other recourse.

When the Chief of the Exile(24) came into the presence of that Luminary of
divine wisdom, of salvation and certitude, the Imam Rida--had the Imam,
that mine of knowledge, failed in the course of their interview to base
his arguments on authority appropriate and familiar to the Exilarch, the
latter would never have acknowledged the greatness of His Holiness.

The state is, moreover, based upon two potent forces, the legislative and
the executive. The focal center of the executive power is the government,
while that of the legislative is the learned--and if this latter great
support and pillar should prove defective, how is it conceivable that the
state should stand?

In view of the fact that at the present time such fully developed and
comprehensively learned individuals are hard to come by, and the
government and people are in dire need of order and direction, it is
essential to establish a body of scholars the various groups of whose
membership would each be expert in one of the aforementioned branches of
knowledge. This body should with the greatest energy and vigor deliberate
as to all present and future requirements, and bring about equilibrium and
order.

Up to now the religious law has not been given a decisive role in our
courts, because each of the 'ulama has been handing down decrees as he saw
fit, based on his arbitrary interpretation and personal opinion. For
example, two men will go to law, and one of the 'ulama will find for the
plaintiff and another for the defendant. It may even happen that in one
and the same case two conflicting decisions will be handed down by the
same mujtahid, on the grounds that he was inspired first in one direction
and then in the other. There can be no doubt that this state of affairs
has confused every important issue and must jeopardize the very
foundations of society. For neither the plaintiff nor the defendant ever
loses hope of eventual success, and each in turn will waste his life in
the attempt to secure a later verdict which would reverse the previous
one. Their entire time is thus given over to litigation, with the result
that their life instead of being devoted to beneficial undertakings and
necessary personal affairs, is completely involved with the dispute.
Indeed, these two litigants might just as well be dead, for they can serve
their government and community not a particle. If, however, a definite and
final verdict were forthcoming, the duly c