عَنْ حَبِيبٍ قَالَ: قَالَ لَنَا اَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ ع مَا اَحَدٌ اَحَبَّ اِلَيَّ مِنْكُمْ اِنَّ النَّاسَ سَلَكُوا سُبُلًا شَتَّى مِنْهُمْ مَنْ اَخَذَ بِهَوَاهُ وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ اَخَذَ بِرَأْيِهِ وَ اِنَّكُمْ اَخَذْتُمْ بِاَمْرٍ لَهُ اَصْلٌ وَ فِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ لِحَبِيبٍ عَنْ اَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ ع قَالَ: اِنَّ النَّاسَ اَخَذُوا هَكَذَا وَ هَكَذَا فَطَائِفَةٌ اَخَذُوا بِاَهْوَائِهِمْ وَ طَائِفَةٌ قَالُوا بِآرَائِهِمْ وَ طَائِفَةٌ قَالُوا بِالرِّوَايَةِ وَ اللهُ هَدَاكُمْ لِحُبِّهِ وَ حُبِّ مَنْ يَنْفَعُكُمْ حُبُّهُ عِنْدَهُ.
The narrator (Habeeb) says, “I heard Imam Abu Abdillah al-Sadeq (peace be upon him) say,
‘By Allah! None from the people is dearer to me than you (Shiahs) because the people tread various paths; some of them follow their opinion, some of them follow their carnal desires and some of them follow the narration. But you (Shiahs) have taken an affair which has roots (in Quran and Sunnah).”
References:
1. Al-Mahaasin, vol. 1, p. 156, H. 87
2. Al-Kaafi, vol. 8, p. 146, H. 121
3. Wasaael al-Shiah, vol. 27, p. 50, H. 33181
4. Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 65, p. 90, H. 23
5. Fragrance of Mastership H. 13