In an authentic report is mentioned a sermon of His Eminence, Abu Abdillah imam Sadiq (as) wherein he is describing the qualities of the Imams (as). In that sermon it is mentioned:
“Verily, Allah(God) to Whom belong Might and Majesty, has unveiled His religion through the Imams of right guidance of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s) of our Prophet (s.a.w.s.), and has made clear through them the direction of His path. He has opened through them the innermost part of the springs of His knowledge.
Thus, whoever among the community of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) has recognized the rights of his Imam which are obligatory has found the taste of sweetness of his faith and has known the superiority of the goodliness of his Islam, since Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, has set up the Imam as a sign for His creatures and has made him a Proof for those who receive his provisions and those of his time. Allah has crowned him with dignity and has enveloped him with the Light of His Might. He makes a rope to stretch up to heaven, whose provisions are not cut off from him.
Nothing can be obtained from what is with Allah except by means of him, nor does Allah accepts the good deeds of His creatures except through their recognition of him. Thus, he knows (with certainty) what reaches him of the ambiguities of darkness, the obscurities of the paths and the complications of the disturbances. Allah, the Blessed, the Sublime, has not ceased to select them for His creatures from the sons of al-Husain (as) after each Imam. He prefers them for this and chooses them, He approves them for His creatures and is well pleased with them.
Whenever one Imam from them passes away, He sets up an Imam after him for His creatures, as an evident sign, a brilliant light, a custodian leader (Imam) and a knowledgeable Proof. They are Imams from Allah, who guide to the truth and by it act with justice.
They are the Proofs of Allah, the callers to Him and His shepherds for His creatures through whose guidance the people practice the religion. Places of habitation are lit up by their light, what they (people) have from old is revived through their blessing (increase, Barakah). Allah has made them life for the created beings, lamps for the darkness, keys for speech and pillars for Islam. Allah’s determining for them occurred in this way with certainty.
Thus, the Imam is the one who is selected and approved; the guide, the one entrusted (by Him); the upholder, the one in whom there is hope. Allah has preferred him in this way and has formed him in His sight, in the (world of) scattering when He scattered him, and in the (world of) fashioned things when He fashioned him. He was a Zill before the creation of any living thing, on the right side of His throne, being gifted with wisdom because of the hidden knowledge which was with Him. Allah has selected him (through) His knowledge, and has chosen him for His purity. The Imam is what remains of Adam, the best of the seed of Nuh(noah), the preferred one from the progeny of Ibrahim, the descendant of Ismail and the elite of the relatives of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.). He does not cease to be watched over in the sight of Allah; He protects him and guards him with His covering, being
kept far from the net of Iblees(satan) and his hordes; the gathering darkness and the blowings of every evildoer is repelled from him, and he is free from any physical defect. He is veiled from misfortunes, immune from slips and well-protected from indecencies, well-known for forbearance and virtue from his youth.
He is qualified by modesty, knowledge and excellence in his last days. The affairs of his father have been passed to him. He remains silent during the life-time of his father, then when the extent of his father’s life comes to an end, the decree of Allah concerning him (his father) becomes fulfilled by His Will; the Will of Allah comes to him by His Love, and the extent of his father’s life reaches its end, then he passes away, and the command of Allah reaches him after him (his father), and He entrusts His religion to him, and appoints him the proof over His creatures and His custodian over His inhabited lands, and confirms him with His Spirit, and gives him His knowledge, and makes him to know his decisive speech, and commits His secret to him, and appoints him to His great affairs, and makes him to
know the excellence of the expression of His knowledge, and establishes him as a sign for His creatures, and appoints him as the Proof over the people of his time, the Light for the people of His religion, and the custodian over His creatures.
Allah approves him as an Imam for them, commits His secrets to him, makes him the safeguard for His knowledge, confines His Wisdom to him, makes him a shepherd of His religion, appoints him to His great affairs, and to light through him the tracks of His way, His ordinances, and His restrictions. When the ignorant are confused and the disputers (in matters of religion) confuse, he sets up in justice the brilliant light and the beneficial healing through the clear truth and a lucid explanation of everything which
requires it by the trodden path along which his truthful fathers (as) passed.
There is no-one who ignores the right of this man of knowledge except a wicked person, no-one denies him but the misled and the misleader, and no-one bars from him except the insolent towards Allah, to Whom belong Majesty and Supremacy.”
Reference:
Mikyalul Makarim Fee Fawaaid ad-Duaa Lil Qai’m Vol 1
Ref al-Araaf, 7:159,181
Usul al-Kafi; Muhammad bin Yaqoob Kulaini; Vol. 1/203
