Comparative Study of the Stages of Imamate From Abazi’s Viewpoint and Imamiyyeh’s Perspective

Different sects of Muslims have different views on the issue of Imamate, and there are differences and similarities in these views and theories that addressing and explaining them can be a first step towards dialogue, understanding, unity and convergence among Muslims around the world. It is important to address the Imamate because it was the first controversial issue in the history of Islam and created the first divisions among the Muslims when the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away. Therefore, the present research, with a descriptive method, will describe and interpret the conditions and relationships of the two sects of Abazi and the Imamiyyah about one of their important and fundamental beliefs, namely Imamate and its similarities and differences.

In Abazids’ perspective, the appointment of Imam is an obligatory task for the Islamic Ummah and there are many rational reasons and traditions for that. In their view, Imamate has four stages: the emergence, the defense, the sacrifice, and the concealment, which are called as the paths of religion. From their viewpoint, the religion without imamate is like a body without soul. Also in Shiite doctrine, the term imamate is a divine and God-given position that encompasses all human virtues and perfection and includes two types: the public imamate and the special imamate.

According to Abazi, the main purpose of the religion of Islam and the prophecy is keeping up the Shari’a that this will be achieved by the emergence of Imam. This stage of Imamate contains the formation of the government, the execution of judgments, maintaining of bounds, the payment of zakat, maintaining of Friday prayer. But in Imamiyyah there is a debate about the eligibility of the jurisprudence, and this is the case when all conditions are in place for maintaining of bounds and executing of Islamic laws.

In Abazi’s viewpoint, the stage of defense follows the emergence stage. It means when the oppressive ruler has overcome or mismanaged the Imam and there are no conditions for the appearing of Imam, it is obligatory for all to defend from themselves, their families and properties. The mentioned stage of Imamate in Abazi’s doctrine is as the same as a topic in Imamiyyah teaching that is called “the affairs of hasbiyyah”. For this reason, some jurisprudents believe in “Velayat-e Faqih” by holding the affairs of hasbiyyah and politics.

According to verses of the Holy Qur’an, Abazids believe that in the stage of the sacrifice, they should carry out an armed operation against enemies and sacrifice themselves. In various Islamic eras, there were oppressive governments that the jurists issued a fatwa for the uprising against them. On the whole, it is possible to say that the general justification of the “enjoining what is right” and “forbidding what is wrong” is an indicator for forming an Islamic government.

Abazids believe the last stage of Imamate is called the concealment. During this period, because of their enemies’ dominance over them and their inability to confront their enemies, they are not engaged in armed operations. Instead of fighting a war, they try to educate others, build mosques, produce Abazi ideas among Muslims, and etc. In Imamiyyah it is well known among them that one of the reasons for the absence of Imam Zaman is the Taqiyyah and preserving the life of him from the enemies. . During this period, the Shiite scholars are continuing their scientific, educational, cultural, social, economic, and political endeavors.

Accordingly, although the Abazi’s viewpoints in the field of Imamate are somewhat unique, some of these steps can be modeled on the Shi’a Imamate. In this paper, in addition to analyzing the views of the Abazids, we will discuss the similarities between their ideas and Imamiyyah in the topic of Imamate.