Many narrations, reported by both Sh¢`ite and Sunni scholars, refer to Ahl al-Bayt as the Holy Prophet’s successors. These narrations are so uninterruptedly reported that there is no doubt about them. Due to their moral, spiritual and scholarly features, Ahl al-Bayt alone deserve to be the Holy Prophet’s successors. To be the Prophet’s successor and representative is their Divine right and no one else deserves it. The Holy Qur’¡n reads:

My covenant does not include the unjust. (2:124)

Caliphate is the indisputable right of a person who has all the features of the Holy Prophet except prophethood. It is only Ahl al-Bayt who have had such features. About Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n and the Imams after him, the Holy Prophet has said:

فَهُوَ سَيِّدُ الأوْصِيَاءِ. اللُّحُوقُ بِهِ سَعَادَةٌ، وَالْمَوْتُ فِي طَاعَتِهِ شَهَادَةٌ. وَاسْمُهُ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ مَقْرُونٌ إلَى اسْمِي. وَزَوْجَتُهُ الصِّدِّيقَةُ الْكُبْرَى إبْنَتِي. وَابْنَاهُ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ ابْنَايَ. وَهُوَ وَهُمَا وَالأئِمَّةُ بَعْدَهُمْ حُجَجُ اللهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ بَعْدَ النَّبِيِّينَ. وَهُمْ أبْوَابُ الْعِلْمِ فِي أمَّتِي. مَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ نَجَا مِنَ النَّارِ، وَمَنِ اقْتَدَى بِهِمْ هُدِيَ إلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ. لَمْ يَهَبِ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَحَبَّتَهُمْ لِعَبْدٍ إلأ أدْخَلَهُ اللهُ الْجَنَّةَ.

He is the master of all vicegerents. Prosperity has been tied to him. Death on obedience to him is martyrdom. His name is attached to mine in the Torah. His wife, the Grand Veracious Lady, is my daughter. His Two sons, the masters of the youth of Paradise, are my sons. He and his two sons along with the Imams after them are Allah’s representatives to the people after the Prophets. They are the gates of knowledge in my ummah. Whoever follows them will be saved from Hellfire; and whoever follows their examples will be guided. Whomever is given their love by Allah will enter heaven.[1]

Imam °usayn (a.s) has said:

إنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفَى مُحَمَّداً عَلَى خَلْقِهِ، وَأكْرَمَهُ بِنُبُوَّتِهِ، وَاخْتَارَهُ لِرِسَالَتِهِ. ثُمَّ قَبَضَهُ اللهُ إلَيْهِ وَقَدْ نَصَحَ لِعِبَادِهِ، وَبَلَّغَ مَا اُرْسِلَ بِهِ. وَكُنَّا أهْلَهُ وَأوْلِيَاءَهُ وَأوْصِيَاءَهُ وَوَرَثَتَهُ وَأحَقَّ النَّاسِ بِمَقَامِهِ فِي النَّاسِ. فَاسْتَأثَرَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا بِذَلِكَ فَرَضِينَا، وَكَرِهْنَا الفُرْقَةَ، وَأجَبْنَا الْعَافِيَةَ وَنَحْنُ نَعْلَمُ أنَّا أحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ الْحَقِّ الْمُسْتَحَقِّ عَلَيْنَا مِمَّنْ تَوَلأهُ.

Allah chose Mu¦ammad for his people, honored him with prophethood, and chose him for the mission. He then took his soul after he had advised Allah’s servants and conveyed what he had been sent for. We, his household, are his vicegerents and inheritors and the worthiest of holding his position. But our people denied us this position seizing it from us. We submitted to this bitter event. We dislike division and favor peace although we know for sure that our claim to this right is more deserving than those who have taken it from us.[2]

Authentic narrations indicate that Allah’s Messenger appointed `Al¢ and the eleven other Imams as his successors according to Allah’s decree. Describing Ahl al-Bayt, Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n says:

هُمُ الأئِمَّةُ الطَّاهِرُونَ وَالْعِتْرَةُ الْمَعْصُومُونَ وَالذُّرِّيَّةُ الأكْرَمُونَ وَالخُلَفَاءُ الرَّاشِدُونَ.

