✅ Answer: Consider the following narrations:

1⃣عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ آبَائِهِ فِی وَصِیَّةِ النَّبِیِّ لِعَلِیٍّ قال: یَا عَلِیُّ أَعْجَبُ النَّاسِ إِیمَاناً وَ أَعْظَمُهُمْ یَقِیناً قَوْمٌ یَکُونُونَ فِی آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ لَمْ یَلْحَقُوا النَّبِیَّ وَ حُجِبَ عَنْهُمُ الْحُجَّةُ فَآمَنُوا بِسَوَادٍ عَلَی بَیَاض

📚 Al-Fiqh, Vol. 4, p. 366

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his forefathers that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), in his will to Imam Ali (peace be upon him), said: *O Ali! The most astonishing people in faith and the greatest in certainty are a group in the end times who have not seen the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and whose Imam (the Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance) is hidden from them, yet they believe in black (ink) on white (paper)!*

✍ That is, they believe based on the written Quran and the Hadiths of Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them)!

2⃣ عن عمار الساباطی قال: قلت لأبی عبدالله أیما أفضل العبادة فی السر مع الإمام منکم المستتر فی دولة الباطل أو العبادة فی ظهور الحق و دولته مع الإمام منکم الظاهر فقال یا عمار الصدقة فی السر و الله أفضل من الصدقة فی العلانیة و کذلک و الله عبادتکم فی السر مع إمامکم المستتر فی دولة الباطل و تخوفکم من عدوکم فی دولة الباطل و حال الهدنة أفضل ممن یعبد الله عز و جل ذکره فی ظهور الحق مع إمام الحق الظاهر فی دولة الحق و لیست العبادة مع الخوف فی دولة الباطل مثل العبادة و الأمن فی دولة الحق... إلی أَنْ قَالَ قلت جعلت فداک قد و الله رغبتنی فی العمل و حثثتنی علیه و لکن أحب أن أعلم کیف صرنا نحن الیوم أفضل أعمالا من أصحاب الإمام الظاهر منکم فی دولة الحق و نحن علی دین واحد فقال إنکم سبقتموهم إلی الدخول فی دین الله عز و جل و إلی الصلاة و الصوم و الحج و إلی کل خیر و فقه و إلی عبادة الله عز ذکره سرا من عدوکم مع إمامکم المستتر مطیعین له صابرین معه منتظرین لدولة الحق خائفین علی إمامکم و أنفسکم من الملوک الظلمة تنتظرون إلی حق إمامکم و حقوقکم فی أیدی الظلمة قد منعوکم ذلک و اضطروکم إلی حرث الدنیا و طلب المعاش مع الصبر علی دینکم و عبادتکم و طاعة إمامکم و الخوف مع عدوکم فبذلک ضاعف الله عز و جل لکم الأعمال فهنیئا لکم...

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 1, p. 333

Ammar Sabati said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): *Which is better—hidden worship with a hidden Imam during the rule of falsehood or worship during the rule of truth with an apparent Imam?* The Imam replied: *O Ammar! Giving charity secretly is better than giving it openly, and likewise, worship in secrecy with a hidden Imam in times of oppression and fear of the enemy is better than worship during the era of truth with an apparent Imam. Worship in fear during the rule of falsehood is not the same as worship in safety during the rule of truth…*

I said: *May I be your ransom! By Allah, you have encouraged me to act and motivated me, but I want to know why our deeds today are better than the deeds of those who follow an apparent Imam during the rule of truth, even though we follow the same religion?* The Imam replied: *Because you have preceded them in entering the religion of Allah, in prayer, fasting, Hajj, and every good deed and knowledge of religion, worshiping Allah in secret from your enemies while remaining obedient to your hidden Imam, exercising patience, waiting for the rule of truth, fearing for your Imam and yourselves from oppressive rulers, and longing for the rights of your Imam and your own rights, which are in the hands of oppressors. They have forced you to engage in worldly affairs for survival while you remain steadfast in your religion and worship, obeying your Imam and fearing your enemies. Because of this, Allah has multiplied your rewards. Congratulations to you…*

3⃣ Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) said: *The occultation of the twelfth guardian of Allah among the successors of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and the Imams after him will be prolonged! O Abu Khalid! The people of his time who believe in his Imamate and await his reappearance are superior to the people of any other time, because Allah has granted them understanding and knowledge such that occultation for them is as if they see him with their own eyes. He has counted them among the Mujahideen who fought alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with their swords. They are the true sincere ones, the true Shia, and the callers to the religion of Allah in both secrecy and openness!* He then said: *The anticipation of relief (Faraj) is among the greatest forms of relief!*

📚 Al-Ihtijaj, Vol. 2, p. 152

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر