None of them ever tried to equate themselves with the Holy Infallibles (a.

None of them ever tried to equate themselves with the Holy Infallibles (a.s.). None of them ever played the drum that: 'Without their Taqleed none of your deeds are acceptable'. All of them were just contact points between the people and the Holy Imam (a.s.). Their job was just to take questions to the Holy Imam (a.s.) and bring back the answers from him (a.s.). They never answered any of the questions of their own accord.

The system of representation was ended by the Holy Imam (a.s.) in his last letter to the fourth of them which has been recorded by Sheykh Sadouq. Take a look at the last letter of our Holy Imam Mahdi (a.s.). IKMAL UD DEEN WA TAMAAM UN NE'MAT - VOL.2 H44 It is narrated from Abu Muhammad Al Hassan Bin Ahmad Al Maktab who said: I was in the same city in the year when Sheykh Ali Bin Muhammad Al Samiri May Allah purify his soul I was with him before he died.

During that time a letter arrived from Imam Mahdi (a.s.). 'In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. O Ali Bin Muhammad Al Samiri may Allah give great reward to your brothers, you are going to die in six days, So, wind up your affairs, but appoint no one in your place, because from the day of your death the period of my second occultation (Gaibat e Kubra) will begin. Hence forth, I will not reappear, unless and until with the permission of Allah (s.w.t.).

My reappearance will take place after a very long time when people's hearts will have hardened the world will be full of injustice and sins. Among my Shiites will be those who will claim to have seen me. Beware! Anyone who makes such a claim before the coming out of Sufyani and the sound from heaven announcing my reappearance, is a liar and imposter. There is no Might nor Strength except in Allah the High the Grea't. I made a copy of this letter and came back.

On the sixth day I returned and found him in a coma. People who were there asked him (Ali Bin Muhammad Al Samiri) who his successor is after him. He said: 'This matter is in the hands of Allah (s.w.t.) and He will fulfill it'. And then he died. These were the last words heard from him. In this letter, the Holy Imam (a.s.) has advised him to wrap up his affairs and not to appoint anyone else.

The Holy Imam (a.s.) put an end to this chain of contact points once and for all did not differentiate between the special and the general representatives nor did he say that, if, from now on anyone wearing a turban on his head were to come to you then you should accept him.