On Shame
1383- In Al-Mahasin it is narrated that God's Prophet (a.s) said: "There are two forms of shame: the shame of the intellect which is knowledge, and the shame of foolishness which is ignorance."
1384- Either Imam Baqir (a.s) or Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Shame and faith are wound together. If one goes, so does the other."
1385- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Shame is due to faith, and faith is in Heaven. Hypocrisy is from oppression, and oppression is in the Fire."
1386- Salman- may God have Mercy upon him- said: "Whenever God wants to ruin someone He will take away his shyness, and then he will always be fearful and awesome. If so, he will lose trustworthiness, and will then be damned by Satan. At this time we damn him, too."
1387- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "You can gossip about one who puts decency aside."
1388- Imam Baqir (a.s) told Masir ibn Abdul Aziz: "O' Masir! Whenever you want to ask someone for something, do not do it at night. Ask for it in the daytime since then there is shame shown on the face."
1389- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "May God bless a servant who is shy before his Lord. Real shyness is covering up the head, watching out what you eat, remembering the grave and affliction and remembering that there is a return to the Hereafter for us."
1390- In Rauzat al-Vaezeen it is narrated that God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Be ashamed of GOd as He deserves to be ashamed of." They asked him what to do. He said: "If you are so, you cannot go to sleep without seeing death facing you. You should watch for your stomach and what you pour in it. You should remember the grave and the affliction. Whoever wants the life of the Hereafter should abandon the adornments of the life of this world."
1391- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Faith is (like) a naked body. Its clothings is shyness. Its adornments are fulfilling one's promises. Its manliness is doing good deeds. Its pillar is piety. Everything has a foundation. The foundation of Islam is love for our family, the members of the Holy Household."
1392- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There is no hope for whoever lacks the following characteristics: fearing God in private, repenting and not doing bad things when you get old, and being ashamed of doing evil deeds."
1393- GOd's Prophet (a.s) said: "Whatever is combined with shyness is adorned by it. And whatever is combined with obscenity is disgraced by it."
1394- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "There is morality in every religion and the morality of Islam is shyness."
1395- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Shyness is due to faith."
1396- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Shortage of shyness is due to infidelity."
1397- God's Prophet (a.s) was asked for advice. He said: " Be shy before God as you are shy before the good men in your tribe."
1398- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There are ten parts in shame. Nine parts are in women, and one in men. A girl will lose one part of her shame when she starts to have her periods, and loses another part when she gets married. She loses another part when she sleeps with her husband, and loses another part when she delivers a child. She will be left with five parts. If she loses her chastity, she will lose all her shame, and if she remains chaste, she will maintain all the remaining five parts."
1399- Imam Kazim (a.s) said: "Only one of the wise sayings of the Prophets has remained, that is "Do whatever you like when you do not have any shame." And this is about the Ummayad clan."
1400- Abi Saeed al-Khedri said: "The Prophet of God (a.s) has more shame than a virgin girl has."
1401- The Prophet (a.s) said: "One of the things that people have learned from the early Prophets' words is that you can do anything you wish if you have no shame." Abu al-Tay'yeb said: "This does not mean that you are free to do whatever you wish. But it is a threat and implies that you should be pious. Do whatever you want to do, but you will soon be punished in the Hereafter."
1402- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "Whoever believes in God and the Hereafter should fulfill his promise."
1403- Muhammad ibn Hakim narrated that Imam Kazim said: "If a group of people enter a town and ask the people if they can stay there and the people turn them down, but they think the residents agreed with their stay and they stay there, they are secure."
1404- Imam Hussein (a.s) was asked about the meaning of the Arabic word "Nadeh". He replied: "It means attempting to do great things, and persevering in the face of difficulties and defending your believing brothers."
1405- They asked Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) about daring. He said: "It is fighting with people of the same age."

On Zeal
1406- In Al-Mahasin it is narrated that Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: "God the Almighty considers any man who does not defend against those who attack his house to be His enemy."
1407- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God the Almighty is Zealous, and loves the zealous. It is for this zeal that He has forbidden all public or private obscene deeds."
