Finding indications of Imamate thought in the Twelvers debates at the time of the Pure Imams

Some of Muslim intellectuals and Orientalists hold that after the demise of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the occurrence of Saqife, for defending the legitimacy of Imam Ali’s (AS) governorship, Shias, though started to object, had no proof to substantiate the legitimacy of their Imam’s governorship. However, Shias believe that Imamate thought had been proposed at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and considered by Shias and defended in the form of debates. To criticize the Orientalists’ point of view, this research with a historical consideration has investigated and found indications regarding the basis and content of Shias debates with the opponents of Imamate thought, and it clarified that with the political deviation in determining the successor of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the divagation of the mind, most of the Shias debates has been around defending the vicegerency right of Imam Ali (AS), proposing the characteristics and traits of caliph and Imam, and its result was converting many of the opponents to the Shia denomination.