استدلال على وجود إمام غائب من العترة يظهر و يملأ الأرض عدلا و قال بعض علماء الإمامية كان الواجب علينا و على كل عاقل يؤمن بالله و برسوله و بالقرآن و بجميع الأنبياء الذين تقدم كونهم كون نبينا محمد ص أن يتأمل حال الأمم الماضية و القرون الخالية فإذا تأملنا وجدنا حال الرسل و الأمم المتقدمة شبيهة بحال أمتنا و ذلك أن قوة كل دين كانت في زمن أنبيائهم عليه السلام إنما كانت متى قبلت الأمم الرسل فكثر أتباع الرسول في عصره و دهره فلم تكن أمة كانت أطوع لرسولها بعد أن قوي أمر الرسول من هذه الأمة لأن الرسل الذين عليهم دارت الرحى قبل نبينا محمد ص نوح و إبراهيم و موسى و عيسى عليه السلام هم الرسل الذين في يد الأمم آثارهم و أخبارهم و وجدنا حال تلك الأمم اعترض في دينهم الوهن في المتمسكين به لتركهم كثيرا مما كان يجب عليهم محافظته في أيام رسلهم و بعد مضي رسلهم و كذلك ما قال الله عز و جل قَدْ جاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيراً مِمَّا كُنْتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتابِ وَ يَعْفُوا عَنْ كَثِيرٍ و بذلك وصف الله عز و جل أمر تلك القرون فقال عز و جل فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ أَضاعُوا الصَّلاةَ وَ اتَّبَعُوا الشَّهَواتِ فَسَوْفَ يَلْقَوْنَ غَيًّا و قال الله عز و جل لهذه الأمة وَ لا يَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتابَ مِنْ قَبْلُ فَطالَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْأَمَدُ فَقَسَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ فِي الْأَثَرِ أَنَّهُ يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ لَا يَبْقَى فِيهِمْ مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا اسْمُهُ وَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ إِلَّا رَسْمُهُ. وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص إِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ بَدَأَ غَرِيباً وَ سَيَعُودُ غَرِيباً فَطُوبَى لِلْغُرَبَاءِ . فكان الله عز و جل يبعث في كل وقت رسولا يجدد لتلك الأمم ما انمحى من رسوم الدين و اجتمعت الأمة إلا من لا يلتفت إلى اختلافه و دلت الدلائل العقلية أن الله عز و جل قد ختم الأنبياء بمحمد ص فلا نبي بعده و وجدنا أمر هذه الأمة في استعلاء الباطل على الحق و الضلال على الهدى بحال زعم كثير منهم أن الدار اليوم دار كفر و ليست بدار الإسلام ثم لم يجر على شيء من أصول شرائع الإسلام ما جرى في باب الإمامة لأن هذه الأمة يقولون لم يقم لهم بالإمامة منذ قتل الحسين عليه السلام إمام عادل لا من بني أمية و لا من ولد عباس الذين جارت أحكامهم على أكثر الخلق و نحن و الزيدية و عامة المعتزلة و كثير من المسلمين يقولون إن الإمام لا يكون إلا من ظاهره ظاهر العدالة فالأمة في يد الجائرين يلعبون بهم و يحكمون في أموالهم و أبدانهم بغير حكم الله و ظهر أهل الفساد على أهل الحق و عدم اجتماع الكلمة ثم وجدنا طبقات الأمة كلهم يكفر بعضهم بعضا و يبرأ بعضهم من بعض ثم تأملنا أخبار الرسول ص فوجدناها قد وردت بأن الأرض تملأ قسطا و عدلا كما ملئت جورا و ظلما برجل من عترته فدلنا هذا الحديث على أن القيامة لا تقوم على هذه الأمة إلا بعد ما ملئت الأرض عدلا فان هذا الدين الذي لا يجوز عليه النسخ و لا التبديل سيكون له ناصر يؤيده الله عز و جل كما أيد الأنبياء و الرسل لما بعثهم لتجديد الشرائع و إزالة ما فعله الظالمون فوجب لذلك أن تكون الدلائل على من يقوم بما وصفناه موجودة غير معدومة و قد علمنا عامة اختلاف الأمة و سبرنا أحوال الفرق فدلنا أن الحق مع القائلين بالأئمة الاثني عشر عليه السلام دون من سواهم من فرق الأمة و دلنا ذلك على أن الإمام اليوم هو الثاني عشر منهم و أنه الذي أخبر رسول الله ص و نص عليه و سنورد في هذا الكتاب ما روي عن النبي ص في عدد الأئمة عليه السلام و أنهم اثنا عشر و النص على القائم الثاني عشر- و الأخبار بغيبته قبل ظهوره و قيامه بالسيف إن شاء الله تعالى.
