Sayings of Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS)

Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS)

There is no pain worse than ignorance and lack of intelligence.

The virtue (goodness) of knowledge is more lovable with Allah than the virtue of worship.

Beware of sluggishness (lacking energy or alertness: being inactive, laziness), annoyance (the feeling or state of being annoyed; irritation) and impatience, they are the keys of all the evils.

I hate the person who is jobless and who merely lies on his back and says, 'O Allah! Give me sustenance! He asks Allah to do him a favor while the small ant comes out of its ant colony to seek its livelihood!

Remember your previous sins with severe repentance and more seeking forgiveness.

One who disobeys Allah has no knowledge of him.

Seize the opportunity in asking for du`a on five occasions: (a) After reciting the Qur'an, (b) At the time of azan, (c) When an oppressed invokes assistance, (d) When two armies are facing each other seeking martyrdom, (e) At the time of raining."

Whoever recites the Holy Qur'an while standing in prayer, Allah Almighty will bestow a hundred blessings for every letter; whoever recites it while sitting in prayer, Allah will reward with fifty blessings for every letter; whoever recites the Qur'an outside of prayer, Allah will grant ten blessings for each letter.

The height of perfection is excellence in the understanding of the religion, endurance in hardships and administration of the affairs of life according to one's means, in the right measure.

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (AS) once said to one of his companions: "O Jabir! it is not enough that a person says; I am a Shia and I love the Prophet (SAW) and the Prophet's family and the Imams. By Allah, a Shia is the one who is perfectly pious and obedient to Allah's commands. Anyone else is not a Shia, no matter how much they say they love Hazrat Ali (AS) and no matter what they call themselves. 

O Jabir! Our Shias are known by these signs: (a) They are truthful, trustworthy and loyal; (b) They always remember Allah; (c) They offer their prayers, observe fasts, and recite Qur'an; (d) They help their neighbors, take care of orphans, and say nothing but good of people; (e) They act nicely towards their parents; (f) They are worthy of peoples trust and confidence.

Imam said, Our followers are of three kinds, one who follows us but depends on others, one who is like a glass involved in his own reflections, but the best are those who are like gold, the more they suffer the more they shine.

Imam Baqir told Jabir: O Jabir, if I had expounded [present and explain (a theory or idea) systematically and in detail] for you our belief and tenets (a principle or belief, especially one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy) we would have destroyed ourselves. In any case, we are relating for you traditions that we collected from the Prophet, just as people collect gold and silver.

I admonish (advise) you regarding five things; if you are wronged, do not commit wrong doing to others, if you are betrayed, do not betray anyone, if you are called a liar, do not be furious, if you are praised, do not be jubilant (feeling or expressing great happiness and triumph), if you are criticized do not fret (be constantly or visibly worried or anxious) and think of what is said in criticism, if you find in yourself what is criticized about you, then you are falling down in the eyes of God; when you are furious about the truth, it is much greater calamity (suffering) than your falling down in the eyes of the people. And if you are opposite of what is said (in criticism) about you, then it is a merit you acquired without having to tire yourself in obtaining it.

Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS) says that Imam Ali once said: There were two things in this world, which softened the Wrath of Allah SWT and prevented its descent upon man: One has been taken away from you; hold the other steadfastly. The one which has been taken away from men is the Holy Prophet PBUH and the one which is still left with them and which they must hold steadfastly is repentance and atonement (something that you do to show that you are sorry for something bad that you did) for sins because Allah SWT at one place in the Holy Book addressed the Holy Prophet PBUH and said Allah would not punish them while you were among them nor while they were asking for forgiveness. (Sura Anfal 8:33)

The scholar who derives benefit from his knowledge is better than 70,000 devotees.

"Indeed if you are good in teaching the people and do not show pride towards them, then Allah SWT will increase you from His favor. However if you prevent them from learning your knowledge, then it is incumbent (compulsory) upon Allah SWT, the Great and Almighty, to deprive you of knowledge and its splendor (brilliant or gorgeous appearance, coloring) and to drop your position from the hearts of people."