The Imams 
are the only true guides
4 Aḥadīth
A number of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from al-Nadr ibn Suwayd and Fudala ibn Ayyub from Musa ibn Bakr from al-Fudayl who has said that he asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah about the meaning of the words of Allah: “For every nation there is a guide.” (3:7) The Imam said that every Imam is the guide in his own time.”
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ وَفَضَالَةَ بْنِ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فَقَالَ كُلُّ إِمَامٍ هَادٍ لِلْقَرْنِ الَّذِي هُوَ فِيهِمْ.
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ibn ’Udhayna from Buray al-‘Ijli from Ima abu Ja’far who has said the following about the words of Allah. “(Muhammad), you are only a Warner. For every nation there is a guide. (3:7)” The Imam said that at all times there is a guide from us who guides people to the teachings of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) Of the guides who possess Divine authority after the holy Prophet (s.a.) is Amir al-Mu’minin and his successors one after the other.”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ عَنْ ابي جعفر فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ الْمُنْذِرُ وَلِكُلِّ زَمَانٍ مِنَّا هَادٍ يَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى مَا جَاءَ بِهِ نَبِيُّ الله ﷺ ثُمَّ الْهُدَاةُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ عَلِيٌّ ثُمَّ الاوْصِيَاءُ وَاحِدٌ بَعْدَ وَاحِدٍ.
Al-Husaym ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il from Sa‘dan from abu Basir who has said that he asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah about the meaning of the words of Allah. “(Muhammad), you are only a Warner. For every nation there is a guide.” (3:7) The Imam said, “The Holy Prophet is the Warner and Amir al-Mu’minin is the guide. O abu Muhammad, is there a guide today?” I said, “Yes, may Allah take my soul in service for your cause, there has always been a guide from you one after the other until this (noble task) is being carried on by your own self.” The Imam said, “O abu Muhammad, may Allah grand you blessings. Had it been like the coming of guidance to man and then he would die with his death the guidance would also die and the whole book would die, but it lives and it continues with new generations as it has done so with the people in the past.”
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ الْمُنْذِرُ وَعَلِيٌّ الْهَادِي يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ هَلْ مِنْ هَادٍ الْيَوْمَ قُلْتُ بَلَى جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا زَالَ مِنْكُمْ هَادٍ بَعْدَ هَادٍ حَتَّى دُفِعَتْ إِلَيْكَ فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ الله يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ لَوْ كَانَتْ إِذَا نَزَلَتْ آيَةٌ عَلَى رَجُلٍ ثُمَّ مَاتَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ مَاتَتِ الايَةُ مَاتَ الْكِتَابُ وَلَكِنَّهُ حَيٌّ يَجْرِي فِيمَنْ بَقِيَ كَمَا جَرَى فِيمَنْ مَضَى.
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Safwan from Mansur from ‘Abd al-Rahim al-Qusayr who has said that asked Imam abu Ja’far about the meaning of the words of Allah, “. . For every nation there is a guide. (3:7)” The Imam said, “The Holy Prophet (s.a.) is the Warner and Amir al-Mu’minin is the guide. Let it be known, I swear by Allah, that guidance never departed us, it is with us and will always be with us until the Day of Judgment.”
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْقَصِيرِ عَنْ ابي جعفر فِي قَوْلِ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِنَّما أَنْتَ مُنْذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هادٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ الْمُنْذِرُ وَعَلِيٌّ اxلْهَادِي أَمَا وَالله مَا ذَهَبَتْ مِنَّا وَمَا زَالَتْ فِينَا إِلَى السَّاعَةِ.