Hadith 66

with it, may I be sacrificed for you-asws! ’ He-asws said: ‘It is a walker eating the food and walking in the markets and marrying the women’. I said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Who is he? ’ He-asws said: ‘He is a pillar of the earth which the earth is calm due to it’. I said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Who is he? ’ He-asws said: ‘Truthful of this community, and its distinguisher, and one with its reins’. I said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Who is he? ’ He-asws said: ‘The one who Allah-azwj the Exalted Said: and a witness from him recites it, [11: 17]. and one with whom is Knowledge of the Book [13: 43], And the one who came with the truth, and he ratified it, [39: 33], and the people, all of the were Kafirs apart from him-asws’. I said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! Name him to me’. He-asws said: ‘I-asws have named him to you, O Abu Al-Tufeyl! By Allah-azwj! If I-asws were to enter to be among the generality of my-asws Shias, those I-asws am with them, the ones who are acknowledging obedience to me-asws and are naming me-asws as ‘Amir Al-Momineen’, and they are permitting fighting against the ones who oppose me-asws, and I-asws were to narrate to them part of what I-asws know from the truth in the Book which Jibraeel-as descended with unto Muhammad-saww, they would disperse away from me until I-asws remain among a small group from the truth, you and your like from my-saww Shias! ’
I was alarmed and said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineen-asws! I and the likes of me, would we disperse away from you-asws or be affirmed with you-asws? ’ He-asws said: ‘But, you will be steadfast’. Then he-asws faced towards me and said: ‘Our-asws matter is difficult. No one knows it nor acknowledges with it except three – an Angel of Proximity, or a Messenger Prophet-as, or a Momin servant, excellent, Allah-azwj has Tested his heart for the Eman. O Abu Al-Tufeyl! Rasool-Allah-saww was Recalled, and the people reneged, straying an ignoramus, except the one Allah-azwj Protected through us-asws, People-asws of the Household’’. [71]