The Imamate and the Caliphate: authority, interpretation, and remembrance

Now, if the second Caliph had obeyed him who was well-grounded in knowledge and the Interpreter of the Book, that is, 'Ali, and had not uttered "Sufficient unto us is the Book of God," none of this harm and trouble would have transpired, nor would this destruction and disgrace have appeared. And nor would thirty thousand divines have arisen to contend and quarrel with him who was well-grounded in knowledge--for each one of Muhammad's companions viewed himself as an independent divine and derived his understanding of the religious commandments, observances and beliefs directly from the holy verses and traditions. And the one that, amidst all this, remained isolated and disregarded was 'Ali!

Regarding what you wrote about divine revelation, the holy Imams were the dawning-places of inspiration and the manifestations of the grace of the All-Merciful. Divine revelation was specific to the Messenger of God, therefore we do not call the words of the holy Imams the Word of God, rather we consider them divine inspiration....

The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.

"The Imamate is the reins of religion, the organization of Muslims, the welfare of the world, and the honor of believers. The Imamate is the growing foundation of Islam and its lofty branch. Through the Imam comes the perfection of prayer, charity, fasting, pilgrimage, jihad, the distribution of spoils and alms, the implementation of legal punishments and ordinances, and the protection of borders.

Did not God and His Prophet take from you a covenant regarding the successorship of His friend in many places of the earth, with truth upon truth? If ye believed in God, besides Whom there is no god, what aileth you, how do ye judge for yourselves other than what God revealed in His Book of truth aforetime preserved?

Thereupon, those present praised 'Ali and acknowledged his station. Even 'Umar exclaimed: "O 'Ali, blessed art thou, verily thou art my lord and the lord of all believers, both men and women." However, later they forgot all this.

These very words became afterwards the cause of his succession to the Caliphate because the word 'with us' included him also. Many proofs and arguments based on these words have been advanced.

And as for the Qur'anic dispensation after Imam Hasan 'Askari (peace be upon him), those souls who followed the Messenger (peace be upon him) and walked the path of the pure Imams were upon the truth.

The condemnation of God be upon him who regards me either as a representative of the Imam or the gate thereof.

And I bear witness that the successors of Muhammad - peace be upon him and his family - are twelve souls in the Book of God from the day He created not a letter in contingent being besides them, as God has testified for them in the might of His omnipotence, the sanctity of His divinity, the greatness of His glory, and the transcendence of His eternality, which none knows save He.

God beareth witness that there is no God but Him, and that those who are witnesses after Muhammad - these are, after the Primal Point, twelve stars in whom all are assured. God beareth witness that there is no God but Him, and that the Gates of Guidance - these are witnesses from God, and all act by their leave.

… This is a Temple unto Hasan, an Imam of mighty truth. This is the Temple for Husayn, the Imam of supreme truth.

And let him testify that 'Ali, Hasan, Husayn, 'Ali, Muhammad, Ja'far, Musa, 'Ali, Muhammad, 'Ali, Hasan, and the Proof, the Lord of the Age, are the trustees of the Messenger and the proofs of God over whatsoever is in the heavens and on the earth, all together; that they are honoured servants, who outstrip Him not in speech and according to His command do perform.

Thou hast explained its decree in the first word as the Imams of justice, the companions of Thy Messenger Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets - Thy blessings be upon them all.

And those who are witnesses after Him - these are the Imams who guide with truth and all return unto Him.

Preserve our beings from seeking protection from any save the Guardians of Thy Cause, the Custodians of Thy Mystery, the Interpreters of Thy Revelation, and the Pillars of Thy Unity--the Imams of Religion and the Guides of the people of certitude, Thy blessings be upon them all.

Al-Rida indicated: "Whoever says 'There is no god but God,' Paradise becomes obligatory for them, with its condition which is Unity, and its conditions which is Prophethood, and I am among its conditions which is the Guardianship."

Know thou with certainty that the shadow of the lower chain in relation to the higher chain is the essence of poison and the most intense fire, for the punishment of one who denies the Successor is the punishment of one who denies both the Prophet and the Successor. Apply this principle from the highest pearl to the lowest particle.

