Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from 'Abdallah ibn Ghalib from Jabir from abu Ja'far (a.s.) who has said the following.
"When the following verse of the Holy Quran was revealed, "On the day when We call every nation with their leaders, (Imams) . . ." (17:71), people asked the Holy Prophet (s. a.), 'Are you
not the Imam of all the people altogether?' The Holy Prophet (s.a.) said, "I am the Messenger of Allah to all the people but after me there will the Imams for the people from my
family.
They will rise among the people but they will be rejected. The leaders of the unbelievers and misguidance and their followers will do injustice to them. Those who support, love, follow and
acknowledge their authority they are from me, with me and will meet me. Let it be known that those who would do injustice to the Imams (a.s) and reject them they are not from me and with me. I
denounce them and all associations with them."
H 567, Ch. 25, h 2
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al- Husayn from Muhammad ibn Yahya from Talha ibn Zayd from abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. "The
Imams mentioned in the book of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, are of two kinds.
Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High has said, 'We appointed them as leaders (Imams) to guide the people through Our command . . ." (21:73) They do so but not because of the commads of the
people.
They allow our command to come first and before their own orders, and our laws before their own laws and judgment. "We made them the kinds of leaders (Imams) who would invite people to the
fire . . ." (28:41) 'They let their own commands to come before the commands of Allah and their laws before the laws of Allah. They follow their desires against what the book of Allah, the Most
Holy, the Most High requires.'"
