Hadith No. 4
The Earth is never without an Imam who restores what they add and perfects what they decrease.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه] فِي «الْكَافِي»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ يُونُسَ وَسَعْدَانَ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ:
إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو إِلَّا وَفِيهَا إِمَامٌ كَيْمَا إِنْ زَادَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شَيْئًا رَدَّهُمْ، وَإِنْ نَقَصُوا شَيْئًا أَتَمَّهُ لَهُمْ.
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi, (in this manner that) he has said: Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated to me, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Mansoor ibn Yunus and Sa‘dan ibn Muslim, from Ishaq ibn Ammar who said: I heard Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—
say:
Indeed, the Earth is not without an Imam on it who, if believers add something, brings them back, and if they decrease something, perfects it for them.
Attestation No. 1
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ [ت290ه] فِي «بَصَائِرِ الدَّرَجَاتِ»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ مَوْلَى طِرْبَالٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَنْ تَخْلُوَ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ كُلَّمَا زَادَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شَيْئًا رَدَّهُمْ إِلَى الْحَقِّ وَإِنْ نَقَصُوا شَيْئًا أَتَمَّهُ لَهُمْ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffar [d. 290 AH] has narrated in the book Basa’ir al-Darajat and said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Husain ibn Sa‘id, from Ali ibn Asbat, from Sulayman, the freed slave of Tirbal, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “Indeed, The Earth is never without a scholar on it who, whenever believers add something, brings them back to the truth, and if they decrease something, perfects it for them.”
Attestation No. 2
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ [ت290ه] فِي «بَصَائِرِ الدَّرَجَاتِ»[3]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْحَجَّالِ، عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: «إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِيهَا مَنْ يَعْلَمُ الزِّيَادَةَ وَالنُّقْصَانَ، فَإِذَا جَاءَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِزِيَادَةٍ طَرَحَهَا وَإِذَا جَاؤُوا بِالنُّقْصَانِ أَكْمَلَهُ لَهُمْ، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَاخْتَلَطَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَمْرُهُمْ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffar [d. 290 AH] has narrated in the book Basa’ir al-Darajat and said: Muhammad ibn Abd al-Jabbar narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn al-Hajjal, from Tha‘labah, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) said: “Indeed, the Earth is not without someone on it who knows addition and imperfection, so that whenever Muslims add something, he discards it, and whenever they decrease something, he perfects it for them. And were it not so, the affairs of Muslims would have been mixed up for them.”
Attestation No. 3
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «عِلَلِ الشَّرَائِعِ»[4]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبَانٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمٍ مَوْلَى طِرْبَالٍ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَنْ تَخْلُوَ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ، كُلَّمَا زَادَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شَيْئًا رَدَّهُمْ وَإِذَا أَنْقَصُوا أَكْمَلَهُ لَهُمْ، فَقَالَ: خُذُوهُ كَامِلًا، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَالْتَبَسَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أُمُورُهُمْ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ الْحَقِّ وَالْبَاطِلِ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Ilal al-Shara’i‘ and said: Muhammad ibn Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated to us, he said: Husain ibn Hasan ibn Aban narrated to us, from Husain ibn Sa‘id, from Ali ibn Asbat, from Sulaym, the freed slave of Tirbal, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “Indeed, the Earth is not without a scholar on it who, whenever believers add something, brings them back, and whenever they decrease something, perfects it for them, then he says: ‘Take it in its perfect form.’ And were it not so, the affairs of believers would have become doubtful for them, and they would not have distinguished the truth from falsehood.”
Attestation No. 4
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «عِلَلِ الشَّرَائِعِ»[5]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي عِمْرَانَ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ -يَعْنِي مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَدَعِ الْأَرْضَ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ يَعْلَمُ الزِّيَادَةَ وَالنُّقْصَانَ مِنْ دِينِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، فَإِذَا زَادَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ شَيْئًا رَدَّهُمْ وَإِذَا نَقَصُوا أَكْمَلَهُ، وَلَوْلَا ذَلِكَ لَالْتَبَسَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَمْرُهُمْ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Ilal al-Shara’i‘ and said: My father (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated to us, he said: Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated to us, from his father, from Yahya ibn Abi Imran al-Hamdani, from Yunus, from Ishaq ibn Ammar, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja‘far—meaning Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir— who said: “Indeed, Allah has not left the Earth except that there is a scholar on it who knows addition and imperfection in the religion of Allah, so that whenever believers add something, he brings them back, and whenever they decrease something, he perfects it. And were it not so, the affairs of Muslims would have become doubtful for them.”
