and at this they say that it is from the kindness of allah and his creation with creation that he does not leave anyone among creation who claims infallibility except the true imam because if another claimant appeared it would be difficult to distinguish the truthful from the false and creation would go astray in it. so from this we never see an opponent for the imam rather we see someone who denies him just as the prophet may allah bless him and grant him peace never had an opponent. the opponent is the one who says you are not a prophet but i am the prophet. the denier is the one who does not claim for himself but rather denies his prophethood. so this is how the matter of the imam will be. they said as for the banu alabbas even though time has not ceased to oppose them there was no one among them who claimed for himself infallibility and knowledge from god almighty of the truths of matters and the secrets of the sharia and independence from conjecture and reasoning based on conjecture. this characteristic is what is required and this claim was unique to the family of the messenger of god.
وعند هذا يقولون إن من لطف الله وصنعه مع الخلق ألا يترك احدا في الخلق يدعي العصمة سوى الإمام الحق إذ لو ظهر مدع آخر لعسر تمييز المحق عن المبطل وضل الخلق فيه فمن هذا لا نرى قط لإمام خصما بل نرى له منكرا كما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يكن له خصم قط والخصم هو الذي يقول لست أنت نبيا وإنما أنا النبي والمنكر هو الذي لا يدعي لنفسه وانما ينكر نبوته فهكذا يكون امر الإمام قالوا واما بنو العباس وان لم ينفك الزمان عن معارضتهم فلم يكن فيهم من يدعي لنفسه العصمة والاطلاع من جهة الله تعالى على حقائق الأمور وأسرار الشرع والاستغناء عن النظر والاجتهاد بالظن فهذه الخاصية هي المطلوبة وقد تفرد بهذه الدعوى عترة رسول