The obligation to obey the Imams عليه السلام
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 8
10ـ وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ مَرْوَكِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ الطَّبَرِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ قَائِماً عَلَى رَأْسِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِخُرَاسَانَ وَعِنْدَهُ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَفِيهِمْ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ عِيسَى الْعَبَّاسِيُّ فَقَالَ يَا إِسْحَاقُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّا نَزْعُمُ أَنَّ النَّاسَ عَبِيدٌ لَنَا لا وَقَرَابَتِي مِنْ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَا قُلْتُهُ قَطُّ وَلا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ آبَائِي قَالَهُ وَلا بَلَغَنِي عَنْ أَحَدٍ مِنْ آبَائِي قَالَهُ وَلَكِنِّي أَقُولُ النَّاسُ عَبِيدٌ لَنَا فِي الطَّاعَةِ مَوَالٍ لَنَا فِي الدِّينِ فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ.
10. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from Marwak ibn ‘Ubayd from Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Tabari who said, “I was in the presence of al-Rida عليه السلام in Khurasan with a group of Hashemites, among them was Ishaq ibn Musa ibn ‘Isa from the Abbasids, and the Imam عليه السلام said to him, “O Ishaq, I hear that people say we think they are our slaves. I swear upon my close relation with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم that I have never said such a thing nor have I ever heard any such thing from my ancestors, nor I have received any such report from my ancestors who may have said any such thing. But I must say that people are our slaves in the matters of obedience to us. They are our friends in religion. Those present here must tell this to those who are not present here.”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/331)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī