Belief Spreads In all Parts of the Body

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَ الْبَصَرَ وَ الْفُؤادَ كُلُّ أُولئِكَ كانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُلًا قَالَ يُسْأَلُ السَّمْعُ عَمَّا سَمِعَ وَ الْبَصَرُ عَمَّا نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِ وَ الْفُؤَادُ عَمَّا عَقَدَ عَلَيْهِ.

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said to me, ‘It is of certainty that the ears, eyes and heart will all be questioned. ’(17:36) He said, ‘The ears will be questioned about what they have heard, the eyes will be questioned about what they have looked upon and the heart will be questioned about what it has established as belie

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ [وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ‌] وَ الْإِقْرَارُ بِمَا جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللَّهِ وَ مَا اسْتَقَرَّ فِي الْقُلُوبِ مِنَ التَّصْدِيقِ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ قُلْتُ الشَّهَادَةُ أَ لَيْسَتْ عَمَلًا قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ الْعَمَلُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ قَالَ نَعَمْ الْإِيمَانُ لَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا بِعَمَلٍ وَ الْعَمَلُ مِنْهُ وَ لَا يَثْبُتُ الْإِيمَانُ إِل

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about belief. He said, ‘It is to testify that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, Muhammad (a.s.) is the Messenger of Allah and to affirm that whatever he (Muhammad) brought is from Allah. That which is established in the hearts through acknowledgement of such facts is beli

قُلْتُ لَهُ مَا الْإِسْلَامُ فَقَالَ دِينُ اللَّهِ اسْمُهُ الْإِسْلَامُ- وَ هُوَ دِينُ اللَّهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا حَيْثُ كُنْتُمْ‌[1] وَ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَكُونُوا فَمَنْ أَقَرَّ بِدِينِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ مُسْلِمٌ وَ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِمَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ بِهِ فَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ.

“I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘What is Islam?’ He said, ‘It is the name of the religion of Allah. It was the religion of Allah before you were as you are now and after you it will be there. Whoever professes the religion of Allah, is a Muslim. Whoever does what Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has commanded, is

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع فَقَالَ لَهُ سَلَّامٌ‌[2] إِنَّ خَيْثَمَةَ ابْنَ أَبِي خَيْثَمَةَ يُحَدِّثُنَا عَنْكَ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَكَ عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ فَقُلْتَ لَهُ إِنَّ الْإِسْلَامَ مَنِ اسْتَقْبَلَ قِبْلَتَنَا وَ شَهِدَ شَهَادَتَنَا وَ نَسَكَ نُسُكَنَا وَ وَالَى وَلِيَّنَا وَ عَادَى عَدُوَّنَا فَهُوَ مُسْلِمٌ فَقَالَ صَدَقَ خَيْثَمَةُ قُلْتُ وَ سَأَلَكَ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ فَقُلْتَ الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَ التَّصْدِ

“I was in the presence of abu Ja’far (a.s.) when Salam said, ‘Khaythamah ibn abu Khaythamah narrates to us from you that you were asked about Islam and you said, ‘Islam is this: Whoever faces our Qibla (direction of Makka), testifies to our testiment of belief, practices our practice, is a friend of our friend and an e

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ فَقَالَ شَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ اللَّهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَ لَيْسَ هَذَا عَمَلٌ قَالَ بَلَى قُلْتُ فَالْعَمَلُ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ قَالَ لَا يَثْبُتُ لَهُ‌[3] الْإِيمَانُ إِلَّا بِالْعَمَلِ وَ الْعَمَلُ مِنْهُ.

“I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about belief. He said, ‘It is to testify that no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad (a.s.) is the Messenger of Allah.’ I asked, ‘Is it not a deed?’ He said, ‘Yes, it is a deed.’ 1 then asked, ‘Is deed of belief?’ He said, ‘One’s belief does not take any root witho

سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ الْعَالِمَ ع فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا الْعَالِمُ أَخْبِرْنِي أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ‌ أَفْضَلُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا لَا يُقْبَلُ عَمَلٌ إِلَّا بِهِ فَقَالَ وَ مَا ذَلِكَ قَالَ الْإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَعْلَى الْأَعْمَالِ دَرَجَةً[1] وَ أَسْنَاهَا حَظّاً وَ أَشْرَفُهَا مَنْزِلَةً قُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ أَ قَوْلٌ وَ عَمَلٌ أَمْ قَوْلٌ بِلَا عَمَلٍ قَالَ الْإِيمَانُ عَمَلٌ كُلُّهُ وَ الْقَوْ

7. Certain individuals of our people have narrated from Ali ibn ‘Abbas from Ali ibn Maysir from Hammad ibn al-Nusaybi who has said the following: “A man asked the scholar (a.s.) ‘O scholar, tell me which deed is more virtuous before Allah?’ He said, ‘It is the deed without which Allah does not accept any deed.’ He aske

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ وَ سَأَلَهُ رَجُلٌ عَنْ قَوْلِ الْمُرْجِئَةِ فِي الْكُفْرِ وَ الْإِيمَانِ وَ قَالَ إِنَّهُمْ يَحْتَجُّونَ عَلَيْنَا وَ يَقُولُونَ كَمَا أَنَّ الْكَافِرَ عِنْدَنَا هُوَ الْكَافِرُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَكَذَلِكَ نَجِدُ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا أَقَرَّ بِإِيمَانِهِ أَنَّهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مُؤْمِنٌ فَقَالَ- سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَ كَيْفَ يَسْتَوِي هَذَانِ وَ الْكُفْرُ إِقْرَارٌ مِنَ الْعَبْدِ فَلَ

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying - when a man asked him about the words of al-Murji’a, a religious sect, about rejection (disbelief) and belief -, ‘They argue against us and say, “Just as to us one who disbelieves is a rejecter of belief, so also is he in the sight of Allah. The same applies to a believer. We find

قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّ لِلْإِيمَانِ دَرَجَاتٍ وَ مَنَازِلَ يَتَفَاضَلُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ فِيهَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قُلْتُ صِفْهُ لِي رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ حَتَّى أَفْهَمَهُ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَبَّقَ بَيْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَمَا يُسَبَّقُ بَيْنَ الْخَيْلِ يَوْمَ الرِّهَانِ‌[1] ثُمَّ فَضَّلَهُمْ عَلَى دَرَجَاتِهِمْ فِي السَّبْقِ إِلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَ كُلَّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى دَرَجَةِ سَبْقِهِ لَا يَنْقُصُهُ فِيهَا مِنْ حَ

“I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘Are there degrees and stages of belief in which the believers may excel in the sight of Allah?’ He said, ‘Yes, there are.’ 1 then said, ‘Explain to me, please, may Allah grant you favors, so I can understand.’ The Imam said, ‘Allah has set a contest among the believers like the contest se