Ahlul Bayt
The Holy Prophet [s]
said: "The likeness of my Ahlul-Bayt (progeny) amongst my Ummah
(followers) is similar to Noah's Ark. Those who embarked on it were
rescued and those who rejected it perished...."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 27,
p. 113
Imam Baqir, the fifth Imam, [a] said:
"Our traditions (Ahlul-Bayt) survive in the hearts."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 2, p.
144
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Make your
gatherings lively with the remembrance of Ali-ibn-Abi-Talib." (Talk
about the excellencies of Ali [a]).
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 38,
p. 199
In 'Ikmal-ud-Din' a tradition, through
'Jabir-il-Ju'fi', is narrated from 'Jabir-ibn-'Abdillah' thus: "I said:
'O Messenger of Allah we have known Allah and His Apostle; then who is 'Ulul-Amr',
those that Allah has made their obedience the same as your obedience?'
Then, the Prophet (p.h.u.h.) said: 'O' Jabir! They are,
after me, my successors and the guides of Muslims; the first of them is
Ali ibn Abi Talib; then (Imam) Hassan, and (Imam) Husayn; then Ali ibn
Husayn; then Mohammad ibn Ali; known in the Turah as Baqir, whom you
will see, O' Jabir! When you visit him, give my regards to him. After
him, there is Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad; and after him Musa ibn Ja'far;
then Ali ibn Musa; then Muhammad ibn Ali; then Ali ibn Muhammad, then
Hassan ibn Ali; and after him (there comes) Al-Qaim, whose name and
epithet is the same as mine. He is Allah's Authority on the Earth and
His Remainder amongst His servants. He is the son of (Imam)
Hassan-ibn-Ali (al-'Askari). This is the very personality by whose hands
Allah will open the Easts and Wests of the worlds and this is the very
personality who will be absent from his followers and those who love
him, in which his mastership cannot be proved by a statement of anyone
except for the one whose heart Allah tests for Faith."
Jabir said: "I asked him: 'O' Messenger
of Allah will his followers avail of him during his occultation?' He
answered: 'Yes. By the One Who appointed me to prophethood, they will
seek brightness from his light and will avail by devotion in his absence
the same as the availing of people from the (glow of) sun when clouds
cover it...'
(Ikmal-ud-Din, vol. 1, p.
253, with nearly similar meaning in Yanabir-ul-Mawaddah, p. 117)
Malik-ibn-Anas said about the virtue of
Imam Sadiq [a]: "No eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no
heart (soul) has ever been striken that there can (contemporaneously) be
anybody higher than (Imam) Ja'far Sadiq [a] from the point of virtue,
knowledge, worship, and piety."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 47,
p. 28
Imam Husayn [a] said: "By my soul, there
is no Imam but he issues judgement upon the Book, establishes justice,
believes in the religion of Truth, and restrains his self alongside the
way of Allah.
Al-Irshad, vol. 204
The Love of Ahlul-Bayt
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Train
your children in three things: the love of your Prophet, the love of his
progeny, i.e. Ahlul-Bayt, and recitation of the Qur'an."
AI-Jami'-ul-Saghir, vol.
1, p. 14
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "He who is not able
to do any good unto us (Ahlul-Bayt) then be may do good to our pious
adherents; and he who is not able to visit us, he may visit our
righteous followers by which the reward of visiting us (pilgrimage) will
be recorded for him."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 74,
p. 354
Imam Baqir [a] said: "The best means by
which servants can obtain nearness to Allah, Mighty and Glorious, is the
obedience to Allah, the obedience to His Messenger, and the obedience to
those charged with (spiritual) authority."
Then, he [a] added: "The love of us
(Ahlul Bayt) is Faith and the hatred of us is infidelity."
Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 187
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily, there are
various degrees of serving Allah, but affection (and cordial
inclination) for us, Ahlul Bayt, is the highest one."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 27,
p. 91
The Acceptable
Characteristics
The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Shall I not
introduce 'a believer' to you? A believer is the one whom other
believers trust with their souls and wealth. Shall I not introduce 'a
Muslim' to you? A Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue other
Muslims are safe.... It is unlawful (Haram) for a believer to do wrong
against another believer, or leave him/her in a lurch, or backbite
against him/her, or suddenly reject him/her."
AI-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 235
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "A Muslim believer
must not attend a meeting wherein Allah laws are being disobeyed and the
one is not in a position to stop it."
Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p.
374
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "He who habitually
tells the truth, his deeds are purified; Allah increases the sustenance
of the one whose intention is good; and he who treats his family members
well, Allah prolongs the length of his life."
