The First Extracted Principle from the Imams

 All praise is due to Allah, the Exalted, for His boundless blessings, for making His wisdom clear to all who worship! May prayers be upon the one chosen to conclude His Divine message, and upon his progeny who succeeded (khalaf) him as imams of his Ummah. Since discussions on issues of the imamate and the imams have been a primary source of disagreement and contention among the Ummah, and given that evidence confirms the obligation to obey and follow the imams of the Prophetic Descendants, and that it is not permissible for any believer to oppose their consensus, I have compiled statements from many of the imams—upon them be peace—that contain essential points on the explicit designation, characteristics and descriptions of the imam.

The narrated statements of the Commander of Believers regarding the Imamate
Among them is the statement of the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, in Nahj al-Balāgha regarding the affair of Abu Bakr: “By Allah, the son of Abi Qahāfa donned himself with it [i.e. the caliphate] while knowing that my position to it was like the position of the pole to the handmill.”  He also said: “...until the first one went his way and passed it to someone else other than me after him. How strange is it that he wanted to be relinquished from it during his lifetime yet appointed it to another after his death!”

He also said afterwards regarding the affair of ‘Umar:

I remained patient despite a long period of time and intensity of trial until he went his way. He made it [i.e. the caliphate] amongst a group and appointed me the sixth of them! O Allah, what did I have to do with this consultative committee (shūra)? When was there any doubt about me regarding the first of them that I was regarded akin to these?

He also said in Kitāb al-Mahin regarding the affair of ‘Uthmān and his companions:

When they found with me only the clear path [lit. “white path” (al-mahajjat al-bayḑa)]—adherence to the Book and the Prophet’s sunnah, giving each person what Allah has appointed for them and withholding from them what Allah has not appointed—a group of the people withdrew and transferred [the matter] to Ibn 'Affān, seeking to share worldly pride with him.

He said regarding the affair of the collective:

After the passing of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, I suddenly saw men from among those dispatched with Usāma and his army, abandon their posts, vacate their stations and disobey the command of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, regarding what he had assigned them to do. He had ordered them to stay with their commander, march under his banner and complete the mission for which he was sent. Yet, they left their commander in his camp and hurriedly returned, riding their horses, seeking to claim an authority that Allah and His Messenger, peace be upon him and his progeny, had bound upon their necks and established as a covenant from Allah and His Messenger to me, which they then broke and instead established for themselves.

 He also said in Nahj al-Balāgha:

When Allah took His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, a group of people turned on their heels. They erred in their ways and relied upon the deceitful (al-walā`ij). They formed bonds with other than their relatives and abandoned the familial connections with whom they were to show mutual affection. They removed the building from its firm foundation and rebuilt it outside of its proper place.

 He said regarding the reason he did not fight them:

I saw that I had no supporters except my family, so I decided to not thrust them into death. I bore the annoyance patiently, drank despite the blockage in the throat and patiently endured despite trouble in breathing and despite being forced to eat bitter colocynth (al-‘alqam). 

 He said in a well-known address known as al-Mawḑiha when mentioning the occasions in which Abu Bakr and ‘Umar fled [in battle]:

And know, may Allah have mercy on you, that whoever conceals treachery and seeks the truth from those unworthy of it, plunges into the sea of destruction and, due to his ignorance, becomes closer to doubt and idolatries. Allah, the Glorified, says: {O ye who believe, when ye meet those who disbelieve advancing, turn not thy backs to them. Whosoever turns his back to them unless as a stratagem for battle or as a means to join another company—such person would incur the Anger of Allah. His destination shall be Hell, a wretched destination!} (Q. 8:15-16). Therefore, be angry—may Allah have mercy on you!—with the one with whom Allah is angry.

And he said:

They violated the covenant of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and acted contrary to his action regarding their seizing of Fadak from the possession of his daughter. They interpreted that which they had no knowledge of regarding his judgement.

He, upon him be peace, said:

The falsifiers lied, and the liars deviated from Allah and His Messenger, with a far deviance! Rather, Allah creates what He wills and chooses that which is for them. He is most knowing of where to place His divine message, and He guides to the truth whom He wills. He does not act contrary to His judgement nor contradicts His command. Verily, Allah chose Saul and selected him. He appointed him with His command, so that the one who obeyed him succeeded and the one who disobeyed him disbelieved. So, take this as an example, and for you is a lesson in this.

Among his poetry, upon him be peace, is the same meaning:

I am ‘Ali, the wielder of the sword, Šamšāma,
The brother of Allah’s Prophet, possessor of signs.
He said to me as he wrapped a turban on me:
((You are the one who after me, will be imam)).  

He also said:

I preceded you all in Islam entirely,
Young, without having reached maturity.
And I was given authority over you
By Allah’s Messenger on the day of Ghadīr Khumm.

He also said:

If by consultation, you took control of their affairs,
Then how do you assume leadership when the advisors were absent?
Or if by kinship, you argued with your opponents,
Someone other than you is foremost to the Prophet and closer.

He, upon him be peace, said in Nahj al-Balāgha regarding the Prophetic Descendants and the imams among them:

Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are {those steeped in knowledge} (Q. 3:7) instead of us and against us. Allah raised us and debased them, gave to us and prevented them, and entered us in and kept them out. With us is the light of divine guidance, and with us is the manifestation of brightness against blindness. Verily, the imams are from the Quraysh in the line of Hāshim. It would not be suited for anyone else but them, nor would anyone else be suited for leadership.

He also said:  

So, where are you being misguided, and how are you groping about while there are the Descendants of your Prophet among you? They are the reins of truth, the banners of religion and the tongues of truth. Assign to them with excellence the position of the Qur`ān, and go to them as a thirsty camel goes to a water spring.

And he said:

There is none from this Ummah that can compare to the Progeny of Muhammad, nor is there any to whom flow their blessings that can equal them. They are the foundation of the religion and the pillars of certainty. To them must the overtaker turn back, and to them must the delayer reach. To them belong the specific right of guardianship (al-wilāya), and regarding them are the bequest (al-wašiyya) and inheritance.  

