The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Shall I not introduce 'a believer' to you? A believer is the one whom other believers trust with their souls and wealth. Shall I not introduce 'a Muslim' to you? A Muslim is the one from whose hand and tongue other Muslims are safe.... It is unlawful (Haram) for a believer to do wrong against another believer, or leave him/her in a lurch, or backbite against him/her, or suddenly reject him/her."

AI-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 235

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "A Muslim believer must not attend a meeting wherein Allah laws are being disobeyed and the one is not in a position to stop it."

Usul-i-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 374

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "He who habitually tells the truth, his deeds are purified; Allah increases the sustenance of the one whose intention is good; and he who treats his family members well, Allah prolongs the length of his life."

Khisal by Saduq, vol. 1 p. 88

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "A man came to the Prophet [s] and asked him to teach him an action so that both Allah, the Exalted, and people would love him, his wealth would increase, his body would be healthy, his life time would last long, and he would be raised with him (the Prophet). Then, he [s] said: 'These are six traits which need six qualities:

1. If you want Allah to love you, be afraid of Him and guard yourself against sin.
2. If you want people to love you, be benevolent to them and decline what they have in their hands.
3. If you want Allah to increase your wealth, then give its alms tax.
4. If you want Allah to make your body healthy, pay charity more frequently.
5. If you want Allah to prolong your lifetime, then have regard for your kinship.
6. And, if you want Allah to raise you with me, then do prolong your prostrations before Allah, the One, the Dominator.'"

Safinat-uI-Bihar, vol. 1, p. 599

Imam Rida, the eighth Imam, [a] said: A Muslim believer is not a true believer unless there are three virtues in him: the manner of his lord, the manner of his Prophet, and the manner of his Imam. Then, the manner of his Lord is: concealing his secrets; hence Allah, to Whom belong Might and Majesty, said: 'The Knower of the Unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to any, except to him whom He chooses as an apostle,...' [1]

Then, the manner of his Prophet is compliance with people, when surely, Allah, Almighty and Glorious, commissioned His prophet to favour people and He has said: 'Practice forgiveness and enjoin good and turn away from the ignorant.'[2]

Then the manner of his Imam is (to be firm and) being patient on good days and bad days, when, verily, Allah to whom belong Might and Majesty, says: 'And (they) are patient in distress and affliction'." [3]

'Uyun-ul-Akhbar-ur-Rida, vol.1, p.256

Imam Muhammad ibn Ali, the nineth Imam [a] said:

"A Muslim believer should obtain these three virtues:

Success granted by Allah, be an admonisher of his self, and find approval from the one who advises him."

Muntah-al-'Amal, p.229

Ali ibn Husayn [a] the fourth Imam, was once asked how he, the son of the Messenger of Allah began each morning, and he [a] replied: "I begin each morning while I am demanded of eight virtues:

Allah, the Exalted, demands of me the obligatory; the Prophet [s] demands of me his tradition (Sunnah); family dependents demand of me food (material); the self looks for desires; Satan demands me (to commit) sin; the two protective angels demand of me virtuousness, the angel of death demands of me the spirit and, the grave demands of me my body.

Therefore, I am, surrounded by these traits, demanded."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 76, p. 15

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily everything is intimidated by a believer because the religion of Allah causes him to be powerful, and he is not intimidated by anything, which (epithet) is the characteristic of any believer."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 305

Notes:

[1] Sura Al-Jinn, No.72, verses 26 & 27

[2] Space

[3] Sura Al-Baqarah, No.2, verse 177

The Real Followers of Ahlul-Bayt and Their Qualities

Imam Muhammad Baqir [a] told Jabir: "Is it enough for a person to (merely) embellish (oneself) as a Shi'ah (follower) by professing love of us, Ahlul-Bayt? Nay! By Allah, a person is not our follower except the one who fears Allah and obeys Him. O' Jabir! Our followers are not recognized save by humility; submission; honesty; praising Allah abundantly; fasting and prayers; filial devotion; attending to the poor, needy, debtors, and orphans who live near him; saying the truth; reciting the Qur'an; withholding the tongue from people except for benediction; and being trustworthy for relatives in any affairs..."

