Who is Shia ?
…The true follower of
Ahlul Bayt (a)

Perhaps... one may think that the Shia of
Ahlul Bayt (a) is someone who is born in a
shia family, or someone who participates in
the azadari of Imam Husain (a)… someone
who only claims to love Prophet (s) and His
Ahlul Bayt (a)... but has nothing to do with
obedience to the teachings of Islam…

ِ ‫الما ُ عل ّ عليه السلم : ِيع ِي وا ِ ، الحَما ُ ، العَما ُ ِا‬
ّ ‫ُل ء ُل ء ب‬
‫ل‬ ‫ل‬
ّ ‫ش َت‬ ‫مي‬
، ٍ ‫و ِي ِ ِ ، العا ِلو َ بطاع ِ ِ وأمر ِ ، ال ُه َ ُو َ ِح ّ ِ ، أنضا ُ ِباد‬
‫ء ع َة‬ ‫ِه م تد ن ب ُبه‬ ‫َته‬ ‫من‬ ‫د نه‬
‫ِ...أحل ُ َهاد ٍ ، ُف ُ ال ُجو ِ ِن الت َ ّد‬
‫س ز َة ص ر و ه م ّهج‬
Imam Ali (a): My Shias ! By God ! The
forbearers, the knowledgeable of God
and His religion, actively following
Him and His orders, guided by His
love, appear weak because of worship,
seekers of seclusion for their piousness,
of pale complexion because of their
night prayers…

... ِ ‫ُم ُ ال ُيو ِ ِن ال ُكا ِ ، ذ ُ ُ ال ّفا ِ ِن ال ّك ِ ، ُم ُ ال ُطو‬
‫ع ش ع ن م ب ء ُبل ش ه م ذ ر خ ص ب ن‬
، ‫ِ َ ال ّوى ، ُع َ ُ الر ّان ّ ُ في ُ ُوه ِم ، وال ّهبان ّ ُ في َمت ِم‬
‫ر ية س ِه‬ ‫ت رف ّب ية وج ِه‬ ‫من ط‬
ٍ َ ‫... َصابي ُ ُ ّ ُل‬
‫ح كل ظ مة‬ ‫م‬
…their eyes are weak because of
weeping, their lips are dry because of
remembrance of God, their stomachs are
sunken because of eating in moderation,
their faces reveal Godliness, and
simplicity is apparent from their
appearance, they are guiding lights in
every darkness…

... ‫إن ش ِ ُوا َم ُع َ ُوا ، وإن غابوا َم ُف َ َ ُوا ، ُولئ َ ِيع ِي‬
‫ا ك ش َت‬ ‫ل ي تقد‬ ‫َهد ل ي رف‬
‫الطي ُو َ وإخواني الكر ُو َ ، أل هاه َوقً إَي ِم‬
‫ش ا له‬ ‫َم ن‬ ‫َب ن‬
…they are not recognized even when
seen, they are not remembered when
not present, these are my pure shias and
my respected brothers. Ah ! I wish so
much to meet them…
[al-Amali, Toosi, p. 1189, hadith # 576]

‫الما ُ الباق ُ عليه السلم : ما ِيع ُنا إ ّ َ ِ ا ّقى ا َ وأطا َ ُ ، وما‬
‫عه‬ ‫ش َت ل من ت ل‬
ّ ‫مر‬
‫ل‬
ّ ‫نة ك َة ذ ر‬
ِ ‫كانوا ُع َ ُو َ إ ّ بال ّوا ُ ِ وال ّ َ ّ ِ وأدا ِ الما َ ِ و َثر ِ ِك ِ ا‬
‫ي رف ن ل ت ضع تخشع ء‬
Imam al-Baqir (a): No one is our
shia except by the fear of God
and His obedience, and they are
not recognized except by their
humbleness, reverence,
trustworthiness, and abundance
of remembrance of God.
[Tuhaf al-Uqool, hadith # 295]

، ِ ‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : ِي َ ُنا أه ُ ال َ َ ِ والج ِها‬
‫تد‬ ‫ش عت ل ورع‬ ‫مص‬
‫وأه ُ ال َفا ِ والما َ ِ ، وأه ُ ال ّه ِ وال ِباد ِ ، أصحا ُ إحدى‬
‫ب‬ ‫ل ز د ع َة‬ ‫نة‬ ‫ل وء‬
ِ َ‫...و َمسي َ َك َ ً في ال َو ِ والّي‬
‫ي م ل لة‬ ‫خ ن ر عة‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a) : Our shias are those
who are pious and men of solid
opinion, they are loyal and
trustworthy, they are men of piety and
worship, they pray fifty one rak’ats
prayers during day and night…

