The Necessity of Affection among Brethren

When reciting Dua for a brother in faith, you should love him from the bottom of your heart and your Dua must be whole-hearted wishing that God will answer it. It is in this case that both your Dua for him will be fulfilled and manifold rewards will be given to him, for your love of him is a virtue and reciting Dua for him is another virtue. Therefore your Dua has three virtues, that is, love, benevolence and Dua.
If you ask God anything for him, invoke it from the bottom of your heart and intercede for him in your Dua with the God who is the Most Generous among the generous ones, for beyond a doubt, God is more Generous, more powerful and Praiseworthy than you in giving a benefit to His servant.
In interpreting verse 26 of the Quranic Chapter, Shura:

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“And He answers those who believe and do good deeds, and gives them more out of His grace.”
Jaber has reported on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS):

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491. “This verse is aimed at a believer who recites Dua for his brother in faith in his absence. It is here that an angel will say: You will be given what you have wished for him due to your love of him.”
It is related that a righteous man used to recite Dua for his brethren after performing his prayer in mosque. One day when he was leaving the mosque, it was said to him that his father had died. When he was through with the funeral service, he started dividing what his father had left among the same brethren for whom he had recited Dua they said to him: What is it you are doing? He said: I wished paradise for them in the House of God so why should I be stingy about the wealth which is doomed to perish.
Dear reader! Ponder on the words of Imam Sadeq (AS) who has said:

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492. “Whenever two believers shake hand, a hundred mercies are divided between them the ninety nine of which is for one who loves his friend more.”
It has been reported on the authority of the Infallibles (AS):

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493. “No man’s faith is perfect unless he loves his brother in faith.”

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494. “Our followers are those who love one another and are forgiving for our sake.”
Abdolmomen Ansari reports: One day I went to Imam Moosa. Muhammad Ibne Abdullah Ja-afari too was there. As soon as I gave him a smile, the Imam said:

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495. “Do you love him?” I said: Yes. I love him only for your sake. The Imam said:

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-“He is your brother in faith. A believer is both paternal and maternal brother of another believer. Cursed and cursed is one who accuses his brother in faith. Cursed and cursed is one who deceives his brother in faith. Cursed and cursed is one who does not wish good for his brother in faith. Cursed and cursed is one who consider himself prior to his brother in faith. Cursed and cursed is one who hides himself from his brother in faith. Cursed and cursed is one who backbites his brother.”
Imam Moosa (AS) has also said:

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496. “The strongest rope (covenant) is faith, friendship and enmity in the way of God.”
Imam Sadeq (AS) has said:

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497. “Everything reposes on another thing. A believer too reposes alongside his brother in faith as a bird reposes near another bird. Have you not experienced it?”

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498. “A believer is the brother of another believer, his eyes, his mirror and his guide. He does not betray him, deceives or oppresses nor lies to him or backbites him.”

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499. “Whenever two or three believers gather round another brother in faith from whose evil they are immune and hope in what he has, should they invoke God, their Dua will be answered. If they have any desire, it will be fulfilled. If they desire anything, it will be given and if they keep silent, God Himself will fulfill their desires.”

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500. “Whoever goes to visit his brother only for the sake of God and not for other things, and hopes to attain rewards promised by God, God will assign seventy thousand angels to say to him: Stay happy for paradise will be pleasant for you.”

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501. “The Holy Prophet of Islam (SAW): Whoever trades with people but is fair to them, speaks to people but does not lie, makes promise but does not breach it, will be among those whose backbite is forbidden whose fairness is perfect, whose justice is open and brotherhood with whom is incumbent.”
Imam Baqer (AS) has said:

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502. “To God belongs a paradise to which only three persons are entitled to enter: One who passes a fair judgment even against himself, one who visits his brother in faith to please God, and one who is self-sacrificial and considers his brother in faith prior to himself.”

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503. “Whenever two believers visit each other and shake hands, God will place His hand between their hands and shakes the hand of one who loves his friend more.”

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504. The Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: “Whenever you meet greet each other with salaam (peace) and shake hands and whenever you part, do so while seeking forgiveness for each other.”
Amiralmomenin (AS) has reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

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505. An angel saw a man standing at the door of a house whose master was not at home. The angel said to him: Why have you come here? The man said: I have a brother in faith whom I wish to see. The angel said: Has any kind of relationship or need brought you here? The man said: There is no closer relationship between us than Islam. In the meantime I do not want anything from him but I wish to visit him for the pleasure of God. The angel said: I am the messenger of God to you bringing the good tidings that God has sent His greetings to you and says: Is this visit for My sake? Are you expecting a reward from Me with your deed? I entitle you to paradise, keeping you away from My wrath and delivered you from the Fire of Hell.”

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506. “Visiting a learned man is as prayer. Visiting a just leader is as prayer. Giving a kind look at parents is as prayer and visiting a brother in faith for the sake of God is also prayer.”

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507. “God has not established brotherhood between two believers to whom he has not given a rank.”

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508. “Whoever considers someone as a brother in the way of God, he has taken an abode in paradise.”

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509. “Whoever respects his brother in faith, has respected God. What do you think God will do to one who has respected God?
Omar Ibne Harith has reported on the authority of Jaber and he has reported on the authority of Imam Baqer (AS):

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510. “Two believers who have become brothers in the way of God, when one of them attains a rank superior to another in paradise, will say: O God! He was my brother and friend who enjoined me to obey You, deterred me from wrong doings and encouraged me about your rewards -these words are uttered by one who stands at a higher rank - O God! Place him alongside me. God too will accept his request placing them in the same position. As for two hypocrites, when one of them in an inferior position, will say: O God! such a person encouraged me to wrong doing, dettered me from obeying You, discouraged me about Your rewards and never made me to fear You. Therefore, place him and me together in this inferior rank. God too will place these two in the same place.”
The Imam Baqer (AS) recited verse 67 of the Quranic Chapter, Zukhruf, as follow:

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“The friends shall on the day be enemies one to another, except those who guard against evil.”

Fulfilling a believer’s desire
Eban Ibne Taghalab has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):

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511. “Whenever a believer requests something from his brother in faith and he rejects it while he has the power to fulfill it, God will make a snake dominate him in his grave so as to bite his fingers.”
Ismaeel Ibne Ammar reports: I said to Imam Sadeq (AS): Is believer a blessing? The Imam said:

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512. “Yes, a believer turning to his brother in faith to fulfill his desire is a blessing God has sent for him. God has made it a means of nearness to Him. Hence if he fulfills that need, he has the power to fulfill it, he has rejected God’s blessing. In this case, that mercy is reserved for the person whose desire has not been accepted.”

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“Whoever acts to fulfill the desire of his brother in faith but does not endeavor as he should, he has betrayed God, the Messenger and believers.”

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“Whenever a believer goes to his brother in faith to beg something but his brother in faith fails to help him despite having the means, God will make him fulfill the desires of our enemies so as to chastise him through this deed.”

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“Whoever humiliates an indigent believer for destitution, God will humiliate him before people and is His enemy till the Day of Resurrection.”

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“One in whose presence they backbite his brother in faith, should he help him, God will help him in the world and the Hereafter and if he does not help him despite his capability, God will humiliate him both in the world and in the Hereafter.”
Hussein Ibne Abilalaa reports: I was in the company of twenty odd persons of Mecca. I used to sacrifice a lamb at every halting place. When I went to Imam Sadeq (AS), the Imam said:

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513. “Woe to Hussein! Are you humiliating all believers?” I said: I seek refuge with Allah from what you say. The Imam (AS) said:

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“They have informed me that you are sacrificing a lamb for your company at every halting place.”
I said: My master! By God I only mean to please God. The Imam said:

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“Don’t you see that there may be among them a person who wishes to act as you but has no means, hence he is humiliated?” I said: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! I seek forgiveness from God and I will not do it again.”
The Imam (AS) said:

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“My ummah will be on the good path as long as they love each other, return the trust to its owner and give alms, for if they will come to my ummah a time when their heart will become evil and their appearance good because of avarice in world, their deed is hypocrisy and they do not fear that God will send a severe tribulation in which people call on Him as one who is being drowned but God will not answer them.”
Ibrahim Taimi reports: While learning against me in the sacred Mosque in Mecca Imam Sadeq (AS) said to me:

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514. “Won’t you like to tell you about the rewards which are in your circumambulation?”
I said: Yes, may I be sacrificed for you! The Imam said:

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- Whoever comes to this House and knows his right, he must perform circumambulation seven times, perform two Rak-at of prayer in the position of Ibrahim (AS), God will have ten thousand virtues written for him and will promote him ten thousand times.”
Then the Imam (AS) said:

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“Won’t you like me to tell you something better?”
I said: Yes, may I be sacrificed for you! The Imam said:

