Description: Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said, ‘Before Prophet Noah (a.s.), they [mankind] were a single community upon the fitra [The special origination or innate nature deposited in man by Allah which calls him to his Creator (ed.)] of Allah, neither guided nor in error, thereafter Allah sent the prophets.’
الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : كانوا قَبلَ نُوحٍ اُمّةً واحِدَةً علي فِطْرَةِ اللّهِ لا مُهْتَدينَ ولا ضُلّالاً ، فَبعَثَ اللّهُ النَّبِيّينَ.
Reference:[Nur al-Thaqalayn, v. 1, p. 209, no. 784]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘No sooner does a community differ [between themselves] after their own prophet, than the people of falsehood from amongst them become victorious over the people of truth.’
رسولُ اللّٰهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : ما اخْتَلَفَتْ اُمَّةٌ بَعدَ نَبِيّها إلّا ظَهرَ أهْلُ باطِلِها علي أهْلِ حقِّها.
Reference:[Kanz al-’Ummal, no. 929]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Stay with the greater majority, for verily Allah’s hand is with the [larger] group. Beware of separation for verily the deviant amongst you is the victim of Satan just as the deviant amongst the cattle is the victim of a wolf.’
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : والْزَموا السَّوادَ الأعْظَمَ ، فإنَّ يَدَ اللّهِ مَع الجَماعةِ ، و إيّاكُم والفُرْقَةَ ، فإنَّ الشّاذَّ مِن النّاسِ للشَّيطانِ، كما أنّ الشّاذَّ مِن الغَنَمِ للذِّئبِ.
Reference:[Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 127]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘By Allah, verily I believe that this community of yours will turn around and change, by congregating upon their falsehood and you having to separate through your truth.’
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : واللّهِ ، لَأظُنُّ أنَّ هؤلاءِ القَومَ سَيُدالونَ مِنكُم باجْتِماعِهِم علي باطِلِهم وتَفَرُّقِكُم عن حقِّكُم.
Reference:[Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 25]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked by ‘Abd al-Mu’min al-Ansari, ‘Verily some people narrated from the Prophet (S) that he said, “The separation of my community is a mercy” and they were truthful, so I ask that if their separation is a mercy then is their congregation a chastisement?’, to which the Imam replied, ‘It is not as you understand it nor as they understood it, actually he meant the saying of Allah, “But why should not there go forth a group from each of their sections…” so He commanded them to go forth to the Prophet (S) and to frequent him and learn from him then to return to their people and teach them, so what is meant is [physical] separation from their cities, not separation or difference with regards to the religion of Allah, for verily the religion of Allah is one.
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘The Prophet (S) was asked about the congregation of his [religious] community, and he said, ‘The congregation of my community are those who are the people of truth even if they are few in number.’
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Verily you are brothers in the religion of Allah, nothing has separated you except ill natures and bad consciences, consequently you do not bear the burdens of each other, nor do you advise each other, nor spend on each other, nor love each other.’
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : إنَّما أنتُم إخْوانٌ علي دِينِ اللّهِ ، ما فَرّقَ بَينَكُم إلّا خُبْثُ السَّرائرِ ، وسُوءُ الضَّمائرِ ، فلا تَوَازَرونَ (تأزِرون) ولا تَنَاصَحونَ ، ولا تَبَاذَلونَ ولا تَوَادّونَ.
Reference:[Nahjul Balaghah, Sermon 113]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘If the ignorant ones had kept silent, men would not have differed.’