Ibn Yahya, counter question, do you believe a person not chosen by God can be said to represent God and that following him would be following God as far as guidance goes?
I do believe we can inspire others and be leaders in that sense or can guide people to certain things if we show them by means of reason, that we can by following the truth, manifest beautiful virtues, but I don't believe non-appointed people by God can be a door to God, that following him would be following God in the sense of following for guidance to God.
I also believe this is true of any group of non-appointed people by God, that collectively, they can't be said that following them would be following God.
None of them hold that authority which believing in would believing in the authority of God and his role in guiding humanity.
None of them hold the position that people must follow them neither do they hold position that it's alright if people do follow them.
Rather, people must rely on God, and be guided by God. God guides to the truth and the means he does so has been explained in Quran.
From who he has created are a people who guide by the truth and who he has manifested their positions, making them ways, and yes they are grandchildren of a founder to that nation.
We have to follow ONLY what God has brought down, and he has brought down a reminder, which is a Messenger as well as a book, and the light down brought down with him is also the Imams as well as the Quran, the people who guide by the truth and don't mix in it any falsehood, the Imams who guide by his command.
This doesn't mean we cannot learn from each other, but the axis of authority, and the springs we are suppose to drink from, are suppose to be the chosen ones.
Thats all good but that leads to the question. Where is this infallible guidance?
Define infallible guidance? I don't know what you mean by it. Even during the time of Moses and Aeron, despite having guidance, people didn't follow it.
God has promised a guidance from him will come to humanity. The question really is not the quality of his guidance, but if we are willing to follow.
When we believe and change our hearts, and rely on God, and rely on his name, everything becomes easy.
There is people who learn magic and have built better countries then Islamic countries today. Their ethics is higher, their civilization is higher, their knowledge of religions is more in depth, and at the same time, they are certain of the occult world, in which they have contact.
They can bring their magic and say, these are proofs we are guided, but Quran distinguishes between what is unclear and what is clear proof of a person claiming he is a Guide and ought to be followed on behalf of God.
They can say we are all theory and no substance like you.
There comes a choice, will you rely on God or will you rely on people you don't know for certain are guided. This is while it's a certain fact God guides by the truth and so it's all about finding how he does so.
Your reasoning unfortunately, that since the Guide is hidden, we can rely on fallible people, does away with the whole argument for submission to God as the way and path.
People can argue if we don't need Guides today, why do we need them in the past. You can say but our scholars have to learn from a guide (Mohammad the Prophet) by God, but people can counter that argument and say, why though, why when you end up following people who are not chosen guides.
And people can say "teaching knowledge and showing enlightenment" is better then the system of Rijaal of just saying so and so is trustworthy and so and so is not, but rather, showing knowledge, teaching spirituality.
And people can say why one Angel Jebreil to one human being to receive a message, why can't we all communicate to Angels.
And then by this logic, of not relying on God, not distinguishing between his chosen ones and normal people, the hidden religion of the freemasons will become popular.
They will have their "avatar" (the Pharaoh) and his magicians and his followers, and they can mock, well where is your Jesus coming now, where is your Mahdi.
And then people will have to choose, do they wait for clear proof of a Guide or do they settle for people who have no clear proofs that they are guides.
And as long as humanity clings to want to follow low people, people who are not exalted and chosen way above the worlds, then it will get so bad, that these people will claim to know the same things as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc, and that they can teach the sercet knowledge.
The thing is they also talk about "God's guidance" but what they mean by that, is what their group determines is enlightenment and guidance.
Your reasoning to me is refuted in the same way their reasoning is refuted, the way the Quran has refuted.
I could care less if the whole world unites on a leader without proof he is guided from God, you can count me out.
And magic won't convince me a person is truly guided, it has to be a full out clear sign and miracle, like the examples given in Quran.
I'll patiently wait, thank you, rather, then acknowledging the right of people to claim that should come to them, or follow them or be guided by them.........
I believe in God, the one who guides the believers, and takes them out of the darkness to the light, because he is the Master and give his authority to who he pleases.
I believe in confirming those who have clear proofs of their authority and never putting in their position people who don't, lest I rely on other then God's guidance.