َ ‫، القائمو َ بالّي ِ ، الصائمو َ بال ّها ِ ، ُز ّو َ أموال ُم ، و َ ُ ّو‬
‫يحج ن‬ ‫َه‬ ‫ن ن ر ي َك ن‬ ‫ن لل‬
‫َ ِب ن كل محرم‬
ٍ ّ َ ُ ّ ُ َ ‫ال َي َ ، ويَجتن ُو‬
‫بت‬
…they are usually awake in the night,
they observe fasts during the day,
they purify their property (by paying
poor-rate) they perform Hajj of
Ka’aba, they abstain from all that
which is forbidden.
[al-Bihar, v.68, p. 167, hadith # 23]

‫الما ُ الباق ُ عليه السلم : ل َذهبْ ب ُ ُ ال َذا ِ ُ ، ف َا ِ ما‬
‫ل‬
ّ ‫ت َ ِكم م هب و‬ ‫مر‬
‫ع ّ عز ل‬
ّ ‫ِيع ُنا إ ّ َن أطا َ ا َ َ ّوج‬
‫ل‬ ‫ش َت ل م‬
Imam al-Baqir (a): You shouldn’t be
mislead by different views (in Islam),
for by God nobody is our shia except
by obedience to God, the powerful
and magnificent.
[al-Kafi, v.2, p. 73, hadith # 1]

ُ ُ‫الما ُ الكاظ ُ عليه السلم... : ِي َ ُ عِ ّ َن َ ّ َ َوَ ُ ِع‬
‫ش عة َلي م صدق ق له ف له‬ ‫م‬ ‫م‬
Imam al-Kazim (a) : … the Shia of
Ali (a) is the one whose action
testifies his words.
[al-Kafi, v.8, p. 228, hadith # 290]

َ ‫الما ُ عل ّ عليه السلم : شيع ُنا ُ ُ العا ِ ُو َ ِا ِ ، العامُو‬
‫ِل ن‬ ‫ل‬
ّ ‫َت هم رف ن ب‬ ‫مي‬
‫طق ن ص ب م ك ُه ق ت‬
ُ ‫ِأم ِ ا ِ ، أه ُ ال َضائ ِ ، النا ِ ُو َ بال ّوا ِ ، َأ ُول ُم ال ُو‬
‫لف ل‬ ّ ‫بر‬
‫ل‬
ُ ‫، و َل َس ُ ُ الق ِصا‬
‫م ب ُهم ت د‬
Imam Ali (a): Our Shia are those who
are gnostics of Allah, they act according
to the orders of God, they possess
excellences, they speak only truth, their
food is limited to gaining strength, their
dress is simple….

ُ ُ ‫... َح َ ُ ُم َرضى وقد ُوِ ُوا وما ُم بذل َ ،، ومَشي ُ ُ ال ّوا‬
‫ُهم ت ضع‬ ‫هك‬ ‫خ لط‬ ‫ت سبه م‬
، ‫َل خا َ َ ُم ِن َ َ َ ِ َ ّهم و ِد ِ ُلطا ِ ِ ما طا َت َ ُ قُوب ُم‬
‫ش له ُل ُه‬ ‫مره م عظمة رب ش ّة س نه‬ ‫ب‬
‫و َهلتْ ِن ُ ُقول ُم‬
‫ذ َِ م ه ع ُه‬
...their behavior is humble, you think
that they have lost their senses, but its
not like that, instead, the greatness of
their Lord has made them oblivion and
His power has overwhelmed their
hearts and taken over their intellects…

‫، فإذا اشتا ُوا ِن ذل َ با َ ُوا إلى ا ِ تعالى ِالعما ِ الزك ّ ِ ، ل‬
‫ل ّ ِية‬ ‫ب‬ ‫ل‬
ّ ‫ق م ك در‬
‫ي ت ثر ن له جز ل‬
َ ‫َر َو َ َ ُ بال َلي ِ ، ول َس َك ِ ُو َ َ ُ ال َ ِي‬
‫ي ض ن له ق ل‬
…So when they strongly wish of
Him, they promptly strive to do pure
actions before God, the most High;
they are not happy with few good
actions, and they never take their
abundant good actions to be
sufficient.
[al-Bihar, v.78, p. 29, hadith # 96]