And he said:

Therefore, seek that out from its people, for they are the life of knowledge and the death of ignorance. They are those whose judgement informs you about their knowledge, their silence about their speech, and their outward appearance about their inward nature. They do not contradict the religion, nor do they disagree about it.

 Regarding his censuring one who relies solely on his own opinion and the knowledge of his sheikhs:

I am amazed, and why should I not be amazed at the error of these groups, despite their different arguments in their religion? They do not follow the footsteps of a Prophet, nor do they emulate the actions of an Appointee (waši), nor do they believe in the unseen, nor do they pardon faults. They act upon the doubtful matters and follow their whims. What is considered good among them is what they themselves declare good, and what is considered evil among them is what they themselves consider evil. Their refuge in difficult matters is to themselves, and their reliance in ambiguous matters is on their opinions, as if each one of them is the imam of himself.

 The narrated statements of al-Hasan b. ‘Ali regarding the Imamate
In a sermon in which he addressed the people after his ceasefire with Mu’awiya, may Allah curse him, saying that the one who forced him to make a truce is the same one who forced the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, to enter the cave, and forced the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr when bundles of firewood were gathered around his house to be burned with the descendants of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, inside if he did not come out and pledge allegiance.

He said on another occasion: “One of the calamities for this Ummah is that if we were to call upon them, they will not answer us, and if we were to abandon them, they would not be guided except by us.”

The narrated statements of al-Hussein b. ‘Ali regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in some of his letters to the people of Basra: “As to what follows, verily, Allah sent Muhammad with the truth, and chose him over all creation, and we are his family, allies, descendants and the people most deserving of his position among people...” to the end of what he mentioned of the story of the sheikhs and their monopolisation of the affair [i.e. the caliphate].

The narrated statements of Zayn al-‘Abidīn ‘Ali b. al-Hussein regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in a rhyming prose of his: 

Who is safe in conveying the argument and interpreting the Book except the People of the Book, the sons of the Imams of guidance, and the lamps in darkness, through whom Allah has argued with His creation, and He has not left creation in vain? Do you know them or find them except as a branch of the blessed tree and the remnants of the chosen—those whom Allah has purified from impurity, and cleared from [spiritual] diseases?

He also said in a poem: “They are the {firm handhold} (Q. 2:256) and source of God consciousness / And the best of ropes for creation and its most reliable.”
The narrated statements of Zayd b. ‘Ali regarding the Imamate
It is narrated that he, upon him be peace, attributed the injustice that Hishām [b. ‘Abdul-Mālik b. Marwan] had done to him to the two sheikhs [i.e. Abu Bakr and ‘Umar] because they were the first to establish injustice against the Prophetic Descendants and their preceding the imams.

He said in Kitāb as-Šafwa:

Know that the people have been afflicted with trials and things have become confused for them because of what I am mentioning to you. Therefore, look carefully at this book of mine, and know that you will not seek healing from the beginning of my statement until you reach its end, God willing. That is because they did not see for the Ahl al-Bayt of their Prophet any superiority over them that they would acknowledge for them regarding their kinship to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, nor their knowledge of the Book that they would conclude with anything of their statement about it.

He also said: “There is no Book but that it has people who are the most knowledgeable about it. Some of them went astray, and some of them were guided.”

He then said after a statement:

Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, is our grandfather, and his cousin who emigrated with him is our father, and his daughter is our mother, and his wife, the best of his wives, is our grandmother. So who are the family of the Prophets except for those who are in our position from our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and Allah is the one sought for help!

And he used as a proof for that the statement of the Glorified: {Verily, We have sent Noah and Abraham. We appointed in both of their descendants Prophethood and the Book. Amongst the both of them are the guided but the majority of them are disobedient!} (Q. 57:26).

Al-Hākim related from him: “Refer back to us, both we and the Book are the two weighty things.”

The narrated statements of Muhammad b. ‘Ali al-Bāqir regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in his debate with a Harūri that the two Sheikhs had unfairly usurped the location of their graves in the house of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, along with other things that he mentioned regarding their mistakes during the life of the Prophet and after his death, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny.

The narrated statements of Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Šādiq regarding the Imamate
Al-Hākim, may Allah have mercy on him, related from Ja’far b. Muhammad as-Šādiq, upon him be peace: “We are the {rope of Allah} when He says: {Hold fast to the rope of Allah altogether} (Q. 3:103).” 
The narrated statements of Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah an-Nafs az-Zakiyya regarding the Imamate
Imam al-Manšūr Billah, upon him be peace, related from al-Mahdi li Din Allah Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah an-Nafs az-Zakiyya, upon him be peace, that he said after mentioning the story of the two Sheikhs:

‘Ali considered religion before he considered himself; he found that his right could not be attained except by the famous sword, and he remembered that they were fresh from the era of pre-Islamic ignorance. So, he hated that some of them would strike each other, which would be to abandon harmony. So, Abu Bakr recommended it [the caliphate] to ‘Umar without consultation, and ‘Umar carried it out and acted in the governorship without the example of his companion. He did not have in his hand a covenant from Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, nor an interpretation from Allah’s Book, except an opinion that he sought in it, differing from the opinion of his companion. So, he made it [the affair of appointing the caliph] between six, and he put over them commanders whose order, if they disagreed, was to kill the first of the youths. They belittled that which Allah had magnified in their affair, and they became a cause for evil rulers [after them]. The gates of repentance were closed to them, and the Fire encompassed them with what is in it. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is watching, and there is no power or strength except by Allah, the Most High, the Most Great!

The narrated statements of Yahya b. ‘Abdullah regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, also related that Imam Yahya b. ‘Abdullah, upon them be peace, said in a statement (he wrote) to Hārūn [ar-Rashīd] in which he mentions the story of the Sheikhs and that of ‘Ali, upon him be peace:

And if the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, had wanted, he would have calmed down for him and inclined towards him by favouring the oppressors, taking the misguided and befriending the apostates. However, Allah and His Messenger refused that there should be a friend for the traitors and a friend for the oppressors, and his matter was not problematic for them. So, they changed the blessing of Allah into disbelief and took the signs of Allah as a mockery and denied the honour of Allah, [and hated] and rejected the virtue of Allah.

