Tradition n. 36

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

اَكثَرُ ما يُدخِلُ النّاسَ اَلجَنَّة تَقوَى اللهِ وَ حُسنُ الخُلقِ.

“The most (important) things that cause people to reach Heaven are divine piety and a good temper.”

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 373

Tradition n. 37

The Holy Prophet (S) advised:

اِذا هَمَمتَ بِأمـرٍ فَتَدَبَّـر عاقِبَتَهُ, فاِن يَكُ خَيرًا وَ رُشدًا فَاتَّبِعـهُ, وَ اِن يَكُ غَيًّا فدَع هُ.

“When making a decision to do something, think about its outcome. If it is good for your advancement and development, follow it, but if it is misleading, leave it out....”

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 77, p. 130

Tradition n. 38

سُئِلَ الصّـادِقُ عليه السلام عَن تَفسيرِ التقوى، فَقالَ :اَن لا يَفقُدَكَ حَيثُ أَمَرَكَ وَ لاَ يَراكَ حَيثُ نَهاك.

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) was asked about the meaning of 'piety' when he replied: “Piety is that Allah does not miss you in the place where He has commanded you to be, and does not see (find) you where He has forbidden you from.”

Safinat al-Bihar, vol. 2, p. 678

Tradition n. 39

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

اِستَحيِ مِنَ اللهِ كَما تَستَحِي مِنَ الرَّجُلِ الصّـالِحِ مِن قَومِـكَ.

“Show veneration for Allah similar to the way that you would mind your manners in front of a righteous person among your kinsmen.”

Mustadrak Al-Wasa’il ash-Shi’a, vol. 8, p. 466, No.10027

Tradition n. 40

Imam Amir Al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:

نِعمَ صـارِفُ الشَّهَواتِ غَضُّ الأ بصـارِ.

“Lowering one's eyes will serve well as a barrier against one's passions.”

Ghurar al-Hikam, p. 321

Tradition n. 41

قالَ الاِمامُ اَميرُالمُومنينَ عليٌّ عليه السلام لِلحَسَنِ وَ الحُسَينِ عليهمَا السَّلامُ لَما ضَرَبَهُ ابنُ مُلجَمٍ لَعَنَهُ اللّهُ:

أُوصِيكُما بِتَقـوَى الله, وَ أَلاَّ تَبغِيا الدنيا وَ اِن بَغَتكُما, وَ لاَ تَأ سَفا عَلى شيء مِنها زُوِىَ عَنكُما, وَقُـولا بِالحَـقِّ, وَاعمَلا لِلاَجَرِ, وَ كُونا لِلظّالِمِ خَصمًا, وَ لِلمَظلُومِ عَونً.

Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said to Imam al-Hasan and Imam al-Husayn (peace be upon them) when 'Abd ur-Rahman Ibn Muljam (the curse of Allah be upon him) had struck him (fatally with a sword):

“I advise you (both) to fear Allah and that you should not hanker after the (pleasures of this) world even though it may run after you. Do not be sorry for anything of this world that you have been denied. Speak the truth and act (in expectation) for reward. Be an enemy of the oppressor and helper of the oppressed.”

Nahj al-Balagha, letter 47

Tradition n. 42

Imam Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (‘a) said:

فَاِنِّى اُوصِيكَ بِتَقوَى الله ـ أَي بُنَيَّ ـ وَ لُزُومِ أمـرِهِ, وَ عِمارَة قلبِكَ بِذِكـرِهِ, وَالا عتِصـامِ بِحَبلِهِ. وَ أَيُّ سَبَبٍ أَ و ثَقُ مِن سَبَبٍ بَينَكَ وَ بَينَ الله اِن أَنتَ أَخَذتَ بِهِ!

“I advise you to fear Allah, 'O my child, to abide by His commands, to fill your heart with remembrance of Him and to cling to hope in Him. No connection is more reliable than the connection between you and Allah provided you take hold of it.”

