عَنْ مَعْرُوفِ بْنِ خربُوذ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ [ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ] قَالَ:
« إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ كَنُجُومِ السَّمَاءِ، كُلَّمَا غَابَ نَجْمٌ طَلَعَ نَجْمٌ، حَتَّى إِذَا أَشَرْتُمْ بِأَصَابِعِكُمْ وَمِلْتُمْ بِأَعْنَاقِكُمْ، غَيَّبَ اللَّهُ عَنْكُمْ نَجْمَكُمْ، فَاسْتَوَتْ بَنُو عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ، فَلَمْ يُعْرَفْ أَيٌّ مِنْ أَيٍّ، فَإِذَا طَلَعَ نَجْمُكُمْ فَاحْمَدُوا رَبَّكُمْ ».
— أصـول الكافـي
Ma'rüf ibn Kharrabudh, that Abu Ja'far, peace be upon him, said:
"We [i.e., the descendants of the Imam, al-Husayn, peace be up-on him, among all the descendants of 'Abdu 'l-Muttalib] are like the stars in the sky: whenever one star sets another star rises. Till, when you point with your fingers and crane your necks, Allah puts your star in occultation from you; then [all] the sons of 'Abdu 'l-Muttalib will [appear to] be the same, and the one will not be distinguishable from the other. So when your star rises [again], praise your Lord!"
— Usul al-Kāfī
