Each Imam knows the succeeding Imam (a.s.) The words of Allah, the Most High, “Allah commands you to deliver the trust to its people,”(4:58) is a reference to the Imams (a.s.)

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع- عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ‌ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ‌ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَماناتِ إِلى‌ أَهْلِها وَ إِذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ‌[1] قَالَ إِيَّانَا عَنَى أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ الْأَوَّلُ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ الْكُتُبَ وَ الْعِلْمَ وَ السِّلَاحَ‌ وَ إِذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ‌ الَّذِي فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ ل

who has said that I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.) about the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners. Be just when passing judgment among people. . .” (4:58) The Imam (a.s.) said, “ We are intended thereby. The preceding Imam must trans

سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا ع عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَماناتِ إِلى‌ أَهْلِها قَالَ هُمُ الْأَئِمَّةُ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ الْإِمَامُ الْأَمَانَةَ[4] إِلَى مَنْ بَعْدَهُ وَ لَا يَخُصَّ بِهَا غَيْرَهُ وَ لَا يَزْوِيَهَا عَنْهُ‌[5].

about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners. Be just when passing judgment among people. . .” (4:58) The Imam (a.s.) said, “They are the Imams (a.s.) from the family of Muhammad (s.a.) who are commanded to delive

هُمُ الْأَئِمَّةُ يُؤَدِّي الْإِمَامُ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَ لَا يَخُصُّ بِهَا غَيْرَهُ وَ لَا يَزْوِيهَا عَنْهُ.

The Imam (a.s.) said, “They are the Imams (a.s.). The Imam (a.s.) must deliver the trust to the succeeding Imam (a.s.) exclusively and to no one else and that the succeeding Imams must not be deprived of this trust.”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الْأَماناتِ إِلى‌ أَهْلِها قَالَ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْإِمَامَ الْأَوَّلَ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ كُلَّ شَيْ‌ءٍ عِنْدَهُ.

The Imam (a.s.) said, “it is the command of Allah that the preceding Imam (a.s.) transfer to the succeeding Imam (a.s.) every thing that is with him.”

لَا يَمُوتُ الْإِمَامُ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَيُوصِيَ إِلَيْهِ.

“The Imam does not die until he learns who the succeeding Imam is so he would deliver his will to him.”

إِنَّ الْإِمَامَ يَعْرِفُ الْإِمَامَ الَّذِي مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَيُوصِي إِلَيْهِ.

“The Imam (a.s.) knows the succeeding Imam and delivers his will to him.”

مَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ حَتَّى يُعْلِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِلَى مَنْ يُوصِي.

“No scholar (Imam) has ever died before Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would grant him the knowledge of to who must he deliver his will.”