society?Can Islamic societyattain contentmentandhappinesswithout
divine supervision and leadership?
Soifthereisaneedforthedivine,sinlessleader,andIslamicsociety
wantsadivineeducator,howcanitbesaidthatthismatterhasbeenig-
nored by Islam and that the people have been left to themselves?
Inshort,thesamephilosophywhichdemandstheappointmentofthe
ProphetalsopreciselydemandsthatGodshouldintroduceandappoint
a successor through the Prophet.
TheProphetofIslam(a.s.)saidinthelatterpartofhislife:“OPeople,I
swearbeforeAllāhthatIhaveexplainedwhatwillmakeyounearerto
heavenandwhatwilltakeyoufarfromtheFire.”Withthisexplanation,
howcanitbesaidthattheProphetofIslamdidnotappointhisimmedi-
ate successor?