Shaykh Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-Ṣaduq · True Shia characteristics and divine obedience
أَبِي رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحُسَيْنِ اَلسَّعْدَآبَادِيُّ عَنْ جَابِرٍ اَلْجُعْفِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع يَا جَابِرُ أَ يَكْتَفِي مَنِ اِتَّخَذَ اَلتَّشَيُّعَ -أَنْ يَقُولَ بِحُبِّنَا أَهْلَ اَلْبَيْتِ فَوَ اَللَّهِ مَا شِيعَتُنَا إِلاَّ مَنِ اِتَّقَى اَللَّهَ وَ أَطَاعَهُ وَ مَا كَانُوا يُعْرَفُونَ إِلاَّ بِالتَّوَاضُعِ وَ اَلتَّخَشُّعِ وَ أَدَاءِ اَلْأَمَانَةِ وَ كَثْرَةِ ذِكْرِ اَللَّهِ وَ اَلصَّوْمِ وَ اَلصَّلاَةِ وَ اَلْبِرِّ بِالْوَالِدَيْنِ وَ اَلتَّعَهُّدِ لِلْجِيرَانِ مِنَ اَلْفُقَرَاءِ وَ أَهْلِ اَلْمَسْكَنَةِ وَ اَلْغَارِمِينَ وَ اَلْأَيْتَامِ وَ صِدْقِ اَلْحَدِيثِ وَ تِلاَوَةِ اَلْقُرْآنِ وَ كَفِّ اَلْأَلْسُنِ عَنِ اَلنَّاسِ إِلاَّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ وَ كَانُوا أُمَنَاءَ عَشَائِرِهِمْ فِي اَلْأَشْيَاءِ قَالَ جَابِرٌ يَا اِبْنَ رَسُولِ اَللَّهِ مَا نَعْرِفُ أَحَداً بِهَذِهِ اَلصِّفَةِ فَقَالَ لِي يَا جَابِرُ لاَ تَذْهَبَنَّ بِكَ اَلْمَذَاهِبُ حَسْبُ اَلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَقُولَ أُحِبُّ عَلِيّاً صَلَوَاتُ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ وَ أَتَوَلاَّهُ فَلَوْ قَالَ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ ص وَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عَلِيٍِّ ثُمَّ لاَ يَتَّبِعُ سِيرَتَهُ وَ لاَ يَعْمَلُ بِسُنَّتِهِ مَا نَفَعَهُ حُبُّهُ إِيَّاهُ شَيْئاً فَاتَّقُوا اَللَّهَ وَ اِعْمَلُوا لِمَا عِنْدَ اَللَّهِ لَيْسَ بَيْنَ اَللَّهِ وَ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ قَرَابَةٌ أَحَبُّ اَلْعِبَادِ إِلَى اَللَّهِ وَ أَكْرَمُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَتْقَاهُمْ لَهُ وَ أَعْمَلُهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ يَا جَابِرُ مَا يَتَقَرَّبُ اَلْعَبْدُ إِلَى اَللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى إِلاَّ بِالطَّاعَةِ مَا مَعَنَا بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ اَلنَّارِ وَ لاَ عَلَى اَللَّهِ لِأَحَدٍ مِنْكُمْ حُجَّةٌ مَنْ كَانَ لِلَّهِ مُطِيعاً فَهُوَ لَنَا وَلِيٌّ وَ مَنْ كَانَ لِلَّهِ عَاصِياً فَهُوَ لَنَا عَدُوٌّ وَ لاَ تُنَالُ وَلاَيَتُنَا إِلاَّ بِالْعَمَلِ وَ اَلْوَرَعِ .
My father, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to us from Ali bin al-Hussein as-Sa’dabadi… from Jabir al-Ju’fi that Abu Ja’far (a) said: O Jabir, do you think that it is sufficient for those who claim being Shia to say that they cherish us; the Prophet’s household? By Allah I swear, our Shia are only those who fear and obey Allah. Their signs are modesty, submission, fulfillment of the trusts, very much reference to Allah, fasting, offering prayers, piety to (their) parents, aiding the neighbors especially the poor, the destitute, the indebted, and the orphans, truth, reciting the Quran, and avoiding mentioning people except for praising. In addition, they are the most trustful of the people of their tribes. Jabir said: O son of Allah’s Messenger, we do not know anyone who bears such characters. The Imam (a) said: No, Jabir. Do not misunderstand the matter. It is enough for a man to claim that he loves and follows Ali (a). As a matter of fact, if he claims that he loves the Prophet (s) who is preferable to Ali (a) but he does not follow the Prophet’s traditions and does not act upon his instructions, such claim of love will be definitely useless. Hence, you should fear Allah and work for the cause of obtaining that which He has in possession. There is no relation between Allah and anybody.The most favorable and honorable servants of Allah are the most God-fearing and the most pious. O Jabir, the only means through which a servant seeks to gain Allah’s favor is the obedience to Him. We –the Prophet’s household- do not carry a patent for saving from Hell. Likewise, none of you has a claim against Allah. He who obeys Allah is only our disciple and whoever disobeys Him is our enemy. The loyalty to us cannot be gained except by means of diligent work and piety.
Translation: Badr Shahin — published with the edition, reproduced verbatim.
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Persian rendering (AI)
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