Hadith No. 2
The Earth is never without a scholar through whom the truth is known from falsehood.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه] فِي «الْكَافِي»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ، عَنْ أَحَدِهِمَا -يَعْنِي الْبَاقِرَ أَوْ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلَامُ قَالَ:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَدَعِ الْأَرْضَ بِغَيْرِ عَالِمٍ، وَلَوْ لَا ذَلِكَ لَمْ يُعْرَفِ الْحَقُّ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ.
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni [d. 329 AH] has narrated in the book al-Kafi, (in this manner that) he has said: Ali ibn Ibrahim narrated to me, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus ibn Abd al-Rahman, from ibn Muskan, from Abu Basir, from one of the two—meaning Baqir or Sadiq—
, who said:
Indeed, Allah has not left the Earth without a scholar. And were it not so, the truth would not have been known from falsehood.
Attestation No. 1
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[2]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ.
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah and said: My father and Muhammad ibn Hasan narrated to us, they said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Ja‘far narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Isa, from Yunus ibn Abd al-Rahman, from ibn Muskan, from Abu Basir, who said: “Abu Abdullah—meaning Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq—
said”—then he has mentioned a similar Hadith.
Attestation No. 2
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَابَوَيْهِ [ت381ه] فِي «كَمَالِ الدِّينِ وَتَمَامِ النِّعْمَةِ»[3]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْعَطَّارُ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ، عَنْ مُصَدِّقِ بْنِ صَدَقَةَ، عَنْ عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَى السَّابَاطِيِّ ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ: «لَمْ تَخْلُ الْأَرْضُ مُنْذُ كَانَتْ مِنْ حُجَّةٍ عَالِمٍ يُحْيِي فِيهَا مَا يُمِيتُونَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ»، ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: ﴿يُرِيدُونَ لِيُطْفِئُوا نُورَ اللَّهِ بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ مُتِمُّ نُورِهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْكَافِرُونَ﴾[4].
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Babawayh [d. 381 AH] has narrated in the book Kamal al-Din Wa Tamam al-Ni‘mah and said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar narrated to us, he said: Sa‘d ibn Abdullah narrated to us, he said: Ahmad ibn Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal narrated to us, from Amr ibn Sa‘id al-Mada’ini, from Musaddiq ibn Sadaqah, from Ammar ibn Musa al-Sabati, who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (Ja‘far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq) say: “Earth, ever since it existed, has never been without a knowledgeable proof who revives whatever of the truth they cause to die.” Then he recited this verse: “They want to extinguish Allah’s light with their mouths, while Allah perfects His light, even though disbelievers hate it.”
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: رَوَاهُ الصَّفَّارُ [ت290ه] فِي «بَصَائِرِ الدَّرَجَاتِ» وَلَكِنْ لَمْ يَرْوِ «بَصَائِرَ الدَّرَجَاتِ» إِلَّا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى، فَهُوَ مُنْفَرِدٌ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ.
Translation:
Mansoor 
said: Saffar [d. 290 AH] has also narrated this Hadith in Basa’ir al-Darajat, but no one else has narrated Basa’ir al-Darajat except Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya, so he is alone in narrating this Hadith.
