Hadith No. 33

If there are only two people on the Earth, one of them will surely be an Imam or a proof.

رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه‍] فِي «الْكَافِي»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ -يَعْنِي الصَّفَّارَ-، عَنِ النَّهْدِيِّ -يَعْنِي الْهَيْثَمَ بْنَ أَبِي مَسْرُوقٍ-، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ يَعْقُوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ:

لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ الْإِمَامُ أَحَدَهُمَا.

Translation:

Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi, (in this manner that) he has said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn Hasan—i.e., al-Saffar—from al-Nahdi—i.e., Haytham ibn Abi Masruq—from his father, from Yunus ibn Ya‘qub, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah—i.e., Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq— say:

If there are only two people on the Earth, one of them will surely be the Imam.

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: النَّهْدِيُّ وَأَبُوهُ مَقْبُولَانِ؛ كَمَا رَوَى الْكَشِّيُّ عَنْ حَمْدَوَيْهِ قَالَ: «سَمِعْتُ أَصْحَابِي يَذْكُرُونَهُمَا بِخَيْرٍ، كِلَاهُمَا فَاضِلَانِ»[2]، وَالظَّاهِرُ أَنَّ أَحْمَدَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ هُوَ الْعَاصِمِيُّ الَّذِي قَالَ فِيهِ النَّجَاشِيُّ: «كَانَ ثِقَةً فِي الْحَدِيثِ، سَالِمًا، خَيِّرًا»[3]، وَلَمْ يَنْفَرِدْ بِهِ، بَلْ تَابَعَهُ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنِ الصَّفَّارِ[4]، وَلِلْحَدِيثِ طَرِيقٌ آخَرُ:

Translation:

Mansoor said: Al-Nahdi and his father are well-regarded (in their community); as al-Kashshi has narrated from Hamdawayh that he said: “I heard our companions speak well of them. They are both virtuous.” And it appears that Ahmad ibn Muhammad is al-Asimi, about whom al-Najashi has said: “He was trustworthy in Hadith, righteous, and good.” And (yet) he is not alone in narrating this Hadith; rather, Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya, from his father, from al-Saffar, has narrated it alongside him. (Furthermore,) There is another chain of transmission for this Hadith:

Attestation No. 1

رَوَى عَلِيُّ بْنُ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت329ه‍] فِي «الْإِمَامَةِ وَالتَّبْصِرَةِ»[5]، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِدْرِيسَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْخَشَّابِ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ كَرَّامٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: «لَوْ كَانَ النَّاسُ رَجُلَيْنِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْإِمَامَ» وَقَالَ: «إِنَّ آخِرَ مَنْ يَمُوتُ الْإِمَامُ لِئَلَّا يَحْتَجَّ أَحَدٌ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ تَرَكَهُ بِغَيْرِ حُجَّةٍ».

Translation:

Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Imamah Wa al-Tabsirah, from Ahmad ibn Idris, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad, from Khashshab, from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad, from Karram, who said: Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) said: “If people are only two in number, one of them will surely be the Imam,” and he said: “The last person to die will be the Imam, so that no one may argue against Allah that He has left him without a proof.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَكَذَا جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ بِلَفْظِ «الْإِمَامِ»، وَجَاءَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ بِلَفْظِ «الْحُجَّةِ»:

Translation:

Mansoor said: This is how it has been stated in the Hadith using the word “Imam,” and in another Hadith, it has been stated using the word “proof”:

Attestation No. 2

رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه‍] فِي «الْكَافِي»[6]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى جَمِيعًا، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ الطَّيَّارِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، قَالَ: «لَوْ بَقِيَ اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْحُجَّةَ عَلَى صَاحِبِهِ».

Translation:

Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi and said: Ahmad ibn Idris and Muhammad ibn Yahya both narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Muhammad ibn Isa ibn Ubaid; also, Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to me, from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Hamzah ibn Tayyar, from Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) , who said: “If only two people remain, one of them will surely be a proof over the other.”

