محمد بن يحيى

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Be pious before Allah and protect your religion by means of restraint from worldly matters (sins).’”

“Whoever does not feel any concern about the affairs of Muslims is not a Muslim any longer.”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Among the believers of perfect belief is one whose moral behavior is excellent.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said that Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) has said, ‘Thinking leads to virtue and to acting virtuously.’”

“Once Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) advised me, ‘You must remain pious before Allah, keep your trust, speak the truth, maintain good companionship relations and there is no power without Allah.’”

he asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.) about the meaning of the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, in the following verse. “Believers, be pious before God and always be friends with the truthful ones.” (9:119) The Imams (a.s.) said, “The truthful ones are the Imams (a.s.) who, are truthful in their obedience (to Allah).”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘The Shi’a (followers) of Ali (a.s.) are only those who are forbearing, scholars, with parched lips and one can find signs similar to those of the monks on their faces.’”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘Whoever fears Allah, Allah causes everything to be afraid of him. Whoever does not fear Allah, Allah frightens him from everything.’”

“Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) would say, ‘A deed with piety is never considered a little deed. How could it be considered little when it is the very thing with which deeds are accepted?”’

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) ‘What (deed) establishes belief firmly in a servant (of Allah)?’ The Imam said, ‘It is restraint from the worldly attractions (sins).’ I then asked, ‘What (kind of thing) removes belief from a person?’ The Imam said, ‘It is greed.’”

“Whoever has four things, his belief is complete even if he is covered with sins from his top to his toes, and it will not harm him. They are truthfulness, safe return of the trust, bashfulness and excellent moral behavior.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, granted a favor to a people but they did not appreciate it and that favor turned against them in the form of a burden. He tried another nation with hardships and sufferings but these people exercised patience and the trouble turned into bounties for them.”’

“Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah has appointed me the Imam for His creation, Therefore, He made it obligatory for me to discipline myself in the matters of food, drinks and clothes to the level of the very weak ones of the people so that the poor follow my poverty and the rich would not become rebellious because of his riches.’”

“I asked abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘(I request you to) teach me a Hadith that can benefit me.’ The Imam said, ‘O abu ‘Ubaydah, speak of death very often. No one speaks of death very often but that it reduces his interest in worldly matters.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Beware of the thoughtless people. Shi’a (followers) of Ali (a.s.) are only those whose stomach and private parts are chaste, and are intensely involved in Jihad. They work for the sake of their Creator in the hope for His rewards and for fear of His punishment. If you see such people they are the Shi’a (followers) of Ja’far ibn Muhammad (a.s.).’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘If four things are found in a person, even though he may be full of sins from his top to his toes, Allah will change his sins into good deeds. The four things are: truthfulness, bashfulness, excellence in moral behavior and gratefulness.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘This is written in the Torah: “Thank (and be grateful to) those who have done favors to you, and do favors to those who thank you; bounties will not go away if you appreciate them and they will not stay all the time if you reject them. Thankfulness increases the bounties and provides security against changes (from good to worse).””’

No one deserves to be a leader unless he has three characteristics: piety which would hinder him from doing the forbidden deeds; patience which would help him control his anger; and good deputyship over those whom he leads just as if he is their kind father.”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘You must maintain restraint from worldly attractions (sins), maintain persistence in work, attend funerals, and visit people during their illness. You should attend the Mosque with your own people, and love for people what you love for yourselves. Would it not be embarrassing for one of you to see that a neighbor recognizes your rights but you do not recognize the rights of your neighbor?”’

“Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) when ‘Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Qumi came to see him. The Imam greeted him and gave him a seat near his own seat. The Imam then said, ‘O ‘Isa ibn ‘Abd Allah, one is not from our people, and it is not an honor that one lives in a city of a hundred thousand people and someone else (one who is not a Shi ’a) therein excercises more restraint from worldly matters (sins) than he (a Shi’a) does.’”