So the bolt will seize them by the sword of the Imām because they killed the she-camel, i.e., the Imām (glorious is His majesty). And the killing here is not, as some might think, the physical killing, but rather the killing of the Imām's thought. This is what the Negligent are striving for day and night to appease their brothers from the Naṣībah (enemies of Ahl Albayt) and the like. If you reflect, O believer, upon this report with the eye of insight, you would see that this speech applies to the Negligent Shī‘ah and not to others. They preferred blindness, and thus deserved deception and scheming as retribution for their abandonment of the Imāms and their killing of them or contributing to their killing by not supporting them, just as the Children of Israel did when they killed their prophets.

The abandonment of the Family of Muḥammad by the Shī‘ah is a clear matter for anyone who traces the reports of the pure Imāms and the historical books. We will briefly refer to some reports concerning the issue of the Shī‘ah's abandonment of the Imāms.

The Failure to Support Our Master Amir Al-Mouminine (may his glory be exalted) and Fighting Him

The first signs of abandonment by the Shī‘ah began after the event of the Saqīfah, where all the people apostatized except for a few companions, and everyone failed to support Amir Al-Mouminine, which prevented him from rising against the first cursed one after he saw the condition of the people and their failure, even after he urged them to support him.

Our Master Al-Bāqir (may his glory be exalted) said: Later, the Emigrants (Muhājirūn), the Helpers (Anṣār), and others came to ‘Alī (may his glory be exalted) and said to him: "By Allah, you are Amir Al-Mouminine, and by Allah, you are the most rightful and deserving of people to be with the Prophet (may his glory be exalted). Give us your hand so we may pledge allegiance to you. By Allah, we will die before you." ‘Alī said: "If you are truthful, then come to me tomorrow with your heads shaved." Amir al-Mu’minīn, Salmān, Miqdād, and Abū Dharr all shaved their heads, yet no one else did. Then they left and came again later and said to him: "By Allah, you are Amir Al-Mouminine, and you are the most rightful and deserving of people to be with the Prophet. Give us your hand so we may pledge allegiance to you," and they swore. He said: "If you are truthful, then come to me tomorrow with your heads shaved." But only those three shaved their heads.¹