Evidence of Imam’s Possessing Divine Authority

he asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) the following. “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 answer it can be said that so and so is appointed the executor of the will. The Armament with us is like the Ark in the Israelites. Imamat (leadership with Divine authority) is always with the Armament wherever it may go.”

he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) the following. “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, “There are three evidence that are not found in one person except the rightful owner of this status. He must be the closest person to the preceding Imam that the Armament must be with him and he would be the appointed executor of the will in a public manner. So much so that if one would come to the town and ask the common people even the children as to who the executor of the will of so and so is? They would say so and so is the executor of the will of so and so.”

“ Once a certain person asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), “By what thing the Imam is recognized?” He said, “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.”

“ Being of pure birth, good up bringing and that he would not trifle or engage in amusement.”

"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 revolve. As for the issues, there is no proof in them.'"

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

he asked the following from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) , “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 he would begin to speak on the issue and inform of the things that would happen the next day that can speak to people in everyone’s own language.” Then he said to me, “O abu Muhammad, allow me to give you a sign before you stand up to go. Not very long after this a man from Khurasan came in. The man from Khurasan spoke to the Imam in Arabic but abu al-Hassan (a.s.) answered him in Persian. The man from Khurasan said, “I swear by Allah, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, the only thing that stopped from speaking to you in Persian was I thought you might not know Persian.” He then said, “Glory belongs to Allah, If would not b e able to answer you (in Persian) than how would have any excellence over you?” He said to me, “O abu Muhammad, “No one’s language is unknown to the Imam (a.s.) nor the language of birds, animals and any living things. Whoever would not have these qualities he is not A number of our people has narrated from Imam.”