Hadith No. 13
The Earth is never without an Imam.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ الْوَلِيدُِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ، عَنْ أَخِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ الْوَاسِطِيِّ قَالَ:
قَالَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ لِلرِّضَا -يَعْنِي عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ: أَتَخْلُو الْأَرْضُ مِنْ إِمَامٍ؟ فَقَالَ: «لَا».
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah, (in this manner that) he has said: Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn Walid narrated to us, he said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah narrated to us, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa, from Abbas ibn Ma‘ruf, from Ibrahim ibn Mahziar, from his brother Ali ibn Mahziar, from Hasan ibn Bashshar al-Wasiti, who said:
While I was present, Husain ibn Khalid said to al-Rida—meaning Ali ibn Musa—: “Is the Earth ever without an Imam?” So he said: “No.”
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مَهْزِيَارَ مَقْبُولٌ عِنْدَهُمْ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ هَذَا اللَّفْظُ مِنْ غَيْرِ طَرِيقِهِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ.
Translation:
Mansoor said: Ibrahim ibn Mahziar is well-regarded in their view. And this phrase has been narrated through a chain of transmission other than his, from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad
.