The Reality of Khilafah — Page 6
SIRRUL-KHILAFAH— 6 As the arrows of calumny and curses rained down on me from the Sunni sect attempting to cause me injury, I received letters from some of the most respected Shiites and their scholars. They asked me about the issue of Khil a fah and the hallmarks of the true Imam. They sought truth and guidance, and some of them even entertained kind thoughts about me, understanding that I was their sincere well-wisher. They spoke about me honestly, without bias and with a pure heart. They wrote letters to me with great longing and eagerness, requesting that I confer upon them a book that would be a means of healing and satisfaction for them and would furnish them with the strongest arguments. Thereafter, they sent me a series of letters in which I saw signs of their hearts’ restlessness, reminding me of my own former condition. I scrupled and hesitated until my Lord, the Self-Sufficient, strengthened me and instilled in my heart what He instilled, and so I rose to defend the truth, fearing none but Allah, the Most High. Indeed, Allah is sufficient for His servants who place their trust in Him. Know that the Sunnis opposed me after I made my claim and the Shiites treated me as a liar, rejecting the time of my appear- ance. The former uttered many cruel words against me, and I will probably hear even worse from the latter. I will, however, remain steadfast, God willing, until victory comes to me. My Lord is with me wherever I may be. He sees me and has mercy on me. He is Ar h amur-R ah im i n [the One who is the most Merciful of all who show mercy]. I have observed that most Shiite groups una- shamedly utter calumnies and do not even fear the Arbiter of the Hereafter. They do not try to gather the pearls of truth, nor have they tasted the fruits of the right path. They do not think like the righteous, nor do they favour the paths of guidance. Therefore, I