ٌ ‫الما ُ الباق ُ عليه السلم - في ِف ِ ال ّي َ ِ - : إ ّهم ُصو‬
‫نحن‬ ‫ص ة ش عة‬ ‫مر‬
، ِ ُ ُ ‫َصي َ ٌ ، في ُدو ٍ أمي َ ٍ ، وأحل ٌ َزي َ ٌ ، َي ُوا ِالمذا ِي ِ ال‬
‫م ر نة ل س ب ي ع بذر‬ ‫ص ر نة‬ ‫ح نة‬
ِ ‫ول بال ُفا ِ ال ُرائي َ ، ُهبا ٌ بالّي ِ ُسْ ٌ بال ّها‬
‫ج ة م ن ر ن للا د ن ر‬
Imam al-Baqir (a): (describing the
attributes of Shias): They are like strong
fortress, their chests are trustworthy, they
are men of prudence and self-control,
they are not extravagant, they are neither
oppressors nor ostentatious, they are
devoted worshippers in night and brave
like lion in day.
[Mishkat al-Anwar, p. 62]

‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : َي َ ِن ِيع ِنا َن يكو ُ في‬
‫ن‬ ‫ل س م ش َت م‬ ‫مص‬
‫م ر رع م ه‬
ُ ‫ِص ٍ يكو ُ في ِ آل ٌ ويكو ُ في ال ِص ِ أو َ َ ِن‬
‫ن‬ ‫مر نه ف‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a) : He is not from
our shia who lives in a population
of several thousand people and
someone else is more pious than
him among them.
[al-Bihar al-Anwar, vol.2, p. 80, hadith # 76]

‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : َي َ ِن ِيع ِنا َن قا َ بِسا ِ ِ وخاَ َنا في‬
‫ل س م ش َت م ل ِل نه لف‬ ‫مص‬
‫أعماِنا وآثا ِنا‬
‫ر‬ ‫ل‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a): He is not from our
Shia who accepts us by only his tongue
and is against our actions and our
legacy.
[al-Bihar al-Anwar, v.68, p. 164, hadith # 13]

ِ ‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : ِم َح ُوا ِيع َنا ِن َ َل ٍ : ِن َ َواقي‬
‫ا ت ِن ش َت ع د ث ث ع د م ت‬ ‫مص‬
‫الصَوا ِ كي َ ُحا َظت ُم عَيها ، و ِن َ أسرا ِ ِم كي َ ِفظ ُم َها َن‬
‫ره ف ح ُه ل ع‬ ‫عد‬ ‫ل ت ف م ف َ ُه ل‬
‫َد ّنا ، وإلى أموال ِم كي َ ُواسات ُم ِخوا ِهم فيها‬
‫ِه ف م ُه ل ن‬ ‫ع ُو‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a) : Test our shias on
three occasions: At the time of prayers
as to how they safeguard their prayers,
and when they have a secret as to how
they keep them from our enemies and
by their properties (and wealth) as to
how they spend on their brethren.
[al-Bihar, v.83, p. 22, hadith # 40]

، ُ ُ ‫المام ال ّادق عليه السلم : إ ّما ِي َ ُ عل ّ َن َ ّ َط ُ ُ و َر‬
‫ن ش عة ي م عف ب نه ف جه‬ ‫ص‬
َ ‫واش َ ّ ِهاد ُ ، وع ِ َ ِخاِ ِ ِ ، و َجا َوا َ ُ ، وخا َ ِقا َ ُ ، فإذا رأي‬
‫ت‬ ‫ف ع به‬ ‫َمل ل لقه ر ث به‬ ‫تد ج ُه‬
ٍ ‫ُولئ َ فُولئ َ ِي َ ُ جعف‬
‫ا ك ا ك ش عة ر‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a): Verily the shia of Ali
is the one who is purified of (influence
of) stomach and sexual desires, and
intense is his struggle...and his action is
for his creator, and his hope is for divine
reward and he is afraid of his end so if
you see someone like that, then that is
the shia of Ja’far (Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq).
[al-Kafi, v.2, p. 233, hadith # 9]

َ ‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : لي َ ِن ِيع ِنا َن أن َ َ أر َع َ أشيا‬
‫س م ش َت م كر ب ة ء‬ ‫مص‬
َ َ ‫: ال ِعرا َ ، وال ُساءَ َ ِي ال َب ِ ، و َل َ الج ّ ِ والنا ِ ، وال ّفا‬
‫ش عة‬ ‫ر‬ ‫م َلة ف ق ر خ ق َنة‬ ‫مج‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a) : He is not from our
shias who denies four things: Mairaj
(heavenly ascension of Prophet (s)), and
questioning in grave, and creation of
heaven and hell and shafa’at
(intercession).
[al-Bihar al-Anwar, v.69, p. 9, hadith # 11]

