Imam Al-Sadiq

and that their knowledge is not acquisitive, rather it is inspiration and inheritance from the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family. The son inherited it from his father and the
brother from his brother as it is in al- Hasan and al- Husayn.
As the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, was the Inheritor of the knowledge of
Prophets and Apostles and had the knowledge of the past people and of the last people, so the
Commander of the Faithful (Amir al-Mu'minin) had all that knowledge, because the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and his family, said: "I am the city of knowledge and 'Ali is its gate."
Apart from this tradition, there are many traditions and verses of the Book (the Koran).54
Also, concerning the Imams, the Imamis believe that they were the servants of Allah, the
Glorified, created by Him, provided with the means of subsistence by Him, and that they did
not deal conclusively with the affairs of mankind, such as life, death, giving, forbidding, and
the like but with the permission from Allah, the Exalted, just as the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and his family, did in connection with men. About 'Isa, peace on him, the Book (the
Koran) reports: "That I determine for you out of dust like the from of a bird, then I breathe
into it and it becomes a bird with Allah's permission." 55
The Imamis have concluded that with the intellectual proofs, traditions, and reports. Some of
these maybe mentioned in this book.
Also the Imamis have concluded the textual nomination concerning the Imams with the
traditions of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family.
These traditions have been reported by the two parties (i.e., the Sunnis and the Shi'a). Among
them is: "The Imams are from Quraysh, they are twelve, 56 they are from the sons of 'Ali and
Fatima, and their nomination is with their names one by one." 57
Moreover, the Imamis produced Allah's favor (lutf) as evidence for the Imamate when he
confined it to them (the Imams), then if there was an Imam, (people) should follow his
Imamate, obey and know him.
The Imamis refer to these Imams to know the commandments of religion, so every
commandment which has been proved by the Prophet or by them, they adopt it. But if the
traditions are differ about a certain commandment, they apply the rules of equilibrium and
preference according to the established fundamentals of Islamic jurisprudence.
Concerning Islamic commandments, apart from the Book (the Koran) and the Sunna (the
traditions and acts of the Prophet or Infallible Imams), the Imamis adopt the unanimous
resolution and the irrefutable commandment of intellect. When these four sources are not able
to give them the Islamic commandment, they refer to their practical fundamentals according
to what situations require, which are general juridical rules proven with evidences.