عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ الْعِجْلِيِّ عَنْ اَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فِي قَوْلِ اللهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى فَقَدْ آتَيْنا آلَ اِبْراهِيمَ الْكِتابَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ آتَيْناهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظِيمًا فَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمُ الرُّسُلَ وَ الْاَنْبِيَاءَ وَ الْاَئِمَّةَ فَكَيْفَ يُقِرُّونَ فِي آلِ اِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ يُنْكِرُونَ فِي آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص قُلْتُ فَمَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ وَ آتَيْناهُمْ مُلْكًا عَظِيمًا قَالَ الْمُلْكُ الْعَظِيمُ اَنْ جَعَلَ فِيهِمْ اَئِمَّةً مَنْ اَطَاعَهُمْ اَطَاعَ اللهَ وَ مَنْ عَصَاهُمْ عَصَى اللهَ فَهُوَ الْمُلْكُ الْعَظِيمُ.
The narrator (Buraid al-I’jliyy) asked Imam Muhammad al-Baqer (peace be upon him) about the word of Allah – Blessed and High be He – “Then indeed We gave the progeny of Ibraheem the Book and Wisdom and We gave them a great kingdom”. He (peace be upon him) replied, “He appointed from them the Messengers, the Prophets and the Imams (peace be upon them). So, how they acknowledge the progeny of Ibraheem (peace be upon him) but deny the offspring of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny)?” I asked, “(What is the meaning of) and We gave them a great kingdom?” He (peace be upon him) replied,
“The Great Kingdom is that He appointed among them the Imams. Whoever obeyed them has obeyed Allah and whoever disobeyed them has disobeyed Allah. Then this is the Great Kingdom (i.e. absolute wilaayat).”
References:
1. Basaaer al-Darajaat, vol. 1, p. 36, H. 6
2. Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, p. 207, H. 2
3. Al-Burhan fee Tafseer al-Quran, vol. 2, p. 93, H. 2427
4. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 23, p. 287, H. 10