348. Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) said, to one of his companions: “Do not let your wife and children become your entire concern, for if your wife and children are the friends (awliyā') of Allah, He will not neglect the life of His friends, and if they are the enemies of Allah why should you be concerned and preoccupied with the enemies of Allah?”¹

349. Mustadrak al-Wasā'il: “It is said that when Imām ‘Ali’s two children ‘Abbās and Zainab were infants, the Imām had said to ‘Abbās: “Say one.” He said: “One.” He (a.s.) said: “Say two.” He said: “I feel shy to say two with the tongue I have used to say ‘one’.” Imām ‘Ali (a.s.) kissed him on his eyes and then turned to Zainab while she was on his left side and ‘Abbās on his right.
Zainab said: “Dear father! Do you love us?”
He said: “Yes, my child! Our children are our livers.”
She said: “O father! Two loves cannot exist in a believer’s heart: the love of Allah and the love of children, and if it is a must, then let it be that sympathy is for us and pure love is for Allah.” After this, ‘Ali’s love for them increased.²

350. Mustadrak al-Wasā'il, narrating that ‘Ali ibn Abu Tālib (a.s.) had a son and a daughter and he once kissed his son in front of his daughter. The daughter said: “O father! Do you love him?” He (a.s.) said: “Yes.” She said: I thought you love none but Allah.” He wept and then said: “Love is for Allah and compassion is for children.”³

348.الإمام عليّ علیه السلام ـ لِبَعضِ أصحابِهِ ـ: لا تَجعَلَنَّ أكثَرَ شُغلِكَ بِأهلِكَ ووَلَدِكَ، فَإِن يَكُن أهلُكَ ووَلَدُكَ أولِياءَ الله‏ِ فَإِنَّ اللهِ‏َ لا يُضيعُ أولِياءَهُ، وإن يَكونوا أعداءَ اللهِ فَمَا هَمُّكَ وشُغلُكَ بِأعداءِ الله‏ِ !¹

349.مستدرك الوسائل: قيلَ: لَما كانَ العَبّاسُ وزَينَبُ ـ وَلَدَي عَلِيٍّ علیه السلام ـ صَغيرَينِ، قالَ عَلِيٌّ لِلعَبّاسِ: قُل: واحِدٌ، فَقال: واحِدٌ، فَقالَ: قُل: اثنانِ، قالَ: أستَحي أن أقولَ بِاللِّسانِ الّذي قُلتُ واحِدٌ: اثنانِ. فَقَبَّلَ عَلِيٌ علیه السلام عَينَيهِ، ثُمَّ التَفَتَ إلى زَينَبَ وكانَت عَلى يَسارِهِ وَالعبَّاسُ عَن يَمينِهِ، فَقالَت: يا أَبَتاهُ أتُحِبُّنا؟ قالَ: نَعَم يا بُنيَ، أولادُنا أكبادُنا.
فَقالَت: يا أبَتاهُ، حُبَّانِ لا يَجتَمِعانِ في قَلبِ المُؤمِنِ، حُبُّ اللهِ‏ِ وحُبُّ الأولادِ، وإن كانَ لابُدَّ لَنا فَالشَّفَقَةُ لَنا وَالحُبُّ للهِ‏ِِ خالِصاً.
فَازدادَ عَلِيٌّ علیه السلام بِهِما حُبَّاً.²

350.مستدرك الوسائل: كانَ لِعَلِيِّ بنِ أبي طالِبٍ علیه السلام ابنٌ وبِنتٌ، فَقَبَّلَ الابنَ بَينَ يَدَي البِنتِ، فَقالَت: أتُحِبُّهُ يا أبَه؟ قالَ: بَلى، قالَت: ظَنَنتُ أنَّكَ لا تُحِبُّ أحَداً مِن دونِ اللهِ‏ِ. فَبَكى، ثُمَّ قالَ: الحُبُّ للهِ، وَالشَّفَقَةُ لِلأولادِ.³