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“Whoever fulfills the desire of his brother in faith, is a man who has performed circumambulation and then said: Whenever a believer asks something form his brother in faith and the latter fails to fulfill it despite his capability, God will make a snake dominate him in his grave so as to bite his fingers.”
Ibne Abbas reports: I was in the company of Imam Hassan in the sacred Mosque in Mecca. The Imam was in seclusion for Allah’s worship and performed circumambulation round Ka-ba. At this time, a follower of him approached him saying: O son of the Messenger of Allah, I owe someone, pay the debt on my behalf if you can.
The Imam said:

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515. “By the Lord of this House, I do not have anything on me today.”
The man said: Take a respite for me if you can, for he has threatened to send me to jail. Ibne Abbas says: I saw that the Imam abandoned seclusion and went along with that man. I said: O son of the Messenger of Allah, were you not in seclusion? The Imam said:

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“Yes, but I heard from my father who quoted the messenger of Allah as saying: Whoever fulfills the desire of his brother in faith, is as a man who has worshipped God nine thousand years, keeping fast the days and performing prayers all nights.”

Make Your Brother in Faith Happy
Now that it has become clear to you as to how much God pays attention to love and affection among brothers in faith, let it be known to you that the best deed to God is to make them happy.
Hussein Ibne Yaghteen has reported on the authority of his father and he too on the authority of his father and he too on the authority of his grand father: I was in Ahwas where one of the scribes of “Yahya Ibne Khaled” became the governor of our city. I owed some tax and if I paid it, I would lose everything including my own house. I was told that he was one of the followers of the Household of the Holy Prophet but I feared to go to him. The only option was to seek help from God. Hence I went to Imam Sadeq (AS) seeking help from him. The Imam wrote the following on a piece of paper:

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516. “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, there is for God a shade under the Throne in which only one abides who removes sorrows from his brother in faith, or helps him wholeheartedly even if it is as small as half a date. The one who carries this letter is your brother in faith, peace be to you.”
The Imam sealed the letter, handed it to me and said to give it to him. When I returned to my home town, I went to see him by night. Asking permission to enter I said: The emissary of Imam Sadeq (AS) is at the door. I found out that he came to me bare-footed from inside the house. Seeing me, he greeted and kissed me between the eyes. Then he said: O my brother! Are you the emissary of my master? I said: Yes. He said: If it is true, you have saved me from Fire. Then taking my hand he led me into the house and gave a special seat to me and sat in front of me, saying: O my brother! How was my master feeling when you left him? I said: He was well. He said: Really? I said: Really! Then I took out the handwriting of the Imam. Reading it, he kissed and put it on his eyes saying: Dear brother! What do you want? I said: In the letter you had written to me, you had levied a thousand Dirhams the payment of which is the same as my annihilation. He took the letter from me and annulled the content exempting me from paying it. He, then ordered to bring the coffers for him and divided equally what was in it between me and himself. He then ordered to bring the quadrapeds and gave half of them to me. Then it was the turn of slaves. He took one slave for himself and gave me one. Then he ordered to bring his garments which he divided equally between me and himself. Then he said: Did I make you happy? I said: By God, I am more than happy.
This continued till it was Hajj days. I said to myself: By God! This happiness can not be compensated by anything unless I go on Hajj pilgrimage, recite Dua for this man, go to my master, Imam Sadeq (AS) and appreciate Dua for this man. So I left that place for Mecca and chose a path to see my master. When the Imam received me I could see happiness on his face. The Imam (AS) said:

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“What do you know about that man’s business?”
I told him the story and noticed that the Imam’s face was very happy. I said: My master! Are you pleased with his behavior towards me? May God make him happy in all his affairs. The Imam (AS) said:

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“Yes, by God! He made me and my fathers happy. By God! He made Amiralmomenin happy. By God! He made the Messenger of Allah happy. By God! He made God happy in His heavens.”
Dear reader, see how this believer treated the emissary of his Imam and how he observed utmost courtesy in his behavior and greeting. Also see how he was not pleased with a mere good behavior, rather he made him share all his wealth. From the Imam’s words that this man is your brother in faith, he also understood that two brethren have equal rights in wealth. This Hadith suggests several points:
1- The happiness of a believer is the same as the happiness of God the Messenger of God and the Imams.
2- A believer should help his brother in faith as much as he can when the help is needed.
3- Man should appeal to God and the household of the Holy Prophet (SAW) in relation to important deeds.
4- This deed will lead to success and prosperity.
God sent the following revelation to prophet David (AS):

