Each Imam knows the succeeding Imam عليه السلام The words of Allah, the Most High, “Allah commands you to deliver the trust to its people,”(4:58) is a reference to the Imams عليه السلام
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 59
Al-Kāfi
Book 4, Chapter 59
Each Imam knows the succeeding Imam عليه السلام The words of Allah, the Most High, “Allah commands you to deliver the trust to its people,”(4:58) is a reference to the Imams عليه السلام
7 hadiths 1ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عَائِذٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الاماناتِ إِلى أَهْلِها وَإِذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ قَالَ إِيَّانَا عَنَى أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ الاوَّلُ إِلَى الامَامِ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ الْكُتُبَ وَالْعِلْمَ وَالسِّلاحَ وَإِذا حَكَمْتُمْ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ أَنْ تَحْكُمُوا بِالْعَدْلِ الَّذِي فِي أَيْدِيكُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلنَّاسِ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا الله وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الامْرِ مِنْكُمْ إِيَّانَا عَنَى خَاصَّةً أَمَرَ جَمِيعَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ بِطَاعَتِنَا فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ تَنَازُعاً فِي أَمْرٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى الله وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِي الامْرِ مِنْكُمْ كَذَا نَزَلَتْ وَكَيْفَ يَأْمُرُهُمُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِطَاعَةِ وُلاةِ الامْرِ وَيُرَخِّصُ فِي مُنَازَعَتِهِمْ إِنَّمَا قِيلَ ذَلِكَ لِلْمَأْمُورِينَ الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ أَطِيعُوا الله وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الامْرِ مِنْكُمْ.
1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Ahmad ibn ‘A’idh from ibn ’Udhayna from Burayd al-‘Ijli who has said that I asked abu Ja‘far عليه السلام about the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners. Be just when passing judgment among people. . .” (4:58) The Imam عليه السلام said, “ We are intended thereby. The preceding Imam must transfer to the succeeding Imam the books, the knowledge and the armaments. ‘Be just when passing judgment among people’ means what is in your possession. Then Allah has said to people, “Believers, obey God, His Messenger, and your leaders (who possess Divine authority). . .” (4:59) This is how it was revealed. How Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would command them to obey the people who possess authority and then allow people to dispute them? This is said to those who are commanded by the command of, “Believers, obey God, His Messenger, and your leaders (who possess Divine authority). . .” (4:59)
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/179)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
2ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الاماناتِ إِلى أَهْلِها قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ الامَامُ الامَانَةَ إِلَى مَنْ بَعْدَهُ وَلا يَخُصَّ بِهَا غَيْرَهُ وَلا يَزْوِيَهَا عَنْهُ.
2. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Ahmad ibn ‘Umar who has said that I asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners. Be just when passing judgment among people. . .” (4:58) The Imam عليه السلام said, “They are the Imams عليه السلام from the family of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم who are commanded to deliver the trust to the succeeding Imam عليه السلام exclusively and to no one else and that the succeeding Imams must not be deprived of this trust.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/181)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الاماناتِ إِلى أَهْلِها قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ يُؤَدِّي الامَامُ إِلَى الامَامِ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ وَلا يَخُصُّ بِهَا غَيْرَهُ وَلا يَزْوِيهَا عَنْهُ.
3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Muhammad ibn Fudayl from abu al-Hassan al-Rida عليه السلام about the following words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners. Be just when passing judgment among people. . .” (4:58) The Imam عليه السلام said, “They are the Imams عليه السلام. The Imam عليه السلام must deliver the trust to the succeeding Imam عليه السلام exclusively and to no one else and that the succeeding Imams must not be deprived of this trust.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/183)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
4ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَمَّارٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ الله يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤَدُّوا الاماناتِ إِلى أَهْلِها قَالَ أَمَرَ الله الامَامَ الاوَّلَ أَنْ يَدْفَعَ إِلَى الامَامِ الَّذِي بَعْدَهُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ.
4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar from ibn abu Ya‘fur from Mu‘alla ibn al-Khunays who has said that I asked abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. “Allah (God) commands you to return that which had been entrusted to you to the rightful owners.. .” (4:58) The Imam عليه السلام said, “it is the command of Allah that the preceding Imam عليه السلام transfer to the succeeding Imam عليه السلام every thing that is with him.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/182)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
5ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ أَبِي يَعْفُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَمُوتُ الامَامُ حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مَنْ يَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَيُوصِيَ إِلَيْهِ.
5. Muhammad b. Yahya has narrated from Muhammad b. al-Husayn from Ibn Mahbub from al-‘Ala’ b. Razin from ‘Abdallah b. Abi Ya‘fur from Abi ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Imam does not die until he learns who the succeeding Imam is so he would deliver his will to him.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/182)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, pp. 31, 32
6ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ عَنِ الْمُعَلَّى بْنِ خُنَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الامَامَ يَعْرِفُ الامَامَ الَّذِي مِنْ بَعْدِهِ فَيُوصِي إِلَيْهِ.
6. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from (ibn) abu ‘Uthman from al-Mu‘alla ibn Khunays from abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام who has said the following “The Imam عليه السلام knows the succeeding Imam and delivers his will to him.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/182)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī
7ـ أَحْمَدُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَا مَاتَ عَالِمٌ حَتَّى يُعْلِمَهُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَى مَنْ يُوصِي.
7. Ahmad has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from abu ‘Abdallah al-Barqi from Fudalah ibn Ayyub from Sulayman ibn Khalid from abu ‘Abdallah عليه السلام who has said the following. “No scholar (Imam) has ever died before Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would grant him the knowledge of to who must he deliver his will.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (3/182)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 32