Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

أما بعد فإن الله تبارك و تعالى يقول في محكم كتابه‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً الآية فبدأ عز و جل بالخليفة قبل الخليقة فدل ذلك على أن الحكمة في الخليفة أبلغ من الحكمة في الخليقة فلذلك ابتدأ به لأنه سبحانه حكيم و الحكيم من يبدأ بالأهم دون الأعم و ذلك تصديق‌ قَوْلِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عليه السلام حَيْثُ يَقُولُ‌ الْحُجَّةُ قَبْلَ الْخَلْقِ وَ مَعَ الْخَلْقِ وَ بَعْدَ الْخَلْقِ و لو خلق الله عز و جل الخليقة خلوا من الخليفة لكان قد عرضهم للتلف و لم يردع السفيه عن سفهه بالنوع الذي توجب حكمته من إقامة الحدود و تقويم المفسد و اللحظة الواحدة لا تسوغ الحكمة ضرب صفح عنها إن الحكمة تعمّ كما أن الطاعة تعمّ و من زعم أن الدنيا تخلو ساعة من إمام لزمه أن يصحِّح مذهب البراهمة في إبطالهم الرسالة و لو لا أن القرآن نزل بأن محمدا ص خاتم الأنبياء   لوجب كون رسول في كل وقت فلما صح ذلك ارتفع معنى كون الرسول بعده و بقيت الصورة المستدعية للخليفة في العقل و ذلك أن الله تقدس ذكره لا يدعو إلى سبب إلا بعد أن يصور في العقول حقائقه و إذا لم يصور ذلك لم تتسق الدعوة و لم تثبت الحجة و ذلك أن الأشياء تألف أشكالها و تنبو عن أضدادها فلو كان في العقل إنكار الرسل لما بعث الله عز و جل نبيا قط. مثال ذلك الطبيب يعالج المريض بما يوافق طباعه و لو عالجه بدواء يخالف طباعه أدى ذلك إلى تلفه فثبت أن الله أحكم الحاكمين لا يدعو إلى سبب إلا و له في‌ العقول صورة ثابتة و بالخليفة يستدل على المستخلف كما جرت به العادة في العامة و الخاصة و في المتعارف متى استخلف ملك ظالما استدل بظلم خليفته على ظلم مستخلفه و إذا كان عادلا استدل بعدله على عدل مستخلفه فثبت أن خلافة الله توجب العصمة و لا يكون الخليفة إلا معصوما.

The Almighty Allah says in His book: «And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a vicegerent» (2:30) Hence, the Almighty Allah commenced caliphate even before the creation of human beings. This verse proves that the wisdom of caliphate is beyond the imagination of creatures. Therefore, He initiated caliphate first because He is Pure and Wise. A wise being is one who initiates with an important task instead of an unimportant one. This statement is supported by a tradition of Imam Ja’far Sadiq: “The proof of creation arrives before creation, along with it and after it.” If Almighty Allah creates beings without a proof then He has ruined them and left them to foolishness. His wisdom demands that penalties must be defined so that mischievous are guided and wisdom should not permit even a moment to turn away from the confines of these ordinances. Wisdom is generalized in the same way as obedience is. If a person thinks that the world can be without an Imam even for a second, then it is necessary for him to become a Brahmin because they refute prophethood. If it would not have been mentioned in the Holy Quran that Muhammad is the last prophet, it would have been necessary for every age to have a prophet. Now that it is already mentioned, there is no chance of arrival of a prophet or a messenger after the Holy Prophet. However, the necessity of a caliph is still in mind. This is because the Almighty Allah does not invite to anything unless He makes the human mind understand its significance. If it is beyond the imagination of human beings, the invitation is aimless and it is not considered as a divine proof. Everything is influenced by its like and is repelled by its opposite. Therefore, if human mind would have rejected the presence of messengers, the Almighty Allah would never have appointed them. It can be illustrated by an example that a doctor treats patients by medicines, which are associated with the patient. If a doctor treats a patient using a medicine, which has negative effects on the health, it would prove fatal. This proves that God, who is the wisest among the wise, will also not invite to a cause except that which is in accordance with human understanding. The nominator can be identified by looking at the caliph as in general cases. It is a common fact that if a king appoints an unjust successor, the people will insist that the nominator is unjust. On the other hand, if the successor is just, the nominator too would be considered just. This proves that infallibility is a must for divine caliphate. The caliph appointed by Allah cannot be non-infallible.

