For Sunni Muslims, the legitimacy of the Caliphate is an issue of secondary or relative importance. According to Sunni thought, even an illegitimate Caliph is acceptable as long as he has sufficient strength and ability to resolve the socio-economic problems of the society.1 It is easily understood how individuals with stubborn tribal mentalities and notions of superiority could perceive the Caliphate as being the pinnacle of Arabism. Even the trials and tribulations they suffered due to their loyalty to Islam and the Prophet could not make them forget their prior status as oligarchic tribal chiefs. It is therefore not surprising that the election of Abu Bakr as Caliph was based on pre-Islamic tribal customs. The Caliphate allowed the tribal chiefs to satisfy their nostalgia for the old order by giving the emerging system, despite its radical transformation, traits of political and economic centralism which has been abolished by Islam.2

Abu Bakr assumed the Caliphate, not through the legitimacy of his aspiration, but through the complicity of his peers from the tribe of Quraysh. He gained the unanimous support of the leaders of his tribe and maneuvered himself into power at a time when differences in opinion and division of loyalties prevailed.

History will never understand the cause of such a phenomenon without considering the rivalry between the Quraysh and the non-Quraysh and the muhajirun [the emigrants] and the ansar [the allies]. Without such an understanding, any explication of the development of Shi’ism would be nothing but a deceitful distortion. Was not the rise of Shi’ism the case of a revolt of the new over the old established order? Indeed, it was. The political and economic centralism of the elders of Quraysh from the days of ignorance [jahiliyyah] was not extinguished with the arrival of Islam. The partisans of the old order mobilized against the new Islamic order established by Muhammad and embodied by ‘Ali.

The Quraysh defended the old order with the same drive and determination they demonstrated during the lifetime of the Prophet when the Makkan oligarchy had resisted with all their strength against Muhammad’s divine and revealed message. The ruling classes were particularly disturbed by the fact that, from the very beginning of his mission, the Messenger of Allah had rejected concepts such as social superiority, pride in ancestry, and Arabism.3 Muhammad viewed himself, first and foremost, as an “admonisher” [nadhir] and a “guardian” of his people rather than its “king” [malik].4 As he put it himself, “Surely, I am not a king [malik] … I am but the son of a woman who ate dried meat” (Tirmidhi). And to the scandal of the Makkan oligarchy, he abolished all distinction between race and class with the decisive declaration that: “All human beings are equal like the teeth of a comb. There is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab, of a non-Arab over an Arab, of a white man over a black man or of a male over a female. The only merit in God’s estimation is righteousness.”5

In truth, the Prophet never manifested in any of his sayings or ahadith that belonging to the tribe of Quraysh or social status were necessary conditions for being elected Imam or Caliph. Abu Bakr, on the other hand, always maintained, in accord with his background, that the right to the Caliphate belonged to the members of the tribe of Quraysh by the simple fact that they were descendants of “the most honorable Arabs.”6

Whoever examines the Islamic accounts of the period will notice with great surprise that the sector of Muslims who proclaimed Abu Bakr as the First Caliph in the saqifah soon lost the esoteric and spiritual significance of the Imamate or the Caliphate, if they ever possessed it at all. For them, as we have said, spiritual authority and temporal power were united in the person of Muhammad by the fact that he was the Messenger of God and the Intercessor between God and man.7 When it came to Imam ‘Ali, he was viewed by the old oligarchy, in the best of cases, as merely a half-Muhammad, blessed with an inspired character and the spiritual wisdom of a prophet.8 They did not, however, consider him fit to assume the functions of legal administrator and political leader. For the followers of ‘Ali, among whom were the closest and most famous companions of the Prophet,9 this separation between spiritual authority and temporal power was intolerable. It was not so much the political Imamate that ‘Ali inherited from Muhammad which drew the Shi’ah. Rather, it was the esoteric sense of the Prophethood that continued to pulse within him: Imamate was the amplification of Prophethood, a more interiorized complement.

