Deeds performed only outwardly will earn only an outward reward. The same is true of lifeless, incomplete deeds—self-serving rather than God-seeking. In truth, whatever divine blessings and mercy people receive in this world exceed the reward of such deeds; nothing remains for the Hereafter.
Likewise, when a deed is corrupt at its root, its branches too will wither, leaving nothing but dust!
Like prayer without intention or ablution; idolatrous prayer; prayer lacking the pillars of monotheism!
Deeds that they later consign to the Fire!
They have doubted their Lord!
They have mingled something forbidden with their deeds!
Their deeds have not been performed in the proper way!
يَسْئَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَواقيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ لَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَنْ تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ ظُهُورِها وَ لكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقى وَ أْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوابِها وَ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
البقرة : 189
They ask you about the new moons. Say, “They are signs for people to mark time and for the Pilgrimage.” And righteousness does not consist in entering houses from the rear, as was customary in the Age of Ignorance when people donned the garments of consecration for the Pilgrimage. Rather, righteousness lies in being mindful of God. Enter your houses through their doors, and be mindful of God, so that you may prosper!
They have forgotten the walāya pillar of monotheism!
َ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع قَالَ: بُنِيَ الْإِسْلَامُ عَلَى خَمْسَةِ أَشْيَاءَ عَلَى الصَّلَاةِ وَ الزَّكَاةِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ الصَّوْمِ وَ الْوَلَايَةِ قَالَ زُرَارَةُ فَقُلْتُ وَ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ الْوَلَايَةُ أَفْضَلُ لِأَنَّهَا مِفْتَاحُهُن...
Imam al-Baqir (AS) said: “Islam is founded upon five pillars: prayer, almsgiving, the Pilgrimage, fasting and walāya.”
Zurāra said, “I asked: ‘Which of these is the greatest?’ He replied: ‘Walāya is the greatest, for it is their key.’” ...
عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: يَبْعَثُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ قَوْماً بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ نُورٌ كَالْقَبَاطِيِ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ لَهُ: كُنْ «هَباءً مَنْثُوراً» ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ يَا بَا حَمْزَةَ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا يَصُومُونَ وَ يُصَلُّونَ، وَ لَكِنْ كَانُوا إِذَا عُرِضَ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْحَرَامِ أَخَذُوهُ، وَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ لَهُمْ شَيْءٌ مِنَ فَضْلِ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَنْكَرُوهُ، قَالَ: وَ الْهَبَاءُ الْمَنْثُورُ هُوَ الَّذِي تَرَاهُ يَدْخُلُ الْبَيْتَ فِي الْكُوَّةِ مِثْلَ شُعَاعِ الشَّمْسِ.
It is narrated from Imam al-Baqir (AS) that he said: On the Day of Resurrection, God Most High will raise a people whose radiance precedes them, like Egyptian linen. Then He will say to that light, “Become scattered dust!” He then said: “By God, Abā Ḥamza, they used to fast and pray; but whenever something forbidden became available to them, they would take it—that is, commit what was forbidden. And whenever a virtue of the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was mentioned to them, they would deny it.” He then said: “Scattered dust” is what you see entering through the opening in a house, like a ray of sunlight.
