سورة الأنبياء

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he asked him about the verse: وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنَا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ [And certainly We wrote in the Zabur after the Reminder], and I said: "What is meant by al-Zabur and al-Dhikr in this verse?" He said: "Al-Dhikr is with Allah, and al-Zabur is the book that was revealed to Dawud (peace be upon him), and every book that has been revealed is with the people of knowledge, and we are they."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ [And certainly We wrote in the Zabur after the Reminder]; all the heavenly books are Dhikr (Reminder), and what is meant by [that which is] in the Zabur is: epics, praise, glorification and supplication.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah the Mighty and Majestic granted Dawud (peace be upon him) and Sulayman (peace be upon him) miracles that He had not granted to any of the prophets (peace be upon them). He taught the two of them the language of the birds, softened iron and copper for them without fire, and the mountains were made to glorify [Allah] along with Dawud (peace be upon him). And He sent down upon him the Zabur, in which was tawhid (monotheism), glorification, supplication, reports of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), the Imams (peace be upon them), reports of the raj'a (return), and mention of al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief); on the basis of this saying of Allah the Exalted: وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُها عِبادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it].

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): What is meant by أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُهَا عِبَادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it] is Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief) and his companions.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُهَا عِبَادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it]; what is meant by it is the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him), regarding the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنَا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُهَا عِبَادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it], said: What is meant by it is the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and those who have followed their way, and what is meant by the land is the land of paradise.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُها عِبادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it] and this verse: وَعَدَ اللهُ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا مِنْکُمْ وَ عَمِلُوا الصَّالِحاتِ لَیَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ کَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ وَ لَیُمَکِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِینَهُمُ الَّذِی ارْتَضی لَهُمْ وَ لَیُبَدِّلَنَّهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْناً یَعْبُدُونَنِی لا یُشْرِکُونَ بِی شَیْئاً [Allah has promised those among you who believe and do righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors upon the earth, just as He gave succession to those before them, and He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and He will surely exchange for them, after their fear, security — they worship Me and do not associate anything with Me. And whoever disbelieves after that — they are the defiantly disobedient. (Nur/55)] was revealed concerning al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief) of the family of Muhammad and his companions.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Sadiq said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about this verse: وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنا فِی الزَّبُورِ [And certainly We wrote in the Book]. He said: "We are that household." I said: "إِنَّ فِی هذا لَبَلاغاً لِقَوْمٍ عابِدِینَ [Indeed, in this is a message for a worshipping people]." He said: "They are our Shia."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): What is meant by the phrase أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُهَا عِبَادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [that the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it] is the companions of the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble relief) at the end of time.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Through this, Allah informed His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) that his Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) will become owners of the earth and will return to the world and will kill their enemies.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for the ta'wil (interpretation) of the Qur'an after its revelation, it is those matters which Allah the Mighty and Majestic informed His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would occur after him — like what He informed of the affairs of the "Qasitin" (Mu'awiya and his companions), the "Mariqin" (the Khawarij of Nahrawan), and the "Khawarij"; and the killing of Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him) is of the same category. And [likewise] the reports of the Resurrection, the Raj'a (return), and the characteristics of the Day of Judgment are part of the ta'wil of the Qur'an; such as the saying of Allah the Exalted: وَ لَقَدْ کَتَبْنا فِی الزَّبُورِ مِنْ بَعْدِ الذِّکْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُها عِبادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [And certainly We wrote in the Book after the reminder that (as for) the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ یَرِثُها عِبادِیَ الصَّالِحُونَ [that the land, My righteous servants shall inherit it]; meaning the land of Paradise is inherited by the servants of Allah who are obedient.