Love Ahl Al-Bayt without Following Them Nothing but Illusion
This is according to Hojat-ol-Islam Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Alavi Tehrani who made the remarks in a ceremony held to mark the birth anniversary of Imam Ali (AS). Here is a summary of his remarks.
One of our duties towards Ahl al-Bayt is to love them and express this love. Verse 23 of Surah Ash-Shura reads: “Say: 'For this I ask of you no wage except the love of the (Prophet's) relatives.”
When someone does something for us, we should compensate through a means. God here says that the Holy Prophet’s wage is to love his household.
All people will be asked about this love on Resurrection Day. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “A servant's feet will not move on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about four things: about his life and how he spent it, (about) his youth and how he wore it out, about his wealth and where he earned it from and on what he spent it, and about our love for the household.”
Here we are talking about love for a spiritual issue not that for a car or job. The Quran refers to the criterion for this love: “Say (Prophet Muhammad): 'If you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you, and forgive your sins.” (Surah Al-Imran, verse 31)
So the main criterion for his love is following the Prophet and implementing the teachings. Without obedience, this love is nothing but an illusion.
