2. Muhammad ibn Isma’il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan and Abu Ali al- Ash’ari from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Mu’awiyah ibn Wahab who has said the following: “Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah ‘What is the proper way to deal with ourselves, our people, our associates and the people in general?’ The Imam said, ‘You must return their trust, present your testimony for and against them, visit them during their illness and attend their funerals.’”

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from al- Husayn ibn Sa’id and Muhammad ibn Khalid all from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad from Habib al-Khath’ami who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah saying, ‘You must maintain restraint from worldly attractions (sins), maintain persistence in work, attend funerals, and visit people during their illness. You should attend the Mosque with your own people, and love for people what you love for yourselves. Would it not be embarrassing for one of you to see that a neighbor recognizes your rights but you do not recognize the rights of your neighbor?”’

4. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Mu’awiyah ibn Wahab who has said the following: “Once I asked the Imam ‘What is the proper way to deal with ourselves and our people, our associates of the people who do not believe as we do?’ The Imam said, ‘Look to your ‘A’immah (plural of Imam) whom you follow and do what they do. By Allah, they, (‘A’immah) visit their sick people, attend their funerals, present their testimony for and against them and return their trust.’”

5. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar and Muhammad in Isma'il, from al-Fadl bin Shadhaan, all from Safwan ibn Yahya, from Abu ‘Usamah Zayd al-Shahham who has said the following: “Once Abu ‘Abdillah said to me, ‘Convey greetings of peace from me to all that you will see of those who obey me and uphold my words. Tell them that I enjoin upon you to be pious before Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, to restraint yourselves from the worldly attractions (sins) in the matters of your religion, to work hard, to maintain truthfulness in your words, keep your trust, perform long prostrations, and to maintain good neighborly relations. This is what Muhammad has brought (from Allah). Return the trust to those who have entrusted you, whether they are virtuous people or evildoers.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would command to return the needle and swing thread. Maintain good relations with the people of your tribe, attend their funerals, visit their sick people, and fulfill your obligations toward them. If one of you maintains restraint in the worldly attractions (sins) in the matters of his religion, is truthful in his words, keeps his trust, has acquired proper moral discipline to behave toward people, it will be said about him, ‘This is a Ja’fari (follower of Ja’far ibn Muhammad )’, and this will bring me joy and delight and they will say, ‘This is the discipline of Ja’far.’ If otherwise, its misfortune and disgrace will trouble me and they will say, ‘This is the behavior of Ja’far.‘

By Allah my father spoke to me about a man who lived with a Shi’a (followers) of Ali tribe whose beauty was in his keeping his trust, fulfilling his obligations, and his being the most truthful in his words. With him they would keep their important documents and valuables. If one were to ask people of the tribe about him, they would ask, “Who is like him? He is the most trusted one in safekeeping of valuables and the most truthful in his words.’””