After His Prophet...

After His Prophet, God, the Blessed the Elevated, has chosen exclusively some choice ones whom He elevated out of His elevation, took them highly to the rank of His elation, and made them the heralds and the guides to Him. They have been sinless, virtuous, and perfect imams whom God has made the claims against the creatures and chosen as His heralds. By His permission, they are the interceders who never precede Him in speech and according to His commandment only do they act.

They judge according to His rules, follow His regulations, execute the doctrinal provisions that He constitutes, and fulfill the incumbent rituals (that He imposed) so that he who would perish will perish by a clear proof and he who would live will live by a clear proof. The blessings of God and the noble angels be upon Mohammed and his virtuous progeny.

As I looked deeply and carefully in the (verbal) traditions that we have received from the Prophet, his successor, and their sons (All peace, mercy, and blessings be upon them), I could conclude that we have received only a few of what they had actually said. It is surely very few if compared with what they had said but we could not receive. I could understand that these traditions contain the worldly and the religious affairs and join the good of this life and the life to come.

The truth is found only with them individually, the right is taken only from them separately, and the veracity is seen only with them exclusively. Besides, I noticed that the former Shiite scholars had compiled their sayings regarding the legal and the illegal matters in addition to the obligatory rituals and the recommendable practices. God will surely record the rewards of these compilations that sufficed the next generations from shouldering the burdens of compilation.

I could notice excellent words of wisdom and curative sermons that are within the instructions of the Imams (peace be upon them). These words urge desiring for what will permanently remain and leaving what will eventually expire. They also bear good tidings, threatening, encouragement on the good traits and manners, warning against the ill manners, motivation to the religiosity, and driving to abstinence.

I also found that they (peace be upon them) had referred to many sentences regarding the previous aspects through their prolonged commandments, speeches, sermons, and advises.