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517 “One of My servants does a good deed for which I make My paradise permissible for him. Prophet David said: O God! What is that good deed? God said: He will make My believing servant happy even by giving him a date. Prophet David said: Any one knowing You should never give up his hopes in You.”
It has been reported on the authority of the Holy Prophet (SAW):

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518. “Every believer who visits a patient, will enter the ocean of God’s Mercy. Should he sit by the side of that patient, he will remain in Mercy. If he visits the patient in the morning, seventy thousand angels will send greetings to him till night and if he visits the patient in the evening, seventy thousand angel will send greetings to him till mooring.”
It has been reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):

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519. “Quoting God, the Holy Prophet (SAW) has said: Whoever hurts My believing servant has declared war against Me and whoever honors My believing servant, he is certainly safe fro My wrath. Among all the creatures I have in the east and the west, if there is a single believer who is with an Imam and a just leader with their servitude, I will independent of all creatures that I have on the earth, for the seven earths and seven heavens depend on those two. I will create a kind of fondness between them out of their belief that, they will not need the fondness of others.”
o- Raising two hands during Dua
It is reported that the Holy Prophet used to raise his hands during Dua and supplication in the same way that a destitute raises his hands in asking for food.
God sent the following revelation to prophet Moses (AS):

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520. “Raise the palm of your hands humbly before Me as a slave who cries out and seeks help from his master. Should you do so, you will be entitled to My Mercy, for I am the Most Generous and the Most Powerful. O Moses! Seek My Grace and Mercy, for these two are only in My hands and others do not have them. Whenever you ask something from Me, see how willing you are to what is with Me. Every one will receive reward according to his deed and many an ungrateful man too will receive reward for his endeavor.”
To a question asked by Abu Baseer about Dua and raising one’s hands, Imam Sadeq (AS) said:

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521. “It has five characteristics:
1- To seek refuge with God, you should put the palm of both hands towards Qiblah.
2- To have your sustenance increased, open your hands and put the palm of both hands towards the sky.
3- To give up hope in anyone but God, point with the index finger.
4- To supplicate, raise your hands above your head.
5- To supplicate move your index finger against your face, for it is the Dua of fear.”
Muhammad Ibne Moslem has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):

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522. “While I had raised my left hand in my prayer a man passed by me and said: O servant of God! Recite Dua with your right hand raised. I said: O servant of God! God has the same right on this hand as He has on the other.”
The Imam also said:

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523. “Inclination is when you expose both hands to reveal what is inside. Fear is when you open both hands to reveal their backs. Supplication is when you move the index finger of the right hand to the right and the left. Giving up hope in anyone but God is when you gently raise and lower the index finger of the left hand.
Weeping is when you open both hands and forearms towards the sky.”
Sadeeq Ibne Yassar has reported on the authority of Imam Sadeq (AS):

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524. “Inclination is as such: The Imam had exposed the palm of his hands to sky. Feara is as such: The Imam had put the back of his hands towards the sky.
Supplication is as such: The Imam was moving his fingers to right left. Weeping state is as such: The Imam was taking his fingers up and down. Weeping state is such: Drawing his hand against his face, the Imam said: Weeping state is not actualized unless you see tears.”
In another Hadith, we read:

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525. “Humility to Dua is to put both hands on shoulders.”
Caution
In Inclination when the palm of hands are exposed to sky, man hopes to have his desires fulfilled. Hence he is opening his hands to receive God’s beneficence. In Fear when the back of hands are exposed to sky, man wishes to say to God who is Aware of all the secrets of the world with a language of humility: O God! I dare not open my hands before you, rather I have put it towards the earth out of shame and humility. In supplication in which man moves his fingers to right and left, perhaps man wishes to pose himself as a bereaved person who, in afflictions, moves his hands to right and left while reciting elegy. In weeping state, in which he brings his fingers up and down, man wishes to tell God: I have given up having hope in any one but You. As for putting his hands on the shoulder, it is like a criminal person who is taken to his master while his carnal desires have tied him up but his heart says: O God! I have put fetters on my hands for doing injustice to You.
Note
An Islamic scholar says: While the supplicant praise God, he should mention those Attributes of god which are related to his desire. For instance, if he is seeking sustenance, he should utter such Attributes of God as Provider of food, or the Most Generous, if he is asking for forgiveness, he should utter such Attributes of God as Oft-returning to Mercy and the Most Merciful, if he is desiring revenge on enemy, he should utter such Attributes of God as Almighty, the Revenger, and if he is seeking knowledge, he should utter such Attributes of God as the Opender, the Guide and Promoter.