سورة البقرة

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Allah the Exalted said to me: I have given to you and to your ummah a treasure from the treasures of My Throne, which is Surah Fatihat al-Kitab and the last verses of Surah al-Baqara.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): [Imam Ali (peace be upon him) set out the categories of the verses of the Qur'an and gave an example for each. Among them he said: In the Qur'an, sometimes a gap falls between verses such that the intervening verses differ [in subject matter] from the verses surrounding them.] That gap which falls between verses, where the content of the intervening verses differs from the verses surrounding them, and where in the speech of Allah the meaning is cut off from the preceding sentences and then the meaning is once again connected back to it, relates to where a verse comes in the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. Then, after that, its meaning is cut off and another meaning is brought. Then it returns once again to the same original address. Like this statement of Allah the Exalted: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَ قالُوا سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا غُفْرانَکَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَیْکَ الْمَصیر [The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers; each one believes in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers: We make no distinction between any of His messengers; and they say: We hear and obey, our Lord! Thy forgiveness (do we crave), and to Thee is the eventual course]. Then He began the speech anew and said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is what it has earned and upon it what it has wrought]. Then He returned to the first speech and connected back to it, and said: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake]... And this and its like are many in the Qur'an.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): When I was taken up to the heaven [for the Mi'raj]... I was travelling with Jibril (peace be upon him) and we kept moving from a luminous realm to a dark one and from a dark realm to a luminous one, until I stood at Sidrat al-Muntaha... Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'O Ahmad, stop!' So I stopped, trembling and afraid. A call came to me from the Malakut: 'O Ahmad!' Then my Lord inspired me and I said: 'Labbayk, O my Allah! I am most fortunate. I am Your servant, standing before You.' Then a call came to me: 'O Ahmad! The Mighty One conveys His salam to you.' I said: 'He is al-Salam, and salam returns to Him.' Then the call came again: 'O Ahmad!' So I said: 'Labbayka wa sa'dayk, my Master and my Lord!' He said: 'O Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family)! آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ [The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers — each one has believed in Allah, His angels and His books].' Then my Lord inspired this verse to me, and I repeated it and said: 'آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ [The Messenger has believed in what was sent down to him from his Lord, and the believers — each one has believed in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers].' Then I said: 'سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا غُفْرانَکَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَیْکَ الْمَصِیرُ [We have heard and we obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return].' Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not impose upon any soul except to the extent of its ability; for it is what it has earned, and against it is what it has wrought].' I said: 'رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake].' Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'I have done so.' I said: 'رَبَّنا وَ لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا [Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us].' Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'I have done so.' I said: 'رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا بِهِ وَ اعْفُ عَنَّا وَ اغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا أَنْتَ مَوْلانا فَانْصُرْنا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْکافِرِینَ [Our Lord, do not impose upon us that which we have no strength to bear; pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our Master, so grant us victory over the unbelieving people].' Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: 'I have done so.' Then the Pen ran with what it ran with. When I had attained what I wished from this conversation with my Lord, a call came to me: 'The Mighty One says: whom will you leave behind you on the earth as successor?' I said: 'I will make the best of them, my cousin, my successor.' The call came: 'O Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family)! Who is your cousin?' I said: 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).' Then a call came to me from the Malakut seven times in succession: 'O Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family)! Enjoin good concerning your cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).' Then He said: 'Turn.' So I turned toward the right side of the Throne, and I saw written on the right pillar of the Throne: 'There is no god but Me; I am One, without partner. Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is My Messenger, whom I support by means of Ali (peace be upon him).' And He said: 'O Ahmad (peace be upon him and his family)! I have derived your name from My own name, for I am Allah al-Mahmud, al-Hamid (the Praised, the Praiseworthy). And I have derived the name of your cousin Ali (peace be upon him) [also] from My own name, for I am Allah al-Ali, the Exalted. O Aba al-Qasim (peace be upon him and his family), be a guide and one guided. How excellent is the place where you come, and how excellent is that from which you turn away. (Your choice, whether in coming or turning away, is the best of choices.) Blessed are you, and blessed is whoever believes in you and accepts you as truthful!...' Then I was cast into the seas of light, and the waves kept casting me about, until Jibril (peace be upon him) met me at Sidrat al-Muntaha.