سورة الإسراء

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It has been narrated that Imam Hadi (peace be upon him), in the letter he wrote to the people of Ahwaz concerning the negation of compulsion (jabr) and delegation (tafwid), said: A man asked Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), after his return from Sham: "O Amir al-Mu'minin! Tell us, was our going to Sham by the decree and destiny [of Allah]?" Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said to him: "Yes... Allah the Exalted commanded so that [His servants] would have free choice, and forbade so that they would be on their guard, and imposed easy obligations. [Allah] is not disobeyed as one overpowered, nor obeyed under compulsion. He did not send the messengers in jest, nor did He send down the Qur'an in vain, nor did He create the heavens and the earth and what is between them in vain — that is the assumption of those who disbelieved, so woe to those who disbelieved from the Fire." He then recited this verse to them: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him]. At that, the man rose up in joy.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In [the book] al-Tawhid it is thus reported: In the narration of Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) these sentences also occur: The old man said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), was it decree and destiny that drove us [on this journey], and did we not descend into any valley or ascend any height except by reason of these two?" Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said: "Every command and ruling is from Allah," and then he recited this verse: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him, and goodness to your parents].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Qada (decree) has come in the Qur'an in four aspects... and the third is commanding; just as Allah says: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him] — its meaning is: your Lord has commanded or ordered.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): They asked him about the ambiguous [uses] of the word "qada" in the Qur'an, and he said: This word has come in the Qur'an in ten aspects, which have different meanings, and it includes the meanings of finishing (faragh), covenant ('ahd), announcement and informing (i'lam), performing an act, making obligatory, writing down and making inevitable, completion, ruling, creation, and the sending down of death... [The explanation of] the qada of covenant and pledge is in this verse: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him] — that is, He made a covenant.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Yazid ibn Umayr ibn Muawiyah al-Shami said: I came to Imam Rida (peace be upon him) in Marw and said to him: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! A hadith has been narrated to us from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: 'There is neither jabr (compulsion) nor tafwid (delegation), but rather a matter between two matters'; what is the meaning of this hadith?" He said: "Whoever imagines that Allah performs our actions and then punishes us for them has held to jabr (compulsion), and whoever imagines that Allah has delegated the matter of creation and providing sustenance to the creatures to the Imams has held to tafwid (delegation). The one who holds jabr is a disbeliever, and the one who holds tafwid is a polytheist." I said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What does 'a matter between two matters' mean?" He said: "It means the way is open for them to do what Allah has commanded and to leave what He has forbidden." I asked: "Is the will and intention of Allah not operative in this matter (the actions of the servants)?" He said: "As for acts of obedience, [Allah's will and intention concerning them] consists of His command and pleasure with that act and His assisting them in performing it. And His will and intention regarding acts of disobedience consists of forbidding them, being angered by that act, and not assisting the servants in performing it." I asked: "Does Allah have a decree (qada) concerning the actions of the servants?" He said: "Yes! The servants perform no action, of good or evil, except that Allah has a decree concerning that act." I asked: "What is the meaning of this qada?" He said: "That Allah decrees that the reward and punishment which they deserve for their actions in this world and the hereafter be given to them."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The matter that all the prophets brought was that nothing should be associated with Allah [meaning this matter was never disrupted in the time of any prophet]. Then Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and he was in Mecca for ten years. During those ten years, no one died bearing witness to the oneness of Allah and to the messengership of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) except that Allah admitted him into Paradise on account of his acknowledgement — and that was the faith of belief and affirmation — and Allah did not punish any of the followers of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) who died, except one who had associated partners with the Most Merciful. The confirmation of this matter is what Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in Mecca in Surah Bani Israil: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً إِمَّا یَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَکَ الْکِبَرَ أَحَدُهُما أَوْ کِلاهُما فَلا تَقُلْ لَهُما أُفٍّ وَ لا تَنْهَرْهُما وَ قُلْ لَهُما قَوْلاً کَریماً [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word]. In these verses there is etiquette, admonition, teaching, and a gentle prohibition; He did not make any threat concerning them, and concerning the committing of what He forbade He issued no wa'id (warning and threat). He also prohibited certain things and cautioned against them, but did not be severe regarding them and did not threaten, and said: وَ لا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلادَکُمْ خَشْیَةَ إِمْلاقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُهُمْ وَ إِیَّاکُمْ إِنَّ قَتْلَهُمْ کانَ خِطْأً کَبِیراً* وَ لا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنی إِنَّهُ کانَ فاحِشَةً وَ ساءَ سَبِیلًا* وَ لا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِی حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلَّا بِالحَقِّ وَ مَنْ قُتِلَ مَظْلُوماً فَقَدْ جَعَلْنا لِوَلِیِّهِ سُلْطاناً فَلا یُسْرِفْ فِی الْقَتْلِ إِنَّهُ کانَ مَنْصُوراً* وَ لا تَقْرَبُوا مالَ الْیَتِیمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِی هِیَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّی یَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَ أَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ کانَ مَسْؤُلًا* وَ أَوْفُوا الْکَیْلَ إِذا کِلْتُمْ وَ زِنُوا بِالْقِسْطاسِ الْمُسْتَقِیمِ ذلِکَ خَیْرٌ وَ أَحْسَنُ تَأْوِیلًا* وَ لا تَقْفُ ما لَیْسَ لَکَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَ الْبَصَرَ وَ الْفُؤادَ کُلُّ أُولئِکَ کانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُلًا* وَ لا تَمْشِ فِی الْأَرْضِ مَرَحاً إِنَّکَ لَنْ تَخْرِقَ الْأَرْضَ وَ لَنْ تَبْلُغَ الْجِبالَ طُولًا [And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We provide for them and for you. Indeed, killing them is a great sin. And do not go near adultery; indeed it is an indecency and an evil way. And do not kill the soul that Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed unjustly, We have given his heir authority, but let him not exceed the just limits in killing; indeed he is aided. And do not go near the property of the orphan except in the best manner, until he reaches his maturity. And fulfil the covenant; indeed the covenant will be questioned about. And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a true balance; that is better and fairer in the end. And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; indeed the hearing, the sight and the heart — all of these shall be questioned about. And do not walk on the earth exultantly; indeed you can neither cleave the earth nor reach the mountains in height]. The evil of all of these is hateful in the sight of your Lord. These are some of the wisdom that your Lord has revealed to you: وَ لا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللهِ إِلهاً آخَرَ فَتُلْقی فِی جَهَنَّمَ مَلُوماً مَدْحُوراً [And do not set up with Allah another god, lest you be cast into Hell, blamed and rejected].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Wallad al-Hannat said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'In the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً [and goodness to your parents], what is meant by ihsan (goodness)?' He said: 'It is treating them well, and that you do not put them to the trouble of having to ask you for what they need, even if they are wealthy. Is it not that Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: You will never attain [the reality of] righteousness until you spend from what you love. (Aal Imran/92)'.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Muskan reports from someone who narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) when he was speaking to Abd al-Wahid al-Ansari about goodness to parents mentioned in the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً [and goodness to your parents]. We thought that what the Imam (peace be upon him) was saying referred to the verse in Surah Bani Israil which says: وَ قَضی رَبُّکَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِیَّاهُ وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً [And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him, and goodness to your parents]. When I met him afterwards, I asked him about the verse. [This questioner was Zurarah.] He said: "What I meant was the verse in Surah Luqman which says: We have enjoined upon man goodness to his parents, and if the two of them [are polytheists and] strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them! (Ankabut/8)." Zurarah said: "Indeed, the instruction in Surah Bani Israil is greater, because it commands maintaining ties with parents and observing their right in every state, وَ إِنْ جاهَداکَ عَلی أَنْ تُشْرِکَ بِی ما لَیْسَ لَکَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ [and if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge]." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "No! It is not greater. Rather, in the verse of Luqman He too has commanded maintaining ties with them, and added [the case of] their striving with him toward polytheism. And it adds nothing to their right except greatness and loftiness."

