عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ يَوْمَ نَدْعُوا كُلَّ أُناسٍ بِإِمامِهِمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَ لَسْتَ إِمَامَ النَّاسِ كُلِّهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهٖ أَنَا رَسُولُ اللهِ إِلَى النَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ وَ لَكِنْ سَيَكُونُ بَعْدِي أَئِمَّةٌ عَلَى النَّاسِ مِنَ اللهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي يَقُومُونَ فِي النَّاسِ فَيُكَذَّبُونَ وَ يَظْلِمُهُمْ أَئِمَّةُ الْكُفْرِ وَ الضَّلَالِ وَ أَشْيَاعُهُمْ أَلَا وَ مَنْ وَالَاهُمْ وَ اتَّبَعَهُمْ وَ صَدَّقَهُمْ فَهُوَ مِنِّي وَ سَيَلْقَانِي أَلَا وَ مَنْ ظَلَمَهُمْ وَ أَعَانَ عَلَى ظُلْمِهِمْ وَ كَذَّبَهُمْ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي وَ لَا مَعِي وَ أَنَا مِنْهُ بَرِيءٌ
Jaabir (Ibn Yazid al-Jofee) reports on the authority of Imam Abu Ja’far (al-Baqer – peace be on him), “When the verse, ‘That day We will call every people with their Imam’[1] was revealed, the Muslims said, ‘O Messenger of Allah! Are you not the Imam of the people, all of them?’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny) replied, ‘I am the Messenger of Allah to the people, all of them but so there will be after me Imams upon the people from Allah from my Ahle Bait; they will stand among the people but they will be denied (their claim). The Imams of disbelief and deviation and their followers will unleash injustice upon them. Beware! Whoever accepts their (i.e. of the Ahle Bait) mastership, follows them and testifies in them, he is from me and soon he will meet me. Beware! Whoever oppresses them, helps in oppressing them and denies them, he is neither from me nor with me and I am distant from me’.”
References:
1. Basaaer al-Darajaat, p.33, H.1, Chapter 16
2. Tafseer al-Ayyaashi, vol. 2, p. 304
3. Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, p. 215, H. 1
4. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 27, p. 203, H. 5
Note:
1) The above narration is a clear prophecy by the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and his progeny) as to what will happen after his martyrdom i.e. the rights of the divine Imams (peace be on them) will be usurped by the unjust leaders and their followers.
2) Of course, this prophecy is not restricted just to the period
immediately after the martyrdom. Rather, it continues today as well and will
carry on till the reappearance of Imam-e-Zamana (may Allah hasten his
reappearance).
[1] Surah Bani Israel (17): Verse 71