectual history: that al-Ghazali’s intellectual reformation of Sunni Islam was in large part shaped by the ideas and ethos of the Shia Ismaili doctrine of talim.

— Dr. Farouk Mitha, Al-Ghazali and the Ismailis: A Debate on Reason and Authority in Medieval Islam, pp.100–101

After al-Ghazali’s personal and intellectual transformation, he adopts many concepts — such as esoteric interpretation — that he had originally argued against when espoused by the Ismailis. This hypocrisy is mentioned by Dr. Wilferd Madelung in his book Religious Trends in Early Islamic Iran. The reformation of al-Ghazali through his mental and physical crises demonstrates the fallibility of scholars, who can lead others down a path they themselves abandon.

All of this being said, al-Ghazali did raise points that we think would be relevant for the readers of this treatise, including a very famous hadith that has been perpetually quoted to the Ismailis.

The first relevant point is al-Ghazali’s belief that the Messenger of Allah was the last infallible guide. The reader may have had the same thought. However, this cannot be the case because we no longer have access to the Messenger. Al-Ghazali and other Sunnis may point to the hadith literature, but there is actually an example from the ahadith that illustrates the very point we are making:

Ibn ‘Umar, do you hear what Abu Huraira says that he heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:” He who goes out with the bier when taken out from its residence and offers prayer for it and he then follows it till it is buried, he would have two qirats of reward, each qirat being equivalent to Uhud; and he who, after having offered prayer, (directly) came back would have his reward (as great) as Uhud”? Ibn ‘Umar sent Khabbab to ‘A’isha in order to ask her about the words of Abu Huraira (and also told him) to come back to him (Ibn ‘Umar) and inform him what ‘A’isha said. (In the meanwhile) Ibn ‘Umar took up a handful of pebbles and turned them over in his hand till the messenger (Khabbab) came back to him and told (him) that ‘A’isha testified (the statement of) Abu Huraira. Ibn ‘Umar threw the pebbles he had in his hand on the ground and then said: We missed a large number of qirats. — Sahih Muslim 945a

In the above hadith, Ibn Umar does not go to the graveyard with someone being buried, and he is warned that he is missing out on a large reward by Abu Huraira. Abu Huraira narrates a hadith from the Prophet that Ibn Umar does not believe until it is confirmed by Aisha, at which point he becomes frustrated for having missed out on so many rewards.

If the Messenger (SAW) himself was narrating this, Ibn Umar would accept it right away. However, because it is narrated first through Abu Huraira, Ibn Umar has doubts about it. Ibn Umar knows for a fact that Abu Huraira has met the Prophet himself, and he is still skeptical. Given this, how can the Ismailis — or any Muslim — be expected to be anything less than skeptical about the hadiths when the chains of narration contain generations of narrators who have never even met the Prophet?

Another example of this skepticism towards the hadith is seen between Umar and Abu Musa. During this event, Abu Musa knocks on Umar's door three times and does not hear a response. After this, he walks away and Umar comes out and asks why he did not come in. Abu Musa responds, saying that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said that if you ask to enter three times and do not hear a response, then you should walk away. Upon hearing this, Umar did not believe it and asked for verification.

He (Hadrat ‘Umar) said: Abu Musa, have you been able to find a witness to what you have said? He said: Yes. Here is Ubayy bin Ka’b, whereupon he (Hadrat ‘Umar) said: Yes, he is an authentic (witness). He (Hadrat ‘Umar) said: Abu Tufail (the kunya of Ubayy b. Ka’b), what does he (Abu Musa say? Thereupon he said: Ibn Khattab, I heard Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying so. Do not prove to be a hard (task-master) for the Companions of Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ), whereupon he [Hadrat ‘Umar] said: Hallowed be Allah. I had heard something (in this connection), but I wished it to be established (as an undeniable fact). — Sahih Muslim 2154a

There are many more examples of this type of skepticism, but these two are sufficient for those who are perceptive.

The Messenger of Allah was an infallible guide for the people, but he is no longer alive and can no longer fulfill this role as the infallible guide. The hadith literature cannot be treated as the Prophet himself, nor should it be. Therefore, there must be a continuation of such guidance if Muslims are to interpret and apply the Qur’an correctly to act in accordance with the Will of God — and not the whims of scholars.

The next point that is worth mentioning in connection to the above point is the following: When the Imam is not present, how do you have a present infallible teacher?

For example, when the Imam is unable to issue Farmans directly to the community or to sit with them in person, how will others learn from him? We do not mean that there will be a time when the Earth contains no Imam, but that the Imam is only one person and can be in only one place at any given time. Moreover, how did others during periods of concealment, for example, learn from the Imam? The answer is quite straightforward, and the example is provided by the Prophet himself.

