To make this clearer, [it should be noted that] the traditions point to the bond between the Family and the Book and assert that they would remain among people until the Day of Resurrection. Consequently, it is necessary that there should always be a person linked to the Book, and it is necessary that the Book should always exist so as to be linked to the Family, until they return to the Prophet by the Pool. This would be in order that the adherence to them would serve to protect the community from being led astray, as the Prophet declared in this tradition. It goes without say‌ ing that the adherence to the Family means supporting them, obeying them in what they command and prohibit, and following their guidance. This thing is not condi‌ tional upon establishing contact with the Imam and speaking to him directly, for this was not possible for every obligated person (mukallaf) during the period of [his] presence, let alone [the current] period of occultation. The stipulation about the pos‌ sibility for some people to reach the Imam (peace be upon him) is a claim without evidence and justification. The Shiites, during the absence of the Imam, adhere to him, support him, and carry out his commands. One of these commands is to refer to the transmitters of the Imams teachings in dealing with future contingencies. As for adhering to the Quran, it is something that is impossible without accessing it. Hence, it is necessary that it should be among the community, in order for them to adhere to it. Otherwise, they might stray from the truth. This elucidation directs us to regard the invalidity of the argument that the Quran is preserved and is in the possession of the Hidden Imam, because the existenceof the Quran [whether it is in the Preserved Tablet or with the Hidden Imam] is not, by itself, sufficient for people to adhere to it.
An objection has been made to this elucidation to the effect that the traditions about the thaqalayn indicate that the verses that are free of alteration are those that contain the ordinances, because these are the ones that people have been asked to adhere to. Consequently, they do not refute the occurrence of alteration in the other verses of the Quran.
Our response to this is that the entire Quran, with all its verses, has been revealed by God for the guidance of humanity, and for leading them to their full potential of perfection in all respects. As such, there is no difference between verses which con‌ tain ordinances and other types of verses. We pointed out earlier that, although the apparent s-ense of the Quran is a narrative one, its hidden purpose is exhortation. However, most of those who believe that alterations have occurred in the Quran claim that that happened in the verses that deal with the question ofwilaya (authority) or in those that resemble them. It is clear that if these verses are proven to be part of the Quran, then adherence to them should also be incumbent on the community.
Second, the belief in alteration entails that the Quran could not be used as an evidential text, and its literal sense should, accordingly, not be adhered to. More‌ over, those who hold the alteration view would be implying that the pure Imams confirmed the Book that is in our hands and approved the idea that people should resort to it even though its alteration had been established. In other words, the evi‌ dential character of the existing Book derives from its having been endorsed by the Imams as a basis for reasoning. The obvious meaning of the uninterruptedly trans‌ mitted traditions is that the Quran is one of the two recourses for the community and the foremost of the two sources of independent proof to which it is necessary to ad‌ here. Rather, it is the greater of the two things of high estimation (thaqalayn). Ac-