Everyone acknowledges this condition from his own personal...

Everyone acknowledges this condition from his own personal experience many times during his life. Therefore it is possible that a human may attain to the highest degree of this state, one which both ancient and contemporary philosophers have described. We maintain that the powers of the Imams to receive inspiration have reached the highest degree of excellence, and we say that it is a Divinely-given power.

By this means the Imam is able to understand information about anything, anywhere, and at any time, and he understands by means of this Divinely -given power at once, without recourse to methodological reasoning or guidance from a teacher. When he desires to know about some matter, it is reflected in his pure mind as if in a polished mirror.

It is clear from the histories of their lives that, like the Prophet, the Imams were not trained or taught by anyone at all, not even in reading and writing, from their childhood's to the maturing of their minds. No author or teacher was seen to instruct one of them, but they were incomparable masters of knowledge, so that they were never asked about any problem without being able to answer it immediately, and they never said that they did not know.

They never required time to consider a question before replying. In comparison with this, it has never been said of any Islamic scholar, narrator or scientist, in his biography, that he did not study or was not educated by some other scholar, or that he never had any doubts about any problem, for human nature has always been thus. **26. Doctrine of Obedience to the Imams ** We believe that the Imams have authority, and that Allah has ordered people to obey them.

They are witnesses for mankind, doors opening the way of Allah, guides to Him, guardians of His knowledge, interpreters of His revelation, pillars of His Unity, and custodians of His Wisdom. They are the cause of peace among the inhabitants of the earth, just as the stars are for the heavens. And so the prophet said: My household is like the ark of Nuh; whosoever embarks upon it will be saved, and whosoever turns away from it will be drowned.

In accordance with the Qur'an, the Imams are: Honoured servants who speak not until He has spoken and act by His command (21;26-7) those whom he has kept away from uncleanness and cleansed with a thorough cleansing.