عَنِ الْبَاقِرِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ حَدِيثٌ طَوِيلٌ يَقُولُ فِيهِ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ بَعْدَ أَنْ قَالَ: وَ أَجِدُ مِنْ أَعْدَائِكُمْ وَ مِنْ نَاصِبِيكُمْ مَنْ يُكْثِرُ مِنَ الصَّلَاةِ وَ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ وَ يُخْرِجُ الزَّكَاةَ وَ يُتَابِعُ بَيْنَ الْحَجِّ وَ الْعُمْرَةِ، وَ يَحُضُّ عَلَى الْجِهَادِ وَ يَأْثَرُ عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَ عَلَى صِلَةِ الْأَرْحَامِ، وَ يَقْضِي حُقُوقَ إِخْوَانِهِ وَ يُوَاسِيهِمْ مِنْ مَالِهِ، وَ يَتَجَنَّبُ شُرْبَ الْخَمْرِ وَ الزِّنَا وَ اللِّوَاطَ وَ سَائِرَ الْفَوَاحِشِ، وَ أَرَى النَّاصِبَ عَلَى مَا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ مِمَّا وَصَفْتُهُ مِنْ أَفْعَالِهِمْ لَوْ أُعْطِيَ أَحَدٌ مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَ الْمَغْرِبِ ذَهَباً وَ فِضَّةً أَنْ يَزُولَ عَنْ مَحَبَّةِ الطَّوَاغِيتِ وَ مُوَالاتِهِمْ إِلَى مُوَلَاتِكُمْ مَا فَعَلَ، وَ لَا زَالَ وَ لَوْ ضُرِبَتْ خَيَاشِيمُهُ بِالسُّيُوفِ فِيهِمْ وَ لَوْ قُتِلَ فِيهِمْ مَا ارْتَدَعَ وَ لَا رَجَعَ، وَ إِذَا سَمِعَ أَحَدُهُمْ مَنْقَبَةً لَكُمْ وَ فَضْلًا اشْمَأَزَّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ وَ تَغَيَّرَ لَوْنُهُ وَ رُئِيَ كَرَاهَةُ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ، وَ بُغْضاً لَكُمْ وَ مَحَبَّةً لَهُمْ؟ قَالَ: فَتَبَسَّمَ الْبَاقِرُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ «هَاهُنَا هَلَكَتِ الْعَامِلَةُ النَّاصِبَةُ تَصْلَى نَاراً حَامِيَةً تُسْقَى مَنْ عَيْنٍ آنِيَةٍ» وَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «وَ قَدِمْنا إِلى ما عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْناهُ هَباءً مَنْثُوراً
There is a lengthy hadith from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) in which Abu Ishaq says, after describing the good deeds of the Nawasib: “…Among your enemies—the Nawasib—I find people who pray a great deal, fast, pay zakat, regularly perform Hajj and ʿUmrah, urge others to jihad, insist on doing good and maintaining family ties, fulfil the rights of their fellow believers, help them with their wealth, and refrain from drinking wine, fornication, sodomy and other shameful acts. Yet if one of these Nawasib were offered gold and silver amounting to all that lies between the East and the West, in exchange for turning from love of the tyrants and obedience to them to love of you—the Ahl al-Bayt—he would not do so. And if their noses were struck with a sword in the presence of the others, to frighten them, they would not desist or turn back, even if they were killed for it. Whenever one of them hears of a virtue or distinction of yours, he loathes it; his face changes, and his aversion and displeasure, his hatred and hostility toward you, and his love for your enemies are plain to see.”
Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) smiled and then said: “O Ibrahim! It is here, on account of this very enmity, that those who act in this way—the Nawasib—are ruined. They will enter the blazing Fire and be given water from a boiling spring (ʿayn āniyah). This is why God, the Almighty and Exalted, has said: «وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا»”
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ أَعْمَالَ الْعِبَادِ تُعْرَضُ كُلَّ خَمِيسٍ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ عَرَفَةَ هَبَطَ الرَّبُّ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى: «وَ قَدِمْنا إِلى ما عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْناهُ هَباءً مَنْثُوراً» فَقُلْتُ: جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَعْمَالُ مَنْ هَذِهِ؟ فَقَالَ: أَعْمَالُ مُبْغِضِينَا وَ مُبْغِضِي شِيعَتِنَا
It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) that I heard him say: “The deeds of God’s servants are presented to the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) every Thursday. When the Day of ʿArafah arrives, the Blessed and Exalted Lord descends. This is the meaning of the words of God, the Blessed and Exalted: «وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا»” I asked the Imam, “May I be your ransom, whose deeds are like this?” He replied: “The deeds of our enemies and the enemies of our Shiʿa.”
عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «وَ قَدِمْنا إِلى ما عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْناهُ هَباءً مَنْثُوراً» فَقَالَ: أَمَا وَ اللَّهِ كَانَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ أَشَدَّ بَيَاضاً مِنَ الْقَبَاطِيِ وَ لَكِنْ كَانُوا إِذَا عُرِضَ لَهُمْ حَرَامٌ لَمْ يَدَعُوهُ
Sulayman ibn Khalid said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the words of God, the Almighty and Exalted: «وَقَدِمْنَا إِلَىٰ مَا عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْنَاهُ هَبَاءً مَنْثُورًا». He replied: “By God, their deeds, outwardly, were whiter than fine white Egyptian cloth. But whenever something forbidden came their way, they would not leave it alone; they would do it.”
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «وَ قَدِمْنا إِلى ما عَمِلُوا مِنْ عَمَلٍ فَجَعَلْناهُ هَباءً مَنْثُوراً» قَالَ: إِنْ كَانَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ لَأَشَدَّ بَيَاضاً مِنَ الْقَبَاطِيِّ فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهَا: كُونِي هَبَاءً، وَ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُمْ كَانُوا إِذَا شُرِعَ لَهُمُ الْحَرَامُ أَخَذُوهُ.
