Imam as-Sadiq (‘as) asked the man who attended before him about his manner. ‘I am one of your followers and adherents,’ answered the man. Imam As-Sadiq (‘as) said:
God will surely accept the servant whom He loves and will surely give Paradise to him whom He accepts.
‘Which class of our followers are you?’ asked the Imam (‘as). The man found no answer. Sadir intruded to ask the Imam (‘as), ‘How many classes are your followers, son of the Prophet?’ Imam as-Sadiq spoke:
Our followers are three classes. A class is those who pretend themselves our followers while the reality is the opposite, a class is those who cherish us secretly and do not follow us in public, and a class is those who cherish us openly and secretly. They are the highest group. They drank from the fresh water and had knowledge of the interpretation of the Book (of God), the distinction between the right and the wrong, and the causes of everything. Therefore, they have become the highest group. Poverty, destitution, and the varieties of crises are hastier than racehorses to them.
They have suffered hardship and damage and they have been shaken and tested. Hence, they have been wounded and slain, scattering in the remote countries. Through them, God heals the ailed and richens the deprived. Moreover, you gain victory, rainfall, and earnings only through them. They are the fewest, but the owners of the greatest standings with God.
The third class is the lowest group. They loved us in public, but they pursued the kings’ practices. Their tongues are with us while their swords are unsheathed in our faces. The second class is the middle group. They loved us secretly and ignored us openly. I swear if they love us secretly not openly, they are the fasting in days and the worshippers at night. The signs of seclusion are shown on their faces. They are peaceful and submissive people.
The man declared, ‘I am one of those who love you secretly and openly.’ The Imam (‘as) said:
Our followers in secret and openness enjoy a number of indications with which they are realized.
As the man asked about these indications, the Imam (‘as) said:
These are certain characters the first of which is that they knew monotheism perfectly, they ex-celled in the rules of God’s oneness, and finally they believed in God’s oneness and its description. Then they recognized the outlines, facts, provisions, and interpretation of faith.
Sadir intruded, ‘O son of God’s messenger, I have never heard you describing faith in such a form before.’ The Imam (‘as) answered: Yes, Sadir. The asker should not ask about faith before he knows the One in Whom he must believe.’ ‘O son of God’s messenger,’ asked Sadir, ‘Would you please explain what you have said?’ The Imam (‘as) spoke:
He who claims that he knows God due to the imprint of the heart is polytheist. He who claims that knows God by name, not meaning, is declaring the contrary, because the name is new (created). He who claims that he worships the name and the meaning is associating others with God. He who claims that he worships the meaning by the description, not realization, is referring to something absent. He who claims that he worships the description and the described is nullifying God’s oneness because description is something other than the described. He who claims that he adds the described to the description is belittling the great. They have no true respect of God.
‘What is the course to the true believing in God’s oneness, then?’ some asked. He (‘as) said:
The door of search is opened and the pursuit of the exit is existing. The knowledge of the present should precede his description while the knowledge of the description of the absent should pre-cede the knowledge of him.
‘How can we know the witness before we know his descriptions?’ they asked. He (‘as) answered:
You should first know him, know his knowledge, and know yourself through him. You should not know yourself through yourself. You should also know that whatever he has is to him and through him. As an example of this is Joseph’s brothers when they addressed to him, ‘Are you Joseph?’ He said, ‘Yes, I am Joseph and this is my brother.’ They knew him through him. They neither knew him through others nor did they know him by themselves due to the imprints of their hearts. God says:
You could not even plant one tree. (27:60).
This means that you should not appoint a leader for yourselves out of your whims and wills. As for three categories, God will not speak to them, will not look at them on the Day of Resurrection, will not second them, and will arrange for them a painful chastisement. They are those who plant a tree that God did not plant, i.e., those who appoint a leader for themselves out of their own whims, those who deny a leader that God appoints, and those who claim that those two persons have anything to do with Islam. God says:
Your Lord creates and chooses to whomever He wants. They do not have the choice to choose whatever they want. (28:68).