[Those who died on ignorance and disbelief before the...

[Those who died on ignorance and disbelief before the appointment of the Holy Prophet (S) being ignorant of the roots and branches of the faith.] As regards some prejudiced Sunni speakers who have said that Imam of the time means the Quran, every wise man knows that, to take Book as Imam is against both the open and the hidden knowledge. Moreover the addition of the word ‘Zamana’ (time) makes it clear that there is an Imam in every time and Quran is the same for all times.

So this second reason defeats the arguments that what the Prophet of Allah meant by Imam is the Holy Quran. Moreover, an Imam of the past is not called ‘Imam-e-Zaman’ (leader of the time). So it is understood that there must be an Imam for every age whom people may recognize. Excepting the sect of Imamiyah, no sect believes that there is an Imam in every time and that no age remains without an Imam.

Barqui has narrated with reliable chains of narrators through Imam Sadiq (a.s.) that the Holy Prophet (S) said: One who dies but does not know the Imam of his time has died on the religion of ignorance. So it is compulsory for you to obey the Imam of your time. Doubtlessly you have seen companions of Amirul Momineen. What happened to those who did not follow him? So you should not follow anyone else because you are not unable to recognize what is ignorance and who is the Imam.

There are verses in the Quran praising us, that is, the verses which talk about our gracefulness and we are the group the obedience of whom has been made compulsory by Allah. All the lands are our booty and the chosen booty is due to us. It is reported through reliable sources that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: The earth does not possess the ability to remain still and to exist but due to the Imam and that the one who died without knowing the Imam of his time has died the death of ignorance.

Everyone of you is in a dire need of the knowledge about the Imam when his soul reaches here (pointing his hand to his chest) and said: he will say at that moment that I was on the proper path and the right faith and this is the time when the events of the Hereafter come before his eyes and he observes his condition clearly.

It is narrated with good chains of narrators that Husain bin Abil Ulaa said: I asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about this word of the Holy Prophet (S) that if a man who dies without knowing his Imam, his death is the death of ignorance. The Imam replied: Yes, it is true.