Prayers of those who doubt are not accepted

From Amali of Shaykh Mufid (a.r.),

He said: Abul Hasan Ali b. Muhammad b. Al-Zubair al-Kufi reported to me, with permission to report from Abul Hasan Ali b. Faddhal, who reported from Ali b. Asbat who reported from Muhammad b. Yahya, the brother of Mughallas, from al-Ula b. Razin, from Muhammad b. Muslim, from one of the two (Imams), peace be upon them, saying that:

I told him: “We see a man deeply engrossed in the acts of devotion, humble and trying his best (to please Allah), yet he is opposed to you. Does that benefit him anything?”

He said: “O Muhammad, the similitude of us Ahlul Bait is like that of a household among Banu Israel, of whom whoever strived devotedly for forty nights, his prayer was answered.” Among them there was one who strenuously worshipped for forty nights and his prayer went unanswered. So he came to Isa, son of Maryam, peace be upon him, complaining about the situation he was in, and beseeching him to pray for him. So Isa made ablutions, and prayed. Allah revealed unto him: “O Isa, surely, this servant of mine came through a gate other than the one through which I am reached. He prayed while his heart had doubts about you. So, (even) if he called upon me till his neck were severed and his fingers fell apart, I would not answer him.”

Then Isa approached him and said: “You call upon your Lord while your heart doubts His Prophet?”

He said: “O Spirit of Allah, and His word, by Allah, it was like what you said. Now, please pray unto Him to remove that from me.” Then Isa prayed (for him) and Allah accepted it from him, and he was again reverted to his household.

Similar is the case of us Ahlul Bait. Allah does not accept the acts of devotion from a servant who doubts about us.

Topics: Doubts about Ahlul Bait (a.s.), Gate of Allah, Tawassul, Recognition of Imam (a.s.) or Hujjatullah

Reference: http://www.al-islam.org/amali/ Chapter 1