The Features of the Shi‘a from the Perspective of Imam al-Sadiq

The Shi‘a are those who follow Ali—the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad—and believed in his Imamate and caliphate according to the explicitly teachings and testament of the Prophet Muhammad. In this article, Imam al-Sadiq, the sixth Shi‘a Imam, gives advice to his companion Abd-Allah ibn Jundab on the features of a true Shi‘a, some of which are those who know God, heed the hereafter, constantly engage in self-reckoning (muhasabah ), being generous, and treat wrongdoers with respect and forgiveness.