إِنَ اللَّهَ احْتَجَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ وَ عَرَّفَهُمْ. - مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ مِثْلَهُ.
“Allah has justified His holding people accountable with what He has made known and sent to them.” solid Muhammad ibn Isma’Il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamyl ibn Durraj a similar Hadith.
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ صُنْعِ مَنْ هِيَ قَالَ مِنْ صُنْعِ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ لِلْعِبَادِ فِيهَا صُنْعٌ.
"Who is responsible for granting ma'rifa (a profound understanding of religion)?" He said: "It is the doing of Allah, and the servants have no role in it (without the intervention of Allah)."
حَتَّى يُعَرِّفَهُمْ مَا يُرْضِيهِ وَ مَا يُسْخِطُهُ وَ قَالَ فَأَلْهَمَها فُجُورَها وَ تَقْواها قَالَ بَيَّنَ لَهَا مَا تَأْتِي وَ مَا تَتْرُكُ وَ قَالَ إِنَّا هَدَيْناهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شاكِراً وَ إِمَّا كَفُوراً قَالَ عَرَّفْنَاهُ إِمَّا آخِذٌ وَ إِمَّا تَارِكٌ وَ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَ أَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْناهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمى عَلَى الْهُدى قَالَ عَرَّفْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى
The Imam (a.s.), said, ‘It (means of piety) means before giving the knowledge of what He is pleased with and what He is displeased with.’ The Imam (a.s.), said the words of Allah ‘. . . and inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety,’ (91:8) convey that He has explained what people must do and what they must not do.
سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ هَدَيْناهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ قَالَ نَجْدَ الْخَيْرِ وَ الشَّرِّ.
“Once I asked the Imam (a.s.), about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘Have We not shown him the ways of ‘al-Najdayn’ ?’ (90:10) The Imam said, ‘al-Najdayn’ means the ways of good and evil.’”
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ هَلْ جُعِلَ فِي النَّاسِ أَدَاةٌ يَنَالُونَ بِهَا الْمَعْرِفَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَا قُلْتُ فَهَلْ كُلِّفُوا الْمَعْرِفَةَ قَالَ لَا عَلَى اللَّهِ الْبَيَانُ- لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها وَ لا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا ما آتاها قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَ ما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْماً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَداهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ما
“Once I said to (Imam) abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ’May Allah keep you well, Has Allah placed a means in people to know?’ He replied, ‘No, He has not done so.’ I asked, ‘Will He hold them responsible for knowing?’ He said, ‘No, because it is for Allah to explain.’ ‘Allah does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond i
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يُنْعِمْ عَلَى عَبْدٍ نِعْمَةً إِلَّا وَ قَدْ أَلْزَمَهُ فِيهَا الْحُجَّةَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَمَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ قَوِيّاً فَحُجَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ الْقِيَامُ بِمَا كَلَّفَهُ وَ احْتِمَالُ مَنْ هُوَ دُونَهُ مِمَّنْ هُوَ أَضْعَفُ مِنْهُ وَ مَنْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ مُوَسَّعاً عَلَيْهِ- فَحُجَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ مَالُهُ ثُمَّ تَعَاهُدُهُ الْفُقَرَاءَ بَعْدُ بِنَوَافِلِهِ- وَ مَنْ م
“Allah has not granted any bounties to a person without holding him justifiably responsible for them. He gives them bounties and gives them power, which justifies His holding them responsible for their duties. He gives smaller degrees of responsibilities to those who are of lesser degrees of capabilities. One who has r
سِتَّةُ أَشْيَاءَ لَيْسَ لِلْعِبَادِ فِيهَا صُنْعٌ الْمَعْرِفَةُ وَ الْجَهْلُ وَ الرِّضَا وَ الْغَضَبُ وَ النَّوْمُ وَ الْيَقَظَةُ.
“There are six things in which the people have no doing. They are knowing, ignorance, contentment, anger, sleeping and waking up.”
لَيْسَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ أَنْ يَعْرِفُوا وَ لِلْخَلْقِ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُعَرِّفَهُمْ وَ لِلَّهِ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ إِذَا عَرَّفَهُمْ أَنْ يَقْبَلُوا.
“People are not accountable before Allah to know. It is up to Allah to make them know. Once Allah makes them know then people are responsible for accepting (their duties).”
سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْ شَيْئاً- هَلْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ قَالَ لَا.
“Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘If a person does not know, will he be held responsible?’ He said, ‘No, he will not be held responsible.’”
