The Heirs of the Prophet: Charisma and Religious Authority in Shi'ite Islam

Conclusion

Conclusion To comprehend the development of sacred authority and its implications for Muslim polity, it is essential to engage the classical heritage that has played a significant role in the exposition and legitimation of religious authority. My study into the significance and ramifications of the title “heirs of the Prophet” has shown that it was deeply interwoven with the question of authority and charisma in Islam. The title conferred authority on those who claimed it and enabled them to perpetuate the Prophet’s legacy in different forms. The “heirs of the Prophet” tradition also empowered those who exercised authority on behalf of the Prophet both to demand obedience and loyalty from the Muslim community and to marginalize and demonize the “other.” The appropriation of the prophetic mantle as heirs was not confined to a particular class. It included the Umayyad and ¡Abbasid caliphs, the scholars within the Sunni community, the Sufi holy men, the Shi¡i imams, and their disciples . These groups appropriated different dimensions of the prophetic legacy in their claims to be his exclusive heirs. They also advanced variegated notions of charismatic authority to vindicate their claims. As different factions coveted the title, their claims to be the heirs of the Prophet reflected a struggle within the Muslim community over who would wield power and exercise authority based on the Prophet’s legacy. For the Umayyad and ¡Abbasid caliphs, soteriology was contingent on the recognition and acknowledgment of their right to be the Prophet’s heirs. They even claimed to be superior to all creatures as they sought to derive their authority directly from God. Their claim was based on possessing the temporal authority of the Prophet since, as rulers of the community, they occupied the same office Muhammad had. 182 The Heirs of the Prophet As the scholars came to wrestle with the caliphs for power, they claimed religious authority on the grounds of their self-proclaimed role as the inheritors of the religious traditions. Their authority was also anchored in their interpretations and articulations of normative law. At the social level, the claim that they were the heirs to the Prophet’s knowledge elevated the scholars above the masses, who became increasingly dependent on their interpretations and manipulations of the prophetic legacy, a legacy they claimed to be protecting and preserving. The establishment of a religious scholarly elite was a further manifestation of the diffusion of the Prophet’s all-embracing authority and the institutionalization of the office of charisma. The Shi¡is insisted that their imams were the sole inheritors of the prophetic legacy. The Shi¡i understanding of post-Muhammadan authority differed from those advanced by the other groups insofar as they claimed that their imams had inherited the same comprehensive authority the Prophet had possessed. The belief in the imamate posited an inherited charismatic structure of domination in which the religious and political authorities were fused in the figure of the imam. The Sufis laid claims to a distinctive type of charismatic authority and leadership . They attempted to replicate the Prophet’s spiritual journey, and advanced various modes of spiritual and biological links to vindicate their claims to be the true heirs of the Prophet. The sense of allegiance and obedience that was inherent in the heirs traditions was extended to cover the dead saints as the Sufis, like the Shi¡is, claimed that the praesentia and potentia of their holy men could be accessed at the shrine. This perpetuated the legacy of obedience to the authority of the holy men long after their deaths. Claims to be the heirs of the Prophet went hand in hand with claims to possess charismatic powers and the ability to impact the lives and religious practices of the people. Whether it was inherited, acquired, or institutionalized charisma, the claim to possess charisma was used in conjunction with the heirs traditions to cement power and generate a sense of loyalty to those who wielded that power. Many became increasingly dependent on the interpretations provided by these heirs. Due to the rivalry between the heirs, the Muslim community was segmented along different lines. In the Sunni world, the claims by the heirs to represent the Prophet resulted in the creation and, at times uneasy, coexistence of the political, religious, military, administrative, and judicial authorities. There were major differences between the Sufi shaykhs and between the imams and their disciples. The contending heirs not only vied for authority but also...