قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع مَنْ خَالَطْتَ فَإِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ يَدُكَ الْعُلْيَا عَلَيْهِمْ فَافْعَلْ[1].
“Whoever you associate with, if you can maintain an upper hand (in your dealings with him) do so (be more beneficial).”
دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ الْبَيْتُ غَاصٌّ بِأَهْلِهِ فِيهِ الْخُرَاسَانِيُّ وَ الشَّامِيُّ وَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْآفَاقِ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ مَوْضِعاً أَقْعُدُ فِيهِ فَجَلَسَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ كَانَ مُتَّكِئاً ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا شِيعَةَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَمْلِكْ نَفْسَهُ عِنْدَ غَضَبِهِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يُحْسِنْ صُحْبَةَ مَنْ صَحِبَهُ وَ مُخَالَقَةَ مَنْ خَالَقَهُ وَ مُرَا
“Once I went in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) and the house was full of people. There were people from Khurasan, from al-Sham and from various horizons and I could not find a place to sit. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) sat in his place and he was leaning against a pillow. He said, ‘O Shi’a (followers) of the family of M
كَانَ يُوَسِّعُ الْمَجْلِسَ وَ يَسْتَقْرِضُ لِلْمُحْتَاجِ وَ يُعِينُ الضَّعِيفَ.
“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘We believe you to be a righteous person,’ (12:36) the Imam said, ‘He would make room for others in a gathering, lend money to the needy and assist the weak.’”
كَانَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ع يَقُولُ عَظِّمُوا أَصْحَابَكُمْ وَ وَقِّرُوهُمْ وَ لَا يَتَهَجَّمْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَ لَا تَضَارُّوا وَ لَا تَحَاسَدُوا وَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْبُخْلَ كُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ الْمُخْلَصِينَ الصَّالِحِينَ.
4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Sinan from ‘Ala’ ibn al-Fudayl from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) would say, ‘Show respect for your friends and dignify them. Do not be aggressive to each other, do not harm or envy each other. Beware of
الِانْقِبَاضُ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَكْسَبَةٌ لِلْعَدَاوَةِ.
“Restraint from associating people brings in their animosity.”