Hadith No. 17
The Earth is never without one who is knowledgeable in the lawful, the unlawful, and what people need.
رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ [ت274ه] فِي «الْمَحَاسِنِ»[1]، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبَانٍ الْأَحْمَرِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْعَطَّارِ، قَالَ:
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: هَلْ تَكُونُ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ؟ قَالَ: «لَا وَاللَّهِ، لِحَلَالِهِمْ وَحَرَامِهِمْ وَمَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ».
Translation:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid [d. 274 AH] has narrated in the book al-Mahasin, from Hasan ibn Ali al-Washsha’, from Aban al-Ahmar, from Hasan ibn Ziyad al-Attar, who said:
I said to Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—
: “Will the Earth be without a scholar on it?” He said: “No, by Allah, for their lawful matters, their unlawful matters, and what they need.”
