An Introduction to the Personality and Theological Methodology of Seyyed Deldar Ali Naghavi in Explaining Imamate Based on the Book Emad al-Islam

One of the important tasks of a theologian is to explain religious teachings. "Explanation" in theology means that the theologian explains the doctrinal statement to the audience in such a way that they find a clear picture of the doctrinal teaching in their minds. Seyyed Deldar Ali Naghavi, one of the great personalities of the Lucknow theological school in the thirteenth century AH, in his most important theological work entitled Emad al-Islam, has used several methods to explain the Imamate. In this study, by reviewing the manuscript of his book, we have extracted and enumerated the methods he has employed in this regard. They are as follows: The method of terms definition in defining the Imamate and explicit and implicit text, the method of history description in the issue of the necessity of the Imamate, infallibility, ways of determining the Imam and the existence or absence of the text, the method of principles expression in the discussion of the authority of consensus and the necessity of the Imamate, the method of mentioning the consequences and outcomes in expounding the non-necessity of appointing an Imam by God, the fallibility of the Imam and the existence of two Imams at the same time, the method of making example and analogy in explaining the necessity of appointing the Imam by God and that the Imam should be knowledgeable about the whole religion and be the best of people, the method of mentioning the benefits and functions in explaining the Imamate, the method of using narrations in various subjects, including the necessity of Imam appointment and the Imamate of Imam Ali (AS).