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CHAPTER VIII
 ON THE HOLY QUR'AN

Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, was the companion of the Qur'a`n; he always recited it, carefully considered its verses, and found in reciting it a unique pleasure in the world. The narrators said: "All his speech was directly affected by the Qur'a`n, so his answers and examples were derivations from it."1 He was so fond of the Qur'a`n that he completed it (a time) every three days2, and he said: "If I wanted to complete it (a time) in less than three days, I would do, but, when I pass by a verse, I reflect on its meaning, concerning which thing and in which time it was revealed. For this reason I complete the Qur'a`n (a time) every three days. " This means that he most times was busy reciting the Holy Qur'an, absorbed in interpreting it and the causes of the revelation of its verses.
The historians have said: "He (Imam al-Rida) recited many (suras of) the Qur'a`n on his bed at night. When he passed by a verse in which the Garden and the Fire had been mentioned, he wept, asked Allah for the Garden, and sought refuge in Him from the Fire. "3
Before we present some examples of his interpretations on some verses, we would like to mention some points relating to the subject:
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1. Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 180.
2. Ibid., p. 180. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 12, p. 23.
3. Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 180.
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His Mentioning some Words

 When the Ima`m, peace be on him, recited some verses of the Holy Qur'a`n, he mentioned some words at the end of them. The following are some of these suras:
1. Surat al-Tawhïd: When he had finished reciting Surat al-Tawhïd, he mentioned at the end of it these words of him: "Kadhalika Allahu rabbana." (Such is Allah, our Lord!) He mentioned these words three times.
2. Surat al-Jahd: After he had finished reciting Surat al-Jahd, he said three times: "Rabbiya Allah wa diniya al-Islam." (My Lord is Allah and my religion is Islam!)
3. Surat al-Tïn: When he had finished reciting it, he said: "Bala wa ana 'ala dhalika mina al-shahidïn." (Yes, and I am one of those who bear witness to that!)
4. Surat al-Qiya`ma: After he had recited Surat al-Qiya`ma, he said: "Subha`naka Allahuma." (I glorify You, O Allah, with a glorification after a glorification!)
5. Surat al-Fatiha: Having finished reciting Surat al-Fatiha, he said: "Al-hamudu lil lahi rAbul 'alamïn." (Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds." 6. Surat Sabbih Isma Rabuka: After he had finished reciting this Sura, he said: "Subhana Rabbi al-a'la." (Glory belongs to my Lord, the Most High.) 1

Al-Bassmala

 In a group of his traditions, the Ima`m, peace be on him, dealt with some affairs of al-bassmala (i.e., in the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). The following are some of them:
1. The importance of al-bassmala
Al-bassmala has a special importance with the Imams of ahl al-Bayt, peace be on them. It was narrated on the authority of Imam Abu Ja'far, peace be on him, who said: "The first (part) of every Book which was sent down from the heaven is Bismil lahir rahmanir rahïm
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1. Ibid., p. 183.
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(in the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)." It was also narrated on the authority of Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, who said: "It (al-bassmala) is nearer to the Greatest Name of Allah than the iris to the eye. "1
2. Al-bassmala is part of the Sura
The Imam, peace be on him, said: "Al-bassmala is part of the suras of the Holy Qur'a`n." It was narrated that it was said to Imam 'Ali, the Commander of the faithful, peace be on him: "Tell us about Bismil lahir rahmanir rahïm: Is it part of the Opening Sura of the Book (Fatihat al-Kitab)?" "Yes," he replied, "Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, recited it and regarded it as a verse of it, and he said: 'Fatihat al-Kitab is the seven oft-repeated verses (al-Sab' al-Mathani).'2 "
3. Reciting al-bassmala in a loud voice in prayer
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, recited al-bassmala in a loud voice in all his prayers by day and night,3 and he criticized those who recited it a low voice, saying: "What is the matter with them? May Allah fight them! They resorted to the greatest verse in the Book of Allah, and they claimed that it was a heresy when they recited it in a loud voice. "4

Examples of his Interpreting the Qur'an

 Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, took great care of in interpreting the Holy Qur'a`n. He devoted his attention to it in his lectures and researches which he gave to the jurists, the religious scholars, and the rest of his students, and which were transmitted by the narrators and the interpreters of the Qur'a`n. The following are some of them:
1. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing and there is a covering over their eyes, and there is a great punishment for them."5
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1. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 1, p. 21.
