1 . أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ الْجُوزَجَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ الْهَاشِمِيَّ الْخُرَاسَانِيَّ يَقُولُ: لَا بُدَّ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ إِمَامٍ عَادِلٍ مِنْ ذُرِّيَّةِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ جَعَلَهُ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ، وَذَلِكَ عَهْدٌ عَهِدَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ إِذِ ابْتَلَاهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ: ﴿قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ﴾[1]، فَمَنْ مَاتَ وَلَا يَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْإِمَامَ فَقَدْ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً، أَلَا إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الْبَغْدَادِيَّ وَلَا مُحَمَّدعُمَرَ الْقَنْدَهَارِيَّ وَلَا فُلَانًا وَلَا فُلَانًا -فَمَا أَبْقَى رَجُلًا مِنْ أَئِمَّةِ الْقَوْمِ إِلَّا سَمَّاهُ- وَلَكِنَّهُ الْمَهْدِيُّ، ثُمَّ تَمَثَّلَ بِقَوْلِ دِعْبِلِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْخُزَاعِيِّ فَقَالَ: خُرُوجُ إِمَامٍ لَا مَحَالَةَ خَارِجٌ/ يَقُومُ عَلَى اسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْبَرَكَاتِ/ يَمِيزُ فِينَا كُلَّ حَقٍّ وَبَاطِلٍ/ وَيَجْزِي عَلَى النَّعْمَاءِ وَالنَّقَمَاتِ/ فَيَا نَفْسُ طَيِّبِي ثُمَّ يَا نَفْسُ أَبْشِرِي/ فَغَيْرُ بَعِيدٍ مَا هُوَ آتٍ.
Translation of the saying:
Isa ibn Abd al-Hamid al-Jowzajani informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “People have no choice but a just Imam from the descendants of Ibrahim 
, whom Allah has appointed. And this is a covenant that Allah made with him when He tested him with some words, then he fulfilled them: ‘He said: “I am going to appoint you as an Imam for people.” He said: “And also my descendants?” He said: “My covenant does not reach the oppressors.”’ So whoever dies without knowing this Imam has died a death of (the age of) ignorance! Know that he is not Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Muhammad Umar al-Qandahari or so-and-so”—then he did not leave out any of the leaders of the people except that he mentioned them by name—“Rather, he is the Mahdi!” He then quoted the poetry of Di‘bil ibn Ali al-Khuza‘i as a fitting illustration and said: “The emergence of an Imam who will inevitably emerge; he will rise in the name of Allah and with His blessings. Among us, he will distinguish every truth from falsehood; and he will recompense every good and every evil. So, O soul! Be at peace and rejoice; for whatever is bound to come is not far away!”
2 . أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ، قَالَ: كَانَ فِي الْمَحَلَّةِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَكَانَ لَهُ حُسْنُ خُلْقٍ وَحُسْنُ عِبَادَةٍ، فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ الْمَنْصُورُ يَوْمًا فَرَقَّ لَهُ، فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ! إِنَّ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ حَسَنٌ وَهُوَ يُعْجِبُنِي، إِلَّا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَكَ مَعْرِفَةٌ، فَاذْهَبْ وَاطْلُبِ الْمَعْرِفَةَ، أَفَلَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَعِيشَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً لَا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ حَتَّى يَمُوتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً؟!
Translation of the saying:
Abdullah ibn Habib al-Tabari informed us, he said: In the neighborhood there lived a man from among the people of knowledge who had fine character and excellent worship. One day, Mansoor looked at him and felt sympathy for him, so he wrote to him: “O Muhammad! Indeed, what you are upon is good and pleasing to me, except that you have no understanding. So go and seek understanding. Does one of you not feel ashamed to live for forty years without knowing the Imam of his time, until he dies a death of (the age of) ignorance?”