The Messenger of God sent Khalid b. al-Walid to the people of Yemen inviting them to Islam, and I was among those who went with him. He persisted in the matter for six months, but they did not respond, so the Messenger of God sent ‘Ali b. Abi Talib and ordered him that Khalid and those who were with him should return, but if any of them would like to follow him he should allow them. Al-Barn’ said, “I was one who followed ‘Ali, and as we reached the borders of Yemen the people got the news. They gathered around him and ‘Ali led us in the morning prayer. When he had finished [the prayer], he lined us up in one row. Then he moved before us, praised and extolled God, and then read to them the letter of the Messenger of God. All of Hamdan embraced Islam in one day, and he wrote to the Messenger of God about it. When the Prophet read ‘Ali’s letter he fell down, prostrating himself to God.

— Al-Tabari, tr. Ismail K Poonwala, The Last Years of the Prophet, p.90

The Messenger of Allah could not be everywhere at once, so he sent emissaries — Dais — to spread the religion and teach it to others. These Dais were appointed by him and called to the religion. For Ismailis, if the Imam was unable to reach certain people, he would send out a representative.

For example, Hassan Sabbah (RA) was one of these representatives and was sent to convey the Imam's message to those in other provinces of Iran and Syria. Sayyidna Hassan Sabbah was so successful that the castle of Alamut, which we have shown in our introduction, was acquired by the hujjat of the Imam through converting every single member of the castle and many of the surrounding area to the Ismaili cause, excluding the King of the castle, whom Hassan Sabbah gave some wealth and told him to leave.

The Imam could not be physically present in Iran and Syria to do this, so he ensured that someone he sent would be. Nowadays, outsiders to the community can access Ismaili Dais' books through the Ismaili Institute of Studies in London and the Imam's public speeches, facilitating the acquisition of knowledge for those who wish to find it.

This discussion also prompts another interesting question: What about other infallible teachers before the Prophet?

We have mentioned that the need for divine guidance is perpetual, and humankind is not neglected by God at any time. For those who wish to seek knowledge, it will be available to them. This is true now, and it was true for others at any point in human history. However, it is not true that we know who all of these Teachers are, even though we have demonstrated the need for them and their existence through logic and scripture. This is similar to the case of the Prophets — only 25 Prophets are mentioned by name in the Qur’an, but there were many, many more throughout history. A hadith puts the number of Prophets at 124,000. As with the names of the Prophets, we do not need to know who exactly the the name of every Imam to know that they were sent. This comparison is one made by Imam al-Mansur (AS):

They also asked: Who was the imam during the call of the Prophet (God’s blessings and peace be on him) who received the Word after Jesus (peace be on him)? They asked as well: How can one depict from all related news that which was said about the imam without being defined by name? To such a question we reply: Just as we knew about the Prophet (God’s blessings be on him) without his being defined by name. [92v] Further, how can one know about the imam during his lifetime and nothing can be known about him after his death? In case of Jesus (peace be on him) we know that he had a legatee who succeeded him. His legacy continued through a legatee who acted as a proof of his call until the advent of the Prophet (God’s blessings be on him). Though we did not know such a legatee by name or person, he was evidence that no man can be installed unless he appoints a vicegerent who would succeed him. The fact that we do not know him does not mean that we are necessarily ignorant of the fact that he knew that many of us did not know which one of them was the actual imam. Our ignorance, however, should not result in denying them.

— Imam al-Mansur (AS), tr. Sami Makarem, The Shiʿi Imamate: A Fatimid Interpretation, pp.94–95

It is mentioned in the Gospel of Thomas, which was discovered in 1945 in Egypt, that Prophet Jesus (AS) appointed his brother James to succeed him.

Finally, we will mention a hadith that al-Ghazali references that is still quoted today towards Ismailis — this is the hadith of the 73 sects in which 72 sects are mentioned to be in Hellfire, and 1 is in Paradise.

The hadith is even mentioned today against the Ismailis and is widely misunderstood by those who quote it, including al-Ghazali.

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “What befell the children of Isra’il will befall my Ummah, step by step, such that if there was one who had intercourse with his mother in the open, then there would be someone from my Ummah who would do that. Indeed the children of Isra’il split into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the Fire except one sect.” He said: “And which is it, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “What I am upon and my Companions.” — Tirmidhi 2641 (Grade: Da’if)

Bani Isra’il are those who come from the tribe of Prophet Yaqub (AS). One of the names of Prophet Yaqub was Isra’il. There is no connection between Bani Isra’il and the modern day war criminals.

