Al-Kāfi, vol. 1, no. 522

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ’Isa from al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Ishaq ibn Ghalib from abu ’Abdallah (a.s.) who has described the condition of the Imams (a.s.) and their attributes in one of his sermons. “Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has explained His religion through the Imams of (true) guidance from the family of our Prophet (s.a.) the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), and has clear through them the path of His system and plan. He has opened through them the inside of the springs of His knowledge. Whoever of the followers of Muhammad (s.a.) has recognized his obligation towards the rights of his Imam he has realized the taste of the sweetness of his faith and the superior beauty of his Islam. It is because Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has appointed the Imam the torchbearer for His creatures and authority over those who receive His blessings of His world. He has crowned him with dignity and has encompassed him in the Light of His Omnipotence. He extends a means to the heavens. The blessings do not discontinue from him. Nothing from what is with Allah is achieved except through its right means. Allah does not accept the good deeds of His servants without one’s recognition of the Imam (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) knows how to sort out the dark confusing matters and whatever obscures the Sunnah (tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) and the confounding matters in mischievous conditions. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has always been choosing the Imams from the descendants of al-Husayn (a.s.) one after the other Imam. He would select and choose them for the leadership of His creatures delightfully and well satisfied with them. Whenever one Imam would leave this world He would appoint for His creatures his successor as a clear beacon and a shining guide, a guarding leader, a knowledgeable Divine authority. The Imams from Allah guide people with the truth and with the truth they judge. They are Allah’s authority calling people to Him and as shepherds of His creatures. With their guidance people follow the religion and from them the land receive light. Through their holiness the bounties increase. Allah has made them life for the people and the torches in the darkness, the keys to communication and the strongholds for Islam. Thus, has the measures of Allah continued in them towards His final decision. “The Imam is the outstanding amicable person, the most trusted guide and the guardian who can make hopes come true. Allah has chosen him with such distinctions. He choose him as such in the realm when all things were in the form of particles in the instance that He made him made him a particle and in the realm in which all things were designed as He had designed him (well-protected) as a shadow??, before He made the organisms, on the right side of His throne, gifted with wisdom in the unseen knowledge with Him. He chose him in His knowledge and granted him outstanding nobility for his purity. He is a heir of Adam, the best one among the descendents, the chosen one of the family of Abraham, a descendent of Ismael and of the most preferred ones in the family of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.). He has always been looked after by the watchful eyes of Allah Who would provide him security and guard him with His shield, well protected against the evil nets of Satan and his armies. He is well defended against the approaching dark nights and the false accusations of the evil doers. All wickedness is kept away from him and he kept safe against all forms of defects and flaws. He is veiled against all the scourge and infallible in the case of sins. He is kept safe and sound against all indecencies. He is well known for his forbearance and virtuousness in the early days of his life and great knowledge, chastity and excellence are ascribed to him towards the end of his life. The task of Imamt (leadership) of his father rests with him while in the lifetime of his father he remained silent. When the time of the Imamat (leadership) of his father ends it is the time when the measures of Allah ends up with him to His wish, the will from Allah brings him to His love, thus, the end of the Imamat of his father comes and he passes away. The authority from Allah shifts to him after his father. He then is made in charge of His religion and the Divine authority over His servants, the guardian over His lands, supported with His spirit and is given of His knowledge. He raises him as a beacon for His creatures, makes him to have His authority over the people of his world and as the light for the people of His religion and a guardian for His servants. Allah will agree to have him as Imam of the people, entrust him with His secret, makes him a safe-keeper of His knowledge, and makes him to hide His wisdom in him. He protects him for His religion calls up on him to serve His great task, revives through him the phases of His system (of religion) and the obligations in His laws. The Imam then enforces justice, when the people of ignorance are confused and the disputing and quarrelling people are frustrated, with shining light, the beneficial cure and radiant truth. He would do so with clear explanations of all aspects and just in the manner and practice his truthful father and forefathers would do before him. No one would ignore the rights of such scholar except the wicked ones. No one would struggle against him except those who have strayed away from the right path. No one would keep away from him except those who keep a bold face against Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High.