قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع تَكُونُ الْأَرْضُ لَيْسَ فِيهَا إِمَامٌ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ يَكُونُ إِمَامَانِ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا وَ أَحَدُهُمَا صَامِتٌ.
“I asked Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘Can there be a time on earth without Imam?” The Imam said, “No, it can not be without an Imam.” I asked, “Can there be two Imams at a time?” He said, “No, unless one of them is silent.”
سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو إِلَّا وَ فِيهَا إِمَامٌ كَيْمَا إِنْ زَادَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شَيْئاً رَدَّهُمْ وَ إِنْ نَقَصُوا شَيْئاً أَتَمَّهُ لَهُمْ.
“I heard the Imam (a.s.) saying, ‘The earth is never left without an Imam so that if the believers would add any thing it would be brought back and if they would reduce anything it would be completed.”
مَا زَالَتِ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا وَ لِلَّهِ فِيهَا الْحُجَّةُ يُعَرِّفُ الْحَلَالَ وَ الْحَرَامَ وَ يَدْعُو النَّاسَ إِلَى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ.
“The earth has never been without a person with Divine authority who would teach people about the lawful and unlawful matters and call them to the path of Allah.”
قُلْتُ لَهُ تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ لَا.
I (the narrator) said to him: “Can the earth be without Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “No.”
قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَدَعِ الْأَرْضَ بِغَيْرِ عَالِمٍ وَ لَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُعْرَفِ الْحَقُّ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ.
“Allah does not leave the earth without a ‘Alim (scholar). Without this the truth would not be distinguished from falsehood.”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَجَلُّ وَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ الْأَرْضَ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ عَادِلٍ.
“Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, is far greater and above leaving the earth without an Imam of justice.”
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ لَا تُخْلِي أَرْضَكَ مِنْ حُجَّةٍ لَكَ عَلَى خَلْقِكَ.
“O Lord. You do not leave your earth without a person who would represent Your authority among the people.”
قَالَ: وَ اللَّهِ مَا تَرَكَ اللَّهُ أَرْضاً مُنْذُ قَبَضَ آدَمَ ع إِلَّا وَ فِيهَا إِمَامٌ يُهْتَدَى بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَ هُوَ حُجَّتُهُ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ وَ لَا تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ حُجَّةٍ لِلَّهِ عَلَى عِبَادِهِ.
“I swear to Allah that He has not, from the day Adam died, left the earth without an Imam who would guide people to the Lord as with divine authority over the servants of the Lord. The earth will never remain without an Imam with Divine authority over His servants.”
قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ ع[1] إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ حُجَّةٍ وَ أَنَا وَ اللَّهِ ذَلِكَ الْحُجَّةُ.
“ The earth is never without a person with divine authority and I swear to Allah that I am the person with Divine authority.”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَ تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ لَوْ بَقِيَتِ الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ لَسَاخَتْ[2].
“I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.), ‘Can the earth be left without the Imam?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “ Were to remain without Imam it would obliterate its inhabitants.”
قُلْتُ لَهُ أَ تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَإِنَّا نُرَوَّى عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَنَّهَا لَا تَبْقَى بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْخَطَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ أَوْ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ فَقَالَ لَا لَا تَبْقَى إِذاً لَسَاخَتْ.
“I asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ‘Can the remain without Imam?’” He replied, “No, it will not remain so.” I then said, “We narrate from Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) that the earth will not remain without Imam unless Allah becomes extremely angry with the people of the earth or with His servants.” The Imam (a.s.) sai
لَوْ أَنَّ الْإِمَامَ رُفِعَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ سَاعَةً لَمَاجَتْ بِأَهْلِهَا كَمَا يَمُوجُ الْبَحْرُ بِأَهْلِهِ.
“Would the Imam be taken away from the earth it will create waves against her inhabitants just like what the inhabitants of the ocean face.”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع هَلْ تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ إِنَّا نُرَوَّى أَنَّهَا لَا تَبْقَى إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْخَطَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ قَالَ لَا تَبْقَى إِذاً لَسَاخَتْ.
“I asked al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), “I can the earth remain without Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “No, it will not remain so.” I said, “We narrate that it will not remain without the Imam unless Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, becomes angry with the people.” The Imam said, “In such condition it will not remain bu