Survey and Critique of Ahmad Al-Katib's Claim on Ja afar's Emamat

The Question of Imamat, especially the Imamat of the12th Imam, is one of the most imperative issues in Shia Islam. There are numerous intellectual, traditional and historical arguments supporting the validity of Iamamt, among which we can refer to the following: verse 105 of Anbiya Sura, the Jaber Hadith, as well as historical accounts like Hakimah Khatoon’s account of Emam-al-Mahdi’s birth. Ahmad Al-Katib, the contemporary author, in his book Imam al-Mahdi has provided a number of traditional, historical and intellectual grounds to reject the existence of Imam al- Mahdi. He claims that Ja’afar, Imam al-Askari’s brother, was his true successor and that Shia came to a unanimous agreement on his Imamat. Adopting an analytical critical approach, the present paper tries to answer the questions raised by Ahmad Al-Katib through characterization of Ja’afar’s personality. It is argued that Ja’afar was not qualified to be the next Imam, and that Ahmad Al-Katib’s claims are unsubstantiated. In addition, the evidence provided does not adequately support Ahmad Al-Katib’s stand.