So, the fourth of them asked “How can they have both the caliphate and Prophethood?” out of envy and malice; for the Prophets and the sons of Prophets, whom Allah has chosen with the same as He has chosen us, have been envied in the past. The Blessed and Exalted informs them saying: {...or do they envy people for what Allah has given them from His bounty? Verily, We have given the family of Abraham the Book and wisdom. We have given them great dominion!} (Q. 4:54).

He said in a sermon to the 1,300 who testified that he, upon him be peace, was a slave of Hārūn: “He left his Descendants among you, but you placed them behind and put others forward, placing others in charge of your affairs.”

The narrated statements of al-Qāsim b. Ibrāhīm regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb Tathbīt al-Imāma describing ‘Ali, upon him be peace, and after mentioning a host of his unique virtues:  

With the Appointees is the knowledge of the occurrences of things and the hardships from every plot after the Prophets, as well as that of the oppressive states of every tyrant specifically conveyed by the Prophets to their Appointees who succeed them.

He said in response to a question about the two sheikhs:

For us is the proof of the truthful, daughter of the truthful. She died while angry at them both, and we are angry for her anger based upon the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((Verily, Allah is angry with the anger of Fāţima and He is pleased with her pleasure)).

He also said in Kitāb Tathbīt al-Imāma:

If the Imamate was as the falsifiers claim—judging by their whims—their choice would have to be based from all their varied opinions. However, that would be a long period of time searching to and fro. By such, they would be destroyed by corruption due to neglect. What is not hidden to the observant eye and a religion will not be protected; they will be become the corruption that they abhor due to what was neglected.

And he said:

Allah did not appoint for them the choice regarding their wealth.  So how can it be that they have the choice of something which is the greatest in the religion and the best source of wisdom to the scholars?

The narrated statements of Muhammad b. al-Qāsim regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb al-Ušūl: “As for the attributes of the Imamate, its basis is that it is an obligation from Allah and His Messenger. It is articulated by the Book and related by the Sunnah.”

He also said in Kitāb ash-Sharh wa at-Tabyīn:

The source of salvation for you, in what is ambiguous to you regarding your religion, is that some of you should not accept the words of others, but rather let him return and ask about what is ambiguous to him from the one whom Allah, the Exalted, has made its source and place among the People of the Reminder. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Therefore, ask the people of the Reminder if ye know not} (Q. 21:7).      

He also said in Sharh Dā’im al-Imān:

These are the ones whom Allah has commanded us to obey, and they are the pure Descendants of His Prophet, upon him be peace. He has appointed them as imams who guide by His command, and He has commanded all of creation to ask them if they are ignorant and to refer to them the knowledge of what they differed about. This is because they are the people of careful deduction (al-instinbāt), research and contemplation, to whom Allah, the Exalted, has commanded us to refer.

And he said:

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has informed us that He has provided for His slaves what they need by saying: {We have neglected nothing in the Book} (Q. 6:38). In it is clarification of everything, so those who comprehend it are the scholars of the Progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. 

The narrated statements of al-Hādi ila al-Haqq Yahya b. al-Hussein regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb al-Ahkām:

It is obligatory for one to know, understand, believe in and be cognisant of the Guardianship of the Commander of Believers and Imam of the God-conscious, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib—may Allah have mercy on him.  It is an injunction from Allah, the Lord of creation, upon all Muslims. One will not be saved from the punishment of the Most-Merciful nor will the name ‘belief’ be applied to one unless he/she believes that with utmost certainty.

He also said:

Whoever objects to the fact that ‘Ali was the most deserving of the position of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, rejects the Book of Allah, Possessor of Majesty and Nobility, and invalidates the statements of the Lord of creation. Such a one also counters what is clearly stated in the Decisive Book and removes Aaron from the affairs of Moses. Such a one also belies the statement of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and invalidates what he legislated regarding the Commander of Believers. It necessitates that the one who belies these two principles in Allah’s religion, is declared wicked (fājir) and to all Muslims, a disbeliever.

He also said:

The matter and choice regarding that is due upon the Most Merciful and it is not the choice of the people. As Allah says: {And thy Lord creates whatsoever He wills, and He chooses; they do not have a choice. Glorified be Allah and exalted from what they associate!} (Q. 28:68). The Glorified also says: {It is not for the believing man or believing woman to—when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter—claim a choice in their affair. Whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone astray} (Q. 33:36). Allah has confirmed the deviance of the one who chooses other than His choice and passes a judgement with that which is contrary to His judgement.

He said in reply to the people of Šanā’:

I am neither a heretic nor a materialist, nor one of those who believe in nature nor a dualist, nor a fatalist, nor an interpolator nor a Kharijite. Before Allah I disassociate every misguided Rafidite, and every Haruri, Nasibi, every extremist Mu'tazilite and all deviant sects. We seek refuge in Allah from every extremist statement! There must be a lofty, saved sect. The argument of all of these sects is refuted according to me, and praise be to Allah!

He said in Kitāb al-Qiyās:

This disagreement occurred, and what you asked about was the lack of unity, due to the corruption and division of this Ummah, its lack of consideration for itself in its affairs, its abandonment of those whom Allah commanded it to follow and to draw from his knowledge and its rejection of its imams and leaders from whom it was commanded to learn and to ask.

He said:

How can there be no division and no disagreement between them, upon them be peace? It was said that because they took their knowledge from the Book and the Sunnah, and they did not need to introduce an independent opinion or innovation.

He said:

Then know, after and before all knowledge, and when you use your mind to understand it, that those whom we were commanded to follow from the Progeny of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and urged us to learn from them and mentioned what we mentioned of Allah’s command to refer matters to them, are those who followed the Book from the Progeny of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, who acquired their knowledge from the knowledge of their fathers and grandfathers, grandfather after grandfather, and father after father until they reached the city of knowledge, the fortress of wisdom, the truthful and believed, the trustworthy and successful, the pure purified, the one obeyed by Allah, the Glorified, [the leader] Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. So, whoever was from the Progeny of Allah’s Messenger, as we mentioned, transmitting from his fathers, taking from his grandfathers, did not deviate from them, seek anyone other than them or learn from anyone other than them so that his knowledge is established and correct.

