Doubt

كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الْعَبْدِ الصَّالِحِ ع أُخْبِرُهُ أَنِّي شَاكٌّ وَ قَدْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ ع- رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِ الْمَوْتى‌[1] وَ أَنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ تُرِيَنِي شَيْئاً فَكَتَبَ ع إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ مُؤْمِناً وَ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَزْدَادَ إِيمَاناً وَ أَنْتَ شَاكٌّ وَ الشَّاكُّ لَا خَيْرَ فِيهِ وَ كَتَبَ إِنَّمَا الشَّكُّ مَا لَمْ يَأْتِ الْيَقِينُ فَإِذَا جَاءَ الْيَقِينُ لَمْ يَجُزِ الشَّكُّ وَ كَتَبَ إِنّ

I had doubt and Ibrahim (a.s) had said, ‘Lord, show me how you will bring the dead to life?’ (2: 260) and I would love that you show me something. Thus, he (a.s) wrote back to me, ‘Ibrahim was a believer. He wanted to increase his belief. You, however, have doubt and there is nothing good in doubt.’ And he wrote, ‘Doub

كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع يَقُولُ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ‌ لَا تَرْتَابُوا فَتَشُكُّوا وَ لَا تَشُكُّوا فَتَكْفُرُوا.

‘Do not suspect; you will doubt and do not doubt; you will become unbelievers.’”

كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع جَالِساً عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَ زُرَارَةُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو بَصِيرٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مَا تَقُولُ فِيمَنْ شَكَّ فِي اللَّهِ فَقَالَ كَافِرٌ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ فَشَكَّ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ كَافِرٌ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَى زُرَارَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا يَكْفُرُ إِذَا جَحَدَ.

“Once I was in the presence of Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) sitting to his left side and Zurara was sitting to his right side. Abu Basil’ came in and he asked, ‘What do you say if one doubts in Allah?’ The Imam said, ‘He is an unbeliever, O abu Muhammad.’ Abu Basir then asked, ‘What if one has doubts in the Messenger of Allah?

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَ لَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ‌[3] قَالَ بِشَكٍّ.

“Once I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Those who have accepted the faith and have kept it pure from injustice have achieved security and guidance.’ (6:82) The Imam said, ‘(It means one) who has kept it (belief) pure from doubt.’”

إِنَّ الشَّكَّ وَ الْمَعْصِيَةَ فِي النَّارِ لَيْسَا مِنَّا وَ لَا إِلَيْنَا.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Doubts and disobedience are in the fire. It (doubt or people having doubts) is not from us nor is it directed to us.’”

مَنْ شَكَّ فِي اللَّهِ بَعْدَ مَوْلِدِهِ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ لَمْ يَفِئْ إِلَى خَيْرٍ أَبَداً[1].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘One who doubts in Allah after being born from Muslim parents, forever, will not end up to anything good.’”

لَا يَنْفَعُ مَعَ الشَّكِّ وَ الْجُحُودِ عَمَلٌ.

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘No deed with doubt and denial will be of any benefit.’”

مَنْ شَكَّ أَوْ ظَنَّ وَ أَقَامَ عَلَى أَحَدِهِمَا أَحْبَطَ اللَّهُ عَمَلَهُ إِنَّ حُجَّةَ اللَّهِ هِيَ الْحُجَّةُ الْوَاضِحَةُ.

8. It is in the advice to al-Mufaddal who has said the following: “I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘One who has doubt or Zann (better than doubt and less than certainty) and lives with one of them (such conditions), Allah turns his deeds fruitless. The authority and proof for (existence of) Allah is clear authorit

قُلْتُ إِنَّا لَنَرَى الرَّجُلَ لَهُ عِبَادَةٌ وَ اجْتِهَادٌ وَ خُشُوعٌ وَ لَا يَقُولُ بِالْحَقِّ فَهَلْ يَنْفَعُهُ ذَلِكَ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا مُحَمَّدٍ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ مَثَلُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ كَانُوا فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ كَانَ لَا يَجْتَهِدُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً إِلَّا دَعَا فَأُجِيبَ وَ إِنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْهُمُ اجْتَهَدَ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ دَعَا فَلَمْ يُسْتَجَبْ لَهُ فَأ

“Once I said to one of (two Imam) (a.s.) ‘We find a man who worships, and strives with humility but does not believe in the truth (Shi’a belief). Will it be of any benefit for him?’ The Imam said, ‘O abu Muhammad, the case of AM al-Bayt (of Muhammad) is like that AM al-Bayt in the family of Israel. An individual of tha