3 . أَخْبَرَنَا جُبَيْرُ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ الْخُجَنْدِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ دَانَ اللَّهَ وَلَا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامًا مِنَ اللَّهِ يُعَلِّمُ كِتَابَهُ وَيُقِيمُ حُدُودَهُ فَدِيَانَتُهُ غَيْرُ مَقْبُولَةٍ، وَهُوَ ضَالٌّ يَتِيهُ فِي الْأَرْضِ، كَمَثَلِ شَاةٍ ضَلَّتْ عَنْ رَاعِيهَا وَقَطِيعِهَا، فَتَاهَتْ فِي الْجِبَالِ يَوْمَهَا، فَلَمَّا أَنْ جَاءَهَا اللَّيْلُ بَصُرَتْ بِقَطِيعِ غَنَمٍ أُخْرَى، فَظَنَّتْ أَنَّهَا قَطِيعُهَا، فَجَاءَتْ إِلَيْهَا فَبَاتَتْ مَعَهَا فِي مَرْبَضِهَا، حَتَّى إِذَا أَصْبَحَتْ أَنْكَرَتْهَا، فَفَارَقَتْهَا مُتَحَيِّرَةً تَطْلُبُ رَاعِيَهَا وَقَطِيعَهَا، فَبَصُرَتْ بِقَطِيعِ غَنَمٍ أُخْرَى، فَعَمَدَتْ نَحْوَهَا وَحَنَتْ عَلَيْهَا فَرَءآهَا الرَّاعِيُ، فَأَنْكَرَهَا فَصَاحَ بِهَا: إِلْحَقِي بِقَطِيعِكِ أَيَّتُهَا الشَّاةُ الضَّالَّةُ الْمُتَحَيِّرَةُ! فَهُجِمَتْ ذَعِرَةً مُتَحَيِّرَةً، لَا رَاعِيَ لَهَا يُرْشِدَهَا إِلَى مَرْعَاهَا أَوْ يَرُدَّهَا إِلَى مَرْبَضِهَا، فَبَيْنَا هِيَ كَذَلِكَ إِذَا اغْتَنَمَ ذِئْبٌ ضَيْعَتَهَا فَأَكَلَهَا، وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَيَلْتَحِقُ يَوْمًا بِرَجُلٍ وَيَوْمًا بِرَجُلٍ، حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَتْهُ شَقَاوَتُهُ يَوْمًا مِنْ هَذِهِ الْأَيَّامِ فَأَهْلَكَتْهُ.
Translation of the saying:
Jubair ibn Ata’ al-Khujandi informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Anyone who practices the religion of Allah without knowing an Imam appointed by Allah, who teaches His Book and upholds His hudud, then his practice of religion is not accepted, and he is a misguided person wandering on the Earth—like a sheep that has lost its shepherd and its flock; so it spends its day wandering through the mountains. Then, when night falls upon it, it catches sight of another flock of sheep and assumes that it is its own flock. So it approaches it and spends the night with it in its fold—until morning comes, and it finds it unfamiliar. So it moves away from it in confusion, looking for its own shepherd and flock. Then it catches sight of another flock of sheep, moves toward it, and gets close to it. But the shepherd sees it and finds it a stranger; so he yells at it: ‘Go back to your own flock—you lost, wandering sheep!’ So it runs away in terror and bewilderment, having no shepherd to guide it to pasture or return it to its fold. So while it is in this state, suddenly a wolf takes advantage of its solitude and tears it apart. And such is the one who does not know his Imam appointed by Allah; so one day he joins one person, and another day someone else—until one of these days his misfortune catches up with him and destroys him.”