According to Shi’ite thought, divine guidance takes two forms: nubuwwah (prophethood) and wilayah (guardianship).10 The first is co-substantial to the “Muhammadan Truth” [al-haqiqah al-muhammadiyyah], in an absolute, integral, primordial, pre-eternal, and post-eternal sense. The second is constituted by the partial realities of the first: its emissions and luminous epiphanies [mazhar]; in other words, the Imams of the Prophetic Household who initiated and continued the “Cycle of Initiation” [da’irat al-nubuwwah] that was sealed by the Prophet and which, like his luminaries, are identified with the pleroma of the “Light of Lights” [nur al-anwar] of the “Muhammadan Light” [al-nur al-muhammadi]. From this metaphysical point of view, the Twelve Imams belong, in their condition of luminous epiphanies of “Muhammadan Light,” to the same spiritual and temporal category as the Prophet without them been truly and properly prophets.11 This notion is repeated in many ahadith [traditions] in relation to ‘Ali, like the one which says “You are to me as Aaron was to Moses except there will be no prophet after me” (Bukhari, Muslim, Hakim, Saduq, Mufid, Kulayni).12

The bond that exists between Muhammad and ‘Ali goes far beyond that of blood. What exists between them is a special spiritual tie [nisbah ma’nawiyyah] which surpasses the relation of impossibility that “there will be no prophet after me.” The bond between Muhammad and ‘Ali is the result of their common pre-existence in eternity where they were two spiritual entities united in the same luminous identity. As Prophet Muhammad has explained in various ahadith, “‘Ali and I are from the same Light”13 (Kulayni, Majlisi, Ma’sum ‘Ali) “People are from various trees, but I and ‘Ali are from the same Tree” (Tirmidhi, Ibn al-Maghazali).14 The eminence and spiritual supremacy of the First Imam is also established in the significant tradition in which the Prophet states: “‘Ali has been sent secretly with every Prophet; but with me he has been sent openly” (Kashani qtd. in Ahmed ‘Ali, 1157).15 It can also be seen in the tradition which states that: “Every prophet has an executor [wasi] and a successor [khalifah] and surely my executor and successor is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib” (Muttaqi, al-Baghdadi). There is also the tradition that “‘Ali is part of me and I am part of ‘Ali and nobody acts on my behalf except ‘Ali” (Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Nasa’i, Ibn Kathir, Suyuti, Saduq, Mufid, Kulayni). In a passage from the well-known tradition of Ghadir, delivered shortly before the Prophet’s death, ‘Ali successorship is once again confirmed: “Oh People!” said the Prophet, “Allah granted me the wilayah [guardianship], placing me above all believers. To whom I have been the master, ‘Ali is also his master [fa man kuntu mawlahu fa ‘Ali mawlahu] (Hakim, Dhahabi, Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Saduq, Mufid, Kulayni).”16

In relation to this Shi’ite doctrine of the “Muhammadan Light” there is a hadith from the Prophet which affirms that he and ‘Ali are two identical and pre-existing lights that God manifested separately and simultaneously during the “reign” of Adam and in the hidden worlds.17 After having passed from one “reign” to another they were finally placed in the persons of Hasan and Husayn who were, simultaneously, two luminous epiphanies that emanated from the “Primordial Light” through which the “Lord of the Worlds” [rabb al-’alamin] illuminated all of creation through the “light of the logos” [nur al-kalam] or initial fiat lux.18 This “primordial light” protects the Prophet and the Imams from sin, making them immaculate19 [ma’sumin]. At the same time, it confers on them the status of supremacy of the poles [aqtab] of the universe and vicars [khalifah] of God as well as spiritual legatees [wasi] of the batin [esoteric aspects] of the scripture. As the Imams have stated, “We are the first and the last. We are the logos of God. We are the executors of the revelation.”20 As can be seen, the parallel between Moses’ position and that which Muhammad would occupy in later times becomes evident in light of these words.

