Doubting any of the twelve imams

Abu Abdullah Ja’far bin Muhammad as-Sadiq (as) said to me: “O Yahya bin Abdullah, he, who spent a night without knowing his imam, will die as an unbeliever.”

I have heard Abu Ja’far Muhammad bin Ali al-Baqir (as) saying: “Whoever tries his best in worshipping Allah without following an imam inspired by Allah, his worshipping will not be accepted (by Allah) and he is astray and confused besides that Allah hates his deeds. His example is like a sheep that has lost the shepherd or the flock. It goes and comes astray. It becomes confused at day and when night comes, it sees a flock with a shepherd. It is deceived to spend the night with them in their fold. When morning comes and the shepherd drives his flock, it denies the shepherd and the flock and goes confusedly looking for its flock and shepherd. Then it sees another flock with a shepherd. It is deceived to join them. The shepherd cries: “O you lost sheep, go to join your shepherd and flock. You are astray and confused. You have lost your shepherd and flock.” Then it hastens confusedly without a shepherd guiding it to its pasture or to its fold. While it is so, a wolf seizes the opportunity and eats it. O bin Muslim, by Allah it is the same with you. Whoever of this umma becomes without an imam, definitely will be confused, astray and deviant. If he remains so, he will die as an unbeliever and polytheist. O Muhammad bin Muslim, know that the real imams and their followers are on the true religion of Allah and the imams of injustice and oppression are away from the religion of Allah and away from the truth. They go astray and lead people astray. Their actions are (like ashes on which the wind blows hard on a stormy day; they shall not have power over any thing out of what they have earned; this is the great error).” The same was narrated by Ali bin Ahmad from Obaydillah bin Musa from Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qalanisi from Issma’eel bin Mihran from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Abdullah bin Bukayr and Jameel bin Darraj from Muhammad bin Muslim from Imam Abu Ja’far as-Sadiq (as).

I asked Abu Ja’far as-Sadiq (as): What about one, who denies an imam of you? He said: “He, who denies an imam appointed by Allah and exempt himself from him and his faith, is apostate and unbeliever because the imam is appointed by Allah and his religion is the religion of Allah; therefore whoever denies the religion of Allah, is to be killed except if he turns to Allah in repentance of what he has said or done.”

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

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.”

I have heard Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) saying: “The Prophet (S) has said: “Whoever dies without knowing his imam, dies as an unbeliever.”

“…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.”

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

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?”

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 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 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.

Allah the Almighty has said: I will torture every group of Muslims that has believed in the guardianship of every imam of injustice even those Muslims are pious and God-fearing and I will forgive every group of Muslims that has believed in the guardianship of every just imam, whose imamate has been determined by Allah, even if these Muslims are guilty and sinful.”

I said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): “I mix with people so much. I wonder at some people, who are truthful, trusted and faithful but they do not believe in your guardianship and I wonder at others, who believe in your guardianship but they are neither truthful nor trusted.” He straightened his sitting, looked at me angrily and said: “There is no faith for whoever believes in the guardianship of an unjust imam, who has not been appointed by Allah, and no blame on whoever believes in the guardianship of a just imam, whose imamate has been determined by Allah.” I said: “No faith for those and no blame on these?!” He said: “Yes, no faith for those and no blame on these. Have you not heard the saying of Allah (Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light)? It means that Allah will bring them out of the darkness of sins into the light of repentance and forgiveness because of their submitting to the just imams appointed by Allah. Then Allah has said, “…And (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness.” So which light that the unbeliever will be out of? Certainly it is the light of Islam. When those people follow the unjust imams, they come out of the light of Islam into the darkness of disbelief; therefore Allah has rewarded them with being in Fire with the unbelievers. He said, “They are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide”

“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 said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): “Someone believes in your guardianship, exempts himself from your enemy, permits what you have permitted, refrains from what you have prohibited and thinks that the imamate is still among you and will never go to other than you but he says: They (the infallible imams) have disagreed among themselves while they are the leading imams. If they agree upon a man and say that it is he (the imam), we will say that it is he.” Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: If this someone remains with this opinion, he will die as an unbeliever.

I said to Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as): Someone believes in the guardianship of Ali (as) and exempts himself from Ali’s enemy. He believes in everything that Ali (as) has said but he says: They have disagreed among themselves whereas they are the leading imams. I do not know which of them is the imam. If they agree upon a certain one, I will submit to him. I have believed that the imamate is among them. Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “If this someone still thinks so, he will die as an unbeliever. The Qur’an has interpretations that occur as the day and the night and they run as the sun and the moon. If an interpretation of something comes, it will occur. Some interpretations have come and some have not come yet.”

“Whoever worships Allah without learning (the principles of worship) from a truthful jurisprudent, Allah will let him be confused and astray and whoever claims that he has heard from other than the gate (source) that Allah has opened to His people, is considered as a polytheist. That gate is the trusted one, who has been entrusted (by Allah) with the hidden secret of Allah.” The same thing was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from some of his companions from Abdul Adheem bin Abdullah al-Hasani from Malik bin Aamir from al-Mufadhdhal bin Za’ida from al-Mufadhdhal bin Umar from Imam as-Sadiq (as).

I have told Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) about a man, who believes in Amirul Mo’mineen (as) as the guardian, exempts himself from his (Ali’s) opponents and believes in all that Amirul Mo’mineen (as) has said but he says: They have disagreed among themselves whereas they are the leading imams and I do not know which of them is the imam. If they have agreed upon one man, we will submit to his orders. I have believed that the imamate is among them. May Allah have mercy upon them all. Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) said: “He will die as an unbeliever.” The same was narrated by Ali bin Sayf from his brother al-Husayn from Mu’ath bin Muslim from Imam as-Sadiq (as). Let those of understanding, who believe in the guardianship of the infallible imams of Ahlul Bayt, ponder on the traditions narrated from the Prophet (S), Imam Abu Ja’far al-Baqir (as) and Imam Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) talking about those, who have doubted anyone of the twelve imams or have spent a night without knowing their imam. These traditions have considered such people as unbelievers, hypocrites and polytheists. Let them also ponder on the traditions that have said: “Whoever denies one of the alive imams is as if he has denied the dead ones.” Let men of understanding look well for the one, whom they will follow, without being deceived by fancies and falsehood in order no to deviate from the path of the truth. Let them know well who will be the means between them and their Creator, Who is One and Only, whereas the devils are so many. Allah has said: “…The Shaitans from among men and jinn, some of them suggesting to others varnished falsehood to deceive (them).” We pray Allah to save us and our brothers in faith from deviating from the truth and guidance and not to let us welter in the abysses of confusion and perishment. We look forward to His mercy; He is merciful to the believers.