I looked at all friends, and did not find a better friend than safeguarding the tongue.
I thought about all dresses, but did not find a better dress than piety.
I thought about all types of wealth, but did not find a better wealth than contentment in little.
I thought of all types of good deeds, but did not find a better deed than offering good advice.
I looked at all types of sustenance, but did not find a better sustenance than patience.
Perhaps... one may think that the Shiia of Ahlul Bayt (a) is someone who is born in a Shiia family, or someone who participates in the azadari of Imam Hussein (as)… someone who only claims to love Prophet (pbuh) and His Ahlul Bayt (a)... but has nothing to do with obedience to the teachings of Islam…
الإمام٠عليٌّ عليه السلام : Ø´ÙيعَتÙÙŠ واللَّه٠، الØÙلَماء٠، العÙÙ„ÙŽÙ…Ø§Ø¡Ù Ø¨ÙØ§Ù„لَّه٠ودÙينÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ العامÙلونَ بطاعَتÙه٠وأمرÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ المÙهتَدÙونَ Ø¨ÙØÙØ¨Ù‘ÙÙ‡Ù ØŒ Ø£Ù†Ø¶Ø§Ø¡Ù Ø¹ÙØ¨Ø§Ø¯ÙŽØ©Ù ØŒ Ø£ØÙ„اس٠زَهادَة٠، صÙÙØ±Ù Ø§Ù„ÙˆÙØ¬ÙˆÙ‡Ù Ù…ÙÙ† Ø§Ù„ØªÙ‘ÙŽÙ‡ÙŽØ¬Ù‘ÙØ¯... عÙمش٠العÙيون٠مÙÙ† البÙكاء٠، Ø°ÙØ¨Ùل٠الشّÙÙØ§Ù‡Ù Ù…ÙÙ† الذّÙكر٠، Ø®ÙÙ…ØµÙ Ø§Ù„Ø¨ÙØ·ÙˆÙ†Ù Ù…ÙÙ†ÙŽ الطّÙوى ØŒ ØªÙØ¹Ø±ÙŽÙ٠الرَّبّانيَّة٠ÙÙŠ ÙˆÙØ¬ÙوهÙÙ‡ÙÙ… ØŒ والرَّهبانيَّة٠ÙÙŠ سَمتÙÙ‡ÙÙ… ØŒ مَصابيØÙ ÙƒÙلّ٠ظÙلمَةÙ.. إن Ø´ÙŽÙ‡ÙØ¯Ùوا Ù„ÙŽÙ… ÙŠÙØ¹Ø±ÙŽÙÙوا ØŒ وإن غابوا Ù„ÙŽÙ… ÙŠÙÙØªÙŽÙ‚َدÙوا ØŒ اÙولئكَ Ø´ÙيعَتÙÙŠ الأطيَبÙونَ وإخواني الأكرَمÙونَ ØŒ ألا هاه شَوقاً إلَيهÙÙ….
Imam Ali (as): 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. 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. They are not recognized even when seen, they are not remembered when not present, and these are my pure shias and my respected brothers. Ah ! I wish so much to meet them…
<Al-Amali, Toosi, p. 1189, Hadith # 576>
الإمام٠الباقر٠عليه السلام : ما Ø´ÙيعَتÙنا إلّا مَن٠اتَّقى اللَّهَ وأطاعَه٠، وما كانوا ÙŠÙØ¹Ø±ÙŽÙÙونَ إلّا Ø¨Ø§Ù„ØªÙ‘ÙŽÙˆØ§Ø¶ÙØ¹Ù ÙˆØ§Ù„ØªÙ‘ÙŽØ®ÙŽØ´Ù‘ÙØ¹Ù وأداء٠الأمانَة٠وكَثرَة٠ذÙكر٠اللَّهÙ
Imam al-Baqir (as): No one is our Shiia 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>
الإمام٠الصّادق٠عليه السلام : Ø´ÙيعَتÙنا أهل٠الوَرَع٠والاجتÙهاد٠، ÙˆØ£Ù‡Ù„Ù Ø§Ù„ÙˆÙŽÙØ§Ø¡Ù والأمانَة٠، وأهل٠الزّÙÙ‡Ø¯Ù ÙˆØ§Ù„Ø¹ÙØ¨Ø§Ø¯ÙŽØ©Ù ØŒ Ø£ØµØØ§Ø¨Ù Ø¥ØØ¯Ù‰ وخَمسينَ رَكعَةً ÙÙŠ اليَوم٠واللَّيلَةÙ.ØŒ القائمونَ باللَّيل٠، الصائمونَ بالنَّهار٠، ÙŠÙØ²ÙŽÙƒÙ‘Ùونَ أموالَهÙÙ… ØŒ ويَØÙجّÙونَ البَيتَ ØŒ ÙˆÙŠÙŽØ¬ØªÙŽÙ†ÙØ¨Ùونَ ÙƒÙلَّ Ù…ÙØÙŽØ±Ù‘ÙŽÙ…Ù
Imam al-Sadiq (as) : 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 Raka’ts prayers during day and night. 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 Kaba, they abstain from all that which is forbidden.
