The history of Islam...

The history of Islam, with its values, its war against its enemies concepts about life, rule, politics, and shari'ah, points to this fact, and outlines this school. That is why any of the Ahlul-Bait Imams (a.s.) appoint the Imam who succeeds him. Likewise, Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (a.s.) appointed his son Musa bin Ja'far (a.s.), as his successor.

Numerous statements concerning this appointment exist, but we have chosen the following: "Mansoor bin Hazim went to see Imam Abu-Abdullah, and asked him to specify the Imam who would succeed him. 'May my father and mother be your ransom', said he, 'souls shall certainly taste death. If that is to be, then who will succeed you? said the Imam, pointing to , 'This is your man', Abul-Hassan Musa. Then he placed his hand on the shoulder of his son, as a gesture of emphasis.

Musa was, at the time, five years old."[^10] Yazid bin Saleet al-Zaydi is reported to have said; "On our way to Makkah, we, a number of travellers, met Abu-Abdullah (a.s.). 'May my father and mother be your ransom', said I to him 'You are the purified Imams. And nobody can escape death. So tell me something which I may convey to sons and relatives. 'Yes', replied he, 'these are my sons, and this one is their master.

And he pointed to Musa (a.s.), his son.nll The period during which he assumed Imamate was the worst, the most brutal and troublesome for Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) and the downtrodden. But the Imam endured all the atrocities with his perseverance, patience, and courage. For his ability to contain his sorrow, pain and suffering, he won the nickname of al- Kadhim.

The Devoted Worshipper When a Muslim knows little about Allah, and has no idea about his relationship with his Lord, he ends up confused, troubled, uncertain which way to take, with no stable and satisfactory relationship with Allah. Such condition is expressed in laziness, the lack of desire to perform the religious obligations, the disrupt of one's tie with Allah, the emergence of a troubled, confused character, torn apart by low desires and the values and ideals of Islam.

To the contrary, the man who is near to Allah, enjoys a strong desire to keep himself close to Him, as He is the source of grace and perfection in this world. Such a man knows the path he treads, holds firmly to monotheism, faithfully worships his Lord, and his Lord alone. He feels he is above worldly gains, and trivial pleasures, tied to the Exalted Allah.