His own needs are fulfilled 

It must be known that one who strives to fulfill the needs of a believing brother or wards off oppression from an oppressed soul, apart from the rewards of the Hereafter he is also bestowed honour in this world and his own needs are fulfilled. We have many traditions to prove this, however we shall mention only one such incident.

The esteemed scholar, Ahmed bin Muhammad bin Khalid Al Barqi who was present in the life time of Imam Hasan al-Askari (a.s.) and also during the Minor Occultation, says in his book Mahasin:

 I was under the patronage of the tax collector of the city of Pahencha Kootkeen. His name was Abul Hasan Madarani. He had given me a yearly endowment, which I used to collect as tax from an area at Kashān, but he was so busy that he became inattentive towards me and my own taxes were demanded from me. I was much worried, when one day a noble and pious man came to me. He was very weak and it seemed as if he had no blood in his body. He was like a walking corpse. He told me, “O Abu Abdillah! There is a relation of common faith and purity between you and me and the relation of devotion to the Pure Imams (a.s.). Please do something for me for the sake of pleasing Allah (S.w.T.) and for the sake of the love of Sādāt.” I asked him as to what he wished? He said, “People have falsely spread the rumour that I have given some secret information against Kūtani to the Sultan. Hence, they have confiscated all my property.”

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) and ‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn 

Ibrahīm Jamāl wanted to meet ‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn, the Prime Minister of Harūn the Caliph, but he was not granted an audience. The same year ‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn was honoured by Hajj and later went to Madinah and decided to meet Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) but Imam (a.s.) did not permit him to enter. Again the next day he presented himself and upon the refusal of Imam (a.s.) asked as to what sin he had committed that Imam (a.s.) did not want to meet him. Imam (a.s.) said that since he had refused to meet his brother, the Almighty Allah would not allow his efforts to succeed, till the time Ibrahīm Jamāl does not forgive him. ‘Ali ibn Yaqtīn said that since he was in Madinah and Ibrahīm Jamāl in Kufa how was it possible to obtain his forgiveness at that moment?

Imam (a.s.) said,

“When it is dark, go alone to Baqī, and do not let anyone know it. You will find a thoroughbred horse there. Mount that horse.”

‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn did as instructed and in a short time found himself at the door of Ibrahīm Jamāl. He knocked at the door and announced “I am ‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn.” Ibrahīm Jamāl said from inside, “What do I have to do with ‘Ali Ibn Yaqtīn?”

Letter of Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) to the ruler of Ahwaz

When Najjashi assumed the rulership of Ahwaz there was a person in his service who requested Imam (a.s.) that, “I owe a certain amount to the ruler and he is a Shia, if you feel proper, please write to him regarding this matter.”

Imam (a.s.) wrote:

“In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful. Please your brother so that Allah may please you.”

(Usūl al-Kāfi)

The worldly and the heavenly rewards for those who help the believers

A large number of traditions have reached us which emphasise the necessity of helping and assisting the believer and the rewards that are earned by those who do so. Let us study some of these traditions:

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said:

“One who responds to the entreaties of his believing brother in difficulties and makes him glad and helps him and fulfills his needs; then seventy two bounties become incumbent for him from Allah. One of these bounties is given to him in this world so that it can solve his worldly problems and the other seventy one are stored for him to remove the dread and difficulties of the Hereafter.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia)

The worshipper sinks in the ground
 

Shaykh Tusi has related from Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.), “There was an old man of Bani Israel. He was praying when he saw that two children had caught a fowl and were pulling its feather. The fowl was shrieking in pain but he remained engrossed in prayers and did not help the poor bird by having it released from the clutches of the naughty children. So the Almighty ordered the earth to swallow this man and sucked him to the lowest depths.”

Helping the oppressed is not only for believers 

Helping the oppressed is Wajib. This does not mean that it is Wajib only to help the oppressed believers. The commands of helping the oppressed in the light of Qur’an and traditions are only conditional as far as the capability of the helper is concerned. Even if the oppressed people are not Shias and they belong to other sects of Muslims, it is still Wajib to help them. Even if a non-offensive infidel is being oppressed, the command of enjoining good and forbidding evil dictates that he should be helped and the evil must be eradicated. There is an incident in Muntahiul Āmāl that Mansur Dawaniqi was in Mecca when an expensive diamond was brought to him. It was for sale. When Mansur saw the diamond he recognised that it had belonged to Hisham bin Abdul Malik and should have been surrendered to him (Mansur). Since Muhammad a son of Hisham was still alive he must have brought it for sale. So he ordered his guards to close all the doors of the Holy Mosque after morning prayers the next day, and allow the people to leave only from a single door after careful scrutiny. When Muhammad bin Hisham was found he should be arrested and brought to him.

 When on the next day after morning congregational prayers all the doors were shut and it was announced that people should leave from one particular exit, Muhammad bin Hisham realized that it was a plot to arrest him. He became fearful and looked here and there in confusion and worry. He did not know what to do. Just then Muhammad bin Zaid bin ‘Ali bin al-Husain (a.s.) came towards him and asked, “Who are you? And why are you so frightened.”

It is not necessary that only those who request for help should be assisted
 

We should know that helping an oppressed does not become Wajib only when they request for help. Every person who is capable of removing difficulties of a believer must do so and if the needy person has entreated for assistance it becomes all the more important. As the Messenger of Allah (S) says,

“One who hears the entreaty of a man, ‘O Muslims! Come for my help,’ and does not assist him, is not a Muslim.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia)

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says,

“If a person requests his Muslim brother to help him and the latter does not do so inspite of being capable enough; the Almighty Allah installs a huge snake from (the snakes of) Hell on his grave so that it can continuously bite him.”

(Mustadrak)

Chapter 32 

The Thirtieth Greater Sin: Not Helping the Oppressed

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 The thirtieth sin, which is mentioned as a Greater sin, is ‘not helping the oppressed people’ and ‘not warding off oppression from them’. In the tradition of Amash, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) says,

“…and not helping the oppressed (is a greater sin).”

To defend the oppressed is to help them ward off evil; not performing such a task is shirking a great duty which Allah has made incumbent upon us.

Imam Musa al-Kadhim (a.s.) says:

“If a person due to some difficulty takes refuge with his Muslim brother but inspite of being capable of helping him does not do so then he has for his own self cut off the Divine help.”