am i a shia of ahl al-bait (pbut)

8/8/2019 Am I a Shia of Ahl Al-Bait (PBUT)

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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

Am I a Shia of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT)?

By: Vahid Majd

To appear in the Safinah International Quarterly Journal of

Islamic Studies, Spring 2009.

Introduction

Among people who express their love and respect for the

household of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HF)1, there are

many who introduce themselves as their Shia (follower)

without being aware of the accountability and the risk of

such a big claim. Being a Shia of the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

and his Ahl al-Bait2

1 The acronym PBUH&HF refers to phrase peace be upon him and

his family.2Ahl al-Baitmeans People of the House. However, the Ahl al-Bait

of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) as specifically defined by him and

believed by the Shia, refers only to the divinely selected individuals

of his house: his daughter (Lady Fatima (PBUH)) and the twelve

divinely appointed leaders (Imams) after him. The twelve Imams

include the Prophets son-in-law and cousin, Imam Ali (PBUH),

Imam Alis two sons, Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husain, as well

as nine descendants of Imam al-Husain (PBUT), ending with the

master of our time, Imam al-Mahdi (PBUH), may Allah hasten his

relief.

(PBUT) is certainly an ultimate goal for

every believer as Allah has commanded the believers of

all generations to follow their examples. However, He

also required the believers to be truthful in their claims.


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Safinah International Quarterly Journal of Islamic Studies (Article in Press)

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The questions that may arise in this issue are as follow:

When is one allowed to claim this title? What are its

requirements and its responsibilities? What is the destinyof the people who love the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and his Ahl

al-Bait, and acknowledge their authority and

guardianship (al-Walaya), but fall short in following

them in practical sense? Are such people considered

believers? If so, will they be punished for their sins? Will

they receive the intercession of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT)? If so,

when will they receive their intercession?

There is an invaluable Hadith1

from Imam Hasan al-

Askari (PBUH), the eleventh Imam of the Ahl al-Bait of the

Prophet (PBUH&HF), answering all these questions. This

Hadith also includes eleven Hadith, in which the Imam

(PBUH) quotes some of his ancestors in order, namely, the

Prophet (PBUH&HF), Lady Fatima (PBUH), and the first nine

Imams (PBUT), on this subject.2

1 A Hadith is a saying or tradition of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) or his

Ahl al-Bait (PBUT). The Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) is an

implicit saying of Allah induced in his heart. In addition, whatever

a divinely appointed Imam says is a Hadith, which has been either

implicitly transferred to his heart through the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

and the chain of the previous Imams (PBUT) or has been explicitly

heard by him through the same chain traced back to the Prophet(PBUH&HF).2 Normally, an Imam would give the divine teaching without every

time reminding that it was narrated from his forefathers from the

holy Prophet (PBUH&HF). However, it was a common practice

among the Imamsthat when one of their forefathers had an explicit

saying concerning an issue, they would usually mention that

specific Imams name, and narrate it as explicitly having been

spoken by him. In this manner, beside remembering that Imam and

showing their respect to him, they wanted to reaffirm thepreviously recorded narrations and to remind people about what


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The entire text of this Hadith is originally found in a

Tafsir1

had been previously concluded as Allahs decree through their

(fore)fathers words.1

The Tafsir of Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (PBUH) is the collection of

his interpretations concerning very limited parts of the verses of the

holy Quran as compiled by two of his students who had a chance to

stay in his residence for some years while he was under house-

arrest. According to Ibn Shahr Ashub, this Tafsir originally was

comprised of the interpretation of the entire Quran in 120 volumes,

but only a small portion of it survived, which includes the

interpretation of the first two chapters of the holy Quran.

attributed to Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (PBUH),

under a section titled, On the meaning of Shia, pp. 306-320. It is also related inBihar al-Anwar, vol. 65, pp. 154-

163, Hadith 11. However, many of the sayings inside this

Hadith can also be found independently in other well-

known books of Hadith attributed to the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) and other Imams (PBUT). What follows is the

English translation of this precious Hadith along with

some explanatory notes and supplementary information

from the holy Quran and the sayings of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT)

in the footnotes.


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The Hadith

Imam al-Hasan al-Askari (PBUH) narrated:

( 1 )

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said, Be watchful of

(your duties toward) Allah, O Shia! Certainly, you will

not miss Paradise even if your ugly deeds slow you down

in reaching it.1

1 It is a well-known belief in Islam as emphasized by many verses of

the holy Quran and explained in detail by the Prophet (PBUH&HF)

and the divinely-appointed Imams (PBUT) that the final destiny of a

person who dies as a believer in the sight of Allah, is Paradise

irrespective of the sins he has committed during his life-time. As

we will see in this Hadith later, a believer will be purified from his

sins either by the calamities that befall him in this world, or by the

severity of his death, and/or by possibly long but limitedpunishments in the Hereafter, so that he could be admitted to

Paradise after a thorough purification. As stressed at the end of this

tradition and in many other well-established traditions, a believer is

one who believes in Allah, does not associate any one with Him in

obedience of Him, recognizes the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and all the

twelve Imams (PBUT) as the only medium of approach towards

Allah, His unique path, and the exclusive source of divine

knowledge for getting all His instructions in terms of beliefs and

practices. A person who does not recognize any one of these factsis either: not guided (Dhaal), a disbeliever (Kafir) in what Allah

commanded, and/or a polytheist (Mushrik) in the obedience of

Allah, as he admits other methods, ideas, and approaches towards

Him. According to the Quran and the traditions, only disbelievers

and polytheists will remain in Hell forever and will never be

permitted to enter Paradise. Concerning the fate of the disbelievers

and polytheists see, for instance, the holy Quran, 4:116, 4:140,

5:72, 2:161-162, 2:217, 3:91, 7:40, 24:39, 47:34. Imam al-Baqir

(PBUH) said, The lowest limit of polytheism is that one originatesan opinion (in the domain of religion) and then loves and hates

Hence, compete for its levels!