When it is established that in the principles of causes, the appearance of the First Remembrance is only possible in fourteen reeds, then through knowledge of that station is established the Guardianship of the Imams of the religion, through their own selves, demonstrate through wisdom; through their manifestations, demonstrate through counsel; and through their names, demonstrate through disputation in the most excellent manner. And verily the one who beholds the station of the Divine Essence and dwells in the kingdom of Names and Attributes, were he to witness the manifestations of the Universal Guardianship, would be able to prove by every aspect attributed to them their absolute guardianship over all created things.

The Imams (upon them be the peace of God) were created by His Word, and received their portion and share from the ocean of His grace and bounty before creation itself.

I inform you to sanctify your Imams from the description of contingent things and the attributes of created things.

And His Manifestations are twelve souls with God, whom God hath made the pillars of His unity, the banners of His sanctification, the manifestations of His uniqueness, and the signs of His sovereignty and might. None knoweth them save God Who created them and He Who is above them, and all others beside them are not mentioned in their presence, and if mentioned, are as a passing shadow - nay, I seek God's forgiveness for even this excessive limitation.

In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

O God! Thou art God, Creator of the heavens and earth, and Ordainer of night and day. There is no God but Thee, Lord of all the worlds. O my God! How can my lips move in Thy remembrance when my heart is filled with weakness and deficiency in praising Thee?

O my God! As Thou art in Thine essence, no thing can know Thee and no servant can describe Thee, for Thy very Being transcends all utterance, and Thy Reality evidences separation and distinction. There is no God but Thee. I bear witness to Thee in this Book as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself before all things. There is no God but Thee, alone, without partner. Thou hast ever been, and nothing existed with Thee, and now Thou art as Thou wert, and nothing exists with Thee.

If I say "Thou art Thou," verily it is but sin upon sin. If I say "No, no," it is but negation upon negation. If I say "He is He," verily it is but creation upon creation. And if I say "Glory be unto Thee, glory be unto Thee," verily it is but servant upon servant. Glory be unto Thee! No thing can glorify Thee, nor can any servant sanctify Thee, for sanctification itself is but a word of separation, and glorification shall be gathered on the Day of Resurrection nigh unto conjunction.

Glory be unto Thee! Glory be unto Thee! I worship Thee as Thou art worthy to be worshipped, and I proclaim Thy unity even as Thou bearest witness unto Thyself. There is no God but Thee, Lord of all the worlds.

I bear witness that Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, was Thy servant whom Thou didst choose through Thy knowledge, approve for Thy mystery, select for Thy revelation, elect for Thy message, and establish as the station of Thy authority in fulfillment and decree. For Thou hast ever been beyond association with created things and description by the loftiest heights of innovation. And Thou, as Thou art, art as Thou sayest: "Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He comprehendeth all vision, and He is the Subtle, the All-Informed."

And I bear witness to the Successors of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, as Thou didst bear witness to their rights before the creation of the heavens and earth, in such wise that none knoweth them save Thee, and none can describe them but Thee. For from the light of Thine essence hast Thou created them, from the flashing rays of Thy oneness hast Thou chosen them, from the holy splendor of Thy Self-Sufficiency hast Thou approved them, from the radiance of Thy bounty hast Thou selected them, and from the rays of the sun of Thy unity hast Thou elected them to a station whereat all things fall short, all submit to their sovereignty, hearts are drawn to the mystery of their proof, celestial spheres move in the kingdom of the Throne and heavens by their leave, the Throne is established upon the waters through their name, heaven sends down its blessings through their existence, the Spirit and angels descend upon them in every condition due to their loftiness, the ships sail by their grace, the seas surge at their mention, the earth is sustained by their guardianship, trees in lands and mountains put forth leaves through their holiness, trees bear fruit through the blessing of their deeds, gardens of delight spring forth from the earth through the works of their followers, rivers flow through the earth from the sorrow of their hearts, and pearl-bearing trees grow in the depths of the seas through the blessing of the water that flows from their eyes.