Nahj al-Balagha, letter 31

Tradition n. 43

عَن اَبي اُسامَة قالَ: سَمِعـتُ اَبا عَبدِالله عليه السلام يَقُـولُ:عَلَيكَ بِتَقوَى الله, وَالوَرَعِ, وَالاجتِهادِ, وَ صِـدقِ الحَديـثِ, وَ اَداءِ الاَمانَة, وَ حُسنِ الخُلقِ, وَ حُسنِ الجِوارِ, وَ كُونُوا دُعاة اِلى اَنفُسِكُم بِغَيرِ اَلسِنَتِكُم, وَ كُونُوا زَينـًا, وَ لا تَكُونُـوا شَينـًا, وَ عَلَيكُم بِطُولِ الرُّكُوعِ وَالسُّجُودِ, فَاِنَّ اَحَدَكُم إذا طالَ الرُّكُوعَ وَالسُّجُـودَ, هَتَفَ اِبليـسُ مِن خَلفِـهِ وَ قالَ: يا وَيلَـهُ, اَطاعَ وَ عَصَيتُ, وَ سَجَدَ وَ اَبَيتُ.

Abi-Osamah said that he had heard that Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said: “Be aware of (the punishment of) Allah, piety, godly endeavour, saying the truth, honesty in deposition, good character, and good neighbourliness. Invite (others) to yourselves (by performing good actions), not with mere utterance. Live to be ornaments, and not to be a disgrace to us. (I advise you) to prolong the length of bowing and prostration. So, verily, when one of you prolongs bowing and prostration, Satan cries from behind one and says: Woe! He obeyed and I disobeyed; he did prostration and I refused.”

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 77

Tradition n. 44

قالَ الاِمامُ الباقِرُ عليه السلام وَجَدنا في كِتابِ عَليِّ بنِ الحُسَينِ عليه السلام :ألا اِنَّ اَولياءَ الله لا خَـوفٌ عليهم وَلاهُم يَحزَنُونَ إذا اَدُّوا فَرائِضَ الله وَ اَخَذُوا سُنَنَ رَسُولِ الله صَلَّى اللّه عليه وَ آلِـهِ و سلم وَ تَوَرَّعُوا عَن مَحارِمِ الله وَ زَهِـدُوا في عاجِـلِ زَهـرَة الدُّنيا وَ رَغِبُوا فيما عِند الله وَاكتَسَبُوا الطَّيِّـبَ مِن رِزقِ الله لِوِجهِ الله لا يُريدُونَ بِهِ التَّفاخُرَ وَ التَّكاثُرَ ثُـمَّ اَنفَقُـوا فيما يَلزَمُهُـم مِـن حُقُـوقٍ واجِبَة فَاوُلـئِكَ الَّذينَ بارَكَ اللّه لَهُم فيمـَا اكتَسَبوُا وَ يُثابُونَ عَلى ما قَدَّمُوا لآخِرَتِهِم.

Imam al-Baqir (‘a), said: We found in the book of Imam ‘Ali Ibn Husayn (‘a): “Behold! “Verily, on the friends of Allah there will be no fear nor shall they grieve” (Sura Yunus, 10:62), if they keep up the obligatories of Allah, follow the traditions of the Messenger Allah (S), avoid the things forbidden by Allah, be pious in worldly wealth and rank and eager for what there is with Allah, strive to earn His sustenance of what is pure, and decide not to boast or compile wealth but donate and give the obligatory alms they have been enjoined to. Hence, these are those (friends of Allah!) whose earnings are divinely blessed and will be rewarded for what they have sent forth unto their next world.”

Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 277

Tradition n. 45

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

إنَّ النّاس مِن عَهدِ آدَمَ إلى يَومِنا هـذا مِثلُ أسنانِ المُشـطِ, لا فَضلَ لِلعَربِـىِّ عَلَى العَجَمِـىِّ وَ لا لِلأحمَـرِ عَلَـى الأسـوَدِ إلاّ بِالتَّقوى.

“Surely, human beings from the time of Adam up to now are the same as the teeth of a comb are, and there is no superiority for the Arab over non-Arab or for the red race over the black race except for piety.”

Mustadrak al-Wasa'il, vol 12, p.89

Tradition n. 46

Imam as-Sadiq (‘a) said:

اِنَّ قَليلَ العَمَلِ مَعَ التَّقوى خَيرٌ مِن كَثيرِ العَمَلِ بِلا تَقوى.

“Surely, a little action (of worshipping) with piety is better than many deeds with no virtue.”

Al-Kafi, vol. 2, p. 76