Otherwise, they must be referred back to their authors.
Otherwise, they must be referred back to their authors. In these pages, we cannot possibly reconcile all the relevant traditions or mention even a hundredth part of them and explain them. However, it is unavoidable that we mention some of these narrations so that the truth is disclosed. الكَافِي بِإسْنَادِهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِاللهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قَالَ: شِيعَتُنَا (هُمُ) الشَّاحِبُونَ الذَّابِلُونَ النَّاحِلُونَ الَّذِينَ إذَا جَنَّهُمُ اللَّيْلُ اسْتَقْبَلُوهُ بِحْزْنٍ.
Al-Kulayni reports in al-Kafi with his isnad from Abu ‘Abd Allah—Imam al-Sadiq (A), that he said, “Our Shi’ah (followers) arc those whose hearts are informed with sorrow and grief and who are lean as a result of intense sorrow and worship. They are those who at the fall of the darkness of the night turn to it with sadness?”[^2] There are many narrations on this topic describing the characteristics of the Shi’ah .
وَعَنْهُ عَنِ المُفَضَّلِ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِاللهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إيَّاكَ وَالسَّفِلَةَ، فَإنَّمَا شِيعَةُ جَعْفَرٍ مَنْ عَفَّ بَطْنَهُ وَفَرْجَهُ وَاشْتَدَّ جِهَادُهُ وَعَمِلَ لِخَالِقِهِ وَرَجَا ثَوَابَهُ وَخَافَ عِقَابَهُ. فَإذَا رَأَيْتَ اُولَئِكَ، فَاُولَئِكَ شِيعَةُ جَعْفَرٍ. From him, froth al-Mufaddal, who narrates from Abu ‘Abd Allah—Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Sadiq (A), that he said, “Beware of these base people who claim to be Shi’is.
Verily, the Shi’ah of ‘Ali (A) is none except one who is chaste in his manner of earning his livelihood and sexual conduct. It is one whose diligence is intense, who works for his Creator, hoping for His reward and fearing His punishment.
When you see such people know that they are the followers (Shi’ah) of Ja’far.”[^3] وَعَنِ الأَمَالِي لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الطُّوسِيِّ شَيْخِ الطَّائِفَةِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ بِإسْنَادِهِ عَنِ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَن جَدِّهِ عَنِ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِخَيْثَمَةَ: أَبْلِغْ شِيعَتَنَا أَنَّا لا نُغْنِي مِنَ اللهِ شَيْئاً.
وَأَبْلِغْ شِيعَتَنَا أَنَّهُ لا يُنَالُ مَا عِنْدَ اللهِ إلاّ بِالعَمَلِ وَأَبْلَغِ شِيعَتَنَا أَنَّ أَعْظَمَ النَّاسِ حَسْرَةً يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ مَنْ وَصَفَ عَدْلاً ثُمَّ خَالَفَهُ إلَى غَيْرِهِ. وَأَبْلِغْ شِيعَتَنَا أَنَّهُمْ إذَا قَامُوا بِمَا أُمِرُوا أَنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْفَائِزُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ.
✦ ✦ ✦