Hadith No. 17
The earth is never devoid of one who is knowledgeable about what is lawful, what is unlawful, and what people need.
رَوَى أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ [ت274ه] فِي «الْمَحَاسِنِ»[1]، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْوَشَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبَانٍ الْأَحْمَرِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْعَطَّارِ، قَالَ:
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ -يَعْنِي جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقَ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: هَلْ تَكُونُ الْأَرْضُ إِلَّا وَفِيهَا عَالِمٌ؟ قَالَ: لَا وَاللَّهِ لِحَلَالِهِمْ وَحَرَامِهِمْ وَمَا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ.
Translation:
Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khālid [Died in 274 AH] has narrated in the book of “al-Mahāsin”, from Hasan ibn Ali al-Washshā, from Abān al-Ahmar, from Hasan ibn Ziyād al-Attār that said:
I said to Abu Abdullah — meaning Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq — peace be upon him: Will the earth be unless there be a knowledgeable one therein? He said: No I swear to God, for their permitted and forbidden things that which they need.