provides no benefit whatsoever toward any of the purposes of the Imamate. Hence, when they find themselves deprived of the benefits of the Imamate, you see them submitting to an unbeliever or a tyrant in order to attain some of their objectives through him. While calling people to obey an infallible imam, they themselves end up submitting to one who is grossly unjust and utterly unbelieving. Could anyone be further removed from the purpose of the Imamate, or from goodness and honor, than one who has taken the path of regret?

In summary, Allah Most High has made certain religious and worldly interests dependent upon those vested with authority, whether or not the Imamate is the most important of all matters. Yet the Rāfidah are the people furthest removed from attaining these benefits. Thus, according to their own doctrine, they have forfeited the good sought through one of religion’s most important objectives and the noblest issues of concern to Muslims.

Indeed, their leading learned shaykhs asked [me] (1) to meet privately with one of them and discuss this matter with him. I therefore met with him privately and set forth their position on the subject. They argue, for example, that Allah has given His servants commands and prohibitions (2 so that through him they may attain some of their objectives 2) (2); He must therefore extend to them the gracious aid by virtue of which they will be more likely to do what is obligatory and refrain from evil. For if someone invites a person to eat his food and truly wishes him to eat, he takes measures that will assist him in doing so, such as greeting him cheerfully, seating him in a place suited to him, and the like. But if he does not wish (3) him to eat, he scowls at him, shuts the door, and so forth.

They adopted this doctrine from the Muʿtazilah; it was not among the principles held by their early shaykhs.

They then said:

The imam is a gracious aid, for when people have an imam who commands them to do what is obligatory,