Al-Imāma wa’l-Tabṣira min al-Ḥayra

عبداللّه بن جعفر الحميري عن أحمد بن محمّد بن عيسى، عن البرقي والحسين بن سعيد جميعاً: عن النضر بن سويد، عن يحيى الحلبي، عن بريد بن معاوية، عن محمّد بن مسلم، قال: قلت لأبي عبداللّه عليه السلام: أصلحك الله بلغنا شكواك، فأشفقنا، فلو أعلمتنا من بعدك؟ فقال: إنّ علياً عليه السلام كان عالماً، والعلم يتوارث، ولا يهلك عالم إلّا وبقى من بعده من يعلم مثل علمه أو ما شاء الله. قلت: أفيسع الناس—إذا مات العالم—أن لا يعرفوا الذي بعده؟! فقال: أمّا أهل هذه البلدة، فلا—يعني المدينة—وأما غيرها من البلدان فبقدر مسيرهم، إنّ الله يقول: ﴿فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ﴾. قال: قلت: أرأيت من مات في طلب ذلك؟ فقال: هو بمنزلة ﴿وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِنۢ بَيْتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ﴾. قال: قلت: فإذا قدموا، بأيّ شئ يعرفون صاحبهم؟ قال: يُعطى السكينة والوقار والهيبة.

ʿAbd Allāh b. Jaʿfar al-Ḥimyarī from Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from al-Barqī and al-Ḥusayn b. Saʿīd altogether, from al-Naḍr b. Suwayd, from Yaḥyā al-Ḥalabī, from Burayd b. Muʿāwiya, from Muḥammad b. Muslim, who narrated: “I said to Abī ʿAbd Allāh (as): “May Allāh rectify your affairs, for word has reached us that you are gravely ill, and as such we have become greatly apprehensive. Would you let us know who it is after you?,” to which he replied: “ʿAlī (as) was a Scholar, and knowledge is inherited. And there is no Scholar who dies except that there remains one after him who knows as much as he did, or as much as what Allāh has willed.” I said: “Is it permissible for people, when a Scholar dies, to not be cognisant of who succeeds him?,” to which he responded: “As for the people of this settlement”—by which he meant Medina—“then no. As for other settlements, it depends on whether they have time commensurate with the length of their journey. Indeed, Allāh says: ﴾But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?﴿ [9:122].” Muḥammad b. Muslim continued his narration: “I said: “Have you considered the one who dies while in search of that?,” to which he replied: “He is in the position of ﴾And whoever leaves his home migrating toward Allāh and His Apostle, and is then overtaken by death, his reward shall certainly fall on Allāh﴿ [4:100].” Muḥammad b. Muslim narrated: “I said: “So, when they come forward, what is that on the basis of which they are to recognise their master?,” to which Imam al-Ṣādiq responded: “He has been granted tranquility, gravitas and awe-inspiring presence.”

وعنه، عن علي بن إسماعيل، وعبداللّه بن محمّد بن عيسى، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن يعقوب بن شعيب، عن أبي عبداللّه عليه السلام، قال: قلت له: هلك الإمام، فبلغ قوماً بحضرتهم؟. قال: يخرجون في الطلب، (فإنّهم لا يزالون في عذر ما داموا في الطلب). قلت: يخرجون كلّهم، أو يكفيهم أَنْ يخرج بعضهم؟ (قال): إنّ الله عزّ وجلّ يقول: ﴿فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ﴾. قال: فهؤلاء المقيمون في سعةٍ، حتى يرجع إليهم أَصحابهم.

And from him, from ʿAlī b. Ismāʿīl and ʿAbd Allāh b. Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from Ṣafwān b. Yaḥyā, from Yaʿqūb b. Shuʿayb, from Abī ʿAbd Allāh (as). Yaʿqūb b. Shuʿayb narrated: “I said to Imam al-Ṣādiq (as): “The Imam dies, and (news of) that reaches people who live in the vicinity,[1] (so what are they to do)?,” to which he replied: “They are to go out in search (of his true successor), and for as long as they maintain their search they will remain excused.”[2] I continued: “Are all of them to go out, or would it suffice that some of them do so?” He said: “Verily, Allāh (azwj) says: ﴾But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?﴿ [9:122].” Then, he said: “These people, who are the ones remaining behind, are given leeway until such time as their companions return to them.”

وعنه، عن محمّد بن عبدالجبّار، عمّن ذكره، عن يونس بن يعقوب، عن عبد الأعلى، قال: قلت لأبي عبداللّه عليه السلام: إنْ بلغنا وفاة الامام كيف نصنع؟ قال: عليكم النفير، قلت: النفير جميعاً؟ قال: إنّ الله يقول: ﴿فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ﴾ الآية. قلت: نفرنا، فمات بعضهم في الطريق؟ قال: فقال: إنّ الله يقول: ﴿وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِنۢ بَيْتِهِۦ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ ٱلْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُۥ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ﴾.

And from him, from Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Jabbār, from whoever he mentioned, from Yūnus b. Yaʿqūb, from ʿAbd al-Aʿlā, who narrated: “I said to Abī ʿAbd Allāh (as): “If (news of) the Imam’s death reaches us, what are we to do?” He replied: “It is imperative for you to go forth (in search of the Imam’s successor).” I said: “To go forth altogether?,” to which he replied: “Allāh says: ﴾But why should not there a group from each of their sections go forth to become learned in religion…﴿,” to the end of the verse [9:122]. I asked: “(Once) we have gone forth, what of those who die while on the road?” ʿAbd al-Aʿlā narrated that Imam al-Ṣādiq (saa) said: “Verily, Allāh says: ﴾And whoever leaves his home migrating toward Allāh and His Apostle, and is then overtaken by death, his reward shall certainly fall on Allāh﴿.” [4:100]