Imam Mahdi (AS), when Sad b. ‘Abdillah al-Qummi asked him the reason why people cannot elect an Imam for themselves, replied, ‘Would he be a righteous man or a corrupt man? I said, ‘Righteous. He said, ‘Is it possible that the selected individual be actually corrupt, for no one really knows what passes through anothers mind, in terms of their righteousness or corruption? I said, ‘Yes. He said, ‘That is the reason why.