سورة المؤمنون

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Asbat said: I asked Imam Rida (peace be upon him) about istita'a (ability/capacity). He said: "The ability of a servant is realized after four qualities: that his path be open, that he be healthy in body, that his limbs be sound, and that a proof from Allah reach him." I said: "May I be your ransom! Explain this [last] point to me." He said: "That is, after the servant's path is open, he is healthy and his limbs are sound, he wishes to commit fornication [but] does not find a woman; then he finds a woman, and at this moment either he restrains his soul and abstains from that act — like Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) — or the way is left open between him and his desire (he submits to his own wish), he commits fornication and is called a fornicator. He [in the case of abstaining from sin] has not obeyed by compulsion, and [in the case of committing it] has not overpowered Allah."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): A man from the people of Basra said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about istita'a (ability). He said: "Are you able to do something that has not been (brought into being)?" The man said: "No." He said: "Are you able to prevent something that has already occurred?" He said: "No." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to him: "Then when are you able?" He said: "I do not know." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Allah created the servants and placed in them the instruments of ability; then He did not entrust the matter to them. So when they perform an act, at the time of the act and together with the act, they have the ability to perform it. And whenever they do not perform an act in Allah's dominion, they have no ability to perform an act they have not performed, because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is far too mighty for anyone in His dominion to oppose Him." The Basran man said: "Then are people compelled?" He said: "If they were compelled, they would be excused." He said: "Then Allah has entrusted [the matter] to them (and left them free)?" He said: "No." He said: "Then what is their situation?" He said: "Allah knew their action, so He placed the instruments of that action within them. So whenever they perform an action, they have the ability together with the performance of it." The Basran man said: "I bear witness that this is the truth, and that you are the household of Prophethood and Messengership."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Salih al-Nili said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Do the servants have any share of istita'a (capacity)?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Whenever they perform an act, they have the capacity by means of the capacity that Allah has placed within them." I said: "What is that capacity?" He said: "It is the means; like the fornicator, who, when he fornicates, has the capacity for fornication at the time he fornicates; and if he leaves fornication and does not fornicate, at the time of leaving it he has the capacity for leaving fornication." Then he said: "Before that act, neither little nor much capacity does he have; but at the time of doing that act or leaving it, he has capacity." I said: "Then why does Allah punish the fornicator?" He said: "On account of the conclusive proof and the limbs which He has placed in their bodies. Allah has not compelled anyone to commit disobedience, just as He has not willed disbelief from anyone with a decisive will. But when he disbelieved, it was in the will of Allah that he should disbelieve, and it is also in the will and knowledge of Allah that the disbelievers will not turn toward good." I said: "Has Allah wanted them to disbelieve?!" He said: "I do not say this; rather I say: Allah knew that they would disbelieve, and so, on account of the knowledge He had of them, He willed disbelief for them. But this is not a decisive will [for them]; rather it is a will of choice."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hamza ibn Humran said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about istita'a (capacity), and he did not answer me. Another time I went to him and said: "May Allah keep you well! Something (a doubt) about istita'a has entered my heart, and only what I hear from you can remove it." He said: "What is in your heart will not harm you." I said: "May Allah keep you well! I say that Allah, Blessed and Exalted, has not obliged the servants with what they have no capacity for, and has not obliged them with anything beyond their power and ability, and people do not perform any of that except by the will, wish, decree and destiny of Allah." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "This is the religion of Allah upon which I and my forefathers — may Allah's blessings be upon them all — stand."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah has not placed the burden of any act upon any servant, nor has He forbidden them from anything, except that He has given them the capacity for it, and then commanded and forbidden them. The servant neither performs any act nor leaves any act, except that before the command and prohibition, and before the doing or leaving of the act, and before the grasping (qabd) and extending (bast), Allah has given him this capacity. And in another hadith he said: "No grasping and no extending occurs on the part of the servant except that Allah has given the servant his ability for it beforehand."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Capacity comes before the act. Allah the Mighty and Majestic has not commanded any grasping (qabd) or extending (bast) except that the servant has capacity and ability for that act.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The servant does not perform any deed and no movement issues from him except that Allah has given him the ability for it, and obligation always comes after ability, and the servant is not made responsible for any act unless he has the ability for it.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Nine things have been lifted from my ummah: error, forgetfulness, what they are compelled to do, what they cannot bear, what they do not know, what they have no choice about, envy, taking evil omens, and thoughts of misgiving concerning creation, so long as they are not uttered by the tongue.

Ali ibn Ibrahim: وَ لَدَیْنا کِتابٌ یَنْطِقُ بِالحَقّ [And with Us is a book which speaks the truth]; that is, [a book which] testifies [truthfully] against you.