Ali Bin Muhammad, from Sahl Bin Ziyad and Is’haq Bin Muhammad and someone else, raising it, He asws said: ‘Amir Al-Momineen asws was seated in Al-Kufa, after his asws leaving from (the battle of) Siffeen, when an old man squatted in front of him asws , then said to him asws , ‘O Amir Al-Momineen asws ! Inform us about our travel to the people of Syria. Was it by an Ordainment from Allah azwj and Pre-determination?’ So Amir Al-Momineen asws said: ‘Yes O Sheykh! No hill did you ascend nor a valley you descend into except it was by an Ordainment from Allah azwj and Pre-determined’. So the Sheykh said to him asws , ‘Will my exhaustion be Counted in the Presence of Allah azwj , O Amir Al Momineen asws ?’ So he asws said to him: ‘Muh! (Shh!), O Sheykh! Allah azwj has Magnified the Recompense regarding your travels while you were travelling, and regarding your staying while you were staying, and regarding your leaving, while you were leaving, and you did not happen to be in anything from your states being coerced nor forced to it’. So the Sheykh said to him, ‘And how can it be that we were not in anything from our states being coerced nor being forced to it, and it was with the Ordainment and the Pre-determination, our travels, and our transfers, and our leaving?’ So he asws said to him: ‘And you think that it was an unavoidable Ordainment, Necessitated? If it was like that, it would invalidate the Rewards, and the Punishments, and the enjoinment, and the forbiddance, and the Rebukes from Allah azwj , the meanings of the Promises and the Threats would crumble. So the sinners would not be blameable nor would the good doers be praiseworthy. It would have been so that the sinner would be closer with the good deed than the good doer, and it would be so that the good doer would be closer with the Punishment than the sinner. These are the talks of the brotherhood of the idol-worshippers, and the disputants to the Beneficent, and parties of the Satan la , and the Qadiriyya of this community and its Magians. Surely, Allah azwj Blessed and High Encumbered choices and Forbade as a warning, and Gives a lot upon the little (deed), and He azwj is not disobeyed due to being overcome, nor is He azwj obeyed forcefully, and did not Give control as a delegated (authority), and did not Create the skies and the earth and what is between the two in vain, and did not Send the Prophets as , the Givers of Glad Tidings and the Warners in futility. That is a conjecture of those who are disbelieving. So woe be unto those who are disbelieving of the Fire!’ So the Sheykh prosed saying, ‘You asws are the Imam asws whom we are hoping to by obeying him asws on a Day for salvation from the Beneficent (and for) Forgiveness. You asws clarified from our matters what was vague. May your asws Lord azwj Recompense you by a Favour with the favour’.

Translation: HubeAli — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Husayn ibn Ali al-Washsha’ from Hammad ibn ‘Uthman from Abu Basir from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), who said: “Whoever thinks that Allah orders people to commit sins has ascribed lies to Allah and whoever thinks that good and evil are from Allah has ascribed lies to Allah.” (See also Hadith No. 6 below).

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Al-Husayn ibn Muhammad has narrated from Mu‘alla ibn Muhammad from al- Husayn ibn Ali al-Washsha’ the following from abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.),: “Once I asked the Imam (a.s.), ‘Has Allah left all the matters to people?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah, Most Exalted, is by far above and beyond such things.’ I then asked, ‘Has He compelled them to commit sins?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah’s justice and His judgment are far above and beyond such things.’ The Imam further said, ‘Allah has said, “O sons of Adam, I have more credit in your good deeds than you yourself do and you have more responsibility for your bad deeds than I do. You commit sins with the power that I have given to you.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Isma‘il ibn Marrar from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman who has said that abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), said to me the following: “O Yunus do not say what pre-determinists say. The pre- determinists do not say what people of paradise say or what people of hell say or what Satan says. The people of paradise say, ‘. . . all praise is due to Allah for His guiding us. We could never have been guided without Allah’s guiding us.’ (7:43) The people of hell say, ‘Lord, our misfortune overwhelmed us and we became lost,’ (23:107) and Satan said, ‘My Lord for your making me to rebel . . .’ (15:39) “I then said, ‘I swear by Allah that I do not say what they say but I only say that there will be nothing unless Allah will want, will, measure and decree.’ The Imam (a.s.), said, ‘O Yunus, it is not that, ‘there will be nothing unless Allah will want, will, measure and decree.’ O Yunus, do you know what is want?’ I said, ‘No, I do not know.’ The Imam said, ‘It is the first mention of something. Do you know what is will?’ I said, ‘No, I do not know.’ The Imam said, ‘It is the intention to do something. Do you know what measurement is?’ I said, ‘No, I do not know.’ The Imam said, ‘It is the figure, the position, the limits of survival and extinction.’ “The Imam further said, ‘The decree is the readiness and the production of substance.’ I then asked permission to kiss his head and said, ‘You just opened for me something of which I was unaware.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Muhammad ibn Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar al-Yamani from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “Allah created the creatures and He knew what they will do. He commanded and prohibited them. He has not commanded them to do anything but that He has placed there a way for them not to obey the command (if they so wanted). They do not obey or disobey except by Allah’s permission.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from Hafs ibn Qurt from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.), who said: “The Messenger of Allah (sw) said, ‘Whoever believes that Allah has commanded to do evil and sin has ascribed lies to Allah. Whoever thinks that good and evil are without the wish of Allah, has considered Allah without authority. Whoever thinks that sins are without the power from Allah, has ascribed lies to Allah and whoever ascribes lies to Allah, He will make him to enter the Fire.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

