Death without an Imam

From al-al-Fudayl ibn Yasar who has said the following. “ One day abu ‘Abdallah (as) spoke to us and said, ‘The Messenger of Allah has said, “Whoever would die and is not under the (guardianship) of the Imam his death would be like a death in ignorance.” The narrator has said that I asked, “Is that what the Messenger of Allah has said?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Yes, by Allah, he has said so.” I then said, “Do all who die without acknowledging the Imam die as if died in ignorance (without religion)?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “Yes, that is right.”

From ibn abu Ya‘fur who has said the following. “I asked abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words the Messenger of Allah. ““Whoever would die and is not under the (guardianship) of the Imam his death would be like a death in ignorance.” The narrator has said I then asked, “Is it death in disbelief (in religion)?” He said, “It is death in error .” I then said, “Thus, whoever would die today and would not have an Imam would his death be considered as if he has died in ignorance (without religion)?” He said, “Yes, that is true.”

From al-Harith ibn al-Mughira who has said the following. “I said to abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) , ‘the Messenger of Allah has said, “Whoever would die without knowing who his Imam is he would die as if has died in ignorance (of religion).” The Imam (a.s.) said, “That is true.” I then said, “Is it the ignorance of uneducated people or ignorance of ones not knowing his Imam?” The Imam (a.s.) said, “It means the ignorance that is disbelief, hypocrisy and error?”

From al-Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar who has said the following. “Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever would follow the religion of Allah without hearing (instructions) from a truthful (Imam) person Allah will cause him, inevitably, to suffer hardships. Whoever would claim to have heard from a source other than the one Allah has opened for him, he will be considered as polytheist. The source and door that Allah has opened is the one that trustworthy in the matters of the hidden secrets of Allah.”

📚Al Kafi Shareef V1,P376-377

Sheikh Al Majlisi writes:

Sheikh At-Tusi said: "Whoever fights commander of faithful(as) becomes a disbeliever, as it was established by agreed opinion of group (i.m shias). Because whoever fought him, he rejected his Imamah, and fought (against) it. And fighting (against) the Imamah is disbelief, like fighting (against) the prophethood is disbelief. Ignorance in them is same same. And his saying: Whoever dies without knowing Imam of his time, dies with death of ignorance. And death of ignorance couldn't happen except if on disbelief.”

📚Bihar Al Anwar V32,P321

The Holy Prophet said: Whoever dies without an Imam dies a Pagan death. And whoever pulls their away from obedience He comes on the day of judgement without any argument.

Footnote:Sahih

📚Musnad Abu Dawood At-Tayalisi Published by Dar Al-Hajr V3,P425

Narrated from Aswad Ibn Amar from A’asim from Abu Salih from Muawiya: The Holy Prophet(saw) said: Whoever dies without an Imam dies a Pagan death.

Footnote:Sahih 

📚Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal V13,P188

Abdullah Ibn Omar said: The Holy Prophet(saw) said whoever leaves Jamaa in the amount of one foot. He has thrown away the rope of Islam from his neck. Whoever dies and doesnt have an Imam(guide) of the group verily he dies the death of Jahiliyya...

-Hadith is sahih per conditions of the two sheikhs(bukhari muslim)

📚Mustadrak Ala Sahihain V1,P150

,,Abdullah ibn Umar came to Abdullah ibn Mutii during the battle of Harra during the reign of Yazid ibn Muawiya. Abdullah ibn Mutii said:Please sit down. Ibn Omar replied: i didnt come here to sit down i have come here to warn you of a hadith i heard from The Messanger of Allah:Whoever defies the caliph he will have no excuse in front of Allah and any such person if they die without the pledge of allegiance they die as pagans.”

📚,,Sahih” Muslim P942

Hafidh ibn Hajar writes:

,,The death of Ignorance is the death of the people of Jahilyyah who were astray because they didnt have a leader. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that such a person dies as a Kafir rather he dies as a sinner.

The second possibility is that a person dies exactly like the pagans from pre islamic period did and thats the apparent meaning which has a proof in another hadith where The Holy Prophet(saw) said: A person who goes astray from obedience to The Imam by one foot throws away the rope of Islam from his neck.”

📚Fath Al-Bari V13,P7