A Review of the Realm of Imam's Knowledge in the Light of Narrations

Despite its long history, the issue of the scope and realm of Imam's knowledge is one of the topics that is still the subject of discussion among Islamic scholars; some believe that the knowledge of Imam is finite and some others argue that it is infinite. This paper attempts to deliver an objective judgment on this issue using the traditions of the infallibles; that is, first it has studied the narrations confirming the theory of the finiteness of Imam’s knowledge, and then it has dealt with the narrations confirming the infinite nature of imam’s knowledge. After expressing the commonalities and presenting a critique, it ultimately strengthens the theory of the potentiality of Imam's knowledge.