It was also at this time that the Imamate was established as part and parcel of the Prophethood. The true Imam and Prophet was Muhammad; and Muhammad had a successor, his Aaron, in the person of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib.21 It is for this reason that Shi’ite Muslims consider descent from ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib to be an obligatory requirement for any candidate to the Caliphate along with the criteria considered necessary by Sunni Muslims. The Shi’ite, however, differ with the Sunni in that they categorically reject election through shurah [consultative assembly]. In their eyes, the pre-Islamic process of shurah does nothing but continue the timocratic orientation of Abu Bakr and the representatives of the old Quraysh oligarchy established in the saqifah. Since spiritual authority and temporal power come from God above, it is impossible for a man to receive the sacred investiture of Imam or khalifah through a classicist covenant or a political plot between parties. The word khalifah appears twice in the Qur’an. In the first case, it refers to Adam [2:28]. In the second case, it refers to David [26:38] with the sense of “legislator:” “We have made you a khalifah on earth,” says God to Adam, “decide among men with justice!” For Muslims, David was both a Prophet and an Imam, combining both spiritual and political authority.22 The word appears several times in the Qur’an in the plural, khulafa’ and khala’if.

The plural “Caliphs” appears in contexts which, in relation to the descendants of Muhammad, can be translated as “successors” and, at times, as “inheritors,” “proprietors” and even as “vicars” and “substitutes.” The Arabic word khalifah, from which the English word “Caliph” is derived, comes from a root that is found in several Semitic languages. At times, it has the meaning of “to pass on” or “to transmit.” This would make the word the equivalent of the Latin word traditio and the Greek word paradosis. In Arabic, however, the generally accepted meaning is that of “following” or “coming in place of.”

By far, the most common interpretation by the majority of Sunni ‘ulama’ [scholars], with the sole exception of the Sufi Masters, is that the Caliph is the vicar or successor of the Prophet. The Caliph is the custodian of his moral and legal inheritance as founder of the faith and legislator for the Islamic government and community. The Caliph is not, however, in the eyes of most Sunni scholars, the successor to the spiritual office of the Prophet, the executor of his batin or the esoteric interpreter of the word of God.

This interpretation, however, is inconsistent with the meaning of the word wilayah which appears to indicate that the function of the Prophet was not destined to disappear after his death but rather, on the contrary, to continue by means of the spiritual authority and temporal power of the Imams until the end of times.

