all that, say that Allah’s creating him is beneficial and an act of grace; that Allah is obligated to create him; and that the welfare of people in their religious and worldly affairs cannot be secured without him. Yet what good is there in any of this according to the Rāfidah’s own position?

They further say:

Allah is obligated to do for His servants, in their religious and worldly affairs, the best that lies within His power. Yet He grants the Kharijites, who disbelieve in him, a domain of their own(1) in which they wield power, and enables them to fight their enemies, while consigning them—the Rāfidah themselves(2)—and the infallible imams to an abasement(3) more severe than the abasement(4) of the Jews and Christians(5) and other protected non-Muslim subjects. Protected non-Muslim subjects can profess their religion openly. Yet as for those who are claimed to be Allah’s proofs against His servants and His gracious aid throughout His lands—without whom, it is claimed, there is no guidance, no salvation except through obedience to them, and no happiness except through following them—the last of them has been absent for more than(6) 450 years(7). No one has benefited from him in either religious or worldly affairs, and they cannot profess their religion openly as the Jews and Christians profess theirs.

For this reason, the people of knowledge have always maintained that Rāfidism is one of the innovations introduced by godless heretics who sought to corrupt the religion—the religion of Islam:

“Yet Allah will allow nothing but the perfection of His light, even though the disbelievers hate it.”

For the ultimate consequence of their position is to declare Alī and his household disbelievers, after having declared the Companions (and the majority)(8) disbelievers.