All this, O my God, was from Thy grace regarding their rights. Glory be unto Thee! There is no God but Thee. None knoweth them save Thee. Glory be unto Thee and exalted art Thou above what they describe!

Therefore, I beseech Thee, O my God, to send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the atmosphere of the cloud-white realm, then in the grasp of the divine realm, then on the throne of might, then in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Verily Thou art the Beloved of the worlds.

O God! I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad on Mount Hadith, then in the Dome of Time, then in the Land of Justice, then in the blessed spot where the Tree called out "O Moses! Verily I am God, the Lord of the worlds." O God! I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the tidings of the ancients, then in the tidings of the holy ones above the perception of the cherubim, then in the tidings of those brought nigh above the perception of the spiritual ones, then in the tidings of the latter ones. Verily Thou art God, the Master of the worlds.

O God! I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad in the pillar of fire, then in the clouds of light, then above the Ark of the Testimony, then in the depths of the Most Hidden Sea. Verily Thou art God, the Ultimate Goal of the mystics.

O God! I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad among the Messengers, then among the Prophets, then among the truthful ones, then among the worshippers. Verily Thou art God, the Companion of them that have recognized Thy unity.

O God! I beseech Thee to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad in the scrolls of the Prophets, then in the books of the latter ones, then in the tablets of those brought nigh, then in the psalms of the sincere ones. Verily Thou art God, the Lord of the worlds.

O my God! I cannot reckon their praise nor do I know a single letter of their virtues. Therefore, O God, bless them as they deserve and grant them peace according to their deeds. I testify that those among the people who warred against them are Thy enemies. They shall have no protector in the Hereafter save the fire, and they are the infidels.

O my God! How can I testify before Thee concerning the blessed leaf from the sacred Tree after Thou hast inspired me with the wisdom of Thy knowledge regarding them, that existence hath appeared through them and is concealed in them and points to them, and that none can comprehend them save Thee alone, Who hast no partner? Therefore, O my God, bless them as Thou art. Verily Thou art the Generous, the All-Wise.

O my God! The paths of detachment before Thee are open, and the gate of inaccessibility before Thee is raised high. Grant me, O my God, the perfection of Thy love and Thy good-pleasure, and attract our hearts through the attraction of Thy light, O Proof, O All-Glorious One! Send down upon me Thy sweet savors in the watches of the night and the ends of the day through Thy bounty, O Bestower!

O my God! I have no deed worthy of meeting Thee, and I know of a certainty that were I to live as long as the world endureth, I could not perform any deed worthy of that, for the station of the servant hath never been worthy of nearness to Thy presence except through Thy grace. Thy mercy hath encompassed me, and Thy bounty hath surrounded me. Glorified art Thou! There is no God but Thee. Raise me up unto Thee and honor me with tranquility in Thy presence and comfort me with Thyself alone. There is no God but Thee, for if Thou desirest good for a servant, Thou dost erase from around his heart every remembrance and condition save Thy remembrance alone, and if Thou desirest for a servant, on account of what his hands have wrought before Thee contrary to truth, evil, Thou dost try him with the afflictions of this world and the next that he may be occupied therewith and forget Thy remembrance.

Glorified art Thou, O my God! I seek refuge in Thee from being among those who believe not in Thee and hope not for Thy meeting and fear not Thy days and are not apprehensive of Thy justice and are not assured of Thy bounty and think of Thee as thought those who disbelieved before. Glory be to Thee and exalted art Thou! None knoweth how Thou art except Thee alone, Who hast no partner.

O my God! How can I mention my misdeeds before Thee when my good deeds are sins in Thy sight? I am ashamed to mention any of them, so how much more to mention my misdeeds which I have committed against Thee!

Glorified art Thou, O my God! If Thou wert to make all that Thou hast created and wilt create into a fire wherein naught but Thy fire would be mentioned, and if Thou wert to cause my body to grow, through Thy power, to a size beyond which, by Thy might, there could be no greater, and if Thou wert to cast me alone therein, and prolong for me in every state of being a torment greater than which no knowledge before me can encompass - even then I would deserve this as recompense for my good deeds before Thy face, how much more then for my evil deeds were Thou to exact retribution from me!

