Question:

What does scholar Makarim Shirazi say about imitation in matters of faith?

Answer:

Nasir Makarim Ash-Shirazi writes: “Some exegetes report a statement by Imam As-Sadiq (a.) to explain this verse (2:78), which is a tradition that contains important clues. One man said to Imam As-Sadiq (a.): “If the ordinary Jews knew nothing of the book except what they heard from their scholars, with no other way for them to go, how did He condemn them for their imitation (taqlid) and acceptance by their scholars? Are not the ordinary people of the Jews just like the ordinary people of us who imitate their scholars?” Until the Imam (a.) said: “Between our ordinary people and the ordinary Jews there is a difference in one respect and a commonality in another. As for their commonality, God condemned our ordinary people for imitating (taqlid) their scholars just as He condemned their ordinary people, and as for their difference, the Jews recognized in their scholars the obvious lie, consumption of the forbidden, corruption, and falsification of judgements, and they were led by the knowledge of their hearts to believe that he who does this is an wicked one who is not allowed to find himself confirmed by God and the intermediaries between the creation and God. Therefore, He condemned them and so did our ordinary people when they recognized in their scholars the manifest iniquity and the strong fanaticism and bitter conflict over the remains of this world and its forbidden things. So anyone who imitates those like them is like the Jews whom God condemned for imitating (taqlid) their wicked scholars. As for that one of the understanders (fuqaha’) who restrained himself, preserved his religion, opposed his inclination and obeyed the command of his Lord, it is up to ordinary people to imitate him, and these are only some of the understanders (fuqaha’) of our followers and not all of them. So if anyone commits any of the abominations and shameful deeds that the scholars do from those who are not of our followers (Ammah), take nothing from them about us, nor any appreciation. In what is taken from us people of the House there is much confusion because the wicked take from us and then falsify it by keeping it in custody because of their ignorance and because of their lack of knowledge they do not interpret things according to their point of view and others deliberately lie about us.” It is clear that this tradition does not speak of imitation (taqlid) in religious legal judgments. Rather, it refers to following scholars in the acquisition of the principles of faith (Usul-ud-Din), because the tradition deals with the knowledge about the Prophet and this knowledge is one of the principles of faith (Usul-ud-Din) and in it imitation (Taqlid) in worship is not allowed.” [Al-Amthal Fi Tafsir Kitabillah Al-Munzal, volume 1 page 229 – 230]

قال الشيخ ناصر مكارم الشيرازي: وقد أورد بعض المفسرين حديثا عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام في تفسير هذه الآية حديث فيه ملاحظات هامة: قال رجل للصادق عليه السلام: إذا كان هؤلاء العوام من اليهود لا يعرفون الكتاب إلا بما يسمعونه من علمائهم، فكيف ذمهم بتقليدهم والقبول من علمائهم؟ وهل عوام اليهود إلا كعوامنا، يقلدون علماءهم إلى أن قال فقال عليه السلام: بين عوامنا وعوام اليهود فرق من جهة، وتسوية من جهة، أما من حيث الاستواء فإن الله ذم عوامنا بتقليدهم علماءهم، كما ذم عوامهم، وأما من حيث افترقوا فإن عوام اليهود كانوا قد عرفوا علماءهم بالكذب الصراح، وأكل الحرام، والرشاء وتغيير الأحكام، واضطروا بقلوبهم إلى أن من فعل ذلك فهو فاسق، لا يجوز أن يصدق على الله، ولا على الوسائط بين الخلق وبين الله، فلذلك ذمهم، وكذلك عوامنا إذا عرفوا من علمائهم الفسق الظاهر، والعصبية الشديدة، والتكالب على الدنيا وحرامها، فمن قلد مثل هؤلاء فهو مثل اليهود الذين ذمهم الله بالتقليد لفسقة علمائهم، فأما من كان من الفقهاء صائنا لنفسه، حافظا لدينه، مخالفا على هواه، مطيعا لأمر مولاه، فللعوام أن يقلدوه، وذلك لا يكون إلا بعض فقهاء الشيعة لا كلهم، فإن من ركب من القبائح والفواحش مراكب علماء العامة، فلا تقبلوا منهم عنا شيئا، ولا كرامة، وإنما كثر التخليط فيما يتحمل عنا أهل البيت لذلك، لأن الفسقة يتحملون عنا فيحرفونه بأسره لجهلهم، ويضعون الأشياء على غير وجهها لقلة معرفتهم وآخرون يتعمدون الكذب علينا (فقال الشيخ) واضح أن هذا الحديث لا يدور حول التقليد التعبدي في الأحكام، بل يشير إلى اتباع العلماء من أجل تعلم أصول الدين، لأن الحديث يتناول معرفة النبي وهذه المعرفة من أصول الدين ولا يجوز فيها التقليد التعبدي