He was from the people of Khorasan. He had traveled a long distance and endured great hardships to reach his destination, as he had come on foot. His shoes had worn out, his feet were cracked, and the heels of his shoes had large splits. When he entered Medina, he immediately went to visit Imam Baqir (peace be upon him).
When he saw the Imam, he thanked God for finally reaching his goal. Upon seeing his injured feet, Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) asked, “What is this?”
The man replied, “O son of the Messenger of God, this is the result of traveling such a long distance. By God, nothing brought me here except my love for you, the family of the Prophet.”
Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) then said to the man from Khorasan: “Glad tidings to you, for by God, you will be resurrected with us.”
The man, surprised, asked, “O son of the Messenger of God, with you?”
The Imam replied: “Yes! No servant loves us (the Ahlul Bayt) except that God will resurrect him with us. Is religion anything other than love? God, the Almighty, says: ‘Say: If you love God, then follow me (the Prophet), and God will love you’.” [1]
Indeed, it is emphasized in our narrations that a person will be associated with whatever they love in the Hereafter. For example, it is said in the narrations that if someone loves a stone, they will be resurrected with that stone in the Hereafter. [2] Based on these words, it becomes clear that a person shapes their own existence and ultimate fate. Unlike natural objects, which are what they are by creation and have no choice, a human being is exactly what they choose to be. Therefore, whatever a person loves, and to the extent that this love influences their being and actions, they will be resurrected with that love in the Hereafter, as the Imam (peace be upon him) has stated.
(Adapted from the book “The Philosophy of Ethics,” written by Martyr Murtaza Mutahhari, with some summarization and additions.)
Footnotes:
[1] (Surah Al-Imran, verse 31), Da’aim al-Islam, Volume 1, page 71
[2] (Amali al-Saduq, page 130)