والذي ينبغي أن يجاب عن السؤال الذي ذكرناه عن المخالف أن نقول إنا أولا لا نقطع على استتاره عن جميع أوليائه بل يجوز أن يظهر لأكثرهم ولا يعلم كل إنسان إلا حال نفسه فإن كان ظاهرا له فعلته مزاحة،وإن لم يكن ظاهرا له علم أنه إنما لم يظهر له لأمر يرجع إليه وإن لم يعلمه مفصلا لتقصير من جهته وإلا لم يحسن تكليفه.
The appropriate answer to this question, which we mentioned on behalf of the opponent, is to say that first, we don’t believe in his occultation from all his devotees. Rather, it is possible that he appears to most of them. Everyone can only know his own condition. If the Imam appears to him, his excuse not to comply with religious duties ends; and if he does not appear to him, he discerns that the non-appearance is because of himself – though he may not know specifically why; otherwise, binding him with religious duties would be wrong.