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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Discussions Concerning al-Mahdi (May Allah Hasten His Return) The Secret of Choosing the Imams Question: What was the secret of appointing the Imams (peace be upon them) to the position of Imamah and wilayah ? Is human intellect able to understand this?
Answer: This question is not exclusive to the appointment of the Imams (peace be upon them), but can be brought up regarding the selection of all the prophets and even angels such as Jibra’il, the Trustee of revelation, and regarding the superiority of some prophets over others and some nations and individuals over others, and in the same way about the superiority of humanity over many other types of creation.
The reality is that selection is among the acts of Allah, as numerous verses indicate: إِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِين. “Verily Allah chose Adam, Nuh, the family of Ibrahim, and the family of `Imran over all people.” [^1] قُلِ الحَمْدُ للهِ ِوَسَلاَمٌ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَى.
“Say: Praise be to Allah and peace be with those of His servants whom He has chosen.” [^2] يَا مَرْيمَ ُإِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلَى نِسَاءِ الْعَالَمِينَ. “O’ Maryam! Verily Allah has chosen you, purified you, and chosen you over all the ladies of the world.” [^3] إِنَّ اللهَ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَيْكُمْ. “Surely Allah has chosen him over you. ”[^4] إِنيِّ اصْطَفَيْتُكَ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِرِسَالاَتيِ.
“(O’ Musa) verily I have chosen you over mankind with my communications.” [^5] ثمُ َّأَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتَابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا. “Then We gave the book in inheritance to those of Our servants whom We had chosen.” [^6] Even Mansur, the ‘Abbasid caliph, would say that Imam Ja‘far al-as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) was among those denoted by the verse: اَلَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا “those of Our servants whom We have chosen.” [^7] وَلَقَدِ اصْطَفَيْنَاهُ فيِ الدُّنْيَا.
“And verily We chose him in this world.” [^8] اَللهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ المَلاَئِكَةِ رُسُلاً وَمِنَ النَّاسِ. “Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and mankind.” [^9] وَإِنهَّمُْ عِنْدَنَا لمَِِنَ المُصْطَفَينَ الأَخْيَارِ. “And verily with Us they are from among the chosen and righteous ones.” [^10] وَممَِّنْ هَدَيْنَا وَاجْتَبَيْنَا. “And from among those whom We guided and chose.” [^11] وَاجْتَبَيْنَاهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَاهُمْ.
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