IMAM

An 'imam' (, ) is an Islamic leader, often the leader of a mosque.
The ruler of a country might be called the imam, for example. However, the capitalized term or ''The Imam'' () has important origins in the Islamic tradition for, especially in Shi'a beliefs. In first few centuries of Islam, it was used to refer to the Caliph in both Sunni and Shia religious text. It is also an honorific title; for example "Imam Abu Hanifa" could arguably be translated as "the honorable leader/father of Hanifa."
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Contents

Clerical "Imams"

Shi'a "Imams"

Sunni "Imams"

Zaidi Imams as rulers of Yemen

See also

References

External links

Clerical "Imams"

Shi'a "Imams"

Main articles: Imamah (Shi'a doctrine)

In the Shi'a context, '''Imam''' has a meaning more central to belief. The Shi'a believe that an Imam is someone who is able to lead mankind in all aspects of life. In addition, Shi'a believe that an Imam is a perfect example in everything. According to the Shi'a, an Imam is a leader that ''must'' be followed since he is appointed by Allah (God).
Ibn Battuta is the worst thing ever
Muhammad informed that the number of Imams after him would be twelve, as the compilers of Sahih Hadith have narrated it.
In Sahih Muslim it is related that Muhammad said: '"The Islamic religion will continue until the Hour (day of resurrection), having twelve Imams for you, all of them will be from Quraysh."' and also '"He who does not know the Imam of his time dies the death of an un-believer."'
Here follows a list of the Shi'a Imams:
# Ali ibn Abu Talib (600–661), also known as ''Ali, Amir al-Mo'mineen''
# Hasan ibn Ali (625–669), also known as ''Hasan al Mujtaba''
# Husayn ibn Ali (626–680), also known as ''Husayn al Shaheed'', also known as ''Sah Hüseyin''
# Ali ibn Husayn (658–713), also known as ''Ali Zainul Abideen''
# Muhammad ibn Ali (676–743), also known as ''Muhammad al Baqir''
# Jafar ibn Muhammad (703–765), also known as ''Jafar as Sadiq''
# Musa ibn Jafar (745–799), also known as ''Musa al Kazim''
# Ali ibn Musa (765–818), also known as ''Ali ar Ridha''
# Muhammad ibn Ali (810–835), also known as ''Muhammad al Jawad'' (Muhammad at Taqi), also known as ''Taki''
# Ali ibn Muhamad (827–868), also known as ''Ali al-Hadi'', also known as ''Naki''
# Hasan ibn Ali (846–874), also known as ''Hasan al Askari''
# Muhammad ibn Hasan (868- ), also known as ''Hojjat ibn al Hasan'', also known as ''Mahdi''; believed to be hidden by Allah (Occultation).
Fatimah also Fatimah al-Zahraa daughter of Muhammed (615–632), she is infallible but not a leader.
See Imamah (Shi'a Ismaili doctrine) for Ismaili list of Imams

Sunni "Imams"

The term is also used for a recognized religious leader or teacher in Islam, often for the founding scholars of the four Sunni madhhabs, or schools of religious jurisprudence ''(fiqh)''. It may also refer to the imams of the sciences related to Hadith or to the heads of the Prophet's descendants in their times. In other words, Imam Ali is a phrase used by both Shi'a and Sunni Muslims, though with different connotations^[1].
The Sunni sect does not have imams in the same sense as the Shi'a sect. The imam in the Sunni sect of Islam is the leader of prayers; the sermon is most often given by the Sheikh.
However, there are some people whom Sunnis call "Imams" who are not prayer leaders. They are not Imams in the Shi'a sense of the word, but they are those who started the four Sunni Madhabs.
List:

'Madhhab'	'Aqidah'	'Science of hadith'	'Ahl al-Bayt'
Imam Abu Hanifa	Imam al-Ashari	Imam Bukhari	Imam Hasan al Mujtaba
Imam Malik	Imam Abu Mansur Al Maturidi	Imam Abu Dawood	Imam Husayn
Imam Shafi'i		Imam Fakhr al-Razi	Imam Zayn al-Ābidīn
Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal		Imam Abu Dawood	Imam Jafar al-Sadiq
			Imam Zaid ash-Shaheed

an-Nasaf writes:

Zaidi Imams as rulers of Yemen

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

See also

★ Shia Imam

★ Women as imams

References

1. [1]

External links

★ Shia Islam - Ask Imam

★ www.ShiaCode.com

★ Detailed description of the Shiite belief

★ Graphical illustration of the Shia sects

★ List of Sunni Imams

★ The Imam Movie