Hawzah News Agency - Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ’Isma‘il ibn Jabir that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) said:

الْعُلَمَاءُ أُمَنَاءُ وَالاتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَالاوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى الْعُلَمَاءُ مَنَارٌ وَالاتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَالاوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ.

'The scholars are the trustees [of religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of religion] and the successors (of the Prophet) are the masters [of religion].' In an another hadith it is said, 'The scholars are the light houses [of the religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of the religion] and the successors are the masters [of the religion].'

Al-Kāfi, v.1