Khisal by Saduq, vol. 1 p.
88
Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "A
man came to the Prophet [s] and asked him to teach him an action so that
both Allah, the Exalted, and people would love him, his wealth would
increase, his body would be healthy, his life time would last long, and
he would be raised with him (the Prophet). Then, he [s] said: 'These are
six traits which need six qualities:
- If you want Allah to love you, be
afraid of Him and guard yourself against sin.
- If you want people to love you, be
benevolent to them and decline what they have in their hands.
- If you want Allah to increase your
wealth, then give its alms tax.
- If you want Allah to make your body
healthy, pay charity more frequently.
- If you want Allah to prolong your
lifetime, then have regard for your kinship.
- And, if you want Allah to raise you
with me, then do prolong your prostrations before Allah, the One, the
Dominator.'"
Safinat-uI-Bihar, vol. 1,
p. 599
Imam Rida, the eighth Imam, [a] said: A
Muslim believer is not a true believer unless there are three virtues in
him: the manner of his lord, the manner of his Prophet, and the manner
of his Imam. Then, the manner of his Lord is: concealing his secrets;
hence Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, said: 'The Knower of the
Unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to any, except to him whom He
chooses as an apostle,...'
[1]
Then, the manner of his Prophet is
compliance with people, when surely, Allah, Almighty and Glorious,
commissioned His prophet to favour people and He has said: 'Practice
forgiveness and enjoin good and turn away from the ignorant.'[2]
Then the manner of his Imam is (to be
firm and) being patient on good days and bad days, when, verily, Allah
to whom belong Might and Majesty, says: 'And (they) are patient in
distress and affliction'."
[3]
'Uyun-ul-Akhbar-ur-Rida,
vol.1, p.256
Imam Muhammad ibn Ali, the nineth Imam
[a] said:
"A Muslim believer should obtain these
three virtues:
Success granted by Allah, be an
admonisher of his self, and find approval from the one who advises him."
Muntah-al-'Amal, p.229
Ali ibn Husayn [a] the fourth Imam, was
once asked how he, the son of the Messenger of Allah began each morning,
and he [a] replied: "I begin each morning while I am demanded of eight
virtues:
Allah, the Exalted, demands of me the
obligatory; the Prophet [s] demands of me his tradition (Sunnah); family
dependents demand of me food (material); the self looks for desires;
Satan demands me (to commit) sin; the two protective angels demand of me
virtuousness, the angel of death demands of me the spirit and, the grave
demands of me my body.
Therefore, I am, surrounded by these
traits, demanded."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76,
p. 15
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily everything
is intimidated by a believer because the religion of Allah causes him to
be powerful, and he is not intimidated by anything, which (epithet) is
the characteristic of any believer."
Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 67,
p. 305
Notes:
[1]
Sura Al-Jinn, No.72, verses 26 & 27
[2]
Space
[3]
Sura Al-Baqarah, No.2, verse 177
The Real Followers of
Ahlul-Bayt and Their Qualities
Imam Muhammad Baqir [a] told Jabir: "Is
it enough for a person to (merely) embellish (oneself) as a Shi'ah
(follower) by professing love of us, Ahlul-Bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person
is not our follower except the one who fears Allah and obeys Him. O'
Jabir! Our followers are not recognized save by humility; submission;
honesty; praising Allah abundantly; fasting and prayers; filial
devotion; attending to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans who live
near him; saying the truth; reciting the Qur'an; withholding the tongue
from people except for benediction; and being trustworthy for relatives
in any affairs..."
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 74
Sulayman-ibn-Mahran said that he visited
Imam Sadiq [a] while some of the followers (Shi'ah) were attending him
[a] and he heard that the Imam [a], addressing them, said: "(Behave) to
be as ornaments for us and not to be against us as shame. Tell people of
goodness, and protect your tongues and hold it from excessive talk and
offensive speech."
Al-Amali, by Saduq, p. 142
Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily, we love
those who are wise, perceptive (intelligent), learned, forbearing,
patient, reliable, and faithful. Surely, Allah, Almighty and Glorious,
favoured Prophets [a] with high morality. Then, he who possesses them
may praise Allah for them, but he who does not have them may weep unto
Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, and ask Him for them." Jabir humbly
asked what they were, and the Imam [a] replied:
"They are: piety, contentment, patient
endurance, gratefulness, forbearance, modesty, graciousness, courage,
enthusiasm, benevolence, truthfulness, and honesty in deposits."
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 56
Imam Baqir [a] said: "... He who obeys
Allah is a lover of us, and the one who disobeys Him then he is an enemy
for us (AhIul-Bayt)..."
Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 75