مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ اِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنْ اَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَاؑ قَالَ مَنْ مَاتَ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ اِمَامٌ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كُلُّ مَنْ مَاتَ وَ لَيْسَ لَهُ اِمَامٌ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً قَالَ نَعَمْ وَ الْوَاقِفُ كَافِرٌ وَ النَّاصِبُ مُشْرِكٌ
Muhammad Ibn Ismaeel narrates from Imam Abu al-Hasan al-Reza (peace be upon him) who said, “Whoever dies and there is no Imam for him (i.e. he does not know the Imam of his time), dies the death of paganism.” I asked him, “Anybody who dies without knowing the Imam of his time dies the death of ignorance?” He (peace be upon him) replied, “Yes. The Waqefi is an infidel while the Naasebi is a polytheist.”
Note:
The Waaqefiyyah are infidels. Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) was martyred during his prolonged imprisonment. As a result, some of his deputies got a feeling of independence. They hoarded the wealth of Khums. When the news of Imam’s (peace be upon him) martyrdom reached to them, they denied his death and claimed that he has gone in occultation. They formed a new sect called Waaqefiyyah (i.e. they suggested that Imamate had stopped at Imam Kazim (peace be upon him)). They deceived the people through their arguments in such a way that not a single follower from them thought that this is not a divine religion. But Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in this tradition clearly states that the Waaqefiyyah are unbelievers and infidels.
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 78, H. 7
2. Kamaal al-Deen, vol. 2, p. 668, H. 11