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‐Do they choose a righteous person or a mischievous one?
‐A righteous one.
‐Is it possible that they may choose the mischievous one when none knows the righteousness and
mischief that comes to the mind of other than him? ‐Yes.
‐So this is the reason I have given to you with a proof your reason trusts. Tell me of the apostles
Allah chose and revealed the Books to them, confirmed with inspiration and infallibility when they
were the great figures of the communities and the most rightly‐guided to be chosen. From among
them were (Musa) Moses and 'Isa (Jesus); though they were abundantly wise and perfectly
knowledgeable. If they intended to choose (someone), was it possible for them to choose a
hypocrite and they had thought that he was a believer?
‐No.
‐Though the epithet of Musa (Moses) had abundant reason and perfect knowledge, and received
the inspiration, he chose some hypocrites. That was (when) he chose seventy men from among
the notables of his people and had no doubt about their faith and loyalty. Allah, the Great and
Almighty, has said: And Musa chose out of his people seventy men for Our appointment. To His
words: For they said: Show us Allah manifestly; so the lightning overtook them on account of their
injustice. We have found that the one Allah had chosen to be a prophet chose the mischievous
and not the righteous; he thought that they were righteous. So we have come to know that none
has the right to choose except Allah, Who knows what hearts hide and what minds conceal."[1]
Surely man's abilities fall short of perceiving the righteous through whom the community
becomes happy; so this subject matter is in the hand of Allah, the Most High, Who knows hidden
affairs.
[1] Bihar al‐Anwar, vol. 13, p. 127.
The Statement of Imam al‐Rida
The deepest of all the proofs of the Imamate, the greatest of them in encompassing, including and
explaining this office and in (showing) the impossibility of electing someone for it is the talk of
Imam al‐Rida, peace be on him, with 'Abd al‐'Aziz b. Muslim. The Imam has explained many sides
of the Imamate; the following are some texts of the talk:
'Abd al‐'Aziz b. Muslim has said: "In the days of 'Ali b. Musa al‐Rida we were in Maru. We held a
meeting in its mosque; the people discussed the affair of the Imamate; they mentioned many
differences over it; after the talk had come to an end, I rose and (went) to visit Imam al‐Rida,
peace be on him. I told him about what the people had discussed; he, peace be on him, smiled
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