The Imams urge their Shiites especially to achieve a higher degree of cooperation and participation among themselves, which may reach the level of idealism. It is related from Saeed Ebnal Hassan that he said: Abu Jaafar (A.S.) said: does one of you put his hand in the bag of his brother and takes out what he wants without being forbidden by him?
I said: I don’t know that among us, he said: then you are nothing. I said: we have been rained then he said:
The people have not been given their tolerance yet.” 119
Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has been a peacemaker in helping the others, it is related from Alfazel Ibnaqarrah that he said:
Abu Abdullah (A.S.) was spreading out his lap with packs of Dinaars, he says to the envoy: bring them to Mr. X and M.X. is of his relatives and say to them: this has been sent to you from Iraq, the envoy delivers it to them he asks him what did they say, he says they said:
As to you may Allah reward you good for your gift to the relatives of the prophet (S.W.A.) as to Jaafar may Allah be the Judge between us and him, he said: then Abbi Abdullah prostrates himself to the ground saying: O’ my Allah lower my neck to the sons of my father” 120
Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has defined precisely the ritual and social characteristics of Shiites when he addressed one of his companions saying: “O Jaabir’ is he satisfied that who attributes himself to Sheism with saying that he loves us Ahlilbait (A.S.) I swear by Allah that our Shiite is no one but who feared Allah and obeyed Him, they hadn’t been known, o Jaabir, except of modesty, humility for Allah, trustworthiness, muchness in exaltement of Allah, fasting and praying, filial piety, doing favors to the needy, indebted and orphans, truthfulness in speech, Qur’an reciting, refraining their tongue from people except in a good concern…” 121
It is related from Mohammad Ibna Ajlaan that, he said: I was with Abiabdillah (A.S.), and a person came in and greeted, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: “How are your brothers whom you left behind? He said a speech in which he praised them highly and commended them, abu Abdullah (A.S.) said to him: what about the call of their rich to their poor men? He replayed: “little”, he (A.S.) said.
What about the visit the rich of them pay to their poor men? He said: little, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: what about the help of their rich for their poor? The man said: you are mentioning morals very rarely found with those with whom we live, Abu abdullah (A.S.) said: then how do you claim that those are Shiites?” 122
Thus we find that the matter of cooperation and liability to one another stood on top of the priorities of the Imams’ social concerns because it is the only guaranty and the best way to establish a coherent social building in which the motives of conflict and dispute disappear while the motives of love and association predominate.
What is wonderful and excellent is that the pre-Islamic Arabic society, which was torn out, and to whom other nations do not attach any importance, had become by virtue of the Islamic mission united, dignified and with a might and prestige. Imam Ali (A.S.) says: the Arabs today even though they are little but they are plenty with Islam, mighty with their agreeing on their religion…” 123
Fourthly changing the pre-Islamic habits and traditions:
The Islamic ideology had played a big role in changing so many habits and traditions in which human dignity is humiliated and result in suffering and grief. The prophet (S.W.A.) and his purified Ahlilbait have played an important role in this concern. The prophet (S.W.A.) said:
“Do not stand up like non-Arabs do to one another, it does not harm to move a little to give place to his new comer.” 124
The prophet (S.W.A.) endeavored to propagate and affirm new pedagogical habits, it is narrated from Abiabdullah (A.S.), that he said:
When the prophet (S.W.A.) enters a house he sits at the end of the place of sitting…” It is narrated from the prophet (S.W.A.) that he said “when one of you comes to a session, let him sits at the end of the session” 125
He (S.W.A.) was trying to change the habits in the different fields of life, in standing and sitting, eating and drinking, in clothes and the like.
Imam Ali (A.S.) followed the prophetic tradition, he strove to change the remaining pre-Islamic habits which do not harmonize with the magnanimity of Islamic religion and its call to give up affectation and false appearances which over load people, put fabricated barriers which prevent association among them, the association between the scholar and he ignorant, the rich and the poor and the ruler and the ruled. It is enough to recite the following example:
Imam Ali (A.S.) met the traders-in Al-Anbaar during his proceeding to Alshaam-they dismounted and exceeded the limits in their movements to greet him, he (A.S.) said: what is this you practiced? They said: this is a manner we follow to glorify our leaders, he said: By Allah your leaders do not benefit from that, certainly you overload yourself in this world and you put yourself in misery in the next life, what misfortune is the misery followed by punishment, and what benefit is the tranquility together with safety from fire” 126
He (A.S.) has delivered precious sermons which participate in building the human being, and implant the good customs into his behavior, such as his saying (A.S.): O people, undertake to discipline yourselves, and shift with it from the fierceness of its habits” 127
The aim of all that is to achieve the desired social change. It is obvious that social building without executing the interior change in the souls and habits of individuals becomes absurd like a building without a foundation Allah says:
“ Certainly; Allah doesn’t change the condition of a people until they change their inner conditions” 128
The martyred scholar sayyed Mohammad Baqir As-Sadre says: The subjective motive is the cause of the social problem, and this motive is original in the human being because it springs from his love to himself. Here the role of the religion comes by setting the only resolution to the problem as the resolution depends on the harmony between the subjective motives and the general social interests. 129
I said: I don’t know that among us, he said: then you are nothing. I said: we have been rained then he said:
The people have not been given their tolerance yet.” 119
Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has been a peacemaker in helping the others, it is related from Alfazel Ibnaqarrah that he said:
Abu Abdullah (A.S.) was spreading out his lap with packs of Dinaars, he says to the envoy: bring them to Mr. X and M.X. is of his relatives and say to them: this has been sent to you from Iraq, the envoy delivers it to them he asks him what did they say, he says they said:
As to you may Allah reward you good for your gift to the relatives of the prophet (S.W.A.) as to Jaafar may Allah be the Judge between us and him, he said: then Abbi Abdullah prostrates himself to the ground saying: O’ my Allah lower my neck to the sons of my father” 120
Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) has defined precisely the ritual and social characteristics of Shiites when he addressed one of his companions saying: “O Jaabir’ is he satisfied that who attributes himself to Sheism with saying that he loves us Ahlilbait (A.S.) I swear by Allah that our Shiite is no one but who feared Allah and obeyed Him, they hadn’t been known, o Jaabir, except of modesty, humility for Allah, trustworthiness, muchness in exaltement of Allah, fasting and praying, filial piety, doing favors to the needy, indebted and orphans, truthfulness in speech, Qur’an reciting, refraining their tongue from people except in a good concern…” 121
It is related from Mohammad Ibna Ajlaan that, he said: I was with Abiabdillah (A.S.), and a person came in and greeted, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: “How are your brothers whom you left behind? He said a speech in which he praised them highly and commended them, abu Abdullah (A.S.) said to him: what about the call of their rich to their poor men? He replayed: “little”, he (A.S.) said.