ولما استخلف الله عز وجل آدم في الأرض أوجب على أهل السماوات الطاعة له فكيف الظن بأهل الأرض، ولما أوجب الله عز وجل على الخلق الايمان بملائكة الله وأوجب على الملائكة السجود لخليفة الله، ثم لما امتنع ممتنع من الجن عن السجود له أحل به الذل والصغار والدمار، وأخزاه ولعنه إلى يوم القيامة، علمنا بذلك رتبة الامام وفضله، وان الله تبارك وتعالى لما أعلم الملائكة أنه جاعل في الأرض خليفة أشهدهم على ذلك لان العلم شهادة فلزم من ادعى أن الخلق يختار الخليفة أن تشهد ملائكة الله كلهم عن آخرهم عليه، والشهادة العظيمة تدل على الخطب العظيم كما جرت به العادة في الشاهد فكيف وأنى ينجو صاحب الاختيار من عذاب الله وقد شهدت عليه ملائكة الله أولهم وآخرهم، وكيف وأنى يعذب صاحب النص وقد شهدت له ملائكة الله كلهم. وله وجه آخر وهو أن القضية في الخليفة باقية إلى يوم القيامة، ومن زعم أن الخليفة أراد به النبوة فقد أخطأ من وجه، وذلك أن الله عز وجل وعد آن يستخلف من هذه الأمة (الفاضلة) خلفاء راشدين كما قال جل وتقدس: " وعد الله الذين آمنوا منكم وعملوا الصالحات ليستخلفنهم في الأرض كما استخلف الذين من قبلهم وليمكنن لهم دينهم الذي ارتضى لهم وليبدلنهم من بعد خوفهم أمنا يعبدونني لا يشركون بي شيئا " ولو كانت قضية الخلافة قضية النبوة أوجب حكم الآية أن يبعث الله عز وجل نبيا بعد محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وما صح قوله: " وخاتم النبيين " فثبت أن الوعد من الله عز وجل ثابت من غير النبوة وثبت أن الخلافة تخالف النبوة بوجه وقد يكون الخليفة غير نبي ولا يكون النبي إلا خليفة.وآخر: هو أنه عز وجل أراد أن يظهر باستعباده الخلق بالسجود لآدم  عليه السلام نفاق المنافق وإخلاص المخلص كما كشفت الأيام والخبر عن قناعيهما أعني ملائكة الله والشيطان، ولو وكل ذلك المعنى - من اختيار الإمام - إلى من أضمر سوءا لما كشفت الأيام عنه بالتعرض، وذلك أنه يختار المنافق من سمحت نفسه بطاعته والسجود له، فكيف وأنى يوصل إلى ما في الضمائر من النفاق والاخلاص والحسد والداء - الدفين.  وجه آخر و هو أن الكلمة تتفاضل على أقدار المخاطب و المخاطب فخطاب الرجل عبده يخالف خطاب سيده و المخاطب كان الله عز و جل و  المخاطبون ملائكة الله أولهم و آخرهم  الكلمة العموم لها مصلحة عموم كما أن الكلمة الخصوص لها مصلحة خصوص و المثوبة في العموم أجل من المثوبة في الخصوص كالتوحيد الذي هو عموم على عامة خلق الله يخالف الحج و الزكاة و سائر أبواب الشرع الذي هو خصوص فقوله عز و جل‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً دل على أن فيه معنى من معاني التوحيد لما أخرجه مخرج العموم و الكلمة إذا جاورت الكلمة في معنى لزمها ما لزم أختها إذا جمعهما معنى واحد و وجه ذلك أن الله سبحانه علم أن من خلقه من يوحده و يأتمر لأمره و أن لهم أعداء يعيبونهم و يستبيحوا حريمهم و لو أنه عز و جل قصر الأيدي عنهم جبرا و قهرا لبطلت الحكمة و ثبت الإجبار رأسا و بطل الثواب و  العقاب و العبادات و لما استحال ذلك وجب أن يدفع عن أوليائه بضرب من الضروب لا تبطل به و معه العبادات و المثوبات فكان الوجه في ذلك إقامة الحدود كالقطع و الصلب و القتل و الحبس و تحصيل الحقوق كما قيل ما يزع السلطان أكثر مما يزع القرآن‌ و قد نطق بمثله قوله عز و جل‌لَأَنْتُمْ أَشَدُّ رَهْبَةً فِي صُدُورِهِمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ‌ فوجب أن ينصب عز و جل خليفة يقصر من أيدي أعدائه عن أوليائه ما تصح به و معه الولاية لأنه لا ولاية مع من أغفل الحقوق و ضيع الواجبات و وجب خلعه في العقول جل الله تعالى عن ذلك

The Almighty Allah made Prophet Adam caliph on the earth and ordered the inhabitants of heavens to obey him. Let alone the people of the earth. Allah made it obligatory on the creatures to have faith on His angels. He made it obligatory on His angels to prostrate in front of one of His creatures. When one of the jinn refused to do so, the Almighty Allah disgraced him till the Judgment Day and cursed him. These facts made us aware of the status and greatness of an Imam. When the Almighty Allah informed His angels about the appointment of caliph on the earth, he made them bear witness to it. This shows that if a person believes that human beings have the right to elect their caliph, all the angels will testify against him. The greatness of the testimony informs the greatness of the cause. Then how can a person who considers himself rightful save himself from the punishment of Allah where all the angels of Allah have testified against him? On the other hand, how can