• 1. Editor’s Note: Among Sunni Muslims, there are many traditions justifying submission and obedience to Islamic rulers, whether legitimate or illegitimate, including: “Behold, he, who is ruled by a ruler who disobeys Allah, should dislike what he commits as a disobedience to Allah but should not rise in revolt against him” (Muslim); where the Prophet is asked about rulers who deprive their subjects of their due rights and he responds “Listen to them and obey them because they are responsible for what they are ordained to do and you are responsible for what you are ordained to do” (Muslim); “Listen to the ruler and obey him” (Ahmad); “The Sultan is the shadow of Allah on earth; whosoever insults him will be humiliated by Allah, and whosoever honors him will be honored by Him” (Albani 475). These traditions may have been fabricated by the authorities to ensure the submission of their subjects.
• 2. Editor’s Note: The author’s point is elusive but absolutely correct. The opponents of Ahl Al-Bayt then tried to rationalize what had already been done.
• 3. Editor’s Note: Almighty Allah criticizes the Arab love for ancestry saying: “Celebrate the praises of Allah, as ye used to celebrate the praises of your fathers, - yea, with far more Heart and soul.” (2:200).
• 4. Editor’s Note: As the Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “Verily We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner” (2:119). See also 5:19; 7:118; 7:184; 13:7; 27:92; 32: 3; 33:45; 35:23; 46:9; 48:8; 51:51; 79:45 and others.
• 5. Editor’s Note: This tradition, in part or in whole, is found in the following sources: Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi’s ‘Ilal al-hadith, al-Bayhaqi’s Sunan, Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, Kulayni’s al-Kafi, as well as Daylami, as cited in ‘Ajluni’s Kashf al-Khafa’, among many others.
• 6. Editor’s Note: The Prophet, however, had stressed repeatedly that Islam had come to destroy class privilege.
• 7. Editor’s Note: We would argue that the Companions of the Prophet were divided into two groups: one group, led by ‘Ali, accepted the Messenger of Allah as both a spiritual and temporal leader. The other group led by Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman accepted him as a spiritual leader, but not as a temporal, political leader. In that area, they felt their opinions were equally valid. This would explain the numerous instances of insolence and insubordination from a certain sector of the sahabas.
• 8. Editor’s Note: The Prophet said of ‘Ali: “He who wants to see Noah in his determination, Adam in his knowledge, Abraham in his clemency, Moses in his intelligence and Jesus in his religious devotion should look at ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib” (Ahmad, Bayhaqi, al-Hadid, Razi, Ibn Batah).
  In Hayat al-qulub, Majlisi relates a similar tradition in which Muhammad says, “Let him who pleases look to Adam for his glory, to Shays for his wisdom, to Idris and his nobleness, to Nuh and his thanksgiving and devotion, to Ibrahim and his fidelity and friendship, to Musa and his hostility to the enemies of God, to ‘Isa and His love and familiarity with every believer, and then let him look to ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib” (170-71). Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthman all called upon ‘Ali’s expertise in legal matters during their respective reigns as Caliph (see Mufid, Chapter V)
• 9. Editor’s Note: The Shi’ah of ‘Ali from among the Companions of the Prophet included all the Banu Hashim, Hudhayfah b. al-Yaman, Khuzaymah b. Thabit, whom the Prophet called dhu al-shahadatayn, the one with two testimonies, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, Sahl b. Hunayf, Uthman b. Hunayf, al-Bara’ b. ‘Azib al-Ansari, Ubayy b. Ka’b, Abu Dharr b. Jundab al-Ghifari, ‘Ammar b. Yasir, al-Miqdad b. ‘Amr, Salman al-Farisi, Khalid b. Sa’id, Jabir b. ‘Abdullah al-Ansari, Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, Bilal b. Arwah, Miqdad Ibn al-Aswad and Muhammad b. Abu Bakr. Umm Salamah, a pious wife of the Prophet, was also among the followers of ‘Ali. These and people like them among the emigrants and the Ansar, all these maintained that he was the successor [khalifah] of the Messenger of Allah, and the Imam. For the Shi’ah of ‘Ali, see S.H.M. Jafri, The Origins and Early Development of Shi’ah Islam (Qum: Ansariyan, 1989), 51-53; and Muhammad al-Tijani, Then I was Guided 2nd ed. (Bayrut: N.P, 1989), 161; Shaykh al-Mufid, Kitab al-irshad: The Book of Guidance into the Lives of the Twelve Imams, Trans. I.K.A. Howard (London: Muhammadi Trust, 1981), 2.
