Hadith No. 18
The Earth is never without a scholar whom people need and who does not need people.
رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ [ت274ه] فِي «الْمَحَاسِنِ»[1]، عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبَانٍ الْأَحْمَرِ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ النَّصْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ:
إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لَا تُتْرَكُ إِلَّا بِعَالِمٍ يَحْتَاجُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى النَّاسِ، يُعَلِّمُ الْحَلَالَ وَالْحَرَامَ.
Translation:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid [d. 274 AH] has narrated in the book al-Mahasin, from Washsha’, from Aban al-Ahmar, from Harith ibn Mughirah al-Nasri, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—
say:
Indeed, the Earth is not left without a scholar whom people need, who does not need people, and who teaches the lawful and the unlawful.
Attestation
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه] فِي «الْكَافِي»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ رَبِيعِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُسْلِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ الْعَامِرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: «مَا زَالَتِ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا وَلِلَّهِ فِيهَا الْحُجَّةُ يَعْرِفُ الْحَلَالَ وَالْحَرَامَ وَيَدْعُو النَّاسَ إِلَى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ».
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi and said: Muhammad ibn Yahya narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Ali ibn Hakam, from Rabi‘ ibn Muhammad al-Musli, from Abdullah ibn Sulayman al-Amiri, from Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) , who said: “There has always been a proof for Allah on the Earth who has known the lawful and the unlawful and has called people to the path of Allah.”
