On the Status of Shiites

436- Salih ibn Maysam narrated that Umm Salmat narrated that God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Ali's Shiites1 are prosperous."
437- Huzayl al-Saberi narrated that Imam Baqir (a.s) quoted on the authority of Imam Ali (a.s) that once God's Prophet (a.s) hugged him and said: "O' brother! Have you heard God's statement:
"Those who have faith and do righteous deeds, they are the best of creatures." [The Holy Quran: Baiyina 98:7] This verse refers to you and your followers. You shall approach me with shining faces, and everyone knows you. Your enemies will come to me with ugly-looking faces." The Prophet repeated these words three times.
438- Ins ibn Malik said: "God's Prophet (a.s) was reciting the verse:
"Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of God; for without doubt in the remembrance of God do hearts find satisfaction." [The Holy Quran: Ra'd 13:28]
Then the Prophet (a.s) turned towards him and said: "O' son of Umm Salim! Whom do you think this verse has been revealed about?" "It is about us and our followers." Then Ins asked the Prophet: "Is not anyone who claims to follow Islam one of your followers?" The Prophet replied: "Yes. But their animosity towards the members of my Household will cause them to get farther and farther away from Islam, and get closer to the Jews and the Christians."
439- Abi al-Samet al-Khulany narrated that Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "O' Abi Samet! Know that God has created our followers from a limited amount of earth, and none will be added to nor subtracted from our number until the Resurrection Day. If anyone of our Shiites goes to one of the places of worship anywhere in the world and walks there or prays there, that place of worship will be more superior to others. That place of worship will claim that one of the followers of the Holy Household of Muhammad has visited it."
440- Sodir al-Seyr narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "All our followers will be in Heaven, whether they are good or bad. Their ranks shall be determined according to their deeds after they get there."
441- Ja'far ibn Rabie ibn Madrak narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Whenever one of our followers goes out and returns home, his record of deeds will be filled with positive marks for all the insults he has heard, even if he does not do any good deeds when he is out of the house."
442- Zayd ibn Argham narrated that Imam Sajjad (a.s) said: "No one is one of our true followers unless he is either a sincere lover of truth or a martyr." Zayd asked him: "How is this possible when they die in their beds." Imam Sajjad (a.s) replied: "Have you not read God's book: "And those who believe in God and His apostles they are the sincere (lovers of truth), and the Witnesses (who testify), in the eyes of their Lord." [The Holy Quran: Hadid 57:19]Then Zayd said: "You are right. May I be your devoted servant! I have not seen this verse." Then Imam Sajjad (a.s) continued: "My father Hussein (a.s) said: "If martyrdom was limited to just getting killed by a sword, God would not have used the phrase "the witnesses (who testify)."
443- Abdulah ibn San'an narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "When God wanted to reveal the following verses of the Quran, they stayed in the heavens and said: "O' God! Do you want to send us to those who are in error and sin?" God then willed them to descend and said: "I swear by My Honor and Majesty that whoever of the followers of the members of the Household of Muhammad recites theseverses after each prayer, I shall certainly make him reside in Heaven with all the things there. I will kindly look upon him seventy times each day, and at each look I will fulfill seventy of his needs, the smallest of them being the forgiveness of his sins. The verses are:
"And verily, it is in the Mother of the Book, in our Presence, high (in dignity), full of wisdom." [The Holy Quran: Zukhruf 43:4]
"God! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, the Eternal. No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory) [The Holy Quran: Baqara 2:255]
"There is no god but He: that is the witness of God, his angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise." [The Holy Quran: Al-i-Imran 3:18]
"Say: "O' God! Lord of Power (and Rule), Thou givest Power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honor whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all Good. Verily, over all things thou hast power." [The Holy Quran: Al-i-Imran 3:26]
444- Ali ibn Hamran narrated on the authority of his father that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "One day I left the house with my father, and saw some of our companions who were between the grave and the pulpit. My father approached them and said: "I swear by God that I like your smell and your breath. Please assist us with your piety and hard work. Beware that no one can attain our friendship except through piety and hard work. Whenever you decide to follow someone you must act like him. You are God's followers; you are God's soldiers. You are God's helpers. You are the first and the last forerunners. In this world you are the first forerunners to attain our friendship, and in through the guarantees of God and God's Prophet (a.s). You are the pure ones. Your women are pure. Any believing woman is one of the Houris of Heaven, and any believing man is honest in his speech."