Glorified, glorified art Thou! Thou art, Thou art my Lord, there is none other God but Thee! Thou art praised in Thy deeds and obeyed in Thy inspirations. None can question Thy doings, while Thou dost question all concerning their deeds. Alas, alas, when Thou hast now inspired me with that torment, my heart cries out in my inmost being: "Alas, alas, would that I had died before this and been a thing forgotten, utterly forgotten!" Thou art the best witness that my whole being shudders, my inner self trembles, and my limbs quake at the severity of Thy judgment. I know not whether Thou desirest to inspire me with Thy grace in the face of that torment, or to frighten me with Thy power and Thy deeds.

Glorified art Thou! Far be it from any to think that Thou wouldst punish me with any of Thy wrath, nor do I witness in Thy mighty inspirations, even in the station of fear, aught but the rising of the sun of Thy mercy and bounty, that my heart might be at peace, my inner being might find rest, and my outward self might gain Thy good-pleasure.

Glorified, glorified art Thou! I seek Thy intercession with Thee, and hope in Thy grace and beneficence before Thee, and I implore Thy forgiveness for all that Thy knowledge encompasses. Thou art God, the Creator of all things, and Thou dost forgive, when Thou willest, all things. Thou art verily the All-Bountiful, the All-Wise. Glorified art Thou, my Lord, above what I have committed before Thee, and I say by Thy decree: All praise be to God, the Lord of the worlds.

These indicated ranks are the manifestations of the Imams of Justice in the unseen realm, and when the lights descend to the realm of witnessing, they are sacred temples in this world.

And these seven have manifestations in the station of revelation: of the Essence, Attributes, Deeds and Worship, which yield from the Word twenty-eight stations, corresponding to the letters of existence through which all being, both unseen and seen, is established. And none hath any portion therein save as God hath ordained for them.

As for what thou hast asked about the Chiefs [nuqaba'] and the Nobles [nujaba']: Yea, knowledge of them is obligatory upon all, and the pillars circle round the body of Fatima, the blessings of God be upon her, and the Chiefs circle round the heart of the Pillars, and the Nobles circle round the Chiefs. The Pillars look upon all things yet see naught but God alone. The Chiefs look through all things and see the Lord with them. The Nobles look through all things and see the Lord beyond them.

I say, seeking assistance from God, in the interpretation of certain traditions narrated in Al-Kafi concerning the knowledge of the unseen, from Sudayr who said: "I was with Abu Basir, Yahya al-Bazzar and Dawud ibn Kathir in the presence of Abu Abdullah when he came out to us in a state of anger. When he took his seat, he said: 'How strange of people who claim that we know the unseen! None knows the unseen save God. Indeed, I had intended to discipline my maidservant, but she fled from me, and I know not in which of the rooms of the house she is.'"

Answer to the Petition of Mulla Ahmad 'Abdal from Mah-Ku

In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Most Compassionate

Praise be to God, Who hath freed me to behold the raimented Splendour of the Presence of His Most Pure Self amid the mountains, and hath inspired me with the tokens of His oneness within the wide immensity of the billows of majesty, that thereby I might enter the carpet of His grandeur with praise on the Day of Return. Praise be to God -- a praise that towereth above every praise, resembleth no other praise, is matched by no praise, nor compared therewith; a praise that filleth the Book with light, the heaven with bounty, Paradise with favour, Hell with justice, and the earth with equity; a praise whose true due none knoweth save God and for which, in His knowledge, there can be no equivalent recompense; a praise He loveth and accepteth and maketh a gate leading forth unto the station of His glory and His laud. Verily, He is the Most Exalted, the Most High.

Send down, O my God, Thy blessings upon Muhammad, Thy chosen Servant, whom Thou didst fashion for Thyself and prefer above all the denizens of creation, making Him the seat of Thy sovereignty in the realms of sight and space, that He might manifest the exaltation of Thy Self above origination and the splendour of Thy devising -- since Thou art not conjoined with the bringing-forth of beings, nor described by the appearances of the people of splendour. Verily, Thou art God, the Great, the Most Sublime.

