The Reason Why There is a Need for the Imam (as)

Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 21

Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

Book 2, Chapter 21

The Reason Why There is a Need for the Imam

Hadith #8

وَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْخَزَّازِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ عليه السلام أَ تَبْقَى الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَإِنَّا نُرَوَّى أَنَّهَا لَا تَبْقَى إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْخَطَ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ فَقَالَ لَا تَبْقَى إِذاً لَسَاخَتْ.

And from the same chain of narrators from Ali bin Mahziyar from Hasan bin Ali Khazzaz from Ahmad bin Umar that he asked Abul Hasan (Imam Kazim): “Can the earth remain without an Imam?” He replied: “No.” I asked: “It is narrated to us that it cannot be but that Allah will be furious on His servants?” The Imam said: “It cannot remain (except that) it will sink into itself.”