Observe what Allah says:
“It will not be in accordance with your desires or the desires of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allah a protector or a helper. And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer – those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed.” An-Nisa, (04:123–124)
The aforementioned two verses signify the importance of the person’s deeds in being either closer to Allah or cropped off. Allah warns man, even if he were a prophet, a saint, or an infallible, of His wrath once this man is an evildoer. He reminds us that there is no kinship to Allah. Man should not be over-optimistic that his religion or his kinship to the prophets or saints (very pious people) would save him on the Day of Resurrection. Heaven cannot be dwelled, seen, or touched unless the person works according to Allah’s commands.
Notice this verse: “It will not be in accordance with your desires.” It is a warning to both Muslims and the People of the Scripture (holy books) that neither their religion nor their kinship to any of the prophets would save them from Allah’s wrath: “And they say, ‘None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian.’ That is [merely] their wishful thinking.” Al-Baqarah, (02:111)
There is a Divine Mercy. But it is restricted to the believers who are good doers. Evildoers are emphatically punished. The first question raised by Allah on the Day of Resurrection will be about one’s deeds that will determine his destiny. It is an indication that evildoers are evidently refuted from Heaven. They are isolated with no protecting friends or helpers; they would be dispersed. In fact, it is deliberately clear that there is no role for any intercessor to any kind of person: “That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.” Ta-Ha, (20:109) And also: “He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they cannot intercede except on behalf of one whom He approves. And they, from fear of Him, are apprehensive.” Al-Anbiya, )21:28)
There are no personal wishes: those who intervene are programmed according to a Divine course drawn by Allah. They do not act out of their own will, but they know what Allah wants and act accordingly.
These verses begin by telling people about the importance of their deeds in elevating or destroying them. Man is classified according to his own deeds. The following verse also shows the greatness of one’s deed in his life: “And say, ‘Do [as you will], for Allah will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers.” At-Tawbah, (09:105)
Accordingly, it must be understood that our love and attachment to the Prophet (p.) and the Members of the House (a.s.) does not guarantee our entrance to Heaven. We have to realize that our loyalty to them ought to spring from our loyalty to Allah and to His heavenly messengers as well. Allah wants us to love them, but through our love to Him, for our relationship with the prophets and the infallible is an indirect relation with Allah; it is a relation with the leadership. Our love to them must not be considered or taken as any personal love similar to the way we love somebody; this is a false conception. It should be a love which is channeled to Allah. The following Qur’anic verse clarifies the above-mentioned ideas: “Say, [O Muhammad], ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me, so Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.’” Al Imran, (03:31)
Loving Allah means our loving His mission, loving His prophets and at the same time following them in all their religious movement; it also means working hard and restraining ourselves from any worldly deviation. Imam Zain al-Abideen (a.s.) comments on this by saying: Loving Allah means our total obedience and faithfulness to Him.
Furthermore, Imam al-Baqir (a.s.), in his comment on the nature of following the Members of the House, once said: “Is it enough for a Shiite to say that he loves Ali (a.s.), and that he is loyal to him without real practice, for we all know that the Prophet is more important than Ali, and is it enough for our saying that we love the Prophet (p.) without following him in all his deeds?” Then he swore saying: “What does a declaration of immunity by Allah mean? Whoever is loyal to Allah, he is then loyal to us, and whoever is Allah’s enemy, then he is our enemy. By Allah, being loyal to us is not easily attained unless the person is Allah-fearing.”
Moreover, one of Imam as-Sadiq’s companions asked the Imam: “You have said ‘if you knew, do whatever you want’; which means that your loyalty to the Members of the House would save you even if you committed adultery or stole. Is this saying true?” Here Imam as-Sadiq (a.s.) replied saying: This is not true. This saying means, “If you knew”—if you are loyal to us, you should be a good-doer. Your deeds as humans need a foundation: “But he who does of righteous deeds while he is a believer – he will neither fear injustice nor deprivation.” Ta-Ha, (20:112) You should practice properly all the Islamic laws.
Finally, we have to know that affiliation to Allah, to His holy messengers, and Imams means that you ought to be the embodiment and the application of good deeds—deeds which benefit Islam and help in its progress. It is not a word we say, a tear we pour, a sigh we raise, nor a cry we burst or a pulse in the heart, but rather it is a stance we show, and a deed we do to be real followers to the Members of the House.