Islam Guidance

READ THE FOLLOWING REPORTS AND GET TO KNOW THE FEATURE OF A SHIITE MUSLIM

READ THE FOLLOWING REPORTS AND GET TO KNOW
THE FEATURE OF A SHIITE MUSLIM
رُويَ عَن أميرِ?المُؤمنِينَ عليهِ السلامُ أنّهُ خرجَ ذاتَ ليلةٍ منَ المسجِدِ ? وكانتْ ليلةً قَمراءَ- فَأمَّ الجَبّانةَ ولحِقَهُ جماعةٌ يقفُونَ إِثرَهُ، فَوقفَ عليهِم ثمّ قال?: مَن أنتم؟
قالوا?: شيعتُكَ يا أميرَ المُؤمنِينَ.
فَتفَرّسَ في وجُوهِهِم ثمّ قال?: فَما لي لا أَرى عليكُم سِيماءَ الشّيعةِ؟
قالوا?: وما سِيماءُ الشّيعةِ يا أميرَ المُؤمنِينَ؟ قال?: صُفرُ الوجوهِ من السَّهرِ، عُمشُ العيونِ من البُكاءِ، حُدبُ الظّهورِ من القِيامِ، خُمصُ البطونِ من الصّيامِ، ذُبلُ الشِّفاهِ من الدُّعاءِ، عليهِم غَبَرَةُ الخاشِعينَ.
It was narrated that, once, during a moonlit night, Imam Ali (a.s), coming out of the mosque, headed for wilderness. The crowd following him reached there. He asked about their identity, and they answered, 'O Amir ul-Mu'mineen, we are your Shiites (followers). The Imam cast a deep look at them, saying, 'How is it that I do not see any mark of Shiism on your faces?'

'What are the marks of a Shiite Muslim?' they asked, and the Imam (a.s) answered:
'Those who are pale of keeping vigilance, weeping out of fear of Allah, bent out of too much standing for prayer, hungry due to fasting, dry-mouthed because of supplications, with marks of prostration in their faces.'1
This is another narration: عن أبي عبدِاللهِ عليهِ السلامُ قالَ: كَانَ علِيُّ بنُ الحُسينِ عليهِ السلامُ قاعِداً في بيتِه إذ قَرعَ قومٌ عليهِ البابَ، فقالَ : يا جاريةُ انظُري مَن بالبابِ، فَقالوا : قَومٌ مِن شيعتِكَ. فَوثبَ عجلانَ حتّى كادَ أن يَقعَ، فَلمّا فتحَ البابَ ونظَر إليهِم رَجعَ وقال: كذِبوا فأَينَ السَّمْتُ في الوجوهِ ؟ أين أثَر ُالعِبادةِ؟ أينَ سِيماءُ السّجودِ؟ إنّما شِيعتُنا يُعرَفونَ بعبادتِهِم وشَعَثِهِم؛ قَد قَرِحتْ منهُم الآنافُ، ودَثرَت الجِباهُ والمَساجدُ. خُمصُ البُطونِ، ذُبلُ الشّفاهِ، قد هيّجَتِ العبادةُ وجوهَهُم، وأَخلَقَ سهرُ اللّيالي وقَطعُ الهَواجرِ جُثَثهُم، المُسبِّحونَ إذا سَكَتَ النّاسُ، والمُصَلّونَ إذا نامَ الناسُ، والمحَزُونونَ إذا فَرِح النّاسُ.
Imam Sadiq (a.s) narrated: As he was sitting in his house, a group of people knocked the door at Imam Sajjad (a.s). He asked his slave girl to see who it was. They shouted, 'It is a group of your Shiites.' The Imam (a.s) jumped so hurriedly that he was about to fall down. When he opened the door, he took back and said, 'They must be lying. Where is the mark of Shiism on their faces? Where are the marks of prostration on them? Our Shiites are known of fear of the
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1 See Safinat ul-Bihar; vol. 1 p.130

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Day of Judgment, their foreheads having the marks of prostration, being thin due to fasting, and dry-mouthed because of supplications. The prayer makes their faces wrinkled, keeping vigilance, and fasting on hot days make their bodies exhausted. When (other) people are at rest, they (the true Shiites) glorify Allah, when people are asleep, they are in prayers, and when people are merry making, they are sad.'1

NOTE
The same God-fearing, enlightened people, in their love for the Hereafter, have fought the enemies of God throughout the history of Islam. They considered martyrdom in the way of God as the highest degree of happiness and the best means for affinity with God. We therefore realize that a true Shiite is pious and heedless of the worldly ornaments but does not live the life of a recluse. He stands against the oppressing powers with his strong faith and steadfastness. Describing such people, the Holy Quran says: ?Those who fight in His way in ranks as if they were a firm and compact wall. (61:4)? Therefore, no one can say that the school based on piety, detachment from this world, prostration, and prayer fails to nurture heroes.
Nevertheless, we stand in prayer with our heart full of love for this world without God's remembrance. We fast with a soul polluted with sins. We go on Hajj pilgrimage with illegally gotten money, abandon what is obligatory but do what is praiseworthy and expect the positive effects on our lives and wish to be among the angels at the same time!
Addressing to Jesus (a.s), God says: يا عِيسَى، قُل لِظَلَمَةِ بني إسْرائِيلَ: لا تَدعُوني والسُّحْتُ تحتَ أَحضَانِكُم والأصْنامُ في بُيوتِكُم، فإِني آلَيتُ أنْ أُجيبَ مَن دَعانِي وأَنْ أجعَلَ إِجابَتي إيّاهُم لَعناً حتّى يَتفرَّقوا.
?O Jesus, tell the Israeli wrongdoers not to call upon Me while they have illegal riches under their arms and keep idols at home, for I have sworn I will answer one who calls upon Me. My answer to the call for these wrongdoers is to curse them until they part from one another.?2
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1 See Safinat ul-Bihar; vol. 1
2 See Tuhaf ul-Uqoul; 369

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يا عِيسَى، قُل لهُم قَلِّموا أَظفارَكُم مِن كَسْبِ الحَرامِ وأَصِمُّوا أَسماعَكُم مِن ذِكْرِ الخَنى وأَقبِلوا عَلَيَّ بِقلوبِكم فإِنّي لستُ أُريدُ صُورَكُم.
?O Jesus, tell them: Take your nails off illegal business, cover your ears from obscenity, and come to Me with full heart, for I certainly do not want your external faces.?1 A religious report says: مَن حَجَّ مِن غَيرِ حِلِّهِ ثمّ لبّى قالَ اللهُ عزّ وجلّ له: لا لَبّيكَ ولا سَعدَيكَ حتّى تَرُدّ ما في يَديكَ.
?Whoever goes on Hajj with illegal money when saying Labbayk, Allah will say: I will not accept your 'Labbayk' until you return the money to its owner.?2
Imam Sadiq (a.s) says:
?How much wailing and how few devoted hajjis are!?3 (In other words, the noise of the performers of Hajj is extremely loud but, unfortunately, real performers of Hajj are very few.)

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