Hawzah News Agency- The successor of the Prophet (PBUH), who guarantees the continuity of the life of the religion and is also responsive to the needs of humanity, is a distinguished personality who, in accordance with the high position of leadership, has certain characteristics, the most important of which are:

Piety; the ability to govern human society and manage it correctly based on religious teachings; Possession of Infallibility in such a way that he does not make the slightest mistake; And also, the knowledge that originates from the knowledge of the Prophet (PBUH) and is connected to divine knowledge, therefore the Imam is responsible for everyone in all material and spiritual regards.

Considering the aforementioned characteristics of the Imam, it is obvious that the selection of such a person is beyond the power and knowledge of the people and only God can choose the leaders and successors of the Prophet due to His infinite wisdom. Therefore, one of the most important characteristics of the Imam is that he is appointed by God.

Considering the importance of these characteristics, we will briefly explain each of them:

The knowledge of the Imam:

The Imam, who is responsible for the leadership of the people, must know the religion in all its aspects and be fully aware of its laws. Also, by knowing the interpretation of the verses of the Holy Quran and fully understanding the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH), he must explain the teachings of the religion and answer all the questions of the people on various topics and guide them in the best possible way.

It is obvious that such a scientific authority can be trusted and relied upon by the people, and such a scientific support can only exist through connection to divine knowledge; this is why Shiites believe that the knowledge of the Imams and true successors of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his progeny) is derived from the infinite knowledge of Allah.

Imam Ali (PBUH) says about the signs of a true Imam:

“The Imam is the one who is most aware of what is permissible and what is forbidden by Allah, and His various rulings, commands and prohibitions, and everything that people need.” (Mizan al-Hikmah, vol. 1, h. 916)

Extracted from the book “The Jewel of Creation”, with slight changes