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based on it (Man La Yahdhuruhu al-Faqih, vol. 3, p. 572, Hadith

4955;Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 304, Hadith 42). Moreover, ImamAli (PBUH) was once asked, What are the least specifications by

which a servant is categorized as a believer, disbeliever, or

unguided (Dhaal)? The Imam (PBUH) replied, You asked your

question, and now reflect on (my) answer! The lowest limit that

categorizes a servant as a believer is that Allah, blessed in His

(name) and exalted is His (remembrance), introduces Himself to

him and he accepts obedience to Him, and He introduces His

prophet to him and he accepts obedience to him, and He introduces

to him His Imamwho is His proof on His earth and His witnessover His creationand he accepts obedience to him. I asked, O

the Commander of the Believers! Is he a believer even if he is

ignorant of everything other than what you described? He (PBUH)

said, Yes, because if he is commanded (i.e., if a command reaches

him) he will obey, and if he is prohibited he will quit. The least

thing that makes a servant a disbeliever is that he assumes

something that Allah prohibited (in reality) as a thing that Allah has

commanded, and sets it as a religious command (without any divine

evidence having reached him) and adheres to it. He thinks he serveswhat Allah has ordered, while, in reality, he serves the Satan. The

least thing that categorizes a servant as a Dhaal (unguided) is that

he does not know the proof of Allah, the mighty and the majestic,

who is His witness over His servants, whom Allah has commanded

to his obedience and made accepting his guardianship (Walaya)

obligatory (al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 414, Hadith 1). Imam al-Sadiq

(PBUH) said, The lowest limit of the recognition of the Imam is to

believe that he is the peer of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) without the

degree of prophethood and he is his inheritor, and obedience to himis obedience to Allah and obedience to His Messenger, and (to

believe that one should) submit to him in all matters, return every

(religious) issue to him and accept his words, and to believe that the

Imam after the Messenger of Allah is Ali Ibn Abi Talib, and after

him, al-Hasan, then al-Husain, then Ali Ibn al-Husain, then

Muhammad Ibn Ali, then me, then my son Musa, then his son Ali,

then his son Mohammad, then his son Ali, then his son Hasan, then

his son al-Hujja (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 36, p. 407, Hadith 16). This

Hadith not only specifies the requirements of faith concerning theright of the Imams, but also requires to know and to acknowledge


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The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) was asked, Does

anyone among people who love you and love Ali (PBUH)

enter Hell? He (PBUH&HF) replied, He who befouls hissoul by disobeying Mohammad and Ali (PBUT), falls into

unlawful deeds, wrongs the believing men and women,

and violates the decreed customs of the religion, arrives

on Day of Judgment filthy and impure. Mohammad and

Ali (PBUT) shall tell him, You are impure and are

qualified neither for being in the company of your

(divinely) chosen masters, nor for hugging the beautiful

heavenly maidens, nor for being in the movement place

of the close angels. You will not reach what is therein

unless you are cleansed from what is herein of the sins.

Therefore, some of such people shall enter the outer level

of Hell and shall be punished for some of their sins,

while some shall be afflicted with the hardships of the

Gathering Place (on the Day of Judgment) for some of

their sins. After this period, (to rescue each one of them)their masters shall dispatch a chosen one of their Shia

who shall pick him up (from the Hell) just as a bird picks

up the seed.

As for those who have less and lighter sins, they will be

cleansed by the adversities and tyrannies of the rulers and

the illness in their body so that they arrive at their graves

purified. Among them are some who approach deathwhile still some sins remained for them, and thus, their

departure shall become severe and shall die in disgrace so

much so that most people around them shall be dispersed

and they shall die in disgrace to atone for their sins. They

the names and the lineage of the specific twelve individuals who

are exclusively entitled to this position by Allah.


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shall be purified when the remaining people leave them

after burial.1

For people who have more grave sins, they shall be

cleansed by the calamities on the Day of Judgment, and

yet for worse sins, purification shall be made possible

through the outer level of Hell. The latter individuals

have the most severe punishment among people who love

us. They are not entitled to be called our Shia (our

followers), but they may be called our lovers, the

supporters of those who adhere to us, and the enemies ofour enemies. Certainly, Our Shia are only people who

1 Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, When the sin of a servant increases

and nothing (of his good acts) is found to atone for it, Allah afflicts

him by sorrows in this world as atonement for it. If not that, Allahmakes his body sick to compensate for his sins. Or, He makes the

time of his death more difficult to him as an expiation. Otherwise,

He punishes him in the grave so that he may meet Allah on the Day

of Judgment without anything that could witness to any of his sins

(i.e., the record of his evil deeds will be wiped out) (al-Amali, al-

Saduq, p. 294, Hadith 4; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 176, Hadith

15). Moreover, Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) narrated from the Messenger

of Allah (PBUH&HF) that Allah said, By My might and majesty! I

shall not send out from this world a servant on whom I want tohave (special) mercy until I take every sin of his and exchange it

either with an illness in his body, constrained sustenance, or horror

in his worldly life. And if anything still remains of his sins, I shall

increase his tension at the time of his death. By My might and

majesty! I shall not send out from this world a servant whom I want

to punish (forever) until I take every good deed of him and

exchange it either with good health in his body, extensive

sustenance, or peace and security in his life, and if anything still

remains of his good deeds I shall make death easy for him (al-

Kafi, vol. 2, p. 444, Hadith 3).


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(try their best to) follow us, adopt our traditions, and take

after our deeds.1

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) became angry and

said, Bring him to me. Another person said, O

Messenger of Allah! He is one ofyour Shia who believes

in you and Ali as his guardians

A man came to Allahs Messenger (PBUH&HF) and said, O

Messenger of Allah! Someone looks at the women of his

neighbor, and if an unlawful relation becomes possible

for him, he does not avoid it.

2

1 It should be made clear that these series of traditions do not

necessarily imply that the Shia are sinless; rather, they want to

stress that a Shia by definition is a devoted and observant follower.

Hence, one should not claim the honor of the Shia of Ahl al-Bait

(PBUT) if he/she does not try his/her best to follow their footsteps

and if complete obedience to them has not yet become his/her

character. In practice, a Shia might have sudden slips, but suchmistakes should not represent his/her general behavior that is to

hold fast to the examples of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT). Alternatively, one

can say, a person is a Shia of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) as long as he/she

strictly follows them, and is not of their Shia during his/her

unexpected and momentary arrival in error.

and keeps aloof from

2 Guardianship (al-Walaya) expresses a bilateral relation between the

guardian and the people. Observing al-Walaya by people means

adhering to the guardian and acknowledging his authority by heart,

tongue, and action. On the other hand, the action of al-Walaya bythe guardian means offering protection from evil, spiritual

assistance, care, support, and guidance for his adherents. A divinely

appointed guardian guards his adherents against misguidance,

spiritual destruction, wrongdoing, sin, and the wrath and

punishment of Allah as much as they adhere to him and his

commands. Therefore, both observation and protection are matters

of degree. However, the minimum acceptable level of observing al-

Walaya, which also terms one as a lover of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) and a

believer in the sight of Allah, is acknowledging the authority andthe guardianship of the divinely-appointed leaders by heart and by


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your enemies. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) replied,

Do not say he is our Shia since this is certainly a

tongue. As discussed in this Hadith, this minimum level only

protects one against remaining in Hell forever. On the other hand,

its maximum level is full acknowledgment by heart, tongue and

action, which terms one as a Shia and an absolute believer,

completely wards off Allahs punishment. A person who has

acknowledged Allahs representative has, in effect, acknowledged

Allahs authority, and is a true monotheist in obeying Allah.

