Kindness towards Your Brother in Faith

One of Imam Baqir’s (PBUH) companions, Abi Obadiah, narrates:

I used to accompany Imam Baqir (PBUH) in journeys. During the journeys, I would always climb my mount first, and the Imam would climb his mount after I was seated (This act of Imam Baqir (PBUH) was out of utmost respect). 

Whenever our mounts were next to each other, he would converse with me and ask about my health in such a way that seemed as if he had just seen an old friend he had not seen for a long time, even though he had seen me just a few moments ago. 

I asked him: “O! Son of Prophet Muhammad, you act completely different from all others when you socialize with others.  Your kindness and amenity towards your companions and friends is quite different. Truly it would be appreciable if others did the same in their first contact with each other.”

Imam Baqir (PBUH) replied: “Do you not know the value of Musafihah (shaking hands kindly with friends and believers)? Every time believers do Musafihah, and squeeze the hand of a friend, their sins fall (are forgiven) similar to how the leaves of a tree fall.  And they are under Allah’s grace until they separate.”¹

In addition, many other sayings by the Imam have been recorded about kindness towards friends and brothers in faith:

“A prayer that is more likely to be answered, and more quickly to be granted, is a prayer for a brother in faith in his absence.”²

He also said: “A pious believer is the brother of a pious believer. One does not insult the other, does not refuse the other, and does not falsely suspect the other.”³

And he advised his companions: “Be lenient when talking to a hypocrite (Munafiq), love the believers with all your heart, and behave well even if you are sitting with a Jew.”⁴

And finally, he considered one of the most important duties of a believer helping his brother in faith financially.⁵

(Selected from: “The Political Life of Imam Baqir (PBUH)” by Ahmad Torabi, and “The Family of Infallibles” by Sayyid Taghi Dawoodi)

The Roshd Islamic Shia website, offers its condolences to you dear friend, upon the arrival of 7^th of Dhi al-Hijjah, the martyrdom of the Imam of the Faithful and the 5^th leader of the Shiites, Imam Muhammad ibn-Ali al-Baqir (PBUH).

Roshd Islamic Shia website

1- (Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 179)

2- (Al-Kafi, vol.7, p. 507)

3- (Tuhaf al-Uqool, p. 796)

4- (Al-Amali of Sheikh Mufid, p. 185)

5- (Kashf al-Ghummah, vol.2, p. 133)

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