سورة الإسراء

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لاَ تَقْرَبُواْ مَالَ الْیَتِیمِ إِلاَّ بِالَّتِی هِیَ أَحْسَنُ [And do not go near the property of the orphan except in the best way], meaning in a good manner and without extravagance.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The end of [the period of] being an orphan is having a wet dream in sleep [and reaching the age of puberty]. What is meant by reaching maturity is exactly this.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: I was with my father when he was asked about the orphan: "When does he come out of the ruling of being an orphan?" He said: "When he reaches full maturity." I asked: "When is full maturity?" He said: "When he has a wet dream." I asked: "Sometimes a boy up to the age of twelve, or less, or more, does not have a wet dream?" He said: "When the boy reaches the age of thirteen, his good deeds and his sins are recorded for him, and he comes out of the ruling of being an orphan, unless he is foolish or weak."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A person reaches full maturity at the age of thirty-three, and when he reaches forty he has reached his peak. From forty-one onwards he is in decline, and it is fitting for a fifty-year-old to be like someone in the throes of death.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ أَوْفُواْ بِالْعَهْدِ [And fulfill the covenant]; meaning if you make a covenant with a person, fulfill it. إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ کَانَ مَسْؤُولًا [Indeed the covenant will be asked about]; meaning on the Day of Resurrection.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) that his noble father, regarding the verse: وَ أَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ کانَ مَسْؤُلًا وَ أَوْفُوا الْکَیْلَ إِذا کِلْتُمْ وَ زِنُوا بِالْقِسْطاسِ الْمُسْتَقِیمِ [And fulfil the promise; surely the promise shall be questioned about. And give full measure when you measure out, and weigh with a true balance], said: "The covenant is the very pledge which the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took from the people concerning love for us and obedience to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) — that they should not oppose him, should give him precedence, and should not sever his ties of kinship — and he informed them that they would be questioned about this matter and about the Book of Allah."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Whoever wrongs a woman in her dowry is a fornicator in the sight of Allah, and on the Day of Resurrection Allah the Mighty and Majestic will say to him: "My servant, I gave My maidservant to you in marriage according to My covenant; you did not fulfil My covenant and you wronged her." Then some of his good deeds will be taken and given to her in accordance with her right; and if no good deeds remain for him, he will be cast into the Fire for breaking the covenant, so that the covenant may be questioned about.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): In the year six hundred and seventy, one of the servants of the shrine of Imam Rida (peace be upon him) came, bringing with him the covenant of al-Ma'mun concerning the succession (wilayat al-'ahd) of Imam Rida (peace be upon him), which he had written in his own hand... I am Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja'far... I have made a covenant with my Allah that if I attain the caliphate and it is decreed that I should rule among the people, I shall obey Allah and His Messenger among all people — and especially among the Banu Abbas — and shall not shed blood, nor violate people's honour, except in those cases where the limits and ordinances of Allah permit and require such an act. I shall exert my utmost effort in choosing those who are worthy of governance. I have bound myself with a firm covenant, that Allah may question me about it. He says: أَوْفُوا بِالْعَهْدِ إِنَّ الْعَهْدَ کانَ مَسْؤُلًا [Fulfil the promise; surely the promise shall be questioned about]. If I make any unwarranted alteration or change, I shall deserve punishment and be subject to retribution. I seek refuge in Allah from His wrath, and I hope that He Himself will grant success.