2. Ibid., p. 20.
3. Uyun Akhbar al-Rida, vol. 2, p. 180.
4. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 1. p. 20.
5. Qur'an, 2, 7.
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The Imam, peace be on him, said: "Al-khatm means setting a seal upon the hearts of the unbelievers as a punishment for their unbelief. "1
2. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Their parable is like the parable of one who kindled a fire, but when it had illumined all around him, Allah took away their light, and left them in utter darkness they do not see."2
In his explanation of these words of Him, the Most High: And left them in utter darkness they do not see, the Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "Verily, Allah cannot be described by 'leaving' as He has described His creatures, but when He comes to know that they do not withdraw from unbelief and error, He deprives them of (His) help and favor, and He leaves them along with their choice. "3
3. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "And do not approach this tree, for then you will be of the unjust. "4
'Abd al-Salam b. Salih al-Harawi asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him: "O son of Allah's Apostle, tell me about the tree of which Adam and Hauwa`' (Eve) ate: What was it? For the people have differed over it. Some of them narrate that it was wheat; others narrate that it was a grapevine; others narrate that it was the tree of envy."
The Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "All these narrations are true."
"What are the meanings of these different views?" asked 'Abd al-Sala`m.
"O Ibn al-Salt (i.e. 'Abd al-Sala`m)," replied the Ima`m, "surely, the tree of the Garden bears kinds (of fruit). It was the wheat tree and there were grapes on it; it was not like the trees of the world. "
Imam al-Sabzwari commented on this narration, saying: "Without doubt the (tree) was in the Garden. If it was in the world, then it would have a characteristic different from the characteristics
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1. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qura'an, vol. 1, p. 85.
2. Qur'an, 2, 20.
3. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol, 1, p. 106.
4. Qur'an, 2, 35.
5. Uyun Akhbar al-Rida.
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(of the trees) in all the gardens of the world. The concourse (taza`hum) and contradiction (tanafi) were little in that Garden or they were nonexistent, so it is right that one of the trees of the Garden bore kinds (of fruit). " 1
4. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And when you said: O Mu`sa`, we will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly, so the punishment overtook you while you look on. "2
The Imam, peace be on him, said: "They (i.e. those who said these words to Musa) were the seventy (persons) whom Musa chose, and they went with him to the mountain and said to him: 'You have seen Allah, so let us see Him as you have seen Him.' Hence he said to them: 'I have not seen him, so they said to him: we will not believe in you until we see Allah manifestly.' "3
5. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "And when Mu`sa` said to his people: Surely Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow; they said: Do you ridicule us? He said: I seek the protection of Allah from being one of the ignorant. They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. Mu`sa` said: He says: Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this); therefore, do what you are commanded. They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is. Mu`sa` said: He says: Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow; giving delight to the beholders. They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah wills we shall surely be guided aright. He said: He says: surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plow the land; nor does she irrigate the tilth, sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it). 4"
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1. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 1, p. 188.
2. Qur'an, 2, 55.
3. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 1, p. 255.