He said regarding the rejection of the imams:

Only an ignorant and stubborn person is ignorant of their virtue, and only an ungrateful person denies their right. Only an oppressor disputes with them regarding the knowledge of what they have brought from Allah, Glorified be He, and only a deceitful person is stubborn about what they claim from Allah.

He also said in Kitāb al-Ahkām regarding the most reliable in Islam:

There is no disagreement from the Progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, except in the case of negligence. So, whoever of them neglects the knowledge of his forefathers and does not follow the knowledge of his father’s family from his father until it ends with ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, may Allah bless him, and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and shares with the Generality in their sayings and follow their interpretations—such would necessitate disagreement. This is the case especially if such one has no insight and discernment and does not refer what has been reported to him back to the Book nor refer the allegorical to the decisive.

The narrated statements of an-Nāšir lil-Haqq al-Hasan b. ‘Ali regarding the Imamate
In what was narrated about him by the author of Al-Musafir regarding the mention of ‘Ali, upon him be peace:

He was the appointee of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and his caliph, as well as the best of this nation after him and most deserving of his seat because he was singled out for calling to belief before reaching puberty—a virtue for him and not for others. Whoever fought and oppressed him was a disbeliever from whom one must disassociate.

He also said:

There is no belief except in disassociating from the enemies of Allah and those of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, who are the ones who oppressed the Progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and took their inheritance, usurped their fifth-tax and intended to burn their homes.

He, upon him be peace, narrated that Abu Bakr and ‘Umar differed in consulting with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, about who would lead the Banu Tamīm. So, Abu Bakr suggested al-Aqra’ b. Hābis, and ‘Umar suggested someone else; insomuch that their voices rose above the voice of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. Then, Allah revealed about them both: {O ye who believe, raise not thy voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech as you loudly speak to one another, lest thy deeds become rendered void while ye perceive not} (Q. 49:2). He, upon him be peace, said: “If their obedience is nullified by raising the voice, then what do you think of someone whose obedience is less and whose opposition to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, is more?”
He also said:

Allah has evidence for the incidents that the person responsible for them occur in which the Ummah is considered equal. As for other than these principles and judgements regarding the incidents that occur in which independent judgement (ijtihād) is permissible, since there is no text in the Book or the Sunnah, nor consensus from the Ummah and the Imams, then independent judgement regarding them is the responsibility of the scholars of the Progeny of the Messenger, upon them be peace, and no one else, due to the Exalted’s statement {But if ye disagree regarding anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger} (Q. 4:59) and due to the Exalted’s statement: {And had they referred it to the Messenger or to those in authority amongst them, those who investigate it would have known about it...} (Q. 4:83).

And he said:

If the seeker of truth looks into the disagreements of the scholars of the Progeny of the Messenger, may Allah’s prayers be upon them, he can follow the statement of any one of them, if he finds the truth in it with evidence without criticising or finding fault with the rest.

He, upon him be peace, mentioned that the Mu’tazilites and the people of opinion (ar-ray) regard independent judgement and say: “The first to make independent judgement was ‘Umar.”
Among his poetry, upon him be peace, regarding the meaning of that is the following:

Do not seek knowledge from other than the Progeny of the Chosen,
In order to guide you. So, they are the best of creation, the Progeny.
The Progeny of the Prophet and from him the inheritance of their knowledge,
Those who advise creation. They do not neglect or turn away.
Their statement is attributed back to the statement of their grandfather
From Gabriel from the Creator when they speak.

And he says “I complain to Allah that the truth has been abandoned / Among the slaves and that evil has been accepted...” to his statement:

And that our Ummah has shown enmity towards us.
That we have been singled out from Allah’s virtue,
If we are mentioned, knowingly or consciously,
They become as if they are blind in their anger!

The narrated statements of al-Murtaža lid-Dīn Allah Muhammad b. Yahya regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb Masā´il at-Ťabirayn:

Then, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, to reward him with love for his offspring, and He made it obligatory for them to obey them. And He made their love obligatory, just as He made prayer obligatory, in order to establish proof against them and to cut off their excuses. This is because He, Glorified be He, knew the enmity and hatred the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, would have towards them and for them.

He also said in Kitāb ash-Sharh wa al-Bayān:

We do not say that all the Companions of the Seal of the Prophets were the people of virtue and religion, and belief in the One with the Mighty Power, who believed in him and followed him, and struggled with and believed in him, nor do we say that they all differed or contradicted each other. However, there were hypocrites amongst him, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, whom Allah mentioned in His Book in more than one place.

And he said in Ar-Risālat as-Sābi’a:

Allah, Glorified be He, has passed a judgement in this matter for a people whom He designated, indicated to them and appointed them, and He prohibited it for others so He made it a virtue for them over others, and that is the statement of the Glorified: {Then We caused to inherit the Book those whom We chose of Our slaves...} (Q. 35:32).

Then he mentioned many other verses and reports. He said afterwards: “Whoever assigns this matter to anyone other than the Ahl al-Bayt of his Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, has toyed with himself and rebelled against the religion of his Creator.”

He said in his reply to the Qarmatians:

And He indicated those in authority with what He mentioned in His Book where He, the Mighty and Sublime, says {Obey Allah and obey the Messenger...} then He says: {...and those in authority amongst thee} (Q. 4:59). So He indicated a third obedience and said: {O ye who believe, fear Allah and be with the truthful} (Q. 9:119). So this word combines all of those who believed, then He excepted from them a people and said: {be with the truthful}. Then, He made an exception for a group of believers and ordered the believers to follow them and be with them. Then He, the Mighty and Majestic, said: {Then We caused to inherit the Book those whom We chose of Our slaves...} (Q. 35:32), so He indicated a group to whom He gave the Book, and they are the Progeny of the Messenger mentioned first and last.