Whoever believes in the divinely-appointed guardians is a believerunder the guardianship of Allah, and whoever turns away from

them is a disbeliever under the guardianship of Satan. It should be

emphasized that al-Walaya is considered as the greatest pillar of

faith, and establishing al-Walaya has been the ultimate goal of

religion and the fruit of the entire efforts of Prophet Muhammad

(PBUH&HF). This fact can be readily verified by the Verse 67 of

Chapter 5 of the Holy Quran, which was revealed in Ghadir Khum

just before Prophets official announcement concerning the Walaya

of Imam Ali (PBUH): O Messenger! Deliver what has been sentdown to you from your Lord and if you do not, you have not

conveyed His message at all, and Allah shall protect you from

(evil) people. Moreover, Zurara (RA) narrated that Imam al-Baqir

(PBUH) said, Islam is established by five things: prayer, charity,

fasting, pilgrimage, and al-Walaya. I asked, Which one is

superior? He (PBUH) answered, al-Walaya is superior since it is

their passkey and because the guardian is the guide and standard for

all these actions The pinnacle of the religion, its key and its

gateway, and the means of the satisfaction of the merciful Lord isobedience to the Imam after his recognition. In fact, Allah, the

mighty and the majestic, says, Whoever obeys the Apostle, he has

indeed obeyed Allah, but for anyone who turns away, we have not

sent you as a protector (4:80). Even if one establishes worship all

his nights, fasts all his days, pays for charity all his wealth,

performs pilgrimage all his years, but does not recognize the

guardianship of the divinely appointed guardian so as to adhere to

him and to act according to his direction, he is not entitled to any

reward before Allah and is not of the people of faith (al-Kafi, vol.

2, p. 19, Hadith 5).


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slander. Verily, our Shia follow us and obey us in our

deeds, and what you mentioned concerning this man is

not of our deeds.

( 2 )

Moreover, the Commander of the Believers (PBUH), the

leader of the pious, the king (Yasub)1

The Commander of the Believers (PBUH) replied, Verily,

(by claiming so) one lie or two has just been recorded for

you. If this person wrongs himself by committing sins

and yet he loves us and hates our enemies, then you have

committed a lie because he is only our lover, and not our

Shia. Similarly, if he loves our friends and hates ourenemies and is not careless about committing any sin, it

is a slander from you as he is not unrestrained as you

of the religion, the

chief of the prosperous, and the executor of the will of

the Messenger of the Lord of the worlds was told,

Surely a certain individual has been excessive to his

soul by committing deadly sins, though he is among your

Shia!

1 According to the lexicon, Yasub originally means the chief of

honeybees around which other bees gather, and to which they are

loyal ( Lisan al-Arab, vol. 1, p. 599). In several traditions, the

Prophet (PBUH&HF) titled Imam Ali (PBUH) in different occasions as

Yasub of the faith, Yasub of the believers, and Yasub of thereligion. It means the king, master, chief, support, shelter, resort,

and the elder of the believers and the maintainer of the religion and

faith. For instance, Abu Dhar (RA) narrated: I heard the Messenger

of Allah (PBUH&HF) saying to Imam Ali (PBUH), O Ali! You are

the first who believed and acknowledged me, and the first who

shall meet me on the Day of Judgment. You are the greatest truthful

(Siddiq al-Akbar) and the perfect distinguisher (al-Faruq) who

distinguishes between the truth and the falsehood. You are the

resort (Yasub) of the believers, and wealth is the resort (Yasub) of

the disbelievers (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 38, p. 213, Hadith 17).


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said. On the other hand, if he feels free in committing

sins1

1 A believer believes that all of what Allah has prohibited should be

avoided and that Allah has decreed a specific punishment for each

sin. If he is tempted by Satan and commits a sin in the state of

negligence, faith will return to him as soon as he becomes mindful

and regrets his misconduct. However, if one persists in committing

a sin, his heart will gradually reject the truth. In other words,

indulging in a sin leads one to disbelief and rejecting the signs ofAllah. In Quran we read: The outcome of those who persisted in

committing evil deeds was that they denied the signs of Allah and

held them up to ridicule. (30:10) According to the traditions, a

person who does not regret the sin that he has committedeven if

he has committed it only onceis considered an insistent (Musir)

sinner, and a disbeliever in Allahs view. This is because he does

not believe in the punishment that Allah decreed for that specific

sin in the Hereafter, and does not care to commit that sin again in

the future. Believing in the penalty of the Hereafter makes onedistressed and regretful for his sin, which is the essence of

repentance (Tawba). All other requirements mentioned for

repentance are for its perfection, and it is regret that obligates one

to comply with them all. Regret is a voluntary internal reaction of a

believer to his sin by which he guards his heart against decline and

maintains his faith. A believer is always repentant while a

disbeliever does not feel sorry before Allah for his misconducts.

Ibn Abi Umair narrated: I heard Imam Musa Ibn Jafar (PBUH)

saying, Allah does not keep anyone in the Fire (of hell) foreverexcept the people of disbelief, denial, misguidance and

polytheism No believer commits a sin except that his action

offends him and he becomes regretful. Verily, the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) said, Enough is regret for the repentance. He

(PBUH&HF) also said, He who is delighted by his good deed and is

saddened by his evil deed is a believer. On the other hand, he who

does not regret the sin that he has committed is not a believer and is

not entitled to intercession as he is unjust. And Allah states, For

the unjust there is neither a protecting friend nor an intercessorwhose intercession is accepted. (40:18) I asked, O son of the

and does not love us or does not hate our enemies,

then you have committed a two-fold lie.


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( 3 )

In another case, a man said to his wife, Go to Fatima

(PBUH), the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF),

and ask her whether or not I am of their Shia. She went

to her and asked her about it. Lady Fatima (PBUH) replied,

Tell him if he acts upon what we have commanded and

restrains from what we have prohibited, then he is of our

Shia, otherwise, he is not. She came back and informed

her husband of the reply. He cried saying, Woe onto

me! Who then will release me from the sins and errors?

Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)! How come is he not a believer if

he does not feel regretful for the evil deed he has done? He (PBUH)

replied, O Aba Ahmad! No one commits a great sin knowing that

he will be soon chastised for that except that he regrets for what he

has committed, and once he regrets he is repentant and becomes

entitled to intercession. On the other hand, if he does not regret it,

he is considered insistent (Musir) in sin, and a person who insists(on evil) shall not be forgiven because he does not believe in the

penalty of what he has committed. Had he believed in that

punishment he would have surely regretted. Indeed, the Prophet

(PBUH&HF) said, No great sin shall remain (great) with asking for

forgiveness (Istighfar) and no small sin shall remain (small) with

insistence (Israr). As for the saying of Allah, They do not

intercede except for whom He is well-pleased, (21:28) it means

they do not intercede except for whom Allah is pleased with his

religion. And the religion is confession to the recompense for thegood and evil deeds. One with whose religion Allah is pleased

regrets for the sins he has committed due to recognizing its

consequence on the Day of Judgment (al-Tawhid, p. 407, Hadith

6; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 8, p. 351, Hadith 1). Hence, one should

always view his sins great and should constantly keep himself in

the state of regret and repentance, because once he becomes

careless about his sins, overlooks them, and considers them small,

he becomes a disbeliever with a record replete with greater sins. On

the other hand, so long as he remains regretful and asks for

forgiveness, his record remains cleared.


