Showing posts with label Shia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shia. Show all posts

Tuesday, 6 March 2012

The Effects of Hajj as Seen by the Infallible Imam (as)

Someone asked Imam Baqir (AS) : Why Hajj has been named ” The Hajj of God’s House”? Imam said: It means that the pilgrim has reached salvation.
Imam Ali Ibn Hossain Zeinol Abedin (AS) says: perform Hajj and Omreh rituals in order to be safe and sound, to make it better living for your family and make a better life.
Imam Ali Ibn Hossain Zeinol Abedin (AS) says: Pilgrim of God’s House will be forgiven, and he is entitled to go to heaven and his family and possessions will be safe and immune.
The prophet of God (p.b.u.h) stated: Everyone who wants the world and the hereafter should perform hajj rituals. Abdollah Ibn Fazl says: « I said to Imam Sadiq (AS) that I have too many debts, I have a big family and I can’t afford the Hajj costs. Teach me a prayer. Imam stated: Say after each obligatory prayer: “May the blessings of Allah be upon Muhammad and his progeny, and pay my debts in this world and the hereafter. “
I said to him, ” I know what the worldly debts are but what are the debts of the hereafter? ” He said: “Hajj”. The prophet of God (p.b.u.h) looked at the strings of camels taking Hajis to the pilgrimage of God’s House and said: They don’t take steps unless it is taken as a good deed, they don’t take steps unless it vanishes a sin of them. And when they finish their ceremony of Hajj, they will be told: “You have made a building, don’t destroy it. Your sins are forgiven. From now on, do good deeds. »
Imam Baqir ( P ) said : Everyone completing a recitation of the Holy Quran in Mecca won’t die unless he sees the Prophet (p.b.u.h) and his own place in the Heaven.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: The best ways to pray God include silence and going to His House.
Imam Baqir (AS) said: God does not accept the Hajj and Omreh whose costs have been paid for through illegal means property. (Religiously prohibited) It’s been narrated from Isaac Ibn Ammar that Imam Sadiq (AS) said: O Isaac, everyone who circumambulates God’s House one time, God writes down 1000 good deeds for him, vanishes 1000 of his sins, gives him 1000 rewards, plants 1000 trees fro him in Paradise, gives him mercifully the recompense for delivering 1000 slaves.
When he reaches “Moltazem”, 8 doors of Heaven open and he is told: “Enter whichever door you wish”. Isaac said: “I said to Imam that all of those are for a person who just circumambulates God’s House”? Imam stated: “Yes. Wouldn’t I teach you a bigger recompense? ” I said: “Please, teach me. ” He said: “Everyone who does something for his faithful brothers, God will give him the recompense of 10 circumambulations.”
Imam Baqir (AS) said: One prayer in the Masjid-ul-Haram is 100000 times more valuable than one prayer in any other mosques.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: The most Favorable place for prayer to God Almighty is Saay. (That is a holy place in Mecca) . Because there every stubborn and proud person becomes meek.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said to Ibn-Abi-Yafour: Pray very much in the Prophet’s mosque, for praying in this mosque is equal to same 1000 prayers in other mosques, except Masjed -ul- Haram that same prayers in this mosque is equal to same 1000 prayers in the Prophet’s mosque. Imam Sadiq (AS) said: Someone who visits a Hajj pilgrim and shakes hands with him, it is as if he has touched the Hajar-ol-Asvad.
Imam Sadiq ( P ) says regarding ” Ramye- Jamarat ” : With every stone that a Haji throws at Jamarat, a big fatal sin is vanished from his soul.
Imam Ali ibn Hossain (AS) says: When Haji sacrifices in the desert of Mena (that is a place near Mecca) , his sacrifices will be the price of his freedom from the fire of the Resurrection Day. The sixth Imam (AS) says: As one of you perform Hajj and finish it with the pilgrimage to Medina, that pilgrimage is the sign of Hajj’s completion.
Imam Sajjad (AS) says: A person, who accepts responsibility for the family and financial matters of a Haji, has the same reward as a Haji has himself. It is even as if he has performed Hajj himself.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Religion will be living so long as Kaaba is living.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: Respect people who had performed Hajj and Omreh, because you are obliged to respect them.
The Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been quoted a saying: What is meant by obligatory prayers; Hajj rituals and other rituals is to remember God, so what is the use of verbal praise whelming your mind, you don’t think of the greatness of Allah.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: People who do Hajj and Omreh are justified to God. God will grant them whatever they have asked. If they pray he will accept, if they intercede, He will accept and if they remain silent, He himself begins to give them generously His favor and He grants themand instead of each derham, He will grant them thousands of derhams.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Hajis who return from God’s House appear in three categories: One group are those who are free from fire of Hell.One group who are purified of their sins as if they are born again. The third group are the people who come back with the guarantee of their families and properties, and this is the least a Haji enjoys.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: When you decide to go to Hajj, free your heart from anything that may keep you away from God.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) says: In 4 occasions the doors of sky are opened and prayers will be accepted ; on the occasion of coincidence of the rows of fighters in the cause of God, when it rains and in the time of getting up for saying prayers and at the time of looking at the great Kaaba.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: As long as a person is looking at Kaaba he will receive rewards and his sins are forgiven.
Imam Bagher (AS) says: There are three things that are headed by God. His book, which is His order and light. His House which is the kiblah(that is the direction to which Muslims turn in praying) and He just accepts full attention to this direction and the Etrat (that is the household of the Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) ).
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: God has provided 120 types of blessings around Kaaba, 60 of these blessings will be given to circumambulatores, 40 of them will be given to prayers and 20 of these blessings will be for people who look at Kaaba.
Regarding settlement in Arafat Imam Baqir says: none of good and wicked people would settle on the Arafat’s mountain unless God accepts their prayers ; the chastes benediction for the mundane and afterlife matters will be accepted but the wicked prayers will be accepted just for their mundane matters. A man asked Imam Sadiq (AS) in Masjid- ul- Haram: Who commits the greatest sins? Imam said: “Someone who settles in Arafat and Mashar, and he does the ceremony of Saay between the mountains of Safa and Marveh, and circumambulates around the God’s House, then he prays at the back of the Maghame Ibrahim (AS) but doubts whether God forgives him ornot.
This person commits the greatest sin.”
Imam Hossain ibn Ali (AS) says: Shake hands with Hajis and the people whom have performed the Hajj rituals and Omreh and salute them before they make sin.
Mohammad ibn Sannan has been quoted a saying that once Imam Reza (AS) wrote to him, ” The reason why Mena (A place near Mecca)was named Mena is that Gabriel (A great angel) said to the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) in this place: Ask God whatever you wish. “
Imam Saiq (AS) says: Haji will have the light and mien of Hajj as long as he has not committed a sin.
The Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) says: O people perform Hajj rituals with full awareness and religion and don’t come back from Hajj unless you decide to give up committing sins and repent instead. The Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) says: The reward of Hajj is Paradise and the atonement of any sin is Omreh.
The Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) says: There are some kinds of sins that are just forgiven in Arafat.
Imam Sadiq ( P ) says : Frequenting between Safa and Marveh is a means to underestimate a tyrants.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: Begin your Hajj from Mecca and finish it to us.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Looking at Kaaba is an act of worship.
Imam Ali (AS) says: Don’t abandon Hajj rituals because you will be punished.
The Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) said to Imam Ali (AS) : O Ali, someone who is able to do Hajj but he avoids doing it is a great sinner.The Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) said to Imam Ali (AS) : O Ali, someone who postpones Hajj rituals until he dies, God will send him as Jewish or Christian in the Resurrection Day.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: If people abandon Hajj of this House, they will be immediately punished.
The Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: the fighters in the way of God and the Hajis and those who do Omreh are guests invited by God.
The great Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) has been quoted a saying: Hajj resembles Jihad (which is the Holy war in the way of God) .
Narrated from the great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) that he said: What a nice Jihad is Hajj. Imam Ali (AS) says: 4 Heavenly places exists onearth: Masjid -ul- Haram, the mosque of the Prophet, the mosque of Bayt -ol- Maghdes and the mosque of Koofeh.
The great Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) says: Perform Hajj in order to be independent.
The great Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: Sustaining wealth for the journey of Hajj is like sustaining in the way of God and God will reward it 100 times more.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: If someone gives Eftar (which is a meal eaten after fasting) to any faster or sends a Muslim into Hajj, or mobilizes a fighter or accepts the responsibility of his family, he is entitled to equal spiritual reward.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Entering Kaaba is like entering into God’s Mercy.
The great Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: God forgives a Haji and whoever that he asks forgiveness for.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: God is the guarantor of someone going to Hajj. If God wants him to be alive, he will come back to his family and if God gets his life, he will enter the Paradise.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: When a Haji enters Mecca, God puts 2 angels for him to keep his prayer, Say and circumambulation, When he stands in the Arafah, they beat on his right shoulder and say: ” Don’t worry for the past, see what you will be in future.”
Imam Ali (AS) says: someone who goes to Hajj and Omreh, he is in fact going to God and God honors his guests and forgives them.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: The fighters in the way of God and the people performing Hajj and Omreh are God’s guests. God invites them and they accept and they ask God and God grants.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: 3 groups go towards God: Fighters, people who perform Hajj and people who perform Omreh.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: One Hajj is better than the world and everything that is in it and an obligatory prayer is better than 1000 Hajjs.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: No act is better than the Hajj except for Jihad and martyrdom in the way of God.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: There is nothing better than Hajj but the daily prayer.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: Paradise is the reward for an accepted Hajj.
The Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) was asked: ” What is the best work?” He said: ” Faith in God, Jihad in the way of God and an accepted Hajj.The great messenger (p.b.u.h) said: Hajj is a minor Jihad.”
Imam Sadiq ( P ) says : Saying an obligatory prayer is better than going to Hajj for 20 times and going to Hajj is better than a House,full of gold which is given away as donation and alms.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: One Hajj is better than releasing 70 slaves.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: Hajj and Omreh are 2 bazaars of the hereafter. The person who does Hajj and Omreh very often is the God’s guest. If God keeps him alive, he is kept forgiven and if God gets his life, he will enter the Paradise.
Imam Reza (AS) says: Hajj and Omreh vanish sins and poverty as a furnace vanishes impurities of Iron.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: There are 3 things which their spiritual rewards include both afterlife and this world: Hajj; which vanishes poverty, alms; which removes poverty, and goodness; which makes life last longer.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says : A Haji never becomes poor.
The great Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) says: Travel to have a healthy body and do Jihad to gain booty and go to Hajj to be independent.
The Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: Someone who wants to go to Hajj should hurry up.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: If someone can afford Hajj but he postpones it without any logical excuse until he dies, he has violated one of Islam’s injunctions.
The great Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) has been quoted a saying: Someone who doesn’t perform his obligatory Hajj rituals without any severe illness or essential need or any other reasons until he dies, he has died as a Jewish or Christian.
Imam Sadiq ( P ) says : No one will be deprived of Hajj rituals unless because of a sin, and this is under conditions when God forgives most sins.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said to Isa, the son of Abi Mansour: O Isa, if you can eat bread and salt and go to Hajj, do it.
Imam Sadiq (AS) said: If someone performs Hajj twice, he will be in mercy and blessing as long as he is alive.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Someone who goes to Hajj for 3 times, he never becomes poor.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Someone who goes to Hajj for 10 times, God will forgive all his sins.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: In every month of the year people can go to perform Omreh, but the best month is Rajab. (The 7th lunar month).
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: To God Mecca is the most favorite place.
Imam Ali ibn Hossain, Zeinol Abedin (AS) says: Feeding in Mecca is like fasting in other places and fasting one day in Mecca is equal to fasting one year in other places and walking in Mecca is a prayer itself.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: Someone who prostrates in Mecca is like the person who sheds his blood in the way of God.
The great Prophet of God (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: No days are like the first ten days of Zi-hajjeh (12th lunar month) when God likes people to pray in.
Narrated from the great Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) a saying: Touching the Hejar ol Asvad (which is a holy black stone in Mecca) and Rokne Yamani will vanish all sins.
Imam Ali Ibn Hossain Zeinol Abedin (AS) says: When the night of Arafat and the first hours of the Mena day come, God presents his dearestAngels to the people standing in Arafat and Mena.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: When people rest in Mena, a proclaimer on behalf of God proclaims that, if you wish my satisfaction, I am satisfied.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: The major Hajj is day of sacrifice.
The Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) says: Ramye Jamarat (that is part of Hajj rituals in which pilgrims throw stones at satans) will be rewarded in the resurrection day.
Imam Baqir (AS) says: If someone dies in one of these 2sanctuaries (that is Mecca or Medina) , he will be appointed without any fear in the resurrection day.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: God likes serving food and sacrificing of sheep in Mena.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: When a faithful man shaves all his hair in Mena and buries it. In the resurrection day, every hair will recall its owner’s name.
Imam Ali (AS) says: The Zamzam’s water (which is a holy well near Kaaba) is the best water on earth.
The great Messenger of God (p.b.u.h) has been narrated a saying: Someone who circumambulates God’s house 7 times and says two units of prayers in the back of Magham (which is a holy place in Kaaba) and drinks Zamzm’s water, all his sins will be cleared.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) says: Drinking the Zamzam’s water is a cure for every illness.
Imam Sadiq (AS) says: Nothing but daily prayers is better than Hajj.
The great Prophet of Islam (p.b.u.h) says: When you finish Hajj rituals, you are so pure as if you have been born again.
Imam Ali (AS) has said in his will that: For the sake of God, For the sake of God, It’s the right of your Lord’s home to not be left alone until you live, because if it is left alone, you won’t stand a chance against God’s punishment.
Imam Saiq (AS) : No place is more favored by God except the place of running (Masaa) because there is where any selfish or cruel person will be humiliated and disrespected.
