سورة الحج

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Ja'far narrated from his noble brother Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) that regarding this statement of Allah [who says]: وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَ قَصْرٍ مَشیدٍ [and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high]; he said: 'The abandoned water-filled well is the silent Imam [due to the conditions of taqiyya], and the firm, raised palace is the speaking Imam.'

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The verse: وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَ قَصْرٍ مَشِیدٍ [and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high]; is a parable for the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family); بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ [a deserted well] is a well from which no water is drawn, and what is meant is the Imam who is in occultation, and until the time he reappears no knowledge is taken from him; and "the raised palace" is the lofty palace, which is a parable for Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and the Imams (peace be upon them) and their vast virtues among the worlds, which have prevailed over the world, as Allah has said: "That He may make it prevail over all religions." (Tawba/33).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), in the exegesis of the verse وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَ قَصْرٍ مَشِیدٍ [and (how many a) deserted well and lofty palace], said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "The lofty palace and the abandoned well are Ali (peace be upon him)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Salih ibn Sa'd said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say concerning the verse وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَ قَصْرٍ مَشیدٍ [and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high]: "The 'palace raised high' refers to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), and the 'deserted well' refers to Fatimah (peace be upon her) and her two sons, who have been kept away from rulership [over the Muslims]."

The Imams (peace be upon them): In the tafsir of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), concerning the words of Allah وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ [and (how many a) deserted well], it is reported: "That is, how many a scholar there is to whom [people] do not turn [to receive knowledge], and whose knowledge is not benefited from."

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): ...Allah the Exalted has said in another place of His Book, concerning the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and my wilayah (guardianship): وَ بِئْرٍ مُعَطَّلَةٍ وَ قَصْرٍ مَشِیدٍ [and (how many a) deserted well and palace raised high]. The 'palace' refers to Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and the 'deserted well' refers to my wilayah, which others have abandoned and denied. Whoever does not acknowledge my wilayah, acknowledging the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) will be of no benefit to him — these two are joined and paired together; for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) is a Prophet who has been sent and is the leader of mankind, and after him, Ali (peace be upon him) is the leader of mankind and the successor of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family); as the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said to him: "You are to me in the position of Harun (peace be upon him) to Musa (peace be upon him), except that there will be no prophet after me." [The name of] the first of us (the Fourteen Infallibles) is Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), [the name of] the middle one of us is Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Imam Baqir (peace be upon him)), and [the name of] the last of us is also Muhammad (peace be upon him) (Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him)); whoever knows me completely, he is upon the firm and upright religion.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): 'Urush' means the roof of a house.