a person who follows Nass be punished when all the angels of Allah have testified in his favor. Another point to be considered is that the caliphate will continue till Judgment Day. If a person thinks that divine caliphate implies prophethood only, he has made a mistake because Almighty Allah has promised that He will appoint caliphs who guide as his successors. He says in Holy Quran: «Allah has promised to those of you who believe and do good that He will most certainly make them rulers in the earth as He made rulers those before them, and that He will most certainly establish for them their religion which He has chosen for them, and that He will most certainly, after their fear, give them security in exchange; they shall serve Me, not associating aught with Me» (24:55). If the caliphate would have implied only Prophethood, the Almighty Allah would have appointed prophets after the Holy Prophet as per the above verse. In such a case, this saying: «Seal of the prophets» (33:40), would prove to be incorrect. This shows that the promise of Allah concerns non-prophets also. This also differentiates caliphate from Prophethood. It shows that a non-prophet may be a caliph but a prophet is always a caliph. It also means that Almighty Allah wanted to bring out the hypocrisy of a hypocrite and pure intentions of the virtuous by ordering His creatures to prostrate before Adam. The world took the veil off the faces of both of them – the angels of Allah and Shaitan. If we consider its meaning that the right to appoint the caliph is given to a person who has evil intentions, the world could never have been able to take the veil off his face. In this case, a hypocrite will always elect a person who orders people to obey him and bow down in his presence. How is it possible to reach out for the hypocrisy hidden deep into the hearts in this case? One more point worth mentioning here is that words are ranked according to the honor of the addressee and the addressed. The way a person talks to his slave is completely different from the way he talks to his master. Over here, Allah is the addressee and all His angels are addressed. Every general word has a general purpose hidden in it in the same way as a particular word has a particular purpose hidden in it. The reward of a general is more than that of a particular thing. For instance, Tawheed, which is a must for all the creatures, is different from other commandments of Shariah like Hajj, Zakat etc. because these are particular things. Hence the words of Allah: «When your Lord informed His angels…» (2:30), proves that it has one of the meanings of Tawheed hidden in it because the connotation used here is in general form. If two words have similar meanings, the order of one of them is also implied in the other. Almighty Allah knew that some of His creatures will testify to His oneness and obey Him. This group will have enemies who will accuse and oppress them. If Almighty Allah would have stopped them forcefully then the purpose behind creation would not be fulfilled. This would have expressed forcefulness and the prospect of reward or punishment would have become void. However, this was not the case. Now it is necessary for Allah to protect His friends in such a way that the prospect of reward and punishment does not become void. It was done by defining penalties like amputation of limbs, hanging to death, killing, imprisoning and usurpation of rights. It is correctly said: No one stops people from reciting Holy Quran as much as a ruler does. The Almighty Allah has pointed this fact out in this verse: «You are certainly greater in being feared in their hearts than Allah.» (59:13) Hence it is necessary for Allah to appoint a caliph who stops the hands of enemies from reaching his friends in such a way that they do not object because Allah does not befriend a person who has not fulfilled his duties, obligations and who is logically worthy of being dismissed. Allah is too elevated to befriend such persons.

