Hadith No. 16
The earth is never devoid of the proof.
رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ [ت274ه] فِي «الْمَحَاسِنِ»[1]، عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي خَلَفٍ، عَنْ [الْحَسَنِ بْنِ] زِيَادٍ الْعَطَّارِ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَقُولُ:
إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا حُجَّةٌ، إِنَّهُ لَا يُصْلِحُ النَّاسَ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ وَلَا يُصْلِحُ الْأَرْضَ إِلَّا ذَلِكَ.
Translation:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khālid [Died in 274 AH] has narrated in the book of “al-Mahāsin”, from Ya’qub ibn Yazid, from Muhammad ibn Abi Umayr, from Sa’d ibn Abi Khalaf, from [Hasan ibn] Ziyād al-‘Attār that said: I heard Abu Abdullah — meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq — peace be upon him, say:
The earth will not be unless there be a proof therein. People do not get reformed except by it and the earth does not get reformed except by it.
Attestation No. 1
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ [ت290ه] فِي «بَصَائِرِ الدَّرَجَاتِ»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ، عَنْ ذَرِيحٍ الْمُحَارِبِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: «الْأَرْضُ لَا تَكُونُ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ، لَا يُصْلِحُ النَّاسَ إِلَّا ذَاكَ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffār [Died in 290 AH] has narrated in his book of “Basā’ir al-Darajāt”, has said: Muhammad ibn Isā narrated to us, from Safwān, from Dharih ibn al-Muhāribi, from Abu Abdullah (Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq) peace be upon him that said: The earth will not be unless there be a knowledgeable one therein. People do not get reformed except by him.
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ مِنْ ثِقَاتِ الشِّيعَةِ وَإِنَّمَا لَا أَعْتَمِدُ عَلَى كِتَابِهِ «بَصَائِرِ الدَّرَجَاتِ» لِأَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ رِوَايَتِهِ وَهُوَ كِتَابٌ مَعْرُوفٌ عِنْدَهُمْ فِيهِ مَا يُعْرَفُ وَيُنْكَرُ.
Translation:
Mansoor may God protect him, said: Muhammad ibn Hasan al-Saffār is from the trustworthy among the Shia, and I do not rely on his book, “Basā’ir al-Darajāt”, because Muhammad ibn Hasan ibn al-Walid has avoided narrating it, and it is a well-known book for them in which there are some known things and some unknown things (that is, the content of some of its narrations is acceptable and the content of some others is unacceptable).