The Imams 
are the Deputies of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, on earth and the Gates through which people go nearer to Allah
3 Aḥadīth
Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from abu Mas‘ud from al-Ja’fari who has said that he heard abu al-Hassan al-Rida say the following. “ The Imams are the deputies of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, on earth.”
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الاشْعَرِيُّ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ عَنِ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا يَقُولُ الائِمَّةُ خُلَفَاءُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِي أَرْضِهِ.
Mu‘alla has narrated from Muhammad ibn Jumhur from Sulayman ibn Suma‘a from ‘Abdallah ibn al-Qasim from abu Basir who has said that Imam abu ‘Abdallah said the following. “The successors (of the holy Prophet (s.a.) are the gates to Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, through which people go to Him. Had they not existed, Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, would not have been recognized. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, will present these successors as evidence against His creatures.”
عَنْهُ عَنْ مُعَلىً عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُمْهُورٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله الاوْصِيَاءُ هُمْ أَبْوَابُ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ الَّتِي يُؤْتَى مِنْهَا وَلَوْلاهُمْ مَا عُرِفَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَبِهِمُ احْتَجَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى عَلَى خَلْقِهِ.
Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al-Washsha’ from ‘Abdallah ibn Sinan who has said that he asked abu ‘Abdallah about the meaning of the following verse of the Holy Quran. “God has promised the righteously striving believers to appoint them as His deputies on earth, as He had appointed those who lived before. . .” (24:55) The Imams said, “The people referred to in this verse are the Imams .”
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ مُعَلَّى بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْوَشَّاءِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله عَنْ قَوْلِ الله جَلَّ جَلالُهُ وَعَدَ الله الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِي الارْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ قَالَ هُمُ الائِمَّةُ.