The Necessary Part of Social Manners

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالصَّلَاةِ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ- وَ حُسْنِ الْجِوَارِ لِلنَّاسِ‌[1] وَ إِقَامَةِ الشَّهَادَةِ وَ حُضُورِ الْجَنَائِزِ إِنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ لَكُمْ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ أَحَداً لَا يَسْتَغْنِي عَنِ النَّاسِ حَيَاتَهُ وَ النَّاسُ لَا بُدَّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘You must pray in the Mosques, maintain good neighborly relations with people, present your testimony, and attend funeral processions. You need people. There is no one who does not need people in his life. People need each other.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع كَيْفَ يَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَصْنَعَ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا وَ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَ خُلَطَائِنَا مِنَ النَّاسِ قَالَ فَقَالَ تُؤَدُّونَ الْأَمَانَةَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ تُقِيمُونَ الشَّهَادَةَ لَهُمْ وَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ تَعُودُونَ مَرْضَاهُمْ وَ تَشْهَدُونَ جَنَائِزَهُمْ.

2. Muhammad ibn Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan and Abu Ali al- Ash’ari from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mu’awiyah ibn Wahab who has said the following: “Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ‘What is the proper way to deal with ourselves, our people, our associates and the people

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ‌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْوَرَعِ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ وَ اشْهَدُوا الْجَنَائِزَ وَ عُودُوا الْمَرْضَى وَ احْضُرُوا مَعَ قَوْمِكُمْ مَسَاجِدَكُمْ وَ أَحِبُّوا لِلنَّاسِ مَا تُحِبُّونَ لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ أَ مَا يَسْتَحْيِي الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ يَعْرِفَ جَارُهُ حَقَّهُ وَ لَا يَعْرِفَ حَقَّ جَارِهِ.

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al- Husayn ibn Sa’id and Muhammad ibn Khalid all from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Habib al-Khath’ami who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) saying, ‘You must maintain restraint from worldly attractions (sins), maintain persistence in wor

قُلْتُ لَهُ كَيْفَ يَنْبَغِي لَنَا أَنْ نَصْنَعَ فِيمَا بَيْنَنَا وَ بَيْنَ قَوْمِنَا وَ بَيْنَ خُلَطَائِنَا مِنَ النَّاسِ مِمَّنْ لَيْسُوا عَلَى أَمْرِنَا قَالَ تَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى أَئِمَّتِكُمُ الَّذِينَ تَقْتَدُونَ بِهِمْ فَتَصْنَعُونَ مَا يَصْنَعُونَ فَوَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَعُودُونَ مَرْضَاهُمْ وَ يَشْهَدُونَ جَنَائِزَهُمْ وَ يُقِيمُونَ الشَّهَادَةَ لَهُمْ وَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَ يُؤَدُّونَ الْأَمَانَةَ إِلَيْهِمْ.

“Once I asked the Imam (a.s.) ‘What is the proper way to deal with ourselves and our people, our associates of the people who do not believe as we do?’ The Imam said, ‘Look to your ‘A’immah (plural of Imam) whom you follow and do what they do. By Allah, they, (‘A’immah) visit their sick people, attend their funerals, p

قَالَ لِي أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ اقْرَأْ عَلَى مَنْ تَرَى أَنَّهُ يُطِيعُنِي مِنْهُمْ وَ يَأْخُذُ بِقَوْلِيَ السَّلَامَ وَ أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ الْوَرَعِ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَ الِاجْتِهَادِ لِلَّهِ وَ صِدْقِ الْحَدِيثِ وَ أَدَاءِ الْأَمَانَةِ وَ طُولِ السُّجُودِ وَ حُسْنِ الْجِوَارِ فَبِهَذَا جَاءَ مُحَمَّدٌ ص أَدُّوا الْأَمَانَةَ إِلَى مَنِ ائْتَمَنَكُمْ عَلَيْهَا بَرّاً أَوْ فَاجِراً فَإِنَّ ر

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from abu ‘Usamah Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said to me, ‘Convey greetings of peace from me to all that you will see of those who obey me and uphold my words. Tell them that I enjoin upo