God speaks of the momins in the following terms “They are harsh towards the infidels” and are compassionate towards one another Momins are brothers to one another.” “You will never find those who have faith in God and the day of judgement making friends with those who are the enemies of God and His Prophet³.” “O! Momins, do not take my enemy and your enemies to be your friends. Never love them” “Those of you who love them are the oppressors.
The Prophet while talking of Ali, peace be on them, says “O God, love those who love Ali and hate those who hate Ali.” With regard to those whom God has declared to be His enemies and commanded us in His book and through His Prophet to be hostile to them and has prohibited us from befriending them, even if they happen to be fathers and our happen sons and other members of our families, it is but proper that those who are aware of this hostility of God to them should sever their friendly connections from them openly and secretly. They should have no considera tion for their being their close or distant relatives. They should not mix with them in the hope of getting anything from them or for the fear of suffer- ing at their hands.
Imam Jafar Sadiq, peace be on him, says “He who wants to know whether a particular person is our friend or foe, should look to the persons with whom he associates. If they are our friends he is our friend; if they are our enemies he is our enemy.” I have already said in this book that it is our duty to love the Imams sincerely and with the best of our intentions. Our duty does not end here. We have to keep aloof from their enemies and their evil intentions as long as they continue to be hostile to them. We have to cut off our friendly connections from them and we cannot trust them to the slightest degree. God says, “Do not trust the oppressors, you will be overtaken by Hell-fire’.” The worst of oppressors is the one who harms the “walees of God and shows hostility to them.
Imam Muhammed Baqir, greetings be on strangers as their relations and befriend them because of their love for us. They cut themselves off from their families and their closest relations because of their hostility to us. If we are pleased with anybody they are pleased with him. If we get excited against any one, they get excited against him. If we fear some one, they also fear him. If we feel secure, they also feel secure. They never make friends with our enemies and they never become enemies of our friends.”
O the followers of the Imams who have faith in their ‘Imamat’, you should also behave in this manner. Test the man with whom you associate. Distinguish between the friends and the foes of the Imams. Bear in mind that the people are divided into three classes. There is no fourth class to them with the exception of this that in each of the three categories there are people of different grades and there is no criterion by which we can sort them out according to the degrees of their ambitions, their intelligence, their know- ledge. their faith and their power of apprehension.
One of these three classes consists of the de- votees of the Imams. They are men of different grades and different degrees of spiritual attain- ments. The next one consists of their enemies.
terms. “They are neither here nor there. They neither know the truth nor they deny untruth. “They are like cattle, straying further away from These people, although their nay, they are the path’.” condition is mise- rable, are in a way better than enemies of the Imams.
Hence, it is necessary for us to and know their proper position in have known this we should put in his proper place. We should who are the friends of the Imams to those who are hostile to the regard to the weak-minded and let us try to guide them and show path. If they hear the truth they and will apply their minds to it. to our enemies let us attract them our good deeds and leave no room Let us give up discussing with them long the discussion with them it fiasco. We have already talked of the preceeding chapters. Let us matter the words and the actions Let us adopt his policy in our We should do what the Imam wants test the people life. Once we should not go against his instructions.
Abu Jafar Mohammed bin Ali, greetings be on him, has described his followers in the follow- ing terms “Our followers do not praise those who find fault with us, do not join those who hate us and they never associate with those who do not like us. If they meet a ‘momin’ they honour him. If they meet an ignorant fellow they flee away from him. They say what we say. They cut themselves off from their friends for our sake. They treat the strangers as their close relatives because of their love for us what God and His ‘walees’ have described you to be.
O momins, hate for the sake of God and love for the sake of God. Follow your Imams and carry out their orders. Reveal what they have revealed to you. Have faith in what they have faith. God has made them your leaders. Follow them and obey their orders. Be hostile to those who are hostile to them and friendly to those who are friendly with them. Love those whom they love. Hate those whom they hate. It matters little whether the persons whom they love or hate are your friends or foes or they are your relatives or strangers to you. Let you do what you do for the sake of God. For, what is done for the sake of God cannot be influenced by passion. No mis- representation or hypocracy can affect it. May God help us and help you in loving Him and may He protect us and you from incurring His wrath.