كلام لأحد المشايخ في الرد على الزيدية و قال غيره من متكلمي مشايخ الإمامية إن عامة مخالفينا قد سألونا في هذا الباب عن مسائل و يجب عليهم أن يعلموا أن القول بغيبة صاحب الزمان عليه السلام مبني على القول بإمامة آبائه عليه السلام و القول بإمامة آبائه عليه السلام مبني على القول بتصديق محمد ص و إمامته و ذلك أن هذا باب شرعي و ليس بعقلي محض و الكلام في الشرعيات مبني على الكتاب و السنة كما قال الله عز و جل فَإِنْ تَنازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ يعني في الشرعيات فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَ الرَّسُولِ فمتى شهد لنا الكتاب و السنة و حجة العقل فقولنا هو المجتبى و نقول إن جميع طبقات الزيدية والْإِمَامِيَّةُ قَدِ اتَّفَقُوا عَلَى أَنَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ص قَالَ: إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ الثَّقَلَيْنِ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ وَ عِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي وَ هُمَا الْخَلِيفَتَانِ مِنْ بَعْدِي وَ إِنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ .. و تلقوا هذا الحديث بالقبول فوجب أن الكتاب لا يزال معه من العترة من يعرف التنزيل و التأويل علما يقينا يخبر عن مراد الله عز و جل كان رسول الله ص يخبر عن المراد و لا يكون معرفته بتأويل الكتاب استنباطا و لا استخراجا كما لم تكن معرفة الرسول ص بذلك استخراجا و لا استنباطا و لا استدلالا و لا على ما تجوز عليه اللغة و تجري عليه المخاطبة بل يخبر عن مراد الله و يبين عن الله بيانا تقوم بقوله الحجة على الناس كذلك يجب أن يكون معرفة عترة الرسول ص بالكتاب على يقين و معرفة و بصيرة قال الله عز و جل في صفة رسول الله ص قُلْ هذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَ مَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي فأتباعه من أهله و ذريته و عترته هم الذين يخبرون عن الله عز و جل مراده من كتابه على يقين و معرفة و بصيرة و متى لم يكن المخبر عن الله عز و جل مراده ظاهرا مكشوفا فإنه يجب علينا أن نعتقد أن الكتاب لا يخلو من مقرون به من عترة الرسول ص يعرف التأويل و التنزيل إذ الحديث يوجب ذلك. و قال علماء الإمامية قال الله عز و جل إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفى آدَمَ وَ نُوحاً وَ آلَ إِبْراهِيمَ وَ آلَ عِمْرانَ عَلَى الْعالَمِينَ ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُها مِنْ بَعْضٍ فوجب بعموم هذه الآية أن لا يزال في آل إبراهيم مصطفى و ذلك أن الله عز و جل جنس الناس في هذا الكتاب جنسين فاصطفى جنسا منهم و هم الأنبياء و الرسل و الخلفاء عليه السلام و جنسا أمروا باتباعهم فما دام في الأرض من به حاجة إلى مدبر و سائس و معلم و مقوم يجب أن يكون بإزائهم مصطفى من آل إبراهيم و يجب أن يكون المصطفى من آل إبراهيم ذرية بعضها من بعض لقوله عز و جل ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُها مِنْ بَعْضٍ و قد صح أن رسول الله ص و أمير المؤمنين و الحسن و الحسين ص المصطفون من آل إبراهيم فوجب أن يكون المصطفى بعد الحسين عليه السلام منه لقوله عز و جل ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُها مِنْ بَعْضٍ و متى لم تكن الذرية منه لا تكون الذرية بعضها من بعض إلا أن تكون في بطن دون جميعهم و كانت الإمامة قد انتقلت عن الحسن إلى أخيه الحسين عليه السلام وجب أن يكون منه و من صلبه من يقوم مقامه و ذلك معنى قوله تعالى ذُرِّيَّةً بَعْضُها مِنْ بَعْضٍ وَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ فدلت الآية على ما دلت السنة عليه.
Apart from him, one of the great scholastic (kalam) theologians of the Imamiyah sect has said: Most of our opponents ask us regarding such matters on this subject whereas they should know that to believe in the occultation of the Imam of the Age is based on the fact that we should first believe in the Imamate of his purified ancestors. And to believe in the Imamate of his purified ancestors based on the fact that we testify to the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (sw) and accept his Imamate and leadership, because right from the beginning it is a related matter not a pure academic subject. Discussion in religious topics should be based on Quran and traditions as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says: …then if you quarrel about anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle… (4:59) Thus when Quran, traditions and logical arguments prove the correctness of a matter, our stand shall be most preferable. And we say that all the groups of Zaidiyyah and Imamiyah are unanimous that the Messenger of Allah (sw) said: “Indeed, I leave behind among you two weighty things; one is the Book of Allah and the other is my progeny, my Ahlul Bayt, and these two shall be my successors after me. And the two shall not separate from each other till they arrive to me at the Kauthar Pool.” This tradition is accepted as authentic by the both sects. On the basis of this it is necessary that along with Quran there should be a person from Progeny possessing perfect knowledge about the revelation and interpretation of Quran, and who informs the people about what Allah, the Mighty and Sublime implies. The Messenger of Allah (sw) used to inform the people about its (the Quran’s) meanings and interpretation. And his Marefat (divine recognition) should not be such that he should interpret the Quran through corollaries and deductions, just as the Marefat of the Holy Prophet (sw) was neither based on corollaries nor on deductions. Nor was it on the basis of the principles of language or the way people speak among themselves. He used to inform about the divine implication in such a way that as soon as he said something it became a proved matter for the people. In the same way it is necessary that the Prophet’s Progeny should have perfect recognition of Quran and insight. Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says describing the qualities of the Messenger of Allah (sw) thus: «Say: This is my way: I call to Allah, I and those who follow me being certain» (12:108) Thus his followers are from his family and his progeny and they are same and they shall explain the Book of Allah through their perfect knowledge and insight. And when the interpreter of Allah’s commands is not apparently visible, it would become obligatory on us that we should believe that there is always a person from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (sw) who possesses all the knowledge of meanings and interpretations of Quran, because the Prophet’s tradition mentions that it is imminent. Imamiyah scholars have said: Allah, the Mighty and Sublime said: Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above the nations. Offspring, one of the other… (3:33-34) Thus in this verse, on the basis of generality it becomes necessary that from the progeny of Ibrahim (as) till now and forever there will always be a chosen one. It is so because Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, in His Book, has divided the people into two groups. One is the group of prophets, messengers and caliphs and the other comprises those whom the Almighty Allah has commanded us to follow. Therefore till the time there exist people on the earth who need guidance and directions there has to be a chosen person from the progeny of Prophet Ibrahim (as). And it is also necessary that some descendants of Prophet Ibrahim (as) be preferred over others as Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says: Offspring, one of the other… Moreover it is an established fact that the Messenger of Allah (sw), Amirul Momineen (as) and Hasan and Husain (as) were the preferred ones from the progeny of Prophet Ibrahim (as). On the basis of this verse after Husain (as), it is necessary that the chosen ones should be from his descendants. And if they are not from his descendants the words of “Offspring, one of the other…” will not be proved true. And also that he should not be from their womb. Also that the Imamate was transferred from Imam Hasan (as) to his brother Imam Husain (as). Therefore it is necessary that his successor should only be from his descendants. This is the actual implication of this verse: Offspring, one of the other; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. (3:34) So this verse implies that which is stated in the Sunnah and traditions.