It is the duty of the followers of the Imams that they should train themselves to do things, openly and secretly, which are agreeable to the Imams. They should refrain themselves from do- ing what is disagreeable to them. God has linked our obedience to the Imams with our obedience to Himself and has made it as obligatory on us to obey the Imans as to obey Him. He says “Let those men who act contrary to the dictates of God, fear a calamity from Him or some severe punishment’.”
We must bear in mind that if the Imams tolerate our misconduct they do so with an uneasy mind. It is a great hardship on them to stand it and a great burden on their minds. The mis- creants shall have to pay heavily for their mis- conduct in this world and the world to come. Hence, he who puts the Imams in this awkward position exposes himself not only to their wrath but also to the wrath of God.
It is said that it is much easier to bear a heavy burden than to bear an insolent fellow. For the heavy burden is carried on the body and the insolence of the man is a burden on the soul. The soul is too noble to bear this burden and the souls of the Imams in particular which have been purified by God and honoured and elevated by Him are too sensitive in this matter.
O devotees of God, beware, beware. Never do a thing which is likely to prove disagreeable to the Imams. This is the worst of the sins and calls for the worst punishment. There are very few who tolerate misconduct on the part of their fellow men. If they do so they do it with great difficulty. They harbour ill-will in their hearts and put on a false appearance. If any one of you knows that he has offended some one who is equal to him in rank or who occupies a lower position, he tries to make amends for the offence and does not like to incur his ill-will. If we can not offend ordinary people, how can we make up our minds to offend the Imams and expose ourselves to their wrath? How can we bear ill-will to those from whom we expect the good in this world and their intercession on our behalf in the next? We should fear them the most and we should never give them an occasion to be annoyed with us. We should train ourselves to do things which can bring us near to them and which can win us their love and make us their favourites We should do things which can purify us and raise us in their estimation. In this, lies our good in this world and our good in the next. This is the only way in which we an save ourselves from the punishment of God n this world and the next.
O momins, may God bestow mercy on you. Cry to understand this chapter. Think over it gain and again. Act accordingly. Follow every good piece of advice that you hear. May God telp us and help you in doing what pleases Him he most.