Evidence of Imam’s Possessing Divine Authority

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَ لَيْسَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع كَاتِبَ الْوَصِيَّةِ وَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْمُمْلِي عَلَيْهِ وَ جَبْرَئِيلُ وَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ الْمُقَرَّبُونَ ع شُهُودٌ قَالَ فَأَطْرَقَ طَوِيلًا[2] ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ قَدْ كَانَ مَا قُلْتَ‌[3] وَ لَكِنْ حِينَ نَزَلَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص الْأَمْرُ نَزَلَتِ الْوَصِيَّةُ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ كِتَاباً مُسَجَّلًا نَزَلَ بِهِ جَبْرَئِيلُ مَ

4. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Harith ibn Ja’far from Ali ibn Isma‘il ibn Yaqtin from ‘Isa ibn al-Mustafad, abu Musa al-Darir who has said that Musa ibn Ja‘far (a.s.) narrated to me the following. “I said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘Was Amir al-

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع إِذَا مَاتَ الْإِمَامُ بِمَ يُعْرَفُ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ فَقَالَ لِلْإِمَامِ عَلَامَاتٌ مِنْهَا أَنْ يَكُونَ أَكْبَرَ وُلْدِ أَبِيهِ‌[2] وَ يَكُونَ فِيهِ الْفَضْلُ وَ الْوَصِيَّةُ وَ يَقْدَمَ الرَّكْبُ فَيَقُولَ إِلَى مَنْ أَوْصَى فُلَانٌ فَيُقَالَ إِلَى فُلَانٍ وَ السِّلَاحُ فِينَا بِمَنْزِلَةِ التَّابُوتِ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ تَكُونُ الْإِمَامَةُ مَعَ السِّلَاحِ حَيْثُمَا كَانَ.

“When the Imam dies through what means one would know the succeeding Imam (a.s.)?” He said, “For the Imam there are certain signs. Of such sign one is that he must be the eldest son of his father. The will and excellence must be found in him and when people come to ask who is appointed the executor of the will in answe

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْمُتَوَثِّبُ عَلَى هَذَا الْأَمْرِ الْمُدَّعِي لَهُ مَا الْحُجَّةُ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ يُسْأَلُ عَنِ الْحَلَالِ وَ الْحَرَامِ‌[4] قَالَ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَ عَلَيَّ فَقَالَ ثَلَاثَةٌ مِنَ الْحُجَّةِ لَمْ تَجْتَمِعْ فِي أَحَدٍ إِلَّا كَانَ صَاحِبَ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَهُ وَ يَكُونَ عِنْدَهُ السِّلَاحُ وَ يَكُونَ صَاحِبَ الْوَصِيَّةِ الظَّاهِرَةِ الَّتِ

“In the case of those who rush to hold control of this matter (leadership) and who claim to be for it, how would one verify their possessing Divine authority?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “They are asked about the rules of lawful and unlawful matters.” The narrator has said that the Imam (a.s.) then turned to me and said, “T

قِيلَ لَهُ بِأَيِّ شَيْ‌ءٍ يُعْرَفُ الْإِمَامُ قَالَ بِالْوَصِيَّةِ الظَّاهِرَةِ وَ بِالْفَضْلِ إِنَّ الْإِمَامَ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ أَحَدٌ أَنْ يَطْعُنَ عَلَيْهِ فِي فَمٍ وَ لَا بَطْنٍ وَ لَا فَرْجٍ فَيُقَالَ كَذَّابٌ وَ يَأْكُلُ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ وَ مَا أَشْبَهَ هَذَا.

“He is recognized through a publicly established will, through excellence in perfection. In the case of Imam no one must be able to raise objections in matters words, of his consumption and sexual matters so that people would say, “He is a liar, usurping other’s properties and such similar things.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع مَا عَلَامَةُ الْإِمَامِ‌[1] الَّذِي بَعْدَ الْإِمَامِ فَقَالَ طَهَارَةُ الْوِلَادَةِ وَ حُسْنُ الْمَنْشَإِ وَ لَا يَلْهُو وَ لَا يَلْعَبُ.

“What is the sign of being A number of our people has narrated from Imam after the preceding Imam (a.s.)?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “ Being of pure birth, good up bringing and that he would not trifle or engage in amusement.”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى صَاحِبِ هَذَا الْأَمْرِ فَقَالَ الدَّلَالَةُ عَلَيْهِ الْكِبَرُ وَ الْفَضْلُ وَ الْوَصِيَّةُ إِذَا قَدِمَ الرَّكْبُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَقَالُوا إِلَى مَنْ أَوْصَى فُلَانٌ قِيلَ إِلَى فُلَانِ بْنِ فُلَانٍ وَ دُورُوا مَعَ السِّلَاحِ حَيْثُمَا دَارَ فَأَمَّا الْمَسَائِلُ فَلَيْسَ فِيهَا حُجَّةٌ.

"I asked him about the evidence for the one in charge of this matter. He said, 'The evidence for him is his seniority, virtue, and the bequest when the caravan arrives in the city. They say, 'To whom did so-and-so bequeath?' It is said, 'To so-and-so, son of so-and-so,' and they revolve with the weapons wherever they r

إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ[2] فِي الْكَبِيرِ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ فِيهِ عَاهَةٌ.

“The leadership is with being the elder as long as he is free of defects.”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ بِمَ يُعْرَفُ الْإِمَامُ قَالَ فَقَالَ بِخِصَالٍ أَمَّا أَوَّلُهَا فَإِنَّهُ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ قَدْ تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ أَبِيهِ فِيهِ بِإِشَارَةٍ إِلَيْهِ‌[3] لِتَكُونَ عَلَيْهِمْ حُجَّةً وَ يُسْأَلُ فَيُجِيبُ وَ إِنْ سُكِتَ عَنْهُ ابْتَدَأَ وَ يُخْبِرُ بِمَا فِي غَدٍ وَ يُكَلِّمُ النَّاسَ بِكُلِّ لِسَانٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ أُعْطِيكَ عَلَامَةً قَبْلَ أَنْ تَقُومَ فَلَمْ

“May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, what is the proof to know the Imam (a.s.) ?” He said, “Through several qualities. The first thing is that his father must have said to this effect about him so that it could be considered a proof up on him. And that when asked he would answer and if one remain silent h