[^3] Instructing Imam ‘Ali (‘a)...
[^3] Instructing Imam ‘Ali (‘a), the Holy Prophet (S) is reported to have said: ثَلاَثٌ كَفَّارَاتٌ: إِفْشَاءُ السَّلاَمِ، وَإِطْعَامُ الطَّعَامِ، وَالصَّلاَةُ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ. Three characteristics make amends for sins: (1) offering salutation, (2) feeding the needy, (3) offering prayers at night when others are asleep. [^4] (2) The Holy Imams (‘a) emphasized amity as a feature of true believers.
In other words, a true believer must build good relations with all people and endear himself to them so that he is a well-liked person. Naturally, such amity is achievable only through wide-ranging relations and associations with others. Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) quoted the Holy Prophet (S) as saying: أَفْضَلُكُمْ أَحْسَنُكُمْ أَخْلاَقاً، الْمُوَطَّأُونَ أَكْنَافاً، الَّذِينَ يَأْلَفُونَ وَيُؤْلَفُونَ، وَتُوطَأُ رِحَالُهُمْ.
The best of you are those with the best manners, whose ‘sides are generously prepared’, [^5] who have close relationships with people and people have close relationships with them, and whose carpets are always trodden. [^6] (3) Traditions have emphasized the forbidding of alienation and rupture of relations between Muslims. Islam believes it is necessary to keep the door wide open in social relations even if one party is unhappy. Things forbidden in Islam have grave consequences.
Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is reported to have said: لاَ خَيْرِ فِي الْمُهَاجَرَةِ. There is no good in breaking away (from others). [^7] Imam al-Baqir (‘a) is reported as saying: مَا مِنْ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ اهْتَجَرَا فَوْقَ ثَلاَثٍ إِلاَّ وَبَرِئْتُ مِنْهُمَا فِي الثَّالِثَةِ. I will definitely disavow any pair of believers who forsake each other for more than three days.
He was asked, “The wronging party deserves this, but why does this include the wronged party, too?” The Imam (‘a) answered: مَا بَالُ الْمَظْلُومِ لاَ يَصِيرُ إِلَى الظَّالِمِ فَيَقُولُ: <أَنَا الظَّالِمُ.\حَتَّى يَصْطَلِحَا؟ Why did the wronged party not go to the wronging party and claim that he was the wronging party so that they would make peace?
[^8] Al-Qasim ibn al-Rabi’ has reported that he heard Imam al-Sadiq (‘a), in his instruction to al-Mufadhdhal, saying: لاَ يَفْتَرِقُ رَجُلاَنِ عَلَى الْهِجْرَانِ إِلاَّ اسْتَوْجَبَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْبَرَاءَةَ وَاللَّعْنَةَ، وَرُبَّمَا اسْتَحَقَّ ذَلِكَ كِلاَهُمَا. Whenever two men leave one another and become estranged, one of them must be worth disavowal and curse, and sometimes both parties are worthy of it. Mu’attab said, “May Allah make me your sacrifice.
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