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said [regarding] the time when he was taken by night to his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, [on the Mi'raj]: "Jibra'il (peace be upon him) stood me beside a huge tree the like of which I had never seen. Upon every one of its branches, its leaves and its fruits there was an angel, and a light from the lights of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, adorned that tree." Jibra'il (peace be upon him) said: "This is Sidrat al-Muntaha, at which all the prophets before you arrived, [yet] they were unable to pass beyond it, whereas you shall traverse it and pass on" ... Then my Lord called out to me: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)!" I said: "At Your service, O my Lord, my Master and my Allah!" He said: "Do you know your worth, your station and your rank in My presence?" I said: "Yes, O my Master!" He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), do you know your position and the position of your progeny in My presence?" I said: "Yes, O my Master!" He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Do you know over what the Mala' al-A'la (the assembly on high, the gathering place of the angels and the pure spirits) contended?" I said: "O Lord! You are more knowing, more wise, and the Knower of the unseen." He said: "They disputed regarding ranks and good deeds. Do you know what those ranks and good deeds are?" I said: "O my Master! You are more knowing and more wise." He said: "Performing wudu completely under disliked conditions; walking on foot to the Friday prayers with you and with the Imams from among your descendants; awaiting the next prayer after each prayer; giving salam openly; feeding [others]; and staying awake at night in worship while people are asleep." Allah said: "آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what has been sent down to him from his Lord]." I said: "Yes, O Lord!" [And Allah continued:] "وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَ قالُوا سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا غُفْرانَکَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَیْکَ الْمَصِیرُ [And the believers — each one has believed in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers, (saying:) 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they said: 'We hear and we obey. Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return']. [Allah] said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! You have spoken truly [that you and the believers believe in Allah, the angels, the books and the messengers of Mine]! لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity; for it is what it has earned and against it is what it has committed], and I have forgiven them (the believers)." I said: "رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا ... [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err ...]." He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! That is for you and your progeny." I said: "O my Lord, my Master and my Allah!" He said: "I ask you about something concerning which I am more knowing than you: whom will you appoint as successor upon the earth after you?" I said: "The best of the people of the earth, my brother and my cousin, the helper of Your religion, O Lord! The one who, in defence of Your sanctities when they are made lawful, and in defence of Your Prophet when he disputes, becomes like an enraged leopard — Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) — I appoint him as my successor upon the earth." He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), you have spoken truly! I chose you for prophethood and sent you with the message, and I tested Ali (peace be upon him) with delivering [the message] and bearing witness to your ummah, and I made him a proof upon the earth alongside you and after you. He is the light of My friends and the guardian of whoever obeys Me, and he is the word which I made binding upon the Allah-fearing. O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), Fatima (peace be upon her) is his wife. He is your wasi (successor), your heir, your vizier, the one who washes your body, the helper of your religion, and the one slain upon My sunnah and your sunnah. The most wretched of this ummah shall kill him." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Then my Lord commanded me with matters and things and ordered me to conceal them, and did not permit me to relate them to my companions. Then a cloth resembling silk was cast upon me. At that moment Jibra'il (peace be upon him) transported me from there until I reached Sidrat al-Muntaha, and he halted me beneath that [tree]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: [On the night of Mi'raj] I went with Jibra'il (peace be upon him) until I reached Sidrat al-Muntaha. [That tree was so vast] that a single leaf of it was enough to shade one of the nations. I was, from that tree, as Allah says, at the distance of two bow-lengths or less. [At that moment] Allah called to me: "آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what has been sent down to him from his Lord]." I said: "I answer on behalf of myself and my ummah: وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللّهِ وَمَلآئِکَتِهِ وَکُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لاَ نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ [and the believers — each one has believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers; we make no distinction between any of His messengers]." And I said: "سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَکَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَیْکَ الْمَصِیرُ [We hear and we obey; Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return]." Allah said: "لاَ یُکَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَها لَها مَا کَسَبَتْ وَعَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity; for it is what it has earned and against it is what it has wrought]." I said: "رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِینَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err]." And Allah said: "I will not take you to task." I said: "رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنَا إِصْرًا کَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذِینَ مِن قَبْلِنَا [Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us]." Allah said: "I will not place it upon your shoulders. (I will not lay it upon you)." I said: "رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ أَنتَ مَوْلاَنَا فَانصُرْنَا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْکَافِرِینَ [Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear; pardon us and forgive us and have mercy on us; You are our Protector, so help us against the disbelieving people]." Allah said: "I have granted that to you and to your ummah." