Hundred Questions - Ulu'l-amr
Ulu'l-amr
Q4 What do the other Muslims mean by "ulu'l-amri minkum (those who hold the [divine] command) from among you"? Or, to what extent do they accept this principle?
A4 Apart from the Imamiyyah sect, other Muslims mean the [secular] rulers by ulu'l-amr. This is not correct in the sense that the ulu'l-amr cannot be other than the noble Imams, because to hold the divine command requires the highest virtues. The first and foremost of these virtues is that he must be appointed by God and the Prophet so that he may be the bearer of the light of guidance; he should be from the progeny of Abraham (May peace be through him) through Muhammad (May Allah send blessings and peace through him and his progeny) and `Ali (May peace be through him) and their lineage must continue one after the other so that it may be known that the miracle of Divine light is with them. Only the persons of such a pure lineage i.e. the pure Imams can be the ulu'l-amr.
Contrary to this, if we accept that the ruler of the time is the ulu'l-amr, this would lead to having several ulu'l- amr simultaneously in Islam. Such rulers oppose each other, and sometimes they wage war against each other, which is not for the sake of Islam, rather for personal benefit or for that of their state. Then how can it be possible for such a person who sheds the blood of Muslims, without Islamic and ethical law, to be the vicegerent of God and His Prophet and the ulu'l-amr?
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