The hadith of the 73 sects in Islam, despite being deemed weak by Sunni scholars, is used continuously by Sunnis to affirm their imagined status.

The sect saved by God is the sect that the Prophet (SAW) and his companions are on. So what were the Prophet and his companions on?

Let us first consider if this is only what the Prophet is on. The Prophet Muhammad was a Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Messengers. While the Prophet was a slave of God, his obligations and restrictions were different from those of other believers, given his heightened status. For example, the Prophet (SAW) was allowed to marry more than 4 wives, but this is not true for other men; he was allowed to fast 24 hours, but not others, and his family has a right to the khums, but not other families. Given that the Messenger is on Prophethood, the believers cannot emulate him completely, nor should they in certain matters; this hadith cannot only refer to what the Messenger is upon.

Now, let us consider if this can refer only to the companions of the Prophet. We have seen from the above example of Imam Ali (AS) and Muawiya how some companions held diametrically opposite perspectives, to the point that one tried to kill the other. Conclusively, it is not possible to follow all of the companions for the same reason a body of scholars cannot be followed: to accept one is to reject the other.

Therefore, we can consider what both the companions and the Prophet were on and if that is only in terms of habits or something more. If it is only habits, then those who affirm this idea have made equal killer and killed; oppressor and oppressed; just and unjust. It is impossible for the members of these contradictory positions to be within the same group. We can consider what else is meant by what the Prophet (SAW) and his companions were on.

Following our rejection of the alternatives, the answer is clear: what the Prophet and his companions are on is Ta`lim — authoritative instruction. This also aligns more closely with the more authentic version of this hadith:

“The Jews split into seventy-one sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy in Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects, seventy-one of which will be in Hell and one in Paradise. I swear by the One Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, my nation will split into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two in Hell.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The main body.” — Sunan Ibn Majah 3992 (Grade: Hasan)

The main body cannot mean the majority, otherwise Muawiya and Yazid were righteous despite committing despicable atrocities and crimes against the family of the Prophet. The “main body” has also changed throughout time, along with their beliefs and practices.

One group from the Jews will be in Paradise, one from the Christians and one from the Muslims. Each one would have had different practices for prayer, fasting and pilgrimage. The common link between them, however, is that they followed the Teacher of their time and were on the path of authoritative instruction.

Further, the first hadith of the 73 sects actually proves the Ismaili Muslim position beyond this connection. If we are to believe that the Muslim Ummah will follow Bani Israel, then it should be expected that the Ummah follows the same pitfalls, including abandoning the successor of the Prophet. When Prophet Musa (AS) leaves his community, he puts Prophet Harun (AS) in charge. The people abandon Prophet Harun (AS) and start to worship the golden calf. Considering that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) compared himself to Prophet Musa and Imam Ali to Prophet Harun, this hadith affirms the Shia perspective that the other companions turned away from what Prophet Muhammad instructed and abandoned his successor.

So they turned on their heels and abandoned the brother of their prophet, and their minister, and the appointee of the Apostle of God and his executor among his people, and his successor over his community, just as the Israelites had done with Aaron after Moses absented himself from them and the calf was adopted [as an idol] by the Israelites for ten days. God made commitments to Moses for thirty nights and completed them ‘with ten, so the term of his Lord ended up as forty nights’ [Q 7:142]. The Samiri led them astray and bewitched them and ordered them to worship the calf after the thirty nights.

— Al-Shi’i, Affirming Imamate, tr. Wilferd Madelung and Paul E Walker, p. 38

If we look beyond the time of Prophet Musa, we can see the same arguments from the Ulama against the Ismailis that the Jewish Sanhedrin made against the disciples of Christ. The Pharisees accused Prophet Isa (AS) of blasphemy and said that he had broken their laws, such as going against the sabbath, contradicted the scripture, by calling himself “Son of Man,” for example, and rejected him as the Messiah because he went against their oral traditions. All of this is mirrored today in the statements of Sunni scholars against the Commander of the Faithful.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. — Matthew 23:27

Related to this topic is the belief that all innovation in Islam leads one to Hellfire. Ismailis agree with this except that our understanding of innovation is different from that of Sunni Muslims. As Allah states in His Qur’an, different communities had different laws. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) is called a Muslim, one who submits to God, but he did not follow the same rituals as Muslims today do. Similarly, Ismailis believe that religious customs and rituals can be changed, not by the companion, scholar or army but by the Imam of the Time. What comes from the Imam is haqq, what comes from ourselves is deviation and what comes from others is kufr and bid`ah. Continuing with our analogy, the Pharisees had innovated something in their religion when they had abandoned Jesus and made themselves their authorities.

