مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ- فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ وَ الشَّرَّ إِلَيْهِ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ[1].
“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).
سَأَلْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ اللَّهُ فَوَّضَ الْأَمْرَ إِلَى الْعِبَادِ قَالَ اللَّهُ أَعَزُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قُلْتُ فَجَبَرَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَعَاصِي قَالَ اللَّهُ أَعْدَلُ وَ أَحْكَمُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ قَالَ اللَّهُ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ أَنَا أَوْلَى بِحَسَنَاتِكَ مِنْكَ وَ أَنْتَ أَوْلَى بِسَيِّئَاتِكَ مِنِّي- عَمِلْتَ الْمَعَاصِيَ بِقُوَّتِيَ الَّتِي جَعَلْتُهَا فِيكَ.
“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, ‘A
قَالَ لِي أَبُو الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع يَا يُونُسُ لَا تَقُلْ بِقَوْلِ الْقَدَرِيَّةِ فَإِنَّ الْقَدَرِيَّةَ لَمْ يَقُولُوا بِقَوْلِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَ لَا بِقَوْلِ أَهْلِ النَّارِ وَ لَا بِقَوْلِ إِبْلِيسَ- فَإِنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَنَّةِ قَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي هَدانا لِهذا وَ ما كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْ لا أَنْ هَدانَا اللَّهُ وَ قَالَ أَهْلُ النَّارِ رَبَّنا غَلَبَتْ عَلَيْنا شِقْوَتُنا وَ كُنَّا قَوْماً ضال
“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 h
إِنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ- فَعَلِمَ مَا هُمْ صَائِرُونَ إِلَيْهِ- وَ أَمَرَهُمْ وَ نَهَاهُمْ فَمَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَقَدْ جَعَلَ لَهُمُ السَّبِيلَ إِلَى تَرْكِهِ وَ لَا يَكُونُونَ آخِذِينَ وَ لَا تَارِكِينَ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ.
“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.”
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالسُّوءِ وَ الْفَحْشَاءِ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ- وَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ الْخَيْرَ وَ الشَّرَّ بِغَيْرِ مَشِيئَةِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ أَخْرَجَ اللَّهَ مِنْ سُلْطَانِهِ وَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّ الْمَعَاصِيَ بِغَيْرِ قُوَّةِ اللَّهِ فَقَدْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ النَّارَ[2].
“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
كَانَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ فِي الْقَدَرِ وَ النَّاسُ مُجْتَمِعُونَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا هَذَا أَسْأَلُكَ قَالَ سَلْ قُلْتُ يَكُونُ فِي مُلْكِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَا لَا يُرِيدُ قَالَ فَأَطْرَقَ طَوِيلًا ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ إِلَيَّ فَقَالَ لِي يَا هَذَا لَئِنْ قُلْتُ إِنَّهُ يَكُونُ فِي مُلْكِهِ مَا لَا يُرِيدُ إِنَّهُ لَمَقْهُورٌ وَ لَئِنْ قُلْتُ لَا يَكُونُ فِي مُلْكِهِ إِلَّا مَا
“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 rem
قُلْتُ أَجْبَرَ اللَّهُ الْعِبَادَ عَلَى الْمَعَاصِي قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَفَوَّضَ إِلَيْهِمُ الْأَمْرَ قَالَ قَالَ لَا قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا ذَا قَالَ لُطْفٌ مِنْ رَبِّكَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ[2].
“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.’”
إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَرْحَمُ بِخَلْقِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُجْبِرَ خَلْقَهُ عَلَى الذُّنُوبِ ثُمَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَ اللَّهُ أَعَزُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُرِيدَ أَمْراً فَلَا يَكُونَ قَالَ فَسُئِلَا ع هَلْ بَيْنَ الْجَبْرِ وَ الْقَدَرِ مَنْزِلَةٌ ثَالِثَةٌ قَالا نَعَمْ أَوْسَعُ مِمَّا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَ الْأَرْضِ.
“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 somethin
سُئِلَ عَنِ الْجَبْرِ وَ الْقَدَرِ فَقَالَ لَا جَبْرَ وَ لَا قَدَرَ وَ لَكِنْ مَنْزِلَةٌ بَيْنَهُمَا فِيهَا الْحَقُّ الَّتِي بَيْنَهُمَا لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا الْعَالِمُ أَوْ مَنْ عَلَّمَهَا إِيَّاهُ الْعَالِمُ.
“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.”
قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ أَجْبَرَ اللَّهُ الْعِبَادَ عَلَى الْمَعَاصِي فَقَالَ اللَّهُ أَعْدَلُ مِنْ أَنْ يُجْبِرَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَعَاصِي ثُمَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَفَوَّضَ اللَّهُ إِلَى الْعِبَادِ- قَالَ فَقَالَ لَوْ فَوَّضَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَمْ يَحْصُرْهُمْ بِالْأَمْرِ وَ النَّهْيِ فَقَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَبَيْنَهُمَا مَنْزِلَةٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ أَوْسَعُ مَا بَيْنَ
“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 le
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا ع إِنَّ بَعْضَ أَصْحَابِنَا يَقُولُ بِالْجَبْرِ وَ بَعْضَهُمْ يَقُولُ بِالاسْتِطَاعَةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ* قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ بِمَشِيئَتِي كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تَشَاءُ وَ بِقُوَّتِي أَدَّيْتَ إِلَيَّ فَرَائِضِي وَ بِنِعْمَتِي قَوِيتَ عَلَى مَعْصِيَتِي جَعَلْتُكَ سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً م
“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,
لَا جَبْرَ وَ لَا تَفْوِيضَ وَ لَكِنْ أَمْرٌ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَ مَا أَمْرٌ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ قَالَ مَثَلُ ذَلِكَ رَجُلٌ رَأَيْتَهُ عَلَى مَعْصِيَةٍ فَنَهَيْتَهُ فَلَمْ يَنْتَهِ فَتَرَكْتَهُ فَفَعَلَ تِلْكَ الْمَعْصِيَةَ- فَلَيْسَ حَيْثُ لَمْ يَقْبَلْ مِنْكَ فَتَرَكْتَهُ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي أَمَرْتَهُ بِالْمَعْصِيَةِ.
“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 alon
اللَّهُ أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُكَلِّفَ النَّاسَ مَا لَا يُطِيقُونَ وَ اللَّهُ أَعَزُّ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ مَا لَا يُرِيدُ.
“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.”