وقال شيخ من الإمامية: إنا لم نقل إن الحجة من ولد فاطمة عليهما السلام قولاً مطلقاً، بل قلناه بتقييد وشرائط، ولم نحتج لذلك بهذا الخبر فقط، بل احتججنا به وبغيره. فأول ذلك أنا وجدنا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قد خص من عترته أهل بيته: أمير المؤمنين والحسن والحسين عليهم السلام بما خصهم به، ودل على جلالة خطرهم، وعظم شأنهم، وعلوّ حالهم عند الله عز وجل، بما فعله بهم في المواطن والمواقف مما تغني شهرته عن ذكره بيننا وبين الزيدية. ودل الله تبارك وتعالى على ما وصفناه من علوّ شأنهم بقوله: "إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيراً" وبسورة هل أتى وما يشاكل ذلك.
فلما قدّم عليه السلام هذه الأمور، وقرّر عند أمته أنه ليس في عترته من يتقدّمهم في المنزلة والرفعة، ولم يكن صلى الله عليه وآله ممن يُنسب إلى المحاباة، ولا ممن يقدّم إلا على أساس الدين، علمنا أنهم عليهم السلام نالوا ذلك استحقاقاً بما خصهم به. فلما قال بعد ذلك كله: "قد خلفت فيكم كتاب الله وعترتي" علمنا أنه عنى هؤلاء دون غيرهم، لأنه لو كان في عترته غيرهم ممن له هذه المنزلة، لخصّه النبي صلى الله عليه وآله، ونبّه على مكانه، ودلّ على موضعه، حتى لا يُظن أن فعله بأمير المؤمنين والحسن والحسين عليهم السلام كان محاباة. وهذا واضح، والحمد لله. ثم دلّنا على أن الإمام بعد أمير المؤمنين هو الحسن، باستخلاف أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام إياه، واتباع أخيه له طوعاً.
وأما قوله: "إن المؤتمة خالفت الإجماع وادعت الإمامة في بطن من العترة"، فيقال له: ما هذا الإجماع السابق الذي خالفناه؟ فإنا لا نعرفه، إلا أن تجعل مخالفة الإمامية للزيدية خروجاً من الإجماع. فإن كنت تُشير إلى هذا، فليس يعسر على الإمامية أن تنسبك إلى مثل ما نسبتها إليه، وتدّعي عليك مثل ما ادّعيته عليها. وبعد، فأنت تقول: إن الإمامة لا تجوز إلا في ولد الحسن والحسين عليهما السلام، فبيّن لنا لِمَ خصّصت ولدهما دون سائر العترة، لنبين لك بأوضح من حجتك ما قلناه، وسيأتي البرهان في موضعه إن شاء الله.
A scholar from among the Imamiyyah said: We did not claim that the proof must be from the offspring of Fāṭimah 
in an unrestricted sense, but rather with conditions and qualifications. And we did not rely on this ḥadīth alone for our position, but supported it with other evidences as well. The first of these is that we found the Prophet ﷺ had singled out from among his family the people of his house—namely, the Commander of the Faithful, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn —with unique distinctions, and showed their great status, high rank, and elevated station with Allah, Mighty and Glorious, through what he did for them in many occasions and settings, well known enough to need no repetition between us and the Zaydiyyah. Allah, the Exalted, confirmed this elevated station through His words: “Indeed, Allah desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the House, and purify you thoroughly,” and through Sūrat al-Insān and similar verses.
When the Prophet ﷺ laid this foundation, and established among his ummah that no one from his family surpasses them in rank and status, and since he ﷺ was not known to show favoritism or to appoint based on anything other than religion, we knew that they attained this by merit through what he uniquely gave them. Then, when he ﷺ said, “I leave among you the Book of Allah and my family,” we knew that he meant these specific individuals, not others. For if there had been someone else from his family who shared that rank, the Prophet ﷺ would have singled him out and clarified his station, so that his treatment of ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn would not appear as favoritism. This is evident, praise be to Allah. Then he ﷺ guided us to know that the Imam after the Commander of the Faithful was al-Ḥasan, by appointing him during his lifetime and through the willing submission of his brother.
As for the claim that “the Imamiyyah opposed consensus and claimed the Imamate within one specific branch of the family,” we say: What is this alleged consensus we are said to have opposed? We do not recognize it—unless you mean that the Imamiyyah differing from the Zaydiyyah constitutes a break from consensus. If that is what you are suggesting, then it is not difficult for the Imamiyyah to turn the same accusation back at you, and to claim consensus against you in a like manner. Furthermore, you say that Imamate is only valid in the descendants of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn . So clarify for us why you have restricted it to their offspring rather than the rest of the family, and we will present to you a clearer proof than your own. The full argument will come in its proper place, God willing.
