1ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ عَنِ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ الائِمَّةُ خُلَفَاءُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي أَرْضِهِ.

1. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu Mas‘ud from al-Ja’fari who has said that he heard abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) say the following. “ The Imams (a.s.) are the deputies of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, on earth.”

2ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ مُعَلىً عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الاوْصِيَاءُ هُمْ أَبْوَابُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّتِي يُؤْتَى مِنْهَا وَلَوْلاهُمْ مَا عُرِفَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَبِهِمُ احْتَجَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى خَلْقِهِ.

2. Mu‘alla has narrated from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Sulayman ibn Suma‘a from ‘Abdallah ibn al-Qasim from abu Basir who has said that Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) said the following. “The successors (of the holy Prophet (s.a.) are the gates to Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, through which people go to Him. Had they not existed, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would not have been recognized. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, will present these successors as evidence against His creatures.”

3ـ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ قَوْلِ الله جَلَّ جَلالُهُ وَعَدَ الله الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الارْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ.

3. Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from ‘Abdallah ibn Sinan who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the meaning of the following verse of the Holy Quran. “God has promised the righteously striving believers to appoint them as His deputies on earth, as He had appointed those who lived before. . .” (24:55) The Imams (a.s.) said, “The people referred to in this verse are the Imams (a.s.).”