4. Qur'an, 2, 67-71.
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The Imam, peace be on him, gave an explanation of them, and Ahmed b. Abu` Nasr al-Bizanti has narrated his explanation of them, saying: [I heard Abu al-Hasan al-Rida` say:] "Surely, a man from among the children of Isra'ïl killed a relative of him, and then he threw him on the path of the best tribe of the children of Isra'ïl, and then he came and demanded his blood. So they said to Musa, peace be on him: 'The tribe of the family of so-and-so killed so-and-so, so tell us: Who killed him?' He (Mu`sa`) said: 'Bring me a cow.' They said: Do you ridicule us? He said: I seek the protection of Allah from being one of the ignorant. If they had sacrificed a cow, the cow would have been sufficient for them (i.e. for solving their matter), but they were strict, hence Allah was strict with them. Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is. Mu`sa` said: He says: Surely she is a cow neither advanced in age nor too young, of middle age between that (and this), namely she was neither old nor too young, of middle age between that (and this). If they had resorted to any cow, it would have been sufficient for them, but they were stern, so Allah was stern with them. They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what her color is. Musa said: He says: Surely she is a yellow cow; her color is intensely yellow; giving delight to the beholders. If they had resorted to any cow (and sacrifice it), it would have been sufficient for them, but they were severe, so Allah was severe with them. They said: Call on your Lord for our sake to make it plain to us what she is, for surely to us the cows are all alike, and if Allah please we shall surely be guided aright. He said: He says: surely she is a cow not made submissive that she should plow the land, nor does she irrigate the tilth, sound, without a blemish in her. They said: Now you have brought the truth; so they sacrificed her, though they had not the mind to do (it). They looked for her and found her with a young man from the children of Isra'ïl, who said: 'I will not sell her except for gold equal to its weight.' They came to Musa, peace be on him, and told him about that, and he said: 'Buy her.' They bought her and brought her (to him), and he ordered her to be sacrificed, and then he ordered the dead one to be hit with her tail. When they had done that, the killed one was brought to life, and he said: 'O Allah's Messenger, my cousin had killed me, and not the one who has been accused of
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murdering me!' Through that they came to know the murderer. Then a companion of Musa, the Messenger of Allah, said: 'This cow has a story.' 'What is the story?' asked Mu`sa`. The companion replied: 'They said: A young man from among the children of Isra`'ï~l was obedient to his father. He bought a thing and came to his father. He found the keys under his head, so he hated to waken him, hence he left that thing. His father woke, and he told him about that. So his father said to him: Well done! (Take) this cow as a compensation for that which had escaped you.' The companion said: So Mu`sa`, Allah's Messenger, said to me: 'Reflect on the degree which the men of obedience have reached!' 1"
6. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And that was sent down to the two angels at Babel, Haru`t and Maru`t, yet these two taught no man until they had said: 'Surely we are only a trial; therefore, do not be a unbeliever.'"2
The Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "As for Haru`t and Maru`t, they were two angels. They taught men magic, that they might protect themselves from the magic of the magicians and disprove their deception. They did not teach anyone anything of that except they said to him: Surely we are only a trial; therefore, do not be a unbeliever; yet a group of people disbelieved through their using that from which they were ordered to protect themselves, and through it they began separating between husband and his wife. Hence, Allah, the Most High, said: 'And they cannot hurt with it anyone except with Allah's permission. '"3
7. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "But if you are prevented, (send) whatever offering is easy to obtain ," the Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "It means a sheep, and this has been appointed according to the least of the people in ability, that the poor and the rich can (offer it). "5
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1. Al-Ayyashi, Tafsir.
2. Qur'an, 2, 102.
3. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 2, p. 355.
4. Qur'an, 2, 196.
5. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an.
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8. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And when he turns back, he runs along in the land that he may cause mischief in it and destroy the tilth and the stock. "1
They were revealed concerning al-Akhnas b. Shurayk, the ally of the children of Zahra, who went to Medina, met the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, there and said to him: "I have come to believe in Islam, and Allah knows that I am truthful." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, admired him. However, when al-Akhnas left the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, he passed by plants and donkeys of a Muslim group. As a result he burnt the plants and slaughtered the donkeys.2 " As for Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, said: "Al-nasl means offspring and al-harth means plants.3 " (Please, see the Arabic text in the Holy Qur'an.)
9. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "They do not wait aught but that Allah should come to them in the shadows of the clouds along with the angels, and the matter has (already) been decided; and (all) matters are returned to Allah. 4"
Ibn Faddal asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, and he answered: "They do not wait aught but that Allah along with the angels should come to them in the shadows of the clouds, in this manner the verse was revealed." As regarding these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: "And your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks 5", he , peace be on him, said: 'Surely Allah cannot be described by coming and going, Allah is far above movement. Rather, by that He means that the command of your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks. 6" Al-Sayyid al-Sabzwa`ri commented on this explanation of the Ima`m, saying: "What has been mentioned in the tradition about the holy verse is very good, just as he, peace be on him, explained the
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1. Qur'an 2, 205.
2. Al-Durr al-Manthur.
3. Al-Ayyashi, Tafsir.
4. Qur'an, 2, 210.
5. Ibid., 89, 22.
6. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 3, p. 270.