A number of persons of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Isma‘il ibn Jabir who has said the following: “In the mosque of Madina there was a person who spoke of the issue of predetermination and people had gathered around him. I said to him, ‘O you, can I ask you a question?’ He said, ‘Yes, you may do so.’ I then said, ‘Can there be a thing in the kingdom of Allah the Majestic, the Glorious, that He may not want?’ He remained thinking for a while and then said to me, ‘O you, if I said that there can be something in His kingdom He does not want it means that He is defeated. If I say that there is nothing in His kingdom that He may not want I am giving you permission to commit sin. “I then told the story of that determinist to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who said, ‘He (the determinist man) looked for his own interest. Had he said something else he would have been destroyed.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hassan Za‘lan from abu Talib al-Qummi from a man, from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “I asked the Imam (a.s.), ‘Has Allah compelled the servants to sin?’ The Imam replied, ‘No, He has not compelled them.’ I then asked, ‘Has He left all matters to them?’ He replied, ‘No, He has not done so.’ I asked, ‘Then how is it?’ The Imam then said, ‘It is a way of kindness from your Lord in between.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al- Rahman from more than one person from Abu Ja’far (a.s.), and Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who said: “Allah is more kind to His creatures than to compel them to sin and then punish them. Allah, the Most Majestic, is by far beyond willing something that cannot come into existence.” The two Imams (a.s.) were asked if there was a third reality between compulsion and predetermination. They replied, ‘Yes, there is something bigger than what is between the sky and the earth.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from Salih ibn Sahl from certain persons of his people from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who said: “He was asked about compulsion and predetermination. He said, “There is no compulsion and no predetermination. It is something between the two. In this there is the truth that is known only to a scholar or one whom the scholar has taught.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad from Yunus from ‘Idda who said the following: “Once a man said to abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, has Allah compelled people to sin?’ The Imam said, ‘Allah is just and by far beyond compelling people to sin and then punishing them for it.’ The man then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, has He then left all matters to the servants?’ The Imam said, ‘Had He left all matters to the people He would not have restricted them with commandments and prohibitions.’ The man then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, is there a stage between the two?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, there is something bigger than what is between the heavens and the earth.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Muhammad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah and others have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn abu Nasr who said the following: “Once I asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ‘Certain persons of our people believe in compulsion and others believe in people’s capabilities. The Imam said, ‘Write down, “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful, (Imam) Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.), has said that Allah, the Most Majestic has said, ‘O son of Adam, through My will it is you who wish. With My power you fulfill your obligations to Me. With My bounties you become strong to sin. I made you to hear and see. Whatever good you receive is from Allah. Whatever evil befalls you is from your own soul. It is because I have more credit in your good deeds than you do and you are more responsible for your bad deeds than I am. It is because I am not questioned about what I do and they are the ones who are questioned about their deeds. I have organized for you all things that you want.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

Muhammad ibn abu ‘Abd Allah has narrated from Husayn ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn Yahya from those he has narrated from, from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who said the following: “There is no compulsion and no total freedom but it is a matter between the two.” The narrator has said, ‘I asked what is, “it is a matter between the two?” The Imam (a.s.), said, ‘One example of this is the case of a man whom you may see that sins and you try to stop him but he does not listen. You then leave him alone and he sins. That is because he did not listen to you and you left him alone; if you were considered as ordering him to sin, it is not true.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Hisham ibn Salim from abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), who said the following: “Allah is by far Gracious and beyond ordering people to do what they are not capable of doing. Allah is by far Majestic and beyond a situation wherein things may exist in His kingdom that He does not want.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.