He also said in his reply to the people of Tabaristān:

The imams differ only in what is not permissible and impermissible as well as in explanation and speech. Each imam in his time has calamities that descend upon him and must judge them by that which Allah grants him to deduce from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, as well as from the argument of reason by which he is to infer from the Book which may be obscure. He is to extract from it the truth and correct, and if this issue came upon the first, he would have extracted it as the latter extracts it. The imams have been entrusted with the people; Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has commanded them to have a good conduct among them and give them advice. Perhaps, in the imam’s era, one of the subjects’ causes will be judged as correct, for which the Book testifies to, and then that same calamity will occur in another age of the imams who will not be able to enforce the ruling in it, as it was possible for the first. In such case, he will be excused by Allah.

He then said:

If the subjects trust in the justice of their imam and his imamate is valid according to them, they must know that their knowledge is less than his knowledge, and they must not fall into the obscure as he falls into it. If they know that, they must submit.

Among his poetry, upon him be peace, regarding the meaning of that is the following:

And we have brought about every honour,
To descend to praise since we are in high position.
Ever since the first of us was a Prophet,
The last of us will not cease to be imam.
Everyone who has attained puberty prays upon us.
And the one to be followed when one prays recites peace.
It is sufficient for you as pride that we have been made
The source of every guidance and honour completely!

The narrated statements of his brother, an-Nāšir lid-Dīn Allah Ahmed b. Yahya regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb Masā´il Abi Ishāq:

Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: {And these parables that We bring forth for humankind—none shall grasp them save those who know} (Q. 29:43). So, the Mighty and Majestic informed you that only the knowledgeable can comprehend it, and there is no knowledge for those who are ignorant of the source of truth, the value of Prophethood, and the choicest of the Imamate.

He also said in Kitāb an-Najāt:

They turned a blind eye to the statement of the Mighty and Majestic: {Verily, Allah only desires to keep away impurity from thee, O People of the House (Ahl al-Bayt), and purify thee with a thorough purification} (Q. 33:33). The one who is purified from impurity will not have any error in his religion, nor any bias in his statements, nor any error in his interpretation of the Qur´ān. The Mighty and Majestic would not purify someone who lies about Him insomuch that the one who opposes Him would be more deserving of the truth than He is. The Mighty and Majestic knows better about the corrupter than the reformer.

The narrated statements of al-Qāsim b. ‘Ali al-‘Ayāni regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb Dhamm al-Ahwā wa al-Wahūm:

It has come in the reports that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, did not leave this world until his command regarding the army of Usāma, was opposed and others. Before the people did what they did, Allah informed of their actions. Thme Mighty says: {Muhammad is naught but a Messenger, and Messengers before him passed away. If he were to die or be killed, will ye turn upon thy heels. Whosoever turns upon his heels shall not harm Allah in the slightest. And Allah shall recompense the grateful} (Q. 3:144).

 

So, the grateful, as far as what has reached us, were none but ‘Ali and the descendants of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, the descendants of the Commander of Believers and those believers who followed them. This was the first sect amongst the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. So, all the people were a sect, and ‘Ali and his companions were a second Ummah. So, the Commander of Believers remained with the Book, as Allah’s Messenger mentioned, and the people in their worldly life were stumbling blindly, not guided except to what he, upon him be peace, guided them to when they turned to him regarding some matters. He did so to establish the proof against them, and they made their allegiance universal as those of the nations of the Prophets before them were made universal.

He also said in Kitāb at-Tanbīh:

And I [i.e. the narrator] asked about the great majority, and their departure for the Hajj to the House of Allah (the Sacred House), and visiting the grave of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. They testify to the matter and the caliphate of the Companion of the cave [i.e Abu Bakr], and their denial of the statement of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((Whoever I am his master, Ali is his master)). 

 

The reply: Know, dear brother, may Allah honour you, that these are the ‘Samiris’ of the Ummah of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. There is no difference between them and the Samiris i]Ummah[/i of Moses, may Allah’s prayers be upon him,  just as there is no difference between Moses and Muhammad, and just as there is no difference between Aaron and ‘Ali except in the case of Prophethood. The proof is the Prophet’s statement, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((Ali’s position to me is as Aaron was to Moses, except that there is no Prophet after me)).

He said in his Risālat ila Ahl Ťabaristan:

The basis of interpretation is the beginning of confusion, and disagreement regarding the Imams is the beginning of misguidance, and reliance on other than the Prophetic Descendants is the beginning of disaster. The origin of knowledge is with questioning, and the origin of ignorance is with argument. The one who knows something other than our knowledge is like the one who is ignorant of our right, the one who desires our enemy is like the one who is indifferent to us, the one who does good to our enemy is like the one who does wrong to us, the one who is grateful to our enemy is like the one who criticises us, the one who objects to our sect is like the one who invades us, the one who opposes us in interpretation is like the one who opposes our Grandfather [i.e. the Prophet] in Revelation, the one who cares for what has not been entrusted is like the one who neglects what has been entrusted, the one who stands by what has not been entrusted is like the one who transgresses in what has been entrusted, the one who abandons us is like the one who helps another against us, the one who stays behind our caller is like the one who responds favourably to our enemy, the one who opposes us in judgement is like the one who judges without right, the one who separates from the guiding Descendants is like the one who separates from the Prophets. Here is the origin of the sedition, O group of partisans!

The narrated statements of his son, al-Hussein b. al-Qāsim regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Ar-Radd ‘ala al-Mulhidīn: 

O nation that has strayed from its right path, striving to destroy itself! Have you been commanded to have mutual affection (muwadda) for the Prophet’s Progeny, or has the mutual affection for Taym and ‘Adi been imposed upon you?

He said in Kitāb at-Tawhīd:

Had they held fast to the Arks of Salvation, they would not have drowned in the seas of blindness. Had they drank from the knowledge of the Progeny of their Prophet, they would have been cured of their thirst and would have attained great spoils, and their hearts would have been enlightened by agreeing with the wise. But they were satisfied with their own knowledge and were independent of the Progeny of their Prophet. So Allah only distances the one who has wronged and committed evil against himself.

