The Social Imamate of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Qur'an: Evidence, Its Relationship with Finality of Prophethood, and Its Continuity in Imami Thought

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Al-Mustafa International University, Qom, Iran.

2 Level 4 Student of Islamic Theology, Ayatollah Khoei Seminary, Khorasan Seminary, Mashhad, Iran.

3 Graduated from the. E-mail Level 4 of Islamic Theology, Ayatollah Khoei Seminary, Khorasan Seminary, Mashhad, Iran.

4 4. Master of Science in the Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Al-Mustafa Intermnational University, Qom, Iran,

Abstract

In the Holy Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad's (PBUH) Imamate, beyond prophethood and messengership, encompasses social, sovereign, and judicial functions—termed here "social Imamate." The central research question examines these functions' relationship with the finality of prophethood and their potential continuation in Imāmī thought. Employing a descriptive-analytical, comparative exegetical approach examining key Sunni and Shi'i commentaries (al-Mīzān, al-Tibyān, Majmaʿ al-Bayān, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, al-Kashshāf, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, and Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr), this study focuses on verses concerning priority (awlā), guardianship (wilāyah), arbitration (ḥukmiyyah), finality (khātamiyyah), those in authority (ulū al-amr), and succession (istikhlāf). Findings indicate that verses on priority (Q. 33:6), guardianship (Q. 5:55), and arbitration (Q. 4:65, 105; Q. 33:36; Q. 24:48–51) establish three prophetic functions: absolute sovereignty, executive guardianship, and judicial authority. The finality verse (Q. 33:40) merely ends the prophetic line without contradicting continuing sovereign and judicial functions, while verses on authority (Q. 4:59) and succession (Q. 24:55) emphasize continuing divine leadership after the Prophet. Sunni traditions such as "ʿAlī is the guardian of every believer after me" and the Hadith of Ghadīr conceptually align with continuing guardianship and leadership for ʿAlī (AS), despite certain isnād debates. The study's novelty lies in four domains: conceptual (defining social Imamate via three components), methodological (a triangular, systemic-holistic model), exegetical (linking verses on social Imamate, finality, ulū al-amr, and istikhlāf to demonstrate leadership continuity), and narrative-critical (evaluating Sunni transmission chains to uncover intra-school evidence for Imamate's continuity). Results demonstrate that the Prophet's social Imamate is Qur'anically provable, finality does not impede its continuation, and an intertextual approach to both traditions advances ecumenical dialogue.

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References

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