و الخليفة اسم مشترك لأنه لو أن رجلا بنى مسجدا و لم يؤذن فيه و نصب فيه مؤذنا كان مؤذنه فأما إذا أذن فيه أياما ثم نصب فيه مؤذنا كان خليفته و كذلك الصورة في العقول و المعارف متى قال البندار هذا خليفتي كان خليفته على البندرة لا على البريد و المظالم فكذلك القول في صاحبي البريد و المظالم فثبت أن الخليفة من الأسماء المشتركة فكان من صفة الله تعالى ذكره الانتصاف لأوليائه من أعدائه فوكل من ذلك معنى إلى خليفته فلهذا الشأن استحق معنى الخليفة دون معنى أن يتخذ شريكا معبودا مع الله سبحانه و لهذا من الشأن قال الله تبارك و تعالى لإبليس‌ يا إِبْلِيسُ ما مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِما خَلَقْتُ‌ ثم قال عز و جل‌بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ‌ و ذلك أنه يقطع العذر و لا يوهم أنه خليفة شارك الله في وحدته فقال بعد ما عرفت أنه خلق الله‌ ما مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ ثم قال‌ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ‌ و اليد في اللغة قد تكون بمعنى النعمة و قد كان لله عز و جل عليه نعمتان حوتا نعما كقوله عز و جل‌ وَ أَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظاهِرَةً وَ باطِنَةً و هما نعمتان حوتا نعما لا تحصى ثم غلظ عليه القول بقوله عز و جل‌بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ‌ كقول القائل بسيفي تقاتلني و برمحي تطاعنني و هذا أبلغ في القبح و أشنع فقوله عز و جل‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً كانت كلمة متشابهة أحد وجوهها أنه يتصور عند الجاهل أن الله عز و جل يستشير خلقه في معنى التبس عليه و يتصور عند المستدل إذا استدل على الله عز و جل بأفعاله المحكمة و جلالته الجليلة أنه جل عن أن يلتبس عليه معنى أو يستعجم عليه حال فإنه لا يعجزه شي‌ء في السماوات و الأرض و السبيل في هذه الآية المتشابهة كالسبيل في أخواتها من الآيات المتشابهات أنها ترد إلى المحكمات مما يقطع به و معه العذر للمتطرق إلى السفه و الإلحاد. فقوله‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً يدل على معنى هدايتهم لطاعة جليلة مقترنة بالتوحيد نافية عن الله عز و جل الخلع و الظلم و تضييع الحقوق و ما تصح به و معه الولاية فتكمل معه الحجة و لا يبقى لأحد عذر في إغفال حق. وأخرى أنه عز و جل إذا علم استقلال أحد من عباده لمعنى من معاني الطاعات ندبه له حتى تحصل له به عبادة و يستحق معها مثوبة على قدرها ما لو أغفل ذلك جاز أن يغفل جميع معاني حقوق خلقه أولهم و آخرهم جل الله عن ذلك فللقوام بحقوق الله و حقوق خلقه مثوبة جليلة متى فكر فيها مفكر عرف أجزاءها إذ لا وصول إلى كلها لجلالتها و عظم قدرها و أحد معانيها و هو جزء من أجزائها أنه يسعد بالإمام العادل النملة و البعوضة و الحيوان أولهم و آخرهم بدلالة قوله تعالى‌ وَ ما أَرْسَلْناكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعالَمِينَ‌ و يدل على صحة ذلك قوله عز و جل في قصة نوح ع‌ فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كانَ غَفَّاراً يُرْسِلِ السَّماءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْراراً الآية ثم من المدرار ما ينتفع به الإنسان و سائر الحيوان و سبب ذلك الدعاة إلى دين الله و الهداة إلى حق الله فمثوبته على أقداره و عقوبته على من عانده بحسابه و لهذا نقول إن‌ الإمام يحتاج إليه لبقاء العالم على صلاحه. و قد أخرجت الأخبار التي رويتها في هذا المعنى في هذا الكتاب في باب العلة التي يحتاج من أجلها إلى الإمام‌

The word caliph has different meanings [mushtarak]. If a person builds a mosque but does not say Azan in it and appoints a muezzin for this purpose, the latter will be called muezzin only. However if the person says azan for a few days and then appoints a muezzin the latter will be called his caliph or successor. Similar is the case in the fields of knowledge. If a tax collector says that so and so is my successor, then he will be a successor in collecting tax and not in amounts collected from messengers and through oppression. Similarly, the collector or successor of amount collected from envoys and through oppression also does not have right over tribute amount. This proves that a caliph has different roles. It is one of the attributes of Allah that He provides justice to his friends for the oppression they