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) added: "No one more noble or honoured than the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ever came before Allah to ask such qualities for his ummah."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ascended with him (Jibril (peace be upon him)) until he reached the gates of heaven and arrived at Sidrat al-Muntaha. Sidrat al-Muntaha said [addressing the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)]: "No creature before you has passed beyond [the limit of] me." [But] the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) passed by it and drew nearer and nearer until his distance was the length of two bows or less, and Allah revealed to him what He revealed. Then he was given two books: the book of [the deeds of] the Companions of the Right (the righteous) and the book of [the deeds of] the Companions of the Left (the evildoers). He took the book of the Companions of the Right in his right hand, opened it, and looked at what was in it. In it were written the names of the people of Paradise and the names of their fathers and tribes. Allah said: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord]. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ [And the believers; each one believes in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers; we make no distinction between any of His messengers]. Allah said: وَ قالُوا سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا [And they said: We hear and we obey]. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: غُفْرانَکَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَیْکَ الْمَصِیرُ [Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return]. Allah said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity; for it is what it has earned and against it what it has wrought]. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err]. Allah said: "I have done so [and I will not take you to task for forgetfulness or error]." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا [Do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us]. Allah said: "I have done so." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) continued: رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا بِهِ وَ اعْفُ عَنَّا وَ اغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا أَنْتَ مَوْلانا فَانْصُرْنا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْکافِرِینَ [Our Lord, do not impose upon us that which we have no strength to bear, and pardon us, and forgive us, and have mercy on us; You are our Master, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people]. And Allah, in response to all these requests, said: "I have done so [and He accepted them]." Then the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) closed the book of the Companions of the Right and held it in his hand, and opened the other book, which was the book of the Companions of the Left, in which were written the names of the people of Hell and the names of their fathers and tribes. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "These are people who have not believed." Allah said: "Say Salam and overlook [the examination of] them. They will soon see [the result of their deeds]." When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) finished his intimate conversation with Allah, he was returned to al-Bayt al-Ma'mur, which is in the seventh heaven.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Jibra'il (peace be upon him) brought Buraq to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), which is smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey. [The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)] traveled by means of it from Bayt al-Maqdis toward the heaven ... He went along with Jibra'il (peace be upon him) until they reached a place. Jibra'il (peace be upon him) placed his finger upon his shoulder, then lifted him up and said to him: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), move forward [and go on]." The Prophet said to him: "O Jibra'il (peace be upon him)! Are you leaving me alone in this place?!" Jibra'il (peace be upon him) said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), I am not permitted to enter this station. You have entered a place where no one entered before you, and no one after you will take a place in it." After that, Allah opened for him such of His greatness as He willed, and Allah spoke with him: "آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what has been revealed to him from his Lord]." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Yes, O my Lord! وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ وَ قالُوا سَمِعْنا وَ أَطَعْنا غُفْرانَکَ رَبَّنا وَ إِلَیْکَ الْمَصِیرُ [and the believers — all have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, (saying,) 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers,' and they said, 'We hear and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return']." Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, said: "لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not burden a soul except with what it can bear. For it is what it has earned, and against it is what it has committed]." Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) said: "رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا رَبَّنا وَ لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا بِهِ وَ اعْفُ عَنَّا وَ اغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا أَنْتَ مَوْلانا فَانْصُرْنا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْکافِرِینَ [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or err. Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy upon us. You are our Master, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people]." Allah said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), who [will be caliph] after you?" The Prophet answered: "Allah knows best." Allah said: "Ali (peace be upon him) is Amir al-Mu'minin." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) added: By Allah, [the announcement of] his wilayah was nothing other than that it reached Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) directly from Allah, face to face.

