A beautiful piece of advice

It is narrated that Imam Hussain (as), grandson of the Holy Prophet (saw), said to a man who was backbiting another before him,

'O you, stop backbiting, for it is the daily meal of the dogs of Hell.'

A person asked Allah's Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) who among Muslims were better. Upon this (the Holy Prophet) remarked: One from whose hand and tongue, Muslims are safe.

Commentary

Are others safe from your words (back-biting, comments, sarcasm, hurtful jokes, fitnah etc) and your deeds (retaliation, plotting etc)?

Angels stand by your side, recording your words.  It is better to be silent than to comment. "Speak good, or else be silent," says Rasulullah (saw). Busy yourself with finding your own faults, and you shall have little time to comment on others.

Angels stand by your side, recording your deeds. It is better to forgive, than to retaliate. Busy yourself with seeking forgiveness for your own soul, and you shall have little time to plot revenge or to ponder about the deeds of others. 

When others are safe from your words and deeds, it means that YOU are now safe from words and deeds that will destroy YOURSELF on Judgement Day. On that Day, Man will regret what evil he has said and done. He will be filled with relief, for all the evil which was NOT said and done. So restrain yourself, for your own good.

Will you not then take heed?

Ponder and practice.

The Gloom of Sins and the Glow of Repentance

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was explaining the following verse of the Holy Qur'an:
"Allah is the guardian of those who believe. He brings them out of the darkness into the light."
(Surah Baqarah 2:257)

He said,
"It means Allah takes them away from the darkness of the sins to the light of repentance. Because they were having 'Wilayat' of all the just Imams (all twelve of whom are appointed by Allah). The next portion of the same verse is, "and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are Shaitans who take them out of the light into the darkness."

The Imam further explained,
"It only means those who followed the light of Islam initially but later started following each an every usurper (leader) not authorised by Allah. They left the light of Islam and entered into the darkness of disbelief (Kufr). Thus Allah ordained upon the disbelievers the fire of Hell.

Do Not Use the Bounties for Committing Sins

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) wrote a letter to certain friends of his:
If you wish that your life and the hereafter be accomplished with the best of the deeds and that your soul be captured (death occurs) in this condition, then acknowledge the supremacy of Allah. Do not misuse the bounties and gifts granted to you by Allah in committing acts that are forbidden by Him and become disobedient to Him. Respect all those who remember us, Ahle Bayt (a.s.), and claim to love us. It is immaterial (for you) whether he is truthful or not. For you will be rewarded according to your intention and they (the liars) will be punished for their sins.
(Behaarul Anwaar)

Reward of repeating ablution

Imam Reza (a.s) says, "Repeating ablution for Isha prayer wipes the sins concerning oaths (yes, by Allah; no, by Allah)"

- Sawaabul A'amaal

Reward of ablution of Magrib and Morning prayers

Imam Musa Kazim (a.s) says, "The ablution of Magrib compensates for the sins of a person committed during that day excluding greater sins. The ablution of Morning prayer compensates for the sins of a person committed during the previous night excluding greater sins."

- Sawaabul A'amaal

Love

According to traditions, both from the Shia and the Sunni sources, it is established that love protects one from being a slave of one's desires and Shaitan. This is because the love of an exalted personality entails that we also love his friends and hate his enemies. The friendship of Shaitan and the following of one's evil desires are two of the biggest hurdles in one's love for Allah and the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.).

Insha Allah the followers of Ali (a.s.), by the blessing of his love will remain away from the path of Shaitan. Thus, love (for Ahlul Bayt) protects one from evil rather than make him susceptible to sins. In order to explain this idea a few traditions are mentioned below: 

Love Makes a Man Steadfast

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) has said,
"Whoever has been bestowed the love of Ali (a.s.) in his heart by Allah, is not prone to wavering (from his path) but he becomes steadfast on the path of Allah) and also towards other (matters)."
(Behaarul Anwaar) 

The Testimony of Jabir Ibne Abdullah Ansari (r.a.)

Hazrat Jabir ibne Abdulla Ansari (r.a.) says: If the first step of the lovers of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) is in the wrong direction due to excess sins the next step is guided aright by (the grace of) their love.
(Safinatul Behaar) 

The Angels Seek Forgiveness for the Partisans of Ali (a.s.)

