Definition of Imam (Muslim Religion)

In most religions there are spiritual leaders who spread the teachings and rituals of their religion to the community of the faithful. In Christianity the leader is the priest, in Judaism it is the rabbi and in Islam it is the magnet. Thus, imams, rabbis, and priests are individuals with a authority special to spread the doctrines of his religion.

The Imam Among Muslims

Imams are the representatives of the Prophet Muhammad and those who officiate prayers in mosques. Contrary to the Christian religion, in Islam there is no clergy, so an imam can be anyone who has the qualities necessary to become a spiritual leader of a community muslim

In the tradition Islamist there are some criteria for decide who can be a good magnet for the community of the faithful and who cannot. Not a good candidate is someone who has practiced polytheism or heresy at some point in his life or who has led a sinful life.

On the contrary, an imam has to be a person who is characterized by his personal integrity, his righteousness and his piety. He must be a person who guides the faithful on the right path and keeps them away from any form of corruption.

If the teachings of Muhammad are considered infallible, this implies that the teachings of the imams are equally infallible. In Islam Allah enlightens the imams and they guide the faithful.

Lastly, a magnet has to have superiority moral about members of his community. In other words, he must be an individual who stands out for his wisdom, his knowledge of the Qur'an, and his sense of Justice.

The origin of magnets in the Shiite tradition

In the Muslim religion, specifically in the Shi tradition, which is the most widespread in Islam, there is the well-known Imamita Duodecimana, which means "the twelve imams." According to the Shiites the prophet Muhammad mentioned the names of twelve imams or leaders before they were born. These twelve imams are considered the legitimate spokesmen of the Prophet Muhammad and their positions were hereditary.

For the Shiites the belief in these twelve imams is based on two foundations: Muhammad mentioned them during his preaching and the word of the prophet is infallible and, therefore, there is no other possible interpretation. In this current of the Muslim religion the last of the twelve imams, Muhammad al Mahdi, is has been missing since the nineteenth century and will reappear at the end of time to save the humanity.

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