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QUALITIES OF A TRUE SHI'A OF AHLUL BAYT (A.S.)
Who is a
Shi'a? One who loves the Ahlul
Bayt (a.s.), follows their
instructions and tries to walk
into their foot-steps.
According to
Jabir ibn Yazid al-Jufi, The
Infallible Imam Muhammad
al-Baqir (a.s.) said: “Only the
person who is God wary and obeys
Him is our Shia'. Our Shia's are
known by humbleness,
trustworthiness, abundantly
remembering Allah, fasting,
prayer, goodness towards their
parents, attending poor
neighbors, taking care of the
unfortunate and the orphans,
honesty, reciting the Glorious
Qur'an, and refraining from
back-biting.” He further said:
“Whoever obeys Allah will be our
friend and whoever disobeys Him
is our enemy.”
In Surah As-Shura
Ayah 23, Allah says: “Say, I do
not ask of you any reward for it
(Prophet hood) except the
affection for (my) relatives.” In
both the Sunni and Shi'a books
of Traditions, it is unanimously
agreed that the word “relatives” refers
to Ahlul Bayt. Moreover, the
word” Mawaddat” is love that is
coupled with obedience.
The Ahlul
Bayt said: “Whoever loves us
will act like us.” Imam Ali
(a.s.) said: “If someone loves
our friend they will not be our
enemy. If along with the love
for us, a person has a love for
our enemies, he is not one of
us. Whoever loves us should be
prepared for various calamities.
According to
a Tradition, when a believer
is on the death-bed, the angel
of death will show him his place
in heaven and will then ask him
if he would rather have this
instead of what he had in the
world. The believer will say yes
then the angel of death will
show him the Noble Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.), Imam Ali (a.s.)
and the other Imams after him
and ask him if he would rather
be with them or what he had in
the world. The believer will
swear Allah and will say that he
would be happier to die!
A follower of
the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) who has
restrained himself from all evil
and sin and who is supported at
the moment of death by the
Infallible Imams will be
protected from any punishment in
the hereafter.
In one of the
Traditions, we read that on
the Day of Resurrection, Allah
will call Lady of the Paradise
Sayyida Fatima Zahra
(s.a.) and tell her to ask for
anything to be granted. She
(s.a.) will say: “I ask You not
to punish with fire those who
love me and love my family. Then
Allah will say: “O' Fatima! By
My Dignity, Glory and High
Position, I have vowed that I
will not punish those who love
you and love your family.”
Love for
Ahlul Bayt enables a Shi'ah to
be more consistent in the
journey towards Allah.The
Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said:
“If a person who loves us and
makes a mistake, in his next
step he will be guided .”
Love is like
an engine that motivates a
person to move towards the
beloved. A person who loves the
Ahlul Bayt will strive to purify
his soul and will endeavor to
attain virtues and righteous
deeds to get closure to them.
In Karbala,
the deflected commander of
Yazid's army, Hurr is a clear
example. On the Day of Ashura,
the love for the King of Martyrs
Imam Husayn (a.s.) made him lose
interest in the worldly status
and sacrifice his life in a true repentance. The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.): “Our love
removes sins and multiplies good
deeds.” Suarh An-Nisa Ayah
49:”Whoever loves Allah and his
Appostle, they are with those
whom Allah has blessed,
including the prophets and the
truthful, the martyrs and the
righteous, and excellent
companions they are.” The Noble
Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) said:
“Whoever loves us, the Ahlul
Bayt, for the sake of Allah,
will be resurrected with us.”
The
Infallible Imam Jafar al-Sadiq
(a.s.) narrates a Tradition that
during one of his journeys, the
Noble Prophet (s.a.w.a.s.) came
down from his camel and
performed 5 prostrations. Upon
inquiry from one of his
companions, he (s.a.w.a.s.)
explained that Archangel
Jibra'il approached and informed
him that Imam Ali (a.s.) will be
from the people of heaven, hence
he expressed his gratitude by
prostrating. As he lifted his
head, Jibra'il informed him that
Sayyida Fatima Zahra (s.a.) will
also be among the people of
heaven, thus he performed second
prostration.
Again as he
lifted his head, Jibra'il
informed him that Imam Hasan
(a.s.) and Imam Husayn (a.s.)
will be the Masters of the Youth
of Paradise, and thanking Allah
for the news he performed
another prostration. Afterwards,
Jibra'il informed him that their
lovers will also be from the
people of heaven, and at last,
Jibra'il informed him that the
lovers of their lovers will also
be the people of heaven and he
performed the fifth prostration.
Imam Ali
(a.s.) said: “When the Ayah'
Look, the hearts find rest in
Allah's remembrance' (13:28) was
revealed, the Noble Prophet
(s.a.w.a.s.) said that this does
not merely includes those who
sincerely love Allah but also
His Messenger and the Ahlul
Bayt; He also loves the
believers in their presence and
their absence.”
Sources used:
The Glorious
Qur'an,
Al-Kafi by
Allama Muhammad BaqirMajlisi,
Uyun Akhbar
al-Riza by Abu Jafar Babuya
Behar-ul-Anwar by Allama
Muhammad Baqir Majlisi
Yanabi-al-Mawaddah
by Shaikh Sulayman al-Qunduzi |
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