مَا حَجَبَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْعِبَادِ فَهُوَ مَوْضُوعٌ عَنْهُمْ.
“Whatever Allah has kept hidden from people they will not be held responsible for it.”
قَالَ لِي اكْتُبْ فَأَمْلَى عَلَيَّ إِنَّ مِنْ قَوْلِنَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَحْتَجُّ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ وَ عَرَّفَهُمْ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ رَسُولًا وَ أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْكِتَابَ فَأَمَرَ فِيهِ وَ نَهَى أَمَرَ فِيهِ بِالصَّلَاةِ وَ الصِّيَامِ فَنَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فَقَالَ أَنَا أُنِيمُكَ وَ أَنَا أُوقِظُكَ فَإِذَا قُمْتَ فَصَلِّ لِيَعْلَمُوا إِذَا أَصَابَهُمْ ذَلِكَ كَيْفَ يَصْن
“Once Imam abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said to me, ‘Write down.’ He dictated to me the following. ‘It is of our Hadith that Allah will, justifiably, hold people accountable for what He has given and made known to them. Allah then sent His messenger to them and sent down books upon them in which He has commanded and prohibit
قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَا ثَابِتُ مَا لَكُمْ وَ لِلنَّاسِ كُفُّوا عَنِ النَّاسِ وَ لَا تَدْعُوا أَحَداً إِلَى أَمْرِكُمْ فَوَ اللَّهِ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ أَهْلَ الْأَرَضِينَ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَهْدُوا عَبْداً يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ ضَلَالَتَهُ مَا اسْتَطَاعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَهْدُوهُ وَ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ أَهْلَ الْأَرَضِينَ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يُضِلُّوا عَبْداً يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ هِ
“Once, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), said, ‘O Thabit, why do you bother about people? Leave them alone and do not call anyone to accept your belief (the belief of the Shi’a Muslims). I swear by Allah that even if all the people in the heavens and earth come together to guide a person whom Allah wants not to guide they will ne
قَالَ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً- نَكَتَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةً مِنْ نُورٍ وَ فَتَحَ مَسَامِعَ قَلْبِهِ وَ وَكَّلَ بِهِ مَلَكاً يُسَدِّدُهُ وَ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ سُوءاً نَكَتَ فِي قَلْبِهِ نُكْتَةً سَوْدَاءَ وَ سَدَّ مَسَامِعَ قَلْبِهِ وَ وَكَّلَ بِهِ شَيْطَاناً يُضِلُّهُ ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ فَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَهْدِيَهُ يَشْرَحْ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلامِ وَ مَنْ يُر
“When Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, wants good for a person He places a point of light in his heart and opens the ears of his heart and assigns an angel to support him. When He wants bad fortune for a person He places a dark black spot in his heart, closes the ears of his heart and assigns a Satan to mislead him
سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يَقُولُ اجْعَلُوا أَمْرَكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَ لَا تَجْعَلُوهُ لِلنَّاسِ فَإِنَّهُ مَا كَانَ لِلَّهِ فَهُوَ لِلَّهِ وَ مَا كَانَ لِلنَّاسِ فَلَا يَصْعَدُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَ لَا تُخَاصِمُوا النَّاسَ لِدِينِكُمْ فَإِنَّ الْمُخَاصَمَةَ مَمْرَضَةٌ لِلْقَلْبِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ لِنَبِيِّهِ ص إِنَّكَ لا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَ لكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ قَالَ أَ فَأَنْتَ ت
“I heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Leave your affairs to Allah and do not leave them to the people. Whatever is for Allah it is for Him. Whatever is for people it will not rise up to Allah. Do not quarrel with people about your belief; quarrelling sickens the heart. Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, said to Hi
قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع نَدْعُو النَّاسَ إِلَى هَذَا الْأَمْرِ فَقَالَ لَا يَا فُضَيْلُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَرَادَ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً أَمَرَ مَلَكاً فَأَخَذَ بِعُنُقِهِ فَأَدْخَلَهُ فِي هَذَا الْأَمْرِ طَائِعاً أَوْ كَارِهاً[1].
Abu Ali al-Ash‘ari has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Jabbar from Safwan ibn Yahya from Muhammad ibn Marwan from Fudayl ibn Yasar the following: “Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Can we invite people to this belief (the belief of the Shi’a Muslims)?’ He said, ‘No, do not invite them, O Fudayl. When Allah wants