The Need for the Imam — Page 20
20 to be accepted could save him. This was one Balaam, but thousands of such Balaams perished in the time of our Holy Prophet sa , for most of the Jewish rabbis had become like Balaam after the demise of Christianity. The Sixth requirement for the Imam is that he con- tinues to receive visions and revelations one after the other. The Imam of the age often receives knowledge, truths and verities from God through revelation. The revelations of other people cannot be compared to these revelations, for both in quality and quantity they are far superior to those of other people. It is through them that [the gates of] knowledge are thrown open and Quranic truths are revealed and all the problems and difficulties relating to the faith are solved. More- over, they manifest prophecies of the highest order that create an impact on the opponents. In short, visions and revelations of the Imams of the age are not merely confined to their persons but are extremely useful and auspicious in helping the faith, and strengthening the belief. God Almighty speaks to them very clearly and distinctly and answers their prayers. And many a time a dialogue ensues, whereby questions are followed by answers in quick succession. All this takes place in the form of such a pure, delectable and eloquent revelation that the recipient believes as if he were beholding God Himself. The revelation, the Imam of the age receives is not like the case of a person who surreptitiously