Imāmate and Imām as Viewed by Aḥmad Ibn ʿĪsa Ashʿarī

Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsā al-Ashʿarī is one of the companions of Imām Reḍā, Imām Javād and Imām Hādī (AS) and one of the great Shiʿite narrators in the third century AH. All jurists and scholars have agreed on his trustworthiness and there may not found any doubt in the field. According to the narrations transmitted by Aḥmad Ashʿarī about the status of the Infallible Imām, his beliefs about what Imāmate is, the necessity of the existence of the Imām, the necessity of knowing the Imām, the knowledge of the Imām, the infallibility of the Imām, the common characteristics of the Imāms, Imām`s state of having the power to do extraordinary things and ... have been explained. As explained in the article, the beliefs common in Qom and, common in the third century in general, and the beliefs of Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿĪsa al-Ashʿarī in particular do not differ from those common among Shiʿites today considerably. Of course, among the theological issues raised in the narrations narrated by Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿIsa al-Ashʿarī, those related to Imāmate are more extensive than other issues, and the fact shows the importance and controversial state of the issue.