• 10. Editor’s Note: In the previous versions of this study, the author explained that: “In Shi’ite thought there exists an absolute Prophethood [nubuwwah mutlaqah] which is common and universal and a partial Prophethood [muqayyadah] which is determined and limited by time.” However, as was kindly pointed out by Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, the division of nubuwwah into mutlaqah and muqayyadah is unknown in mainstream Twelver Shi’ah writings. In fact, such a concept contradicts the concept of khitamiyyah, the finality of nubuwwah and risalah of the Prophet Muhammad. The division of Prophethood into “absolute” and “partial” was drawn by the author from the works of Henry Corbin who may have taken it from Isma’ili sources. As this concept is erroneous, the author has retracted them.
• 11. Editor’s Note: Shi’ite scholars hold that the Imams are equal to Muhammad in all regards with the exception of prophethood. Furthermore, the majority of Shi’ite scholars believe that the Imams are superior to all prophets, with the exception of Muhammad.
• 12. Editor’s Note: The Messenger of Allah also said that: “The flesh of ‘Ali is from my flesh, and his blood is from my blood, and he holds the same position in relation to me as Aaron held in relation to Moses” (Ahmad).
• 13. Editor’s Note: In another tradition, Imam ‘Ali says, “Ahmad [Muhammad] and I are of one Light. The only difference between my light and his is that one preceded the other in time” (Shahrastani, 2/226). Another version of this tradition relates that “Muhammad and I are of one light, which by Allah’s command was split in two halves. To the one half Allah said, ‘Be Muhammad,’ and to the other, ‘Be ‘Ali’” (al-Yamani, 127).
• 14. Editor’s Note: Likewise, Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq relates that the Prophet said, “I am the root of the good tree; ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib is its trunk; the divinely chosen ones of the descendants of ‘Ali are its branches; and the faithful ones attached to the Ahl Al-Bayt are its leaves” (qtd. in Ahmed ‘Ali, 820).
• 15. Editor’s Note: Similarly, al-Hajj Ma’sum ‘Ali reports in his Tara’iq al-haqa’iq that Imam ‘Ali said, “I am Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, assuming different forms, however I will. He who has seen me has seen them all” (7:43). In another tradition related by Jabir al-Jufi, Imam ‘Ali proclaims that: “I am the Messiah, who heals the blind and the leper, who created the birds and dispersed the storm clouds. I am he, and he is I...Jesus the Son of Mary is part of me, and I am part of him. He is the supreme Word of Allah. He is the witness testifying to the mysteries and I am that to which he testifies” (Yaman, 8-9). The Messenger of Allah is reported to have said, “I am all the prophets” (Majlisi) a tradition widely quoted by the Baha’i. The statements quoted from Ma’sum ‘Ali and Jufi, however, would not be accepted by mainstream Shi’ah Ithna-’Ashariyyah scholars as they sound, at face value, very similar to the ideas of the ghulat.
• 16. Editor’s Note: The tradition ends with the Messenger of Allah imploring: “O Allah, love those who love ‘Ali and hate those who hate him.”
• 17. Editor’s Note: The Messenger of Allah said, “I was a Prophet while Adam was still between the water and the clay” (Moosa, 61); “I was the first man in the creation and the last one in the Resurrection” (54); “The first thing which Allah created was my soul (60);” “My soul was the Primal Element” (46); “Myself and ‘Ali were created from one light, and we ascribed glory to Allah on the right side of the empyrean two thousand years before Allah formed Adam” (Majlisi, Hayat al-qulub, 4). For more on the pre-existence of the Muhammadan Logos, see Moosa, 54-59.
• 18. Editor’s Note: As Imam al-Sadiq has said “Allah does not accept to appoint to it [the Imamate] two brothers after al-Hasan and al-Husayn” (Kulayni 1/2, 341, hadith 753). As Imam al-Sadiq explains in another tradition, “The Imamate will never be diverted between two brothers after al-Hasan and al-Husayn; it proceeds from ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn… There was no one after ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn except that it went to the next descendant or the next descendant of the next descendant” (340, hadith 752).
• 19. Editor’s Note: According to ‘Allamah Saduq,
  Our belief concerning the prophets [anbiyya’], messengers [rusul], Imams and angels is that they are infallible [ma’sum]; purified from all defilement [danas], and that they do not commit any sin whether it be minor [saghirah] or major [kabirah]. They do not disobey Allah in what He has commanded them; they act in accordance with His behests. He who denies infallibility to them in any matter appertaining to their status is ignorant of them, and such a one is a kafir [unbeliever].
