Shaykh Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī · First Principle: Necessity of Imamate
على أن الامام إذا كان مكلفا للقيام بالامر وتحمل أعباء الامامة كيف يجوز أن يكون معدوما وهل يصح تكليف المعدوم عند عاقل، وليس لتكليفه ذلك تعلق بتمكيننا أصلا، بل وجوب التمكين علينا فرع على تحمله على ما مضى القول فيه، وهذا واضح.
Besides, if the Imam bears the Divine duty of establishing order and carries the burden of Imamate, how is it possible for him to be non-existent? Would any sane person see it fair to commission someone non-existent with acts and duties? Bear in mind that these duties of his are not stipulated to our empowerment of him at all, but rather, our obligation of empowering and strengthening him is secondary to him carrying out these duties, as explained before and as is very much clear.
Translation: Sayyid Athar Husain S. H. Rizvi — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.
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