Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “A group of people went to see Imam Sajjad (a.s). Abdullah ibn Abbas was with him, too. The people talked about the calamities of the Shiites and their sufferings. Then they went to see Imam Hussein (a.s) and said the same things. Imam Hussein (a.s) said: “I swear by God that the speed with which poverty and calamities rush towards our friends is more than the running speed of the zebra, the speed of the flood and the rainfall. If you are not suffering this way, then we know that you are not one of us. Your orphans will be helped by us, your debts will be repaid by us, and your sins will be forgiven by us.”

Hadith 1709 from the book Mishkatul anwar fi ghurur il akhbar

Imam Sadiq (a.s) said: “If a believer only knew what the reward for perseverance in the face of calamities is, he would always wish to be torn into pieces.”

Hadith 1707 from the book Mishkatul anwar fi ghurur il akhbar

Imam Baqir (a.s) said: “Whenever God wishes to honor one who has committed sins, He will make him ill, or needy, or make him suffer from a difficult death to compensate for his sins. Whenever God wishes to humiliate someone who has done some good deeds, He will make him perfectly healthy, or improve his living conditions, or make his death an easy one for him to compensate for his good deeds (in this world before he goes to meet his Lord).”

Hadith 1716 from the book Mishkatul anwar fi ghurur il akhbar