The Role of Semiotics of Weapons in Imamology

Imamate is at most fundamental issue in Shiite thought and a most challenging issue in Muslim world, and the applicability of Imam is one of the highly controversial topics among Shiites. Some of the criteria presented for recognizing Imam have added to this tension. As a sign of Imamate, the possession of “the Prophet's weapon” has deepened the internal strife among the Shiites so that each faction tries to support its claim about the Imamate. The present study aims to expound the role of weapons as a criterion for recognizing the Imam. This question requires a study of Shia’s historical accounts and narratives which sums up the different aspects of the topic and, in fact, an interdisciplinary study in the position of judgment, through a mixture of narrative description and rational analysis. The study also seeks to answer the research questions in light of the concept and semantic realm of "weapon" as well as the notion of Prophet’s weapon found in historical hadith and in historical-discourse propositions. It is found that the Shiite division after Ashura gave rise to the emergence of adverse trends and claims about Imamate; and such signs as "weapon" represent a symbol of Imamate to substantiate their claim, which was met with a reaction from the infallible Imams, and this sign is considered as a criterion only in special times and special political conditions.