: ‫الما ُ ال ّادق عليه السلم : إ ّما ِي َ ُنا ُع َ ُو َ ب ِصا ٍ ش ّى‬
‫ن ش عت ي رف ن خ ل َت‬ ‫مص‬
‫ا‬
ً‫بال ّخا ِ وال َذ ِ ِلخوا ِ ، وبأن ُصّوا ال َمسي َ َي ً ونهار‬
‫ي َل خ ن ل ل‬ ‫ن‬ ‫س ء بلل‬
Imam al-Sadiq (a): Verily our shias are
known for their following attributes: By
their generosity towards their brethren
and by their praying of fifty one rak’ats
of prayers during night and day.
[Tuhaf al-Uqool, hadith #303]

ُ ُ ‫الما ُ الكاظ ُ عليه السلم : لي َ ِن شيع ِنا َن َل ُ ّ َم َ ُعْ قل‬
‫َت م خ ثم ل ير به‬ ‫سم‬ ‫م‬ ‫م‬
Imam al-Kazim (a) said : He is not
from our shia whose heart is not
afraid of God in his loneliness.
[Basaer al-Darajat, p. 247, hadith # 10]

، ‫الما ُ عل ّ عليه السلم : ِي َ ُنا ال ُتَبا ُِو َ في َ َي ِنا‬
‫ش عت م ذل ن ول ت‬ ‫مي‬
…‫ال ُتَحا ّو َ في مَو ّ ِنا ال ُ َزا ِ ُو َ في إحيا ِ أمرِنا‬
‫ء‬ ‫َدت مت ور ن‬ ‫م بن‬
Imam Ali (a) : Our Shias…they
spend on each other for the sake of
our wilayah, they love each other for
the sake of our love, they visit each
other for the sake of keeping alive
our affair…

ٌ َ ‫…الذي َ إن َض ُوا َم َظل ُوا ، وإن َ ُوا َم ُس ِ ُوا ، َر‬
‫ب َكة‬ ‫رض ل ي رف‬ ‫ن غ ِب ل ي ِم‬
‫على َن جا َ ُوا ، ِل ٌ ل َن خاَ ُوا‬
‫لط‬ ‫س م ِم‬ ‫ور‬ ‫م‬
…they never oppress if they become
angry with someone and they never
become extravagant in their
happiness, they are mercy for their
neighbors, and a source of peace
and security for those who live with
them.
[al-Kafi, v.2, p. 236, hadith # 24]

So…it is not easy to claim for a Muslim to
be a shia of Ahlul Bayt (a)…
It demands a lot of continuous struggle
and hardship in the way of God to become
a true follower of Ahlul Bayt (a)...
That is why the Prophet of God (s) has
said…

ُ ‫رسو ُ ا ِ صلى ال عليه وآله :يا عل ّ ، ... هذا َبيبي َب َئي‬
‫جر ل‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ل‬
ّ‫ل‬
‫م ِبك ش َ َك س ع‬
َ ‫ُخ ِ ُني ع ِ ا ِ َ ّ جلُ ُ أ ّه قد أعطى ُح ّ َ و ِيعت َ َب‬
‫ن ّ جل له ن‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ي بر‬
ٍ ‫... ِصا‬
‫خل‬
Prophet of God (s): O Ali…my friend
here Gabriel has informed me from
God, the magnificent that certainly He
has blessed your lovers and your shia
with seven attributes…

... ، ِ َ ‫ال ّف َ عن َ ال َو ِ ، وا ُن َ عن َ الوَح َ ِ ، والنو َ عن َ ال ّل‬
‫ر د ظ مة‬ ‫شة‬ ‫لس د‬ ‫رق د م ت‬
، ِ ‫والم َ عن َ ال َ َ ِ ، والقِس َ عن َ ال ِيزا ِ ، وال َوا َ على ال ّرا‬
‫صط‬ ‫جز‬ ‫ط دم ن‬ ‫ن د ف زع‬
…ease at the time of death… and
familiarity in the loneliness…and light
in the darkness (of grave)… and peace
in the fear (of the day of judgment) …
and justice when the deeds will be
judged… and crossing of the (bridge)
sirat…

‫د ل َنة ق ل ر س م ُمم ث ن ا‬
ً‫و ُخو َ الج ّ ِ َب َ سائ ِ النا ِ ِن ال َ ِ ب َماني َ عام‬
…And entry in the paradise eighty
years before all other human beings.
[al-Bihar al-Anwar, v. 68, p. 4, hadith # 9]

ِ َ ‫عنه صلى ال عليه وآله : ِي َ ُ عِ ّ ُ ُ الفائ ُو َ َو َ ال ِيا‬
‫ش عة َلي هم ز ن ي م ق مة‬
The Prophet of God (s): The Shia of
Ali, they will be successful on the
day of Judgment.
[al-Amali, Toosi, p. 104, hadith # 72]