The man spoke well of them and praised them a great deal.

The man spoke well of them and praised them a great deal. The Imam (a.s.) then questioned, “Do the rich visit the indigent ones when they fall sick?” He said that they seldom did. The Imam (a.s.) carried on, “Do the rich seek to know the condition of the impoverished ones?” “Rarely” answered the man.

“Do the affluent ones help out the poor and the needy?” The man responded, “You speak of attributes, which are rare amongst our people.” The Imam (a.s.) remarked, “How then do these people consider themselves to be (our) Shiites (when there exists no bond of brotherhood between the affluent and the impoverished ones).”[^5] At the Door of a Brother Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: An angel was once passing by a house, when he witnessed a man standing near its door.

The angel questioned him, “Why do you stand here?” “This is the house of my brother and I wish to greet him,” answered the man. The angel asked, “Is he of your kith and kin or is it that you are in need of his help that you have come to pay him a visit?” “The reality is not as you make it out to be. We are just brethren in faith and I only wish to meet him and greet him for the sake of God”. “I am God’s messenger towards you,” the angel said.

“He has sent you His greetings and has said: O’ My Servant! You have paid Me a visit and desired My pleasure and so, as a reward for upholding the rights and sanctity of religious brotherhood, I have made Paradise compulsory for you and have distanced you from My fire and wrath.”[^6] The Benevolent Governor An inhabitant of the city of Rey, narrates: One of the scribes of Yahya Ibn Khaalid was appointed as governor of Rey.

I had some taxes to pay and feared that the new governor would extract it from me, for in such a case, I would face very difficult times. Some of my friends informed me that he was a follower of the holy Imams (a.s.), but I was fearful that if it was not so, he would not hesitate to put me behind bars. With the intention of performing Hajj, I presented myself in the presence of Imam Musa Kadhim (a.s.) and informed him of my predicament.

The Imam (a.s.) wrote a letter to the governor, the contents of which were as follows: In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Compassionate. Do know that beneath the A’rsh (Throne) of God, there exists a shade of Mercy into which none shall enter except he who exhibits goodness and kindness towards his brother-in-faith, liberates him from his sorrow and endeavours to make him happy. Behold!