Imam Ali (AS) : Don’t you see that the Glorious God ever since Adam’s time till the end of the world has tested people with rocks that areuseless as well as harmless, blind as well as deaf, and with all his respect, built them into a place where people gather round.
Then, it was placed in the most rocky, plantless, and harrow canyon which was between the toughest mountains, hottest pebbles, and waterless-springs that was very far from plains, somewhere no camel, horse, cow, or sheep could grow fat. If the Glorious God with all his respect were to place his home and the Hajj’s ceremonial place somewhere else that was in the middle of gardens, springs, plains full of trees, fruit, and close houses and villages, and where fields full of wheat, gardens full of flowers, fine land and sure enough however simple the examination is, the reward will be little.
Imam Saiq (AS) in answer to Hesham the son of Hekam ‘s question about the reason of achieving the Hajj ceremony and circumambulating the Kaaba, replied: God created humans, and commanded them to obey the religion and what’s best for them in this world and placed Hajj to join his people from the east and west of the world (and so that they get to know what each other are up to) and so that the merchants that take goods from town to town would profit. And so that leaders and the camel keepers would gain something as well.
And also so that the God’s Messenger’s traces would be known and his words would not be forgotten. If every tribe or person were to settle in his / her own city or land, they would banish, and their cities would be destroyed, they would have a financial decrease, and everything would be kept silent, this is the true reason of Hajj.
Imam Bagher (AS) : Hajj is peaceful for the soul.
Imam Sadegh (AS) : I’ve never seen anything remove and replace poverty with wealth as fast as continuously going to the pilgrimage of God’s home.
Imam Sajjad (AS) : The right of Hajj for you is to know that through this you enter your God’s bounders and you turn to him instead of sinning, and because of this your sorrow is accepted and you have achieved what God has asked you to do.
Imam Baqir (AS) : Having complete Hajj is like meeting with the Imam.
Imam Kadhim (AS) : Following the verse: Whoever is blind in this world is also blind in the second world and even more mislead. ImamKadhim (AS) commented: That’s someone who postpones the required Hajj and keeps saying I’ll go this year, I’ll go next year until he / she finally dies, and we warp their body and keep eyes of people.
Abdur Rahman the son of Kosair: I went to Hajj with Imam Sadiq (AS) and on the way; his excellency went on a high mountain and looked at people from up there and said: There’s so much commotion and so little Hajis.
Imam Baqir (AS) : Whoever comes to pilgrimage this house is not accepted if he/she doesn’t have these three traits: 1. Self-restraint from sinning. 2. Forbearance to control his / her anger with. 3. Treating his / her companions properly.
Imam Sadiq (AS) : If someone goes to the pilgrimage of God’s home with religiously prohibited money, and says, ” Oh my Lord, I ‘m here (Labbayk) (In return) he’ll /she’ll hear: No, you are not here and no you are not worthy. And if someone goes to the pilgrimage of God’s home with religiously legitimate money will hear: You are here and you are worthy.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (AS) said: Whoever goes to Hajj with religiously prohibited money, then says: I’m here, oh God,I’m here (Labbayk Allahomma Lababak) God will answer: No, you are not here and no your Hajj should be of your own.
Imam Sadiq (AS) : There are two kinds of Hajj: Doing the duties of Hajj for God and doing the duties of Hajj for people, whoever goes to Hajj for God, is rewarded with heaven, and whoever goes to Hajj because of people, on the Judgement Day, his / her reward will be given to those people.
Imam Sadiq (AS) : Whoever dies on the way to Mecca or coming back from Mecca will be rid of fright, fear, and nervousness on the Judgement Day.
Imam Sadiq (AS) : Whoever dies while wearing the pilgrimage’s garb, will later rise saying I’m here (Labbayk) .
Imam Sadiq (AS) : Regarding the verse (And whoever reaches there is safe) said, Any human that enters the Holy Shrine and turns to it is safe from God’s anger and if any kind of animal or bird enters, they should not be annoyed or forced out until it has left the Shrine itself.
Imam Sadiq (AS) : People lose their Imam but his excellency is present in the Hajj ceremonies and sees people, but people don’t see him.