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Hisham ibn Salim said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! To whom shall I do good?" He said: "Your mother." He said: "Then [after that] whom?" He said: "Your mother." The man said: "Then [after that] whom?" He said: "Your mother." He said: "Then after that whom?" He said: "Your father."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Thabit ibn Dinar narrates: Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) said: The right of your mother upon you is that you know she carried you in a place where no one carries anyone else, and gave you of the fruit of her heart (affection) what no one gives to anyone else, and protected you with her whole being. She did not care that she herself remained hungry and thirsty so long as she could feed you and quench your thirst, and that she remained bare so as to clothe you, and that she stood in the sun so as to cast shade upon you, and she gave up her sweet sleep for you and guarded you from heat and cold, so that you might remain for her. And you cannot fulfil thanks to her except by the help and grace of Allah.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Allah forbade disobedience to parents for this reason: in disobedience to parents there is going out from obedience to Allah and from honouring parents and from avoiding ingratitude for blessings, since it leads to nullifying gratitude and to fewness of offspring; because in disobedience there is failure to honour parents and failure to recognise their right, and the cutting of kinship ties, and the parents' reluctance to bring forth children and their abandoning of upbringing, on the ground that the child has withheld goodness from them.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): A man asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): "What is the right of a father over his child?" He said: "That he not call him by his name, not walk in front of him, not sit before him, and not cause him to be insulted."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Abu Usayd al-Ansari: We were with the Messenger of Allah when a man from Banu Salima asked: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Is there anything left of goodness to my parents that I may do for them after their death?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Yes! Sending blessings upon them, seeking forgiveness for them, fulfilling their covenants and pledges after them, honoring their friends, and maintaining ties with the relatives you have through them.'

