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

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from ‘Amr ibn al-Ash‘ath who said: I heard Abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام say the following: “Do you think that a testator of us chooses whoever he wants as the executor of his will? No, I swear by Allah, it is not so. It is a covenant from Allah and His Messenger to a man and then to the next man until the matter is delivered to its rightful owner.” Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Minhal from ‘Amr ibn al-Ash‘ath from Abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام a similar hadith.