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): On the night I was taken up to the heaven, I heard [Allah] the Mighty say to me: "آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what has been revealed to him from his Lord]." I said: "And the believers [also believed]." [Allah] said: "You have spoken truly! O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), whom will you leave behind as caliph among your ummah after you?" I said: "The best individual of my ummah." Allah said: "Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)?!" I said: "Yes, O my Lord!" He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), indeed I looked carefully upon [the people of] the earth and I chose you. So I derived for you a name from My own names. I am not remembered in any place except that you too are mentioned alongside Me. I am al-Mahmud (the Praised) and you are Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Then I turned again [to the people of the earth] and chose Ali (peace be upon him). And I derived for him a name from My own names — and I am al-A'la (the Most High) and he is Ali (peace be upon him)."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was taken on the Mi'raj to the heavens, Allah said: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord]. I said: "وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ [and the believers]". He said: "You have spoken the truth, O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Whom have you appointed as successor over your ummah?" — though He Himself knew better. I said: "The best of them for the people." He said: "You have spoken the truth, O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). I looked upon the people of the earth and chose you from among them, and I derived for you a name from My own names. I am not mentioned anywhere without you being mentioned with Me. I am al-Mahmud (the Praised) and you are Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Then I looked upon the earth a second time and chose Ali (peace be upon him) and appointed him as your wasi (successor). You are the master of the prophets and Ali (peace be upon him) is the master of the successors. I created you, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them) from a form of light. Then I presented your wilayah (guardianship) to the angels and the rest of creation while you were spirits. Whoever accepted it became among the muqarrabin (those brought near) with Me, and whoever denied it became among the disbelievers. O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! By My might and majesty, if a servant were to worship Me until he dies, or becomes like a dried-out [worn] waterskin, and then came before Me with such worship, but denied their wilayah, I would not admit him into My Paradise, nor would I shade him beneath My Throne."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ali (peace be upon him), describing the stations and attributes of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), said: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) drew near through knowledge and reached the station of nearness, and drew close to Paradise. A green carpet from Paradise was spread out for him, and the light dazzled his sight. He beheld the majesty of Allah with the eye of the heart and not with the physical eye, and he stood at the distance of two bows' lengths or nearer [from Allah]. Allah revealed to him whatever He willed, and among the things He revealed to him was this verse of Surah al-Baqarah: Whatever is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah. And [therefore] whether you disclose what is in your hearts or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it. Then He forgives whom He wills [and who is worthy] and punishes whom He wills [and who deserves it]. And Allah has power over all things. (al-Baqarah 2:284). This verse had been presented to the other prophets from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) up to the Seal [of the Prophets] (peace be upon him), and had been presented to their nations, but they had refused to accept it. The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) accepted it and presented it to his own community, and they accepted it. When Allah saw their acceptance, He knew that the people could not bear it. Therefore, when [the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), during the Mi'raj] reached the base of the Throne, [Allah] repeated the verse to him so that [the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)] would understand it well, and said: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what has been sent down to him from his Lord]. In response to this address, the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said on his own behalf and as a representative of his community: وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ لا نُفَرِّقُ بَیْنَ أَحَدٍ مِنْ رُسُلِهِ [And the believers; all have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying,] 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers']. Allah said: 'If they do this, Paradise and forgiveness are their share.' The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'If we are unable to perform this, grant us Your pardon, for we long for the return to You in the Hereafter.' Allah replied: 'For you and your community, I will do this.' Then Allah continued: 'Since you accepted this verse, with all its difficulty and the hardship in its performance, while it was presented to other communities and they refused, and your community accepted it, it is fitting that I remove this ruling from them,' and He said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity; for it is what it has earned, and against it what it has committed] — 'whatever good or evil deed they perform, they have earned it for themselves.' When the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) heard this verse, he said: 'O Allah, since You have shown such kindness, increase Your favour.' [Allah] said: 'Ask of Me.' He said: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake]. He said: 'On account of your rank with Me, I will not take your community to task for forgetfulness, mistakes, and