Against every innovation (bid'ah) there will be a religious authority

Hawzah News Agency - Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from Mu‘awiya ibn Wahab who has said the following. “Abu ‘Abdallah said that the holy Prophet has said,

إِنَّ عِنْدَ كُلِّ بِدْعَةٍ تَكُونُ مِنْ بَعْدِي يُكَادُ بِهَا الايمَانُ وَلِيّاً مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي مُوَكَّلاً بِهِ يَذُبُّ عَنْهُ يَنْطِقُ بِإِلْهَامٍ مِنَ الله وَيُعْلِنُ الْحَقَّ وَيُنَوِّرُهُ وَيَرُدُّ كَيْدَ الْكَائِدِينَ يُعَبِّرُ عَنِ الضُّعَفَاءِ فَاعْتَبِرُوا يَا أُولِي الابْصَارِ وَتَوَكَّلُوا عَلَى الله.

‘It is certain that against every innovation with plots to destroy faith there will be an (religious) authority from my family as guardian of faith and as its defender. (Such) authority will speak on inspiration from Allah to declare the truth and bring it to light, repulse and foil the evil plots of the agents of wickedness and speak for the weak. O people of Intelligence, take a lesson from it and trust Allah.’”

Al-Kāfi, v.1, Book 2, Chapter 19