سورة القصص

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The meaning of وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ [And We desire to bestow a favour] is that Firon intends to eliminate and kill the Children of Israel, but We intend to bestow favour upon them: وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً [and to make them Imams] — that is, to make them leaders and chiefs in good deeds, to be followed.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The world will return to us — after its resistance — like a she-camel with young that turns fiercely upon others so as to embrace its offspring [and this is the divine promise]. Then he recited the verse: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [And We desire to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the heirs]. (Wilayah;

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Mufaddal said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) looked at Ali, Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them), wept, and then said, 'You are the instances of the oppressed after me.'" I said, "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), what is the meaning of this?" He said, "Its meaning is that the Imams after me are you, and Allah the Exalted says with this very meaning: وَنُرِیدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِینَ [And We desire to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the heirs]. This verse applies to us until the Day of Resurrection."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: This verse — وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs] — is for us and about us.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) the verse وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs] was recited. Tears flowed from his (peace be upon him) eyes and he said: "By Allah, those who have been deemed weak in the land are we, the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)."

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Thuwayr ibn Abi Fakhita said: Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) said to me: "Do you recite the Quran?" I said: "Yes." He said: "Recite طسم, the Surah of Musa and Fir'awn." I recited four verses from the beginning of the surah until I reached this verse: وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs]. He said: "That is enough. By the One who sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner, indeed the righteous from us, the Ahl al-Bayt, and our Shia are in the same position as Musa (peace be upon him) and his followers."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to me: "Allah the Exalted did not send any prophet or messenger except that He appointed for him twelve naqibs [and stewards of revelation]." I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! I have heard this from the Torah and the Gospel." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O Salman! Do you know who my twelve naqibs after me are, who will take up the imamate of the people?" I said: "Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) know best..." His Eminence said: "O Salman! You, and the likes of you, and whoever follows them with true knowledge (ma'rifah) will attain the honour of meeting [and following] them." Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) said: I gave great thanks to Allah, then I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Will my appointed time give me respite so that I may meet them all?" His Eminence said: "O Salman! Recite these verses: 'So when the promise of (the fulfilment of) the first of the two came, We sent upon you servants of Ours possessed of great might, and they searched among the houses to kill and plunder you, and this was a threat destined to be fulfilled. Then after a while We give you back the turn to prevail over them, and We aid you with wealth and sons, and make you a larger host.' (Isra/6-5)." Salman (may Allah have mercy on him) says: [I wept and] my weeping intensified and my longing increased, and I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Do you give me this promise?" He said: "Yes! By the One who sent me in truth. I, Ali (peace be upon him), Fatimah (peace be upon her), Hasan (peace be upon him), Husayn (peace be upon him), and the nine Imams who will come from the progeny of Husayn (peace be upon him) — we give you this very promise, and [likewise] everyone who is of us and with us, and everyone who has been wronged for our sake. O Salman! By Allah, Iblis and his soldiers, and everyone who has perfected his faith and everyone who has perfected his disbelief, will be brought forth [on the Day of Resurrection] to face retribution and punishment, and their rights will be given to them; 'and your Lord does not wrong anyone' (Kahf/49). The interpretation (ta'wil) of this verse is us, where He says: وَنُرِیدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِینَ وَنُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِی فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا کَانُوا یَحْذَرُونَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts from them that which they used to fear]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs]; those who have been rendered weak on the earth are the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), whom Allah, after the striving of all the Imams (peace be upon them), will raise up their Mahdi to make them mighty and to humiliate their enemies.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zayd ibn Sallam al-Ju'fi said: "I came to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and said: 'May Allah grant you well-being! Khaythama al-Ju'fi related from you that he asked you about the verse: وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs], and you said that the Imams (peace be upon them) meant are you, and the heirs are also you [did he narrate correctly from you]?' He said: 'By Allah, Khaythama spoke the truth; that is exactly what I told him.'"