errors. If the earlier communities forgot the commands I had given them, the doors of punishment would be opened upon them, but I have removed this from your community. The earlier communities were held responsible for their mistakes and were punished for them, but this too, by reason of your rank with Me, has been lifted from your community.' The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'O Allah, now that You have shown this kindness, increase Your favour.' He said: 'Ask of Me.' [The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)] said: رَبَّنا وَ لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا [Our Lord, do not lay upon us a burden as You laid upon those before us]. By 'isr' he meant the severe hardships and afflictions that had been imposed upon our predecessors, which Allah lifted from the community of the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family), and He said: 'The hardships that were upon the earlier communities, I have removed from your community. [In the case of the earlier communities,] I would not accept their prayer except at specific locations that I had chosen for them, however distant. But I have made the whole earth a mosque and a place of purity for your community. These were among the hardships of the earlier communities that I have removed from your community. If any impurity struck the bodies of earlier communities, they had to scrape it off and remove it from their bodies. But I have made water a means of purification for your community. This too was among the hardships of the earlier communities that I have removed from your community. The earlier communities had to carry their sacrificial offerings on their shoulders and bring them to Bayt al-Maqdis; whichever I accepted, I would send a fire to consume that offering and its owner would return with joy, and whichever I did not accept, he would return in despair. But I have placed the sacrifice of your community in the bellies of your community's poor and needy. From whomever I accept, I multiply it many times over, and from whomever I do not accept, I lift the punishment of this world from him. This was among the hardships of the earlier communities that I have removed from your community. Upon earlier communities, prayer was obligatory in the depths of night and the middle of the day, which was also a hardship for them that I have removed from your community, and I placed their prayers at the beginnings and ends of night and day, at times when they are fresh and cheerful. Upon the earlier ones I had made fifty prayers obligatory at fifty times, and [this too] was among their hardships, and I removed it from your community and appointed for them five prayers at five times which amount to fifty-one rak'ahs, but I gave them the reward of fifty prayers. The earlier communities, [if] they performed one good deed, they received a reward equal to it, and [if] they committed a sin, they received a penalty equal to it, and this was a hardship for them that I removed from your community [by] making one good deed tenfold and the sin equivalent only [to itself]. Among the earlier ones, if one intended a good deed, it would not be recorded for him until he acted upon it, and if he did act, one good deed would be counted. But for your community, if one intends to perform a good deed, [even if] he does not act, I record one good deed for him, and if he acts, [his reward] is multiplied tenfold. This too was among the hardships of the earlier communities that I removed from your community. Among the earlier ones, if one intended to commit a sin, [even if] he did not act on it, it would not be recorded for him, and if he did act, one sin would be recorded. But for your community, if one intends to commit a sin but does not act on it, one good deed is recorded for him. This too was among the hardships of the earlier ones that I removed from your community. If the earlier communities committed a sin, their sin would be written on the door of their house, and their repentance was such that the most beloved food they liked would be made forbidden to them. I removed this from your community and placed their sins between Me and them and placed thick veils over their sins. I accept their repentance without punishment and do not punish them by forbidding them the most beloved food. In the case of the earlier ones, for a single sin they would repent for a hundred years, or eighty years, or fifty years, and still I would not accept their repentance until I had punished them in the world with some punishment. This too was among their hardships that I removed from your community. A person of your community sins for twenty, or thirty, or forty, or a hundred years, then in a moment repents and feels remorse, and I forgive him all those sins.' The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Now that You have granted me all this, add still more.' Allah addressed him: 'Ask.' [The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)] said: رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا [بِهِ] [Our Lord, do not burden us with what we have no strength to bear]. Allah said: 'This I have done for your community, and I have removed from them the great trials of the [past] communities. This is My ruling regarding all communities: that I do not impose upon a creature more than his capacity.' The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: وَ اعْفُ عَنَّا وَ اغْفِرْ لَنا وَ ارْحَمْنا أَنْتَ مَوْلانا [And pardon us and forgive us and have mercy upon us; You are our Protector]. [Allah] said: 'This too I do for those of your community who repent.' Then [the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)] said: فَانْصُرْنا عَلَی الْقَوْمِ الْکافِرِینَ [So help us against the disbelieving people]. Allah said: 'Your community on the earth are like a white spot on a black ox. Through your rank with Me, they are victorious and dominant; they employ others and are not employed. It is incumbent upon Me to make your religion prevail over all other religions, so that in the East and West no religion remains except your religion, or if [there are people of other religions], they must pay tribute and tax to your state.'

