Hadith 28-6

حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ إِسْحاق رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أحْمَد الهَمْدانِيَّ قالَ‏عَلِىِّ بْنِ الحَسَن بْنِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ فضال، عَن أَبيهِ، عَن أَبي الحَسَن عَلِىِّ بْنِ مُوسَى الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أَنَّهُ كَأَنِّي بِالشِّيعَةِ عِنْدَ فَقْدِهِمُ الثَّالِثَ مِنْ وُلْدِي يَطْلُبُونَ الْمَرْعَى فَلا يَجِدُونَهُ قُلْتُ لَهُ وَلِمَ ذَلِكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ قَالَ لانَّ إِمَامَهُمْ يَغِيبُ عَنْهُمْ فَقُلْتُ وَلِمَ قَالَ لِئَلا يَكُونَ فِي عُنُقِهِ لاحَدٍ بَيْعَةٌ إِذَا قَامَ بِالسَّيْفِ.

Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Hamdani quoted on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Fadhdhal, on the authority of his father that Abil Hassan Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, “I see my followers when they will not find the third from my progeny [2] . They will be looking for someone to take charge of their affairs, but they will find no one to do so.” I asked, “O son of the Prophet of God! Why?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “That is because their Divine Leader will become absent.” I asked, “Why?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “That is because when he (a.s.) rises with the sword, no one’s pledge of allegiance is binding upon him.”