✅ Answer: Sifla (سِفْلَه or سَفِلَه), in terms of literal meaning, refers to a base, mean, or vile individual. The following ahadith advise avoiding them and introduce some of their characteristics:

1 عن مفضَّل قال قال أَبوعَبْداللَّه إِیَّاکَ وَ السَّفِلَةَ فَإِنَّمَا شِیعَةُ عَلِیٍّ مَنْ عَفَّ بَطْنُهُ و فَرْجُهُ و اشْتَدَّ جِهَادُهُ وَ عَمِلَ لِخَالِقِهِ وَ رَجَا ثَوَابَهُ و خَافَ عِقَابَهُ فَإِذَا رَأَیْتَ أُولَئِکَ فَأُولَئِکَ شِیعَةُ جَعْفَرٍ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 2, p. 233

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Beware of base and mean individuals, for the Shia of Ali (peace be upon him) is someone who keeps their stomach and private parts away from the forbidden, strives diligently, works for their Creator, hopes for His reward, and fears His punishment. When you see such individuals, they are the Shia of Ja'far!

2 عن عَمَّارِ بْنِ مُوسَی قال قال أَبُوعَبْداللَّه یَا عَمَّارُ إِنْ کُنْتَ تُحِبُّ أَنْ تَسْتَتِبَ لَکَ النِّعْمَةُ وَ تَکْمُلَ لَکَ الْمُرُوءَةُ وَ تَصْلُحَ لَکَ الْمَعِیشَةُ فَلَا تُشَارِکِ الْعَبِیدَ وَ السَّفِلَةَ فی أَمْرِکَ فَإِنَّکَ إِنِ ائْتَمَنْتَهُمْ خَانُوکَ وَ إِنْ حَدَّثُوکَ کَذَبُوکَ و إِنْ نُکِبْتَ خَذَلُوکَ و إِنْ وَعَدُوکَ أَخْلَفُوکَ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 2, p. 639

Ammar said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: O Ammar! If you wish for blessings to be prepared and lasting for you, for your murū'ah (manliness/character) and personality to be complete for you, and for your livelihood to be set right for you, do not partner in your work with slaves or base and mean individuals, because if you trust them, they will betray you, and if they speak to you, they will lie to you, and if you are afflicted by hardship, they will abandon helping you, and if they promise you, they will break their promise to you!

3 عن عِیسَی عن أَبِی عَبْداللَّه أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِیَّاکَ و مُخَالَطَةَ السَّفِلَةِ فَإِنَّ السَّفِلَةَ لَا یَئُولُ إِلَی خَیْرٍ.

📚 Al-Kafi Vol. 5, p. 158

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Beware of mixing and associating with base and mean individuals, for the mean do not return to goodness!

4 عن محمد بن أحمد عن السیاری رفعه عن أبی عبداللَّه أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ عَنِ السَّفِلَةِ فَقَالَ مَنْ یَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَ یَضْرِبُ بِالطُّنْبُورِ.

📚 Khisal p. 62

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the base and mean individual; the Imam said: One who drinks intoxicating beverages and plays the tanbūr (setar/stringed instrument)!

5 سُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَنِ السَّفِلَةِ فقال الَّذِی یَأْکُلُ فِی الْأَسْوَاق

📚 Al-Sarā'ir p. 477

Imam Abul-Hasan (peace be upon him) was asked about the base and mean individual; the Imam said: One who eats in the markets!

6 عن أبي بصير و محمد بن مسلم عن أبي عبدالله عن آبائه عن أميرالْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: احْذَرُوا السَّفِلَةَ فَإِنَّ السَّفِلَةَ مَنْ لَا يَخَافُ اللَّهَ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَ فِيهِمْ قَتَلَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ فِيهِمْ أَعْدَاؤُنَا

📚 Al-Khisal p. 635

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) narrated from his ancestors that Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: Beware of the base and mean individual, for the mean are those who do not fear Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the murderers of the prophets are among them, and our enemies are also among them!

7 عن أبي عبدالله السياري عن أميرالمؤمنين في حديث: أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِمَّنْ لَا يُبَالِي بِمَا قَالَ وَ لَا بِمَا قِيلَ فیک فَأَنْتَ سِفْلَةٌ.

📚 Al-Sarā'ir p. 476

In a hadith, Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said to a man: If you are one of those who doesn't care about what he says and what is said to you, then you are base and mean!

8 قَالَ الرِّضَا : السَّفِلَةُ مَنْ كَانَ لَهُ شَيْءٌ يُلْهِيهِ عَنِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى

📚 Mustadrak al-Wasā'il Vol. 13, p. 269

Imam Ridha (peace be upon him) said: The base and mean individual is one who possesses something that distracts and makes him heedless of Allah the Exalted!

9 عن ابن أبی یعفور قال: كنت عند أبی عبدالله علیه السلام فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَیْهِ رَجُلٌ حَسَنُ الْهَیْئَةِ فَقَالَ اتَّقِ السَّفَلَةَ فَمَا تَقَارَّتْ بِیَ الْأَرْضُ حَتَّی خَرَجْتُ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ فَوَجَدْتُهُ غَالِیاً.

📚 Rijāl al-Kashshī p. 198

Ibn Abi Ya'fur said: I was with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) when a well-dressed man asked permission to enter for him. So, the Imam said: Beware of the base and mean individual! The earth felt constrained for me until I went out. Then I inquired about that person and found him to be a *ghālī* (extremist)!

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْر

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