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2. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was asked about the well-known tradition
of the Prophet Muhammad (p), “One, who dies without recognizing
the Imam (p) of his time, dies the death of an ignorant person.”
The Imam (p) said that the tradition is correct. Then the Imam was
asked: If the Imam (p) dies and a man who lives in Khurasan, neither
knows the vice-regent of the deceased Imam (p) nor is he in a position
to travel, what should he do?
The Imam (p): In such a case, the people who live in the city in
which the Imam (p) has died will have to follow the Imam (p) who
was designated as an Imam (p) by the deceased Imam (p), and those
who do not live in that city must wait till the news reaches them
through the group of the people who had gone to find out about the
succession.
The Imam (p) then quoted the verse: ... Why then does not have a
party representing every section of them go forth that they may
be fully instructed in religion and that they may warn their people
on return, to guard against ignorance (Q, 9:122) …
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