Who's a true Shia? Hadith 16

Abu Ja’far (Imam Baqir) has said: “One who would die without
having an Imam (32) his death would be like the death of ignorance.
One who would die and would know who his Imam is then the
coming of this matter (the rise of al-Mahdi with Divine Authority)
earlier or later will not affect him at all. One who would know who
his Imam is he would be like the one present with Al-Qaem in his
tents.” (33)

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32 Without knowing who his Imams are.
33 Al-Kafi, 1:371