One finds such expressions as...

One finds such expressions as: Muhammad and his Household, the pure ones and the good ones, the elect and the chosen, repeatedly in his supplications. [^126] The Imam's emphasis on mentioning the Prophet's progeny by the side of the Prophet's' name, in accordance with the command of God to invoke blessings upon the Prophet (s), has a great importance for the expression of Shi'i belief.

Before citing some of the relevant statements from the Imam's supplications, it would be proper to mention a narration concerning the affirmation of the linkage between the Prophet and his Household. The Imam would say, God has made it obligatory upon the whole world to invoke blessings upon the Prophet (s), and He has united us with him.

Someone who invokes blessings upon the Prophet (s) but does not invoke blessings upon us, his invocation of blessings is deficient and incomplete and such a one has forsaken God's commands. [^127] The raising of the issue of Imamate in the supplications of Imam Sajjad (a) is a clear instance of the explication the Sht'j concept of Imamate in supplications.

In them the concept of Imamate, aside from the aspect of worthiness for caliphate and leadership, is projected in its most sublime form as a divine office held by the infallible Imams as heirs to the knowledge of the prophets, especially that of the Noble Messenger (s). Here we will mention some of such statements from the supplications. In some of them, Imam Sajjad ('a) declares: My Lord, bless the best of his (i.e.

the Prophet's) Household, those whom Thou hast chosen for Thy affair, appointed the treasurers of Thy knowledge, the guardians of Thy religion, Thy vicegerents in thy earth, and Thy arguments against Thy servants, purified from uncleanliness and defilement with a thorough purification by Thy desire, and made the mediation to Thee and the road to Thy paradise.

[^128] O God, this station belongs to Thy vicegerents, Thy chosen, while the places of Thy trusted ones in the elevated degree which Thou hast singled out for them have been forcibly stripped! [But Thou art the Ordainer of that-Thy command is not overcome, the inevitable in Thy governing is not overstepped! However Thou willest and whenever Thou willest!