[Section: The Ninth Proof—“Whoever Disputes with You Concerning Him after Knowledge Has Come to You”—and the Response to It]

A Section

The Rāfidī said (1):

“The ninth proof is the statement of Allah Most High:

‘Whoever disputes with you concerning him after knowledge has come to you, say, “Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; then let us earnestly invoke Allah and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.”’

[Surah Āl Imrān: 61]

All the authorities have transmitted that ‘our sons’ denotes al-Hasan and al-Husayn, ‘our women’ denotes Fātima, and ‘ourselves’ denotes Ali (2). This verse is proof (3) that Ali’s imamate is established, because Allah Most High designated him as the very self of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Since actual identity is impossible, what must be intended is equality with him in authority (4).

Moreover, if anyone besides these persons were equal to them—and even superior (5) to them—in having his supplication answered, Allah Most High would have commanded the Prophet to take such persons with him, since this was an occasion of need. Since they were the most excellent, the imamate necessarily belonged to them (6). Can the indication of this verse toward the desired conclusion be hidden from anyone except [from] (7) one over whom Satan has gained mastery and taken hold of the very core of