Hadith No. 4

The earth is never devoid of an Imam who restores what they add and perfects what they diminish.

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 [Died in 329 AH] in the book of “al-Kāfi”, (in this way that) has said: Ali ibn Ibrāhim narrated to me, from his father, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Mansoor ibn Yunus and Sa’dān ibn Muslim, from Ishāq ibn Ammār that said: I heard Abu Abdullah — meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq — peace be upon him say:

Indeed, the earth does not remain empty of an Imam therein that if the believers increased something, he makes them return, and if they decreased something, he completes 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-Saffār [Died in 290 AH] ha narrated in the book of “Basā’ir al-Darajat”, has said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Hussain ibn Sa’id, from Ali ibn Asbāt, from Sulaymān Mawlā Tirbāl, from Ishāq ibn Ammār that said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq) peace be upon him say: Indeed, the earth never ever remains empty of a knowledgeable one therein that whenever the believers increased something, he makes them return toward the truth, and if they decreased something, he completes 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-Saffār [Died in 290 AH] ha narrated in the book of “Basā’ir al-Darajat”, has said: Muahhamdibn Abd al-Jabbār narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn al-Hajjār, from Tha’labah, from Ishāq ibn Ammār that said: Abu Abdullah (Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq) peace be upon him said: Indeed, the earth does not remain empty of someone therein who knows excess and defect, so that whenever Muslims increased something, he throws it away, and whenever they decreased something, he completes for them, and if it had not been like this, the affairs of Muslims would have got mixed up.

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 Bābawayh [Died in 381 AH] has narrated in the book of “Ilal al-Sharā’i”, has said: Muhammad ibn Hasan may God have mercy on him, narrated to us, he said: Hussain ibn Hasan ibn Abān narrated to us, from Hussain ibn Sa’id, from Ali ibn Asbāt, from Sulaym Mawlā Tirbāl, from Ishāq ibn Ammār that said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq) peace be upon him say: Indeed, the earth does not remain empty of a knowledgeable one therein that when the believers increased something, he makes them return, and when they decreased something, he completes for them, so he say: “Take it completely”, and if it had not been like this, the affairs of the believers would have become doubtful for them and they could have not 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 Bābawayh [Died in 381 AH] has narrated in the book of “Ilal al-Sharā’i”, has said: My father may God have mercy on him, narrated to us, he said: Ali ibn Ibrāhim narrated to us, from his father, from Yahyā ibn Abi Imrān al- Hamdāni, from Yunus, from Ishāq ibn Ammār, from Muhammad ibn Muslim, from Abu Ja’far — meaning Muhammad ibn Ali al-Bāqir — peace be upon him that said: Indeed, God has not left the earth be unless there is knowledgeable one therein who knows excess and defect in the religion of God, so that whenever the believers increased something, he makes them return, and whenever they decreased something, he completes it, and if had not been like this, the affairs of the believers would have become doubtful for them.