صَعِدَ اَبُو ذَرٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلٰى دَرَجَةِ الْكَعْبَةِ حَتَّى اَخَذَ بِحَلْقَةِ الْبَابِ ثُمَّ اَسْنَدَ ظَهْرَهُ اِلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اَيُّهَا النَّاسُ مَنْ عَرَفَنِي فَقَدْ عَرَفَنِي وَ مَنْ اَنْكَرَنِي فَاَنَا اَبُو ذَرٍّ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ اِنَّمَا مَثَلُ اَهْلِ بَيْتِي فِي هَذِهِ الْاُمَّةِ كَمَثَلِ سَفِينَةِ نُوحٍ مَنْ رَكِبَهَا نَجَا وَ مَنْ تَرَكَهَا هَلَكَ وَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ اجْعَلُوا اَهْلَ بَيْتِي مِنْكُمْ مَكَانَ الرَّأْسِ مِنَ الْجَسَدِ وَ مَكَانَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ مِنَ الرَّأْسِ فَاِنَّ الْجَسَدَ لَا يَهْتَدِي اِلَّا بِالرَّأْسِ وَ لَا يَهْتَدِي الرَّأْسُ اِلَّا بِالْعَيْنَيْنِ
One day, Abuzar (r.a.) ascended on the steps of the Kabah till he held the latch of the door; thereafter, he leant his back towards it (i.e. Kabah) and addressed (the people) thus, “O People! Whoever knows me then indeed he knows me and whoever does not know me, then I am Abuzar. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) say,
‘The likeness of my Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) in this nation is like the Ark of Noah (peace be upon him). Whoever boards it will be saved and whoever leaves it will be destroyed.’
And I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) say,
‘Make my Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) to you like the head is to the body and the eyes are to the head. Surely, the body cannot be guided without the head and the head cannot be guided without the eyes.”
Note:
Raafe’ the narrator of this narration is the slave of Abuzar. When Abuzar says, ‘I am Abuzar’, he was implying that I am no ordinary person; I am speaking the truth and Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) has testified for this.
As is well-known, Abuzar was openly criticizing the rulers after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). Abuzar was not in need of any witness as the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) had testified for him that
مَا اَظَلَّتِ الْخَضْرَاءُ وَ لَا اَقَلَّتِ الْغَبْرَاءُ عَلٰى ذِي لَهْجَةٍ اَصْدَقَ مِنْ اَبِي ذَرٍّ
“Trees don’t shadow and dust does not fall on a speaking person more truthful than Abuzar’.
But Usman Ibn Affaan asked Abuzar for a witness. So he brought Ali (peace be upon him) and Miqdad as witnesses. Apparently, Usman accepted their witnesses in favour of Abuzar. But later, he acted against all of these persons.
All those who have abandoned the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) are drowned and destroyed.
The position of the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them) is like the head to the body and the eyes to the head. When man walks, true that he walks with his legs and when he buys something, he does it so with his hands. But in all this process, you look at his face and while talking with him, you look at this eyes. This narration shows that guidance is not possible without the Ahle Bait (peace be upon him). If you want guidance for this world as well as the hereafter, go to the Ahle Bait (peace be upon them).
References:
1. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 121, H. 43
2. Amaali of Shaikh al-Toosi (r.a.), p. 482, 17th Majlis