The Case of those who would Die without having an Imam from the Imams of Guidance
Al-Kāfi|Volume 1|Book 4|Chapter 87
Al-Kāfi
Book 4, Chapter 87
The Case of those who would Die without having an Imam from the Imams of Guidance
3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) مَنْ مَاتَ لا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَهُ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ جَاهِلِيَّةً جَهْلاءَ أَوْ جَاهِلِيَّةً لا يَعْرِفُ إِمَامَهُ قَالَ جَاهِلِيَّةَ كُفْرٍ وَنِفَاقٍ وَضَلالٍ.
3. Ahmad ibn Idris has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan from al-Fudayl from al-Harith ibn al-Mughira who said: “I said to Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام: ‘the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said, "Whoever dies and does not know his Imam dies the death of ignorance." He (the Imam) replied in the affirmative. I asked, "Is it the death of ignorance (in the sense) of being ignorant or is it the death of ignorance in not knowing his Imam?" He replied, "(It is the death of) ignorance in terms of disbelief, hypocrisy, and misguidance."“
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (4/220)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 44