ভূমিকা

(Surah Zumar 39:9) This verse directly says that knowledge leads to excellence and superiority and the one who is more learned is more capable and has more right than others to become the Imam and there is no doubt in it that from the Imams, each of them, in his own time, was the most knowledgeable, especially more than those who falsely claimed Imamate and Caliphate.

The Imams (a.s.) never went to others for gaining knowledge, but others have come to ask them for it and among all sects, no one disputes that Amirul Momineen (a.s.) was the most knowledgeable amongst all the companions.

Kulaini, Saffar, Ibne Shahr Aashob and others from different chains have narrated from Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that they said: ‘Those who know’ are we and ‘those who do not know’ are our enemies and our Shias are ‘the men of understanding’ who differentiate between us and our enemies and they know that we are rightful and more eligible for the caliphate than our enemies. Saffar has narrated that people asked the explanation of this verse from Imam Sadiq (a.s.).

And when distress afflicts a man he calls upon his Lord turning to Him frequently; (Surah Zumar 39:8) The Hazrat said this verse was revealed for the first hypocrite who considered the Prophet (S) as a magician. When he used to fall ill, apparently he used to pray and use to say that I will return from saying that thing again, which he used to regarding the Prophet (S). ثُمَّ إِذَا خَوَّلَهُ نِعْمَةً مِنْهُ نَسِيَ مَا كَانَ يَدْعُو إِلَيْهِ مِنْ قَبْلُ.

…then when He makes him possess a favor from Him, he forgets that for which he called upon Him before…(Surah Zumar 39:8) Meaning, when he used to get rid of the illness and regain health he used to forget Allah and what he had prayed earlier.