Imamate and Secularism

This article will study the relation between Imamate from Shi’ite’s perspective and secularism. First the reasons for the necessity of prophecy and the Divine prophets’ teachings for prosperity of human is investigated and presenting some reasons, it is demonstrated that Islam is comprehensive such that it has design and program for all human needs and all his existential aspects. Islam is not restricted to personal aspects, because the consequence of exercising religious injunctions including justice is to form a government and manage human’s worldly matters. Then the literal and terminological meaning of Imamate from Shi’ite’s perspective is investigated which indicates that Imamate means continuity of the Divine prophets’ missions. In fact after Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon Him), the infallible Imams are responsible for explaining the revelation and managing people’s worldly matters; and during the absence of the twelfth Imam (God hasten his glad advent), the fully qualified jurisprudent who are aware of Islamic laws and are just, expert, manager and judicious undertake the common deputyship of Hazrat. Then the meaning of secularism and the ground of its appearance is mentioned; such an ideology is basically a western phenomenon and its origin is the western society and Christianity. Then the principles of secularism which is rationalism and scientism is criticized: scientism is in reality a kind of materialism and rationalism is a kind of unjustified restriction for the range of reason’s activity. At the end it will be proved that the doctrine of Imamate in Shi’ite is not consistent with secularism.