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah the All-Knowing, before the conception of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him), had given glad tidings to His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) of the coming of Husayn (peace be upon him) and that the station of Imamate would fall to his descendants until the Day of Resurrection. Then He had informed him (peace be upon him and his family) of the calamities that would befall Husayn (peace be upon him) and his descendants (peace be upon them). [And that] in recompense for those calamities He would place the station of Imamate in his descendants. Allah had informed His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that Husayn (peace be upon him) would be killed. Then Allah will return him to the world and aid him until he kills his enemies and makes the earth his possession. And this is what is meant by this verse which says: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Whoever wishes to know our situation and the situation of this people [should know that] we and our Shia, on the day Allah created the heavens, were like the time of Pharaoh and his followers. The opening verses of Surah al-Qasas were revealed about us and concerning this matter. I swear by the One who split the seed and gave life to man and revealed the heavenly book upon Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) based on truth and justice, power and rule will return to you (the Shia) like a she-camel that turns toward her young and pays attention to it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah raised Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and made him the Seal of the Prophets, and there is no prophet after him, and He revealed upon him the Quran and with it sealed all the heavenly books, and after it no [other] book will come; whatever was lawful He made lawful in the Quran, and whatever was forbidden He forbade; the lawful of the Quran is lawful until the Day of Resurrection and its forbidden is forbidden until the Day of Resurrection; in the Quran are the rulings of your religion and the history of those who came before you and the events of the future.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) questioned his followers about the like of these [reports and narrations] and said: "Allah, Blessed and Exalted, sent down the Quran in seven parts ... As for the part whose ta'wil (interpretation) comes after the time of its revelation, it consists of those matters of which Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, informed His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) as things that would occur after him (the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)), such as what He has reported in the Quran regarding the Qasitin, the Mariqin, the Khawarij, and the killing of Ammar (may Allah have mercy on him) — which are of this category of narrations. Likewise, the reports of the Resurrection, the Raj'a (return), and the descriptions of the Day of Judgement are among these, such as the word of Allah the Exalted: 'Do they await anything but the manifestation of the signs [and the arrival of the divine threats]? On the day when their manifestation arrives, the faith of one who did not believe before, or did no good deed in his faith, will not benefit him' (al-An'am 6:158). And the word of Allah the Exalted: 'On the day when its manifestation arrives, [the matter is over and regret is of no use, and] those who had forgotten it before will say: "The Messengers of our Lord brought the truth; are there today for us any intercessors who might intercede for us, or [may we be permitted to] return [to the world] so that we may do deeds other than what we used to do?"' (al-A'raf 7:53). And the word of Allah: 'We have written in the Zabur, after the Dhikr (the Tawrat), that My righteous servants shall inherit the rule of the earth' (al-Anbiya 21:105). And the word of Allah the Exalted: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ وَ نُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نُرِیَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هامانَ وَ جُنُودَهُما مِنْهُمْ ما کانُوا یَحْذَرُون [And We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their armies from them that which they were wary of] ... And as for this word of Allah the Exalted, it is a refutation of one who denies the Raj'a: 'Remember the day when We shall gather from every nation a group of those who used to deny Our signs, and they shall be held back so that they may be joined together' (al-Naml 27:83), meaning in the world [they will be joined together]. And as for the meaning of the resurrection of the Hereafter, it is this word of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: 'And We gathered them all together, and We shall not leave out even one of them' (al-Kahf 18:47). And this word of Allah: 'It is forbidden for the towns and settlements which We destroyed [because of sin] [that they should return]' (al-Isra 17:95) — this verse is about the Raj'a, but in the Resurrection they will return. And like the word of Allah the Exalted: 'Remember when Allah took a firm covenant from the Prophets and [their followers] that whenever I have given you a Book and knowledge, and then a Messenger comes to you confirming what is with you, you must believe in him and support him' (Al Imran 3:81) — and this verse will take place at the time of the Raj'a. Likewise is that with which Allah addressed the Imams, promising them victory and vengeance upon their enemies, and said: 'Allah has promised those of you who have believed and done righteous deeds that He will surely make them successors on the earth, just as He made those before them successors, and that He will surely establish for them their religion which He has approved for them, and that He will surely change their fear into security, so that they worship Me alone, associating nothing with Me' (al-Nur 24:55). This government of the righteous is realized only at the time of their return to the world in the Raj'a. And like it is this word of Allah: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِین [And We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them Imams, and to make them the heirs]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Sabbah al-Kinani said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) looked at Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) while he was walking, and said: "O Abu Sabbah, do you see this one (Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him))? This is one of those about whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: وَنُرِیدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِینَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This verse pertains specifically to the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), who will appear at the end of time and will crush the tyrants and pharaohs (the oppressive rulers), and will take possession of the east and west of the earth, and will then fill it with justice and equity, whereas before that it was filled with disbelief and oppression.