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This way, I will be in Hell Fire forever because people

who are not their Shia will be in the everlasting Fire.

Her wife came back and reported to Lady Fatima (PBUH)what her husband said.

Lady Fatima (PBUH) replied, Tell him it is not so. Our

Shia are of the chosen ones in Paradise. People who love

us, love those who love us, and are hostile to those who

are hostile to us, and submit to our authority by their

hearts and their tongues are not considered our Shia if

they disobey our commandments and prohibitions inother issues. Nonetheless, they will be in Paradise after

they are chastened and cleansed from their sins by

afflictions and calamities (in this world), by various

hardships of the Day of Judgment, or by torment in the

upper layer of Hell until we rescue them from it due to

our love and transfer them to our presence (in Paradise).1

1 Imam al-Jawad (PBUH) narrated from his ancestors that the

Commander of the Believers, Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) was asked,

Describe death to us. He (PBUH) replied, To its expert you came

down! The one who dies shall face one of these three cases: He

shall receive either the glad tidings of everlasting blessings, or the

tidings of endless punishment, or else, he shall remain in the state

of grief and horror and his situation will not be clear to him as he

does not know to which group he belongs. The adherent of our

Walaya who was obedient to our commands is the one who shallreceive the glad tidings of perpetual bliss. In contrast, our enemy

(that is a person) who opposed us is the one who shall receive the

news of everlasting punishment. On the other hand, a person whose

situation is unclear for him is a believer (in our Walaya) who has

acted extravagantly against his soul. He shall receive terrifying and

unclear news, but Allah shall not equate him with our enemies and

shall release him from Fire by our intercession. Thus, do (good),

obey (Allahs commandments), do not (just) lean on (our

intersession), and never belittle the punishment of Allah, themighty and the majestic, for among those who wrong their souls


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( 4 )

In addition, a man said to Imam al-Hasan Ibn Ali (PBUH),

I am one of your Shia! He (PBUH) replied, O Servant of

Allah! If you are obedient to us concerning our

commandments and our prohibitions, then you are telling

the truth. However, if this is not the case, then do not

increase your sins by claiming such a noble status that

you do not deserve. Do not say, I am one of your Shia;

say instead, I am among those who adhere to your

guardianship, love you, and are hostile to your enemies.1

are some who shall not reach our intercession except after 300,000

years of punishment. ( Maani al-Akhbar, p. 288, Hadith 2, Bihar

al-Anwar, vol. 6, p. 153, Hadith 9). Moreover, Imam al-Sadiq

(PBUH) said, ... The intercession of Muhammad (PBUH&HF) and our

intercession wipe off your sins, O Shia, but do not return to the sins

nor lean on our intercession, for by Allah, one who takes this route

shall not receive our intercession until after the pain of punishmentstrikes him and after he perceives the dreadfulness of the Hell (al-

Kafi, vol. 5, p. 469, Hadith 9).1 As can be seen in these series of traditions, whenever love for Ahl

al-Bait (PBUT) is mentioned, enmity against their enemies is also

stressed. When one really loves a faithful and sees that another

person shows hostility to his friend due to his faith, it is naturally

expected that he opposes and dislike his friends enemy; otherwise,

it implies that such love is not real, and is merely a show due to

hypocrisy. Hence, hating is not an independent issue, and is anatural resultant of true love. Having true love alone for Allah

rationally implies being hostile to His enemies. This purely rational

reality is also testified by the holy Quran: You will not find any

people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, but love those who

opposed Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their

fathers, their sons, their brothers, or their kindred... (58:22).

Moreover, Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, Whoever loves a

disbeliever has indeed hated Allah, and whoever hates a disbeliever

(for the sake of Allah) has indeed loved Allah. Then, he (PBUH)continued, The friend of an enemy of Allah is an enemy of Allah


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(In this case,) you are (still) in a good state and towards a

good ending.

( 5 )

Similarly, someone said to Imam al-Husain Ibn Ali

(PBUH), O Son of the Messenger of Allah! I am one of

your Shia! He (PBUH) said, Be mindful of Allah and do

not claim that which Allah considers a lie and a sin.

Certainly, our Shia are people whose hearts are free from

every dishonesty, fraud, and corruption.1

(al-Amali, al-Saduq, p. 605, Hadith 8; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 66, p.

237, Hadith 3). Imam Baqir (PBUH) said, Is religion other than love

and hate? (Tafsir, Furat al-Kufi, p. 428, Hadith 567; Bihar al-

Anwar, vol. 65, p. 63, Hadith 114). One important thing, however,

is the correct assignment of love and hate to the type of person and

the type of action. According to the traditions, one should love

believers but hate their wrong actions, and should hate disbelievers

but love their good actions. Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) said, Certainly,Allah may love a servant but hate his action, and may hate a servant

but love his action (al-Amali, al-Saduq, p. 411, Hadith 71; Bihar

al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 234, Hadith 1). A quite similar saying is

reported from Imam Ali (PBUH) (cf. Nahj al-Balagha, p. 215,

Sermon 154, titled on the virtues of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT)).1

Imam al-Kadhim (PBUH) said, Certainly, a Shia of Ali (PBUH) is

one whose actions confirm his words (al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 228,

Hadith 290). Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) said, By Allah! Our Shia are

only those who are watchful of (their duties toward) Allah and obey

Him. They are only known by humility and submission (before

Allah), fulfillment of trust, abundant remembrance of Allah,

fasting, prayer, kindness to parents, care for the poor, indebted and

orphans in their neighborhood, truthfulness, recitation and

adherence to the Quran, forbearance from speaking about people

except in goodness, and that they are the trustees of their tribes in

their properties (Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 295;Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 75, p.

175).

Say, however, I


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am of people who acknowledge your authority and love

you.

( 6 )

Furthermore, someone said to Imam Ali Ibn al-Husain

(PBUH), O Son of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF)! I am

one of your most sincere Shia! He (PBUH) told him, O

Servant of Allah! If you are like Ibrahim about whom

Allah said, And verily of his (i.e., Alis) Shia was

Ibrahim when he sought nearness to his Lord with a

submissive heart

( 7 )

(37:83-84), and if your heart is like his,

then you are among our Shia. However, if your heart

does not resemble his heart which was pure from any

deception and ill-will (against the believers), then you

can only be counted as a people who love us. Otherwise,

if you persist on this wrong claim knowing that it is a lie,

you will be afflicted with paralysis or leprosy that will

not leave you until death as atonement for this lie.

And in the presence of Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) a man was

arguing with another one saying, Do not show off to me

because I am one of the Shia of the family of Muhammad

(PBUH&HF). At this time, Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) said, You

do not have any preference over him by the Lord of

Kaba, while he was cheated by your lie! O Servant ofAllah! Tell me which one of these two pleases you more:

When you spend your money on yourself or when you

spend it on your brothers in faith? He replied, When I

spend it on myself. He (PBUH) said, Then, you are not

among our Shia, because we enjoy more when we spend

it on our brothers. Hence, say, we are of people who love

you and hope for salvation by means of your love.


