صِفاتُ الّشيعَةِ Qualities of the Shi`aa

3ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِنَوفٍ البَكاليِّ ـ: أتَدرِي يا نَوفُ مَن شِيعَتي ؟ قالَ: لا وَاللّه‏ِ ، قالَ: شِيعَتي الذُّبُلُ الشِّفاهِ، الخُمصُ البُطُونِ ، الذينَ تُعرَفُ الرَّهبانيَّةُ في وُجوهِهِم ، رُهبانٌ باللَّيلِ اُسْدٌ بالنَّهارِ.

3– Imam Ali (AS) asked Nawf al-Bakali, ‘Do you know who my Shi`aa are, Nawf?’ to which he replied, ‘By Allah, no.’ Imam replied, ‘My Shi`aa have parched lips and empty stomachs. They are those whose faces disclose asceticism, for they are ascetics by night, lions by day.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 28, no. 95]
 

4ـ الإمامُ الحسنُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ في جَوابِ رَجُلٍ قالَ لَهُ: إنّي مِن شِيعَتِكُم ـ: يا عبدَ اللّه‏ِ ، إن كُنتَ لَنا في أوامِرِنا وزَواجِرِنا مُطِيعاً فقد صَدَقتَ ، وإن كُنتَ بخِلافِ ذلكَ فلا تَزِدْ في ذُنوبِكَ بدَعواكَ مَرتَبةً شَرِيفَةً لَستَ مِن أهلِها ، لا تَقُلْ: أنا مِن شِيعَتِكُم ، ولكن قُل: أنا مِن مُوالِيكُم ومُحِبِّيكُم ومُعادِي أعدائكُم، وأنتَ في خَيرٍ وإلى خَيرٍ.

4– Imam al-Hasan (AS) said in answer to a man who said to him, ‘Verily I am one of your Shi`aa’, ‘O `Aabdallah, if you are truly obedient to us in our commands and prohibitions, then you are telling the truth. But if not, then do not add to your sins by falsely claiming such a dignified position that you are not worthy of. Do not say, ‘I am one of your Shi`aa’, but say rather, ‘I am one of your adherents and one of your lovers and an enemy to your enemies.’ You are [doing] good and aiming towards good.’[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2, p. 106]
 

5ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ما شِيعَتُنا إلّا مَنِ اتَّقى اللّه‏َ وأطاعَهُ، وما كانوا يُعرَفُونَ إلّا بالتَّواضُعِ والتَّخَشُّعِ وأداءِ الأمانَةِ وكَثرَةِ ذِكرِ اللّه‏ِ.

5– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘Our Shi`aa are none other than those who are consciously wary of their duty to Allah and obey Him. They are known solely for their humbleness, their humility, their returning promptly whatever is entrusted in their care and their Abundant remembrance of Allah.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, p. 295]
 

6ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّما شِيعَةُ عليٍّ مَن عَفَّ بَطنُهُ وفَرجُهُ ، واشتَدَّ جِهادُهُ ، وعَمِلَ لِخالِقِهِ ، ورَجا ثَوابَهُ ، وخافَ عِقابَهُ، فإذا رأيتَ اُولئكَ فاُولئكَ شِيعَةُ جعفرٍ.

6– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily the Shi`aa of Ali were those who restrained their stomachs and their sexual desires, who struggled and fought intensely, who worked hard for their Creator, who hoped for His reward and feared His punishment. If you have seen such people, then they are the very Shi`aa of Ja`afar.’[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 233, no. 9]
 

7ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اِمتَحِنُوا شِيعَتَنا عِندَ ثَلاثٍ: عِندَ مَواقيتِ الصلَواتِ كيفَ مُحافَظَتُهُم علَيها ، وعِندَ أسرارِهِم كيفَ حِفظُهُم لَها عَن عَدُوِّنا ، وإلى أموالِـهِم كيفَ مُواساتُهُم لإِخوانِهم فيها.

7– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Test our Shi`aa with regard to three things: the prayer times to see how well they observe them, their secrets to see how well they guard them from our enemies, and their wealth to see how they help out their fellow brothers with it.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 83, p. 22, no. 40]
 

8ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّما شِيعَتُنا أصحابُ الأربَعةِ الأعيُنِ: عَينانِ فِي الرَّأسِ ، وعَينانِ فِي القَلبِ ، ألاَ والخلائقُ كُلُّهُم كذلكَ إلّا أنَّ اللّه‏َ عَزَّوجلَّ فَتَحَ أبصارَكُم وأعمى أبصارَهُم.

8– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily our Shi`aa are those who possess four eyes: two in their head, as well as two in their heart. Actually, all people are such, except that Allah has opened their [the Shi`aa’s] eyes, and blinded others’ [as a result of their rejection of His guidance].’[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 215, no. 260]