Hadith

 أَبِي رَحِمَهُ اَللَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ ع قَالَ : كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحُسَيْنِ ع قَاعِداً فِي بَيْتِهِ إِذْ قَرَعَ قَوْمٌ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلْبَابَ فَقَالَ يَا جَارِيَةُ اُنْظُرِي‌ مَنْ بِالْبَابِ فَقَالُوا قَوْمٌ مِنْ شِيعَتِكَ فَوَثَبَ عَجْلاَنَ حَتَّى كَادَ أَنْ يَقَعَ فَلَمَّا فَتَحَ اَلْبَابَ وَ نَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَجَعَ وَ قَالَ كَذَبُوا فَأَيْنَ اَلسَّمْتُ فِي اَلْوُجُوهِ أَيْنَ أَثَرُ اَلْعِبَادَةِ أَيْنَ سِيمَاءُ اَلسُّجُودِ إِنَّمَا شِيعَتُنَا يُعْرَفُونَ بِعِبَادَتِهِمْ وَ شَعَثِهِمْ قَدْ قَرَحَتِ اَلْعِبَادَةُ مِنْهُمُ اَلْآنَافَ وَ دَثَّرَتِ اَلْجِبَاهَ وَ اَلْمَسَاجِدَ خُمْصُ اَلْبُطُونِ ذُبُلُ اَلشِّفَاهِ قَدْ هَيَّجَتِ اَلْعِبَادَةُ وُجُوهَهُمْ وَ أَخْلَقَ سَهَرُ اَللَّيَالِي وَ قَطْعُ اَلْهَوَاجِرِ جُثَثَهُمْ اَلْمُسَبِّحُونَ إِذَا سَكَتَ اَلنَّاسُ وَ اَلْمُصَلُّونَ إِذَا نَامَ اَلنَّاسُ وَ اَلْمَحْزُونُونَ إِذَا فَرِحَ اَلنَّاسُ يُعْرَفُونَ بِالزُّهْدِ كَلاَمُهُمُ اَلرَّحْمَةُ وَ تَشَاغُلُهُمْ بِالْجَنَّةِ .

 My father, Allah may have mercy upon him, narrated to us from Ali bin Ibrahim bin Hashim from his father from Ismaeel bin Mehran from Hamran bin Aayun that Abu Abdullah (a) related: Ali bin al-Hussein (a) was sitting in his house when the door was knocked. He asked one of his bondmaids to open the door. “We are some of your Shia,” they shouted from behind the door. As soon as he heard this statement, the Imam jumped so hurriedly that he was about to fall down. When he opened the door, he took back and said: You are lying. Where are the marks of your faces? Where are the signs of worship? Where are the features of prostration? Our Shia are characterized by their worship and shagginess. Their noses are impaired due to worship, and their foreheads, as well as organs of prostration, are effaced. Their stomachs are atrophied, and their lips are withered. Worship has changed their faces, staying up at nights has fatigued them, and hot weather has affected their bodies. They praise Allah when people are silent, offer prayers when people are asleep, and are sad when people are happy. Their distinctive feature is asceticism. Their wording is mercy and their main concern is Paradise.

Ṣifāt al-Shīʿa

Book 1, Chapter 40