15 habits to be wary of..

The Holy Prophet (S) said: “When my Ummat (followers) will acquire fifteen habits they will be visited by disasters:
1) When the booty will be treated as personal property;
2) and trust will become like a booty of war;
3) and charity will be (disliked) like a loss;
4&5) and man will obey his wife and disobey his mother;
6&7) and will be generous to his friend and tyrant to his father
8) and voices will be high in the Masjides;
9) and a man will be respected as a safeguard against his evil;
10) and the leader of the people will be the worst of them;
11) and men will wear silk;
12) and people will keep singing and dancing girls;
13) and will keep musical instruments;
14) and will drink intoxicants;
15) and fornication will increase;
At that time expect red storms or depression of land-mass or changing your faces like the image of animals and the victory of your enemy upon you and then you will not be helped (by Allah).”

Answer on distance of sun from the earth…

WORTH PONDERING – Answer on distance of sun from the earth…
A man asked Imam Ali (a.s.) in Kufa Mosque, Iraq, “What is the distance between me and (pointing towards the sun) and the sun”.
It is worth mentioning here about the complexity of this question. This man was an Arab. And in the Arabic language the numbers or count is limited up to one thousand (1000). The count in Arabic does not exceed 1000. The answer to the question this man asked dealt in millions (distance).It was like a challenge to Imam Ali (a.s.) to answer him in a convincing manner without confusing him. Imam Ali (a.s.) answered: “If an Arab horse starts walking from here and continues walking for 500 years, then he (horse) will reach the sun.”
The man got convinced and walked away. But it is for us now to ponder on what Imam Ali (a.s.) said.
This one sentence of Imam Ali (a.s.) shows and proves the genius that Imam Ali (a.s.) was.
Imam Ali (a.s.) said “If an Arab horse…” the average speed of an Arab horse is 22 mph (miles per hour).
If a horse runs the full day (24hours) it will cover approximately 520 miles. This gives us the distance the horse will cover in 24 hrs (one day).
To calculate the distance covered by the horse in one month we multiply it 520 by 29.5 (Taking an average of the number of months in Arab calendar. Assuming that 6 months are of 29 days and 6 months are of 30 days.). It gives us something around 15,500. The horse covers 15,500 miles in one month (30 days).
To get the distance that he will travel in one year we multiply it by 12. Since there are 12 months in a year.
It gives you 186,000. Then multiply 186,000 by 500 as the horse should run for 500 years. It gives you 93,400,000 miles.
Now if you ask an astronomer about the distance of sun from the earth he will tell you that the distance is never constant. The orbit of the earth is oval in shape. Sometimes it comes nearer to the sun and on occasions it distances itself from the sun. When the earth is closest to the sun its distance is 91,000,000 miles and the distance when it is farthest from the sun is 94,800,000 miles. When you take an average on these two distances it comes around 930,000 miles.
Imam Ali (a.s.) 1400 years back told us about the distance of the earth from the

Who Are the Shia of Imam Ali (as)?