According to the traditions of the Ahlul Bayt (a.s.), it is an established fact that even the angels ask forgiveness (on behalf) of the followers of Ali (a.s.). A tradition is quoted in Behaarul Anwaar from the Sunni sources in this regard. Anas relates from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that he said,
"Allah has created seventy thousand angels from the light of Ali ibne Abi Talib's face. These angels will (continue to) ask forgiveness (on his behalf and on the behalf of his devotees) till the Day of Judgement." 

Devotion for Ali (a.s.) Consumes Our Sins

The love and devotion for Hazrat Ali (a.s.) destroys one's sins as is proved by the numerous reports. Behaarul Anwaar has the following tradition related from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) by Ibne Abbas (r.a.):
"Love of Ali (a.s.) consumes the sins like fire consumes wood."

There is a Persian 'Qata' (four-line poem) which summarises this discussion as follows:
The love of Ali (a.s.) removes the darkness of the heart like the moon and the stars illuminate the night. Salvation will be based on ones love for him and not ones worship deeds.

But those who are his devotees, must also rely upon the Merciful (God). We should not be satisfied only with this devotion and forget Allah.

Sins Blacken the Heart

The first tradition is reported from Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.): He said,
"There is no man who does not have a white spot in his heart. When he commits a sin a black spot emerges from this spot. If he repents, the blackness goes away but if he sinks in sin and continues to sin the blackness keeps on increasing till it surrounds the whiteness of the heart completely. When the white spot is totally covered by the blackness, the owner of this heart will never revert towards goodness. This tradition is in consonance with the utterance of Allah:
"By no means! But on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do."
(Surah Mutaffefeen 83:14)

The Blackened Heart is Immune to Advice and Counsel

The people with the 'blackened heart' are totally unaffected by any counsel because their sins have caused the darkness to spread all over their heart. The loss of the inner eye prevents them from perceiving truths nor can they recognise the truth when they see it. They cannot accept any exhortation and revert to the path of virtue. It is in this connection that Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) explains:
"A man resolves to perform a sinful action but does not act upon it, but sometimes does commit it; Allah sees him and says: "By My Glory, after this I shall never forgive you."

According to another report, the person (sinner) is kept away from the Mercy of Allah due to his sin. He also does not get the impetus to seek repentance, hence his sin is never forgiven. Allama Majlisi (r.a.) writes in the explanatory note of the above tradition: "The purport of this tradition of Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) is that, the Imam has commanded us to fear all types of sins because every sin seems to be such that it may not qualify being overlooked. 

- Greater Sins, Vol.1

Effect of Salwaat

Holy Prophet Muhammad al Mustafā (S.A.W.W) said:

to Amir al-Mu'minin Imām ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib (A.S.) that-

"Jibrael informed me that a person from my nation who recites Salawaat on me and my progeny, then for him the doors of the skies are opened, angels recite Seventy salawat on him and if he is a sinner then his sins will fall like leave falls from the tree.”

[Reference: Bihar al-Anwar, Vol 94 Page 55 Tradition 28]

14 Million Salawat Campaign in the blessed months of Rab'i 

(Rabi' al-awwal &  Rabī' al-Akhir)

Reward of uttering a name of Allah while performing ablution

Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s) says, "One who utters a name of Allah while performing ablution his whole body will become pure. All his sins between two ablutions will be wiped off. One who does not utter a name of Allah while performing ablution only the parts of body concerned with ablution will become pure and not his whole body."

Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (a.s) says, "A person who utters the name of Allah while performing ablution is like one who has performed a ghusl."

- Sawaabul Aa'amal

Difficulties and Calamities Nullify the Sins

The Almighty Allah imposes difficulties and sends calamities to the sinful people among the followers of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) This is because He wishes to cleanse them of their sins so that they are not liable to any punishment after death. If the sins are more, then he gets a difficult death and if the sins are still in excess then he is punished in Barzakh (grave) upto the Day of Judgement.
It is also stated in the traditions that if there is a sinner whose sins are so much that even after all the punishment they are not expiated; then that person will be interned in the Hell-fire till he has recompensed for the remaining sins. The devotee of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) shall not remain in the fire forever. The everlasting punishment is only for the unbelievers and the enemies of Ahlul Bayt (a.s.)

- Greater sins, vol,1