قُلْتُ لَهُ إِنِّي لَا أَلْقَاكَ إِلَّا فِي السِّنِينَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي بِشَيْءٍ آخُذُ بِهِ فَقَالَ أُوصِيكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَ الْوَرَعِ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ[2] وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ اجْتِهَادٌ لَا وَرَعَ فِيهِ.
The Imam said, ‘I advise you to be pious before Allah, restrain from worldly matters (sins) and work hard. Note it properly that hard work without restraint from worldly matters is of no benefit.’”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَ صُونُوا دِينَكُمْ بِالْوَرَعِ.
“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Be pious before Allah and protect your religion by means of restraint from worldly matters (sins).’”
وَعَظَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَأَمَرَ وَ زَهَّدَ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْوَرَعِ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُنَالُ مَا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا بِالْوَرَعِ.
“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) spoke to us to advise us. He gave orders and told us to abstain from indulging (ourselves) in worldly matters. He then said, ‘You must maintain restraint; one does not receive of the things with Allah except by means of restraint from worldly matters (sins).”’
لَا يَنْفَعُ اجْتِهَادٌ لَا وَرَعَ فِيهِ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Hard work without restraint from worldly things (sins) is of no benefit.’”
قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ أَشَدَّ الْعِبَادَةِ الْوَرَعُ.
“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Restraining from worldly matters (sins) is the most intense form of worship.’”
قَالَ أَبُو الصَّبَّاحِ الْكِنَانِيُّ- لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا نَلْقَى مِنَ النَّاسِ فِيكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ مَا الَّذِي تَلْقَى مِنَ النَّاسِ فِيَّ فَقَالَ لَا يَزَالُ يَكُونُ بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَ الرَّجُلِ الْكَلَامُ فَيَقُولُ جَعْفَرِيٌّ خَبِيثٌ فَقَالَ يُعَيِّرُكُمُ النَّاسُ بِي فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الصَّبَّاحِ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ مَا أَقَلَّ وَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يَتَّبِعُ جَعْفَراً مِنْكُمْ إِنَّمَ
“Abu Sabah al-Kanani has said, ‘We are not received well among people because of you.’ The Imam said, ‘How are you received among people because of me?’ He said, ‘As soon as we speak to a man he then says, “He is a Ja’fari (follower of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.)) a filthy one.’” The Imam said, ‘Do they reprimand you b
قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ اجْتَنِبْ مَا حَرَّمْتُ عَلَيْكَ تَكُنْ مِنْ أَوْرَعِ النَّاسِ.
7. Hanan ibn Sadir has narrated from abu Sara al-Ghazzal from Abu Ja’far (a.s.) who said: “Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘O son of Adam, stay away from what I have made unlawful to you, you then will be of the people who restrain themselves from worldly matters the most.’”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْوَرِعِ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ الَّذِي يَتَوَرَّعُ عَنْ مَحَارِمِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ.
The Imam said, ‘They are those who stay away from what Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has made unlawful.’”
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ عَلَيْكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَ الْوَرَعِ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ وَ صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ وَ أَدَاءِ الْأَمَانَةِ وَ حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ وَ حُسْنِ الْجِوَارِ وَ كُونُوا دُعَاةً إِلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ بِغَيْرِ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَ كُونُوا زَيْناً وَ لَا تَكُونُوا شَيْناً وَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِطُولِ الرُّكُوعِ وَ السُّجُودِ فَإِنَّ أَحَدَكُمْ إِذَا أَطَالَ الرُّكُوعَ وَ السُّجُودَ هَتَفَ إِبْلِيسُ مِنْ خَل
9. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn al-Nu’man from abu ‘Usama who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) saying, ‘You must be pious before Allah, restrain yourself against worldly matters, work hard, speak the truth, keep the trust, have good moral behaviors,
كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَدَخَلَ عِيسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْقُمِّيُّ فَرَحَّبَ بِهِ وَ قَرَّبَ مِنْ مَجْلِسِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عِيسَى بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ مِنَّا وَ لَا كَرَامَةَ مَنْ كَانَ فِي مِصْرٍ فِيهِ مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ وَ كَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْمِصْرِ أَحَدٌ أَوْرَعَ مِنْهُ[1].
“Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when ‘Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qumi came to see him. The Imam greeted him and gave him a seat near his own seat. The Imam then said, ‘O ‘Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah, one is not from our people, and it is not an honor that one lives in a city of a hundred thousand people and someo
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَوْصِنِي قَالَ أُوصِيكَ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ وَ الْوَرَعِ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ[2] وَ اعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا يَنْفَعُ اجْتِهَادٌ لَا وَرَعَ فِيهِ.
“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) to instruct me with good advice. The Imam said, ‘I recommend you to be pious before Allah, restrain from worldly matters (sins) and work hard. Note that there is no benefit in hard work without restraint from worldly matters.’”
أَعِينُونَا بِالْوَرَعِ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مِنْكُمْ بِالْوَرَعِ كَانَ لَهُ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ فَرَجاً وَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- مَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَ الرَّسُولَ فَأُولئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَ الصِّدِّيقِينَ وَ الشُّهَداءِ وَ الصَّالِحِينَ وَ حَسُنَ أُولئِكَ رَفِيقاً[3] فَمِنَّا النَّبِيُّ وَ مِنَّا الصِّدِّيقُ وَ الشُّهَدَاءُ وَ الصَّ
“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Support us by means of restraint from worldly matters; whoever of you will meet Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, with the quality of restraint from worldly matters will have enough good news from Allah. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “One who obeys Allah and the
إِنَّا لَا نَعُدُّ الرَّجُلَ مُؤْمِناً حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِجَمِيعِ أَمْرِنَا مُتَّبِعاً مُرِيداً أَلَا وَ إِنَّ مِنِ اتِّبَاعِ أَمْرِنَا وَ إِرَادَتِهِ الْوَرَعَ فَتَزَيَّنُوا بِهِ يَرْحَمْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَ كَبِّدُوا أَعْدَاءَنَا بِهِ يَنْعَشْكُمُ اللَّهُ[4].
“We do not consider a person a believer until that person follows us in all of our orders and has firmly decided to do so. The decision to exercise restraint against worldly matters consists of following our orders and commands. You must have this beautiful quality. May Allah grant you blessings. With this Quality you
قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كُونُوا دُعَاةً لِلنَّاسِ بِغَيْرِ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ لِيَرَوْا مِنْكُمُ الْوَرَعَ وَ الِاجْتِهَادَ وَ الصَّلَاةَ وَ الْخَيْرَ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ دَاعِيَةٌ.
“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Preach to people without your tongue. You must show them restraint from worldly matters (sins). You should perform hard work, prayer and good deeds. Such behavior includes preaching.”
كَثِيراً مَا كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ أَبِي يَقُولُ لَيْسَ مِنْ شِيعَتِنَا مَنْ لَا تَتَحَدَّثُ الْمُخَدَّرَاتُ بِوَرَعِهِ فِي خُدُورِهِنَّ وَ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَوْلِيَائِنَا مَنْ هُوَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ فِيهَا عَشَرَةُ آلَافِ رَجُلٍ فِيهِمْ مِنْ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ أَوْرَعُ مِنْهُ.
“’Ubayd Allah ibn Ali reported to me from Abu al-Hasan the 1st (a.s.) who has said, ‘I would often hear my father saying, 'He is not one of our Shia who the women in their homes do not speak of his piety, and he is not from our supporters if he lives in a village with ten thousand men and there is someone among them mo