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ambiguous verses. As for these words of him, peace be on him: In this manner it was revealed means the clarifying and interpretative revelation in the heart of Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family. 1"
10. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And when Ibra`hï~m said: My Lord, show me how You give live to the dead. He said: What! and do you not believe? He said: Yes, but that my heart may be at ease. 2"
Safwan b. Yahya asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him: "Was there any doubt in Ibrahïm's heart?" "No," replied the Imam, "he was certain, but he wanted Allah to increase his certitude. 3"
11. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Surely Allah chose Adam and Noah and the descendants of Abraham and the descendants of 'Umra`n above the nations. Offspring, one of the other.4 "
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, mentioned this sacred verse when al-Ma'mu`n asked him: "Did Allah prefer (the Prophet's) family to the rest of the community?" He, peace be on him, replied: "Surely, Allah, the Great and Almighty, has made clear the excellence of (the Prophet's) family over the rest of men in the firm text of His Book." "Where is that in the Book of Allah?" asked al-Ma'mun. The Imam, peace be on him, answered: "In these words of Him, the Great and Almighty: Surely Allah chose Adam and Noah and the descendants of Abraham and the descendants of 'Umra`n above the nations. Offspring, one of the other." Certainly, the Prophet's family belongs to Ibrahïm's family, for Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him and his family, is one of Ibrahïm's children, and his family belongs to him.5 The speech of the Imam, peace be on him, is not part of interpretation; rather it is part of the conclusion through the surface structure of the verse about what he has mentioned.
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1. Ibid., 4, 270.
2. Qur'an 2, 260.
3. Al-Qummi, Tafsir.
4. Qur'an, 3, 33-34.
5. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 5, p. 328.
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12. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "And when Allah said: O 'Isa`, I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto me. 1"
The Imam, peace be on him, said: "No matter of the Allah's prophets and His proofs over men was vague except that of 'Isa, for Allah caused him to ascend unto Him alive from the earth. He made him die between the earth and the heaven, and then He caused him ascend unto Him, and then He returned his soul to him. That is according to these words of Him, and when Allah said: O 'Isa, I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto me and purify you of those who disbelieve. Allah has given an account of 'Isa, who will say on the Day of Resurrection: And I was a witness of them as long as I was among them, but when You did cause me to die, You are the watcher over them, and You are witness of all things. 2"
Al-Sayyid al-Sabzwari commented on this tradition, saying: "The tradition indicates that 'Isa, peace be on him, had died before Allah caused him ascend unto Him to the heaven, and through this we can bring together all the statements to impose the authenticity of the tradition, which demonstrates that Allah made him die between the heaven and the earth, and then He returned his soul to him, and cause him ascend unto him. 3"
13. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "They are (varying) grades with Allah, and Allah sees what they do."
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, interpreted the grades and the difference among the Allah-fearing on the Day of Resurrection, saying: "The grade which is between the heaven and the earth. " Definitely, the grades between the good and the righteous are very different; therefore, the grade of the prophets is other than that of the Allah-fearing; the grade of the Allah-fearing is other that of the good, and so on.
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1. Qur'an, 3, 54.
2. Uyun Akhbaral-Rida.
3. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an.
4. AL-'Ayyashi, Tafsir.
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14. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth and your souls. 1"
The Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "You shall certainly be tried respecting your wealth trough paying zakat (alms), and your souls through adjusting (them) to endurance.2 "
15. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "O you who believe, be patient and excel in patience,3" the Imam, peace be on him, said: "When the Day of Resurrection occurs, a caller will call out: 'Where are the patient?' A group of people will stand up." So a companion of his asked him: "Who are the patient?" He, peace be on him, replied: "(It is they who are patient) toward performing the religious duties, and who excel in patience toward refraining from the forbidden things. 4"
16. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Then marry such women as seem good to you, two and three and four. 5" This sacred verse is a proof of that it is permissible for man to marry four women, apart from allowing the woman to do that. The Ima`m, peace be on him, talked about the wisdom and interests in this legislation. He, peace be on him, said: "The cause of that (it is lawful) for man to marry four women, and that it is unlawful for woman to marry more than one (man is as follows): If man marries four women, the child will belong to him. If woman has two or more husbands, none will know to whom the child belongs, for they all take part in having intercourse with her, and this corrupts lineage, inheritances, and acquaintances. 6"
17. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "Allah desires to explain to you and to guide you into the ways of those before you.7 "
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, was asked about the will of the
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1. Qur'an, 3, 185.
2. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 6, p. 162.
3. Qur'an, 3, 199.
4. Al-Qummi, Tafsir.
5. Qur'an, 4, 3.
6. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 7, p. 279.
7. Qur'an, 4, 26.
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servants and the will of Allah, the Exalted, and he replied: "The will of the servants is the pronoun and the action which appears after that. As for the will of Allah, it creates the verb; He only says (to the thing): 'Be, and it is without any tiredness and howness.' 1"
18. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Men are maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property. 2"
The Imam, peace be on him, quoted this verse in his answering Mohammed b. Sina`n when he asked him about the cause of giving woman the half of the inheritance which is given to man. He, peace be on him, replied: "The cause of giving woman the half of the inheritance which is given to man is that when woman marries, she takes and man gives, for this reason He saves men (something).
"Yet there is another cause of giving male the half of that which is given to female. The cause is that the female is among the family of the male when she needs (something), and it is obligatory on him to maintain her, whilst it is not obligatory on her to maintain him nor to spend on him when he needs (something), for this reason He spares men (something), and that is these words of Him, the Most High: Men are maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded.3 "
19. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Surely Allah commands you to make over trusts to their owners.4 "
Barïd al-'Ijjli asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, and he, peace be on him, answered: "They are the Imams from the family of Mohammed, may Allah bless him and his family, (who) should make over the trust to those after them, should not singled out other than
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1. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 8, p. 140.
2. Qur'an, 4, 34.
3. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 8, p. 195.
4. Qur'an, 4, 58.
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them with it, and should not withhold it from them. 1"
This narration is evidence for that the matter of the Imamate is in the hand of Allah, the Most High, and that Imamate is a trust with the Ima`m. When he dies, he should entrust it to the Imam appointed by the Prophet, may Allah bless him and his family, and should not entrust it to any person.
20. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And Allah took Ibra`hï~m as a friend. 2"
Ima`m al-Rida`, peace be on him, said: "I heard my father narrate on the authority of his father, peace be on him, that he said: 'Allah took Ibra`hï~m as a friend because he (Ibra`hï~m) did not refuse (the request of) anyone and never asked anyone except Allah, the Great and Almighty.3 "
21. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And indeed He has revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah's communications disbelieved in and mocked at, do not sit with them until they enter into some other discourse. 4"
The Ima`m, peace be on him, said: "When you hear a person denies the truth, accuses it of lying, and attacks its people, then leave him and do not sit with him.5 "
22. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And Allah by no means gives the unbelievers a way against the believers.6 "
The Imam, peace be on him, said: "Allah by no means gives the unbelievers an argument against the believers. Allah, the Most High, gave an account of some unbelievers who killed their prophet without any right, and though they killed him, Allah by no means gave them a way against His prophets.7 "
23. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Surely the
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1. Mawahib al-Rahman fi Tafsir al-Qur'an, vol. 8, p. 367.
2. Qur'an, 4, 125.
3. Al-Mizan, vol. 5, 96.
4. Qur'an, 4, 140.
5. Al-Mizan, vol. 5, 120.
6. Qur'an, 4, 141.
7. Al-Mizan, vol. 5, 120.
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hypocrites strive to deceive Allah, and He shall requite their deceit to them.1 "
He, peace be on him, said: "Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, does not deceive (them), but He punishes them for their deception. 2"
24. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be banished. 3"
Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, was asked: "When does a person deserve one of these four punishments?"
He, peace be on him, replied: "When he wages war against Allah and His apostle and strives to make mischief in the land and kills (someone), he should be murdered. If he kills (someone) and takes (his) property, then he should be murdered and crucified. If he takes the property and does not kill (someone), his hand and his feet should be cut off on opposite sides. If he draws the sword, wages war against Allah and His apostle, strives to make mischief in the land, but he does not kill (someone) nor does he take the property, he should be banished."
I (the asker) asked: "How is the person banished, and what is the period of his banishment?"
He, peace be on him, answered: "He is banished from the city in which he does what he does, and it is written to the people of that city that the person is banished, so do not sit with him nor deals with him nor marry him nor eat with him nor drink with him. This is done toward him for a year, but if he comes out that city to other than it, then it is written to them in the same manner until the year terminates."
