وقبل ذكر من كان سفيرا حال الغيبة نذكر طرفا من أخبار من كان يختص بكل إمام، ويتولى له الامر على وجه من الايجاز، ونذكر من كان ممدوحا منهم حسن الطريقة، ومن كان مذموما سيئ المذهب ليعرف الحال في ذلك.

Before we begin discussion about the Special Deputies of the Imam during the period of occultation, we would mention some reports in brief, which are restricted to each of the Imams and which are related to the management of their affairs. In the same way, we will also mention reports about those who were praised and who followed the right path as well as those who were condemned and who did not follow a right faith, so that we may become conversant with the circumstances of their lives.

294- وقد روي في بعض الاخبار أنهم عليهم السلام قالوا: خدامنا وقوامنا شرار خلق الله.

H 294 - It is narrated in some reports that they said: “Our servants and our caretakers are the most evil of Allah’s creation.”

295- وقد روى محمد بن عبدالله بن جعفر الحميري، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن صالح الهمداني قال: كتبت إلى صاحب الزمان عليه السلام: إن أهل بيتي يؤذوني ويقرعوني بالحديث الذي روي عن آبائك عليهم السلام أنهم قالوا: خدامنا وقوامنا شرار خلق الله. فكتب: ويحكم! أما تقرؤن ما قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ وَبَيْنَ الْقُرَى الَّتِي بَارَكْنَا فِيهَا قُرًى ظَاهِرَةً﴾؟ فنحن والله القرى التي بارك (الله) فيها وأنتم القرى الظاهرة.

H 295 - Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Ibn Ja’far Himyari narrates on the authority of his father from Muhammad Ibn Salih Hamadani, saying, I wrote to the Master of the Age (a.s) that my family was abusing and rebuking me with the tradition narrated from your forefathers (a.s), “Our servants and our caretakers are the most evil of Allah’s creation.” The holy Imam wrote back, “Regards to you. Do you not read what Allah, the High, has said? “And We made between them and the towns, which We had blessed (other) towns to be easily seen…” (34:18)

Kitāb al-Ghayba

Chapter #40