محمد بن يعقوب

I asked Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) about the imams and he said: “Whoever denies one of the alive imams, has denied the dead ones.”

“Nine imams are after al-Husayn bin Ali. The ninth one is al-Qa’im.”

“He, who joins to an imam, whose imamate is from Allah, another imam, whose imamate is not from Allah, is a polytheist.”

“…And who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah?” “It means one, who depends upon his own opinion in the affairs of religion without following an imam of the imams of guidance.”

I said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) that someone had said to me: “Know the last one of the imams and it does not harm you if you have not known the first one of them.” Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: “May Allah damn him! I hate him although I do not know him. Has the last one of them been known except by knowing the first one?”

“There are three persons, whom Allah will not speak to on the Day of Resurrection nor will He purify and shall have a painful chastisement; one, who pretends the divine imamate while he is not an imam, one, who denies an imam appointed by Allah and the third one is he, who claims that these two ones are faithful Muslims.”

“Allah is not ashamed to torture a nation believing in an imam, who is not from Allah, even if it is pious and God-fearing and He is ashamed to torture a nation believing in an imam, who is from Allah, even if it is guilty and sinful.”

I have promised myself not to eat any kind of food during the day at all until al-Qa’im of Muhammad’s family appears. I came to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) and said to him: “I am one of your Shia. I have promised Allah not to eat any kind of food at all during the day until al-Qa’im appears.” He said to me: “O Karram, fast! But do not fast on the days of the two Eids nor the three days of al-Tashreeq or when you are on travel. When al-Husayn (as) was killed there was a clamor in the Heaven and on the earth. The angels said: “O our Lord, do You permit us to perish the human beings and to terminate them from on the earth for what they have committed when trespassing Your sanctity by killing the choice of Yours?” Allah revealed to the angels: “O My angels, My Heaven and My earth, be quiet!” Then He uncovered one of the covers. Behind it were Muhammad and twelve guardians of his. Allah held one from among them by the hand and said: “O My angels, My Heavens and My earth, with this one I will avenge this killed one upon his killers.” He repeated it three times.”

“I have asked a virtuous slave (of Allah), peace be upon him, about the saying of Allah, “My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed,” and he said: “The Qur’an has apparent meanings and hidden meanings. All of those that Allah has prohibited in the Qur’an are impermissible as they have been mentioned apparently whereas the hidden thing in that is the imams of injustice and all of those that Allah has permitted are permissible as they are apparent whereas the hidden thing among them is the imams of guidance.”

I asked Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) about the saying of Allah, “And when they commit an indecency they say: We found our fathers doing this, and Allah has enjoined it on us. Say: Surely Allah does not enjoin indecency; do you say against Allah what you do not know?” and he said: “Have you seen anyone claiming that Allah has ordered him to commit adultery, to drink wine or to do any other sin?” I said: “No, I have not.” He said: “Then what is this indecency that they claim that Allah has ordered them to do?” I said: “Allah and His guardian are more aware!” He said: “This is among the followers of the imams of injustice and oppression. They claim that Allah has ordered them to follow some people, whom Allah has never ordered them to follow. So Allah has denied their saying and has informed them that they have fabricated lies; therefore He has called that as indecency.”

I asked Abu Ja’far as-Sadiq (as) about (the meaning of) the Qur’anic verse, “And there are some among men who take for themselves objects of worship besides Allah, whom they love as they love Allah.” He said: By Allah they are the followers of so and so. They have taken them as their imams instead of the imam, whom Allah has determined for people. Therefore Allah has said, “…that those who are unjust had seen, when they see the chastisement, that the power is wholly Allah’s and that Allah is severe in requiting (evil). When those who were followed shall renounce those who followed (them), and they see the chastisement and their ties are cut asunder. And those who followed shall say: Had there been for us a return, then we would renounce them as they have renounced us. Thus will Allah show them their deeds to be intense regret to them, and they shall not come forth from the fire.” O Jabir, by Allah it is the imams of injustice and their followers.

I have heard Abdullah bin Ja’far at-Tayyar saying: One day Al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Abdullah bin Abbas, Umar bin Umm Salama, Ussama bin Zayd and I were with Mo’awiya. I said to him: “I have heard the Prophet (S) saying: “I am worthier of the believers than themselves then my brother Ali bin Abu Talib will be worthier of the believers than themselves. If he is martyred then his son al-Hasan will be worthier of the believers than themselves then after him al-Husayn will be worthier of the believers than themselves. If he is martyred, his son Ali bin al-Husayn will be worthier of the believers than themselves then his son Muhammad bin Ali will be worthier of the believers than themselves then the rest of the twelve imams, nine of whom are from the progeny of al-Husayn.” I asked al-Hasan, al-Husayn, Abdullah bin Abbas, Umar bin Umm Salama and Ussama bin Zayd to witness of that (the Prophet (S) had said so) and they witnessed.” Sulaym said: “I have heard that from Salman al-Farisi, al-Miqdad and Abu Tharr that they have heard it from the Prophet (S).”