Wilayat - The greatest good
Hadith 1:
ثم قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله: إن ولاية علي حسنة لا يضر معها شئ من السيئات وإن جلت إلا ما يصيب أهلها من التطهير منها بمحن الدنيا، وببعض العذاب في الآخرة إلى أن ينجو منها بشفاعة مواليه الطيبين الطاهرين.
وإن ولاية أضداد علي ومخالفة علي عليه السلام سيئة لا ينفع معها شئ إلا ما ينفعهم بطاعاتهم في الدنيا بالنعم والصحة والسعة، فيردون الآخرة ولا يكون لهم إلا دائم العذاب.
ثم قال: إن من جحد ولاية علي لا يرى الجنة بعينه أبدا إلا ما يراه بما يعرف به أنه لو كان يواليه لكان ذلك محله ومأواه [ومنزله]، فيزداد حسرات وندامات.
وإن من تولى عليا، وبرئ من أعدائه، وسلم لأوليائه لا يرى النار بعينه أبدا إلا ما يراه، فيقال له: لو كنت على غير هذا لكان ذلك مأواك، إلا ما يباشره منها إن كان مسرفا على نفسه - بما دون الكفر - إلى أن ينظف بجهنم كما ينظف القذر من بدنه بالحمام [الحامي] ثم ينتقل منها بشفاعة مواليه
Narrated that Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله) said,
Indeed the Mastership (Wilayah) of Ali (عليه السلام) is such a good deed in presence of which no sin, however great, can harm, except what befalls sinners as a purification from sins in the form of trials of this world and some punishment in hereafter, until they are saved of their sins through the intercession of their purified masters.
And the Mastership (Wilayah) of Ali’s opponents and opposing Ali (عليه السلام) is such an evil deed that in its presence nothing can be of any benefit, except what benefits they get through their obedience in this world in terms of blessings, health and abundance, and in the hereafter, they will have nothing except eternal punishment.
Then the Prophet (ص) said,
Whoever denies the Mastership (Wilayah) of Ali (عليه السلام), will never see Paradise with his own eyes, except only that much which he sees so that he knows that if he were to accept the Wilayah of Ali (عليه السلام), that would have been his place and abode. Thus he will increase in sorrow/regret & remorse.
And whoever accepts the Mastership (Wilayah) of Ali (عليه السلام), disavows (tabarrah) His enemies, and submits to His friends, will never see Hell with his own eyes, except what (little) he sees, and it will be said to him: ‘If you were not on this path, that place in hell would have been your abode”, except what he directly faces of it if he is extravagant upon himself (in committing sins) – apart from disbelief – until he is purified by Hell, similar to how the dirt is removed from the body with a warm water bath. Then he will be transferred from Hell by the intercession (Shifat) of his Masters.”
[Source: Tafseer al-Askari, Hadith. 148]