2. The Question of Long Life
TheopponentsoftheShi‘ismprotestthataccordingtothebeliefsofthis
schooltheHiddenImamshouldbynowbenearlytwelvecenturiesold,
whereas this is impossible for any human being.
Inansweritmustbesaidthattheprotestisbasedonlyontheunlikeli-
hoodofsuchanoccurrance,notitsimpossibility.Ofcoursesuchalong
lifetimeoralifeofalongerperiodisunlikely.Butthosewhostudythe
hadithsoftheHolyProphetandtheImamswillseethattheyrefertothis
lifeasonepossessingmiraculousqualities.Miraclesarecertainlynotim-
possible nor can they be negated through scientific arguments. It can
neverbe provedthat the causesandagents that arefunctioningin the
worldaresolelythosethatweseeandknowandthatothercauseswhich
wedonotknoworwhoseeffectsandactionswehavenotseennorun-
derstood do not exist. It is in this way possible that in one or several
members ofmankind therecan be operatingcertaincauses andagents
whichbestowuponthemaverylonglifeofathousandorseveralthou-
sand years. Medicine has not even lost hope of discovering a way to
achieveverylonglifespans.Inanycasesuchprotestsfrom“peoplesof
the Book” such as Jews, Christians and Muslims are most strange for
theyacceptthe miraclesof theprophetsof Godaccordingtotheirown
sacred scriptures.