Imam Al-Sadiq

This change and deviation was created by men because they had elected those who had little
knowledge of the Islamic Law to be the scholar and ruler. At the same time they refuted
sometimes the proofs of men with evidence and sometimes with the sword to force people to
obey him and his beliefs. So it is incumbent upon the Muslim community to choose the Imam
who is knowledgeable of what has come in the Prophetic Law, follows the acts of the
Prophet, has knowledge of what he is asked, and has the evidence to remove doubts,
falsehood, ignorance and misguidance so that the Islamic Law will last forever according to
the orders of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and the lawful and the
unlawful of the Prophet are unchangeable throughout life. otherwise, there will be no laws, no
legislators, no schools, and no beliefs.
But how can the Muslim community choose such a ruler? From where can it know him?
If they knew him, how would they agree on him because people have different trends and
purposes?
So, it is incumbent on Allah, the Exalted, to appoint an Imam for the Muslim community and
nominate that just successor and model scholar through the Prophet because Allah, the
Glorified, knows the advantage of his servants and knows the person who is worthy of this
sensitive function and great position.
Therefore, if the nomination of the Imam is incumbent on Allah, the Exalted, then it is
impossible, according to the wise men, for Him, the Glorified, to neglect the incumbent that
sets right his servants and guides his creation. It is also impossible for the Prophet to neglect
Allah's nomination concerning this Imam. Then if it was possible for the Prophet to neglect
such as an incumbent, it was possible for him to neglect other than that incumbent.
Consequently, as the Prophet is an incumbent, the Imam is an incumbent, too. As Allah sends
a prophet, He appoints an Imam. So, there is no Prophet without an Imam and no law without
explanation and execution.
As for the evidence for the second; which is the existence of this Imam, it is easy to prove it
after what we have mentioned above, because if we believe that the appointment of the Imam
according to the outstanding merits is obligatory, and that Allah, the Exalted, appoints him for
His creation, we will believe that Allah does not make the name and ancestry of the Imam
unknown, and that it is difficult for the Muslim nation to know him. We know that there is no
Imam in the Muslim community for whom that incumbent is attributed and who claimed such
an incumbent is attributed but 'Ali and his sons, peace be on them. If they themselves were
not the Imams, the Imamate and that incumbent would be nonsense.
Therefore, we have to know that they were scholars who had no ignorance, the just persons
who did not wrong people. As for justice, no one of them had the opportunity to apply it but
the Commander of the Faithful, (Amir al- Mu'minin), and his matter is in no need of
explanation. And as for their knowledge, their sayings and traditions denote it. So, study their
knowledge and you will find that what has been reported about them is true. And this book,
which is between your hands, is an extract of that abundant knowledge. 60
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