Some Imamiyah scholars have said: It is necessary for us and for all those who believe in Allah, His Messenger, Quran and all the prophets preceding the Messenger of Allah (sw), to ponder upon the past nations and previous centuries. When we think upon it we find that the circumstances of prophets and past nations resemble our times and Ummah. And the cause of the resemblance is that the glory and strength of every religion during the time of their prophets was dependant upon the fact that whenever those nations adopted belief in those prophets, and during his tenure the number of followers increased. Thus there was no nation which preceded this Ummah in obedience of their prophet. Although after the position of the prophet of this nation was established. Before our Prophet Muhammad (sw) all prophets who commanded a central position were Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa (as) and their heritage and reports are in possession of the people. And we saw the condition of those nations that there developed sloth in the people who were attached to these religions and they abandoned many things that they should have followed sincerely and which had become obligatory on them during the lifetime of their prophets as well as after their passing away. Therefore Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says: «Indeed Our Apostle has come to you making clear to you much of what you concealed of the Book and passing over much» (5:15) Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has described the condition of those as follows: «But there came after them an evil generation, who neglected prayers and followed sensual desires, so they will meet perdition» (19:59) While regarding this Ummah Allah, the Mighty and Sublime says: «And (that) they should not be like those who were given the Book before, but the time became prolonged to them, so their hearts hardened» (57:16) Also it is mentioned in traditions that: «Indeed, there will come such a time on the people in which except for its name nothing shall remain from Islam among them and nothing shall remain of Quran except for its name and calligraphy» The Messenger of Allah (sw) also said: “Islam certainly began strange and it will revert to being strange. Thus blessed be the strange ones.” The Almighty Allah used to send a messenger to those nations in every age in order to revive whatever had perished from the laws and customs of religion and the whole community is unanimous on this except for a group whose opposition is not worth paying attention to and logical arguments have also proved that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime ended the series of prophets and messengers with His Eminence, Muhammad Mustafa (sw), therefore there will be no prophet after him. And we noted the condition of this Ummah that they want falsehood to gain precedence over truth and deviation to be dominated over rightfulness. So much so that many people began to think that the present age is the age of infidelity and not that of Islam. After that the circumstances that befell Imamate did not befall any of the principles of Islam. Because this Ummah began to say: After the martyrdom of Imam Husain (as) no just Imam came to lead them neither from Bani Umayyah nor from Bani Abbas whose laws may be enforceable on the majority of the people. And we, Zaidiyyah, common Mu'tazila and majority of Muslims say that: Indeed, none can be Imam except one whose outward appearance is an expression of justice and equity. And the condition of the Ummah was such that it had been a toy in the hands of oppressive and tyrannical people who issued their own laws regarding the lives and property of people, which were opposed to divine laws and in this way evil and corrupted people became dominant over the righteous and unity of the people disappeared. Then we saw that different groups among the Ummah began to accuse each other of infidelity and declared aloofness from each other. When we contemplated on the traditions of the Prophet we saw that they also mentioned that the earth would be filled with justice and equity as it was fraught with injustice and oppression. And this will take place through a man from the Prophet’s progeny. Thus this tradition indicates that apocalypse shall come to this Ummah till the earth is not filled with justice and equity. It is because for this religion in which abrogation and change is not possible, there would be a helper whom Allah, the Mighty and Sublime shall support just as He had supported the prophets when He sent them to renew the Shariats and to remove the atrocities of oppressors. On the basis of this there should be proofs for the fulfillment of this gigantic task. We obtained knowledge about different sayings of the Ummah and studied the conditions of all the sects and reached to the conclusion that truth is in favor of the followers of the Twelve Imams (as) and not in support of other sects. It was also learnt that the Imam of this age is the twelfth of them and he is the one about whom the Holy Prophet (sw) has informed and issued the textual certificate (Nass). And very soon, if Allah wills, we will quote the traditions of the Messenger of Allah (sw) that are recorded, with regard to their number, that they are twelve in all, and that the twelfth of them shall be the Qaim. Also traditions regarding his occultation before his reappearance and armed uprising.