١ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الله وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى جَمِيعاً عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ الْحِمْيَرِيِّ قَالَ اجْتَمَعْتُ أَنَا وَالشَّيْخُ أَبُو عَمْرٍو رَحِمَهُ الله عِنْدَ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ فَغَمَزَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ عَنِ الْخَلَفِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَمْرٍو إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَمَا أَنَا بِشَاكٍّ فِيمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْهُ فَإِنَّ اعْتِقَادِي وَدِينِي أَنَّ الارْضَ لا تَخْلُو مِنْ حُجَّةٍ إِلا إِذَا كَانَ قَبْلَ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ بِأَرْبَعِينَ يَوْماً فَإِذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ رُفِعَتِ الْحُجَّةُ وَأُغْلِقَ بَابُ التَّوْبَةِ فَلَمْ يَكُ يَنْفَعُ نَفْساً إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْراً فَأُولَئِكَ أَشْرَارٌ مِنْ خَلْقِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِيَامَةُ وَلَكِنِّي أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَزْدَادَ يَقِيناً وَإِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَأَلَ رَبَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يُرِيَهُ كَيْفَ يُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي وَقَدْ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ وَقُلْتُ مَنْ أُعَامِلُ أَوْ عَمَّنْ آخُذُ وَقَوْلَ مَنْ أَقْبَلُ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَمْرِيُّ ثِقَتِي فَمَا أَدَّى إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي فَعَنِّي يُؤَدِّي وَمَا قَالَ لَكَ عَنِّي فَعَنِّي يَقُولُ فَاسْمَعْ لَهُ وَأَطِعْ فَإِنَّهُ الثِّقَةُ الْمَأْمُونُ وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو عَلِيٍّ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ مِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَمْرِيُّ وَابْنُهُ ثِقَتَانِ فَمَا أَدَّيَا إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي فَعَنِّي يُؤَدِّيَانِ وَمَا قَالا لَكَ فَعَنِّي يَقُولانِ فَاسْمَعْ لَهُمَا وَأَطِعْهُمَا فَإِنَّهُمَا الثِّقَتَانِ الْمَأْمُونَانِ فَهَذَا قَوْلُ إِمَامَيْنِ قَدْ مَضَيَا فِيكَ قَالَ فَخَرَّ أَبُو عَمْرٍو سَاجِداً وَبَكَى ثُمَّ قَالَ سَلْ حَاجَتَكَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَنْتَ رَأَيْتَ الْخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ إِي وَالله وَرَقَبَتُهُ مِثْلُ ذَا وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ فَبَقِيَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ فَقَالَ لِي هَاتِ قُلْتُ فَالاسْمُ قَالَ مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَلا أَقُولُ هَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِي فَلَيْسَ لِي أَنْ أُحَلِّلَ وَلا أُحَرِّمَ وَلَكِنْ عَنْهُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَإِنَّ الامْرَ عِنْدَ السُّلْطَانِ أَنَّ أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ مَضَى وَلَمْ يُخَلِّفْ وَلَداً وَقَسَّمَ مِيرَاثَهُ وَأَخَذَهُ مَنْ لا حَقَّ لَهُ فِيهِ وَهُوَ ذَا عِيَالُهُ يَجُولُونَ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَجْسُرُ أَنْ يَتَعَرَّفَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَوْ يُنِيلَهُمْ شَيْئاً وَإِذَا وَقَعَ الاسْمُ وَقَعَ الطَّلَبُ فَاتَّقُوا الله وَأَمْسِكُوا عَنْ ذَلِكَ.
 قَالَ الْكُلَيْنِيُّ رَحِمَهُ الله وَحَدَّثَنِي شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا ذَهَبَ عَنِّي اسْمُهُ أَنَّ أَبَا عَمْرٍو سَأَلَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ مِثْلِ هَذَا فَأَجَابَ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا.
 1. Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah and Muhammad ibn Yahya, all have narrated from ‘Abdallah ibn Ja‘far al-Himyari who has said the following. “I and shaykh abu ‘Amr, may Allah grant him blessings met each other before Ahmad ibn Ishaq. Ahmad ibn Ishaq made an eye gesture to me to ask him about the succeeding Imam. I said to him, “O abu ‘Amr, I like to ask you a question about a matter, although, I do not any doubts in the question I am about to ask. It is my belief and religion that the earth is not left without a Leadership with Divine Authority except if would be just before the coming of the Day of Judgment by forty days because in such a period Leadership with Divine Authority will take away. The door to repentance will be closed. No soul will benefit from the faith with which it has not achieved any good deeds. “. . the belief of any soul will be of no avail to it unless some good deeds have been done with it, or it has been formed before the coming of such a day. .” (6:158) Such people would be of the evil creatures of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, and it is these people on whom the Day of Judgment will be established. However, I wanted to strengthen my faith further just as Abrahm  asked his Lord, the Most Majestic, the Most gracious, to show him how would He will bring the dead to life again. He said, “When Abraham prayed, “Lord, show me how you bring the dead back to life,” the Lord said, “Do you not yet believe?” Abraham replied, “I believe but want more confidence for my heart.. .” (2:260) Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Ishaq has inarrated to me from abu al-Hassan  who has said that he asked the Imam , “With who should I deal and ask questions about my faith and religion and whose words should I accept (after you)?” The Imam  said to him, “Al-‘Amri is trustworthy to me. Whatever he will deliver to you is from me. From me he delivers. Whatever he would say is from me, from me he saays it. Listen to him and obey him because he is reliable and trustworthy. Abu Ali has said to me that he asked abu Muhammad  a similar question and he said to him, “Al-‘Amri and his son are trustworthy people. Whatever they would deliver to you is from me from they deliover. Whatevet they say to you from they say it. Listen to them and obey them because they are trustworthy and reliable people. These are the words of the Imams spoken about you. Abu ‘Amr fell down on his face in prostration and wept. Then he said, “Ask what you need to ask.” I said, “Did you see the succeeding Imam (Leader with Divine Authority) after abu Muhammad  ?” He said, “Yes, by Allah , his neck was like that-making a gesture with his hand.” I then said, “Onne more question is left.” He said, “Say, whaever is is it.” I said, “What is his (succeding Imam) name?” He said, “It is unlawful for you to ask about it. I do not say this because abu left this world without a surviving son. His legacy is distributed and is taken away by one who has no right in it. He is (that prson). His family is despersed and no one has the courage to learn about them or recieve any thing from them. When the name is mentioned search for him will take place. Have fear of Allah and abstain from it.” Al-Kulayni, may Allah grant his soul blessings, has said, “:A shaykh from our people narrated this to me – his name I have forgotten- that abu’Amr asked Ahmad ibn Ishaq a similar question and received a similar answer.”