Enter into submission one and all and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan...
Enter into submission one and all and do not follow the footsteps of Shaitan; surely he is your open enemy.” [^5] Then: We found that some of the groups ascribed to Shiism, who believed in the imamate, which Allah had made as mercy of His right religion, adopted different opinions and ramified thoughts, became indifferent to the obligations of Allah, hastened towards the prohibitions and they all, except a few, doubted the imam of their time, the guardian of their affairs and the proof, which Allah had chosen according to His exalted knowledge as he said: وَرَبُّكَ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيَخْتَارُ ۗ مَا كَانَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ “Thy Lord does create and choose as He pleases: no choice have they (in the matter)” [^6] …the matter of their ordeal during the absence of the expected Imam, of which the Prophet (S) had informed and Imam Ali (as) had mentioned and warned of its sedition in his traditions and speeches.
The scholars narrated from the infallible imams, one after the other, the traditions talking about this matter and confirming it and that Allah would try His people by it.
The doubt about it was still inside their hearts as Imam Ali (as) showed in his saying to Kumayl bin Ziyad: … أو مُنقاداً لأهلِ الحَقّ لا بَصيرَةَ لهُ، يَنقَدحُ الشَّكُّ في قَلبِه لأوَّلِ عارِضٍ من شُبهَةٍ – حتىّ أدّاهُم ذلكَ إلى التّيهِ وَالحَيرَةِ والعَمى وَالضّلالَةِ، وَلم يَبقَ مِنهُم إلاّ القَليلُ النُّزرُ الّذين ثَبتوا عَلى دِين اللهِ، وتَمسّكوا بحَبلِ الله، ولم يحِيدوا عَن صِراطِ الله المُستَقيم.
“…or is led towards the people of truth unthinkingly, doubt comes into his heart since the first suspicion he faces, and that leads them to stray, confusion, obscurity and deviation.
None of them will remain (on the right path) except a very few, who maintains on the religion of Allah, holds fast by the (rope) of Allah and do not deviate from the right path of Allah…” This few was the group that would keep to the truth, that would not be shaken by wind, nor be affected by seditions, nor be cheated by the shine of mirage and would not have come into the religion of Allah imitating some people so that they would give up when those people gave up!
Imam Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq[^7] (as) said: مَن دَخلَ في هذا الدّينِ بالرّجال أخْرجَهُ مِنه الرّجالُ كما أدخَلوهُ فِيه. وَمَن دخَل فِيه بالكِتابِ وَالسُّنّةِ زالَت الجِبالُ قَبلَ أنْ يَزولَ.