Usul al-Kafi
Book 4:
The Book of Divine Proof

Chapter 85
People who falsely claim to be Imams

464. 1. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p) was requested to explain the verse: On the Day of Judgment you will see those who lied against God, their faces will have turned black ... (Q, 39:60).
The Imam (p): These will be the people who falsely claimed them-selves to be Imams (p)…

465. 4. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): On the Day of Judgment, God will not talk to three categories of people and will not deliver them from chastisement and there will be painful punishment for them. First, those who claimed to be Imams (p) while they were not Imams (p). Second, those who refused to recognize the God-ordained Imams (p), and third, those who thought that the first two kinds of people had a share in Islam.
466. 6. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): One, who claims to be a partner of a God-ordained Imam (p) although he has not been assigned such a status by God, is like the one who claims to be a partner of God.
467. 7. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was informed about a man who had said that it was sufficient to recognize the last Imam (p) and non-recognition of the first Imam (p) would not then be harmful.
The Imam (p): Curse of God be upon him. I count him among the enemies and disown him. How can he recognize the last Imam (p) without recognizing the first?
468. 8. Imam Musa al-Kazim (p): One, who refuses to recognize his living Imam (p), refuses the Imamate of all the past Imams (p).
469. 9. A believer requested Imam Musa al-Kazim (p) to comment on the verse: When they commit shameful deeds, they say, ‘We found our fathers doing so’ and also say, ‘God commanded us to do so’. Say O Prophet, ‘No, God never commands what is shameful. Do you say of God what you do not know? (Q, 7:28)
The Imam (p): Have you heard anyone saying that God has ordered adultery or drinking liquor or any such forbidden acts?
The Believer: No.
The Imam (p): Then what is this shameful act which they (falsely) claim God has ordered them to do?
The Believer: God and the Imam (p) know better.
The Imam (p): It refers to the false claimants of Imamate. They falsely claim that God has conferred the Imamate of a community on them when in fact God has conferred no such honour on them. God has refuted their claim and has informed us that they are liars and has termed this (false claim) as a shameful act.