Imam al-Jawad (a.s.) said:

مَنْ أَصْغَى إلى ناطِق فَقَدْ عَبَدَهُ فَاِنْ كَانَ النّاطِقُ عَنِ اللّهِ فَقَدْ عَبَدَ اللّهَ وَ إنْ كانَ النّاطِقُ يَنْطِقُ عَنْ لِسانِ إِبْلِيسَ فَقَدْ عَبَدَ إبْلِيْسَ

Translation

One who listens to an orator has worshipped him. Thus if the orator delivers God’s message, he (the listener) has worshipped God, and if he talks from the tongue of Iblis, he has worshipped Iblis.1

Brief Description

Utterance, whatsoever and from whoever it may be, has an effect, and listening to the utterances is usually accompanied with an impression in man’s heart. Orators will say what suits their purpose. Some will be on the side of truth and others will try to inculcate falsehoods. Submission to each of these two groups is a kind of worship because the essence of worship is nothing else than submission.

Therefore, one should listen to truthful utterances and become truth worshippers and avoid purveyors of falsehoods and prevent their dark utterances from entering one’s ears and reaching the depths of the soul.

• 1. Tuhaful Uqul, page 339. Al-Kafi, vol 6, page 434. Wasa'il Al-Shia, vol 27, page 127. Mustadrak AlWasail, vol 17, page 308.