And send, O my God, Thy peace upon the receptacles of His knowledge and the vessels of His wisdom, the pillars of His Prophethood and the dwellings of His blessing -- Thy servants whom Thou didst choose for Thy religion, accept for Thy secret, and elect for Thy knowledge -- whom Thou hast portrayed in Thy Book, saying (and Thy word is the truth): "Honoured servants are they; they outstrip Him not in speech, and by His command they act." And send Thy blessings upon those who followed them in the manifestations of the essences of abstraction, the conditions of the effulgences of unicity, the stations of the verses of praise, and the tokens indicating glorification -- servants who with their whole beings turned toward Thee and witnessed Thy appearance in all things, so that they beheld no light save Thy light, and discerned no decree save Thy bounty and Thy justice -- Thy trusted ones whom Thou hast described in the conclusive verse that compriseth all the letters of being, at the end of Surih al-Fath.

And I bear witness to the twelve successors of Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, as twelve months in the Book of God from the day He created the heavens and the earth, whom God hath made, for the glory of His Beloved, the station of His Self, and made them in performance the station of His action, and removed all distinction between them and His Beloved, save that He distinguished His Beloved with a letter that none but His Self can precede and none can equal - may God's peace be upon him and his family and upon his family, the Guiding Imams, as God hath willed for Himself.

And I bear witness that your son Al-Hassan was God's proof and guardian, and through him the Throne was established upon the water and the celestial spheres were fixed in the kingdom of creation. He conveyed what was entrusted to him by his father in God's religion until he fulfilled his destiny. Verily we are God's and to Him we return.

And I bear witness that your son Al-Hussein, peace be upon him, was God's proof to all who are in the heavens and earth. He fulfilled God's covenant and arose with His Cause until he endured in God's religion what none other could bear.

And peace be upon him whom God chose through Ali, His Friend, whom He fashioned for Himself and made the Guardian over all created things. And peace be upon him whom God selected through Hasan, His Proof, whom He was well-pleased with for His Cause and made him the station of His Self in all stations. And peace be upon him whom God chose through Husayn, His Vengeance, whom He gifted with martyrdom and made him the sign of His Countenance in all proofs.

And make him wholly pleased with Thee, for he is not content save when there remaineth naught in his knowledge except the acknowledgment that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, and that Muhammad is Thy Beloved One and Thy Messenger, and that he is Thy Friend and the Successor of Thy Messenger, and the acknowledgment of what Thou hast ordained regarding the authority of the Imams after him and the Pillars of the House after them.

For were he to know that there existed in Thy knowledge even an atom that did not acknowledge Thy oneness, and his prophethood, and the authority of the Imams after him, and the pillars of the House from him, his heart would not rest nor would he be truly content with Thy creation, as his contentment with Thee in every condition is with him.

Prayer of Muhammad ibn 'Ali, peace be upon him:

Glorified art Thou, O my God! Thou art the Originator of the heavens and earth, possessed of might and splendor, of majesty and radiance, of grandeur and glory, of loftiness and names, of dominion and attributes. Through Thy camphor-like essence Thou hast sanctified Thyself above the recognition of all created things, and through Thine own Being Thou hast exalted Thyself above the praise of all existences. Through the glory of Thy holy Personality, Thou art beyond what any bird of the hearts can attain in the kingdom of names and attributes. Through the sublimity of Thy Self-Subsistence, Thou art exalted in such grandeur that the hands of the essences among the possessors of abstraction in the kingdom of earth and heavens cannot reach Thee. Thou art safeguarded in such an impregnable manifestation that none among all beings can know Thee.