I (the asker) asked: "If he heads for the land of polytheism in order to enter it?"
"If he heads for the land of polytheism in order to enter it, then a
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1. Qur'an, vol. 142.
2. Al-Mizan.
3. Qur'an, 5, 33.
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war should be waged against its people," answered the Imam.1
25. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "O you who believe, do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you. 2"
The Imam, peace be on him, quoted this verse in his answer to the questions of Ahmed b. Mohammed. He, peace be on him, said: "Have you not been prohibited from many questions, but you have refused this prohibition? Beware of that, for those before you perished because of their several questions. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: O you who believe, do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you.3 "
26. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "Say: He is only one Allah, and surely I am clear of that which you set up (with him). 4"
He, peace be on him, said: "The people has three creeds concerning Allah's Oneness: negation, comparison, and establishment without any comparison. The creed of negation is not permissible; the creed of comparison is not permissible, for Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, is not likened to anything; and the way is the third creed: establishment without any comparison."
Al-Sayyid al-Tabataba'i made clear these three creeds, saying: "The creed of negation means negating the meanings of the attributes from Him, the Exalted, as the Mu'tazilites say, and in its meaning returning the negative attributes to negating what opposes them, just as we say that the meaning of the powerful is not feeble, the meaning of the knowledgeable is not ignorant; yet one should resort to what he (the Ima`m), peace be on him, has mentioned about the third creed.
"The creed of comparison means that He, the Most High, is likened to other than Him, and there is nothing like him, namely it must be established for Him the limited meaning of the attribute which
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1. Al-Miza, vol. 5, 331.
2. Qur'an, 5, 101.
3. Al-'Ayyashi, Tafsir.
4. Al-Qur'an, 6, 19.
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is in us and which is different from other attributes, namely His power is like that of us, His knowledge is like that of us, and so on. If His attributes are like those of us, then He is in need (of things) just as we are in need (of them); therefore, He is not Necessary (Being), far is He above that!
"The creed of establishment without any comparison means that it must be established for Him the original meaning of the attribute and negated from Him the characteristic which makes Him be compared to the possible creatures, namely the attribute is established and the limit is negated. 1"
27. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "We have not neglected anything in the Book. 2"
The Ima`m, peace be on him, quoted this sacred verse in the following speech of him. He, peace be on him, said: "Surely Allah, the Great and Almighty, did not make our Prophet die until He perfected the religion for him and sent down to him the Qur'a`n, in which there is the explanation of all things: the lawful, the unlawful, the prescribed punishments, the precepts, and all what the people need in perfection. Hence Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: We have not neglected anything in the Book.3 "
28. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "When the night covered him, he saw a star. He said: This is my Lord. 4"
Al-Ma'mu`n asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, about the infallibility of the prophets, and he answered him that they were infallible, but al-Ma'mu`n opposed him through this verse, saying: "How did he (Ibra`hïm) say to the star, this is my Lord? This contradicts infallibility." So the Imam, peace be on him, answered him through the following:
"Surely Ibrahïm lived in a society where three types of worship
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1. Al-Mizan, vol. 7, 41.
2. Qur'an, 6, 38.
3. Al-Mizan, vol. 7, 106.
4. Qur'an, 6, 77.
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dominated: the worship of Venus, the worship of the moon, and the worship of the sun. That was when he came out of the cave where he was concealed. When the night covered him, he saw Venus and said: This is my Lord. He wanted to deny (such a type of worship) and to ask (his fellows about it). When it (the star) set, he said: I do not love those that set. That this because setting is an attribute of the created not of the Eternal (Being). When he saw the moon rising in splendor, he said: This is my Lord. He wanted to deny (such a type of worship) and to ask (his fellows about it). But when it (the moon) set, he said: Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who go astray. He said: 'Unless my Lord had guided me, I would have been among those who went astray.' When he entered upon morning and saw the sun rising in splendor, he said: This is my Lord; this is the greatest of Venus and the moon. He wanted to deny (such a type of worship) and to ask (his fellows about it), not to tell them about it and not to admit it (as a lord). When it (the sun) set, he said to the three types of men who worshipped Venus, the moon, and the sun: O my people! I am indeed free from your (guilt) of ascribing partners to Allah. For me, I have set my face firmly and truly towards Him Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I attribute partners (to Allah).
