“To each nation there is a leader.

“To each nation there is a leader.”(13:7) “And we have reached the word to them.” “A day (in which) we call every people with their Imam.” (17:71) These Quranic verses with due consideration to their interpretation and the sayings of the Prophet thereon prove that the earth cannot be empty of an Imam. The books, those of Sunnis, Shias, Zaidis, and those of Imamiahs all say collectively the same. There is uniformity of opinion at this point.

Tazkarat Al Hoffaz of the Sunnis has acknowledged the necessity of the presence of an Imam on earth. Whether the Imam is hidden or apparent, concealed or absent or open he is there as should be. In the book Sawayeq and other books of Sunni scholars a long statement of Imam Zainul Abideen is narrated. The Imam in his long statement says that the earth cannot remain without an Imam from the House of the Prophet (S).

If there happens to be any word coming to this fundamental it is worthless and groundless. Imam Zainul Abideen says in his supplication in his Sahifa Sajjadiah: “O, God, you have supported your religion in all times by the Imam whom you made a banner to your servants and a tower in your dominion after making his rope to reach yours and you made him a medium to your paradise. And obedience to him you made obligatory. And you warned about disobedience to him.

To carry on his orders, you ordered; and to stop at what he stops the action, you commanded. No advancer advances from him nor does a delayer lag behind him. He is the Fortress of seekers and the cave of believers and the path of adheres and the worth of the worlds.” In this supplication the Imam is well sketched. The states and the station of the Imams is made clear. Shiaism can be observed in this supplication.

After all these discussions it is a wonderful thing to say “The uprising of Qayem after death was acknowledged earlier but later on this thought was rejected by scholars.” Any thought in a Shia atmosphere if expressed by the Prophet (S) and Ali Bin Abi Talib and all other Imams are a fixed truth. Any other thought contrary to it is of no credit and is void of truth. In an analysis some seek to find out a trifle and enlarge it magnifying it in order to avoid the truth or to reject the fact.

Some non-Muslim Islamic scholars have done this to serve their venom. It is not our point to overlook the loophole. What we say is, do not overlook the important ones. One should examine and compare both and see which one is acceptable.