  Our belief concerning them is that they are infallible and possess the attributes of perfection, completeness and knowledge, from the beginning to the ends of their careers. Defects [naqs] cannot be attributed to them, nor disobedience [‘isyan], nor ignorance [jahl], in any of their actions [ahwal]. (140-141)
  As Imam Khumayni explains, “The quality of ‘ismah that exists in the prophets is the result of belief. Once one truly believes, it is impossible for one to sin” (Islam and Revolution, 374). The Shi’ite belief in the sinlessness of the Prophets and Imams is uniquely Shi’ite and without a trace of Jewish or Christian influence (Donaldson, 330-38). The’ismah of the prophets is accepted by Sunnis to a limited extent and was developed under Shi’ite influence (Fyzee, 99). The Zaydis do not accept the concept of ‘ismah (Moosa, 98).
• 20. Editor’s Note: This tradition seems to be an echo of Revelation 22:13: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” It resembles Khutbat al-bayan, the Manifestation Speech, in which to ‘Ali allegedly says, “I am the Face and the Side of Allah, I am the Beginning and the End, I am the Outward [zahir] and the Inward [batin]” (al-Amuli 1348, fols 5a). The speech, however, is spurious. In his Kashf al-zunun, Hajji Khalifah refers to the seventy phrases reportedly used by ‘Ali to describe his excellence as “seventy words of falsehood” (Moosa 180). The speech is not even recorded in Shi’ite books of hadith (179). Ayatullah al-Uzma Sayyid Abu al-Qasim al-Khu’i was asked: “What is your opinion about Khutbat al-bayan that is attributed to Imam ‘Ali?” He responded that: “It has no foundation”(http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?s=cb55e2e5549c0973a0f 18ad1288a88f0&showtopic= 25980).
  Despite the fact that, from the point of view of chains of narration, the Sermon of Manifestation is spurious, some Shi’ite mystics accept it as authentic from a philosophical and spiritual sense. According to some scholars, it is not ‘Ali who is speaking the Manifestation Speech but al-insan al-kamil, the Perfect Person. According to others, including Massignon, the Manifestation Speech is actually a hadith qudsi [sacred saying] and it is Almighty Allah who is speaking. For more on the Perfect Person, see chapter five of our Arabic, Islam, and the Allah Lexicon, a version of which appears in the journal Sufi.
  The spiritual status and authority of the Imams is expressed in the following trustworthy traditions:
  When the pledge of allegiance was made to ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the Commander of the Faithful, for the Caliphate, he went out to the mosque wearing the turban and cloak of the Messenger of Allah, and giving admonition and warning, he sat down confidently, knitted his fingers together and placed them on his stomach. He then said,
  Question me before you lose me. Question me, for I have the knowledge of those who came earlier and those who will come later. If the cushion [on which a judge sits] was folded for me [to sit on], I could give judgement to the people of the Torah by their Torah, to the people of the Gospel by their Gospel, to the people of the Psalms by their Psalms and to the people of the Furqan [ie. Qur’an] by their Furqan, so that each one of these books will be fulfilled and will declare, ‘O Lord, indeed ‘Ali has given judgement according to Your decree.’ By Allah, I know the Qur’an and its interpretation [better] than anyone who claims knowledge of it. If it were not for one verse in the Book of Allah, Most High, I would be able to inform you of what will be until the Day of Resurrection.
  Then he said,
  Question me before you lose me, for by Him Who split the seed and brought the soul into being, if you questioned me about [it] verse by verse, I would tell you of the time of its revelation and why it was revealed, I would inform of the abrogating [verse] and the abrogated, of the specific and general, the clearly defined and the ambiguous, of the Meccan and the Medinan. By Allah, there is not a party who can lead astray or guide until the Day of Resurrection, without me knowing its leader, the one who drives it forward and the one who urges it on. (Mufid, 21-22; Kulayni)
  Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq used to say,
  Our knowledge is of what will be [ghabir], of what is past [mazbur], of what is marked in hearts [naksh fi al-qulub], and what is tapped into ears [naqr fí al-asma’]. We have the red case [jafr], the white case, and the scroll of Fatimah, peace be upon her, and we have [the document called] al-jami’ah in which is everything that people need.
  He was asked to explain these words and he said,