"By the virtue of what he said, Ibrahïm simply wanted to indicate to them the invalidity of their religion and to establish to them that worship did not belong to those things like Vinus, the moon, and the sun; rather it belonged to their Creator and the Creator of the heavens and the earth. The argument which he used against his people was among what Allah had inspired in him and given to him, just as Allah, the Great and Almighty, said: And this was Our argument which We gave to Ibra`hï~m against his people."
Al-Ma'mun admired this decisive answer of the Ima`m, hence he said to him: "How good you are, O son of Allah's Messenger! "
29. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "Therefore (for)
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1. Al-Mizan, vol. 7, 205.
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whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, He expands his breast for Islam.1 "
Sulayman al-Nishabu`ri asked Imam al-Rida, peace be on him, and he answered him: "Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright to faith in Him in the world and to His Garden and the Abode of His Dignity in the hereafter, He expands his breast for submission to Him, confidence in Him, and trust in the reward which He has promised, that he may rely on Him. And (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err from His Garden and the Abode of His Dignity because of his unbelief in Him and his disobedience to Him in the world, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who do not believe. 2"
30. Regarding the words of Him, the Most High: "Say: Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions. "
The Ima`m, peace be on him, quoted this sacred verse in the following talk of him: Ahmed b. Mohammed b. Abu` Nasr narrated; he said: [Ima`m al-Rida` said to me:] "What do you say about coarse clothes?"
I (i.e. Ahmed b. Mohammed) replied: "I was told that al-Hasan wore (coarse garments), and that Ja'far b. Mohammed took the new garment and ordered it to be dipped into the water."
So he, peace be on him, said: "Wear and beautify (your self), for 'Ali b. al-Husayn wore silk-like jubbah (long garment) (which he bought) for five hundred dirhams, and silk-like cloak (which he bought) for fifty dinars, and he spent winter (wearing) it. When winter terminated, he sold it and gave the money as alms. Then he recited this verse: Say: Who has prohibited the embellishment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants and the good provisions.4 "
31. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "And recite to
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1. Qur'an, 126.
2. Al-Mizan, vol. 7, 348.
3. Qur'an, 7, 32.
4. Qurb al-Isanad.
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them the narrative of him to whom We gave our communications, but he withdraws himself from them, so the Shaitan overtakes him, so he is of those who go astray. 1"
He, peace be on him, said: "The Greatest Name was given to Bal'am b. Ba`'u`r. He supplicated with it and (his supplication) was accepted. Then he inclined to Fir'oun (Pharaoh). When Fir'oun ordered Mu`sa` and his followers to be arrested, he said to Bal'am: 'Invoke Allah against Mu`sa` and his followers, that He may withhold him from us.' So Bal'am rode his she-ass and began lashing her. Allah, the Great and Almighty, made the she-ass speak, and she said to Bal'am: 'Woe unto you! Why are lashing me? Do you want me to go with you, that you may invoke against Allah's Prophet and the believing people?' He went on lashing her until he killed her, so he (the Greatest Name) withdrew himself from his tongue, and that is these words of Him: But he withdraws himself from them, so the Shaitan overtakes him, so he is of those who go astray, and If We had pleased, We would certainly have exalted him thereby; but he clung to the earth and followed his low desire, so his parable is as the parable of the dog; if you attack him, he lolls out his tongue; and if you leave him alone, he lolls out his tongue. And this is a parable which Allah has set forth. 2"
32. Regarding the words of Him, the Exalted: "O you who belive, when you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turn not your backs to them.3 "
He, peace be on him, said: "Allah has prohibited escaping from fighting in His path, for it leads to undermining the religion; disdaining the just prophets and Ima`ms; leaving helping them against the enemies who should be punished for their leaving professing the Lord to whom they are summoned, (and who are summoned to) establishing justice, leaving oppression, and deadening corruption. Moreover it encourages the enemies to (attack) the Muslims, and (this
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1. Qur'an, 7, 175.
2. Al-Qummi, Tafsir.
3. Qur'an, 8, 15.
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attack) results in murdering (them), taking them as prisoners, and abolishing the religion of Allah, the Great and Almighty, and (this attack leads to) other corrupt things. 1"
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1. Man La Yahdharahu al-Faqih

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