وَ بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَهْزِيَارَ عَنْ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ تَكُونُ الْأَرْضُ بِغَيْرِ إِمَامٍ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ أَ فَيَكُونُ إِمَامَانِ فِي وَقْتٍ وَاحِدٍ قَالَ لَا إِلَّا وَ أَحَدُهُمَا صَامِتٌ قُلْتُ فَالْإِمَامُ يَعْرِفُ الْإِمَامَ الَّذِي مِنْ بَعْدِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ قُلْتُ الْقَائِمُ إِمَامٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِمَامُ بْنُ إِمَامٍ قَدِ اؤْتُمَّ بِهِ قَبْلَ ذَلِكَ.
And from the same chain of narrators from Ali bin Mahziyar from Faddala from Aban bin Uthman from ibn Abi Umair from Husain bin Abi Alaa from Abi Abdullah that he asked him: “Can the earth remain without an Imam?” He replied: “No.” I asked: “Can there be two Imams at one time?” He said: “No, unless one of them is silent.” I asked: “Does the Imam know about the Imam who will succeed him?” “Yes.” I asked, “Is the Qaim an Imam?” “Yes, he is an Imam, son of Imam and before his reappearance he has been followed.”
