Likewise is their objection that what is the difference between his existence in a way that no one can reach him and his existence in the heavens, because we shall say that if he exists in the heavens in a way that the conditions of dwellers of the earth do not remain concealed from him, the heaven is like the earth in such a case, and if they do remain concealed, such an existence equals his non-existence. Then the argument is turned around against them about the Prophet (s) by asking: “What is the difference between the prophetic existence in hiding and his non-existence and his being in the heaven?” Whatever answer they will give to this question is our very answer to them to their question, as we elaborated earlier. They cannot make a distinction between the two cases, saying that the Prophet (s) did not hide from everyone and merely hid from his enemies and the Imam of the Age is hiding from everyone.

Because first, we are not certain that he is hiding from all his devotees, and such incertitude is sufficient in this argument. Furthermore, when the Prophet (s) hid in the cave, he was hiding from his devotees and his enemies and there was no one with him, except Abu Bakr. And it was possible that he had gone into hiding without anyone, friend or foe, had prudence demanded that.