Attestation No. 3

وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه‍] فِي «الْكَافِي»[7]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ الطَّيَّارِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ: «لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْحُجَّةَ، أَوِ الثَّانِي الْحُجَّةَ» -الشَّكُّ مِنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ.

Translation:

Also, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi and said: Some of our companions narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi, from Ali ibn Islma‘il, from ibn Sinan, from Hamzah ibn Tayyar, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “If only two people remain on the Earth, one of them will surely be the proof, or the second one will be the proof”—the doubt comes from Ahmad ibn Muhammad.

Attestation No. 4

وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه‍] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[8]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْخَطَّابِ جَمِيعًا، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ الطَّيَّارِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ: «لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْحُجَّةَ، أَوْ كَانَ الثَّانِي الْحُجَّةَ» -الشَّكُّ مِنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ.

Translation:

Also, 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 and Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to us, they said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, they said: Muhammad ibn Isa and Muhammad ibn Husain ibn Abi al-Khattab both narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Hamzah al-Tayyar, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “If only two people remain from the inhabitants of the Earth, one of them will surely be the proof, or the second one will be the proof”—the doubt comes from Muhammad ibn Sinan.

Attestation No. 5

وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه‍] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[9]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ جَمِيعًا، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ: «لَوْ لَمْ يَبْقَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْحُجَّةَ أَوْ كَانَ الثَّانِي الْحُجَّةَ».

Translation:

Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah and said: Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to us, he said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far al-Himyari both narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Husain, from ibn Abi Umair, from Hamzah ibn Humran, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “If only two people remain on the Earth, one of them will surely be the proof, or the second one will be the proof.”

Attestation No. 6

وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه‍] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[10]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ جَمِيعًا، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ، عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا اثْنَانِ لَكَانَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْحُجَّةَ، وَلَوْ ذَهَبَ أَحُدُهُمَا بَقِيَ الْحُجَّةُ.

Translation:

Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah and said: Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to us, he said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far both narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Husain, from Muhammad ibn Sinan, from Hamzah ibn Humran, from Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) , who said: “If there are only two people on the Earth, one of them will surely be the proof. And if one of them dies, the proof will remain.”