face from His enemies. He has given this right to His caliph. The meaning of caliphate is apt on this basis and the meaning that they are partners in divinity is not correct. Almighty Allah told Iblees in this regard: «O Iblees! What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created?» (38:75) You have become proud and this lays to rest all excuses and it removes all doubts that he is such a caliph who is a partner in the oneness of Allah. Therefore the Almighty Allah said that after knowing that Allah has created him, what prevented you from prostrating before him. Then he said: «With My two hands. Are you proud…?». Sometimes this is used in the meaning of bounty also. He had two such bounties of Allah that he could gather many other bounties. Like Allah says: «And made complete to you His favors outwardly and inwardly» (31:20) There were two such bounties that they gathered many other bounties in them. Then He made His order stricter for him. The announcer of: «With My two hands. Are you proud…?» Says: are you attacking me with my sword? Are you firing my arrows at me? This way of talking is eloquent and not despicable. Almighty» This is an ambiguous discussion. An illiterate thinks that Almighty Allah takes the opinion of His creatures in ambiguous discussions. While a person having evidence believes that the actions of Allah are solid and has faith on His majesty. He believes that Allah is elevated enough to get stuck in ambiguous discussions or become helpless in any matter. There is nothing in the heavens and the earth, which can make Him helpless. The way of understanding this ambiguous verse is same as that specified for other ambiguous verses like this. They will be returned back to those strong verses, which will make it certain and ignorant and disbelievers will not have any excuse. Almighty Allah says: «When your Lord said to the Angels…» (2:30) This statement means that Allah is guiding them towards a great obedience, which is related to Tawheed. Through this obedience, they would shun all their desires, injustice, usurping of rights and all those things, which can deter friendship with Allah. In this way the argument is completed and there was no excuse left for those who keep away from fulfilling their duties. Another point worth mentioning is that when Almighty Allah knows that a servant by his own will perform one of the worship acts so that he gains servitude and reward and Allah overlooks this. In this case, we can say that there will be a possibility that Allah overlooks the good deeds of every creature but this is not the case with Allah. There is a great reward for one who is responsible for the rights of Allah and His servants. When a person ponders in this matter, he will come to know some of the minor details because it is not possible to reach the Lord directly due to His greatness and honor. One of the meanings that is from its part is that even ants, mosquitoes and all the animals embrace this golden chance of salvation through a just Imam. This statement is proved by the saying of Allah: «And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds» (21:107) This fact is also supported by the following verse of Surah Nuh: «Then I said, ask forgiveness of your Lord, surely He is the most Forgiving. He will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain» (71:10-11) Every human and animal benefits from the abundance of rain. This rain of abundance is because of those who invite towards the rights of Allah. There are lots of rewards. For those who disobey him, there is a major punishment and their deeds will be accounted for. Therefore we believe that Imam is needed for the existence of the world. I narrated the tradition implying this meaning in this book in the section named “Necessity of Imam in every age”.

