Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I want to know something about Ismaily sect of Muslims and also they belive that Prophet Muhammad gave Imamat to Imam Ali and he has given Imamat to his son Imam Hussain and the chain goes to Prince Kareem Aga Khan. Can you highlight on this and also tell me is there any Quanic ayat for this declaration of Imam and chain of Imamat. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Chain of imams

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 171 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: There will befall my Ummah exactly (all those) evils which befell the people of Isra'il, so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother there will be among my Ummah one who will do that, and if the people of Isra'il were fragmented into seventy-two sects my Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in Hell Fire except one sect.’ They (the Companions) said: ‘O Allah's Messenger (saws), which is that?’ Whereupon he (saws) said: ‘It is one to which I and my companions belong.’

The Prophecy of the Messenger of Allah (saws) has indeed come true, and the Muslim Ummah today finds itself in the unfortunate condition whereby Islam has been broken into sects and numerous sub-sects!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-55: And you all belong to one and the same ummah, and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone! Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has. Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. What? Do they think that, by continuing to provide them with wealth and children, We are solicitous for their welfare? Nay, they do not understand the reality of the matter!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 77-78: O you who have believed, do ‘rukooh’ (bow down) and do ‘sajdah’ (prostration), and worship your Lord Allah Alone, and do righteous deeds: it may be that you attain true success! Exert your utmost for the cause of Allah, as one should. He has chosen you for His service, and has not laid on you any hardship in your religion. Therefore, be steadfast in the religion of your father Abraham. Allah had named you ‘muslims’ before this, and has named you (muslims) in this Quran also, so that the Messenger may be a witness in regard to you, and you may be witnesses in regard to the rest of mankind.

Rather than being honored and recognized by the name that Allah Subhanah has chosen for the believers (that is; muslims), it is indeed unfortunate that the Islamic Ummah has chosen to divide itself and call itself by self-invented names like Sunnis, Shias, Ismailis, Bohras, Itna-Asharis, Hanafis, Shafeis, Ahle-Hadeeths, etc.etc.!!! May Allah have Mercy on the Muslim Ummah and guide them to become united in the One Brotherhood of Islam.

Your Question: I want to know something about Ismaily sect of Muslims and also they belive that Prophet Muhammad gave Imamat to Imam Ali and he has given Imamat to his son Imam Hussain and the chain goes to Prince Kareem Aga Khan.

The Ismaili sect is a sub-sect of the ‘fatimid’ sect of the ‘Shia’ community! The main difference of opinion amongst the two main sects, Shias (about 10-15% of the Ummah) and the Sunnis (85-90% of the Ummah) is whether Prophet Mohamed (saws) specifically appointed Hadrat Ali ibn Abi Taalib (r.a.) as his heir apparent and the Khalifah or Ameer-ul-Mumineen of the believers. Our Shia brethren sincerely believe that Prophet Mohamed (saws) did appoint Hadrat Ali (r.a.) as his heir apparent; and our Sunni brethren believe that he (saws) did not appoint anyone and left it upon the Ummah to choose a leader amongst themselves.

Although there might be several surviving members amongst the descendants of the Prophet (saws), two amongst them today are apparently the most notable and vocal in claiming direct descendancy to the Prophet (saws):

The Aga Khan, leader of the Ismaili sect, and

King Abdullah, Ruler of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Allah Alone Knows Best to the authenticity and importance of their claim.

Your Question: Can you highlight on this and also tell me is there any Quanic ayat for this declaration of Imam and chain of Imamat. 

There is absolutely nothing in the Glorious Quran which makes the declaration of the ‘Imam’ or the chain of ‘Imamat’ as claimed by our Shia brethren to be the pivot of the deen!

Allah Subhanah has time and time again in His Glorious Quran Declared two things as the ‘pivot’ of the deen of Islam:

Sincere belief or faith in Allah, in His Messengers, in His Books, in His Angels, in the Concept of the Hereafter, and in His Divine ‘Qadr’ or Fate, and,

The doing of righteous good deeds in accordance with the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.

Whoever amongst mankind believes and does righteous good deeds, regardless of his lineage or claims of descendancy, will deserve Allah’s Mercy and Grace; and whoever disbelieves and disobeys, regardless of his lineage or claims of descendency, will deserve Allah’s Wrath and Anger!

The Quran guides that regardless if one is a direct descendant of the Prophets or the direct descendant of the worst enemy of Islam (Nimrod, Pharoah, Abu Jahl, etc.); whoever amongst them, regardless of their lineage, has sincere faith and does righteous good deeds will be shown Mercy; and whoever amongst them, regardless of their lineage, denies the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws) will deserve Allah’s Wrath and Anger!

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), he can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan