سورة هود

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Ubayda al-Hadhdha said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about whether people have free will in their actions or are compelled, and I noted that people's opinions on this matter differ. The Imam (peace be upon him), after reciting this verse وَ لا یَزالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them], said: "O Abu Ubayda! People differ in their claims regarding this issue, but all of them are mistaken."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked concerning the verse: وَ لَوْ شاءَ رَبُّکَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً واحِدَةً وَ لا یَزالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And if your Lord had willed, He would have made mankind one community, but they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them]. He said: "People were one community, and Allah the Exalted raised up the prophets (and sent them to them so that the proof would be complete against them)."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّکَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً [And if your Lord had willed, He would have made mankind one community]; [that is,] He would have placed them [by compulsion] upon a single creed.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Ghalib narrates from his father, from a man who said: "I asked Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) the meaning of this verse وَ لا یَزالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِین [And they will not cease to differ]. He said: 'The intended meaning is those of this ummah who are opposed [to us], all of whom differ with one another in their religion; and إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [Except those on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them] — but this group are our friends from among the believers, and for this reason He created them from a pure clay.'"

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): They are our Shia, and Allah created them out of His mercy. For He says: وَ لِذَلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And for this did He create them]; [that is,] they were created for obedience to the Imam.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّکَ [Except those on whom your Lord has mercy]; except one of the believers on whom your Lord has mercy — for they do not differ, and they gather around the truth.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Yaqub ibn Shuayb said: I asked about the meaning of the verse وَ مَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَ الْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِیَعْبُدُونِ [And I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me] — what is its meaning? He said: "He created them for worship." I said to him: "Then what is the meaning of the verse وَ لاَ یَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ، إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذَلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy; and for this did He create them]?" He said: "These verses were revealed after those verses."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): This saying of Allah the Exalted: "I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me" (al-Dhariyat/56) abrogated this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ لا یَزالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّکَ [And they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy]. وَ لِذلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And for this did He create them]; [meaning] He created them for mercy.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the meaning of the verse: "I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me" (al-Dhariyat/56), and he said: "He created them so that He may command them to worship [Him]." [And also] I asked him about the interpretation of the verse وَ لاَ یَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ، إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذَلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy, and for that did He create them]. He said: "Allah created servants so that they would perform deeds by which they would become deserving of His kindness and mercy, and then He would encompass them with His mercy."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): وَ لا یَزالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ — they continually differ with one another in the matter of religion. إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ رَبُّکَ [Except those on whom your Lord has mercy]; and those are the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and their followers. And Allah says: وَ لِذَلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ; [meaning] He created them as people of mercy who do not differ with one another in the matter of religion.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): وَ لاَ یَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِینَ، إِلاَّ مَن رَّحِمَ رَبُّکَ وَ لِذَلِکَ خَلَقَهُمْ [And they will not cease to differ, except those on whom your Lord has mercy, and for that did He create them]; they are our believing Shi'a. For this reason Allah created them from pure clay.