The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 514 (#Ḥadīth #4)
Chapter 13 | The Imams are the light of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High
4ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَظِيمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْحَسَنِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ وَالْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ الْكَابُلِيِّ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله تَعَالَى فَآمِنُوا بِالله وَرَسُولِهِ وَالنُّورِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلْنا فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا خَالِدٍ النُّورُ وَالله الائِمَّةُ (عَلَيْهم السَّلام) يَا أَبَا خَالِدٍ لَنُورُ الامَامِ فِي قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنْوَرُ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ الْمُضِيئَةِ بِالنَّهَارِ وَهُمُ الَّذِينَ يُنَوِّرُونَ قُلُوبَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَيَحْجُبُ الله نُورَهُمْ عَمَّنْ يَشَاءُ فَتُظْلَمُ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَيَغْشَاهُمْ بِهَا.
4. Ahmad ibn Mahran has narrated from ‘Abd al-‘Azim ibn ‘Abdallah al-Hassani from Ali ibn Asbat and al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub from abu Khalid al-kabuli who has said that he asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, in the following verse of the Holy Quran. “Those who believe in him, honor and help him, and follow the light which is sent down to him, will have everlasting happiness.” (7:157) The Imams said, “O abu Khalid, the light in this verse, I swear by Allah, means the Imams. O abu Khalid the light of the Imam in the hearts of the true believers is more bright than the light of the sun in midday. It is they who brighten the hearts of the true believers and Allah withholds their light from reaching whomever He would will, thus, their hearts become dark and Allah covers them with the darknesss.”
Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).