I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy splendor which is more splendorous than all splendor, and Thy majesty which is more majestic than all majesty, and Thy beauty which is more beautiful than all beauty, and Thy grandeur which is greater than all grandeur, and by Thy light which is more luminous than all light, and by Thy mercy which hath encompassed all atoms, and by Thy perfection which is more perfect than all perfection in the kingdom of earth and heavens, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad ibn 'Ali, Thy Proof and son of Thy Proof, with the most excellent blessings Thou hast ever sent upon any of Thy chosen ones or bestowed upon any of Thy sincere ones. And cause, O my God, his heart to be well-pleased with Thee, his spirit with Thy Prophet, his soul with his chosen forefathers and then with the Imams after him, the pure ones, and his body with the pillars of Thy Sacred House, for verily none but Thee possesseth this, nor can any besides Thee accomplish it.

Make his eyes, O my God, to be gladdened by there being naught in his knowledge that he would dislike, that all things may bear witness to that for which Thou didst create them - the testimony that there is no God but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God and that the Imams are the Proofs of God and that the Gates of the House are the Manifestations of God's Mystery. For this is that for which Thou hast created, sustained, caused to die and given life to all things. There is no power nor strength except through Thee. Through Thee have I become independent of all else but Thee, and have hoped for Thy grace and beneficence, being certain that Thou art God, there is no God but Thee, the Lord of all worlds.

I beseech Thee, O my God, at this moment to send Thy blessings upon Thy Proof, the son of Thy Proof, Muhammad ibn 'Ali, the mine of Thy revelation, the wellspring of Thy glory, the tongue of Thy oneness, the repositories of the command of the kingdom of Thy sanctity, the wonders of the signs of Thy lordship, and among the manifestations of Thy detachment, Thy light whom Thou hast established in Thy own station and chosen for the manifestation of Thy justice and favor, and to whom Thou hast specially given that which is best with Thee of the glances of the lights of Thy countenance and the effulgences of the glory of Thy face.

I beseech Thee at this moment to send down Thy mercy and the blessings of Thy sovereign oneness upon Hasan ibn 'Ali, Thy proof and the son of Thy proof, Thy friend and the son of Thy friends, Thy chosen one and the son of Thy chosen ones, whom Thou hast made the manifestation of Thy unity and the door of Thy oneness and the proof from Thee unto all Thy creation.

Muhammad is alive. He is the Self-Subsisting over 'Ali. He is the Wisdom of Fatimih. He is the Justice of Hasan. He is the Holiness of Husayn.

The gates of Thy mercy are resplendent for the people of Thy love, and the manifestations of the dominion of Thy celestial kingdom are evident unto the people of Thy guidance. I turn unto Thee, O my God, through Muhammad and 'Ali and Fatimih and Hasan and Husayn and 'Ali son of Husayn and Muhammad son of 'Ali and Ja'far son of Muhammad and Musa son of Ja'far and 'Ali son of Musa and Muhammad son of 'Ali and 'Ali son of Muhammad and Hasan son of 'Ali and Muhammad son of Hasan - Thy proofs unto all Thy creation and Thy trustees throughout all the kingdoms of Thy earth and heaven - and through Thy names which Thou hast treasured with Thee and reserved unto Thyself, being certain and assured that there is no glorification except unto Thee, no praise except unto Thee, no unity except unto Thee, and no magnification except unto Thee, and that unto Thee belong creation and command, and that Thou art independent of all things while all things are dependent upon Thee through their reality and through what Thou hast established therein of the manifestation of Thy will.

I beseech Thee, O my God, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, and to do with me what is worthy of Thee, for Thou art the Lord of righteousness and the Lord of forgiveness, and to cause all who have believed in Thee and in Thy signs and who seek Thy good-pleasure to enter the kingdom of Thy grace and Thy glory. Verily Thou art our Lord, the Lord of the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is between them, the Lord of all worlds. Through Thee have we become independent of all else besides Thee, through Thee have we taken refuge in all that hath been sent down unto us from Thee, upon Thee do we rely in our journey's end and our abode, unto Thee do we commit ourselves and what Thou hast given us to possess, and unto Thee do we entrust our affairs which Thou hast numbered in the Mother Book. We have naught save through Thy grace and Thy bounty. Therefore, O God, send Thy blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, who stand in ranks at all times, before time and after time. Glory be to thy Lord, the Lord of might, above what they describe.

