سورة القصص

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him)- "بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ [he attained his maturity]" in the verse: وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَاسْتَوَی آتَیْنَاهُ حُکْمًا وَعِلْمًا [And when he attained his maturity and became full grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge]; [means] eighteen years of age, and "اسْتَوَی [became full grown]" means his beard grew.

Imam Jawad (peace be upon him)- Ali ibn Asbat said: I arrived in Madinah and wanted to go to Egypt. I came into the presence of Imam Jawad (peace be upon him); he was at that time five years old. I looked at him carefully so that I could describe him to our companions in Egypt. He looked at me and said: "O Ali! Allah has begun in the matter of imamate just as He began in the matter of prophethood. Allah the Glorified said concerning Yusuf: وَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَ اسْتَوی آتَیْناهُ حُکْماً وَ عِلْماً [And when he attained maturity and strength, We granted him wisdom and knowledge] (Yusuf/22), and He said concerning Yahya (peace be upon him): وَ آتَیْناهُ الْحُکْمَ صَبِیًّا [We gave him the command of prophethood (and sufficient intellect) while yet a child] (Maryam/12)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him)- Whoever worships Allah well in his old age, Allah grants him wisdom in his old age, and this verse bears witness to this statement: وَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَ اسْتَوی آتَیْناهُ حُکْماً وَ عِلْماً وَ کَذلِکَ نَجْزِی الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And when he attained his maturity and became full grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge; and thus do We reward those who do good].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan said: My father asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this word of Allah the Exalted: وَ لَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ وَ اسْتَوی [And when he attained his maturity and became full grown], while I was also present. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "The meaning is reaching the age of maturity, which is around sixteen or seventeen years when he experiences a nocturnal emission, although when he becomes thirteen years old his good deeds and bad deeds are recorded and his disposal of his wealth is permissible, unless he is foolish or weak." He said: "What is 'foolish'?" He said: "The one who buys an item for several times its price." He said: "What is 'weak'?" He said: "The idiot."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Whenever a servant reaches thirty-three years, he has reached his full maturity, and whenever he reaches forty years, he has reached his utmost, and whenever he reaches forty-one, he is in decline, and it befits one who has reached fifty to be like one who is in the throes of death.