The Imamat (Leadership with Divine Authority) is a Covenant from Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, Delivered as such by the preceding Imam to the succeeding Imam عليه السلام one after the other

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’who has said that ‘Umar ibn Aban has narrated to me from abu Basir who has said the following. “Once I was in the presence of abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام. People mentioned the executors of the will and I mentioned Isma‘il. The Imam عليه السلام said, “No, I swear by Allah. O abu Muhammad, it is not up to us. It is up to no one except Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. He makes them descend one after the other.”