Ahl al-Bayt and Devotion

Due to their full knowledge of Allah, Ahl al-Bayt are in a permanent state of submission to Him. Their association with people, their silence and speaking, their eating and drinking, their marriage and business, their war and peace, their presence at home and on journey, their wearing of clothes, their listening and looking, their sleep and wakefulness, their weeping and smiling, and to sum it up, all their behaviors and deeds were all with devotion.

The devotion of Ahl al-Bayt is based on the knowledge of Allah, His love and a sense of duty, and not because of fear of Hell or a desire for Paradise.

The opinion of Ahl al-Bayt about their own and different kinds of prayer shows that their devotion was with a pure intention, away from any doubt. Nevertheless, they considered their prayer to be unworthy before the All-magnanimity of Allah. Comparing their prayer with that of Allah’s Messenger, they start weeping.

Imam `Al¢ (a.s) has been reported as saying:

مَا عَبَدْتُكَ طَمَعاً فِي جَنَّتِكَ وَلأ خَوْفاً مِنْ نَارِكَ! وَلَكِنْ وَجَدْتُكَ أهْلاً لِلْعِبَادَةِ فَعَبَدْتُكَ.

I served You (O Lord) not on account of desire for Paradise or fear of Hellfire; but I found You the worthiest of being worshipped. So, I decided to serve You.[1]

The Imam (a.s) also says:

إنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوا اللهَ رَغْبَةً، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ التُّجَّارِ! وَإنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوا اللهَ رَهْبَةً، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الْعَبِيدِ! وَإنَّ قَوْماً عَبَدوا اللهَ شُكْراً، فَتِلْكَ عِبَادَةُ الأحْرَارِ.

A group of people serve Allah out of desire for reward. This is the prayer of the merchants. Another group serve Allah out of fear, which is the prayer of slaves. Still other group serve Allah out of gratitude, this is the prayer of the freeborn.[2]

By Allah! If Allah would tell Ahl al-Bayt I have removed Paradise and hell from universe and there is no such a thing as reward and punishment, the quality and quantity of their prayer would not be changed a bit.

Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) narrated the following:

One night, the Holy Prophet was in `ª’ishah’s house, he was engaged in praying so much so that `ª’ishah said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Why are you making yourself so tired while Allah has forgiven your faults (if there is any) in the past and future?” The Holy Prophet said,

أفَلأ أكُونُ عَبْداً شَكُوراً؟

“Should I not be a grateful servant before Allah?”[3]

Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) has further said:

Allah’s Messenger was praying so much so that Allah revealed the following verse,

“±¡-H¡! We have not revealed the Qur’¡n to you that you may be exhausted. (18:1-2)”

The worship of the Commander of the Faithful (a.s) was so wonderful that the Imams have said that no one can worship Allah as much as Imam `Al¢ did. Like Allah’s Messenger and Imam `Al¢, the other members of Ahl al-Bayt were unique in worship. It is for this reason that they attained the station of wil¡yah (divinely commissioned leadership) and they were able to do extraordinary works in addition that they had the right of intercession and leadership over men and jinn hence obeying then was obligatory for all.