سورة ابراهيم

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn al-Kawwa came to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and asked him about the verse: أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَی الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ کُفْراً وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ [Have you not seen those who exchanged the favour of Allah for disbelief and led their people to the abode of ruin?]. Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: What is meant is the tribe of Quraysh; بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ کُفْراً [they exchanged the favour of Allah for disbelief] and denied their Prophet on the day of Badr.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Amr ibn Sa'id said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ کُفْراً [Those who exchanged the favour of Allah for disbelief]. He said: "What do you say about it?" He said: "We believe that they are the two wicked tribes of Quraysh — Banu Umayyah and Banu al-Mughirah." He said: "Indeed! It is all of Quraysh. Allah addressed His Prophet." And he said: "I gave Quraysh precedence over the Arabs, bestowed My favour upon them, and sent My Messenger among them, but they exchanged My favour [for disbelief] and denied My Messenger."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Harith al-Nasri said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about this saying of Allah the Exalted: الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُواْ نِعْمَةَ اللهِ کُفْرًا [Those who exchanged the favour of Allah for disbelief]. He said: "What is your view about it?" I said: "We say that what is meant by this verse is the most wicked of the Arabs; that is, the two groups Banu Umayyah and Banu al-Mughirah." Then the Imam (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah! What is meant by this verse is all of Quraysh. Allah, Blessed and Exalted, addressed His Prophet and said to him: 'I gave Quraysh precedence over the Arabs, completed My favour upon them, and sent My Prophet and Messenger to them, but they were ungrateful for My favour — they disbelieved in these favours of Mine وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَار [and led their people to the abode of ruin].'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This verse is about the most sinful and wicked people of Quraysh; that is, Banu Umayyah and Banu al-Mughirah. Allah, on the day of Badr, uprooted the offspring of al-Mughirah from the root and destroyed them; but the Umayyads were granted enjoyment for a while.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): What is meant by this verse is all of the tribe of Quraysh; all those who showed enmity toward the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and waged war against him and denied the successorship of the successor of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Sabiq ibn Talha said: Among the things Harun said to Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) when he was brought before him was that he asked: "What place is this?" He replied: "This is the place of the transgressors. سَأَصْرِفُ عَنْ آیاتِیَ الَّذِینَ یَتَکَبَّرُونَ فِی الْأَرْضِ بِغَیْرِ الْحَقِّ وَ إِنْ یَرَوْا کُلَّ آیَةٍ لا یُؤْمِنُوا بِها وَ إِنْ یَرَوْا سَبِیلَ الرُّشْدِ لا یَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِیلًا وَ إِنْ یَرَوْا سَبِیلَ الغَیِّ یَتَّخِذُوهُ سَبِیلًا ذلِکَ بِأَنَّهُمْ کَذَّبُوا بِآیاتِنا وَ کانُوا عَنْها غافِلینَ [Soon I shall turn away from [belief in] My signs those who arrogantly puff themselves up in the earth without right. They are such that even if they see every sign and token, they do not believe in it; if they see the path of guidance, they do not take it as their way; and if they see the path of error, they take it as their way. [All this] is because they denied Our signs and were heedless of them.] (al-A'raf/146)." Harun said: "Then whose place is this?" He replied: "This place is a short interval and period for our Shia, and a trial for others." He said: "Then why does its true owner not take it back?" He replied: "This place, when it was taken from its true owner, was sound and flourishing, and its owner will not take it back except that it be sound and flourishing." Harun said: "Then where are your Shia?" The Imam (peace be upon him) recited this verse: لَمْ یَکُنِ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْکِتابِ وَ الْمُشْرِکِینَ مُنْفَکِّینَ حَتَّی تَأْتِیَهُمُ الْبَیِّنَةُ [The disbelievers among the People of the Book and the polytheists [would say]: they will not desist from their creed until a clear proof comes to them.] (al-Bayyinah/1). Harun said: "Are we then disbelievers?" He replied: "No! But you are included in this verse in which Allah has said: الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ کُفْراً وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ [Those who exchanged the favor of Allah with disbelief and led their people into the abode of ruin]." Harun became angry and his rage overwhelmed him at seeing that Abu'l-Hasan (peace be upon him) spoke to him in this manner and had no fear of him at all.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah informed the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) of what the Ahl al-Bayt (and their friends and Shia) would suffer at the hands of the Banu Umayyah during the time of their rule, and He revealed this verse concerning them: أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَی الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ کُفْراً وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ، جهنّم یَصْلَوْنَها وَ بِئْسَ الْقَرار [Have you not seen those who exchanged the favor of Allah with disbelief and led their people into the abode of ruin — Hell, which they will enter; and evil is the resting place].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): غَیْرِ الْمغْضُوبِ عَلَیْهِمْ [Not of those upon whom is [Your] wrath] are the Jews, who exchanged the favor of Allah with disbelief; Allah's wrath came upon them and He turned them into monkeys and swine.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Asbagh ibn Nubata said: Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "What is the state of a people who altered the sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and turned away from his successor? Do they not fear that the punishment will descend upon them?!" Then he recited this verse: أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَی الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَةَ اللهِ کُفْراً وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دَارَ الْبَوَار [Have you not seen those who exchanged the favor of Allah with disbelief and led their people into the abode of ruin]. Then he said: "We are that favor which Allah bestowed upon His servants; whoever attains success on the Day of Resurrection attains it through us."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The blessing of Allah is the Imams themselves, and the proof of this matter is the verse: أَ لَمْ تَرَ إِلَی الَّذِینَ بَدَّلُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ کُفْراً [Have you not seen those who exchanged the blessing of Allah for disbelief]. Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah! We are indeed the blessing of Allah which He has bestowed upon His servants; whoever has attained salvation has attained it through us."

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them): نِعْمَةُ اللهِ [the blessing of Allah] is the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), because he guides his ummah to the Imams who lead them; وَ أَحَلُّوا قَوْمَهُمْ دارَ الْبَوارِ [and they made their people alight in the abode of ruin] — this [verse] is the meaning of the saying of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), who said: "Never after me return to disbelief, striking the necks of one another!"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): نِعْمَةُ اللهِ [the blessing of Allah] is Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his Ahl al-Bayt. Loving them is faith and leads to Paradise, and hatred and hypocrisy toward them is disbelief and leads to the fire [of Hell].