obedience to him until he appoints him to office; then he takes whatever wealth he pleases and resides in royal capitals. What recourse does the infallible person have against him?

It is thus evident that a single infallible person cannot achieve the intended purpose even when he wields authority. What, then, if he is powerless and subjugated? What if he is missing and absent, unable to address anyone? What if he is nonexistent, with no reality whatsoever?

The Seventh Point:

Restraining another from injustice, obtaining redress for someone wronged by him, and restoring other people’s rights to them all depend upon his being able to prevent injustice against himself and recover his own rights. If, being powerless and subjugated, he cannot repel injustice from himself or secure his own rights to authority and property—or even his wife’s right to her inheritance—then what injustice can he repel, and what right can he restore? What, then, if he is nonexistent, or so afraid of being killed by oppressors that he cannot appear in any village or city, and has remained continuously in this condition for more than 460 years (1), while the earth is filled with injustice and corruption and he cannot even learn of it firsthand? How, then, can he repel injustice from people or restore rights to their rightful owners?

How aptly do the words of Allah Most High apply to these people:

“Or do you think that most of them listen or understand? They are only like cattle—indeed, they are even farther astray from the Way.”

[Surah al-Furqān: 44].

The Eighth Point (2):

People hold two positions on the question of what may be deemed evil (3) on Allah’s part.

One group says that injustice cannot proceed from Him, that His doing anything evil is impossible, and that whatever