حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ الْوَلِيدِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الصَّفَّارُ وَ سَعْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ جَمِيعاً عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْخَطَّابِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنْ فُضَيْلِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ سَالِمَ بْنَ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ يَلْقَانِي وَ يَقُولُ لِي أَ لَسْتُمْ تَرْوُونَ أَنَّ مَنْ مَاتَ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ إِمَامٌ فَمَوْتَتُهُ مَوْتَةُ جَاهِلِيَّةٍ فَأَقُولُ لَهُ بَلَى فَيَقُولُ لِي قَدْ مَضَى أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ فَمَنْ إِمَامُكُمُ الْيَوْمَ فَأَكْرَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَنْ أَقُولَ لَهُ جَعْفَرٌ فَأَقُولُ لَهُ أَئِمَّتِي آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ فَيَقُولُ لِي مَا أَرَاكَ صَنَعْتَ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ عليه السلام وَيْحَ سَالِمِ بْنِ أَبِي حَفْصَةَ لَعَنَهُ اللَّهُ وَ هَلْ يَدْرِي سَالِمٌ مَا مَنْزِلَةُ الْإِمَامِ إِنَّ مَنْزِلَةَ الْإِمَامِ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّا يَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ سَالِمٌ وَ النَّاسُ أَجْمَعُونَ وَ إِنَّهُ لَنْ يَهْلِكَ مِنَّا إِمَامٌ قَطُّ إِلَّا تَرَكَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ مِثْلَ عِلْمِهِ وَ يَسِيرُ مِثْلَ سِيرَتِهِ وَ يَدْعُو إِلَى مِثْلِ الَّذِي دَعَا إِلَيْهِ وَ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعِ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَا أَعْطَى دَاوُدَ أَنْ أَعْطَى سُلَيْمَانَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ.
Narrated to us Muhammad bin Hasan bin Ahmad bin Walid 
that he said: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Hasan as-Saffar; and Saad bin Abdullah; and Abdullah bin Ja’far al-Himyari that they all narrated from Muhammad bin Husain ibn Abil Khattab, from Ali bin Noman from Fudail bin Uthman from Abi Ubaidah that he said: I asked Abi Abdullah : “May I be sacrificed on you, Salim bin Abi Hafsa Yalqani asked me if we believed that if a person dies without recognizing the Imam (of his time) his death is that of ignorance?” I replied, “Yes it is our belief.” He said, “Who is your Imam after the passing away of Abu Ja’far?” I, may I be sacrificed on you felt averse to say: Ja’far , so I said, “My Imams are the descendants of Muhammad.” He said, “I don’t think you are following the right Imam.” The Imam said: “Woe be to Salim bin Abi Hafsa – may Allah curse him – does Salim know what is the position of the Imam? The position of the Imam is much above than what Salim and all people think. None one of us (Imams) passes away but that he leaves behind one who is having similar knowledge and who is like him in manners. Who invites to matters like he invited. And nothing prevents Allah, the Mighty and Sublime from bestowing to Prophet Sulaiman better than what He bestowed to Prophet Dawood .”
