Critique of Shia moral shortcomings
Ṣifāt al-Shīʿa|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 13
أَبِي رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ اَلصَّلْتِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَجْلاَنَ قَالَ : كُنْتُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ ع فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ فَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَهُ كَيْفَ مَنْ خَلَّفْتَ مِنْ إِخْوَانِكَ فَأَحْسَنَ اَلثَّنَاءَ وَ زَكَّى وَ أَطْرَى فَقَالَ لَهُ كَيْفَ عِيَادَةُ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ لِفُقَرَائِهِمْ قَالَ قَلِيلَةٌ قَالَ كَيْفَ مُوَاصَلَةُ أَغْنِيَائِهِمْ لِفُقَرَائِهِمْ فِي ذَاتِ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنَّكَ تَذْكُرُ أَخْلاَقاً مَا هِيَ فِيمَنْ عِنْدَنَا قَالَ فَكَيْفَ يَزْعُمُ هَؤُلاَءِ أَنَّهُمْ لَنَا شِيعَةٌ .
My father, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to us from Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Ali bin as-Salt that Mohammed bin Ajlan said: I was with Abu Abdullah عليه السلام when a man attended and greeted. The Imam asked him about the manners of his friends. The man praised, admired, and honored. The Imam asked: How about the rich men’s visiting the poor? He answered: It is few. The Imam عليه السلام asked: How about the rich men’s regarding and helping the poor? He said: You are referring to moralities that we do not enjoy. The Imam عليه السلام said: How do they claim being Shia, then?