4 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: قَالَ لِي سَيِّدِي الْمَنْصُورُ: يَا أَحْمَدُ! أَتَعْرِفُ إِمَامَ زَمَانِكَ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، كَمَا أَعْرِفُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ! قَالَ: اعْرِفْهُ، فَإِنَّ الْحَيْرَةَ وَالذِّلَّةَ وَالْمَسْكَنَةَ وَالْخِزْيَ وَالضَّلَالَةَ وَالْهَلَاكَ لِمَنْ لَا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَحْمَدُ! أَتُطِيعُ إِمَامَ زَمَانِكَ؟ قُلْتُ: رُبَّمَا وَلَعَلَّ! قَالَ: أَطِعْهُ، فَإِنَّ مَنْ يَعْرِفُ الْإِمَامَ وَلَا يُطِيعُهُ كَمَنْ يَعْرِفُ السَّبِيلَ وَلَا يَسْلُكُهُ، فَمَا أَحْرَى بِهِ أَنْ يَكُونَ هَالِكًا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا أَحْمَدُ! إِنَّ النَّاسَ أَمْوَاتٌ وَمَا حَيَاتُهُمْ إِلَّا الْمَعْرِفَةُ، وَالطَّاعَةُ مِيزَانُ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، يَا أَحْمَدُ! أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ مَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ كُتِبَ فِي قَلْبِهِ: آيِسٌ مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ، وَأَنَّ مَنْ عَرَفَهُ وَلَمْ يُطِعْهُ كَانَ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ؟! يَا أَحْمَدُ! إِنَّ مَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ إِمَامِ زَمَانِهِ وَكَلَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَنْ رَغِبَ إِلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ لَا يُبَالِي فِي أَيِّ وَادٍ هَلَكَ، يَا أَحْمَدُ! إِنَّ مَنْ يَنْتَظِرُ إِمَامَ زَمَانِهِ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ كَمَنْ يُجَاهِدُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ عِنْدَ ظُهُورِهِ، بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ، يَا أَحْمَدُ! أَتَدْرِي كَيْفَ انْتِظَارُهُ؟ قُلْتُ: ذِكْرُهُ كَثِيرًا وَالدُّعَاءُ لَهُ! قَالَ: إِنَّ هَذَا لَصَالِحٌ، وَلَكِنَّ انْتِظَارَهُ الدَّعْوَةُ إِلَيْهِ وَالتَّمْكِينُ لَهُ فِي غَيْبَتِهِ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: ﴿وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ﴾[2]، أَيْ فِي غَيْبَتِهِمْ؛ كَمَا قَالَتِ امْرَأَةُ الْعَزِيزِ إِذَا حَصْحَصَ الْحَقُّ وَيُوسُفُ غَائِبٌ: ﴿ذَلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَخُنْهُ بِالْغَيْبِ﴾[3] أَيْ فِي غَيْبَةِ يُوسُفَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ.
Translation of the saying:
Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, he said: My master Mansoor said to me: “O Ahmad! Do you know the Imam of your time?” I said: “Yes, just as I know night and day!” He said: “Know him—because bewilderment, humiliation, wretchedness, abasement, misguidance, and ruin are for one who does not know the Imam of his time!” Then he said: “O Ahmad! Do you obey the Imam of your time?” I said: “Perhaps, and maybe!” He said: “Obey him—because one who knows the Imam but does not obey him is like one who knows the path but does not follow it; so how fitting it is that he should perish!” Then he said: “O Ahmad! Indeed, people are the dead, and their life is nothing but understanding, and obedience is the measure of understanding! O Ahmad! Do you not know that one who does not know the Imam of his time—it is written in his heart: ‘Despairing of the mercy of Allah,’ and one who knows him but does not obey him is among the losers?! O Ahmad! Indeed, one who turns away from the Imam of his time—Allah leaves him to the one he has turned to; then He does not care in which valley he perishes! O Ahmad! Indeed, one who awaits the Imam of his time during his absence is like one who strives in his presence during his appearance; rather, he is better than him! O Ahmad! Do you know how awaiting him is?!” I said: “Remembering him often and praying for him!” He said: “That is indeed good, but awaiting him is calling [people] to him and preparing the ground for his advent during his absence! Indeed, Allah Almighty says: ‘And so that Allah knows who helps Allah and His Prophets in secret’—meaning in their absence; just as the wife of the Aziz of Egypt said, when the truth was revealed in the absence of Yusuf: ‘(I did) this so that he would know I did not betray him in secret’—meaning in the absence of Yusuf .”
