10. The reason why the Imam and his Hujjat are the same in their essence but separate in their bodily appearance

(10. The Reason why the Imam and his Hujjat are the same in their essence but separate in their bodily appearance).

If some one should ask why they are the same as regards their nature but exist separate in the bodily form, he may be answered in two ways. (The first) explanation is this. If their persons were not different so that one of them might preach in favour of the other, a suspision might arise amongst the common people and they might think that he is doing this for a mean purpose if he were to call them to join his own cause. But as long as he preaches apparently in favour of someone else, the mob does not consider him [Fol. 11) as doing this is his own favour, being ingnorant of the fact that both of them are one. They live in the world of multitude and find a proof of the Truth of the religion of our Lord and his Hujjat in what is said in the "blessed books" (fusul-I mubarak). At the same time if the Imam and his Hujjat were not the same in their religion and preaching, the result necessarily would be that this their religion and the Truth are different, manifold. And as soon as the (true) religion becomes manifold, it makes no difference whether there be two (sects) or seventy-one. The second reply is as follows: If their persons were not different, so that one could manifest himself in all the three worlds and the other observe the Truth only, a doubt might appear in the religion of the "people of order," who are the seekers after the way to the Truth, about the real character of his preaching. By these logical proofs and the evidence of tradition it is explained why in the six thousand years of the "night of the religion" the knowledge of Imam cannot be acquired without the help of his Hujjat.