According to the teachings of the Qurʾan, one of humanity’s fundamental needs is the continual presence of an authoritative religious guide in every age. The Qurʾan not only affirms this necessity but also introduces concrete instances of such authority and delineates specific attributes by which these figures may be recognized. Within Shiʿi theology, religious authority is understood as a divinely instituted reality: God never leaves the earth devoid of an infallible scholar, chosen as His representative through whom divine proof (ḥujjah) is completed for humankind. The continuity of the line of divine proofs is ensured through divine appointment and the designation of each Proof to their successor. Among the most significant consequences of this uninterrupted religious authority are the guidance of the righteous and the establishment of decisive proof against the wicked.
The present study seeks to demonstrate, through Qurʾanic evidence, the necessity of the existence of a religious authority in every era. Drawing primarily on an exegetical analysis of Qurʾanic verses, it examines passages that explicitly or implicitly attest to the continuity of divine vicegerency and guidance, including the verses of Sūrat al-Qadr, the verse of ulu al-amr (those vested with authority), the verse of al-ṣādiqīn (the truthful), the verse concerning Adam’s vicegerency, the verses on the guides of nations, the verse on Abraham’s Imamate, and the verse of the Warner (nadhīr). By focusing on these Qurʾanic foundations, the article argues that the continuity of religious authority—embodied in the prophets and their divinely appointed successors—extends throughout all periods of human history until the Day of Resurrection.