ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā 1, record 272 of the digital edition

Translation

28-64 Abdul Wahid Muhammad ibn Ubdoos al-Neishaboori al-Attar - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Qutayba al-Neishaboori quoted on the authority of Hamdan ibn Soleiman al-Neishaboori, on the authority of Abdul Salam ibn Salih al-Harawi that he had heard Abul Hassan Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (s) say, “May God have Mercy upon anyone who revives our affairs.’ Al-Harawi asked the Imam (s), “How can one revive your affairs?” The Imam (s) said, “He can learn our knowledge and teach it to the people. If the people get informed of those good teachings, they would follow us.’”The narrator (Salih al-Harawi) added, “I said, O son of the Prophet of God! A tradition has been narrated on the authority of Abi Abdullah (s)which says, ‘Whoever learns things in order to argue with the ignorant ones or be haughty with the scholars, and attracts some of the people to himself, will go into the Fire.’” The Imam (s) said, “My grandfather (s) spoke the truth. Do you know who the ignorant ones are?” I said, “O son of the Prophet of God! No.” The Imam (s) said, “They are our opponents who make up stories. Do you know who the scholars are?” I said, “O son of the Prophet of God! No.” The Imam (s) said, “They are the scholars from the Household of Muhammad (s) whose obedience to the Honorable the Exalted God has made incumbent (upon the people) and God has made it obligatory upon the people to love them.” The Imam (s) then added, “Do you know what Abi Abdullah (s) meant when he (s) said, ‘…attract some of the people to himself?’” I said, “No.” The Imam (s) said, “I swear by God that this means an undue claim to be a Divine Leader. Whoever does so will go to Hell.”

Translation: Dr. Ali Peiravi — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.