Hadith No. 12
Since the time of Nuh 
, people have not been without someone among them whom they have been commanded to obey.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ وَصَفْوَانِ بْنِ يَحْيَى جَمِيعًا، عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ قَالَ:
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: هَلْ كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا وَفِيهِمْ مَنْ قَدْ أُمِرُوا بِطَاعَتِهِ مُنْذُ كَانَ نُوحٌ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ؟ قَالَ: «لَمْ يَزَالُوا كَذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ».
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah, (in this manner that) he has said: My father and Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to us, they said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far al-Himyari narrated to us, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa and Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubaid, from Husain ibn Sa‘id, from Ja‘far ibn Bashir and Safwan ibn Yahya both, from Mu‘alla ibn Uthman, from Mu‘alla ibn Khunais, who said:
I asked Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—: “Since the time of Nuh , have people ever been without someone among them whom they have been commanded to obey?” He said: “They have always been like this, but most of them do not believe.”
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: لَمْ يَنْفَرِدْ بِهِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنُ خُنَيْسٍ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ هَارُونُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ الْغَنَوِيُّ.
Translation:
Mansoor (may Allah Almighty protect) said: Mu‘alla ibn Khunais is not alone in narrating this Hadith; rather, Harun ibn Hamzah al-Ghanawi has narrated it alongside him.
Attestation No. 1
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ شَعِرٍ، عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ الْغَنَوِيِّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ سَوَاءً.
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah and said: My father narrated to us, he said: Abdullah ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn Husain narrated to us, from Yazid ibn Ishaq Sha‘ir, from Harun ibn Hamzah al-Ghanawi, who said: “I said to Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) ”—then he mentioned a similar Hadith with no difference.