وقول الله عز و جل‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً جاعل منون‌ صفة الله التي وصف بها نفسه و ميزانه قوله‌ إِنِّي خالِقٌ بَشَراً مِنْ طِينٍ‌ فنوَّنه و وصف به نفسه فمن ادعى أنه يختار الإمام وجب أن يخلق بشرا من طين فلما بطل هذا المعنى بطل الآخر إذ هما في حيّز واحد.  ووجه آخر وهو أن الملائكة في فضلهم و عصمتهم لم يصلحوا لاختيار الإمام حتى تولى الله ذلك بنفسه دونهم و احتج به على عامة خلقه أنه لا سبيل لهم إلى اختياره لما لم يكن للملائكة سبيل إليه مع صفائهم و وفائهم و عصمتهم و مدح الله إياهم في آيات كثيرة مثل قوله سبحانه‌ بَلْ عِبادٌ مُكْرَمُونَ لا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَ هُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ‌ و كقوله عز و جل‌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ ما أَمَرَهُمْ وَ يَفْعَلُونَ ما يُؤْمَرُونَ‌ ثم إن الإنسان بما فيه من السفه و الجهل كيف و أنى يستتب له‌ ذلك فهذا و الأحكام دون الإمامة مثل الصلاة و الزكاة و الحج و غير ذلك لم يكل الله عز و جل شيئا من ذلك إلى خلقه فكيف وكل إليهم الأهم الجامع للأحكام كلها و الحقائق بأسرها. و في قوله عز و جل‌ خَلِيفَةً إشارة إلى خليفة واحدة ثبت به و معه إبطال قول‌ من زعم أنه يجوز أن تكون في وقت واحد أئمة كثيرة وقد اقتصر الله عز و جل على الواحد ولو كانت الحكمة ما قالوه و عبروا عنه لم يقتصر الله عز و جل على الواحد و دعوانا مُحاذٍ لدعواهم ثم إن القرآن يرجح قولنا دون قولهم و الكلمتان إذا تقابلتا ثم رجح إحداهما على الأخرى بالقرآن كان الرجحان أولى. و لقوله عز و جل‌ وَ إِذْ قالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ الآية في الخطاب الذي خاطب الله عز و جل به نبيه ص لما قال‌ رَبُّكَ‌ من أصح الدليل على أنه سبحانه يستعمل هذا المعنى في أمته إلى يوم القيامة فإن الأرض لا تخلو من حجة له عليهم و لو لا ذلك لما كان لقوله‌ رَبُّكَ‌ حكمة و كان يجب أن يقول ربهم و حكمة الله في السلف كحكمته في الخلف لا يختلف في مر الأيام و كر الأعوام و ذلك أنه عز و جل عدل حكيم لا يجمعه و أحد من خلقه نسب جل الله عن ذلك.

«And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a vicegerent»(2:30) There is a ‘tanween’ on ‘Jaa-il’ here and this is a right, which Allah has kept only for Himself. He says: Surely I am going to create a mortal from dust (38:71) Here, there is a ‘tanween’ on ‘khaaliq’, which is an attribute selected by Allah only for Himself. Therefore if a person claims that he has the right to elect a caliph then he should be asked to create a man out of dust. If this is not possible for him, the second thing is also out of his capacity because both of them have same origin. The angels did not have the right to appoint a caliph inspite of their excellence and infallibility. Almighty Allah did this job on His own and made it a proof on His creatures that there is no way for you to appoint an Imam. Angels did not have any way to appoint Imam in spite of their pure intentions, loyalty and infallibility. Almighty Allah has praised them in many verses as in the following: «Nay! They are honored servants; They do not precede Him in speech and (only) according to His commandment do they act» (21:26-27) And in another verse as: «They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded» (66:6) How can a man who has a defective mind, foolishness and ignorance do this job perfectly? We can see that Almighty Allah did not leave any commandment including Salaat, Zakat, and Hajj etc. to the wish of man. Then how is it possible to hand over the choice of the most important of all aspects to man? All the statements of Almighty Allah about a caliph mean that there would be a single caliph only. This invalidates the proofs of those people who say that there can be more than one Imam at a time. If the argument of those people was correct, Almighty Allah would have appointed more than one Imam at a time. Our claim is against those people and Holy Quran supports our stand and not theirs. If two statements are contradictory, the statement supported by Holy Quran will be considered correct. Almighty Allah has addressed His messenger in the verse: And when your Lord said to the angels… Here ‘Rabbuk’ means ‘Your Lord’ is the best proof that Almighty Allah has reserved this meaning regarding His Imamate till the Judgment Day. Therefore the earth is never devoid of a proof of Allah for the sake of Muhammad’s Ummah. If this is not the fact, there would have been no logic in using the word ‘rabbuk’ or ‘Your Lord’. Instead the word ‘rabbuhum’ or ‘their Lord’ should have been used. Almighty Allah uses the same logic and reasoning for future generations as He has used for the past generations. His wisdom does not change with time because He possesses justice and wisdom. He does not have any special relationship with any of His creatures.