445- Imam Ali (a.s) told Ghanbar: "O' Ghanbar! Give glad tidings, and ask others to give glad tidings that by God the Prophet of God (a.s) died while he was angry at all the nation except for the Shiites. Beware that everything has a handle, and the Shiites are the handle to religion. Everything has one honor, and the honor of religion is the Shiites. For everything there is a master, and the master of all gatherings is Shiite gatherings. For everything there is a pleasure, and the pleasure of the world is the living of Shiites in this world. I swear by God that if you did not exist, the future generations could not gain full benefit from divine blessings, and could not benefit from the Hereafter. Whoever opposes us shall be subjected to the following verse even if he prays a lot and does a lot of good deeds:
"Some faces, that Day, will be humiliated, laboring (hard), weary, the while they enter the Blazing Fire." [The Holy Quran: Gashiya 88:2-4]
Whenever one of your opponents prays for you it will be answered. Whenever you ask God for something, God will give you one hundred times what you asked for. Whenever you pray for something, God will respond one-hundred fold. Whenever you do a good deed, God will give you a many-fold reward, so much that you can never count it. If any of you does something bad, the Prophet Muhammad will defend you against its evil results. I swear by God that those of you who fast will be taking a stroll in the Gardens of Heaven, and the angels will pray for your prosperity until you break your fast. Those of you who have already gone on pilgrimage, and go again are God's especial servants. You are all special invitees of God, and those who are His friends. You shall have no fear or grief. You will all reside in Heaven. Therefore try to compete with each other to attain a higher rank in Heaven. I swear by God that besides us no one is as close to God's Throne as our followers are on the Resurrection Day. This is in fact the good way God deals with them."the Hereafter you are forerunners towards Heaven. We guarantee you Heaven446- Imam Ali (a.s) said: "On the Resurrection Day our followers will leave their graves with shining faces, with their eyes shining (as a sign of feeling secure) and filled with the light of faith. They will be granted security from what other people are afraid of. The other people will be sad, but they will not be sad. I swear by God that whenever one of you stand up to perform your prayers a group of angels surround you, greet you and pray for you until you finish your prayer, but you cannot feel their presence. Beware that everything has an essence. The essence of mankind is Muhammad (a.s), and the Holy Household and the Shiites. Blessed are our followers who are so close to God's Throne. How well will God deal with them on the Resurrection Day! I swear by God that if they had not gotten haughty, the angels would have faced them and sent blessings for them."
447- The uncle of Hashim's son narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God, the angels and the spirits of all the Prophets ask for the forgiveness of the Shiites, and send them blessings until the Resurrection Day." He added: "You are in the service of God, and are struggling to do what God likes you to do."
448- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God the Almighty will not hold any of the Shiites accountable for any sins except major ones. I hope God does not see any of you commit a major sin."
449- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "I swear by God that no one but you obeyed God's Prophet of God, and no one but you had enough faith in God. You are dear to Islam. All that is good is due to you. Whoever from among you is patient when he faces trouble will be given the reward of one thousand martyrs. I hope you do not slip when being tested. I heard my father say: "Our Shiites are free of sin. God sends you greetings, and you are successful due to divine purity. You are the ones who invite the people to obey God. There shall be no reckoning for you, and there shall be no fear or grief for you. You are residents of Heaven, and Heaven belongs to you. Since God is pleased with you, you are pleased with divine destiny. You are the best of the people. Then be patient even if you see things that you dislike. Wait until God's command is issued, and you will find what He haspromised you. You believe in the divine Unseen. Your world is Heaven for you and your decisions are a good guard for you. You are created for Heaven, and your path is directed to Heaven. Every day and night you are the master of all creatures. God has granted you a pure life, and you will continue being pure when you die. You will speak according to divine light, while others will talk according to Satan's dictation. Whoever is opposed to you is one of the especial companions of Satan. Your belief in God is so strong that Satan cannot influence you. God has granted you His best traits, and knew this before He created Adam. Your opponents will be more deserving to go into the Fire in the Hereafter. Know that you possess four eyes: two on your face, and two in your heart. Also beware that other people are this way. But God has closed their eyes, and has opened yours."
450- Jabir ibn Yazeed said that he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s): "Has God given the people assurance of certain forgiveness?" Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: "No, except for our followers whom God will forgive."
451- Muhammad ibn Marvan said that he asked Imam Sadiq (a.s) about God's statement:
"Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?" It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition!" [The Holy Quran: Zumar 39:9]
Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: "We are the ones who know, and our enemies are the ones who do not know, and our Shiites1 are those who are endued with understanding."
452- Abdullah ibn Soleyman narrated that after Imam Baqir (a.s) recited the following verse: "Now hath come unto you an Apostle from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful." [The Holy Quran: Tauba 9:128], he said:
"This means that whatever bothers you is hard for us to stand, and we are eager to see you in comfort. He is ardently anxious over your comfort, and is kind and merciful to the Believers, that is our Shiites."
453- Sowayr narrated that Imam Sajjad (a.s) asked Sowayr if he read the Quran. He replied positively. Imam Sajjad (a.s) asked him to recite the chapter Qasas. He started reciting: "In the Name of God,Most Gracious, Most Merciful: Ta, Sin, Mim. These are Verses of the Book that makes (things) clear. We rehearse to thee some of the story of Moses and Pharaoh in Truth, for people who believe. Truly Pharaoh elated himself in the land and broke up its people into sections, depressing a small group among them: their sons he slew, but he kept alive their females, for he was indeed a maker of mischief. And We wished to be gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders (in faith) and make them heirs. [The Holy Quran: Qasas 28:1-5]
At this point Imam Sajjad (a.s) asked him to stop, and said: "I swear by God who has established Muhammad to admonish the people and to give them glad tidings that the good people among us are members of the Holy Household and their Shiites are similar to Moses and his followers. And our enemies and their followers are similar to Pharaoh and his followers."
