٢ - وأخبرنا أحمد بن محمد بن سعيد بن عقدة قال: حدثنا محمد بن المفضل وسعدان بن إسحاق وأحمد بن الحسين بن عبد الملك ومحمد بن أحمد القطواني قالوا: حدثنا الحسن بن محبوب، عن هشام بن سلام، عن أبي حمزة الثمالي، عن أبي إسحاق السبيعى قال: سمعت من يوثق به من أصحاب أمير المؤمنين يقول: قال أمير المؤمنين في خطبة خطبها بالكوفة طويلة ذكرها: اللهمّ فلا بدَّ لك من حجج في أرضك حجة بعد حجة على خلقك، يهدونهم إلى دينك، ويعلمونهم علمك لكيلا يتفرقَ أتباع أوليائك، ظاهر غير مطاع، أو مكتتم خائف يترقب، إن غاب عن الناس شخصُهم في حال هدنتهم في دولة الباطل فلن يغيب عنهم مبثوثُ علمهم، وآدابُهم في قلوب المؤمنين مثبتة، وهم بها عاملون، يأنسون بما يستوحش منه المكذبون ويأباه المسرفون بالله. كلام يكال بلا ثمنٍ لو كان مَن يسمعه بعقله فيعرفه ويؤمن به ويتبعه، وينهج نهجه فيفلح به؟ ثم يقول: فمن هذا؟ ولهذا يأرز العلم إذ لم يوجد حملةً يحفظونه ويؤدونه كما يسمعونه من العالم. اللهم وإني لأعلم أن العلم لا يأرز كله ولا ينقطع مواده فإنك لا تُخلي أرضك من حجة على خلقك إما ظاهر يطاع أو خائف مغمور ليس بمطاع لكيلا تبطل حجتك ويضل أولياؤك بعد إذ هديتهم.
(2) Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Sa’eed bin Oqda narrated from Muhammad bin al-Mufadhdhal, Sa’dan bin Iss’haq, Ahmad bin al-Husayn bin Abdul Melik and Muhammad bin Ahmad al-Qatawani all narrated from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Hisham bin Salim from Abu Hamza ath-Thimali that Abu Iss’haq as-Subay’iy had said: I have heard one of the trusted companions of Imam Ali  saying that Imam Ali  has said in a long speech he made in Kufa: “O Allah, it must be that You have authorities on Your earth one after the other over Your people to guide them to Your religion and to teach them Your knowledge lest the followers of Your guardians separate. They (the authorities) are either apparent without being obeyed or afraid, hidden and awaiting. If their persons are absent from people during their truce in the state of untruth, their knowledge will never be absent from them (from people). Their principles are fixed in the hearts of the believers, who act according to these principles. They become pleasant with what the liars become unpleasant and with what those, who are indifferent to the obligations of Allah, deny. Speech that is measured without any price; but is there any one hearing it with his mind, perceiving it, believing in it and following it as an ideal to succeed with it? And who is he? Therefore knowledge is lost because there is no one to bear it, to preserve it and to teach it as it is heard from the ulama.” Then he said after a long speech: “O Allah, I know well that knowledge is not lost totally nor its means disappear because You do not leave the earth without an authority over Your people; either apparent and obeyed or afraid, absent and disobeyed lest Your proofs will be vain and Your faithfuls will go astray after You have guided them.” The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Ya’qoob al-Kulayni from Ali bin Muhammad from Sahl bin Ziyad from Muhammad bin Yahya and others from Ahmad bin Muhammad from Ali bin Ibraheem from his father from al-Hasan bin Mahboob from Hisham bin Salim from Abu Hamza ath-Thimali from Abu Iss’haq as-Subay’iy from one of Imam Ali’s trusted companions.