  Ghabir is knowledge of what will be; mazbur is knowledge of what was; what is marked in the hearts [naksh fí al-qulub] is inspiration; and what is tapped into the ears [naqr fí al-asma’] are words of angels; we hear their speech but we do not see their forms. The red case [jafr] is a vessel in which are the weapons of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family. It will never leave us until the one [destined] among us Members of the House [Ahl Al-Bayt ] to arise [qa’im], arises. The white case [jafr] is a vessel in which are the Torah of Moses, the Gospel of Jesus, the Psalms of David and the [other] Books of Allah. The scroll of Fatimah, peace be upon her, has in it every event which will take place and the names of all the rulers until the [last] hour comes. [The document called] al-jami’ah is a scroll seventy yards long which the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family, dictated from his own mouth and ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, wrote in his own handwriting. By Allah, in it is everything which people need until the end of time, including even the blood-wit for wounding, and whether a [full] flogging or half a flogging [is due]. (Mufid 414; Kulayni)
  The Prophet said of ‘Ali: “You can hear what I hear and see what I see, but you are not a prophet; you are a vizier and you are well off” (Nahj al-balaghah, ed. ‘Abd al-Hamid 2/182-83)
  Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq used to say,
  My traditions are my father’s traditions; my father’s traditions are my grandfather’s traditions; my grandfather’s traditions are the traditions of ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the Commander of the Faithful; the traditions of ‘Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, are the traditions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family; and the traditions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family, are the word of Allah, the Mighty and High. (Mufid, 414; Kulayni)
  Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq said, “We have the tablets of Moses, peace be upon him, and we have the rod of Moses, peace be upon him. We are the heirs of prophets” (Mufid, 414-15; Kulayni).
  Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq said,
  I have the sword of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family. I have the standard of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family, and his breast-plate, his armor and his helmet... Indeed the victorious standard of the Messenger of Allah is with me, as are the tablets and rod of Moses. I have the ring of Solomon, the son of David, and the tray on which Moses used to offer sacrifice and I have [knowledge] of the [greatest] name [of Allah] which when the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and his Family, used to put it between the Muslims and the polytheists no arrow of the polytheists could reach the Muslims. I have the same as what the angels brought. We have the weapons in the same way that the Banu Isra’il had the ark of the covenant. Prophethood was brought to any house in which the Ark of the Covenant was present; the Imamate will be brought to which every one of us receives the weapons. My father dressed in the armor of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and it made marks on the ground. I put it on and it was [like] it was [for my father]. The one [destined] to rise up [qa’im] from among us, will fill it [so that it fits him exactly] when he puts it on, if Allah wishes. (Mufid, 415-416)
  Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq was asked about what the people were saying that Umm Salamah, the mercy of Allah be on her, had been handed a sealed scroll. He said, “When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, died, ‘Ali, peace be upon him, inherited his knowledge, his weapons and what there was. Then that went to al-Hasan, peace be upon him, then to al-Husayn, peace be upon him.” “Did it go to ‘Ali Ibn al-Husayn, peace be upon them, after that, then to his son and now has it come to you?” he was asked. “Yes,” he replied (Mufid, 416).
• 21. Editor’s Note: The author alludes to the tradition where the Messenger of Allah said to ‘Ali: “You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, but there will be no prophet after me” (Bukhari, Muslim, Hakim, Saduq, Mufid, Kulayni).
• 22. Editor’s Note: As we read in the Qur’an, Ibrahim was also an Imam: “And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord with certain commands, which he fulfilled: He said, ‘I will make thee an Imam to the Nations.’ He pleaded: ‘And also [Imams] from my offspring!’ He answered: ‘But My Promise is not within the reach of evil-doers’” (2:124).