I heard Aba `Abdillah al-Sadiq Ja`far b. Muhammad (as) say: Iblis came to Musa b. `Imran (as) while he was speaking to his Lord. So, an angel from the angels said to him: What do you hope to get from him whilst he is in this state, speaking to his Lord? So, he said: I hope to get from him that which I hoped to get from his father Adam when he was in Paradise.
Of what Allah was saying was that He said to him: O Musa! I will not accept a prayer except from one who humbles himself before My greatness, attaches his heart to the fear of Me, spends a part of his day in My remembrance, avoids sleeping whilst he is upon error, and recognizes the right of My friends and My lovers. So, Musa said: O Lord! By Your lovers and Your friends, do You mean Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Ya`qub? So, He said: They are that, but I was referring to him for whose sake I created Adam and Hawwa’, and for whose sake I created Paradise and the Fire. So, Musa said: Lord, who is that? He said: Muhammad, Ahmad – I derived his name from My name, for I am the Praised (Mahmud). So, Musa said: O Lord! Make me of his Nation. He said: You, Musa, are of his Nation if you recognize him and his status, as well as the status of his Ahl al-Bayt. Surely, his example and the example of his Ahl al-Bayt are like that of the Garden (firdaws) in Paradise – its leaves do not dry up, and its taste does not change. Whoever recognizes them and recognizes their right, I shall grant him forbearance in [moments of] ignorance and a light in [moments of] oppression. I will answer him before he calls out to Me, and I will give to him before he asks Me. O Musa! If you see poverty approaching, then say: “Greetings to the emblem of the righteous.” If you see wealthiness approaching, then say: “A sin whose punishment has hastened.” Surely, this world is the abode of punishment. Adam was punished through it for his error. I have made it damned, and I have damned those therein, except those therein who belong to Me. O Musa! Surely, My righteous servants abstained from it in proportion to their recognition of Me, and the rest of My creation desired it in proportion to their ignorance of Me. There is none from My creation that attained joy by considering it great, and there is none who despises it except that he benefits from that.
Then, al-Sadiq (as) said: If you are capable of being unknown, then do so. What is the harm in not being commended by the people? What is wrong in being belittled by the people when you are praiseworthy with Allah? Surely, `Ali (as) would say: “There is no goodness [to be reaped] in this world except for two men: (1) a man who increases in virtue everyday, and (2) a man who compensates for his sin by repenting.” How does he attain repentance? By Allah, had he prostrated until his neck was severed, Allah would not accept that from him except by our walaya, the Ahl al-Bayt.