Our Shia are those...

Our Shia are those, whose voice dose not pass beyond their ears, nor does their zeal go beyond their body, nor do they praise us openly, nor quarrel with anyone because of us, nor sit with anyone criticizing us, nor talk with anyone abusing us, nor love whoever hates us and do not hate whoever loves us.” فقلت: فكيف أصنع بهذه الشيعة المختلفة الذين يقولون إنهم يتشيعون؟ فقال: فيهم التمييز وفيهم التمحيص وفيهم التبديل، يأتي عليهم سنون تفنيهم، وسيف يقتلهم، واختلافٌ يبددهم.

إنما شيعتنا من لا يهرّ هرير الكلب ولا يطمع طمع الغراب، ولا يسأل الناس بكفّه وإن مات جوعاً. قلت: جعلت فداك، فأين أطلب هؤلاء الموصوفين بهذه الصفة؟ فقال: أطلبهم في أطراف الأرض، أولئك الخفيض عيشهم، المنتقلة دارهم، الذين إن شهدوا لم يعرفوا، وإن غابوا لم يفتقدوا، وإن مرضوا لم يعادوا، وإن خطبوا لم يزوّجوا، وإن ماتوا لم يشهَدوا، أولئك الذين في أموالهم يتواسون، وفي قبورهم يتزاورون، ولا تختلف أهواؤهم وإن اختلفت بهم البلدان.

The man said: “Then how do we deal with these different groups, who pretend that they are Shia?” He said: “They will be tried, purified and distinguished. Years come that will perish them, a sword that will kill them and disagreement that will scatter them. Our real Shia are those, who do not growl like a dog, do not covet like a crow and do not ask people for alms even if they die of hunger.” The man said: “May I die for you!

Where can I find such a kind of people?” He said: “You can find them in the far sides of the world. They are those, whose lives are so simple, whose abodes move from place to another, who if are seen, will not be known, if absent, will not be missed, if become ill, will not be visited, if propose to a woman, will not be married and if die, their funerals will not be attended.

It is they, who divide their monies among them, who visit each other in their graves and who never disagree even if their countries are different.”[^5] The same was narrated by Muhammad bin Hammam from Hameed bin Ziyad al-Kufi from al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin Suma’a from Ahmad bin al-Hasan al-Maythami from Ali bin Mansoor from Ibraheem bin Muhzim al-Asadi from his father from Abu Abdullah as-Sadiq (as) but with an addition: وإنْ رأوا مؤمناً أكرموه، وإن رأوا منافقاً هجروه، وعند الموت لا يجزعون، وفي قبورهم يتزاورون… “If they see a believer, they will honor him and if they see a hypocrite, they will leave him aside.