Hadith No. 8
The Earth is never without a scholar who knows Allah’s obedience and guidance.
رَوَى عَلِيُّ بْنُ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت329ه] فِي «الْإِمَامَةِ وَالتَّبْصِرَةِ»[1]، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُوسَى الْخَشَّابِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ وَغَيْرِهِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ:
إِنَّ جَبْرَئِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ نَزَلَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُخْبِرُ عَنْ رَبِّهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ! إِنِّي لَمْ أَتْرُكِ الْأَرْضَ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ يَعْرِفُ طَاعَتِي وَهُدَايَ، وَيَكُونُ نَجَاةً فِيمَا بَيْنَ قَبْضِ النَّبِيِّ إِلَى خُرُوجِ النَّبِيِّ الْآخَرِ، وَلَمْ أَكُنْ أَتْرُكُ إِبْلِيسَ يُضِلُّ النَّاسَ وَلَيْسَ فِي الْأَرْضِ حُجَّةٌ لِي وَدَاعٍ إِلَيَّ وَهَادٍ إِلَى سَبِيلِي وَعَارِفٌ بِأَمْرِي، وَإِنِّي قَدْ قَضَيْتُ لِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادِيًا أَهْدِي بِهِ السُّعَدَاءَ وَيَكُونُ حُجَّةً عَلَى الْأَشْقِيَاءِ.
Translation:
Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Imamah Wa al-Tabsirah, from Sa‘d ibn Abdullah, from Hasan ibn Musa al-Khashshab, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Najran, from Abd al-Karim and others, from Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—
who said:
Jabra’il descended upon the Prophet 
and brought him news from his Lord: “O Muhammad! Indeed, I do not leave the Earth except that there is a scholar on it who knows My obedience and guidance, and serves as a source of salvation from the time of a Prophet’s passing until the emergence of another Prophet. And I never leave Satan to mislead people without there being on Earth a proof for Me, a caller to Me, a guide to My path, and one familiar with My command. And I have decreed a guide for every nation, through whom I guide the fortunate and who stands as a proof against the wretched.”