He said in Mukhtašar al-Ahkām:

All intellects are in need of the intellects of the Imams, upon them be peace. Had it not been for that, no one would need an Imam, and the obligation of the Imamate would be exempted from all humankind. If that were exempted from them, Allah would not have imposed it on them.

He also said in Ar-Radd ‘ala al-Mulhidīn:

The Imamate is an obligation from Allah that no one can ignore, because the All Wise does not neglect His creation despite what He sees of their differences, from the argument against those of them who are with Him about the truth and guidance for those of His allies who seek salvation and clarification to confuse His enemies; otherwise, He would have equated their truth with their falsehood.

 

Regarding that is what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, says ((Whoever dies while not knowing his Imam, dies the death of pre-Islamic ignorance)) as well as the saying of Allah, the Exalted: {Thou are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide} (Q. 13:7). So, He declares that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, is a warner to the slaves, and that every people has a guide to the truth in every age, who clarifies what is confused about religions and responds to those who follow a religion other than Islam.

The narrated statements of Abu al-Fath b. al-Hussein ad-Daylami regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in his exegesis of the statement of Allah, Glorified be He: {And thy Lord creates whatsoever He wills and, He chooses...} (Q. 28:68): “That is, He creates whatever He wills of creation and chooses whomever He wills for Prophethood and Imamate.”

He said regarding the meaning of {...and his wives are their mothers...} (Q. 33:6): 

By {wives}, He meant those whose goodness was clear and whose inner soul was pure, such as Khadīja bt. Khuwaylid, may Allah be pleased with her, the mother of the imams, upon them be peace, and Umm Salama, may Allah be pleased with her. As for those who were stubborn about the truth and divided the Muslims, they are not considered the mothers of the Muslims, nor are they worthy of honour according to Allah, Lord of creation.

He said regarding the meaning of {...and they sever that which Allah commanded to be connected...} (Q. 2:27): “They are those who do not mandate the love of the Progeny of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and deny their virtue.”

He said regarding the meaning of {Therefore, ask the people of the Reminder if ye know not} (Q. 21:7): “They are the Progeny of the Messenger, upon them be peace.”
He said regarding the meaning of {Allah promised those who believe amongst thee and do good deeds that He will grant them succession in the land...} (Q. 24:55):

It was revealed regarding Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and the Commander of Believers, ‘Ali, upon him be peace, and al-Hasan and al-Hussein] and the best of their Ahl al-Bayt, as well as those who follow their path and way until the Day of Judgement. This is because they are the inheritors of the Book and the scholars of it, and they have the caliphate (or “succession”) in the land until the Day of the Presentation.

He said regarding the meaning of {...that He will firmly establish for them their religion for which He is pleased for them...} (Q. 24:55): “The meaning of religion is Islam, and that is based on the manifestation of the established proof (hujjat) of Allah.”

It is narrated that he, upon him be peace, said:

As for the branches of Shari’ah, if there were a difference between the Imams, upon them be peace, regarding that, this does not diminish their knowledge and virtue, because independent judgement in religion is obligatory, caution is necessary, and referring to the Book and the Sunnah is something that is widely known. Everyone in his time has his own consideration, reasoning, research and unveiling, and what was not unveiled to the earlier may become clear to the latter, but it is not because the earlier fell short of what was clear to the latter.

He also said: “It is not from the religion to find fault with any one of them and to judge such one as having violated the Shari’ah and the Imams.”

The narrated statements of al-Mutawakkil ‘ala Allah Ahmed b. Suleiman regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb al-Hikma:

The relatives of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, agreed that the Imamate is specific to al-Hasan, al-Hussein and their descendants. Their consensus is a proof because countering them is countering mutual affection, and those who disagree with them do not have mutual affection for them. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Say: “If ye love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love thee and forgive thee of thy sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”} (Q. 3:31). He linked love with following. Whoever does not follow them does not love them. So what we have said is correct.

He said recounting the account of Saqīfa:

When the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, was preoccupied with what he should be preoccupied, the Muhajirīn and Anšār gathered at the Saqīfa of Banu Sa’ida, competed for rule, and forgot what Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, had commanded them to do, in his order for them to follow ‘Ali, upon him be peace, in many situations and famous speeches.

He also said:

Among the oppressors were those who usurped ‘Ali’s right, denied his precedence and seized control of the affair for which he was more deserving of it—such as Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmān and those who aided them in their affair and used as evidence for their breaking of their oaths and faith the statement of Allah, Glorified be He: {O ye who believe, whosoever of thee should revert from his religion…} (Q. 5:54).

And he mentioned that it was revealed regarding them.
He said in his Jawāb li Masā´il al-Umarā as-Sulaymāniyīn:

The Mu'tazilites were called Mu'tazilite because they isolated (‘atazilū) themselves from the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace. Among them were Sa'd b. Mālik b. Abi Waqqaš, ‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar, Muhammad b. Maslama al-Anšāri, Usāma b. Zayd b. Hāritha al-Kalbi, and al-Ahnaf b. Qays. And they called themselves the People of Divine Justice and Oneness (Ahl al-‘Adl wa at-Tawhīd).

And he said:

Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((My Ummah will split into seventy-three sects after me—all of which will perish except one sect)). In many places, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, explained and clarified this regarding his Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace, and those who followed them, including what he said, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((The example of my Ahl al-Bayt among you is like that of Noah’s Ark. Whoever boards it will be saved, and whoever stays behind will drown and perish)).

The narrated statements of al-Mansūr Billah ‘Abdullah b. Hamza regarding the Imamate
He, upon him be peace, said in Kitāb Sharh ar-Risālat an-Nāšiha:

Consider—may Allah support you!—with penetrating thought: How can a Muslim justify denying the virtue of a people with whom sermons begin and prayers end, so that no Muslim’s prayer is complete without mentioning them and their mention is coupled with mentioning Allah, Glorified be He, and mentioning His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny? Where are the sound intellects and pure thoughts in this?