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( 8 )

Once, it was mentioned to Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) that

Ammar al-Duhni went to testify something before Ibn

Abi Laila, the judge of Kufa. The judge said, Cease!

Your testimony is not accepted since you are a rejecter

(Rafidhi). Upon that, Ammar stood up to leave while

trembling and weeping. The judge told him, You are a

man of knowledge and Hadith. If the title of rejecter

offends you, just disavow from this sect so that you

become our brother.

Ammar replied, It is not what you think! I am crying for

myself and you. I cry for myself because by considering

me a Rafidhi, you have attributed to me a noble rank that

I do not deserve. Woe onto you! Indeed Imam al-Sadiq

(PBUH) has narrated to me that the first people who were

called Rafidhi were the magicians who, upon witnessing

the signs of Moses (PBUH), believed in him, followed him,rejected the command of Pharaoh, and were patient to all

that befell them. Pharaoh called them rejecters as they

rejected his custom. Thus, the term rejecter (Rafidhi) has

been used for anyone who rejected all that Allah disliked

and acted according to all that Allah commanded.1

1 This piece that praises the rejection of enemies of Allah and their

customs appears at the middle of the series of traditions concerning

adherence to Ahl al-Bait (PBUT), which emphasizes the fact that a

true follower (Shia) of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) is always a true rejecter

(Rafidhi) of their enemies and their methods, ideas, etc. Therefore,

the titles Rafidhi and Shia refer to the same fact and cannot be

realized separately. Anyone who claims to adhere to the customs

of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT) should naturally reject other customs;

otherwise, he is not truthful in his claim and is a polytheist in hisobedience to Allah because he has associated human-generated

Who

is like them in this era?


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And indeed, I cried for myself because admitting this

noble title for myself passed through my mind in a

moment and I fear that Allah, the mighty and themajestic, condemns me for that, saying, O Ammar!

Have you truly rejected falsehood and acted according to

Our commands? Then, I will be considered negligent if

He overlooks me, and will be entitled to a great

punishment if He questions me unless my masters rectify

it for me by their intercession. On the other hand, my cry

for you was for the greatness of your lie by calling me

with other than my name, and that how your body could

endure the divine punishment for disgracing one of the

most honorable names.

Upon hearing this account, Imam Sadiq (PBUH) said, Had

Ammar had sins greater than the heavens and the earth,

they have certainly wiped off from his record by uttering

these words, and his good deeds have multiplied in the

sight of Allah, the mighty and the majestic, such thateach one of his smallest deeds even to the extent of a

ideas and methods with the divine instructions that have reached

him through Allahs representatives. In fact, rejecting falsehood has

priority over accepting the truth and is its prerequisite. Allah, the

mighty and the majestic, states in the holy Quran, He who rejects

Taghut and believes in Allah, he has indeed adhered to the most

trustworthy handhold which shall never break (2:258). Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) interpreted Taghut as those who usurped the rights

of the family of Muhammad (PBUH&HF) and the most trustworthy

handhold as the guardianship of the Commander of the Believers

(Imam Ali) and the Imams after him (cf. Tafsir, Ali Ibn Ibrahim al-

Qummi, under the commentary of this verse). Imam al-Sadiq

(PBUH) said, Whoever claims to recognize us but he adheres to

other handholds is a liar ( Maani al-Akhbar, p. 399, Hadith 57;

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 83, Hadith 7). See also the explanation in

the footnote towards the end of this article on the meaning of

monotheism.


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mustard seed has become a thousand times greater than

this world.

( 9 )

In addition, Imam Musa Ibn Jafar (PBUH) was told, We

were passing by a person in the market who was

proclaiming that he is an earnest Shia of Muhammad and

his family (PBUT), and he was hawking certain cloth for

more money. Imam Musa (PBUH) said, One who knows

the value of his soul will not be wasted nor will he act

ignorantly. Do you know whom this man resembles? He

resembles a person who claims I am like Salman, Abu

Dhar, Miqdad, and Ammar while he undervalues

(peoples goods) when he buys, and hides the defects of

the merchandise before his customer (when he sells). He

purchases something (with deferred payment) for a

certain price, and then overcharges an unfamiliar layman

who wants that merchandise by imposing it on him. If, inany event, he loses his customer, he informs the original

seller that he does not want the merchandise (that he had

already bought) except for a lower price regardless of his

debit. Is he like Salman, Abu Dhar, Miqdad, and

Ammar?! We seek refuge in Allah from such an idea.1

1 Nawf once asked Imam Ali (PBUH) to describe the characteristics of

his Shia. By remembering his Shia, the Imam (PBUH) wept and said,O Nawf! My Shia are, by Allah, cognizant of Allah and His

religion, active in obeying Him and His commands, and are guided

by means of His love. They are emaciated as a result of devotion,

and obligate themselves to withdraw (from pleasures of the world).

They have yellow complexions due to staying awake for midnight

worship, bleary eyes because of (abundant) weeping, dry lips for

uttering the remembrance (of Allah), and empty stomachs by

(exercising) hunger. Their divine education is recognized in their

faces, and their horror from the pleasures of the world is seen intheir manner. They are the guiding lamps in any darkness, and the


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However, what prevents him from saying, I am among

those who love Muhammad and the family of

Muhammad (PBUH&HF), love people who believe in theirguardianship, and feel hostile towards their enemies?

( 10 )

When Mamun (L) appointed Imam Ali Ibn Musa al-

Ridha (PBUH) as heir apparent, his secretary came to him

and said, At the door, there are some people who

request to meet you. They say they are of the Shia of Ali

(PBUH). He (PBUH) answered, I am occupied. Dismiss

them. Therefore, the secretary dismissed them. They

came the following day saying the same thing and were

treated similar to the previous day. They continued to

come at the door of the Imams house for two months

saying the same, but he (PBUH) turned them away every

time.

When they were disappointed from meeting the Imam(PBUH), they said to his secretary, Tell our master we are

the Shia of your father Ali Ibn Abi Talib (PBUH). Indeed,

sweet basils in any society. They do not bear enmity in their heart

against those who preceded them in submission, and do not follow

them without proof. Their evil in them is under their control. Their

hearts are (full of) sympathy, their souls are chaste, and theirdemands are little. They burden themselves while people are at rest

as a result of their service. They are clever, sincere, and noble

people of wisdom. They are like foxes who (stealthily) escape with

their religion (i.e., distrusting the sinful environments, they move

from place to place to safeguard their religion). (They live

unknown such that) they are not noticed or appreciated when

present, and are not remembered when absent. These are my most

pleasant followers (Shia) and my most honorable brothers. Ah! I

wish so much to meet them! (al-Amali, al-Tusi, p. 576, Hadith

1189;Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 65, p. 177, Hadith 34).


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our enemies have rejoiced to see that you are avoiding us.

