Had the people followed Imam Ali bin Husain (a.

Had the people followed Imam Ali bin Husain (a.s.) and had they left Abdul Malik Marwani, they would have gained the guidance. We said that the one who dies and does not recognize his Imam dies the death of disbelief.

The Hazrat said: No, rather he dies on a path other than that of his prophet.[^1] Moreover, it is mentioned with reliable chains of narrators, that Imam Baqir (a.s.) said if a man dies and he did not have any Imam, he had died a death of ignorance and people are not unable to recognize the Imam and a man who dies while knowing his Imam will not be harmed by the appearance of the Imam, be it before that person’s death or after it and a man who dies knowing his Imam is like the one who is with the Imam in his tent [camp].

It is written in Akmaluddeen with reliable chains of narrators that people asked Imam Ridha (a.s.): If a man dies without knowing his Imam has he died the death of ignorance? The Hazrat said: Yes, a man who doubts the Imamate of the Imam or desists from him is a denier and the one who denies the Imamate of the Imam or shows enmity towards the Imam is a polytheist, that is, like an idol-worshipper.

Kulaini and Nomani have, with reliable chains of narrators, narrated from Ibne Baseer that people sought the Tafsir of this verse from Imam Ridha (a.s.): وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنْ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنْ اللَّهِ. And who is more erring than he who follows his low desires without any guidance from Allah? (Sura Qasas 28:50) The Imam replied: It means the man who acts, in his religion, according to his own opinion without following any of the right guidance of an Imam.

Also Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said that if a man associates the Imamate of an Imam who has been appointed by Allah with the Imamate of anyone else who is not appointed by Allah is a Mushrik (polytheist) and is like the one who has associated someone with Allah.

Nomani has, with strong chains, narrated from Ibne Abi Yaqoob: I asked Imam Sadiq (.a.s): What about a man who loves you and is fed up with those who are your enemies, recognizes your Halaal as Halaal and your Haraam as Haraam and also believes that Imamate does not go anywhere else from your lineage, but, at the same time, he also says that there are leaders who have differed from this and so, when all will become unanimous I will also become believer in their Imamate.

The Hazrat replied: If he dies with this state of mind, he will die a death of ignorance.