He also said:

They are the flags of the religion, the role models of the believers, the leaders to the lofty and the defenders of the path of Islam and Muslims. Through them, Allah established the proof against the wicked, and repelled the plots of the enemies of religion. They are the ones who stand up for this upright religion until the Hour comes, repelling from it the doubts of the deniers and the godlessness of the godless. Regarding that, we have narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((My Ahl al-Bayt are like the stars, whenever a star sets, another star rises)). So just as we know that it is not permissible for a star to set except with the rising of another star until the Hour comes, we know that no righteous predecessor of theirs passes without a righteous successor following him.

 

Allah, Glorified be He, said to His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: {Thou are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide} (Q. 13:7). The meaning of this verse, and Allah knows best, is that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has made at every time one from amongst the Ahl al-Bayt of His Prophet a guide for the people of that time. We have narrated on the authority of our father, Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, that he said: ((Whoever has in his heart an enmity equal to the weight of a mustard seed towards me and my Ahl al-Bayt will not smell the fragrance of Paradise)). We do not know of anyone who has had a greater enmity towards them, or a greater plot against the religion of Allah and His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, than those who deny the virtue of his Descendants and equate them with others.

He said: “No one will enter the Pool (al-hawž) except he whose love for them is sincere. The love of one who denies their virtue, rejects their right, and equates them with others is not considered sincere.”
He said: “How can he be a partisan of Muhammad’s progeny, upon them be peace, if he denies their virtue, rejects their right, and takes knowledge, according to his claim, from others?”
He said:

Whoever denies the virtue of the Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace, shares with the killers of Zayd b. ‘Ali, upon them be peace, and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, in the shedding of their blood and the burden of fighting them. This is because the reason for their fighting Zayd b. ‘Ali, upon them be peace, and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, is their denial of his virtue and the virtue of his Ahl al-Bayt, may Allah’s prayers be upon them, and that which Allah has made obligatory upon everyone of respecting them, referring to them, taking knowledge from them and fighting jihad along with them.

He also said:

Know that whoever contemplates even the slightest contemplation of one of the proofs—let alone their sum total—whether in the evidence of reason or in the Book of Allah; the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny; the consensus of the Ummah; the Prophetic Descendants or follows the sayings of the Imams, upon them be peace,  will know the truth of what we have said. However, how does that compare to (lit “where is”) the one who abandons reaching that and is prevented from that by the obligation to return to the saying of the Sheikh?

He said:

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, ordered his Ummah to follow his pure Descendants, but they disagreed with him in that, and they have followers who at all times follow in their footsteps in opposing the pure Descendants step by step. They even went beyond that to the point of saying that they are more deserving of the truth and that following them is more obligatory than following their [i.e. the Descendants’] guidance, thus rejecting the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny: ((Place them forward and do not put them behind you, learn from them and do not teach them, do not disagree with them lest you go astray, and do not curse them lest you become disbelievers)). This is explicit regarding disagreement, and only the one who abandons (khadhala) is ignorant of its meaning.

He, upon him be peace, said in Ash-Shāfi:

Allah, the Exalted, says: {Thou are only a warner, and for every people there is a guide} (Q. 13:7). The {warner} is Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, and the {guide} is the imam from his pure offspring.

He said: “Don’t you know that the differences between the Descendants is like the differences between the Prophets?” And he said regarding the meaning of that: “How can the Descendants differ from their forefathers when the Prophet testified to their integrity saying: ((They will never separate until they meet me at the Basin))?”
He said:

Know that all of the pure Ahl al-Bayt and the descendants of the Seal of the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, believe and profess that there is no salvation for Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān except through the sincerity of their love over them. This is because Allah, the Exalted, has made their love obligatory upon all those who are morally accountable, and they [i.e. the aforementioned sheikhs] are included among them. It is because we have narrated from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, that he said: ((Love Allah for the blessings He provides you with. Love me for the love of Allah, and love my Ahl al-Bayt for the love of me)).

 

It is narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((Whoever opposes ‘Ali for the caliphate after me is an infidel and has made war against Allah. Whoever doubts regarding ‘Ali is a disbeliever)). He, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, also said: ((Woe to the enemies of my Ahl al-Bayt who have preferred themselves over them! My intercession will not reach them, nor will they see the Paradise of my Lord!)).

He said:

When Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, passed away, his actions were pleasing and his deeds were appreciated. He saved the creation from the brink of the abyss, rescued them from the seas of destruction, and bestowed upon them the excellent and beautiful veil of Islam. There remained no neck of a responsible person except that he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, had the grace of guidance and the blessings were from Allah, the Exalted.

 

And from the matter of Fāţima, upon her be peace, the pleasing lineage, the pure breeze, the sea pearl and the shining ruby is what occurred of the dispute regarding the matter of inheritance, and after that in the matter of the gift of Fadak and other things, the mention of which became widespread among the people, and its matter became great to some of them. Insomuch that one of them said [in prose]: “What harm would it have done them if they believed her in what she claimed? / And what harm would it have done them if they had enjoyed her garden? / They very well knew that she was a part of their Prophet. / So, why did they seek evidence regarding what she claimed?”

 

She fell ill secretly and was buried at night, after the Appointee [i.e. ‘Ali] had been removed from his position, and the majority agreed that he had been deprived. The Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace, swallowed the affliction and were patient with the calamity, knowing that Allah, the Exalted, has a domain other than this domain, in which He compensates for the affliction of the allies (al-awliyā) and multiplies for them the path in it. It is the domain of permanence and the place of settlement, and He multiplies for the enemies shame and destruction; they are immortalised in the types of punishment, one of which is the Hellfire.

 

He, upon him be peace, quotes the statement of Fāţima, upon her be peace, when she addressed the women of the Muhājirīn and Anšār in her presentation to the Sheikhs and their followers, with the statement of Allah, Glorified be He: {Evil indeed is that which their souls hath brought forth, that Allah’s Anger is upon them therein to abide forever} (Q. 5:80). Then, he said at the end of that: “These are the words of Fāţima, upon her be peace, with which she met Allah, Glorified be He. So, we did not go beyond the way of those fathers and mothers, upon them be peace, who must be emulated.”

