People in Postponement for the Command of Allah

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurara from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘. . . there are others who have no good deeds for which they may receive any reward or sins for which they may be punished. Their fate will be in the hands of Allah. Allah is All-knowing and All-wise,’ (9:106) the Imam said, ‘Certain people were pagans. They murdered people like Hamza and Ja’far and similar persons from the believers. Then they accepted Islam and Allah only and gave up paganism, but did not know belief with their heart so they could be among the believers to deserve paradise. They were not in denial and a rejecting attitude as unbelievers to be subjected to fire (of hell). They are in that condition as such that it will be up to Allah to punish or accept their repentance.’”

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

173. Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Ali Bin Al-No’man, from Ibn Muskaan, from Al-Hassan Al-Sayqal who said: I heard Abu Abdullah (asws) saying that a friend of Ali (asws) does not eat except for the Permissible because his Master (asws) was like that, and the friend of Usman does not care whether he eats the Permissible or the Prohibited because his master was like that’. He (the narrator) said, ‘Then he (asws) returned to the mention of Ali (asws), so he (asws) said; ‘But, by the One Who (azwj) Took his (asws) soul, he (asws) did not eat anything Prohibited in the world, be it little or a lot, until he (asws) departed from it. And there were not presented to him (asws) two matters both of them in obedience to Allah (azwj) except that he (asws) chose the more difficult one of the two for his (asws) body, and there did not descend any difficulty upon the Rasool Allah (saww) at all except that he (asws) faced it, being relied upon for it. And no one from this community can endure the deeds of the Rasool Allah (saww) after him (saww) apart from him (asws). And he (asws) would work like a man as if he could see into the Paradise and the Fire, and he (asws) had freed one thousand slaves from his (asws) wealth. All of that was from what he (asws) had worked by his (asws) own hands, making his (asws) forehead perspire for the Sake of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic, seeking to be free from the Fire. And there was no meal for him (asws) except for the vinegar and oil, and the sweetness of the dates if he (asws) could find them. And his (asws) clothing was the cotton. If he (asws) found extra in his clothes, he (asws) would call for the scissors and cut it off’.

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

2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Hassan from Musa ibn Bakr al-Wasiti from a man who has said the following: “Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Al- Murjawn were a pagan people. They murdered people like Hamza and Ja’far and similar persons from the believers. Then they accepted Islam. They accepted Allah only. They gave up paganism, but did not believe to be among believing people. They did not believe to deserve paradise. They were not in denial and a rejecting attitude to be subjected to fire (of hell). They are in that condition as such that it will be up to Allah to punish or accept their repentance.”’

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