I want a detailed explanation from Shaikh Mansoor, or someone representing him, regarding the Hadith of Ali: «يُدْعَى كُلُّ قَوْمٍ بِإِمَامِ زَمَانِهِمْ، وَكِتَابِ رَبِّهِمْ، وَسُنَّةِ نَبِيِّهِمْ»; “Every nation is called with the Imam of their time, the Book of their Lord, and the Sunnah of their Prophet.” I want its chains of narrators from Sunni books and their level of authenticity. As for the Shias, this belief is well-known and mutawatir in their view, and they do not need to study its authenticity. However, the belief in Imamate is hardly known among the Sunnis, even if it is known with a wrong and confusing understanding. Most of them consider it a Shia innovation. Therefore, to establish proof against them, it is essential to provide a detailed explanation from their own books, rather than relying on other sources, so that one who seeks the truth may be reassured about the matter and begin to search for the Imam.
The fact that Imamate is from Allah and that the Earth is not devoid of an Imam from Him is not a Shia belief, but rather it is based on the verses of the Holy Quran and the mutawatir Hadiths from the Prophet and his pure Ahl al-Bayt, after being indicated by the sound intellect. His Eminence Mansoor
has presented these verses and Hadiths and explained them in the first chapter of his lessons, “Reminding the heedless that there exists on Earth a caliph for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds”. You may refer to this chapter and read it carefully from beginning to end so that it becomes clear to you that the matter is as we have described. It is clear that the truth is not abandoned because of the belief of those who oppose it; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ لِلَّهِ شُهَدَاءَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَبِيرٌ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ﴾[1]; “O you who believed! Be maintainers for Allah and bearers of witness with justice, and do not let hatred of some people force you to not act justly. Act justly, for it is nearer to piety, and fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Aware of what you do.”
As for the Hadith «يُدْعَى كُلُّ قَوْمٍ بِإِمَامِ زَمَانِهِمْ»; “Every nation is called with the Imam of their time,” it has been narrated from the Ahl al-Bayt with three chains of narrators that strengthen each other, “and it is a well-known Hadith that al-Tha‘labi [d. 427 AH], al-Daylami [d. 509 AH], al-Qurtubi [d. 671 AH], al-Suyuti [d. 911 AH], and others have mentioned,” who are from the Sunnis, as His Eminence Mansoor has said in the “consideration”[2]. Furthermore, it is an interpretation of the words of Allah Almighty, where He has said: ﴿يَوْمَ نَدْعُو كُلَّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ﴾[3]; “The Day when We call every people with their Imam.” It is a correct interpretation, regardless of who has said it; “as al-Tabari [d. 310 AH], after mentioning the views of interpreters, has said: The most correct of the views, in our opinion, is the view of those who have said: ‘This is the meaning of the verse: “The Day when We call every people with their Imam whom they obeyed and followed in the world”; because the Arabs have often used the word “Imam” to mean one who is obeyed and followed, and directing the meaning of Allah’s word to what is more well-known is more appropriate as long as there is no reason to the contrary that must be accepted.’”[4] It is clear that al-Tabari was not a Shia, and he did not discuss this Hadith at all. He only said that based on the apparent meaning of the Quran and what the Arabic language requires. If a stubborn, biased Sunni insists on saying that it is a Shia innovation after all the explanation that has been given to him, it is not our fault. ﴿وَاللَّهُ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ﴾[5]; “And Allah guides whomever He wills to the straight path.”