Hadith No. 10
The earth is never devoid of an Imam through whom one finds the way to Allah.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ وَصَفْوَانِ بْنِ يَحْيَى جَمِيعًا، عَنْ ذَرِيحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ:
وَاللَّهِ مَا تَرَكَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الْأَرْضَ قَطُّ مُنْذُ قَبَضَ آدَمَ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا إِمَامٌ يُهْتَدَى بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُوَ حُجَّةُ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ، مَنْ تَرَكَهُ هَلَكَ وَمَنْ لَزِمَهُ نَجَا، حَقًّا عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Bābawayh [Died in 381 AH] has narrated in the book of “Kamāl al-Din wa Tamām al-Ni’mah”, (in this way that) has said: My father may God be pleased with him, narrated to us, he said: Abdullah inb Ja’far narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Isā, from Ja’far ibn Bashir and Safwān ibn Yahyā both, from Zarih that said: I heard Abu Abdullah — meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq — peace be upon him say:
I swear to God, God Almighty, since He took Adam away from this world, has not left the earth be, unless therein is an Imam through whom one finds path toward God Almighty, and he is the proof of God over servants. Whoever leaves him will perish, and whoever accompanies him will be saved. This is a right on God Almighty.