Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Every invocation sought from Allah, Almighty and Glorious, is barred by the sky unless it is coupled with 'Salawat', benediction upon the Prophet and his progeny." (The expression of 'Salawat' means: O God bless Muhammad and his descendants).

Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 493

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "The Muslim believer whose calls were not answered by Allah in this world will wish that none of them would have been accepted when, in the Hereafter, he sees the abundance of rewards (given him for their not being answered and suffering the troubles in the world)."

Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 491

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "The most beloved deed on the earth with Allah, Almighty and Glorious is invocation, and the best worship is modesty and piety."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 295

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a], when teaching (some of) his followers, said: "The doors of heaven are opened at five times: When it is raining; at the time of Holy War; at the time of Call to prayer; at the time of recitation of the Qur'an with the setting of the sun, and at the break of dawn."

Al-Khisal, by Saduq, p. 302

Again, Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "Avail yourselves of the invocation in five situations: At the time of recitation of the Qur'an, at the time of prayer call, when it is raining, when attending the Holy War ready for martyrdom, when an oppressed person supplicates, because, certainly, there is no barrier for it beneath the Throne."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 93, p. 343

Imam Husayn [a] said: "O Lord! You are the nearest one Whom can be requested from; You are the soonest responder, and You are the most gracious in bestowing; Whose gift is the vastest and You hearken the best to what you are asked for. I call to You, O' the Beneficent in this world and the next, and the Merciful in both of them!"

'Arafah Invocation

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "He who is bestowed four things is not deprived of four things: he who is allowed to pray is not deprived of the response to it; he who is allowed to offer repentance is not deprived of its acceptance; he who is allowed to seek forgiveness is not deprived of forgiveness; and he who is allowed to be grateful is not deprived of furtherance of favours."

Nahjul Balagha, Saying 135

Note:

The compiler of Nahjul Balagha, as-Sayyid ar-Radi says: This is confirmed by the Book of Allah. About praying, Allah says: " Call You to Me, I will answer you' (the Qur'an, 4:60). About forgiveness Allah says: 'And whoever does evil, or wrongs his own self and thereafter seeks the pardon of Allah shall find Allah Oft-Forgiving, Merciful' (the Qur'an, 4:110). About gratefulness He says: 'If you be grateful, I will increase (My favours) to you' (the Qur'an, 14:7). About repentance He says: 'Verily, repentance (acceptable) with Allah is only for those who do evil ignorantly and then turn (to Allah) soon (after); these (are those whom) Allah will turn (mercifully) to; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise (the Qur'an, 4:17).

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "On the Reckoning Day, Allah will count the invocations of believers as some good actions for them and thereby He will promote their position in Heaven."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 78, p. 216

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Treat your ailments with charity and repel varieties of affliction by invocation."

At-Tahthib, vol. 4, p.112

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Ask (Allah) for your requisite and insist on demanding because Allah likes the persistence of the insisting believers of His servants."

Wasa'il-ush-Shi'ah,voI. 7, p. 60

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "I recommend you to invocation, because you can not get nigh to Allah by any means like it."

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 467

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "It may happen that you ask (Allah) for something and He does not give it to you in order to endow you with (something) of better quality (later)."

Ghurar-ul-Hikam, p.185

Ahlul Bayt

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 27, p. 113

Imam Baqir, the fifth Imam, [a] said: "Our traditions (Ahlul-Bayt) survive in the hearts."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 2, p. 144

The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Make your gatherings lively with the remembrance of Ali-ibn-Abi-Talib." (Talk about the excellencies of Ali [a]).

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 38, p. 199

In 'Ikmal-ud-Din' a tradition, through 'Jabir-il-Ju'fi', is narrated from 'Jabir-ibn-'Abdillah' thus: "I said: 'O Messenger of Allah we have known Allah and His Apostle; then who is 'Ulul-Amr', those that Allah has made their obedience the same as your obedience?' Then, the Prophet (p.h.u.h.) said: 'O' Jabir! They are, after me, my successors and the guides of Muslims; the first of them is Ali ibn Abi Talib; then (Imam) Hassan, and (Imam) Husayn; then Ali ibn Husayn; then Mohammad ibn Ali; known in the Turah as Baqir, whom you will see, O' Jabir! When you visit him, give my regards to him. After him, there is Sadiq, Ja'far ibn Muhammad; and after him Musa ibn Ja'far; then Ali ibn Musa; then Muhammad ibn Ali; then Ali ibn Muhammad, then Hassan ibn Ali; and after him (there comes) Al-Qaim, whose name and epithet is the same as mine. He is Allah's Authority on the Earth and His Remainder amongst His servants. He is the son of (Imam) Hassan-ibn-Ali (al-'Askari). This is the very personality by whose hands Allah will open the Easts and Wests of the worlds and this is the very personality who will be absent from his followers and those who love him, in which his mastership cannot be proved by a statement of anyone except for the one whose heart Allah tests for Faith."

Jabir said: "I asked him: 'O' Messenger of Allah will his followers avail of him during his occultation?' He answered: 'Yes. By the One Who appointed me to prophethood, they will seek brightness from his light and will avail by devotion in his absence the same as the availing of people from the (glow of) sun when clouds cover it...'

(Ikmal-ud-Din, vol. 1, p. 253, with nearly similar meaning in Yanabir-ul-Mawaddah, p. 117)

Malik-ibn-Anas said about the virtue of Imam Sadiq [a]: "No eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard, and no heart (soul) has ever been striken that there can (contemporaneously) be anybody higher than (Imam) Ja'far Sadiq [a] from the point of virtue, knowledge, worship, and piety."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 47, p. 28

Imam Husayn [a] said: "By my soul, there is no Imam but he issues judgement upon the Book, establishes justice, believes in the religion of Truth, and restrains his self alongside the way of Allah.

Al-Irshad, vol. 204

The Love of Ahlul-Bayt

The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Train your children in three things: the love of your Prophet, the love of his progeny, i.e. Ahlul-Bayt, and recitation of the Qur'an."

AI-Jami'-ul-Saghir, vol. 1, p. 14

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "He who is not able to do any good unto us (Ahlul-Bayt) then be may do good to our pious adherents; and he who is not able to visit us, he may visit our righteous followers by which the reward of visiting us (pilgrimage) will be recorded for him."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 74, p. 354

Imam Baqir [a] said: "The best means by which servants can obtain nearness to Allah, Mighty and Glorious, is the obedience to Allah, the obedience to His Messenger, and the obedience to those charged with (spiritual) authority."

Then, he [a] added: "The love of us (Ahlul Bayt) is Faith and the hatred of us is infidelity."

Al-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 187

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily, there are various degrees of serving Allah, but affection (and cordial inclination) for us, Ahlul Bayt, is the highest one."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 27, p. 91