1408- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: " Abraham was zealous. He would lock the door and take the key whenever he left the house."
1409- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "Saed is zealous, and I am even more zealous than him. May God chop off the nose of the believers and Muslims who are not zealous."
1410- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "The heart of any man who is not zealous is turned upside down."
1411- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of Ameear al-Momineen (a.s): "God is indeed zealous about believing men and women. Believers should also be zealous, since the heart of anyone who is not zealous is upside down."
1412- Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "Islamic zeal will not be destroyed except through infidelity after faith, fornication after chastity, killing someone who is forbidden to kill, or not defending your privacy. God's Prophet (a.s) said: "You can kill whoever sneaks into your house at night, and blind whoever peeks into your house from the top of the wall." He added: "The Prophet is zealous."
1413- Ishaq ibn Am'mar asked Imam Kazim (a.s): "What should a man do who has wives, a maid or maids in the house when he leaves the house?" The Imam (a.s) replied: "He should be zealous and lock the doors and be strict with them. THe Prophet of God (a.s) said: "Abraham (a.s) was zealous, and I am even more zealous than him. May God chop off the nose of any believer who is not zealous."
1414- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There is no blood money required for blinding or injuring anyone who takes a furtive look into a house at women."
1415- Abi Maryam al-Ansari quoted on the authority of Imam Baqir (a.s) on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "There is no blood money required for blinding or injuring someone who takes a furtive look."
1416- Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "God's Prophet (a.s) was sitting in his house with his cane leaning on the wall. He noticed someone looking at him. He said: "O' You the one who is looking at me! If you stay where you are I will come and take out your eyes using this cane." They asked Imam Baqir (a.s): "How did the Prophet realize that someone was looking at him while he was sitting down?" Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "From the gaps inside the wall woven from palm."
1417- Imam Sadiq (a.s) quoted on the authority of his noble grandfather (a.s) that Imam Ali (a.s) said: "O' people of Iraq! I have heard that your women run into men in the streets. Are you not ashamed?"
1418- In another tradition we read: "Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: "Are you not ashamed? Where is your zeal? Your women leave the house and run into strangers?"
1419- Ameer al-Momineen (a.s) said: "There is no zeal in what is legitimate." The Prophet of God told Imam Ali and Fatima on the night of their wedding: "Do not force me to come back to you1."
1420- Hamzah ibn Umran narrated that he used to take his slave maids into a house and go and lock them in whenever he entered Medina and go and do his business. He once described this to Imam Sadiq. The Imam (a.s) said: "Are you zealous of what you have not seen? Beware that if they oppress you regarding themselves it is better than you oppressing them."
1421- Imam Baqir (a.s) said: "They brought several captives to the Prophet (a.s). He ordered all but one off them to be killed. That captive asked: "O' Prophet of God! Why did you free me from among us?" The Prophet of God (a.s) said: "Gabriel informed me that God said that you have five characteristics which God and His Prophet love: serious zeal about your family, generosity, being good-tempered, honesty, and bravery." When the man heard this he accepted Islam and became a good Muslim. He accompanied the Prophet in a holy war, really fought hard and was martyred.

On Noble Characteristics
1422- In Al-Mahasin it is narrated that Imam Baqir (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "Do you want me to tell you whose characteristics are closer to mine?" They said: "O' Prophet of God! Yes please." He said: "The ones who are good-tempered; most patient; kindest to relatives regarding what is right; restrain their anger; most forgiving; and most fair at times of pleasure and anger."
1423- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "We love those of our followers who are intelligent, understanding, persevering, knowledgeable, patient, kind, persevering and loyal. God, the Almighty has granted the noblest human characteristics to the Prophets. Whoever possessed those characteristics should be grateful to God. Whoever does not possess them should cry and ask God to grant him these characteristics." He was asked: "What are these characteristics?" He said: "Piety, contentment, perseverance, gratitude, patience, shame, generosity, bravery, zeal, goodness, honesty and trustworthiness."