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 74

Sulayman-ibn-Mahran said that he visited Imam Sadiq [a] while some of the followers (Shi'ah) were attending him [a] and he heard that the Imam [a], addressing them, said: "(Behave) to be as ornaments for us and not to be against us as shame. Tell people of goodness, and protect your tongues and hold it from excessive talk and offensive speech."

Al-Amali, by Saduq, p. 142

Imam Sadiq [a] said: "Verily, we love those who are wise, perceptive (intelligent), learned, forbearing, patient, reliable, and faithful. Surely, Allah, Almighty and Glorious, favoured Prophets [a] with high morality. Then, he who possesses them may praise Allah for them, but he who does not have them may weep unto Allah, the Almighty and Glorious, and ask Him for them." Jabir humbly asked what they were, and the Imam [a] replied:

"They are: piety, contentment, patient endurance, gratefulness, forbearance, modesty, graciousness, courage, enthusiasm, benevolence, truthfulness, and honesty in deposits."

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 56

Imam Baqir [a] said: "... He who obeys Allah is a lover of us, and the one who disobeys Him then he is an enemy for us (AhIul-Bayt)..."

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 75

Sin and Its Effects

The Holy Prophet [s] said: "Do not look at the minuteness of the sin, but see Whom you have sinned against."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 79 & Mustadrak AI-Wasa'il, vol. 11, p. 330

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "If one of you desires to know his standing with Allah he may evaluate his situation in relation to his sins against Allah, such is his worthiness to Allah, the Blessed and Exalted."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 18

Imam Sadiq [a] addressed a group of people and inquired why they annoyed the Messenger of Allah. Someone asked Imam [a] how they did so, and he [a] said: "Do you not know that your deeds are reported to him [s]? When he [s] observes a sin against Allah among them, he becomes displeased. Therefore do not hurt the Messenger of Allah but do please him."

Usul-I-Kafi, vol. 1, p. 219

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "Lacking forgiveness is the worst of deficiencies and hastening in vengeance is (among) the greatest (of all) sins."

Ghurar-ul-Hikam, p. 235

Asbaq-ibn-Nubatah has narrated from the first Imam, Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a], who said the Prophet [s] said: "When Allah Almighty and Glorious sends His wrath on a nation and does not punish (them) by it, then; their prices will go up (expensive), their lifetimes will shorten, their merchants will not gain profits, their fruits will not be abundant, their streams will not become brimful, their rain will be withheld from them, and their vicious ones will dominate over them."

Khisal by Saduq, vol. 2, p.360

Note:

The summary of this tradition is that if the destructive penalty does not destroy such a nation, they will be inflicted with seven afflictions because of their committing sins.

Imam Baqir [a], the fifth Imam, said that he found in the book of Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] that he has said that the Holy Prophet [s] said: "When adultery appears (abundantly in a society) the (number of) sudden deaths increases; and when there is fraud, Allah takes them in expensiveness and loss. When people stop giving alms tax, the earth holds back its blessings from plants (crops), fruits, mines, and all such things. When they act unjustly according to (divine) ordinances, they have helped injustice and aggression. When they breach (their) promises, the Lord will set their enemies as absolute masters over them. When they break off connections with their kindred, possession of properties will be put in the hands of the wicked. And, when they do not perform enjoining right and forbidding wrong and, also, do not follow the chosen ones of my Ahlul-Bayt, Allah will set their vicious ones over them and, in this condition, their good doers utter invocations but they are not responded to."

Safinat-uI-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 630

Imam Amir ul Mu'mineen Ali [a] said: "The tears do not dry up save for the hearts being hard, and hearts do not harden but because of the abundance of sins."

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 70, p. 55

Allah, the Exalted, told Prophet David [a]: "O' David! Give good news to the sinners of My absolute Mercy, which envelops everything (in the world of existence), so as not to grow hopeless of My Mercy; and warn the good doers of the authority of My wrath in order not to be proud of their obedience, for pride causes arrogance which itself is the greatest of all sins."

Al-Ithna 'Ashariyyah, p. 59