Fifth:

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—never instructed anyone to repent by means of such a supplication. Indeed, he never instructed anyone to offer such a supplication, whether in repentance or otherwise. Nor did he prescribe for his community that they adjure Allah by a created being. Had this supplication been prescribed, he would have prescribed it for his community.

Sixth:

Adjuring Allah by the angels and prophets is a practice for which there is no warrant in either the Book or the Sunnah. Indeed, more than one scholar—including Abū Hanīfa, Abū Yūsuf, and others—has explicitly stated that it is impermissible to adjure Allah by a created being. We have discussed this matter at length.

Seventh:

Even if this were prescribed, Adam is a noble prophet. How, then, could he adjure Allah by someone whom he himself surpasses in honor before Allah? There is no doubt that our Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is superior to Adam, but Adam is superior to Ali, Fātima, Hasan, and Husayn.

Eighth:

It may also be said: This is not among the exclusive qualities of the Imams, for it is established for Fātima as well, whereas the exclusive qualities of the Imams do not apply to women. Whatever is not exclusive to them does not entail the imamate, for evidence of the imamate must necessarily entail it: wherever such evidence is present, entitlement to the imamate must follow. If this were evidence of the imamate, anyone possessing this quality would be entitled to it. Yet a woman cannot be an Imam, as established by scriptural text and consensus.

[Section: The Eleventh Proof—“I Will Make You a Leader for the People.” He Said, “And of My Descendants?”—and the Response to It]

Section

The Rāfidī (1) said: “The eleventh proof is the saying of Allah Most High:

‘I will make you a leader for the people.’ He said, ‘And of my descendants?’