The Best Human Beings

What makes a human being superior to others is his faith, knowledge and piety. Believing people are better in value than others and the scholars who put into practice his faith are superior to believers and the people of piety are of the highest value. In this relation, the Holy Qur’¡n has delicate and precise references:

Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what you do. (58:11)

A believer’s value is such that both the Holy Qur’¡n and narrations consider kindness to a believer as kindness to Allah and His messenger, assistance to a believer as assistance to Allah and His messenger, to please a believer as to please Allah and His messenger and To vex a believer as to vex Allah and His Messenger. Reporting the Holy Prophet, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) says:

مَنْ سَرَّ مُؤْمِناً فَقَدْ سَرَّنِي، وَمَنْ سَرَّنِي فَقَدْ سَرَّ اللهَ.

Whoever makes a believer happy has indeed made me happy and whoever makes me happy has certainly made Allah happy.[1]

مَا عُبِدَ اللهُ بِشَيْءٍ أحَبَّ إلَى اللهِ مِنْ إدْخَالِ السُّرُورِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ.

Allah has not been worshipped with anything better than making a believer happy.[2]

Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) has said:

لَقَضَاءُ حَاجَةِ إمْرِئٍ مُؤْمِنٍ أحَبُّ الَى اللهِ مِنْ عِشْرِينَ حِجَّةٍ؛ كُلُّ حِجَّةٍ يُنْفِقُ فِيهَا صَاحِبُهَا مِائَةُ ألْفٍ.

To meet the needs of a believer is better in Allah’s view than °ajj performed by a pilgrim who spends a hundred thousand Dinars on each °ajj.[3]

أنْ اُشْبِعَ رَجُلاً مِنْ إخْوَانِي أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِنْ أنْ أدْخُلَ سُوقَكُمْ هَذَا فَأبْتَاعُ مِنْهَا رَاْساً فَاُعْتِقُهُ.

If a man feeds one of my brothers-in-faith, it is better for me than entering the market, buying off a slave and setting him free in the way of Allah.[4]