Allah does not leave the world with no authority (Hujjah)

I have heard one of the trusted companions of Imam Ali (as) saying that Imam Ali (as) has said in a long speech he made in Kufa: “O Allah, it must be that You have authorities on Your earth one after the other over Your people to guide them to Your religion and to teach them Your knowledge lest the followers of Your guardians separate. They (the authorities) are either apparent without being obeyed or afraid, hidden and awaiting. If their persons are absent from people during their truce in the state of untruth, their knowledge will never be absent from them (from people). Their principles are fixed in the hearts of the believers, who act according to these principles. They become pleasant with what the liars become unpleasant and with what those, who are indifferent to the obligations of Allah, deny. Speech that is measured without any price; but is there any one hearing it with his mind, perceiving it, believing in it and following it as an ideal to succeed with it? And who is he? Therefore knowledge is lost because there is no one to bear it, to preserve it and to teach it as it is heard from the ulama.” Then he said after a long speech: “O Allah, I know well that knowledge is not lost totally nor its means disappear because You do not leave the earth without an authority over Your people; either apparent and obeyed or afraid, absent and disobeyed lest Your proofs will be vain and Your faithfuls will go astray after You have guided them.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Muhammad from Sahl bin Ziyad from Muhammad bin Yahya and others from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Ali bin Ibraheem from his father from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Hisham bin Salim from Abu Hamza ath-Thimali from Abu Iss’haq as-Subay’iy from one of Imam Ali’s trusted companions.

“The world will not be empty of a jurisprudent (imam). Whenever the believers add something (a heresy) to the religion, he prevents them from that and whenever they omit something of it, he completes it for them.”

“The world will still have an authority from Allah knowing the permissible and impermissible things and inviting people to the way of Allah.”

“Is the world left without an imam?” He replied: “No, it is not.”

“Allah does not leave the world without a jurisprudent (imam); otherwise the truth is not distinguished from the untruth.”

“By Allah, He has not left the world, since Adam had left to the better world, without an imam guiding people to the way of Allah and being the authority of Allah over His people. The world will never be left without an authority (from Allah) over the people.”

I asked Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): “Is the world left without an imam?” He said: “If the world remains without an imam, it will sink.”

I asked Imam ar-Redha (as): “Is the world left without an imam?” He said: “No, it is not.” I said: “We narrate from Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) that it is not left without an imam except if Allah becomes angry with the people.” He said: “The world is not left without an imam. If it is left without an imam, it will sink.”

“If the imam is removed from on the earth for an hour, it will sink with its people and will surge like the sea.”

I asked Imam ar-Redha (as): “Is the world left without an imam?” He said: “No, it is not.” I said: “We narrate traditions saying that it does not remain without an imam except if Allah becomes angry with the people.” He said: “It does not remain without an imam, otherwise it sinks.”