When I reached this stage, I realized that the result of my effort and the end of my search is that submission (taslim) which is required by the religion of the followers of ta’lim. ‘But no, by thy Lord, they will not believe until they make thee [the Prophet] the judge regarding the disagreement between them; then they shall find in themselves no impediment touching thy verdict, but shall surrender in full submission’ (4:65). Up to this point, this spiritual traveller had been in the position of reliance on his own judgement; he had been using his own thought, reflection and reasoning, so that through intellectual deduction he may seek the original instructor (mu’allim-i aşti); he had been looking with the truth (haqq) for the one who spoke the truth (muḥiqq).

[…]

Religion and obedience are to be that which he says are [true] religion and obedience, and everything else is irreligion (bidini), unbelief and innovation (bid’at). Whatever comes from him is the straight path, true faith and guidance, and whatever comes from myself, my personal opinion, desire, speculation, intellect, knowledge and insight [and which is contrary to his teachings], is deviation (dalalat).

— Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (RA), Contemplation and Action, tr. S.J. Badakhchani, pp.47–48

Whoever makes changes in the religion, we sever any connection we have to them. Whoever implements changes without the Imam’s verdict and judgement, we have nothing to do with them. Whoever attributes false words to the Imam, we abandon all relationships with them.

What has been my own policy with my followers? Our religion is our religion, you either believe in it or you do not. You can leave a faith but you cannot, if you do not accept its tenets, remain within it and claim to “reform” it. You can abandon those tenets, but you cannot try to change them and still protest that you belong to the particular sect that holds them. Many people have left the Ismaili faith, just as others have joined it throughout the ages. About a score of people out of many millions — a small group in Karachi and in India — pretended to be Ismailis but called themselves “reformers.” The true Ismailis immediately excommunicated them. There has never been any question of changing the Ismaili faith; that faith has remained the same and must remain the same. Those who have not believed in it have rightly left it; we bear them no ill-will and respect them for their sincerity.

— Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Memoirs of the Aga Khan, pp.34–35

Conclusion

The disagreement between scholars is proof of the necessity of authoritative teaching. Human beings need such instruction, or they lead themselves away from God and towards the depths of their ego. Out of the groups within Islam, indeed among all religious groups, the Ismailis are the group that recognizes this need and fulfills it to ensure continued guidance for mankind.

Among Muslims, there is no doubt about the need for infallible guidance, given that it was provided by the Prophets of God, and Prophethood was sealed with the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him and his family. The problem is therefore obvious: does God prefer one group over another? Such that one community had access to guidance and another did not — for example, the communities between Nabi Isa and Nabi Muhammad.

The answer for Ismailis is that this is not possible. Revelation may come at one time over another, but accessible divine guidance is a necessary fact for the guidance of humanity. This is why, for every example of a divinely guided community, there has been a divinely appointed Guide.

For the guidance of the people after Prophet Muhammad — peace and blessings be upon him — there is a need for continuing guidance even though the scripture that he revealed is preserved. This is evident for many reasons, one of which is that the Qur’an refers to something other than itself for the guidance of the people in many situations.

The Prophet Muhammad was an infallible religious teacher during his time, but humankind no longer has access to the Messenger of Allah. If it were possible to refer the issues of today to the Messenger, the disagreements that are present between jurists would not exist. Whether between groups of Muslims (Sunni and Shia) or within these groups (Sunni madahib), everyone states that they follow the Qur’an and the Prophet. However, they are referring to different narrations of the Prophet that are frequently taken on the basis that they agree with that group in the first place. Such disagreement is proof of the necessity of Ta`lim and the wisdom of the Prophet, leaving behind his Household with the Qur’an.

We have summarized other key points of this treatise below:

