The Source of Traditions on Imam al-Riḍā (Vol 1) · Hadith 209 (#Ḥadīth #1)

1 - حَدَّثَنا أَبي رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا سَعْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه عَنْ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَعلى بن إِسْمَاعِيل بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ العَبَّاسِ بْنِ معروف، عَن عَلِىِّ بْنِ مهزيار، عَن مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الهِيْثَم، عَن محمد بن الفَضْلِ، عَن أَبي الحَسَن الرِّضا a.sُ قالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ تَكُونُ الأَرْضُ وَلا إِمَامَ فِيهَا؟ فَقَالَ a.sُ لا إِذاً لَسَاخَتْ بِأَهْلِهَا.

28-1 (The author of the book narrated) my father - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Sa’d ibn Abdullah quoted on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Isa and Ali ibn Isma’il ibn Isa, on the authority of Al-Abbas ibn Ma’ruf, on the authority of Ali ibn Mahzyar, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Haytham, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Al-Fadhl, “I asked Abil Hassan Al-Ridha (s), ‘Is it possible for the Earth to exist with no Divine Leader present on it?’ The Imam (s) replied, ‘No. In such a case the Earth will take in all its residents.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).