سورة البقرة

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): When Allah mentioned these two groups — "وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ یُعْجِبُکَ قَوْلُهُ [And among people is one whose speech, in the life of this world, amazes you]" (Baqara/204), and "وَ مِنَ النَّاسِ مَنْ یَشْرِی نَفْسَهُ [And among people is one who sells his soul (for the pleasure of Allah), like Ali (peace be upon him) on the Night of the Bed (Laylat al-Mabit) when he slept in the Prophet's place]" (Baqara/207) — (the group of the good and the wicked spoken of in the preceding verses), and described their state, and called the people to the state of the one whose deed pleases Him, He said: "یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِی السِّلْمِ کَافَّةً [O you who believe! enter into submission one and all]."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): It means: all of you together, in obedience and submission to Allah, enter into the whole of Islam and accept it and work for Allah, and do not be like those who accept some of the commands of Islam and act upon them but refuse to accept some others and abandon them. Acceptance of the wilayah of Ali (peace be upon him) is part of Islam, just like acceptance of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Whoever says, "Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is the Messenger of Allah" and confesses his prophethood, but does not confess that Ali (peace be upon him) is his successor (wasi), caliph, and the chosen one of his ummah, is not a Muslim.

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurarah, Humran and Muhammad ibn Muslim have said: We asked Imam al-Baqir about the verse "یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا ادْخُلُوا فِی السِّلْمِ کَافَّةً [O you who believe! enter into submission one and all]." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "It means the people have been commanded to the ma'rifah (recognition) of us, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)." (In this verse, the people have been commanded to attain the recognition of us.)

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): al-Silm are the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and Allah has commanded the people to enter into their wilayah.

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): That is, [enter] into our wilayah.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): that is, [enter] into the wilayah of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): [Accepting] the wilayah of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and his children (peace be upon them) [is what entering into al-silm means].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: The Imam (peace be upon him) asked: "Do you know what السِّلْمِ [al-silm] is?" I said: "You know better!" He said: "It is the wilayah of Ali (peace be upon him) and the Imams and successors after him (peace be upon them)."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): السِّلْمِ [al-silm] includes the wilayah of us, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): [Imam Ali (peace be upon him)] mentioned the family of the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "They are the gate of al-silm."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The knowledge that was sent down upon Adam (peace be upon him), and all the excellences by which the Prophets up to the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon him and his family) were given superiority, lie hidden within the household of the Prophet and Seal of the Messengers (peace be upon him and his family). So to which side have you been led astray? O group of the corrupted offspring of those who remained from the Ark of Nuh (peace be upon him), where are you going?! The likeness of the Ark of Nuh is the likeness of that which is among you [that is, the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)]. Just as whoever was saved among them was saved in that ark, so too whoever is saved among you will be delivered in this ark (the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)) and will remain firm and steadfast in my covenant and pledge. Woe to the one who lags behind them! The household of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) are among you like the People of the Cave, and their likeness is the Bab Hitta (the door through which the Children of Israel, by resorting to it, were granted forgiveness), and they are the Bab al-Silm (the gate of submission).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): ادْخُلُواْ فِی السِّلْمِ کَآفَّةً [Enter into submission one and all] — what is meant is [entering] into the wilaya of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): وَ لا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُواتِ الشَّیْطانِ [And do not follow the footsteps of Satan] — the path along which Satan draws you towards himself is the path of transgression and misguidance, and what he commands you to do is the committing of grave sins.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَاتِ الشَّیطَانِ [And do not follow the footsteps of Satan] means: do not follow anyone other than Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): If a person swears an oath about something [that he will not do a certain act], but that act is of the kind whose performance is better than its abandonment, he should do what is better [even if it means breaking the oath], and no expiation (kaffara) is due upon him, because such oaths are among the footsteps of Satan.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked: "A woman has made such a vow that if she ever speaks a word with her sister, all of her wealth shall be an offering [and gift to the Kaaba] and all of her slaves shall be freed." He said: "Let her speak with her; these vows are not vows; these and their like are the footsteps of Satan."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about the oath of a man who said: "[According to an oath I have sworn] it is obligatory upon me to sacrifice a thousand camels [in the season of Hajj], and the necessary consequence of this is that I must go on [obligatory] Hajj a thousand times [which is rationally impossible]." His Eminence said: "[Such oaths and] these deeds are among the footsteps [and schemes] of Satan."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): Satan, out of his enmity, wishes to cut you off from increased reward and to destroy you with the severest of punishments. If you slip away from peace (silm) and Islam — whose completion lies in believing in the wilaya (guardianship) of Ali (peace be upon him) — then acknowledgement of prophethood together with concealing the imamate of Ali (peace be upon him) will not benefit you; just as acknowledgement of tawhid (divine unity), while denying prophethood, is of no benefit.