Consideration

قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: هَكَذَا رَوَى ابْنُ الطَّيَّارِ وَحَمْزَةُ بْنُ حُمْرَانَ بِلَفْظِ «الْحُجَّةِ»، وَرَوَى يُونُسُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ وَكَرَّامٌ بِلَفْظِ «الْإِمَامِ»، وَبَيْنَهُمَا اخْتِلَافٌ؛ لِأَنَّ الْحُجَّةَ أَعَمُّ مِنَ الْإِمَامِ، وَالْأَئِمَّةُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ، وَلَيْسَ لِلْحُجَجِ عَدَدٌ مَعْدُودٌ، وَالنَّبِيُّ حُجَّةٌ وَالْإِمَامُ حُجَّةٌ وَمَنْ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ أَوِ الْإِمَامُ بِطَاعَتِهِ حُجَّةٌ؛ لِأَنَّ مَنْ أَطَاعَهُ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَهُمَا، وَالْفَرْقُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَجُوزُ تَقْلِيدُهُ فِي الدِّينِ، وَإِنَّمَا يَجِبُ طَاعَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَفِيمَا يَرْوِي عَنْهُمَا. فَإِنْ كَانَ اللَّفْظُ هُوَ «الْإِمَامَ» فَيَدُلُّ عَلَى حَالَتَيْنِ: إِمَّا يَعِيشُ الْمَهْدِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، سَوَاءٌ طَالَ عُمُرُهُ أَوْ عُجِّلَ يَوْمُ الْقِيَامَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ آخِرُ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْإِثْنَيْ عَشَرَ، وَإِمَّا يَمُوتُ فَيَخْلُفُهُ إِمَامٌ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْمَاضِينَ، لِئَلَّا يَزِيدَ عَدَدُ الْأَئِمَّةِ عَنِ الْإِثْنَيْ عَشَرَ، وَهُوَ لَا مَحَالَةَ أَحَدُ الرَّجُلَيْنِ: إِمَّا عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ الَّذِي يَنْزِلُ فِي زَمَانِهِ فَيُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُ كَمَا تَوَاتَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَإِمَّا إِمَامٌ مِنَ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْإِثْنَيْ عَشَرَ يَرْجِعُ إِلَى الدُّنْيَا بَعْدَ مَوْتِهِ كَمَا رَوَى الشِّيعَةُ، وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ أَيُّ الثَّلَاثَةِ سَتَكُونُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ اللَّفْظُ هُوَ «الْحُجَّةَ» فَيَدُلُّ عَلَى الثَّلَاثَةِ وَيَزِيدُ عَلَيْهَا رَابِعَةً، وَهِيَ أَنْ يَمُوتَ الْمَهْدِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَيَخْلُفَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ قَدْ أَمَرَ بِطَاعَتِهِ، وَلَا يُنَافِي ذَلِكَ مَا وَرَدَ مِنْ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَخْلُو مِنْ إِمَامٍ يَوْمًا وَاحِدًا؛ لِأَنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ عَامِلُ الْإِمَامِ، وَقَدْ يَرِثُ كُتُبَهُ وَيَرْوِيهَا، إِلَّا أَنَّ ذَلِكَ أَبْعَدُ الْحَالَاتِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ خِلَافُ الظَّاهِرِ، وَأَقْرَبُهَا وَأَقْوَاهَا رِوَايَةً أَنَّ الْمَهْدِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَا يَمُوتُ حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ عِيسَى بْنُ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَأَنَّ عِيسَى بْنَ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ لَا يَمُوتُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ الدَّابَّةُ الَّتِي ذَكَرَهَا اللَّهُ فِي الْقُرْآنِ، وَهَكَذَا لَا تَخْلُو الْأَرْضُ مِنْ إِمَامٍ يَوْمًا وَاحِدًا.

Translation:

Mansoor said: This is how ibn Tayyar and Hamzah ibn Humran have narrated using the word “proof.” But Yunus ibn Ya‘qub and Karram have narrated using the word “Imam.” And there is a difference between the two words; because “proof” is a broader term than “Imam,” and the Imams in the Book of Allah are twelve, but there is no specific number for proofs. And the Prophet is a proof, the Imam is a proof, and one whom the Prophet or the Imam has commanded to be obeyed is a proof—because whoever obeys him has obeyed those two. And the difference is that imitating him in the religion is not permissible; rather, obeying him is obligatory only in worldly matters and in what he narrates from those two (i.e., the Prophet and the Imam). So if the wording of the Hadith is “Imam,” it suggests two possibilities: (1) either the Mahdi will remain alive until the Day of Judgment—whether that means his life will be prolonged, or that the Day of Judgment will happen sooner; because he is the last of the twelve Imams—or (2) he will pass away, and one of the previous Imams will succeed him, so that the number of the Imams does not exceed twelve. And that Imam will inevitably be one of two individuals: either Isa ibn Maryam , who will be sent down in his time and perform prayer behind him—as has been widely transmitted from the Prophet —or one of the twelve Imams, who will return to the world after his death, as Shias have narrated. And Allah knows best which of these three possibilities will happen. And if the wording of the Hadith is “proof,” then in addition to the three possibilities, it also suggests a fourth: that the Mahdi will pass away, and a man from his family, whom he has commanded to be obeyed, will succeed him. And this does not contradict the narrations that state the Earth is not without an Imam even for a single day; because this man would be the Imam’s agent and may inherit and narrate his books. However, this is the most unlikely possibility; because it contradicts the apparent meaning (of the word “Imam” in the mentioned narrations). And the most likely of possibilities—and the strongest of them narratively—is that the Mahdi will not pass away until Isa ibn Maryam is sent down, and Isa ibn Maryam will not pass away until the creature whom Allah has mentioned in the Quran emerges. And in this way, the Earth will not be without an Imam even for a single day.