بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُ

O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you (4:59).

‘Those charged with authority’ are only the twelve sinless Imams (‘a) and; at the time of occultation, Sources of Imitation, who are learned, pious, and just, should be referred to.

في إكمال الدين في حديث عن جابر الجعفي عن جابر بن عبد الله الانصاري قال: قلت: يا رسول الله عرفنا الله ورسوله، فمن اولي الامر الذين قرن الله طاعتهم بطاعتك؟ فقال (ص) هم خلفائي يا جابر، وأئمة المسلمين بعدي أولهم علي بن أبي طالب، ثم الحسن والحسين، ثم علي بن الحسين، ثم محمد بن علي المعروف في التوراة بالباقر وستدركه يا جابر فإذا لقيته فاقرأه مني السلام. ثم الصادق جعفر بن محمد، ثم موسى بن جعفر، ثم علي بن موسى، ثم محمد بن علي، ثم علي بن محمد، ثم الحسن بن علي، ثم سميي وكنيي حجة الله في أرضه، وبقيته في عباده ابن الحسن بن علي، ذاك الذي يفتح الله على يديه مشارق الارض ومغاربها

In ‘Ikmal ad-Din’ a tradition, through ‘Jabir al-Ju’fi’, is narrated from Jabir Ibn Abdillah thus:

I said:

“O Messenger of Allah, we have known Allah and His Apostle; then who is ‘Ulil-Amr’, those that Allah has made their obedience the same as your obedience?’

Then, the Prophet (S) said:

‘O Jabir! They are, after me, my successors and the Guides of Muslims; the first of them is ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib; then (Imam) Hasan, and (Imam) Husain; then ‘Ali Ibn il-Husain; then Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali, known in the Torah as Baqir, whom you will see.

O Jabir! When you visit him, give my regards to him. After him, there is Sadiq, Ja’far Ibn Muhammad; and after him Musa Ibn Ja’far; then ‘Ali Ibn Musa; then Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali; then ‘Ali Ibn Muhammad, then Hasan Ibn ‘Ali; and after him (there comes) Al-Qa’im whose name and sir-name is the same as mine. He is Allah’s Authority on the Earth and His Remainder amongst His servants.

He is the son of (Imam) Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (al-Askari). This is the very personality by whose hands Allah will open the Easts and Wests of the world.’1

قال الله تعالى:

Allah Ta’ala said:

وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ

Nor does he (the Apostle) speak out of desire (53:3).

إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

It is naught but revelation that is revealed (53:4).

قال النبي (ص): “إني تارك فيكم التقلين، كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي، وإن اللطيف الخبير أخبرني أنهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا بماذا تخلفوني” وفي حديث آخر: “لن تضلوا ما إن تمسكتم بهما”

The Prophet (S) said:

“I leave behind me two weighty (very worthy and important) things:

The book of Allah (i.e. the Qur’an), which is a stretched string from the heaven to the earth, and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt; for verily Allah, The Merciful, The Aware, informed me that never, never, will these Two get separated from each other until they meet me at the Houd of Kauthar (the Pond of Abundance).

Therefore, be careful and contemplate on how you will treat them (after me)”

...and in another tradition, it is added:

“Never, never, shall you get astray if you attach yourself to these two”.2

Abul Hasan ar-Ridha’ (‘a) said:

“May the Mercy of Allah be upon the servant who Keeps alive our commandment”.

I asked him (‘a) how the one could keep your commandment alive.

He (‘a) said:

“He (can) learn our sciences and teach them to people. In fact, if people knew (the merits) and goodnesses of our speech, surely, they would follow us.”3

• 1. Ikmal ad-Din, Vol. 1, p. 253; with nearly similar meaning, in Yanabi al-Mawaddah, p. 117.
• 2. Ma’ani al-Akhbar, p. 90, tradition 2, and Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Vol. 3, p.17, and other books from the Sunnite School and Shi ‘ah School mentioned in Ihqaq al-Haqq, Vol. 9, p. 309 to 375.
• 3. Ma’ani al-Akhbar, p. 180 and ‘Uyun al-Akbar ar-Ridha’, Vol. 1, p. 207.