I bear witness that there is no God but Him, and I bear witness to Muhammad and Ali and Fatima and Hasan and Husayn and Ali and Muhammad and Ja'far and Musa and Ali and Muhammad and Ali and Hasan and Muhammad, the Master of the Command and the Successor, peace be upon them, as God has indicated concerning them.

I beseech Thee, O God, to send Thy blessings upon Muhammad, and 'Ali, and Fatimih, and Hasan, and Husayn, and 'Ali son of Husayn, and Muhammad son of 'Ali, and Ja'far son of Muhammad, and Musa son of Ja'far, and 'Ali son of Musa, and Muhammad son of 'Ali, and 'Ali son of Muhammad, and Hasan son of 'Ali, and Muhammad son of Hasan, and the manifestations of those four pillars after the ten in the world of testimony and after the unseen, when the Tree of Oneness shall not manifest the station of the Primal Point in the highest unseen realm - those sacred temples of fourteen letters - nor in the world of testimony, until the Cause returneth unto Thee in the Point as it began.

I bear witness that after their slaying, they are like unto what they were before - living in Thy presence, working by Thy command and ruling by Thy decree. Neither limitation nor changing years affect them. Therefore, O God, bestow Thy peace upon them as they deserve, and punish their enemies, O God, according to their deeds.

In Revelations 12, the woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet, represents the Muhammadan religion. The sun and moon are the Turkish and Persian Empires. The twelve stars around her head represent the twelve Imams.

"And upon her head a crown of twelve stars," means that that law was upheld by twelve Imams after the member of the Tribes and Apostles; for: after the departure of the Apostle, Mohammad, the Imams were twelve.

And the meaning of "the Spirit" in His saying: "The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the leave of their Lord, with every command," is the Qa'im; and by "the angels" are intended the Imams....

The available source contains an omission or incomplete wording; sentence boundaries need review.

As for the transmitted tradition [hadith] that there are twelve Imams from His Holiness the Commander [Ali] to Muhammad ibn Hasan, and the second tradition that there are twelve Imams from the lineage of His Holiness Ali and Her Holiness Fatima - there is contradiction between these two traditions.

On this, that 'Ali, peace be upon Him, hath returned to the world, together with all His faithful, and all who believed in the one other than Him.

… On this, that Hasan, peace be upon Him, hath returned to the world, together with all His faithful, and all who believed in the one other than Him.

… On this, that Husayn, peace be upon Him, hath returned to the world, together with all His faithful, and all who believed in the one other than Him.

Forgive us through their right, relieve us through their grace, cause us to die in obedience to them after having recognized them, bring us to life in their return, make us secure in their dominion, steadfast in their rule during their absence, thankful for their bounties, content with their decree, patient under their trials, mindful of their traditions, following their traces, and keeping their secrets - through Thy favor and bounty, O my God and God of my forefathers: Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, Ali, Muhammad, Ja'far, Musa, Ali, Muhammad, Ali, Hasan and the Proof, the Qa'im - God's blessings be upon them and upon their cherubic followers.

These are the followers of the learned who associate with the people of this world and the transgressors through obedience to God, blessed and exalted be He, and to His friends, practicing dissimulation in their religion and fear of their enemy. Their spirits are attached to the highest realm.

I beseech Thee by the Tree of Divine Purpose, and the Sign of the Worshipped One, and the reality of bowing and prostration, and the Witness and the Witnessed, and the Absolute Intercessor on the Promised Day, and by the Imams who guide aright, who call unto God from the beginning of the worlds of existence to the ultimate degrees of witness, that Thou shouldst shower benedictions upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad - benedictions that would fill with their light all regions of existence - and that Thou shouldst grant unto their followers a perfect, complete and blessed peace that would lead those who hold fast unto it to the reality of the Divine Purpose, and that Thou shouldst grant those who take refuge in Thy hidden mystery and Thy manifest remembrance that which they ask of Thee, of virtuous offspring and noble fortune, by the right of Thy Sacred House, the qiblih of those who bow down and prostrate, and by the Sacred City, the Praised Master, the best of fathers and the noblest of those born.