Al-Kāfi - The Book on Virtue of Knowledge

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Virtue of Knowledge Chapter: Chapter on Taqlid, following the opinions of someone ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنِ ابْنِ ٠ُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ قُلْتُ لَهُ اتَّخَذُوا أَحْبارَهُ٠ِنْ دُونِ الله فَقَالَ أَ٠ْ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ أَنْفُسِهِ٠ْ وَلَوْ دَعَوْهُ٠ْ وَلَكِنْ أَحَلُّوا لَهُ٠ْ حَلالاً فَعَبَدُوهُ٠ِنْ حَيْثُ لا يَشْعُرُونَ.

If they had done so people would not have accepted it. The Rabbis and monks made unlawful things lawful for them and the lawful things as unlawful. And in this way they worshipped them unintentionally.”. صحيح - Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi (Sahih al-Kafi (7/ 1)) حسن - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/183))