Hadith No. 20
There is an Imam of guidance in every age.
رَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ [ت329ه] فِي «الْكَافِي»[1]، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ وَفَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ، عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، قَالَ:
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: ﴿وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ﴾[2]، فَقَالَ: كُلُّ إِمَامٍ هَادٍ لِلْقَرْنِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِيهِمْ.
Translation:
Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni [Died in 329 AH] has narrated in the book of “al-Kāfi”, (in this way that) has said: A number of our helpers narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad, from Husain ibn Sa’id, from Nadhr ibn Suwayd and Fadhālah ibn Ayyub, from Musa ibn Bakr, from Fudhayl ibn Yasār that said:
I asked Abu Abdullah, meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq, peace be upon him about the word of God Almighty that says: “And there is a guide for every nation”, so he said: Every Imam is the guide of the century who is among them.
Consideration
قَالَ الْمَنْصُورُ حَفِظَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: قَالَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ: «كُلُّ مَا كَانَ فِي كِتَابِي عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى، فَهُمْ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُوسَى الْكُمَيْذَانِيُّ، وَدَاوُدُ بْنُ كُورَةَ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ»، ذَكَرَهُ النَّجَاشِيُّ [ت450ه][3].
Translation:
Mansoor may God protect him, said: al-Kulayni has said: “Everywhere in my book that there is ‘A number of our helpers from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa’, they are Muhammad ibn Yahyā, Ali ibn Musa al-Kumaydāni, Dawud ibn Kurah, Ahmad ibn Idris and Ali ibn Ibrāhim ibn Hāshim”. Al-Najjāshi [Died in 450 AH] has mentioned this.
Attestation No. 1
وَرَوَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النُّعْمَانِيُّ [ت360ه] فِي «الْغَيْبَةِ»[4]، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عُقْدَةٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَالِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْأَزْدِيِّ فِي شَوَّالِ سَنَةِ إِحْدَى وَثَمَانِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الطَّوِيلِ، عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ سَيْرٍ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ الْوَاسِطِيِّ، عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ -فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ سَوَاءً.
Translation:
Also, Muhammad ibn Ibrāhim al-Nu’māni [Died in 360 AH] has narrated in the book of “al-Ghaybah”, has said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’id ibn Abd al-Rahmān ibn ‘Uqdah informed us, he said: Muhammad ibn Sālim ibn Abd al-Rahmān al-Azdi narrated to us in Shawwal of the year two hundred and eighty one, he said: ‘Uthmān ibn Sa’id al-Tawil narrated to us, from Ahmad ibn Sayr, from Musa ibn Bakr al-Wāsiti, from Fudhayl, from Abu Abdullah (Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq) peace be upon him - then he has mentioned the same narration without any difference.