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Muʿammar ibn Khallad said: I said to Imam Rida (peace be upon him): 'If my parents are not Shia, may I pray for them?' He said: 'Yes! Pray for them and give charity on their behalf, and if they are alive and unaware of the true faith, deal gently with them, for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: Allah sent me with the message of mercy and compassion, not with cutting off from parents and relatives.'

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Musa ibn Bakr al-Wasiti said: I said to Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): 'A man says to his son or daughter: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you!" Do you see any harm in this?' He said: 'If his parents are alive, I consider it ingratitude toward them, but if they have died, there is no harm in it.' Then he said: '[Imam] Jaʿfar (peace be upon him) used to say: "Blessed is the man who does not die until he sees his successor after himself, and by Allah, Allah did indeed show me my successor after myself."'

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Al-Sakuni reported from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) from his forefathers: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: Upon the parents, in the matter of undutifulness toward their child — when the child is righteous — falls what falls upon the child toward them.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): There are three whom, if anyone contends with them, he will be humiliated: the father, the ruler, and the creditor.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah has not given anyone permission to abandon three things: 1. being good to one's father and mother, whether they are good or bad; 2. keeping one's covenant, whether with a righteous person or a wicked one; 3. returning a trust to its owner, whether he is good or bad.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Being good to one's parents (birr al-walidayn) springs from a servant's correct knowledge of Allah, for no act of worship reaches the pleasure of Allah more quickly than showing respect to one's Muslim father and mother; because the right of the parents is derived from the right of Allah the Exalted — that is, when they are upon the path of religion and the Sunnah, and do not hold the child back from obedience to Allah into disobedience of Him, from certainty into doubt, from renunciation into worldliness, and do not call him to what is contrary to the religion and the Sunnah. If they are of this sort, then disobeying them is obedience to Allah, and obeying them is a sin. Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: "وَ إِنْ جاهَداکَ عَلی أَنْ تُشْرِکَ بِی ما لَیْسَ لَکَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلا تُطِعْهُما وَ صاحِبْهُما فِی الدُّنْیا مَعْرُوفاً وَ اتَّبِعْ سَبِیلَ مَنْ أَنابَ إِلَیَّ ثُمَّ إِلَیَّ مَرْجِعُکُمْ [And whenever the two of them strive that you associate with Me something of which you have no knowledge (but rather you know it to be false), do not obey them, but keep company with them in this world in a fitting manner and follow the way of those who have turned to Me in repentance; then to Me is your return, and I shall inform you of what you used to do]" (Luqman/15). As for how you live with them, be gentle and forbearing; endure their harshness in return for the trouble they bore for you in your childhood; do not withhold from them the food and clothing that Allah has provided you; do not turn your face away from them; do not raise your voice above theirs, for this is respect for the command of Allah; speak to them in the best and most gentle way possible; "إِنَّ اللهَ لا یُضِیعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [Indeed Allah does not let the reward of those who do good be lost]" (Hud/115).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah has said: وَ بِالْوالِدَیْنِ إِحْساناً [And goodness to the parents]. The parents are Muhammad and Ali (peace be upon them).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever observes the right of the kin of Muhammad and Ali (peace be upon them) will be given higher ranks and greater rewards, in proportion to the excellence of Muhammad and Ali (peace be upon them) over his own biological father and mother.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Wallad al-Hannat said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: إِمَّا یَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَکَ الْکِبَرَ أَحَدُهُما أَوْ کِلاهُما فَلا تَقُلْ لَهُما أُفٍّ وَ لا تَنْهَرْهُما [If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them "Ugh" nor chide them] — even if they strike you — وَ قُلْ لَهُما قَوْلاً کَرِیماً [and speak to them a generous word]. He said: "If they make you weary, do not say 'Ugh' to them; and if they strike you, do not push them away from yourself." And he said: "وَ قُلْ لَهُما قَوْلاً کَریماً [and speak to them a generous word] — if they strike you, say to them: 'May Allah forgive you both.' This is your generous speech."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): If He had known of anything less than "uff," He would have said it. وَ لا تَنْهَرْهُما [nor chide them]; that is, do not quarrel with them.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Jabir said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: فَلا تَقُلْ لَهُما أُفٍّ وَ لا تَنْهَرْهُما [Say not to them "uff" nor chide them]; this is the least form of harm, which Allah has forbidden, along with what is above it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If Allah had known a word shorter than "uff" for preventing the distress and harm of one's father and mother, He would have brought it in the noble Quran.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The least form of disobedience [to parents] is أُفٍّ, and if Allah the Mighty and Majestic had known of anything lighter than it, He would have forbidden it.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When a believer says to his brother "uff," the bond of brotherhood between the two is severed; and if he says to him "you are a disbeliever," one of the two becomes a disbeliever. And when he accuses his brother, Islam dissolves in his heart just as salt dissolves in water.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Ma'mun al-Harithi said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "What is the right of a believer over another believer?" He said: "It is among the rights of a believer over another believer that he loves him from the heart, and if he says "uff" to him, the friendship between them is lost."