They are purified Imams, infallible household of noble offspring and guided vicegerents.[3]

Ahl al-Bayt are the chosen ones and the manifestation of Allah’s Attributes, endowed with prophets’ features as well as morality and faith of the Holy Prophet in a way that fair-minded Sunni scholars have referred to it by reporting the Holy Prophet as saying:

مَنْ أرَادَ أنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى آدَمَ فِي عِلْمِهِ، وَإلَى نُوحٍ فِي فَهْمِهِ، وَإلَى يَحْيَى بْنِ زَكَرِيَّا فِي زُهْدِهِ، وَإلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ فِي بَطْشِهِ، فَلْيَنْظُرْ إلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أبِي طَالِبٍ.

One who wishes to look at Adam’s knowledge, Noah’s understanding, John’s piety and Moses’ firm acts should look at `Al¢ ibn Ab£-±¡lib.[4]

A Similar narration reports the Holy Prophet as saying:

مَنْ أرَادَ أنْ يَنْظُرَ إلَى آدَمَ فِي عِلْمِهِ، وَإلَى نُوحٍ فِي تَقْوَاهُ، وَإلَى إبْرَاهِيمَ فِي حِلْمِهِ، وَإلَى مُوسَى فِي هَيْبَتِهِ، وَإلَى عِيسَى فِي عِبَادَتِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ إلَى عَلِيِّ بْنِ أبِي طَالِبٍ.

One who wishes to look at Adam in his knowledge, Noah in his piety, Abraham in his tolerance, Moses in his formidableness and Jesus in his submission should look at `Al¢ ibn Ab£¡lib.[5]

Therefore, the vicegerents and Imams after the Holy Prophet are twelve in number who have been appointed by Allah to have authority over people. However, the pseudo-scholars following the Umayyad school think that these position and features are found in families other than that of the Holy Prophet. Hence they ignored Allah’s choosing the Holy Prophet and Ahl al-Bayt, and resorted to their own choice while the Holy Qur’¡n says:

And your Lord creates and chooses whom He pleases; To choose is not theirs’ glory be to Allah, and exalted be He above what they associate with Him. (28:68)

And it behooves not a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter… (33:36)

What has happened to you? How do you judge? (68:36)

To prove the right of Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) and denounce those who have chosen others as leaders hence preparing the way for division among the Muslim nation, Imam al-Ri¤¡ (a.s) resorts to the Holy Qur’¡n saying:

That is the grace of Allah: He gives it to whom He pleases. And Allah is the Lord of mighty grace. (57:21)

In this relation, Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n says:

عِتْرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الْعِتَرِ، وَاُسْرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الاُسَرِ، وَشَجَرَتُهُ خَيْرُ الشَّجَرِ.

Mu¦ammad’s descendants are the best descendants, his kinsmen the best of kin and his lineal tree the best of trees.[6]

Addressing `Abd al-Ra¦m¡n ibn `Awf, the Holy Prophet said:

إنَّكُمْ أصْحَابِي، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ أبِي طَالِبٍ أخِي وَمِنِّي وَأنَا مِنْ عَلِيٍّ. فَهُوَ بَابُ عِلْمِي وَوَصِيِّي. وَهُوَ وَفَاطِمَةُ وَالْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ هُمْ خَيْرُ الأرْضِ عُنْصُراً وَشَرَفاً وَكَرَماً.

You are my companions. `Al¢ ibn Ab£-±¡lib is from me and I am from him. He is the gate of my knowledge and my successor. `Al¢, F¡§imah, °asan and °usayn are the best on the earth in terms of honor and dignity.[7]

Ahl al-Bayt and Absorption in Allah

In a narration, we read that in the Battle of U¦ud, an arrow pierced Imam `Al¢’s leg. The pain was so severe that he would not allow anyone to take it out of his leg. When the Holy Prophet was informed, he said, “Postpone it to the time of prayer.” When Imam `Al¢ (a.s) was engaged in prayer, the arrow was taken out of hi leg because he was so absorbed in prayer that he did not feel the pain.

Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) reported that when Imam Zayn al-`ªbid¢n was reading a part of Imam `Al¢’s Book on prayer, he would say to himself,

مَنْ يُطِيقُ هَذَا؟ مَنْ يُطِيقُ هَذَا؟

“Who can have such tolerance? Who can have such tolerance?”

