[Narration No. 1]

فَأَمَّا الْحَدِيثُ الْأَوَّلُ فَهُوَ مَا رَوَاهُ 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:

But the first narration is that which Ali ibn Bābawayh [Died in 329 AH] has narrated in the book of “Al-Imāmah wa al-Tabsirah”, from Sa’d ibn Abdullah, from Hasan ibn Musa al-Khashshāb, from Abdul Rahmān ibn Abi Najrān, from Abdul Karim and others, from Abu Abdullah — meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq — peace be upon him that said:

Gabriel peace be upon him descended on the Prophet peace and blessing of God be upon him and his household, and brought him news from his Lord that ‘O Muhammad! Indeed, I do not leave the earth be unless therein be a knowledgeable one who knows My obedience and guidance and be the source of salvation from the death of a Prophet to the rise of another Prophet, and I never ever leave satan be to mislead people, without there be a proof for Me and an inviter toward Me and a guide toward My path and a familiar with My command on the earth, and I have ordained a guide for every nation to guide the good through him and to be a proof for the miserable.