Commentary #9
وقال شيخ من الإمامية: إنا لم نقل إن الحجة من ولد فاطمة عليهما السلام قولاً مطلقاً، بل قلناه بتقييد وشرائط، ولم نحتج لذلك بهذا الخبر فقط، بل احتججنا به وبغيره. فأول ذلك أنا وجدنا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قد خص من عترته أهل بيته: أمير المؤمنين والحسن والحسين عليهم السلام بما خصهم به، ودل على جلالة خطرهم، وعظم شأنهم، وعلوّ حالهم عند الله عز وجل، بما فعله بهم في المواطن والمواقف مما تغني شهرته عن ذكره بيننا وبين الزيدية. ودل الله تبارك وتعالى على ما وصفناه من علوّ شأنهم بقوله: "إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيراً" وبسورة هل أتى وما يشاكل ذلك.
فلما قدّم عليه السلام هذه الأمور، وقرّر عند أمته أنه ليس في عترته من يتقدّمهم في المنزلة والرفعة، ولم يكن صلى الله عليه وآله ممن يُنسب إلى المحاباة، ولا ممن يقدّم إلا على أساس الدين، علمنا أنهم عليهم السلام نالوا ذلك استحقاقاً بما خصهم به. فلما قال بعد ذلك كله: "قد خلفت فيكم كتاب الله وعترتي" علمنا أنه عنى هؤلاء دون غيرهم، لأنه لو كان في عترته غيرهم ممن له هذه المنزلة، لخصّه النبي صلى الله عليه وآله، ونبّه على مكانه، ودلّ على موضعه، حتى لا يُظن أن فعله بأمير المؤمنين والحسن والحسين عليهم السلام كان محاباة. وهذا واضح، والحمد لله. ثم دلّنا على أن الإمام بعد أمير المؤمنين هو الحسن، باستخلاف أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام إياه، واتباع أخيه له طوعاً.
وأما قوله: "إن المؤتمة خالفت الإجماع وادعت الإمامة في بطن من العترة"، فيقال له: ما هذا الإجماع السابق الذي خالفناه؟ فإنا لا نعرفه، إلا أن تجعل مخالفة الإمامية للزيدية خروجاً من الإجماع. فإن كنت تُشير إلى هذا، فليس يعسر على الإمامية أن تنسبك إلى مثل ما نسبتها إليه، وتدّعي عليك مثل ما ادّعيته عليها. وبعد، فأنت تقول: إن الإمامة لا تجوز إلا في ولد الحسن والحسين عليهما السلام، فبيّن لنا لِمَ خصّصت ولدهما دون سائر العترة، لنبين لك بأوضح من حجتك ما قلناه، وسيأتي البرهان في موضعه إن شاء الله.
A scholar from among the Imamiyyah said: We did not claim that the proof must be from the offspring of Fāṭimah
in an unrestricted sense, but rather with conditions and qualifications. And we did not rely on this ḥadīth alone for our position, but supported it with other evidences as well. The first of these is that we found the Prophet ﷺ had singled out from among his family the people of his house—namely, the Commander of the Faithful, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn 
—with unique distinctions, and showed their great status, high rank, and elevated station with Allah, Mighty and Glorious, through what he did for them in many occasions and settings, well known enough to need no repetition between us and the Zaydiyyah. Allah, the Exalted, confirmed this elevated station through His words: “Indeed, Allah desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the House, and purify you thoroughly,” and through Sūrat al-Insān and similar verses.
attained this by merit through what he uniquely gave them. Then, when he ﷺ said, “I leave among you the Book of Allah and my family,” we knew that he meant these specific individuals, not others. For if there had been someone else from his family who shared that rank, the Prophet ﷺ would have singled him out and clarified his station, so that his treatment of ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn 
would not appear as favoritism. This is evident, praise be to Allah. Then he ﷺ guided us to know that the Imam after the Commander of the Faithful was al-Ḥasan, by appointing him during his lifetime and through the willing submission of his brother.
. So clarify for us why you have restricted it to their offspring rather than the rest of the family, and we will present to you a clearer proof than your own. The full argument will come in its proper place, God willing.
When the Prophet ﷺ laid this foundation, and established among his ummah that no one from his family surpasses them in rank and status, and since he ﷺ was not known to show favoritism or to appoint based on anything other than religion, we knew that they
As for the claim that “the Imamiyyah opposed consensus and claimed the Imamate within one specific branch of the family,” we say: What is this alleged consensus we are said to have opposed? We do not recognize it—unless you mean that the Imamiyyah differing from the Zaydiyyah constitutes a break from consensus. If that is what you are suggesting, then it is not difficult for the Imamiyyah to turn the same accusation back at you, and to claim consensus against you in a like manner. Furthermore, you say that Imamate is only valid in the descendants of al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn