Book 4, Chapter #87


The Case of those who would Die without having an Imam from the Imams of Guidance

Ḥadīth #3

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3ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (a.s) قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ 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 (a.s): ‘the Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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."“