We will leave this time and will distance from our city

due to the shame and humiliation that befell on us andbecause we cannot tolerate the pain resulting from the

rejoicing of the enemies in our city. This time, Imam Ali

Ibn Musa (PBUH) permitted them to enter. They entered

and greeted him, but he (PBUH) neither returned their

greetings nor did he permit them to sit. While standing,

they asked, O son of the Messenger of Allah! What is

the reason for this humiliation after that harsh avoidance?

How could anyone of us live after this affliction?

At this point, Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said, Recite:

Whatever of affliction strikes you is because of your own

deeds, and He forgives much (of the sins) (42:30). I

followed none but my Lord, the mighty and the majestic,

the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF), the Commander of the

Believers (PBUH), and my pure fathers after him on this

issue. They reproached you and I followed themaccordingly. They asked, For what reason, O Son of

the Messenger of Allah?

He (PBUH) replied, For your claim that you are the Shia of

the Commander of the Believers (PBUH)! Woe on to you!

Verily, his Shia were al-Hasan (PBUH), al-Husain (PBUH),

Salman, Abu Dhar, al-Miqdad, Ammar, and Muhammad

Ibn Abi Bakr who neither disobeyed any of hiscommands nor did they commit his prohibitions of any

kind. You said you were his Shia while you contradict

him in most of your actions, fall short concerning many

obligatory deeds, neglect the great rights of your brothers

in faith, observe Taqiyya1

1

In the language of Hadith, al-Taqiyya refers to concealing belief inthe case of danger. The root of this term is Waqa, which means to

when it is not required, and


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safeguard; to shield; to shelter; to preserve. The meaning of al-

Taqiyya is very close to that ofMudaaraat, which means toleratingpeople and getting along with them. In modern terms, al-Taqiyya

can be translated as diplomacy. The traditions also confirm this

meaning. Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, O Sufyan! Observe Taqiyya.

Surely, it was the Sunna of Ibrahim al-Khalil (PBUH). Verily Allah,

the mighty and the majestic, said to Moses (PBUH) and Aaron

(PBUH), Go both of you to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed

(all bounds). But speak to him with a gentle word so that he may

take warning or feel afraid (20:43-44). Allah, the mighty and the

majestic, told them to call him with proper title and then speak tohim. And when the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) intended a trip,

(for the security of the city during his leave) he used to conceal it

and act as if another person would leave. He (PBUH&HF) also said,

Allah has ordered me to be lenient (Mudaaraat) with people as

much as he has ordered me to fulfill the obligatory deeds. Surely

Allah educated him (in the art of) Taqiyya and said (to him), Repel

(evil) with what is best; that way, a person that between you and

him is hatred will appear as if he is your friend and intimate. But

none is granted such achievement save those who exercise patienceand self-restraint, and none is granted it save the owner of the

great prosperity (41:34-35). O Sufyan! He who applies Taqiyya in

the religion of Allah, he shall indeed ascend to the climax, and he

who does not own his tongue shall regret. (Maani al-Akhbar, p.

385, Hadith 20, Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 72, p. 396, Hadith 18). A

believer is required to conceal his belief and even is allowed to

utter disbelief if otherwise substantial danger threatens him or other

believers. This attitude is the opposite of hypocrisy in which one

conceals disbelief in his heart and shows belief. The believer, bydefinition, is required to always maintain and practice faith in his

heart. According to the traditions, acknowledgement and

recognition of faith is the required action of heart (cf. al-Kafi, vol.

2, p. 34, Hadith 1). This is an internal action. However, a believer is

also required to put his belief into practice outwardly when he can.

Notice that Allah commands us to disassociate ourselves from the

disbelievers (those who have heard the message of Ahl al-Bait

(PBUT) but rejected it), avoid friendship with them, and take them as

enemies (cf. the holy Quran, 3:28, 5:51, 9:1, 9:3, 9:16, 9:23, 60:1;2:98, 4:101). Thus, we can never unite with the disbelievers in


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leave Taqiyya when it must be observed. Had you said

you believed in his guardianship (Walaya), loved him,

loved those who adhere to him, and were the enemy ofhis enemies, I would not have denied your saying.

However, you claimed such a noble position that if your

actions do not confirm your saying, you will perish

unless a mercy from Allah rectifies it for you. They

said, O Son of the Messenger of Allah! We ask

forgiveness from Allah and return to Him from our

saying. We say as our master taught us that we love you,

love people under your guardianship, and are the enemy

of your enemies.

At this time, Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said, Now, welcome

to you my brothers and my friends. Come near! Come

near! He (PBUH) embraced them and then asked his

secretary how many times he met them. He answered,

sixty times. He (PBUH) said to him, Then, go and come

to them sixty times consecutively and offer them mySalaam for verily their sins were wiped off by asking for

forgiveness and because of their repentance. Now, they

deserve high respect due to their love for us and

accepting us as their guardians. Look into their problems

and present them and their families with gifts and

financial aids.

reality, and we cannot accept them in our heart. Our cooperation

with them at times in a worldly matter may only be due to Taqiyya

as a diplomatic, superficial, and circumstantial relation. In order to

maintain faith, one should control his apparent relationship with the

disbelievers such that it could not gradually undermine the disgust

from them in ones heart.


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( 11 )

In addition, a person came to Imam Muhammad al-

Jawad, son of Ali al-Ridha (PBUH), appearing very happy

and delighted. He (PBUH) asked, Why are you so happy?

The man answered, O Son of the Messenger of Allah! I

have heard your father saying, the most deserving day to

make a servant happy is a day that Allah helps him give

charities and alms to his believing brothers and solve

their problems. Today, I received ten believing brothers

who were needy and had dependents. They came to mefrom another city. I gifted each one of them with money,

and this is why I am delighted. The Imam replied, By

my life! You deserve to be happy if you have not

nullified your deed and if you do not nullify it later. He

said, How could I ruin my deed while I am one of your

sincere Shia?! He (PBUH) replied, Ah! Certainly you just

invalidated your benevolence and charity to your

brothers. He asked, How come, O Son of theMessenger of Allah? The Imam (PBUH) replied, Recite

the saying of Allah, the mighty and the majestic, O you

who believe! Cancel not your charity by reminders of

your generosity or by annoyance. (2:264) He said, I

did not remind my generosity to the people that I gave

charity and did not hurt their (feelings).

The Imam (PBUH) said, Allah, the mighty and themajestic, said you should not nullify your generosity by

reminding or by annoyance, and He did not say by

reminding to or annoying only the people to whom you

give charity. It includes all harassments. Do you believe

annoying the people that you helped is greater or

annoying us and the angels who scribe your deeds? The

person answered, Of course, the latter.


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The Imam (PBUH) said, Certainly, you have bothered me

and them and have cancelled your charity. Woe onto

you! Do you know who our sincere Shia are? He repliedin the negative. The Imam continued, Our sincere Shia

(in the ancient nations) were Hizqil (Khirqil), (who was)

the believer of the family of Pharaoh1

( 12 )

, and the

companion (mentioned in the chapter) of Yasin about

whom Allah said, Then a man came running from the

farthest part of the city, [saying, O my folk! Obey the

messengers] (36:20) and (their examples in this nation

were) Salman, Abu Dhar, al-Miqdad, and Ammar. Do

you equate yourself with them? Didnt you annoy us and

the angels by such a claim?