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) was asked by Ibn Abbas about the verse of the Holy Qur’an, “And the Foremost Ones are the foremost ones: they are the ones brought near to Allah” (56:10-11), to which he replied, ‘This refers to Ali and his Shia – they will be the foremost to enter Paradise, the ones brought near to Allah through His Magnanimity over them.” (Amali al-Tusi)
What Does it Mean to Be a Shia of Ali?
God has made the love of Imam Ali an incumbent article of faith. Only a believer would love Imam Ali, and only a hypocrite could ever hate him. Imam Ali is the friend of the believer through a natural human inclination towards perfection and lofty morals – attributes possessed by Imam Ali. However, history has recorded many individuals who claim love the Commander of the Faithful while displaying tendencies antagonistic to such love. According to the Prophet, the guardianship of Imam Ali is an obligation all humans will be accountable for on the Day of Judgment: “I swear by the Magnificence and Glory of my Lord that Ali is the door to God that leads to Him. Ali is Allah’s ‘Straight Path’, and it is the guardianship of Ali that Allah will ask about on the Day of Judgment.” ( Amali al-Saduq)
Narrations such as these may give some of us a sense of comfort, because we are led to believe that we are safe both in this life and the hereafter through our love of Imam Ali. However, the conscious believer should recognize that many of us have yet to realize what it truly means to love Imam Ali with both our hearts and our tongues. What does it mean to be a Shia of Ali today, in a world filled with corruption and the promotion of the greatest of sins?
The Shia of Ali Are Humble and Aware
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) explains the need for humility and God-consciousness in anyone claiming to be a Shia of Ali ibn Abi-Talib: “Our Shia are none other than those who are consciously wary of their duty to Allah and obey Him. They are known solely for their humbleness, their humility, their returning promptly whatever is entrusted in their care, and their abundant remembrance of Allah.” (Tuhaf al-Uqool) It is not possible to merely claim one is a Shia while remaining oblivious of one’s duties towards God, the Holy Prophet, and the Purified Household. This awareness of our duties in Islam establishes both humility and a firm foundation of faith and practice.
The Shia of Ali Are Able to Control their Speech
Wonder of wonders! How can it be that the same tongue that invokes blessings of Allah on Ali backbites about a fellow believer? Imam al-Sadiq has warned us to be cognizant of the dangers of the tongue and its hindrance on our faith: “O Shia community, be an adornment for us [among people], and not a disgrace to us. Say good words to people, guard your tongues, and restrain yourselves from mindless chatter and offensive speech.” (Amali al-Saduq)
The Shia of Ali are Pious and Noble
It is not enough to claim one is a Shia through speech and not actions! In fact, the title Shia is not a characterization we are born with, but rather one that is earned by those who are steadfast in their duties to God. Imam al-Baqir advises on our true identity as Shias and those loyal to Imam Ali, “Do you think that it suffices for one to say that he likes Imam Ali and he is his follower, but does not do anything to support his claim? Or he says that he likes the Prophet, who is even better than Imam Ali, but does not take his example and follow his deeds and act according to the Prophet’s tradition? Just having love for the Prophet is of no use for him. Therefore, be conscious of God, and act in such a way as to attain what is near God, since there is no relation of kin between God and anyone. The one most loved by God is the one who is the most God-conscious, and the noblest one is the one who fears God and obeys Him. I swear by God that it is not possible to get close to God unless by His obedience, and we do not hold the key to relief from the Fire of Hell, and no one has any authority over God. Whoever is obedient to God is our friend, and whoever disobeys God is our enemy. No one can attain our friendship unless through God-consciousness and good deeds.” (Tuhaf al-Uqool)
The Shia of Ali Are Careful about Prayers
In his last will and testament, Imam Ali stresses the importance of prayers to his Shia, “Fear Allah in relation to your prayers. It is the pillar of your religion.” Imam al-Sadiq on his deathbed also mentions prayer and states, “Verily our intercession will not avail one who takes his prayer lightly.” (Wasail al-Shia) He has also said, “Test our followers at three occasions: during the prayer times [to see] how much importance they give it; and by our secrets to see how they protect our secrets from our enemies; and with their wealth to see how they help their brothers in faith with it.” (Bihar al-Anwar)
We cannot claim to be a Shia simply because we were born into the sect, or because we claim love Imam Ali. Indeed, the status of the Shia of Imam Ali is great and exalted, and therefore, so are the duties and responsibility in our faith and actions. By claiming to love Imam Ali, we must also love his great qualities and strive to implement them in our daily lives and actions. In many traditions, our Imams state their Shias are those who hold themselves accountable everyday for their actions and are those who improve their conduct every day. We ask God to grant us the honor of being among the followers of the Commander of the Faithful in this life and the next.

source: http://islamicinsights.com/religion/religion/who-are-the-shia-of-imam-ali.html

Slideshow: Ashura, the Unique Face of Shia Islam

Every year on the tenth day of the holy month of Muharram, the first on the Islamic lunar calendar, Shia Muslims show a distinctive face of Islam, one that sees spirituality in passion and rituals rather than in law and the familiar practices that punctuate Muslim lives. Open spaces and narrow alleys in cities, towns and villages take over from the mosques and seminaries as Shias individually and collectively make a show of their piety and their identity. No observer of this day, the festival of Ashura, will remain unaffected by the Shias’ display of fealty to their faith. None will fail to see the uniqueness of Shia Islam or the values and spirituality that define it.
- Vali Nasr, The Shia Revival
The holy day of Ashura marks the martyrdom of Hussain ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Mohammad, in a historic seventh century battle. The Battle of Karbala, as it’s known, cemented the schism between Sunni and Shia Muslims that arose from a succession dispute after the prophet’s death.
Every year around Ashura, the media is flooded with images of blood-soaked Shias self-flagellating. But Shias around the world — who make up between 10 to 13 percent of Muslims – observe the month in a myriad of ways. This year Ashura was observed on Tuesday. The photos below — some taken by worshipers themselves — illustrate how Shias commemorate the event that defines what they believe is a central narrative of their faith: justice in the face of oppression.

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