<Al-Bihar, v.68, p. 167, Hadith # 23>
الإمام٠الباقر٠عليه السلام : لا تَذهَبْ بÙÙƒÙÙ…Ù Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙŽØ°Ø§Ù‡ÙØ¨Ù ØŒ Ùوَاللَّه٠ما Ø´ÙيعَتÙنا إلّا Ù…ÙŽÙ† أطاعَ اللَّهَ عَزَّوجلَّ
Imam al-Baqir (a): You shouldn’t be mislead by different views (in Islam), for by God no body is our shia except by obedience to God, the powerful and magnificent.
Imam al-Kadhim (as) : … the Shiia of Ali (a) is the one whose action testifies his words.
<Al-Kafi, v.8, p. 228, Hadith # 290>
الإمام٠عليٌّ عليه السلام : شيعَتÙنا Ù‡Ùم٠العارÙÙÙونَ Ø¨ÙØ§Ù„لَّه٠، العامÙÙ„Ùونَ Ø¨ÙØ£Ù…ر٠اللَّه٠، أهل٠الÙَضائل٠، الناطÙÙ‚Ùونَ بالصَّواب٠، مَأكÙولÙÙ‡ÙÙ… القÙوت٠، ومَلبَسÙÙ‡ÙÙ…Ù Ø§Ù„Ø§Ù‚ØªÙØµØ§Ø¯Ù ØŒ ومَشيÙÙ‡ÙÙ…Ù Ø§Ù„ØªÙ‘ÙŽÙˆØ§Ø¶ÙØ¹Ù ... ØªÙŽØØ³ÙŽØ¨ÙÙ‡ÙÙ… مَرضى وقد Ø®ÙÙˆÙ„ÙØ·Ùوا وما Ù‡ÙÙ… بذلكَ ØŒ بَل خامَرَهÙÙ… Ù…ÙÙ† عَظَمَة٠رَبّÙهم ÙˆØ´ÙØ¯Ù‘َة٠سÙلطانÙه٠ما طاشَت Ù„ÙŽÙ‡Ù Ù‚ÙÙ„ÙوبÙÙ‡ÙÙ… ØŒ وذَهÙلَتْ Ù…Ùنه٠عÙقولÙÙ‡ÙÙ…ØŒ ÙØ¥Ø°Ø§ اشتاقÙوا Ù…ÙÙ† ذلكَ بادَرÙوا إلى اللَّه٠تعالى Ø¨ÙØ§Ù„أعمال٠الزَّكÙيَّة٠، لا يَرضَونَ لَه٠بالقَليل٠، ولا ÙŠÙŽØ³ØªÙŽÙƒØ«ÙØ±Ùونَ لَه٠الجَزÙيلَ
<al-Bihar, v.78, p. 29, Hadith # 96>
Imam al-Baqir (as): (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>
Imam al-Sadiq (as): He is not from our Shiia 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>
Imam al-Sadiq (as): 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>
Imam al-Sadiq (as): Verily the Shiia 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 Shiia of Jafar (Imam Jafar al-Sadiq).
<Al-Kafi, v.2, p. 233, Hadith # 9>
Imam al-Sadiq (as) : 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>
Imam al-Sadiq (a)s: Verily our shias are known for their following attributes: By their generosity towards their brethren and by their praying of fifty one Raka’ts of prayers during night and day.
<Tuhaf al-Uqool, Hadith #303>
Imam al-Kadhim (as) said : He is not from our Shiia whose heart is not afraid of God in his loneliness.
<Basaer al-Darajat, p. 247, Hadith # 10>
الإمام٠عليٌّ عليه السلام : Ø´ÙيعَتÙنا Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙØªÙŽØ¨Ø§Ø°ÙÙ„Ùونَ ÙÙŠ وَلَايتÙنا ØŒ Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙØªÙŽØØ§Ø¨Ù‘Ùونَ ÙÙŠ مَوَدَّتÙنا Ø§Ù„Ù…ÙØªÙŽØ²Ø§ÙˆÙرÙونَ ÙÙŠ Ø¥ØÙŠØ§Ø¡Ù أمرÙنا …الذينَ إن
<Al-Kafi, v.2, p. 236, Hadith # 24>
So…it is not easy to claim for a Muslim to be a Shiia 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…
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 Shiia with seven attributes. 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. And entry in the paradise eighty years before all other human beings.
<al-Bihar al-Anwar, v. 68, p. 4, hadith # 9>
The Prophet of God (s): The Shiia of Ali, they will be successful on the day of Judgment.
<Al-Amali, Toosi, p. 104, Hadith # 72>