He said:

If Abu Bakr had not assumed the matter, ‘Umar would not have qualified for it. If ‘Umar had not assumed it, ‘Uthmān would not have coveted it. If ‘Uthmān had not assumed it, Mu’awiya and those who followed him from the tyrants of the Umayyads would not have coveted it. And if the tyrants of the Umayyads had not taken it, the Abbasids would not have assumed it.

He said in Kitāb Hadīqa al-Hikma fī Sharh at-Tāsi’ ‘Ashra min al-Akhbār as-Sayliqiyya:

As for the love of leadership, many people have perished because of it, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do. Have you not heard what some of the Anšār said about the meaning of being infatuated with the leadership of this world and the love of its honour? That was when Sa`d b. `Ubāda was killed by two arrows that were shot at night while he had gone out to relieve himself. And one claimed that he heard a voice from the jinn saying [in prose]: “We killed the master of the Khazraj, Sa`d b. `Ubāda! / We shot him with two arrows, and we did not miss his heart!”

 

Some of the Anšār said that Sa’d had previously been angry with Abu Bakr and had refused to pledge allegiance to him. And it was narrated that he [i.e. Sa’d] said: “When we saw that the Quraysh had turned away from the people in charge of the matter, we coveted it....” in long reports.

 

So, some of the Anšār said about that: “They say Sa’d's stomach was split open by the jinn! / Perhaps you would have fulfilled your action with an excuse. / What was Sa’d's fault that he urinated while standing? / But Sa’d did not pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr. / If you were patient with the temptation of wealth, / You will not be patient with the temptation of prohibition and command!” By such, he alludes to Abu Bakr, and that he could not bear the temptation of prohibition and command and the nobility of leadership.

He [i.e. al-Manšūr Billah] said in some of his recorded replies, upon him be peace:

I asked about reciting “May Allah be pleased with...” for the Caliphs and having a good opinion of them, and a Zaydi that says: “I prefer ‘Ali, upon him be peace, and recite “May Allah be pleased with...” for the Sheikhs.” What is the judgement of him, and is it permissible to pray behind such person [i.e. appoint such person as prayer leader]?

 

The reply was “This is an incorrect question, so the answer to it is redirected because the Zaydis are in reality, the Jarudiyya. And it is not known among the Imams after Zayd b. ‘Ali, upon him be peace, anyone who was not a Jarudi; likewise is the case with their followers. Most of what has been transmitted and authenticated from the predecessors is that which we said—meaning the doctrine of reservation (at-tawaqquf)—on fabrication and independent judgement, even if the slander and verbal abuse from some of the Jarudiyya are apparent. This is only the opinion of the learned among them, and this statement is only the statement of some of the Mu'tazilites who prefer ‘Ali, upon him be peace, but are pleased with the Sheikhs. So, this doesn’t apply to any of the Zaydis.

 

This is because we say that the explicit designation (an-našš) for the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, has been authenticated from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. The disobedience of the people, their injustice and transgression of the command of Allah, Glorified be He, has also been authenticated, even though disobedience and satisfaction are permissible. How far-fetched is the statement of the poet when he says: “Woe to the reciter of the Qur´ān in the darkness of the night, and blessed be the worshipper of idols!” And from his state, what I mentioned is that he is not considered a head of Zaydism, but this is the saying of some of the Mu'tazilites, and the one who says this is a Mu'tazila, not a Shiite or a Zaydi.

 

The most beautiful statement made regarding Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān from our latter forefathers, upon them be peace, is that of al-Mu´ayyad Billah, upon him be peace. So, the conclusion of what was mentioned is that they do not verbally abuse, and that their verbal abuse is not authentically narrated from any of the righteous predecessors, upon them be peace.

 

As for reciting “May Allah be pleased with them,” this requires certainty that their sin was minor. If we find the maker of this statement has proof that their sin is minor, we will follow him; there is no shame on the follower of the truth. However, he will never find the way to that [i.e. will not find definitive proof that their sin was minor] or proof of their infallibility. No one from the Ummah says that, and the evidence of the situation is that if he claimed that, he would be exposed because Ťalha and az-Zubayr are among their best, and their sin in rebelling against the rightful Imam has been established. Consequently, their repentance has only been narrated, and no repentance has been narrated from the three [i.e. Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmān] for what they did regarding the Imamate and preventing ‘Ali, upon him be peace, from the position for which Allah, Glorified be He, and His Messenger established for him.

 

As for praying behind those I mentioned, there is a long dispute about prayer. The majority have permitted it behind those who disagree, as long as their disagreement does not constitute disbelief. So the matter in that regard is easy, and it is better to avoid praying behind those who advocate for that.

Among his poetry, upon him be peace, regarding the meaning of that is the following:

So leave from the houses and the children,
And bring us the hadith of Ghadīr Khumm.
O what great position you have attained!
But it passed on ears that were deafened!
All humankind has leaned against us together,
As if our emergence came from behind a dam!

He also said:

I see the people after the day of Ghadīr,
Engaged treacherously during the night.
Why did they push forward ‘Atīq, a sheikh of Taym?
Why did they pull back Haydar, the Hashemite?
Do not be surprised, for calamities
Make the apparent unable to be seen!

He also said:

Should I be pleased that Abu Hussein
Be subjected while in my hand is a sword?
Allah forbid! This should not happen!
And why should we drink the bitter sips?
If you do not get angry for religious sake openly
And do not defend it, then who will defend it?

He also said:

O seeker of dominion, why do you seek to attain it?
It is destruction, so ask those who’ve experienced it.
Had they understood what was said about its lords,
Abu Bakr would not have appointed ‘Umar to it!

He also said:

How much is between my saying from my father from his grandfather,
And the father of my father is the Prophet of divine guidance
And a young man says “Our elders told us
That chain of transmission is not from my chain”?!

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of creation! May Allah’s prayers and peace be upon Muhammad and his Progeny! There’s no strength or power except by Allah, the Most High, the Most Great!