454- Abi Khalid al-Qam'mat narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God created us from the noblest matter and created the hearts of our followers from the same, and created their bodies from something that is of a slightly lower rank. Thus their hearts were attracted and inclined to us. God created our enemies from the smoke of Hell, and created their followers from the same, and then their hearts were attracted and inclined to our enemies."
455- Mansoor ibn Amr ibn Haemgh al-Khazaee narrated that when Ibn Muljam -may God damn him- attacked Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) using a sword, he became unconscious. After he regained consciousness he said: "Blessed they will be and blessed are you, but they will be more blessed than you are." Mansoor asked Imam Ali (a.s): "O' Commander of the Faithful! Yes, you are right. They are blessed because they see you, and we are blessed because we obey you and fought along with you. Who are the people who are more blessed than we are?" Then Imam Ali (a.s) said: "They are my Shiites who will come later. They will have power over what you lack power over, and they will be able to bear what you cannot bear."
456- Abdullah ibn San'an said that once he went to see Imam Sadiq (a.s) in the mosque. Imam Sadiq (a.s) had finished saying his afternoon prayers and was sitting facing the Qibla. He told Imam Sadiq (a.s): "O' grandson of the Prophet of God! There are several rulers who have entrusted their treasury with me, but do not pay you your due one-fifth levy. Should I return their property to them?" Imam Sadiq (a.s) replied: "I swear three times by the Lord of this Qibla that even if Ibn Muljam who has killed my grandfather (Imam Ali (a.s)) -and I wish to take revenge from him- entrusts his property with me, I shall return it to him."
457- Jabir narrated that Imam Baqir (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "Seventy thousand of my nation shall enter Heaven without any reckoning." Ali (a.s) asked: "O' Prophet of God! Who are they?" The Prophet (a.s) said: "They are your followers and you are their Imam."
458- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of his grandfather: "God has turned over the control of all affairs of the believers to themselves, except for humility. Have you not heard God the Almighty say:
"But honor belongs to God and his Apostle, and to the believers." [The Holy Quran: Munafiqun 63:8]
Therefore believers are honorable, and not humiliated."
459- Zayd al-Shuh'ham narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "A believer will even remember a sin committed forty or so years ago, and ask God for forgiveness. God will forgive him."
460- Abi al-Hassan al-Ahmasy narrated that Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted upon the authority of his grandfather who quoted God's Prophet (a.s): "God the Almighty shall send various calamities for His believing servants in the same manner that the members of a family invite their father to eat." He added: " God the Almighty has said: I swear by My Majesty, Honor, Grandeur and Position that I will take away from My believing servant whatever would cause him to forget Me so that I can hear him call Me and pray. But I will fulfill the needs of an infidel so that I never hear him call Me, since I am angry with him."
461- Abi al-Jarud narrated that Imam Baqir (a.s) quoted on the authority of his grandfather who quoted God's Prophet (a.s): "Whenever one of my believing servants approaches a sin and commits it, he will become poor. If this trouble is a sufficient penalty for his sin, it is fine. Otherwise he will get ill. If this is not a sufficient penalty for his sin, he will be troubled by the fear from the ruler who calls him in. If this is not a sufficient penalty either, then he will face hard treatment at the time of death, so that when he comes to meet his Lord there is nothing left to question him about, and God will issue the order for him to enter Heaven. However, when the unbelievers or the hypocrites die, they will be dealt with easily, so that no reward for any of their deeds is left to claim when they meet their Lord. Then God will issue the order to take them into the Fire (of Hell)."
462- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted upon the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "There are several pulpits covered with light on the right side of the Throne on which men with shining faces sit who are neither martyrs nor Prophets." Ummar ibn Khattab asked the Prophet (a.s) who they were. The Prophet (a.s) replied: "They are people who helped each other for God's sake. They treated each other as they treat their brothers, and helped one another for God's sake. They loved each other for God's sake." At this point Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) entered and the Prophet pointed to Ali and continued: "They are his followers."
463- Abi Hamze al-Somali narrated that Imam Sajjad (a.s) said: "When all the people are resurrected on Judgment Day, a general call will be made for those who loved each other for God's sake. A group of people will stand up, and they will be instructed to go to Heaven without any reckoning. The angels will face them and ask where they are going. They will respond that they are going to Heaven without any reckoning. The angels will ask them to what group of people they belong to. They will say that they are the people who loved each other for God's sake. The angels will ask them what they did. They will say that they were friends with each other for God's sake and they were enemies of others for God's sake. The angels will say: "What a good reward for your deeds."