A Comparative Study of Ayatollah Marefat and Ibn Ashour's Exegetic Views about the Verse of Imamate

The present paper compares and analyzes Ayatollah Marefat and Ibn 'Ashour's exegetic views about the verse of Imamate (2:124). Ayatollah Marefat believes that "Imam" is an infallible guide who is superior to a prophet and messenger and must be obeyed in religious and worldly affairs. Ibn 'Ashour, however, believes that a messenger may commit minor sins. Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) was seemingly a messenger before experiencing his trails, and his position as an Imam was different from that of a messenger, because hadiths define "messenger" as a person who communicated with descending angels when he was awake. Thus angels descended and brought good news about having a baby to Prophet Ibrahim when he was awake, indicating that he was a messenger before the trails. Moreover, it is contrary to the outward meaning of the verse to predicate the term "Imam" upon the meaning of "messenger", which lacks valid intellectual and transmitted frame of references and is a personal opinion. The generalization and application of the term "tyrants" cannot be limited to capital sins and idolatry without any valid frame of references and minor sins cannot be excluded from it. Accordingly, the verse means infallibility upon any tyranny and sin. Intellectually speaking, the belief that Imam or messenger may commit minor sins leads to people's distrust in them and violation of the aim of prophet's mission.