Imam Al-Sadiq

From here, the knowledge of the prophets and their trustees of authority should be inspiration
to protect them and their nations from committing errors.
Allah, the Exalted, has revealed one law, not many laws, one commandment for every matter,
not many commandments. And He appointed one guide for nations in every time, not many
guides. But, today, for every nation, there are many laws, not one law; many legislators, not
one legislator. We find many commandments for every matter, not one commandment. In
every time, there are many guides not one guide. They oppose each other, hate each other,
accuse each other of unbelief, and deny each other. This is not what the greatest reformer,
Allah's Apostle (may Allah bless him and his family), has brought and wanted for his nation.
Then, there is no wonder when intellect judges that it is incumbent on Allah, the Exalted, to
appoint, in every time, the most knowledgeable one to lead people to the law as it has been
revealed and teach them the commandments as they have revealed. That is not appropriate for
anyone but 'Ali and his sons. These are their scientific sayings. Then read them to find
guidance through their light. If we had no tradition except the following traditions of the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family,: "I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is its
gate."(160) "I am going to leave among you the thaqalayn (the two weighty and most
valuable things): the Book of Allah and my family, the members of my House."(161), they
would be enough for ahl al Bayt to be the most knowledgeable ones in the Islamic Law and
the Book because they learned knowledge from its origin and took it from its spring. And if
they learned their knowledge through acquisition, then the Prophet would not have made
them the scholars of the Book forever. And what distinguished them from men if they had
shared the same degree of knowledge with them.
What attracts attention is that people always need their knowledge. Whenever people refer to
them for a certain matter they get its answer quickly while ahl al Bayt never needed the
knowledge of people.
We do not want you to feel this truth with the reports only but also with acts, because acts are
very important for you to understand the reality. Now consider carefully the knowledge of ahl
al Bayt through these acts: Imam al- Jawad became Imam while he was seven years of age.
He assumed the Imamate and did as his fathers did such as teaching and guidance. The
scholars learned from him. For example, 'Ali b. Ja'far, the Shaykh of the Alawids stood up
and kissed the hand of al- Jawad when he came to him and prepared his slippers when he
wanted to go out. He (' Ali b. Ja'far) was asked about the Imam after al- Rida, peace be on
him, he said: "His son Abu Ja'far." So, it was said to him: "You are an old man, you have a
high social rank, and your father was Ja'far b. Mohammed; nevertheless you say these words
concerning this boy!." He said: "I do not see you but a Satan." Then he took his beard and
said: "My power is useless because Allah has seen him worthy of that (the Imammate) and
has not seen this white hair worthy of it."(162) Worth mentioning, 'Ali b. Ja'far was the
brother of al-Kazim, peace be on him, and al- Kazim was the grandfather of al- Jawad. In
other words, there was a great difference in age among them. Moreover, 'Ali learned from his
father al- Sadiq, his brother al- Kazim, and his nephew al-Rida. Therefore, if they (ahl al
Bayt) got there knowledge through acquisition, then 'Ali would be the more knowledgeable
than they. And if the Imamate was achieved according to age, then 'Ali was the oldest of all