Hadith No. 7
The earth is never devoid of a man who knows the truth.
رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ [ت274ه] فِي «الْمَحَاسِنِ»[1]، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ، عَنْ شُعَيْبٍ الْحَدَّادِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ -يَعْنِي مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَلِيٍّ الْبَاقِرَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ:
«لَنْ تَخْلُوَ الْأَرْضُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَعْرِفُ الْحَقَّ، فَإِذَا زَادَ النَّاسُ فِيهِ قَالَ: قَدْ زَادُوا، وَإِذَا نَقَصُوا عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَدْ نَقَصُوا، وَإِذَا جَاؤُوا بِهِ صَدَّقَهُمْ، وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ لَمْ يُعْرَفِ الْحَقُّ مِنَ الْبَاطِلِ».
Translation:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khālid [Died in 274 AH] has narrated in the book of “Al-Mahāsin”, from his father, from Ali ibn al-Nu’mān, from Shu’ayb al-Haddād, from Abu hamzah, from Abu Ja’far — meaning Muhammad ibn Ali al-Bāqir — peace be upon him that said:
The earth never ever remains empty of a man who knows the truth, so that whenever people increased it, he says: “They have increased it”, and whenever people decreased it, he says: “They have decreased it”, and whenever they brought it (purely and completely), he verifies for them, and if it had not been like this, the truth would have not be recognized from falsehood.