1424- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God the Almighty has granted the noblest characteristics to the Prophets. Whoever possesses these characteristics should realize that God has wished him well, and whoever does not possess these characteristics should pray to God and ask Him to be granted these characteristics. These characteristics are certitude, contentment, perseverance, gratitude, patience, being good-tempered, generosity, zeal, brevity, manliness, goodness and trustworthiness."
1425- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "There are ten characteristics which are the noblest. Try to attain them. They may be in a servant, and not in his master. They may be in a father but not in his son." They asked him what these characteristics were. He said: "Real courage honesty in speech, trustworthiness, maintaining the relations of kin, hospitality, feeding the needy, compensating for other people's kindness, respecting the rights of neighbors, respecting the rights of friends, and above all having shame."
1426- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "God the Almighty has partitioned Islam into seven parts. These are goodness, honesty, certitude, contentment (with divine destiny), loyalty, knowledge and patience. Then he has distributed these among the people. Whoever possesses all seven has perfect faith and is strong. He gave some people just one, some just two, some just three, some just four, some just five, some just six, and some all seven of these." Then he added: "Therefore you should not except one who has only been given one or two parts of the faith to be responsible for more, since he cannot bear more, and so on."
1427- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Whoever possesses the following four characteristics has perfected his Islam even if he lived in sin all his life: honesty, trustworthiness, shame, and good-temper."
1428- (Zararah narrated that) Imam Baqir (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "The noblest of you during the era of Ignorance are the noblest ones in the era of Islam." Then Imam Baqir said: "This means that the people who were good-tempered, most generous, best with their neighbors and did not hurt others in the era of Ignorance were the closest to the people. Islam did not add anything but honor to them."
1429- Muhammad ibn Ajlan narrated that once when he was with Imam Sadiq (a.s) a man came in and greeted them. Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked him: "How are the believing brothers with whom you were?" He admired them. Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked: "How much do the rich attend to the poor?" He said: "Little." Imam Sadiq (a.s) asked: "How often do the rich visit the poor?" He said: "Not often." The Imam (a.s) asked: "How much do the rich help the poor?" He said: "You are talking about such behavior that is rare among us." Then Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "How do you then consider yourselves to be our followers?"
1430- Imam Hasan (a.s) narrated parts of a sermon of Ameer al-Momineen (a.s): "O' people! Do you want me to describe to you the characteristics of one of my believing brothers who I always considered to be nobler than others. What made him seem the noblest in my eyes is that the world seemed to be very small in his eyes. His stomach did not rule him. He did not try to attain what he did not possess. He was not controlled by lust, therefore he was not feeble-minded. He was free from the rule of ignorance, therefore he never asked any untrustworthy person for anything. He never had a very good appetite. He was not boring. He was content. He was silent most of his life. He never quarrelled with others when they talked. He never took part in any fights. He did not present any reason unless the judge was present. He was not inattentive to his religious brothers. He did not consider himself to be superior to his believing brothers. He was slim. He considered himself to be weak. He was like a formidable lion when he fought. He never blamed anyone for what they could apologize for, and let them apologize. He did what he said, and did not talk about things he did not do. Whenever he faced a dilemma, he would oppose the option that was closer to his selfish desires. He never expressed his problems for people who could not supposedly help resolve them. He never consulted with anyone who did not wish him well. He never got depressed, or discontent. He did not complain. He did not ask for much. He did not take revenge. He was not unaware of the enemies' plots. Now try to attain these noble characteristics. Even if you cannot attain all of them, attaining some is better than lacking them all. There is no power except in, or by means of God."
1431- Either Imam Baqir (a.s) or Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "One of the adornments of Islam is good behavior with the people. So please have good behavior since it will make you look good to the people. When they see you speak fair they cannot oppose what you say. Verily GOd the Almighty has rightly said: "And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character." [The Holy Quran: Qalam 68:4] Such behavior is in your own hands."
