لقمان: «وَ إِذا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا ما أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ ما وَجَدْنا عَلَيْهِ آباءَنا أَ وَ لَوْ كانَ الشَّيْطانُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلى عَذابِ السَّعِيرِ»(21)

"And when it is said to them: Follow what God has sent down, they say: No, rather we follow what we found our fathers upon. What, even though Satan was calling them to the punishment of the Blaze?"

الصافات: «إِنَّهُمْ أَلْفَوْا آباءَهُمْ ضالِّينَ فَهُمْ عَلى آثارِهِمْ يُهْرَعُونَ»(69 ، 70)

al-Saffat: "They found their fathers astray, and they hasten along in their footsteps."

الزمر: «وَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَنَبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ أَنْ يَعْبُدُوها وَ أَنابُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ لَهُمُ الْبُشْرى»(17)

"But those who keep away from the idol lest they worship it, and turn repentant to God — to them good tidings; so give good tidings to those servants of Mine."

الزخرف: «وَ كَذلِكَ ما أَرْسَلْنا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا قالَ مُتْرَفُوها إِنَّا وَجَدْنا آباءَنا عَلى أُمَّةٍ وَ إِنَّا عَلی آثارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ»(23)

"And thus We sent no warner before you into any town but that its men of ease said: We found our fathers upon a creed [and a way], and we are following in their footsteps."

«1»- كش، رجال الكشي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ الْكَشِّيُّ ١ وَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَوْفٍ الْبُخَارِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ الْمَرْوَزِيِّ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ عليه السلام اعْرِفُوا مَنَازِلَ شِيعَتِنَا بِقَدْرِ مَا يُحْسِنُونَ مِنْ رِوَايَاتِهِمْ عَنَّا فَإِنَّا لَا نَعُدُّ الْفَقِيهَ مِنْهُمْ فَقِيهاً حَتَّى يَكُونَ مُحَدَّثاً فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَ وَ يَكُونُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مُحَدَّثاً قَالَ يَكُونُ مُفَهَّماً وَ الْمُفَهَّمُ مُحَدَّثٌ.

Rijal al-Kashshi: Ibn Hammad al-Marwazi relates with an elevated chain that Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Know the standing of our Shi'a by the measure of their knowledge of our reports; for we do not count them jurists unless they are muhaddath (unless they are inspired). It was said: O son of the Messenger of God, is a believer made muhaddath? He said: He is made to understand. (The one made to understand is the muhaddath.)

«2»- كش، رجال الكشي حَمْدَوَيْهِ وَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ابْنَا نُصَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الرَّازِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ الْمَدَائِنِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ السَّائِيِّ قَالَ: كَتَبَ إِلَیَّ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الْأَوَّلُ وَ هُوَ فِي السِّجْنِ وَ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتَ يَا عَلِيُّ مِمَّنْ تَأْخُذُ مَعَالِمَ دِينِكَ لَا تَأْخُذَنَّ مَعَالِمَ دِينِكَ عَنْ غَيْرِ شِيعَتِنَا فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَعَدَّيْتَهُمْ أَخَذْتَ دِينَكَ عَنِ الْخَائِنِينَ الَّذِينَ خَانُوا اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ خَانُوا أَمَانَاتِهِمْ إِنَّهُمُ اؤْتُمِنُوا عَلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَ عَلَا فَحَرَّفُوهُ وَ بَدَّلُوهُ فَعَلَيْهِمْ لَعْنَةُ اللَّهِ وَ لَعْنَةُ رَسُولِهِ وَ مَلَائِكَتِهِ وَ لَعْنَةُ آبَائِيَ الْكِرَامِ الْبَرَرَةِ وَ لَعْنَتِي وَ لَعْنَةُ شِيعَتِي إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.

Rijal al-Kashshi: Ibn Suwayd al-Sa'i says: Imam Musa al-Kazim, peace be upon him, wrote to me from prison: Do not ask the matters of your religion from any but our Shi'a; otherwise you will have taken your religion from those who betrayed God and His Messenger. For the Book of God was a trust with them and they were its trustees, yet they altered and changed it. So may the curse of God, of His Messenger, of the angels, of my noble and righteous forefathers, and my curse and the curse of my Shi'a, be upon them until the Day of Resurrection.

«3»- كش، رجال الكشي جَبْرَئِيلُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَاتِمِ بْنِ مَاهَوَيْهِ ٢قَالَ: كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ يَعْنِي أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثَ عليه السلام أَسْأَلُهُ عَمَّنْ آخُذُ مَعَالِمَ دِينِي وَ كَتَبَ أَخُوهُ أَيْضاً بِذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِمَا فَهِمْتُ مَا ذَكَرْتُمَا فَاعْتَمِدَا فِي دِينِكُمَا عَلَى مُسِنٍّ فِي حُبِّكُمَا وَ كُلِّ كَثِيرِ الْقَدَمِ فِي أَمْرِنَا فَإِنَّهُمْ كَافُوكُمَا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.

Rijal al-Kashshi: Hatim b. Mahawayh says: I wrote to Imam al-Hadi, peace be upon him — and his brother had written likewise — asking from whom we should ask the matters of our religion. The Imam wrote in reply to the two brothers: I have understood what you said. In the matters of your religion rely upon one whose years have been spent in loving you and who has walked far in the way of the cause and the walaya; he will suffice you, God willing.

«4»- مع، معاني الأخبار أَبِی عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ يَرْفَعُهُ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ لَا تَكُونُ إِمَّعَةً ٣ تَقُولُ أَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ وَ أَنَا كَوَاحِدٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ.

Ma'ani al-Akhbar: Ahmad b. Abi 'Abd Allah related from his father, by his chain which he traces back to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, that he said to one of his companions: Do not be an "imma'a" (a contraction of "ana ma'ahu") who says: I am with the people and I am like one of the people; whatever the rest become, I shall become too.