It is narrated from Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), concerning God Almighty’s words, “And We shall turn to whatever deeds they have done and make them scattered dust,” that he said: Their deeds were indeed whiter than Egyptian linen, but God Almighty says to those deeds, “Be scattered dust!” This is because whenever something forbidden came their way, they would take it.
قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: إِنَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ إِذَا كَانَ فِي آخِرِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الدُّنْيَا وَ أَوَّلِ يَوْمٍ مِنْ أَيَّامِ الْآخِرَةِ مُثِّلَ لَهُ مَالُهُ وَ وُلْدُهُ وَ عَمَلُهُ فَيَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى مَالِهِ فَيَقُولُ: وَ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُ عَلَيْكَ لَحَرِيصاً شَحِيحاً فَمَا لِي عِنْدَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: خُذْ مِنِّي كَفَنَكَ، قَالَ: فَيَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى وُلْدِهِ فَيَقُولُ: وَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ لَكُمْ مُحِبّاً وَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ مُحَامِياً فَمَا ذَا عِنْدَكُمْ؟ فَيَقُولُونَ: نُؤَدِّيكَ إِلَى حُفْرَتِكَ نُوَارِيكَ فِيهَا، قَالَ: فَيَلْتَفِتُ إِلَى عَمَلِهِ فَيَقُولُ: وَ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُ فِيكَ لَزَاهِداً وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ عَلَيَّ لَثَقِيلًا فَمَا ذَا عِنْدَكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا قَرِينُكَ فِي قَبْرِكَ وَ يَوْمَ نَشْرِكَ حَتَّى أُعْرَضَ أَنَا وَ أَنْتَ عَلَى رَبِّكَ، قَالَ: فَإِنْ كَانَ لِلَّهِ وَلِيّاً أَتَاهُ أَطْيَبَ النَّاسِ رِيحاً وَ أَحْسَنَهُمْ مَنْظَراً وَ أَحْسَنَهُمْ رِيَاشاً فَيَقُولُ: أَبْشِرْ بِرَوْحٍ وَ رَيْحَانٍ وَ جَنَّةِ نَعِيمٍ، وَ مَقْدَمُكَ خَيْرُ مَقْدَمٍ، فَيَقُولُ لَهُ: مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: أَنَا عَمَلُكَ الصَّالِحُ ارْتَحِلْ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، وَ إِنَّهُ لَيَعْرِفُ غَاسِلَهُ وَ يُنَاشِدُ حَامِلَهُ أَنْ يُعَجِّلَهُ، فَإِذَا دَخَلَ قَبْرَهُ أَتَاهُ مَلَكَا الْقَبْرِ يَجُرَّانِ أَشْعَارَهُمَا وَ يَخُدَّانِ الْأَرْضَ بِأَقْدَامِهِمَا، أَصْوَاتُهُمَا كَالرَّعْدِ الْقَاصِفِ وَ أَبْصَارُهُمَا كَالْبَرْقِ الْخَاطِفِ، فَيَقُولَانِ لَهُ: مَنْ رَبُّكَ وَ مَا دِينُكَ وَ مَنْ نَبِيُّكَ؟ فَيَقُولُ: اللَّهُ رَبِّي وَ دِينِي الْإِسْلَامُ وَ نَبِيِّي مُحَمَّدٌ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ، فَيَقُولَانِ: ثَبَّتَكَ اللَّهُ فِيمَا تُحِبُّ وَ تَرْضَى وَ هُوَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ: «يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا وَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ» ثُمَّ يَفْسَحَانِ لَهُ فِي قَبْرِهِ مَدَّ بَصَرِهِ ثُمَّ يَفْتَحَانِ لَهُ بَاباً إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ، ثُمَّ يَقُولَانِ لَهُ: نَمْ قَرِيرَ- الْعَيْنِ نَوْمَ الشَّابِّ النَّاعِمِ، فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ: أَصْحابُ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَيْرٌ مُسْتَقَرًّا وَ أَحْسَنُ مَقِيلًا.
The Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), said: On the last day of this world and the first day of the Hereafter, a person’s wealth, children and deeds will appear before him.
He will turn to his wealth and say, “By God, I was greedy and miserly in amassing you. What can you do for me now?” His wealth will reply, “Take your shroud from me.”
Then he will turn to his children and say, “By God, I loved you and protected you. What can you do for me now?” They will reply, “We will take you to your grave and bury you there.”