أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنِ الْمَهْدِيِّ مَتَى يَظْهَرُ فِي النَّاسِ؟ فَقَالَ: إِذَا أَحَسَّ مِنْهُمُ الصَّبْرَ وَالْيَقِينَ، أَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ﴾[1]؟ قُلْتُ: وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْسَبُ أَنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَصْبِرُونَ أَوْ يُوقِنُونَ أَبَدًا! قَالَ: وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ لَا أَحْسَبُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَكِنَّ الْقَلِيلَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَثِيرٌ إِذَا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ يُوقِنُونَ! ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَا يَمْنَعُهُ قِلَّةُ عَدَدِكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لَمْ يَزَالُوا قَلِيلِينَ، وَلَكِنْ يَمْنَعُهُ أَنَّكُمْ لَا تَصْبِرُونَ وَلَا تُوقِنُونَ! فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلًا صَابِرًا مُوقِنًا يَظْهَرْ لَكُمْ! أَلَسْتُمْ تَزِيدُونَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فِي الْعَدَدِ؟! قُلْتُ: بَلَى، قَالَ: فَلَا تَلُومُوا النَّاسَ، وَلُومُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ! ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ النَّاسَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْبَهَائِمِ، لَا تُغْنِي كَثْرَتُهَا شَيْئًا، وَقَدْ يَسُوقُ قَطِيعًا كَبِيرًا مِنْهَا رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ، فَلَا تَسْتَقِلُّوا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْعَدَدَ، وَأَصْلِحُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ!

Translation of the saying:

Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the Mahdi, “When will he appear among people?” So he said: “When he senses patience and certainty from them. Have you not heard the words of Allah Almighty that has said: ‘And We appointed from among them leaders who guide (people) with Our command when they endured patiently and were certain of Our signs’?” I said: "By Allah, I do not think that most of them will ever endure patiently or be certain!” He said: “By Allah, I do not think so either, but a small number of believers are many when they endure patiently and are certain of the signs of Allah!” Then he said: “Know that, by Allah, the smallness of your number does not prevent him (from showing himself); because the believers have always been few, but this prevents him (from showing himself) that you do not endure patiently and are not certain! So if there are from among you three hundred and thirteen men who endure patiently and are certain, he will show himself to you! Are you not more than this number?!” I said: “We are.” He said: “So do not blame people, and blame yourselves!” Then he said: “Indeed, people are like cattle; their great number does not suffice for anything, and a single man drives a large herd of them. So do not consider number as paltry for Allah, and reform yourselves!”