An Analysis of the Polytheistic Aspect of the Belief in Divine Qualities for the Infallible Imams according to the Qualities defined in the Quran as Polytheistic

There is an ideological problem when one inappropriately refers to the Quranic verses on polytheism in order to deny the extraordinary qualities of the Infallible Shia Imams, as some do. The main basis of such an argument is that it reduces the polytheism of early Islam polytheists and considers that the polytheists believed in a longitudinal system and worshipped their goddess divinely as god.This article will first examine the claim, as quoted in the book Crisis and Consolidation in the formative Period of shı̒ʻite Islam to the effect that the Quran and history recognize the belief of the early Islam polytheists in the unity of Divine Essence as the only creator and independent power. It is concludedin this article that one can not consider that the polytheists as monotheists regarding the unity of Divine Essence while attributing their polytheism to the special powers within a maintained longitudinal system as their beliefs deny the longitudinal system. It will then be clarified that the way polytheists express intercession with and proximity to God is in contrast with the Islamic and Quranic concepts of intercession and proximity to Allah. Thus, the analogy between polytheists and Muslims is a false analogy while there is no proof for considering as polytheistic the special powers that are attributed to the divine leaders. Moreover, the image drawn of polytheists and their beliefs in the Quran is fully compatible with the theological concepts of polytheism and with the fact that independence is a criterion in them.