Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘The believers are brothers, their blood is coequal, and they are one hand against others, the most inferior among them is empowered by their protection [of him].
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘A believer is the brother of another believer, his eye and his guide; he does not betray him, nor wrong him, nor deceive him, and nor does he rescind a promise he made to him.’[Ibid. no. 3]
الامام الصادق (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : المُؤمنُ أخو المؤمنِ ، عَينُهُ ودَليلُهُ ، لا يَخونُهُ ، ولا يَظْلِمُهُ ، ولا يَغُشُّهُ ، ولا يَعِدُهُ عِدَةً فيَخْلِفَهُ .
Reference:[al-Kafi, v. 2, p. 166, no. 3]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘A believer is the brother of another believer, like a single body. If any part of him suffers, he will feel its pain in his entire body; and their souls are also made of one soul.
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘Seek to increase your brothers [i.e. believeing friends], for every believer will make an intercession on the Day of Judgment.
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Adopt [the friendship of] true brothers and increase in your acquisition of them, for they are an asset in times of prosperity, and a shield during afflictions.’
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘O Ibn al-Nu'mani If you want your brother’s amity for you to be pure, do not make fun of him, do not dispute with him, do not exchange bragging with him, and do not vie with him in evil acts.’
الإمام الصادق (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : يابنَ النُّعمان ، إنْ أردتَ أن يَصْفُوَ لكَ وُدُّ أخيكَ فلا تُمازِحَنَّهُ، ولا تُمارِيَنَّهُ ، ولا تُباهِيَنَّهُ ، ولاتُشارَّنَّهُ.
Reference:[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 78, p. 291, no. 2]
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Brothers need three things among them – they either use them, or else dispute and hate one another – fairness, benevolence, and evasion of jealousy.’
الإمام الصادق (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : تَحتاجُ الإخْوةُ فيما بَيْنَهُم إلي ثلاثةِ أشياءَ ، فإنِ استَعمَلُوها وإلّا تَبايَنُوا وتَباغَضُوا، وهي: التَّناصُفُ ، والتَّراحُمُ، ونَفْيُ الحَسَدِ.
Reference:[Tuhaf al-’Uqul, no. 322]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘Looking at a brother you love for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, is [an act of] worship.’
رسولُ اللّٰهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : النَّظَرُ إلي الأخِ تَوَدُّهُ في اللّهِ عزّ وجلّ عِبادَةٌ.
Reference:[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74, p. 279, no. 1]
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘A Muslim cannot acquire anything as beneficial as his embracing Islam than a brother he benefits from for the sake of Allah.’
رسولُ اللّٰهِ (صَلَّيَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) : ما استَفادَ امرؤٌ مسلمٌ فائدةً بعدَ فائدةِ الإسلام مثلَ أخٍ يَستَفيدُهُ في اللّهِ.
Reference:[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 2, p. 179]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Love is purified through cultivating friendship for the sake of Allah.
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : علي التَّواخِي في اللّهِ تَخْلُصُ الَمحَبّةُ.
Reference:’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 6191]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Brothers, [whose brotherhood is] for the sake of Allah, enjoy an enduring amity, due to the firmness of its foundation.’
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘A man whose friendship is not for the sake of Allah must be avoided, for his friendship is vile, and his company is doomed.
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘A man whose brotherhood is for the sake of Allah is bound to gain, while a man who seeks brothers for the sake of this world is bound to lose.’
الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : مَن آخَي في اللّهِ غَنِمَ ، مَن آخي في الدُّنيا حُرِمَ .
Reference:[’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 7776-7777]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘A man who draws close to you for a purpose will abandon you when it is fulfilled.
Description: A man passed through the mosque, where Abu Ja‘far and Abu ‘Abdullah [Imam al-Baqir and Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.)] were seated, when one of the people present said, ‘By Allah, I like this man.’ Abu Ja'far replied, ‘Then let him know, for this will maintain the amity and enhance the affection.’
بحار الأنوار : مَرّ رجلٌ في المسجدِ وأبو جعفرٍ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) جالسٌ وأبو عبدِاللّهِ، فقالَ له بعضُ جُلَسائهِ: واللّهِ، إنّي لاَُحِبُّ هذا الرّجُلَ. قالَ لَه أبوجعفرٍ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : ألاَ فأعْلِمْهُ ؛ فإنَّهُ أبقي لِلمَوَدّة ، وخَيْرٌ في الاُلْفةِ.
Reference:[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 74, p. 181, no. 1]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Ask your hearts about their amities, for they are witnesses that take no bribes.
Description: Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said, ‘Know the amity that your brother has for you in his heart through what you harbour of the same in your own heart.
الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : اعرِفِ المَودّةَ لكَ في قلبِ أخيكَ بما لَهُ في قلبِكَ.
Reference:’[Kashf al-Ghamma, v. 2, p. 331]
Description: 25- Imam al-Hadi (a.s.) said, ‘Do not seek sincere amity from a man you have insincere sentiment for, nor honest advice from someone you direct your distrust towards, for another’s feelings [lit. heart] towards you are similar to your feelings towards him.
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘If you want to cut off relations with your brother make sure to leave a place for him in your heart, so he can return to it one day when he so wishes.
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘How awful it is to cut off relations after having maintained them, to turn away after brotherhood, and to have animosity after amity.
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘A man who places his amity in the wrong place is bound to suffer abandonment.
الإمامُ الصادق (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : مَن وضَعَ حُبَّهُ في غيرِ موضعِهِ فقد تَعرَّضَ للقَطيعةِ.
Reference:’[al-Mahasin, v. 1, p. 415, no. 950]
Description: Imam Ali (a.s.) said, ‘Do not let your brother be stronger in his avoidance of you than you are in your maintaing relations with him, and do not be stronger in your harm to him than in your kindness towards him.
الإمام عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) : لا يَكُونَنَّ أخوكَ أقوي علي قَطيعتِكَ منكَ علي صِلَتِهِ ، ولا تَكُونَنّ علي الإساءَةِ أقوي منكَ علَي الإحسانِ.
Reference:’[Nahjul Balaghah, Letter 31]
Description: Imam al-Husayn (a.s.) said, ‘The best person is the one who maintains relations with one who cuts him off.
Description: The Prophet (S) said, ‘The most scarce things at the end of time will be a trustworthy brother and a legitimately earned dirham.’[Tuhaf al-’Uqul, no. 54]Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Brothers are of three [kinds]: one, like food, is needed all the time and he is the wise [friend]. Another is similar to disease, and this is the fool. And the third is like medicine, and this is the tactful [friend].’
Description: Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) said, ‘Brothers are three [kinds]: one helps with his own self, and another helps with his money, and these are true in their brotherhood. A third is the one who takes from you what he needs and keeps you for some of his pleasure - do not consider him trustworthy.