سورة الأنفال

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would perform the prayer, his heart would boil like a cauldron from the fear of Allah. And Allah the Exalted has said: الَّذِینَ إِذا ذُکِرَ اللهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ [Those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Indeed these verses were revealed concerning Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him), Salman (may Allah have mercy on him), and al-Miqdad (may Allah have mercy on him).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Faith in Allah the Exalted is the highest degree of faith, the noblest rank of faith, and the greatest portion of faith ... And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever meets Allah [on the Day of Resurrection] with complete faith will be among the people of Paradise, and whoever wastes any of what Allah the Exalted has made obligatory upon the limbs of the body, transgresses the commands of Allah, and commits what Allah has forbidden, will meet Allah with deficient faith. And Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: 'وَ إِذا ما أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ یَقُولُ أَیُّکُمْ زادَتْهُ هذِهِ إِیماناً فَأَمَّا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا فَزادَتْهُمْ إِیماناً وَ هُمْ یَسْتَبْشِرُونَ [And when a surah is revealed, some of them say (to others): "Which of you has this surah increased in faith?" (Say to them): As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith and they rejoice (in Allah's grace and mercy)]' (Tawbah/124). And He has said: 'إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِینَ إِذا ذُکِرَ اللهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَ إِذا تُلِیَتْ عَلَیْهِمْ آیاتُهُ زادَتْهُمْ إِیماناً وَ عَلی رَبِّهِمْ یَتَوَکَّلُونَ [The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned, and when His verses are recited to them, they increase them in faith, and upon their Lord they rely]'. And He has said: 'We recount their story to you in truth. They were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance' (Kahf/13). And He has said: 'As for those who are guided, Allah increases them in guidance and grants them the spirit of piety' (Muhammad/17). And He has said: 'هُوَ الَّذِی أَنْزَلَ السَّکِینَةَ فِی قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ لِیَزْدادُوا إِیماناً مَعَ إِیمانِهِمْ وَ لِلهِ جُنُودُ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ کانَ اللهُ عَلیماً حَکیم [He it is who sent down tranquility into the hearts of the believers that they may add faith to their faith. And to Allah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise]' (Fath/4). And if faith were all one thing, with no increase or decrease [in its levels], no one would have superiority over anyone else, and all people would be equal in the completeness of faith. Yet the believers, on account of the perfection of their faith, enter Paradise and attain its degrees, while others enter Hell through the absence and deficiency of faith."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: One day I and five groups of our companions came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). A severe famine had struck us, so that for four full months we had tasted nothing but water, milk and the leaves of trees. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! How long shall we remain in this severe famine?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "... O son of Mas'ud! Hold fast to tranquility and dignity, and be easy-going, gentle, chaste, Muslim, Allah-fearing, pure, righteous, clean and purified, truthful and sincere, submissive and upright, wise and virtuous, patient and grateful, believing and pious, worshipful and abstinent, merciful, learned and a jurist. For Allah the Exalted says: ... 'إِنَّمَا المُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِینَ إِذا ذُکِرَ اللهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ أُولئِکَ هُمُ الْمؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا لَهُمْ دَرَجاتٌ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ وَ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَ رِزْقٌ کَرِیم [The believers are only those whose hearts tremble when Allah is mentioned ... those are the true believers; for them are degrees with their Lord, and forgiveness, and a noble sustenance]."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him), concerning the words of Allah the Exalted وَ إِذا تُلِیَتْ عَلَیْهِمْ آیاتُهُ زادَتْهُمْ إِیماناً [And when His verses are recited to them, they increase them in faith], ... it is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) that he said: "That is, their affirmation and confirmation of the verses of the Quran, which are gradually revealed from Allah, is increased. They confirm the first verse, the second, the third, and every other verse revealed from Allah, and their affirmation is thereby increased."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), in the counsel of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) to Abdullah ibn Jundab: ... O son of Jundab! The believers are those who fear Allah and are apprehensive lest the blessing of guidance which has been granted to them be taken away from them. When they remember the blessings of Allah, they fear and are apprehensive; and when His verses are recited to them, their faith increases through what they observe of the effect of the Lord's power; and they rely only upon their Lord.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abdullah ibn Umar said: I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Does faith increase and decrease?" He said: "Yes! It increases to the extent that it takes its possessor into Paradise, and it decreases to the extent that it takes its possessor into Hell."