The man said, I ask for forgiveness from Allah and

repent to Him. Then, what should I say about myself?

He (PBUH) replied, Say: I am of people who acknowledge

your Walaya, love you, love people who love you, and I

am hostile to your enemies. He said, This is what Ibelieve, and I repent from the claim that you and the

angels rejected since whatever you deny is what Allah

has denied. At this time, the Imam (PBUH) said, Surely,

the reward of your charity has just been returned to you

and was saved from nullification.

Imam al-Askari (PBUH), then, added: Indeed, the Shia

of Ali (PBUH) are those about whom Allah, the mighty and

the majestic, said, Those who have faith and do good

deeds; they are companions of the Garden wherein shall

they abide forever. (2:82) They are those who believe in

Allah, name Him by His names and do not attribute to

1 cf. the holy Quran, Chapter 40, Verse 28.


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Him other than His names, acknowledge Muhammad

(PBUH&HF) in his sayings (i.e., his Hadiths), direct

themselves according to his actions, believe in Ali afterhim as a master, an Imam, and a noble chief that no one

in the nation of Muhammad (PBUH&HF) can equate him,

and that his merits outweigh the merits of the Prophets

nation all together, and his superiority over them is like

the superiority of the heavens over the earth, while (in

this comparison) earth is just a tiny particle.

The Shia of Ali (PBUH) are those who do not worry in thepath of Allah whether death receives them or they receive

death (like in a battle).1

The Shia of Ali (PBUH) are those who follow Alis

example in honoring their brothers in faith. What I tell

you is not just my saying; rather I am relating the explicit

saying of Muhammad (PBUH&HF). Such is the above saying

of Allah do good deeds (2:82), which means they fulfill

all the obligations. After belief in the monotheism (al-

Tawhid)

The Shia of Ali (PBUH) are those

who give their brotherspreference over themselves even

concerning the things that they themselves urgently need

(59:9). They are those whom Allah do not see them on

the actions that He forbade them, and do not miss them

on the actions that He commanded them.

2

1

Describing the Shia of Ahl al-Bait (PBUT), Imam al-Baqir (PBUH)

said, They are impregnable fortresses, trustworthy breasts, and

sober-minded people of patience. They are neither disclosers of the

secrets, nor are they ostentatious disobedient. They are humble and

God-fearing worshippers by night and brave as a lion by day

(Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 65, p. 180, Hadith 38).

, the prophethood (of Muhammad), and the

2As we can see from this Hadith, observing monotheism (al-

Tawhid) is the foremost condition towards becoming a Shia of Ahlal-Bait (PBUT). Monotheism, which is the basic requirement of


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faith, is established at two levels: Belief in the uniqueness of Allah

(which we call intellectual monotheism), and belief in theuniqueness of His path (which we refer to as practical

monotheism). Both levels are proven by independent reason. In the

intellectual level, al-Tawhidmeans believing that Allah is unique,

matchless, and has no resemblance of any kind with His creation.

Notice that uniqueness does not refer to the number one since

anything that can be expressed by a quantity is limited (cf. the first

sermon ofNahj al-Balagha by Imam Ali (PBUH)). Believing in any

resemblance between the Creator and the creation even in the most

abstract levels and concepts is associating Allah with His creation,which signifies a limitation for Him. Moreover, because Allah is

the Creator of our reason, He can never be comprehended by

reason; otherwise He is limited. On the other hand, the reason

testifies that He is undeniable due to the existence of His abundant

signs, which are His creation. In other words, a monotheist, while

admitting that Allah is not comprehendible, believes that He is

undeniable. In the language of Hadith, the intellectual sense ofal-

Tawhid is defined as regarding Allah free from the two extreme

limits of resemblance (Tashbih) and denial/disproval (Tatil,Ibtaal). When different Imams were asked if one could say that

Allah is an existing thing, the Imams replied in the affirmative, but

added that by saying this, one should regard Him outside the two

limits of resemblance and disproval. (cf. al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 82,

Hadith 2;Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 3, p. 265, Hadith 29). Based on the

intellectual monotheism, one has no way towards Allah by himself,

and thus, attaining the pleasure of Allah is rationally impossible

unless through the door that Allah Himself may open to His

creation by sending a representative. Therefore, intellectualmonotheism rationally guides one towards a deeper level of

monotheism, which is practical monotheism. In practical level,

observing Tawhidmeans, believing that one should acquire all the

knowledge of religion only from Allahs representatives and should

not associate any idea or opinion derived from human sciences with

the divine instructions given by the Prophet and his successors,

peace be upon them. Moreover, a true monotheist tries his best to

conform his actions to the divine instructions that have reached him

in the form of traditions. Therefore, beside practicing monotheismby being selective concerning the input information he receives, a


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believer observes monotheism by controlling his output actions

only according to the divine standard. In this manner, he servesAllah alone and does not associate anyone in his obedience to

Allah. According to the Quran and the traditions, practical

monotheism, which is the very essence ofal-Walaya (submitting to

the guardians assigned by Allah in order to obey Him alone), is a

requirement of faith and is necessary for salvation in the Hereafter.

Imam Ali (PBUH) said, Verily, a believer does not take his religion

from his opinion, but he accepts what comes from His Lord. (al-

Kafi, vol. 2, p. 45, Hadith 1; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 65, p. 311,

Hadith 4). Imam Ali (PBUH) said to Kumail, O Kumail! Do nottake anything (related to the religion) except from us so that you

become of us (Tuhaf al-Uqul, p. 171; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 74, p.

269, Hadith 1). In one of his Tawqi (written piece of document)

Imam Mahdi (PBUH) wrote, Seeking the knowledge of the religion

from other than us (Ahl al-Bait (PBUT)) is equal to denying us

(Mustadrak Safinatul Bihar, Shaikh Ali al-Namazi, vol. 1, p. 10).

Yunus Ibn Abdurrahman narrates: I asked Imam Musa Ibn Jafar

(PBUH), How do I practice monotheism? He (PBUH) answered, O

Yunus! Do not be an innovator (in the domain of religion).Whoever looked into his opinion has perished. Whoever left the

Ahl al-Bait of the Prophet (PBUH&HF) has gone astray, and whoever

left the Book of Allah and the sayings of His Prophet (PBUH&HF)

has become a disbeliever (al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 56, Hadith 10). Imam

al-Ridha (PBUH) said, The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said,

He who adopts a religion without hearing (from Allahs

Messenger), Allah necessitates for him (as punishment) to go astray

towards destruction. He who adopts a religion by hearing from

other than the door that Allah has opened for His creation, is apolytheist. Then, the Imam (PBUH) continued, And the

trustworthy door on Allahs revelation is Muhammad (PBUH&HF).

(Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, vol. 2, p. 9, Hadith 22; A similar narration

exists in al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 377, Hadith 4;Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, p.

105, Hadith 68). Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) said, The Messenger of

Allah (PBUH&HF) said, He who listens and inclines towards a

speaker, he has surely worshipped/served him. Thus, if the speaker

is from Allah, the person has indeed worshipped Allah, and if the

speaker is from Satan, the person has indeed worshipped Satan...Then, Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) continued, O Ibn Abi Mahmud! If


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leadership (of the Imams), the greatest obligations are

fulfilling the rights of the brothers in faith1

you see that people take the routes of the East and the West,

steadfast in our path, for surely whoever stays with us we will stay

with him, and whoever separates from us we will separate from

him. Certainly, the simplest thing that could take away the faith of

a person is to call a small stone as a seed, then believes in it, and

disassociates from anyone who opposes him on that (without divine

instruction). O Abi Mahmud! Safeguard what I just narrated to you

as I have gathered (in it) for you all the goodness of this world and

the Hereafter. (Wasail al-Shia, vol. 27, p. 128, Hadith 33394;Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha, vol. 1, p. 303, Hadith 63; A similar

narration from Imam al-Jawad exists in al-Kafi, vol. 6, p. 434,

Hadith 24). Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, Whoever associates a

leader who is not assigned by Allah with a leader who is assigned

by Allah is a polytheist and has associated partners with Allah (al-

Kafi, vol. 1, p. 373, Hadith 6; Kitab al-Ghaiba, al-Numani, p. 130,

Hadith 8). Furthermore, Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, The rejecter

of us (or our sayings) is a disbeliever and is a rejecter of Allah, and

he is like the one who has taken partners besides Allah. (al-Kafi,vol. 1, p. 67, Hadith 10; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 2, pp. 220-221).

Several authorities narrated from Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) and Imam

al-Sadiq (PBUH) who said, Whatever has come from the

Commander of the Believers (Ali (PBUH)) should be accepted and

whatever he has forbidden should be abandoned. He owns the same

rights of obedience and superiority as did Allahs Messenger

(PBUH&HF), and for the Messenger of Allah was superiority over

everything that Allah created. He who tries to find fault in any of

his orders is like the one who tries to find fault in Allah, the mightyand the majestic, and His Messenger (PBUH&HF). He who tries to

precede him is like the one who tries to precede the Messenger of

Allah (PBUH&HF). (Since he commands on behalf of Allah,)

rejecting any of his minor or major commands is equivalent to

taking partners with Allah (in obedience) (al-Kafi, vol. 1, pp. 196-

197, Hadith 1, 2, & 3;Basair al-Darajat, pp. 199-200, Hadith 1 &

2; Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 16, p. 358, Hadith 53; vol. 39, p. 344,

Hadith 16).

and acting

1

Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) said, By Allah, a believer has indeed morerights than the Kaba (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 65, p. 64, Hadith 115).


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Imam al-Kadhim (PBUH) said, Proceeding towards fulfilling a need

of a faithful is better than residing and fasting inside Masjid al-Haraam for two months ( Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 235). Abu

Ismail said to Imam al-Baqir (PBUH), The number of Shia in our

place is great! He (PBUH) asked, Do their rich have compassion

on their poor? Do their well-doers forgive their wrongdoers? Do

they share their property (with the poor)? I answered, No! He

(PBUH) said, They are not Shia. The Shia are those who behave

so. (al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 173, Hadith 11). It is narrated that Imam al-

Kadhim said, When a faithful brother comes to someone with a

demand, it is, without doubt, a mercy from Allah that is dispatchedto him. If he fulfills his request, he has indeed attached him(self) to

our guardianship (Walaya), which is attached to guardianship of

Allah, the mighty and the majestic. However, if he denies him

concerning his demand while being able to fulfill it, he has indeed

wronged himself and ill-treated that (mercy) (Bihar al-Anwar, vol.

71, p. 313). In a similar Hadith, Imam al-Kadhim (PBUH) said,

When a brother in faith seeks refuge or appeals for help from

someone, and he does not give him shelter and aid when he can, he

is indeed detached from the guardianship of Allah, the mighty andthe majestic (al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 366, Hadith 4). Mualla Ibn

Khunais said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH), What is the right of a

believer over other believers? He (PBUH) replied, He has seven

obligatory rights. If one opposes any of them, he has stepped out of

the guardianship of Allah, left His obedience, and has no share of

the religion of Allah. I said, May I be sacrificed for you! Tell me

what they are. He (PBUH) said, O Mualla! I am concerned about

you and fear that you become negligent and do not safeguard them,

and learn but do not act upon them. I said, There is no strengthexcept by Allah. He (PBUH) said, The easiest right (to fulfill)

among them is to like for him what you like for yourself and dislike

for him what you dislike for yourself. The second right is that you

should proceed towards fulfilling his needs and gaining his

satisfaction, and should not oppose his request. The third right is

that you should have care for him by your soul, your property, your

hand, your foot, and your tongue. The forth right is that you should

be his eye, his guide, his mirror (before himself), and his covering

(before others).The fifth right is that you should neither be fullwhen he is hungry, nor wear a favorite cloth when he is without


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upon Taqiyya before the enemies of Allah, the mighty

and the majestic.

Conclusion

After studying this set of traditions as well as other

complementary traditions provided in the footnotes, we

might feel that we are far away from the prescribed

standard in practice. However, instead of being

disappointed, we should look into its positive aspects.

Learning these facts increases our love and respect for

the title of Shia and those who deserve this revered title

more than ever. It also makes us more cautious of using

this term for ourselves and others in the future. Most

important of all, learning these traditions leads us to

refine our goals. They also teach us the right method of

approaching towards these sacred goals.

In fact, it is a duty of every believer to learn the idealgoals set by the Prophet (PBUH&HF) and his Ahl al-Bait

(PBUT) and to consider them reachable by an ordinary

human with the help of Allah. Since goal is a matter of

faith, it must be correctly viewed, and should not be

compromised due to ones weaknesses. It is only in this

proper clothing, and nor quench your thirst when he is thirsty. Thesixth right is that if you have a servant and he cannot not have one,

you should (regularly) send your servant to aid him in washing

clothes, and cooking and cleaning in his house. And the seventh

right is that you should acknowledge his oath, accept his invitation,

visit him if he is sick, attend his funeral if he passes away, and

initiate to fulfill his need in person before he is obligated to ask for

it. Once you comply with all these rights, you have joined his

Walaya to your Walaya and your Walaya to the Walaya of Allah,

the mighty and the majestic (Rawdhat al-Waidhin, vol. 2, p. 291;

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 224, Hadith 12).


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situation that one can maintain a faith that is acceptable

by Allah, and become ready for a change. In the next

step, one needs to approach these goals in practice to theextent of ones ability, which certainly pleases Allah and

guarantees ones salvation.

am i a shia of ahl al-bait (pbut)

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