and the sacred ones from them like Rajab...

and the sacred ones from them like Rajab, Dhu l-Qa`da, Dhu l-Ḥijja, and Muḥarram, cannot be called “an established religion.” Because the Jews, the Christians, the Zoroastrians, and all the other nations and people—whether those in favor and the opponents [of Islam]—were aware of these months and they counted them with their names. [In this verse,] months (shuhūr) refers to the infallible Imams, peace be on them, who will establish the religion of Allah.

The sacred ones from these are Amīr al-Mu’minīn, whose name Allah, the Exalted, has derived from His Name al-`Alī, just as He has derived for the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be on him and his family, a name from His Name, al-Maḥmūd. Three others from his descendants bear the name `Alī: `Alī b. al-Ḥusayn, `Alī b. Mūsā, and `Alī b. Muḥammad. These names have become sacred because they have been derived from the Name of Allah, the Exalted.

And Allah’s blessings be on Muḥammad and his noble family who are sacred because of him. Ithbāt al-waṣiyya[^2]: Al-Ḥimyarī, from Muḥammad b. `Īsā, from al-Naḍr b. Suwayd, from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī, from `Alī b. Abī Ḥamza who said: I was with Abū Baṣīr and with us was a slave of (Imam) Abū Ja`far. He narrated to us that he heard, (Imam) Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, say, “From us are twelve muḥaddaths[^3].

The Qā’im is the seventh after me.” Abū Baṣīr stood up and declared, “I testify that I have been hearing Abū Ja`far, peace be on him, saying this since forty years ago.” The traditions with the following numbers also show the aforementioned concept: 235, 242–308, 550, 551, 554–571, 608, 612, 641, 786–807, 859, 973, 974, 1216, and 1230. [^1]: Kifāyat al-athar, chap. 40, pp. 301–303, no. 3; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, chap. 41, p. 360, no.

230, with the following chain of narrators: “Abū l-Mufaḍḍal al-Shaibānī, from Muḥammad b. `Alī b. Shādhān, from al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. `Abd al-Wāḥid, from al-Ḥasan b. al-Ḥusayn al-`Uranī, from Yaḥyā b. Ya`lā, from `Umar b. Mūsā, from Zaid.” [^2]: Ithbāt al-waṣiyya, p. 204; Ghaybat al-Nu`mānī, chap. 4, pp. 96–97; Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 36, chap. 45, p. 395, no. 11. [^3]: A muḥaddath is a person whom the angels speak with. This does not mean that the person whom the angels speak with is a prophet.

This can be inferred from verses 19:17–19 of the Holy Quran that mention the story of Mary, peace be on her, speaking with one of God’s angels—Ed. Previous…