He who wants God to solve his most complicated problems...

He who wants God to solve his most complicated problems should regard the family of Mohammed (peace be upon them) and their adherents -Shias- by means of his most needed property. Do not be angry with the right that is said to you and do not detest the people of right when they say it in your faces. The true believers are not angry with the right that is said in their faces.

I was accompanying Abu Abdillah (peace be upon him) when he asked me: "O Mufaddal, how many are your companions?" "They are few," answered I. When I arrived in Al-Kufa, the Shiites received me with showers of insults, backbiting, and revilement at my honor. Moreover, some of them jumped in my face, others waylaid me for beating me, and others accused me falsely of every ill matter. This event was reported to Abu Abdillah (peace be upon him).

Next year, the first thing about which Imam As-Sadiq (peace be upon him) asked me was this event. "I do not care for them," I answered. "Yes," said the Imam (peace be upon him), "They are only harming themselves. How do they become angry? Woe to them. You said that your companions are few. No, by God. They are not our adherents -Shias-. They would not have been angry at your answer if they had been true Shias. God has mentioned other characters for our Shias.

The adherents -Shias- of Ja'far are only those who stop uttering ill wording, work for the sake of their Creator, hope for their Master, and fear God so properly. Woe to them! Has anyone of them become like a bending bow because of the very much offering of prayers? Has anyone of them become like a lost man because of intense fear (of God)? Has anyone of them become like a blind man because of excessive apprehension of God?

Has anyone of them become like an excessively languished man because of the very much fasting? Has anyone of them become like a mute man because of long silence? Has anyone of them passed all nights with worship and passed all days with fasting? Has anyone of them deprived himself of the worldly pleasures out of fear of God and desire for us; the Prophet's family? How can they be our Shias? They are disputing our enemies about us so excessively that they cause them antagonize us more and more.

They are barking like dogs and greedy like crows. I would have ordered you to keep yourself indoors and close your door in their faces unless I had had the apprehensions that they might hurt you. Anyhow, accept their apologies if they come to you.