Reza Aslan Quote
Because human beings do not have the capacity to attain knowledge of God on their own, the Imam becomes a continuous necessity for all societies and in every era. So in addition to the fixed number of Imams who succeeded Muhammad’s earthly authority, there must also exist an ever-present or pre-existent Imam who, as the eternal guardian of the Revelation, functions as the Proof of God on Earth. Thus, the first Imam was neither Muhammad nor Ali but Adam.
Reza Aslan
Because human beings do not have the capacity to attain knowledge of God on their own, the Imam becomes a continuous necessity for all societies and in every era. So in addition to the fixed number of Imams who succeeded Muhammad’s earthly authority, there must also exist an ever-present or pre-existent Imam who, as the eternal guardian of the Revelation, functions as the Proof of God on Earth. Thus, the first Imam was neither Muhammad nor Ali but Adam.