the third party is to explain their belief in imamate. they agreed that in every era there must be an infallible imam who upholds the truth to whom one can refer in interpreting the apparent meanings and resolving the problems in the quran the traditions and the rationales. they agreed that he is the one who undertakes this matter and that this is current in their lineage and will never be interrupted forever. it is not permissible for it to be interrupted as it would entail neglecting the truth and covering it up for people and invalidating his saying peace be upon him every cause and lineage is interrupted except my cause and lineage and his saying did i not leave among you the quran and my family? they agreed that the imam is equal to the prophet in infallibility and knowledge of the truths of the truth in all matters except that revelation does not descend to him but rather he receives that from the prophet for he is his successor and equal to his status. it is not conceivable that there be two imams at one time just as it is not conceivable that there be two prophets whose sharia differs. yes the imam seeks support through the proofs the authorized ones and the wings and the proofs are the callers. so they said that the imam must have twelve proofs at every time who are appointed in the regions dispersed in the cities and four of the twelve must be present in his presence and not leave him and every proof must have assistants for him in his affair. he does not call alone and the name of the authorized assistant is with them. the callers must have messengers to the imam to report their conditions to him and issue them to them from him. the name of the messenger is aljanaah.
الطرف الثالث بيان معتقدهم في الإمامة وقد اتفقوا على انه لا بد في كل عصر من إمام معصوم قائم بالحق يرجع اليه في تأويل الظواهر وحل الإشكالات في القرآن والاخبار والمعقولات واتفقوا على انه المتصدي لهذا الأمر وان ذلك جار في نسبهم لا ينقطع أبد الدهر ولا يجوز أن ينقطع إذ يكون فيه إهمال الحق وتغطيته على الخلق وإبطال قوله عليه السلام كل سبب ونسب ينقطع الا سببي ونسبي وقوله ألم أترك فيكم القرآن وعترتي واتفقوا على أن الامام يساوي النبي في العصمة والاطلاع على حقائق الحق في كل الامور الا انه لا ينزل اليه الوحي وانما يتلقى ذلك من النبي فانه خليفته وبإزاء منزلته ولا يتصور في زمان واحد امامان كما لايتصور نبيان تختلف شريعتهما نعم يستظهر الامام بالحجج والمأذونين والاجنحة والحجج هم الدعاة فقالوا لا بد للإمام في كل وقت من اثنى عشر حجة ينتدبون في الأقطار متفرقين في الأمصار وليلازم أربعة من جملة الاثنى عشر حضرته فلا يفارقونه ولا بد لكل حجة من معاونين له على امره فانه لا ينفرد بالدعوة بنفسه واسم المعاون المأذون عندهم ولا بد للدعاة من رسل الى الإمام يرفعون اليه الأحوال ويصدرون عنه اليهم واسم الرسول الجناح