In the teachings of Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them), balance and moderation hold significant importance. Over the centuries, one of the challenges faced by the Shia community has been the emergence of extremist groups, referred to as "Ghāli" (plural: Ghulāt). These individuals or sects elevate the status of the Imams to a level that exceeds the boundaries set by Islam, attributing divine or supernatural qualities to them that they themselves have denied.

This Research aims to explore the concept of Ghāli in light of the sayings of the Imams (peace be upon them) By understanding who the Ghulāt are, the harm they bring to the faith, and the guidance provided by Ahlulbayt, we can strengthen our connection to the true teachings of Islam and avoid the pitfalls of extremism.

We read in Al Kafi, by Shaykh Kulayni(ra), V2, P75:

Hamid ibn Ziyad, from al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Sama’ah, from some of his companions, from Aban, from Amr ibn Khalid, from Abu Ja’far (peace be upon him), who said:

"O group of Shia, the Shia of the family of Muhammad, be the middle ground (an intermediate position). The exaggerator (ghāli) will return to you, and the one lagging behind will catch up with you."
A man from the Ansar named Sa’d said to him: "May I be your ransom! Who are the extremists (ghāli)?"
He (peace be upon him) replied:
"They are those who attribute to us what we do not attribute to ourselves. They are not from us, and we are not from them." Sa’d then asked: "Who are those lagging behind?" He (peace be upon him) said: "They are the seekers who desire goodness. When they are guided to goodness, they embrace it and are rewarded for it." .... (Hadith continues).... —--

We read in ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā, Vol2 Book 1, Ch16, H466

Muhammad ibn Musa al-Mutawakkil - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ali ibn Ma’bad, on the authority of Al-Husayn ibn Khalid As-Sayrafi, “Abul Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s) said, ‘Whoever believes in transmigration is an unbeliever.’ Then he (a.s) added:
‘May God damn the exaggerators(Ghulats). I wish they were Jews! I wish they were Magi! I wish they were Christians! I wish they were of the Qadarites! I wish they were of the Marja’ites! I wish they were of the Harawies!’ The Imam (a.s) then added, ‘Do not associate with or be friends with the exaggerators. Despise them as God has.’”

We Also Read in Same chapter of the same Book:
4 Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Bashshar - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Abul Faraj al-Mudhaffar ibn Ahmad ibn Al-Hassan al-Qazvini quoted on the authority of Al-Abbas ibn Muhammad ibn Qasim ibn Hamza ibn Musa ibn Ja’far (a.s), on the authority of Al-Hassan ibn Sahl al-Qummi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Khalid, on the authority of Abi Hashem al-Ja’fari that he had asked Abal Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s) about the exaggerators and those who believed in (God) turning over (all) the affairs. The Imam (a.s) replied,
“The exaggerators are unbelievers and those who believe in (God) turning over (all) the affairs (to the Prophet ﷺ) are polytheists. Whoever associates with them; visits them; eats or drinks with them; becomes related to them; gives a daughter in marriage to or marries with one of their daughters; grants them immunity; considers them honest in keeping what they are entrusted with; or acknowledges what they say or assists them in what they say has exited from the circle of the Mastery of the Honorable the Exalted God, the Mastery of the Messenger ﷺ and the Mastery of us - the Members of the Holy Household.”

In the Book Al Amali By Shaykh Al-Tusi, P650 we Read:

Al-Husayn ibn Ubaydullah informed us, saying: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Attar informed us, saying: My father narrated to me, from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid, from al-Abbas ibn Ma'ruf, from Abdul Rahman ibn Muslim, from Fudhayl ibn Yasaar, who said:
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said:
"Beware of letting the exaggerators (ghulat) corrupt your youth, for the exaggerators are the worst of God's creation. They diminish the greatness of God and claim divinity for the servants of God. By God, the exaggerators are worse than the Jews, the Christians, the Magians, and the polytheists."
Then he (peace be upon him) said:
"The exaggerator may return to us (seeking repentance), but we will not accept him. However, the negligent (muqassir) may join us, and we will accept him."
It was asked of him:
"How is that, O son of the Messenger of God?"
He replied:
"Because the exaggerator has become accustomed to abandoning prayer, zakat, fasting, and Hajj, and he cannot abandon his habit or return to the obedience of God (Glory be to Him) ever. As for the negligent, when he becomes aware, he acts and obeys."

In a long narration in kitab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Al-Saduq, H449 Imam Reza(s) Says:

O son of Khalid! Verily, the traditions concerning anthropomorphism and determinism have been fabricated in our name by the exaggerators [ghali], who belittle the greatness of Allah. Therefore, whoever likes them dislikes us, and whoever dislikes them, likes us. Whoever befriends them shuns us, and whoever shuns them befriends us. Whoever strengthens ties with them servers ties with us, and whoever (severs) shuns ties with them strengthens ties with us. Whoever is harsh with them is kind to us, and whoever is kind to them is harsh with us. Whoever honors them has insulted us, and whoever insults them has honored us. Whoever accepted them has rejected us, and whoever rejects them has accepted us. Whoever is good to them is mean to us, and whoever is mean to them is good to us. Whoever verifies them belies us, and whoever belies them, verifies us. Whoever bestows anything upon them, has refused to bestow it to us. O son of Khalid! Whoever is our Shi`ite, then he should not take them to be his fiend or helper.

In conclusion, while there are numerous narrations addressing the concept of Ghulāt in the teachings of Ahlulbayt (peace be upon them), this research has been kept concise to maintain simplicity and clarity. The selected narrations provide sufficient insight into the stance of the Ahlulbayt regarding extremism. They unequivocally reject any exaggeration of their status, emphasizing that such beliefs lead to deviation from the path of true Islam. These traditions highlight the harmful nature of Ghulāt, urging followers to adopt moderation and adhere strictly to the teachings of the Ahlulbayt as prescribed by Islam.