Message of Imam al-Ridha (as) to the Shias

عن عبد العظيم, عن أبي الحسن الرضا (ع) قال: يا عبد العظيم أبلغ عني أوليائي السلام وقل لهم: أن لا يجعلوا للشيطان على أنفسهم سبيلا, ومرهم بالصدق في الحديث وأداء الأمانة, ومرهم بالسكوت وترك الجدال‏ فيما لا يعنيهم,‏ وإقبال بعضهم على بعض والمزاورة فإن ذلك قربة إلي, ولا يشتغلوا أنفسهم بتمزيق بعضهم بعضا, فإني آليت على نفسي إنه من فعل ذلك وأسخط وليا من أوليائي دعوت الله ليعذبه في الدنيا أشد العذاب, وكان‏ {في الآخرة من الخاسرين}, وعرفهم أن الله قد غفر لمحسنهم وتجاوز عن مسيئهم إلا من أشرك به أو آذى وليا من أوليائي أو أضمر له سوءا, فإن الله لا يغفر له حتى يرجع عنه, فإن رجع وإلا نزع روح الإيمان عن قلبه وخرج عن ولايتي, ولم يكن له نصيبا في ولايتنا, وأعوذ بالله من ذلك.

Narrated that Imam al-Ridha (ع) said, “O Abd al-Adheem, convey My Salutations (Salaam) to My followers and tell them,

“Do not give Satan a way to reach them. And command them in saying the truth and give back what is entrusted to them. And command them to be silent and to leave arguing around matters which are of no concern to them. And (command them) to be concerned for each other and to visit each other because that is close to Me. And do not keep yourselves occupied in tearing each other apart. Because I have promised Myself that whoever does that and discontents/upsets a friend/follower (Wali) of mine, I will pray to Allah to punish him in this world with severe punishment and “In the hereafter will be among the losers”.

And make them aware that Allah has forgiven those who go good from amongst them and has overlooked the ones with bad deeds, except the one who associates anyone with Him (i.e., Shirk) or harms a friend/follower (Wali) of mine or keeps a feeling of hatred for him. For indeed Allah will not forgive him until he refrains and withdraws back. And if he does not refrain and withdraw back then Allah will take away the spirit of Faith (Rooh al-Imaan) from his heart and he will step out from My Mastership (Wilayat) and he will not have any part in Our Mastership (Wilayat) and I seek refuge with Allah from that (i.e. from being out of Our Wilayat)”

[Source: al-Ikhtesaas, Shaikh Mufeed, Pg. 247]