Some declarations of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) have been reported in the Nahj al-Balaghah in which he presents his view about the Imamate after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny). For example, he said in sermon number 144, “Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are deeply versed in knowledge, as against us, although Allah raised us in position and kept them down, bestowed upon us knowledge but deprived them, and entered us (in the fortress of knowledge) but kept them out. With us guidance is to be sought and blindness (of misguidance) is to be changed into brightness. Surely the Imams (divine leaders) will be from the Quraysh. They have been planted in this line through Hashim. It would not suit others, nor would others be suitable as heads of affairs.” He also said, in sermon number 3, “Beware! By Allah, the son of Abu Quhafah (Abu Bakr) dressed himself with it (the caliphate) and he certainly knew that my position in relation to it was the same as the position of the axis in relation to the hand-mill. The flood water flows down from me and the bird cannot fly upto me…”.