1432- In Al-Mahasin it is narrated that Muhammad ibn Khalid al-Barqi narrated on the authority of the Prophet (a.s) that Gabriel descended to the Prophet of God (a.s) and said he had come to award him a gift which had never been granted to anyone else before. God's Prophet (a.s) said: "What is it?" He said:" Preseverance." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "What is better than preseverance?" He said: "Contentment." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "What is better than Contentment?" He said: "Sincerity." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "What is better than sincerity?" He said: "Abstinence." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "What is better than abstinence?" He said: "Certitude." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "What is better than certitude?" He said: "O' Prophet of God! The way to get to all of the above is reliance on God." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "O' Gabriel! What does reliance on God mean?" Gabriel said: "It means that you know creatures can neither harm nor benefit you, and get to used to having any hopes in the people. When you are this way, you will only rely on God, and will only have hopes in or fear from God. You will never except anything from anyone but God. This is the meaning of reliance on God." The Prophet (a.s) said: "O' Gabriel! what does perseverance mean?" He said: "Being patient during times of hardship as you are during times of self-sufficiency. Being patient during times of calamities as you are during times of health, and not complaining to God when calamities descend down upon you." The Prophet (a.s) said: "what does contentment mean?" He said: "A content person does not get angry with his master whether or not he get access to worldly goods, and is not pleased with his own minimal efforts." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "O' Gabriel! what does abstinence mean?" He said: "Abstinence means: "Liking what your Creator likes, and hating what your Creator hates; staying away from the legitimate things in this world, and totally forgetting about what is forbidden. This is because there is a reckoning for what is made legitimate, and there is punishment for what is forbidden. Abstinence means being kind to all Muslims just as you are with yourself. Abstinence means not overeating just as you stay away from a stinking corpse. Abstinence means staying away from the adornments of this world just as you stay away from an all-encompassing fire. Abstinence means not having high hopes just as if you are about to die."
The Prophet (a.s) asked: "O' Gabriel! What does sincerity mean?" He said: "One who is sincere will not ask for anything from the people and he struggle to obtain it himself, and is content with it once he obtains it. He will give what is left over with him in charity for the sake of God, since whoever does not ask any creatures for anything has indeed confessed his servitude to God. God will be pleased with whoever is pleased with what he obtains. Whoever gives charity for God's pleasure has indeed reached the level of trust in his Lord." The Prophet (a.s) asked: "O' Gabriel! What does certitude mean?" He said: "Whoever has attained certitude performs his deeds for the sake of God just as if he sees God. Even though he cannot see God he knows that God witnesses whatever he does. He is certain that he will suffer as much sorrow and experience as much happiness as he is destined to. He is certain that he will not obtain what is not destined for him. These are all branches of reliance on God, and the steps to abstinence."
1433- Imam Sadiq (a.s): "The most beneficial things for man is to realize his faults before others do. The hardest things to do is to cover up poverty. The best level of self-sufficiency is wishing well for someone who refuses it, and living next door to a greedy person. The best form of comfort is not placing any hopes in people."
1434- Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: "Do not be sad or upset. Control yourself regarding those of your opponents who are more powerful than you are. Since confessing that they are superior to you will cause you not to oppose them. Whoever does not accept that there are others who are superior to him is selfish." Imam Sadiq (a.s) told a man: "Strengthen your religious as the people of this world strengthen their worldly life. This world is a witness through which we can recognize the depth of the Hereafter. Always recognize the Hereafter through the blessings of this world, and try to learn a lesson from them." Imam Sadiq (a.s) told another man: "There is no honor for anyone except those who humiliate themselves before God. There is no elevation of rank for anyone except for those who are humble to God."
1435- In Rauzat al-Vaezeen it is narrated that God's Prophet (a.s) said: "The best worshipper of God is the one who performs the obligatory acts. The most abstinent person is the one who abstains from the forbidden acts. The most God-fearing person is the one who tells the truth whether it be beneficial or harmful to him. The most pious person is the one who avoids quarrelling even if he is right. The strongest person is the one who abandons sins. The noblest person is the most God-fearing one. The most honorable person is the one who does not talk in vain. The most prosperous person is the one who associates with the noble ones."
1436- Imam Sajjad (a.s) quoted on the authority of God's Prophet (a.s): "I have been appointed to spread the best and the noblest characteristics."
1437- God's Prophet (a.s) said: "Completing good deeds is better than starting them."