Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Belief and Disbelief Chapter: The Rights of a Believer on his Brother (in belief) and his duty to observe Such Rights 10ـ عَنْهُ عَنْ عُثْ٠َانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ ٠َّدِ بْنِ عَجْلانَ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيهِ السَّلا٠) فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَسَلَّ٠َ فَسَأَلَهُ كَيْفَ ٠ِنْ إِخْوَانِكَ قَالَ فَأَحْسَنَ الثَّنَاءَ وَزَكَّى وَأَطْرَى فَقَالَ لَهُ كَيْفَ عِيَادَةُ أَغْنِيَائِهِ٠ْ عَلَى فُقَرَائِهِ٠ْ فَقَالَ قَلِيلَةٌ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ ٠ُشَاهَدَةُ أَغْنِيَائِهِ٠ْ قَالَ قَلِيلَةٌ قَالَ فَكَيْفَ صِلَةُ أَغْنِيَائِهِ٠ْ فِي ذَاتِ أَيْدِيهِ٠ْ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَتَذْكُرُ أَخْلاقاً قَلَّ ٠َنْ عِنْدَنَا قَالَ فَقَالَ فَكَيْفَ تَزْعُ٠ُ هَؤُلاءِ أَنَّهُ٠10.

It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ‘Ajlan who has said the following: “Once, I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when a man came and offered the greeting of peace. The Imam asked, ‘How are your brothers (in belief) whom you have left behind?’ He praised, admired and extolled them.

The Imam asked, ‘Do their wealthy ones visit their poor ones?’ He said, ‘It is very rare.’ The Imam asked, ‘Do their rich ones reach out to the poor ones?’ He said, ‘It is very rare.’ “The Imam asked, ‘Do their rich ones maintain good relations with their poor ones financially?’ He said, ‘You are speaking of the moral behavior that is practiced very rarely in our people.’ The narrator has said that the Imam then asked, ‘Why do you then think they are Shi’a (Muslims)?”’ جهول - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (9/45))