• Human beings are inherently limited by their intellect and ego. (Q 28:50)
• Reason can only furnish us with the understanding that our own limitations prevent us from fully understanding how to worship God. (Sunan Abu Dawood 162)
• For humanity to obey the Unlimited, they are sent Guides to allow them to overcome these shortcomings. For every community, there is a Teacher for them (Q 13:7). There is no precedent for the community to appoint their own Teacher nor to abandon the office of the Teacher.
• These guides include Prophets and Imams from the lineage of Abraham, may the peace and blessings of God be upon them (Q 2:124).
• Prophet Muhammad, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, was the final Messenger of God, but not the final Teacher (Sahih al-Kafi, Book 4, Chapter 10, Hadith 1).
• God has not abandoned the world and His creation to their own vices, left to scramble amongst each other in an attempt to force one view over another. Allah has commanded complete obedience to those bestowed divinely granted authority (Q 4:59).
• When the slaves of God do not know the answer to a matter, they should refer to the People of Knowledge (Q 16:43).
• The Messenger of Allah told his community to adhere to the Qur’an and to his family — the Two Weighty Things left to ensure that you are not astray (Tirmidhi 3786, 3788). The first member of his household that the Messenger designates is Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib, peace be upon him (Sahih Bukhari 4416, Musnad Ahmad 961).
• Only the Ismaili Muslim community can claim that they have not separated the Qur’an and the Household of the Messenger because it is only the Ismailis who have a present living Imam who claims authoritative instruction and whose ancestors from the same lineage claimed authoritative instruction (Q 4:54).
• The approach practiced by Ismailis is the most similar to the Prophet Muhammad and all of the Anbiya compared to the rest of the Muslim Ummah. The guided communities of the past frequently had different practices and rituals but they all adhered to the doctrine of authoritative instruction (Q 21:69–21:73).
• The Qur’an is not sufficient as a guide because it commands the completion of actions that it does not describe how to complete. The Messenger of Allah also rejected the idea of singular reliance on the Qur’an (Sunan Ibn Majah 12).
• The Sunnah, the example and teachings of Prophet Muhammad, is not sufficient as a guide because there is no fixed standard of what is within the Sunnah.
• The hadith literature is often considered to be synonymous with the Sunnah, but the hadith literature has become an echo chamber built by the circular reasoning and confirmation bias of the scholars who selected the hadiths.
• The individuals who choose what is within the Sunnah and, therefore, how to interpret the Qur’an are jurists and scholars. These jurists and scholars cannot make any authoritative claim about their understanding.
• For the believer to ensure the correct understanding of the Qur’an and Sunnah, they refer to the commands of the Imam of the Time.
• The Ismailis are the only community that can claim to fulfill the need for authoritative instruction and are therefore in line with the truth. The Teacher of the Age is Mawalana Shah Rahim al-Hussaini, may God exalt his mention throughout His creation.

Indeed it is We who revive the dead and write what they have sent ahead and their effects [which they left behind] and We have vested everything in a manifest Imam [إِمَامٍ مُبِينٍ]. — (36:12)

This discussion of each of the topics we have presented could be excessively long and expansive; what we have presented is sufficient to convey our argument to perceptive readers. Success is made possible through God alone; He is sufficient for us, and He is the best support.

Finally, to Ismailis reading this, we remind you and ourselves to obey the Imam. Remember the mandatory three daily prayers (*Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), India, 1903, Farman #97 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 1) and the obligatory dasond (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), India, 1926, Farman #257 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 2). Abandon alcohol, zina (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Zanzibar, 1899, Farman #43 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 1), gambling (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Burma, 1951, Message #7 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 2) and usury (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), Zanzibar, 1937, Farman #362 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 2). Do not backbite (Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah (AS), India, 1912, Farman #173 Kalam Imam i-Mubin Pt. 2*) nor tell lies. These are forbidden for us. Uphold the covenant of the bay’ah to the Imam of the Time. Whoever does not, breaks their covenant only to their own delusion and destruction.

May we meet in Paradise one day. As Salaam Alaikum and Ya Ali Madad.

Further Reading

One story that we did not cover, but that is worth reading, is the journey of Dai Nasir Khusraw (RA). This is also a story of Ta`lim and may help the reader implement the journey of Salman al-Farsi (RA) in their own life.

The key tenet for Ismailis in their religion is obedience to the Imam. Obedience that is unflinching, unwavering and unshakeable. This can only come through understanding the necessity of such obedience, which is what we have attempted to offer and what the greatest Ismaili Dais have offered throughout our history.

There are many books that address the topic of Ta`lim, but the best books, from what we have read, are below. The book commenting on al-Ghazali is much shorter but still very good, and Qadi Numan’s book is a fantastic resource to dissect the disagreement between jurists and the inherent flaws in their methods.

If a video is preferred, the one below covers the Sunnah of the Messenger (SAW) and is from Dr. Khalil Andani. This is also a good resource that will help the reader understand our article.

[embed]Video from Dr. Khalil Andani on the Sunnah.

The books below can be quite dense and are not necessarily for someone beginning their studies but they are still very good.

The book on the left is an original work by Dr. Farouk Mitha, who talks about the dynamic between al-Ghazali and the Ismailis. The book on the right is an original translation by John Coughlin and John Sexton of al-Qadi al-Numan’s famous writings refuting mainstream methods of Islamic scholarship.