What about the visit the rich of them pay to their poor men? He said: little, Abuabdullah (A.S.) said: what about the help of their rich for their poor? The man said: you are mentioning morals very rarely found with those with whom we live, Abu abdullah (A.S.) said: then how do you claim that those are Shiites?” 122
Thus we find that the matter of cooperation and liability to one another stood on top of the priorities of the Imams’ social concerns because it is the only guaranty and the best way to establish a coherent social building in which the motives of conflict and dispute disappear while the motives of love and association predominate.
What is wonderful and excellent is that the pre-Islamic Arabic society, which was torn out, and to whom other nations do not attach any importance, had become by virtue of the Islamic mission united, dignified and with a might and prestige. Imam Ali (A.S.) says: the Arabs today even though they are little but they are plenty with Islam, mighty with their agreeing on their religion…” 123
Fourthly changing the pre-Islamic habits and traditions:
The Islamic ideology had played a big role in changing so many habits and traditions in which human dignity is humiliated and result in suffering and grief. The prophet (S.W.A.) and his purified Ahlilbait have played an important role in this concern. The prophet (S.W.A.) said:
“Do not stand up like non-Arabs do to one another, it does not harm to move a little to give place to his new comer.” 124
The prophet (S.W.A.) endeavored to propagate and affirm new pedagogical habits, it is narrated from Abiabdullah (A.S.), that he said:
When the prophet (S.W.A.) enters a house he sits at the end of the place of sitting…” It is narrated from the prophet (S.W.A.) that he said “when one of you comes to a session, let him sits at the end of the session” 125
He (S.W.A.) was trying to change the habits in the different fields of life, in standing and sitting, eating and drinking, in clothes and the like.
Imam Ali (A.S.) followed the prophetic tradition, he strove to change the remaining pre-Islamic habits which do not harmonize with the magnanimity of Islamic religion and its call to give up affectation and false appearances which over load people, put fabricated barriers which prevent association among them, the association between the scholar and he ignorant, the rich and the poor and the ruler and the ruled. It is enough to recite the following example:
Imam Ali (A.S.) met the traders-in Al-Anbaar during his proceeding to Alshaam-they dismounted and exceeded the limits in their movements to greet him, he (A.S.) said: what is this you practiced? They said: this is a manner we follow to glorify our leaders, he said: By Allah your leaders do not benefit from that, certainly you overload yourself in this world and you put yourself in misery in the next life, what misfortune is the misery followed by punishment, and what benefit is the tranquility together with safety from fire” 126
He (A.S.) has delivered precious sermons which participate in building the human being, and implant the good customs into his behavior, such as his saying (A.S.): O people, undertake to discipline yourselves, and shift with it from the fierceness of its habits” 127
The aim of all that is to achieve the desired social change. It is obvious that social building without executing the interior change in the souls and habits of individuals becomes absurd like a building without a foundation Allah says:
“ Certainly; Allah doesn’t change the condition of a people until they change their inner conditions” 128
The martyred scholar sayyed Mohammad Baqir As-Sadre says: The subjective motive is the cause of the social problem, and this motive is original in the human being because it springs from his love to himself. Here the role of the religion comes by setting the only resolution to the problem as the resolution depends on the harmony between the subjective motives and the general social interests. 129
Notes:
119. Ausoul ilkaafi: 2: 173-174/ 13 ch. Of Muamin rights.
120. Tenbeehil Khawaatir, Ameer Warram 2: 266, Daar Saoub.
121. Warraam collection 2: 185 Dar saoub.
122. Ausoulilkaafi 2: 173/ 10 ketaabil eeimaan walkufur.
123. Nehjilbalaagha: Subhi alsaalih 203/ sermon 146.
124. Mekaarim alakhlaaq: Tebressi: 26.
125. The same previous source.
126. Nehjil balagha: subhi Elsaalih: 475/ hekma 37.
127. Nehjil balagha Suhi Elsaalih: 538/ hekma 359
128. Al-Raad 13: 11.
129. Iktisaduna, by the martyr Mohammad Baqir Al-Sadr, p. 324.