Finding Love and Affection among People

2. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Sama’a from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “Dealing with people in a graceful manner is one third of (the power) reason.”

3. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Three things purify a Muslim’s love for his brother (in belief): meeting him in a cheerful manner, preparing for him a seat if he wants to sit down in a gathering, and calling him by his names that he loves most.’”

4. Through the same chain of narrators it is narrated from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Showing that one loves people is half (the power) of reason.’”

5. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Hassan from Musa ibn Bakr from abu al-Hassan عليه السلام who has said the following: “Showing that one loves people is one half (the power) of reason.”

6. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Hudhayfah ibn Mansur who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام saying, ‘Whoever holds his hands off the people has held back only one hand, however, they will hold many hands off of him.’”

7. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from certain individuals of his people from Salih ibn ‘Aqabah from Sulayman ibn Ziyad al-Tamimi from Abu ‘Abdillah عليه السلام who has said the following: “Al-Hassan ibn Ali عليه السلام has said, ‘A person close to another person is one whom love has brought so close even though his lineage is far remote. A person far away is one whom love has distanced a part even though his lineage is near and close. There is nothing so close to another thing than the hands to the body, but when it becomes disloyal it is cut off and when it is cut off the body’s blood is held back from flowing out.’”