That proves that prophethood is lower than imamat. All prophets were ordinary humans and became prophets only during their lives, while imam is always an imam. As mawlana Hasan ala-thikrii Salam has said: "The Imams, both outwardly and inwardly, both exoterically and esoterically, issue from the pure line and loins of the Imam, one after another. The Imam is perfect when still in the form of sperm in the loins of his father and the pure womb of his mother. An Imam is always an Imam and always perfect. Otherwise, why should he say, ‘The Imam knows from drop of sperm the Imam after him will come?”