«16»- وَ قَالَ عليه السلام إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَعَثَ رَسُولًا هَادِياً بِكِتَابٍ نَاطِقٍ وَ أَمْرٍ قَائِمٍ لَا يَهْلِكُ عَنْهُ إِلَّا هَالِكٌ وَ إِنَّ الْمُبْتَدَعَاتِ الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ هُنَّ الْمُهْلِكَاتُ إِلَّا مَا حَفِظَ اللَّهُ مِنْهَا.
The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: God has raised up guiding prophets with a speaking Book and an established command, from which none perishes but one doomed to perish. Truly doubtful innovations are the precipices of destruction, unless God preserves one from them.
«17»- مص، مصباح الشريعة قَالَ الصَّادِقُ عليه السلام الِاقْتِدَاءُ نِسْبَةُ الْأَرْوَاحِ فِي الْأَزَلِ وَ امْتِزَاجُ نُورِ الْوَقْتِ بِنُورِ الْأَزَلِ وَ لَيْسَ الِاقْتِدَاءُ بِالتَّوَسُّمِ ١ بِحَرَكَاتِ الظَّاهِرِ وَ التَّنَسُّبِ إِلَى أَوْلِيَاءِ الدِّينِ مِنَ الْحُكَمَاءِ وَ الْأَئِمَّةِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَوْمَ نَدْعُوا كُلَّ أُناسٍ بِإِمامِهِمْ أَيْ مَنْ كَانَ اقْتَدَى بِمُحِقٍّ قُبِلَ وَ زَكَی قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَإِذا نُفِخَ فِي الصُّورِ فَلا أَنْسابَ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ وَ لا يَتَساءَلُونَ
Misbah al-Shari'a: Al-Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Following a person is not realised except by the creational correspondence that took place on the first day and in the world of particles, and by the connection of the present luminosity and success with the past and pre-eternal light. Following is never realised by outward movements, and mere attachment to the leaders and great men of religion does not suffice. God the Exalted says: "On the day We shall summon every people with their leader" — that is, whoever truly followed his leader, he is accepted and far from deviation and pure. And again He says: "So when the trumpet is blown, on that day there will be no ties of kinship among them, nor will they question one another."
«18»- قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيٌّ عليه السلام الْأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَةٌ فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائْتَلَفَ وَ مَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَفَ.
The Commander of the Faithful 'Ali, peace be upon him, says: Souls are like ranked armies; those among them that have become familiar with one another and have a prior affinity come together in harmony, and those that differ in rank part from one another and fall into disagreement.
«19»- و قيل لمحمد بن الحنفية رضي اللّٰه عنه من أدبك قال أدبني ربي في نفسي فما استحسنته من أولي الألباب و البصيرة تبعتهم به فاستعملته و ما استقبحت من الجهال اجتنبته و تركته مستنفرا فأوصلني ذلك إلى كنوز العلم و لا طريق للأكياس من المؤمنين أسلم من الاقتداء لأنه المنهج الأوضح و المقصد الأصح قال اللّٰه عز و جل لأعز خلقه محمد صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله أُولئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ فَبِهُداهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ و قال عز و جل ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْراهِيمَ حَنِيفاً فلو كان لدين اللّٰه مسلك أقوم من الاقتداء لندب أنبياءه و أولياءه إليه ٢
It was said to Muhammad b. al-Hanafiyya, may God have mercy on him: Who has trained you? He said: My Lord trained me in my own soul and inwardly; so whatever I saw from the people of intellect and insight and approved, I put into practice, and whatever I observed from ignorant people and counted base, I kept away from and showed aversion to; and this way brought me to the treasuries of knowledge and the hoards of gnosis. And for keen and understanding people there is no way sounder and better than following the eminent and knowing. For following such people is a clear road and an entirely correct way. God the Exalted says to His most honoured servant, the noble Messenger, may God bless him and his family: "Those are they whom God has guided, so follow their guidance." And again He says: "Then We revealed to you: Follow the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith." And if there were for God's religion any way more straight, better and firmer than following, the friends of God and the prophets would have been called to that way.
«20»- وَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله فِي الْقَلْبِ نُورٌ لَا يُضِی ءُ إِلَّا مِنِ اتِّبَاعِ الْحَقِّ وَ قَصْدِ السَّبِيلِ وَ هُوَ نُورٌ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ مُوَدَّعٌ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ.
And the noble Messenger, may God bless him and his family, says: In the hearts of the believers there is a hidden light, and it does not shine and become manifest except from following the truth and travelling on the straight path; and it is a ray from the light of the prophets that has been placed in the hearts of the believers.
«21»- مع، معاني الأخبار أَبِی عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله عَنْ جَمَاعَةِ أُمَّتِهِ فَقَالَ جَمَاعَةُ أُمَّتِي أَهْلُ الْحَقِّ وَ إِنْ قَلُّوا.
Ma'ani al-Akhbar: Hafs b. 'Umar says: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: The Prophet of God, may God bless him and his family, was asked who the community of his people are. He said: The seekers of truth are the community of my people, even if they are few.
سن، المحاسن أبي عن هارون مثله.
Al-Mahasin: Harun related the like of it.