“Imam” means someone who is being obeyed and therefore, no one is called “Imam” in an absolute way unless he is obeyed in an absolute way; because using “Imam” for someone who is not absolutely obeyed is a lie, although calling him “Imam” in a constrained way such as “Imam of Hadith”, “Imam of Fiqh”, “Imam of Luqat” and “Imam of Jama’ah” is right and therefore, whoever calls himself “Imam” without any constraint, or others call him “Imam” without any constraint and he does not stop them from doing so, it is one of these two cases: either God has given the permission to obey him in an absolute way, in which case, calling him “Imam” is worshiping God, or God has not given the permission to obey him in an absolute way, in which case, calling him “Imam” is worshiping Taughut[1]; because “Imam” in the Book of God refers to two persons: one who guides by the command of God; as He has said: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا﴾[2]; “And we made them Imams who guide by our command”, and one who guides without the command of God; as He has said: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَدْعُونَ إِلَى النَّارِ﴾[3]; “And we made them Imams who call toward the fire” without ﴿بِأَمْرِنَا﴾ constraint and therefore, calling anyone other than the Caliph of God on earth “Imam”, if it comes with this belief that obeying him is obligatory just like obeying the Caliph of God on earth, is polytheism and if it comes without this belief, then it is considered misconstruing and likening to polytheists; as God has said: ﴿ذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُم بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ يُضَاهِئُونَ قَوْلَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِن قَبْلُ قَاتَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ أَنَّى يُؤْفَكُونَ﴾[4]; “That is what they say with their tongues, their words are similar to those who have previously become infidel, may God kill them, where are they reverting?!”.