Chapter: 35, Verse: 32 - Imams are the foremost & greater than what people think

مَا قَالَ أَبُو هَاشِمٍ‌ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى‌ ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْكِتابَ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَيْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَيْراتِ‌ قَالَ كُلُّهُمْ مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص الظَّالِمُ لِنَفْسِهِ الَّذِي لَا يُقِرُّ بِالْإِمَامِ وَ الْمُقْتَصِدُ الْعَارِفُ بِالْإِمَامِ وَ السَّابِقُ بِالْخَيْرَاتِ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ الْإِمَامُ فَجَعَلْتُ أُفَكِّرُ فِي نَفْسِي عِظَمَ مَا أَعْطَى اللَّهُ آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ ص وَ بَكَيْتُ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيَّ وَ قَالَ الْأَمْرُ أَعْظَمُ مِمَّا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ نَفْسُكَ مِنْ عِظَمِ شَأْنِ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص فَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ أَنْ‌ جَعَلَكَ مُسْتَمْسِكاً بِحَبْلِهِمْ تُدْعَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِهِمْ إِذَا دُعِيَ كُلُّ أُنَاسٍ بِإِمَامِهِمْ إِنَّكَ عَلَى خَيْرٍ

Narrated by Abu Hashim that he asked Imam Hasan Askari (ع) about saying of Allah (تعالى),

"Then We have given the Book for an inheritance to such of Our Servants as We have chosen, So there are among them some who wrong their own souls; some who follow a middle course; and some who are, by Allah's permission, foremost in doing good; that is the highest Grace." (35:32)

Imam (ع) said, "All of these are in relation to Aal-e-Muhammad (ع).

Those who wrong their own souls - Are the ones who do not acknowledge the Imam

Those who follow the middle course - Are the ones who know the Imam

And the foremost in doing good by the permission of Allah - Are the Imams."

Abu Hashim (the narrator) says, "I thought within myself, the greatness/magnitude/importance that Allah (عز و جل) has granted to Aal-e-Muhammad (ع). While I was thinking about this the Imam (ع) looked and me and said, "The matter is greater than what you were thinking about the greatness of Aal-e-Muhammad (ع). So Praise Allah that He has included you among those who hold onto Their rope. You will be called on the day of Qiyamah with Them when everyone will be called with their Imam. You are upon good."

[Source: al-Kharaij wa al-Jaraeh, Vol. 2, Pg. 686]