The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Whoever dies without an imam dies the death of ignorance."
قال رسول الله ﷺ: من مات بغير إمام، مات ميتة جاهلية.
Ahmad (16876) narrated it, and Ibn Hibban (4573) graded it sahih, both through routes from Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, from Asim bin Abu Najud, from Abu Salih, from Muawiya, who mentioned it.Ibn Abu Asim also narrated it in Sunnah (1091) through the route of Yahya bin Adam, who said, Abu Bakr bin Ayyash narrated to us, from Asim, from Abu Salih, two hadiths, one from Abu Hurairah and the other from Muawiya, who mentioned it.Its chain is hasan because of Asim bin Abu Najud, and Abu Salih is Zakwan Samman. There has been disagreement over it regarding Abu Bakr bin Ayyash, but the version mentioned is the correct one, as stated in Ilal of Daraqutni (7/63–64).