And Iblis swore that he would lead the descendants of Adam astray…
Indeed! The devil, this bitter enemy of humankind, declared explicitly his intention to mislead mankind, saying to God: “I will certainly wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will approach them from the front, from behind, from the right, and from the left. You will not find most of them thankful.” [1]
Thus, Iblis firmly resolved to mislead humanity by every means possible and to lead each group down a specific path of misguidance.
However, one of the ways through which Satan might mislead the followers of Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali, peace be upon him) is through a mistaken interpretation of the belief that: “With love for Ali (peace be upon him), any sin you commit will have no effect on your soul, and you will never deserve divine punishment.”
For this reason, the Imams (peace be upon them) strongly rejected this misinterpretation, which some Shia may have entertained in their minds. In this regard, Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) says to Jabir:
“O Jabir, is it enough for someone who claims to be a Shi’a and professes love for us, the Ahl al-Bayt, to simply claim this and not follow the commands of God? By God, no one is considered among our Shi’ah except one who practices the fear of God and obeys His commands.
And O Jabir, they are recognized only by their humility, their integrity, their trustworthiness, their frequent remembrance of God, their fasting and prayers, kindness to their parents, caring for their neighbors, the poor, the debtors, and orphans, truthfulness, reciting the Quran, and refraining from speaking ill of others except in a good way. They are such that, within their family and community, they are known to be trustworthy in all matters…
O Jabir, a person may think that by simply saying, ‘I love Ali (peace be upon him) and accept him as my guardian,’ he will be saved, without being active in fulfilling his duties!…
O Jabir, by God, there is no way to draw near to God except through obedience and practicing the commands of the Shari’ah! We (on behalf of God) have no power to absolve or offer safety from the fire (for those who claim Shi’ism without action)…
Anyone who obeys the command of God, he is the true lover of us (and will be safe from the fire), and anyone who disobeys God’s command is our enemy (and will be condemned to God’s punishment)! There is no path to reach our guardianship and love except through “action” and “piety” (taqwa).”[2][3]
Now, the Shia must reflect for a moment… What is this baseless arrogance that has seized them and led them onto the path of Satan? They have become so intoxicated with the wine of this arrogance that they no longer heed the warnings of those who they trust and love for their devotion and guardianship. Those noble ones firmly say: “Woe to you, do not be deceived! Woe to you, do not be deceived! Our guardianship can only be attained through acting on the divine duties and avoiding sins!”[4]
(Adapted from the book “Maw’izah: The Path to Preventing Satan’s Influence on the Heart of Man”, by Ayatollah Dhiyaabadi)
Footnotes:
[1] Surah Al-A’raf, verses 16-17
[2] Meaning avoiding sin and refraining from what is prohibited by God
[3] Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Chapter on Obedience and Piety, Hadith 3
[4] Al-Kafi, Volume 2, Chapter on Obedience and Piety, Part of Hadiths 3 and 6 (reported from Imam Baqir, peace be upon him)