Except for Prophethood I am similar to him in all aspects.
Except for Prophethood I am similar to him in all aspects. And the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (S) is in his progeny till the day of judgement. Then he recited the verse: And he made it a word to continue in his posterity that they may return… (Surah Zukhruf 43:28) Then he said that the Holy Prophet (S) came after Ibrahim and I am after both Muhammad (S) and Ibrahim. Also, there is a tradition from Imam Baqir (a.s.) that this verse was in his praise till Imamate reached him.
And that this knowledge is always passed to the son from his father. It does not reach the brother or paternal uncles. And after Imam Husain (a.s.) there would be no Imam but that he would have a son till the twelfth Imam and since Abdullah Aftah left this world without any issue, he is not an Imam. Ali Ibne Ibrahim has narrated that the ‘word’ denotes the Second Coming (Raja’t), it means that these persons would return to this world before the day of judgement.
It is mentioned in Kamaluddeen from authentic chains from Mufazzal Ibne Umar that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) asked the explanation of the verse: And he made it a word to continue in his posterity that they may return… (Surah Zukhruf 43:28) Imam (a.s.) replied: It refers to Imamate which after Imam Husain (a.s.) is appointed in his descendants till the day of judgement.
Mufazzal asked: O son of the Messenger of Allah, why was Imamate reposed in the descendants of Imam Husain (a.s.) and not in the progeny of Imam Hasan (a.s.), though both were the sons of the Holy Prophet (S), both were leaders of the youth of Paradise, and both were brothers? The Hazrat said: Moosa and Haroon both were messenger prophets and were brothers of each other, but Allah appointed the Imamate in the progeny of Haroon and not in the progeny of Moosa.