al-Asbât According to Sheikh Ali Hasan Galum

Abstract

al-Asbât in Islamic thought is a controversial concept among Shia and Sunni schools. Sunni school believes that they all were the brothers of Prophet Joseph and were Prophets. Yet, Shia school rejects the idea that al-Asbât were Prophets, due to the big sins they committed. Some of Shia sholars think that al-Asbât were Wasiyy (Legatee) of Prophets. Sheikh Ali Hasan Galum adds a new idea to al-Asbât by arguing the similarity between the concept of al-Asbât in Quran with those Judges in Torah. He gives the concept of Judges and al-Asbât as a reference to Twelve Imams. This article, after explaining the concept of Judges in Judaism, will deal with the concept of al-Asbât in Sunni sources. After that it will explain the meaning of al-Asbât generally in Shia thought. Then it will touch upon the similarity of the Judges with the concept of Twelve Imams which has handled for the first time by Sheikh Galum in Shia thought.