You understand what you can of it...

You understand what you can of it, then, act accordingly; and that which is unclear for you, simply believe in it.”[^13] b) The Imams and the in relation to the Qur’an The Shi’ites have agreed that God revealed to Muhammad both the Qur’an and its exegesis and appointed him as the teacher of the Book,[^14] while the Prophet appointed his progeny to carry on this work after him.

In two places of the Qur’an, (33:33) and (56: 77-79), God has confirmed the Prophet's declaration that his progeny held real knowledge of the Book.[^15] In a long and well-known tradition ( hadith al-Thaqalayn) related by both Shi’i and Sunni traditionists, the Qur’an is presented as the ‘greater weight’ ( al-thaqal al-akbar) and the Imams as the ‘lesser weight’ ( al-thaqal al-asghar). In the presence of many of his , the Prophet declared: “I am soon about to be received.....

I am telling you before I am taken up that I shall leave with you, as representatives after me, the Book of my Lord, and my progeny, the people of my household, the ahl al-bayt that the All-Gracious, All-Knowing, told me that they shall not be separated until they meet me on the day of Resurrection..... Do not precede them, for you would go astray, and do not fall behind them, for you would perish.

Do not teach them, for they are of greater knowledge than you.”[^16] Numerous traditions in several chapters describe the knowledge of the Imams, especially in the…