The Authority of the Shiite Imams' (AS) Tradition as the Qur'anic interpreter and its Relationship with the Authority of the Quran's Appearances

Accusing the Shiites, some of the opponents have posed their beliefs about the authority of the Quran briefly in these three issues: First issue: Shiah believes that the Quran has no authority except through the protector (the Imams); Second issue: the science and knowledge of the Quran is exclusively with the Imams and finally, Third issue: the generalities and absolutes of the Quran are delineated with the Imams' sayings and traditions. Hence, they begin to criticize the Shiites by making these issues principles in the Shiite beliefs. Of course the Shiite scholars and grandees, in return, may have propounded replies and matters in this regard, but the writer of these lines has tried in this paper to answer and criticize the accusations of the opponents from a special aspect and perspective and look at this issue and that consistency of the Quran's authority with the authority of the Imams' sayings (AS) as being explainers and interpreters. In other words, firstly, despite the fact that the main part of the Qur'anic appearances are understandable for the majority of people, at least in some cases in order to access the real meanings of the Quran a manifester or interpreter is needed. Secondly, the Holy Prophet of Islam, for many reasons, was the explainer and interpreter of the Quran and his words are binding and of authority. Finally that after the Holy Prophet of Islam, Imam Ali (pbuh) and the Infallible Imams (AS), for their most awareness (even according to the grandees of the Sunni scholars) of the Qur'anic meanings, are the sole interpreters and explainers of the Quran and their sayings are of authority and the authority of their sayings has no inconsistency with the principle of the authority of the Quran.