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Jibra'il, Mika'il and Israfil (peace be upon them) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) with the Buraq ... and it took the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) upward, while Jibra'il (peace be upon him) was beside him showing him signs from the heavens and the earth, and it raised him to a height not very great, until [the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said:] I reached Sidrat al-Muntaha, one leaf of which [because of its enormous size] cast shade over an entire nation from among the nations, and the distance between me and that tree, as Allah has said, was two bow-lengths or less. Then [Allah] called to me: 'آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord].' Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'O Lord, You granted excellences to Your prophets; so grant to me as well.' Allah said: 'I have granted you, among what I have granted you, two phrases from beneath My Throne: لا حول و لا قوة إلا بالله و لا منجی منک إلا إلیک [There is no power nor strength except through Allah, and there is no refuge from You except unto You].' He said: 'The angels taught me a saying which I say every morning and evening [and it is this]: اللهُمَّ إِنَّ ظُلْمِی أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَجِیراً بِعَفْوِکَ وَ ذَنْبِی أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَجِیراً بِمَغْفِرَتِکَ وَ ذُلِّی أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَجِیراً بِعِزِّکَ وَ فَقْرِی أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَجِیراً بِغِنَاکَ وَ وَجْهِیَ الْفَانِیَ الْبَالِی أَصْبَحَ مُسْتَجِیراً بِوَجْهِکَ الدَّائِمِ الْبَاقِی الَّذِی لَا یَفْنَی [O Lord, I begin the morning while I seek refuge for my wrongdoing in Your pardon, for my sins in Your forgiveness, for my lowliness in Your might, for my poverty in Your self-sufficiency, and for my perishing, decaying face in Your enduring, everlasting Face that does not perish].'

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said on the day of Ghadir: O people! Say what I have commanded you to say, and believe in and submit to Ali (peace be upon him) being the Commander of the Faithful, and say: 'We hear and we obey. Our Lord! [We hope for] Your forgiveness, and to You is [our] return.' And say: 'Praise be to Allah who guided us to this [of all these blessings], and had Allah not guided us, we would not have found the way [to these].' (al-A'raf/43)

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim narrates concerning the end of Surah al-Baqara that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: When you are invited, respond. لاَ یُکَلِّفُ اللّه نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَها [Allah does not impose upon any soul except its capacity] — [and] Allah has not made obligatory upon anyone [beyond their capacity]: لاَ یُکَلِّفُ اللّه نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَها لَها مَا کَسَبَتْ وَعَلَیها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not impose upon any soul except its capacity; for it is what it has earned and against it is what it has wrought].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abd al-A'la said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): 'May Allah set your affairs right [and preserve you] — is there placed in people a faculty by which they may attain ma'rifa (knowledge of Allah)?' He said: 'No.' I said: 'Then have they been charged with [attaining] ma'rifa?' He said: 'No; it is upon Allah to make [the knowledge] clear [to people plainly]. [According to what has come in this verse]: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها [Allah does not impose upon any soul except its capacity].'

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse is a response to the view of the Jabriyya (determinists), who say: "There is no deed of our own [that we directly perform], and we are compelled [in performing actions]; Allah brings the action into existence for us at the moment of its performance, and actions are attributed to people only figuratively, not in reality." They interpret verses from the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic — whose meaning they do not know — to [establish] their own aim. Such as this word of Allah: "Whomever Allah wishes to guide, He opens his breast to [accept] Islam, and whomever He wishes to lead astray on account of his wrongful deeds, He makes his breast so tight" (al-An'am/125), and other verses of this kind whose interpretation [that they give] is contrary to their [actual] meaning. Accepting the claim of this group entails the nullification of reward and punishment. But if, together with these beliefs of theirs, they still hold that the system of reward and punishment exists, then [in effect] they have ascribed injustice to Allah; because [in that case] He has punished His servants without their having performed the action or acquired it [by their own will]. Allah is far above punishing anyone without his having performed an action, or without a clear proof against him — and the entire Qur'an is a refutation of their belief. Allah the Exalted said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is what it has earned and upon it is what it has wrought]. So this word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic — that it is to his own benefit or to his own detriment — in reality points to the person's own [voluntary] action.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): This verse is a response to the view and beliefs of the determinists, [who hold] that actions are attributed to servants "figuratively, not in reality," and that in truth actions are attributed to Allah, not to the servants; [and that] they also interpret verses from the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic — whose meaning they do not know — for that purpose. Such as this word of Allah: "Had Allah willed, they would not have associated partners with Him." The people of truth refuted their claim and said to them: "That claim of yours — namely, attributing your actions to Allah — entails the nullification of reward and punishment. Allah is far above what you describe." How is it possible that [Allah] should punish a servant when no action has issued from him? Allah the Exalted said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها لَها ما کَسَبَتْ وَ عَلَیْها مَا اکْتَسَبَتْ [Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability; for it is what it has earned and upon it is what it has wrought] — [reward and punishment] are permissible only in exchange for actions that actually issue from the [human] soul."

Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him), in a letter that the Imam (peace be upon him) wrote [in refutation of] the view of the people of jabr (predestination) and tafwid (absolute free will) and to establish the correct view of an intermediate position between jabr and tafwid, said: ... The first blessing that Allah bestowed upon the human being is soundness of intellect, and the reason for his superiority over many of His creatures is the perfection of intellect and the [power of] distinction in speech. This is because every moving creature on the face of the earth stands [and lives] by its senses, but [Allah] has given the descendants of Adam superiority through the attribute of "speech" (nutq), which does not exist in other creatures that perceive through their senses. It is because of "speech" that Allah gave the son of Adam dominance over other creatures, to the extent that the human being ruled over the other creatures, and others are under his control ... Therefore, He called the human being to follow His command and to obey Him, [because] He gave him superiority over others through soundness of creation (good health), perfection of speech and [reasoning] and knowledge, and gave him the power and ability to worship Him according to what He has commanded. And this is Allah's saying: فَاتَّقُوا اللهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ وَ اسْمَعُوا وَ أَطِیعُوا [Fear Allah as much as you can, and listen and obey], and He said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها [Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability], and He said: Allah imposes upon each person according to what has been given to him, and in many other verses. And if Allah takes away one of the senses of a servant [for example, he becomes blind], He does not demand the work of that sensory organ from him [and does not hold him accountable in that regard]. Therefore He said: لَیْسَ عَلَی الْأَعْمی حَرَجٌ وَ لا عَلَی الْأَعْرَجِ حَرَجٌ [There is no blame on the blind, nor any blame on the lame] (Fath/17).

Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): Do not give zakat to one who believes in jabr (predestination), and do not accept his testimony. Allah the Exalted said: لا یُکَلِّفُ اللهُ نَفْساً إِلَّا وُسْعَها [Allah does not impose upon any soul a duty but to the extent of its ability], and Allah does not impose upon a person more than he can bear. And whatever anyone earns is for himself [or against himself].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The servants have not been commanded except with what is less than their capacity. So everything the people have been commanded to undertake, they have the capacity for; and whatever they do not have the capacity for has been lifted from them. But there is no good in these people [who rebel].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Indeed Allah the Exalted only imposes upon the servants what they have the ability and capacity for. [Nevertheless] they do their deeds only by Allah's will, His wish, His decree and His measure. This is the religion of Allah which I and my forefathers are upon.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said regarding the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord! do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake]: This supplication is answered concerning the one who breaks his fast in the month of Ramadan out of forgetfulness. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Allah has lifted from my ummah mistakes, forgetfulness and what they are compelled to do [such as being transformed]. So whoever eats something in the month of Ramadan out of forgetfulness should continue his fast, and there is nothing (no sin or expiation) upon him, and [in reality] Allah has fed him."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The Imam (peace be upon him) was asked about the end of Surah al-Baqara. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: Whenever [the believers] pray, they are answered ... such as here, where Allah says: [the believers prayed]: لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا [Our Lord, do not lay on us a burden as You laid on those before us] [and Allah accepted it].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Four things have been lifted from my ummah [and they are not punished for them]: their mistakes, their forgetfulness, what they are compelled to do, and what they do not have the strength to bear. And this is according to the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, who said: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا رَبَّنا وَ لا تَحْمِلْ عَلَیْنا إِصْراً کَما حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَی الَّذینَ مِنْ قَبْلِنا رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا بِهِ [Our Lord, do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake; our Lord, do not lay on us a burden as You laid on those before us; our Lord, do not impose upon us what we have no strength to bear], and where He said: except one who is compelled [to do something] while his heart remains firm in faith.