He would then try the same prayer.[8]

One day, J¡bir ibn `Abdull¡h asked Imam Zayn al-`ªbid¢n, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger! Do you not know that Allah created Paradise for you and for your friends, and created the Fire for the ill-wishers and for your enemies? So, what is all this hard working for?” Imam Zayn al-`ªbid¢n said:

O Companion of Allah’s Messenger! Do you not know that Allah forgave all the past and future faults for my ancestors? Nevertheless, the Holy Prophet never put aside obeisance and submission to Allah and kept on worshipping Him. May my parents be sacrificed for him! When he was asked, “Has not Allah said in His Book, ‘…that Allah may forgive your community their past faults and those to follow’?” Allah’s Messenger answered, “Should I not be a grateful servant?”[9]

Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) said:

كَانَ أبِي يُصَلِّي فِي جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ فَيَسْجُدُ السَّجْدَةَ فَيُطِيلُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ: إنَّهُ رَاقِدٌ.

My father was praying in the middle of the night. His prostration was so long that we would think that he had gone to sleep.[10]

This is the Ahl al-Bayt’s station of absorption in Allah in a way that they are being separated from their bodies and this world, and “They are nearer to Allah’s spirit than the rays to the sun.”[11]

As for Imam °as¡n’s worship, it is narrated that he was the most pious of his time. During the season of °ajj, he would walk barefooted from Medina to Mecca. Whenever he would think of death, he would start weeping. When the word ‘grave’ was mentioned to him, he would start weeping, for he would think of the Judgment Day. Whenever he though of Sir¡§, he would weep; and whenever he thought of Reckoning before Allah, he would cry and faint. When he was preparing himself for prayer, he would shiver out of fear of Allah; and whenever he was speaking of heaven and hell, he would become disturbed. Then, he would pray Allah for heaven and seek His refuge from Hellfire. Whenever he recited a verse beginning with ‘O you who believe’, he would say, “Here I am, O Allah, here I am.”[12]

When the Imam was performing ablution, his limbs trembled and his face got pale.

When he was asked, “Why are you in such a state?” He would say, “O Allah! Your guest is at your threshold; O Forgiving Allah! A Sinner has come to you! O Allah! Forgive my sins by Your Greatness.”[13]

In a narration, we read: One day Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) went to see his father, Imam Zayn al-`ªbid¢n. Imam al-B¡qir was thinking that his father had reached a stage in devotion that no one had ever reached. So, he says: Since my father was thoughtful, he became aware of my presence after sometime. When he saw me weeping, he said, “Fetch me one of Imam `Al¢’s writings about prayer.” As I did, he said, “Who can pray like `Al¢ ibn Ab¢-±¡lib?”[14]

As for Imam al-K¡¨im (a.s), it is related that he was the most pious, the most knowledgeable, the most generous, and the most honorable of his time. He would always perform his supererogatory prayers at nights linking them to the Morning Prayer and would be engaged in recommended acts of worship until sunrise. Then he would prolong his prostration until Noon Prayer, saying:

أللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أسْألُكَ الرَّاحَةَ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَالْعَفْوَ عِنْدَ الْحِسَابِ.

O Allah! I am asking You ease at death and forgiveness at Reckoning.

In one of his prayers, he would say:

عَظُمَ الذَّنْبُ مِنْ عَبْدِكَ فَلْيَحْسُنِ الْعَفْوُ مِنْ عِنْدِكَ.

Grave has been the sin of Your servant; so, let forgiveness from You be nice.

He would weep for fear of Allah. He cared for his own family and relatives more than others. He would go to the needy at nights with a basket full of coins, flour and dates. He was in the prison of the `Abb¡sid tyrannical rulers for years until he was martyred. He influenced other prisoners so greatly that they all repented to Allah. It is narrated that whenever H¡r£n al-Rash¢d went to the top of the prison, he would see some clothes in one of its corners. One day he asked the jailor, “What are those clothes I see everyday?” The jailor said, “These are not clothes; this is M£s¡ ibn Ja`far who is in prostration every day from sunrise to sunset!”

About the torturers of Imam °as¡n `Askar¢ (a.s), ¯¡li¦ ibn Wa¥¢f, the chief jailor, says, “What is to be done? I appointed two persons to torture him. After observing the Imam’s worship, they were so impressed that they themselves started worshipping Allah in such a manner that surprised everybody. I summoned up them, asking why they had changed, why they had stopped torturing him, what they had seen from them. They said, “What should we say about a man who fasts the days and is engaged in prayer at nights? When he looks at us, our bodies start shivering and such a horror overwhelms us that we cannot control ourselves.”[15]