Verily for my son there is an occultation during which all...

Verily for my son there is an occultation during which all people will fall into doubt except those whom Allah protects." The opponents of Shi'ism protest that according to the beliefs of this school the Hidden Imam should by now be nearly twelve centuries old, whereas this is impossible for any human being. In answer it must be said that the protest is based only on the unlikelihood of such an occurrence, not its impossibility.

Of course such a long lifetime or a life of a longer period is unlikely. But those who study the hadiths of the Holy Prophet and…