Question:

According to Al-Khu’i, is the scholar who rules the successor of the messenger (s)?

Answer:

Abu Al-Qasim Al-Khu’i writes:

وأما قوله صلى الله عليه وآله اللهم ارحم خلفائي ثلاثا قيل ومن خلفاؤك يارسول الله؟ قال الذين يأتون من بعدي ويروون حديثي وسنتي فهو أيضا لا دلالة له على الولاية (للفقيه) لتصريحه بأن الذين يأتون بعده خلفاؤه في رواية الحديث لا في غيره من الامور مضافا إلى ظهور قوله من بعدي في إرادة الأئمة عليهم السلام لأن العلماء خلفاء الأئمة عليهم السلام ويأتون بعدهم عليهم السلام لا بعد النبي صلى الله عليه وآله ولعله ظاهر

“As for the Prophet’s statement which he said three times: “God have mercy on my successors!” Then one asked: “O Messenger of God, who are your successors” so he answered: “Those who come after me and report my saying (Hadith) and my custom (Sunnah).” So it is not a  proof for the governorship (of the legal scholar), for it clearly states that those who come after him are his successors with regard to the narrating of his sayings (Hadith) and not with regard to other matters besides this, in which his clear statement “after me” means “the Imams (a.)”, for the knowledgeable are the successors of the Imams (a.) and come after them, not after the Prophet (s.), and thus it may be manifest.” [At-Tanqih Fi Sharh Al-Makasib, Volume 2, page 168]

Ruhullah Al-Khumaini writes:

ولكن لماذا يتوقف بعضنا في معنى جملة اللهم ارحم خلفائي؟ لماذا يظن هذا البعض أن خلافة الرسول محدودة بشخص معين؟ وبما أن الأئمة عليهم السلام كانوا هم خلفاء الرسول فليس لغيرهم من العلماء أن يحكم الناس ويسوسهم وليبق المسلمون بلا حاكم شرعي ولتبق أحكام الإسلام معطلة وثغوره مفتوحة للاعداء هذا الظن وهذا الموقف بعيد عن الإسلام لأنه إنحراف في التفكير يبرأ الإسلام منه 

“But why do some of us stop at the meaning of the phrase:”God have mercy on my successors?” Why do some think that the successorship of the Messenger is limited to a certain personality and that the Imams (a.) are the successors of the Messenger (s.), that is to say, that none of the scholars other than the Imams are in a position to rule over the people and to exercise control over them, so that the Muslims, without a legitimate judge and the judgments of Islam, are set aside and his shelters remain open to the enemies? This opinion and position is far away from Islam, because it is a wrong way of thinking, from which Islam distances itself.” [Al-Hukumat-ul-Islamiyyah, pp. 61-62]

Comment:

The Prophet (s.) was clear enough as to who his successors (a.) are [here!]