The Mahdi, based on the belief that he is alive at present, does not have general deputies so that they would be approved by him. His not announcing his approval of men who claim to be his general deputies is sufficient to invalidate their claim, and there is no need for him to announce his opposition to them; because in principle, they are not his deputies until he announces his approval of them. Therefore, his not announcing his approval of them is equivalent to his announcing his opposition to them; especially considering that “general deputyship” has no meaning in Sharia; because legitimate deputyship is a contract, and a contract requires an offer and acceptance. Therefore, it cannot be concluded for an unspecified general individual who cannot accept it; regardless of the fact that deputyship is possible in matters that are not contingent on a specific individual rationally or religiously, not in matters such as issuing fatwas without evidence and absolute guardianship over the religion and worldly affairs of people, which require guaranteed infallibility and are considered from the characteristics of Allah’s Caliph on the earth and therefore cannot be transferred to others. Therefore, general deputyship on behalf of the Mahdi is fundamentally impossible, and what is fundamentally impossible does not require him to announce his opposition to it; because his approval of it is impossible. In other words, the Mahdi does not have to reject something that is already rejected without his rejection; because that would be achieving what is already achieved, and a wise person like him would not do it; especially considering that he fears for his life from these individuals who claim to be his general deputies; because if they find out that he opposes them, they will not give up their false claim but rather will issue a fatwa against him and consider him a false claimant! Just as they currently issue a fatwa against the preparer of the ground for his advent, Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani, and consider him a false claimant, while he does not claim anything other than what he is doing, which serves as a preparation for the Mahdi’s advent and they can hear and see! Therefore, how abhorrent their action is that they falsely claim to be the Mahdi’s deputies, then accuse the one who prepares the ground for his advent without falsely claiming to be his deputy! Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَنْ يَكْسِبْ خَطِيئَةً أَوْ إِثْمًا ثُمَّ يَرْمِ بِهِ بَرِيئًا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلَ بُهْتَانًا وَإِثْمًا مُبِينًا﴾[1]; “And whoever earns an error or a sin and then casts it upon an innocent person has indeed burdened himself with a slander and a manifest sin!” How obscene their contradiction is that they claim to be the Mahdi’s deputies but show enmity to the preparer of the ground for his advent! Undoubtedly, if they were his deputies, as they claim, they would have been dismissed after doing this; because if the deputy betrays the one who appoints him and acts against his interests, he is dismissed as his authority is revoked!

It is understood from here that Muslim scholars are not the Mahdi’s general deputies. Allah has entrusted them with something and the Mahdi with something else, and what Allah has entrusted them with is to invite people toward the Mahdi and support him, not to invite people toward themselves and support each other, claiming to be his general deputies in matters that cannot be delegated, such as issuing fatwas without evidence and absolute guardianship over the religion and worldly affairs of people. ﴿فَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا لِيُضِلَّ النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾[2]; “Then who is more unjust than one who fabricates lies against Allah to mislead people without knowledge?! Indeed, Allah does not guide the unjust people.”