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): Musa ibn Muhammad said: Hakima, the daughter of Imam Hadi (peace be upon him) [the noble aunt of Imam Askari (peace be upon him)], narrated to me: "Imam Askari (peace be upon him) summoned me and said: 'Dear aunt, break your fast with us tonight; for tonight is the middle of the month of Sha'ban, and Allah the Blessed and Exalted will manifest His Proof on this night, and he will be Allah's Proof upon the earth ...' ... When morning came, [and the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) had been born,] I came to greet Imam Askari (peace be upon him). I drew back the curtain to see my master (the Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance)), but I noticed he was not in the bed." I said [to Imam Askari (peace be upon him)]: "May I be your ransom! Where is my master (Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance))?" He said: "Dear aunt, we have entrusted him to the One to whom the mother of Musa (peace be upon him) entrusted Musa (peace be upon him)." Hakima said: "On the seventh day [after the birth of Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance)], I came, greeted, and sat down." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Bring my son to me." So I brought my master, who was wrapped in a cloth, into his presence. The Imam did as he had done the previous time, and then [he] placed his blessed tongue in his mouth as if he were feeding him milk or honey. Then the Imam (peace be upon him) said: O my beloved son, speak. The Imam of the Age (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) said: أشهد أن لا إله إلاّ الله [I bear witness that there is no god but Allah], and then he sent salutations upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), and the other Imams (peace be upon them), and when he reached his father, he stopped. Then he recited this verse: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِیمِ وَ نُرِیدُ أَن نَّمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَنَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوَارِثِینَ وَنُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَنُرِی فِرْعَوْنَ وَهَامَانَ وَجُنُودَهُمَا مِنْهُم مَّا کَانُوا یَحْذَرُونَ [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts from them that which they were wary of].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) [regarding the verse] وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ وَ نُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land], said: All of these (making the oppressed Imams and heirs) are among the things that will be realized at the time of the Raj'a (Return).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal ibn Umar said: I said to my master Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "... My master! Some of your Shia do not believe in your raj'ah (return)." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Have they not heard the word of our grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and the word of us, the rest of the Imams, concerning the verse: 'We shall make them taste the nearer punishment before the greater punishment, so that perhaps they may return' (Sajdah/21)?" Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "O Mufaddal! الْعَذابِ الْأَدْنی [the nearer punishment] is the raj'ah of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) (and the afflictions of the disbelievers at that time), and الْعَذابِ الْأَکْبَرِ [the greater punishment] is the punishment of the Day of Resurrection." ... Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "Well done, O Mufaddal! From where did you derive your belief in our raj'ah, while a group of the negligent among our Shia say: 'The meaning of raj'ah is that Allah will return the kingship of this world to us and will place it for our Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance).' Woe to those deficient Shia who have supposed that Allah took the kingship from us so that He may return it to us!" Mufaddal said: "No, by Allah, the divine kingship has not been stripped from you and shall not be stripped from you, for that kingship is the kingship of prophethood, of messengership, of successorship to the Prophet, and of the office of Imamate." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "If they were to ponder the noble Qur'an, they would know our merit and our station well. Have they not heard that Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثینَ وَ نُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نُرِیَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هامانَ وَ جُنُودَهُما مِنْهُمْ ما کانُوا یَحْذَرُونَ [And We desired to bestow a favor upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land, and to show Pharaoh and Haman and their hosts, from them, that which they used to fear]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal ibn Umar said: I asked my master, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Does the mission of the awaited Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) have a fixed time that people must know when it will be?" He said: "Far be it from Allah that He should fix the time of his reappearance in such a way that our Shia should know it ... The Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will come towards a deviant group and will admonish them for three days and invite them [to peace and to accept him], but they will only increase in rebellion and disbelief. Then the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will [of necessity] issue the order for their killing, and they will all be put to the sword. Then the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) will say to his companions: 'Do not take their Qurans; leave them, so that they may be a source of regret for them, since they altered them, changed them and distorted them, and did not act in accordance with what was in them.'" Mufaddal said: I said: "My master! What will the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) do after that?" He said: "He will dispatch an army to Damascus to seize the Sufyani; they will capture him and slaughter him upon a rock. Then Husayn (peace be upon him) will appear with twelve thousand siddiqs (truthful ones) and the seventy-two men who were among his companions at Karbala and were martyred with him. Then wait for Zahra (peace be upon her) to return — a return full of light and radiance. Then the greatest siddiq, the Commander of the Faithful Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), will appear ... Then the greatest master, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), will appear with the Ansar and the Muhajirin and those who believed in him, affirmed his prophethood, and were martyred at his side. With his appearance, those who denied his call (peace be upon him and his family), doubted his prophethood (peace be upon him and his family), and paid no heed to his words, and those who said he was a sorcerer, a soothsayer and a madman and that he spoke from his own desire, and those who fought against him, will be brought forward, so that with truth and justice he may take retribution from them for the deeds they committed from the time of the mission of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) until the time of the reappearance of the Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), against every Imam and in every era. This is the realisation of the interpretation of the noble verse: وَ نُرِیدُ أَنْ نَمُنَّ عَلَی الَّذِینَ اسْتُضْعِفُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نَجْعَلَهُمْ أَئِمَّةً وَ نَجْعَلَهُمُ الْوارِثِینَ وَ نُمَکِّنَ لَهُمْ فِی الْأَرْضِ وَ نُرِیَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَ هامانَ وَ جُنُودَهُما مِنْهُمْ ما کانُوا یَحْذَرُونَ [And We desired to bestow a favour upon those who were deemed weak in the land, and to make them the Imams, and to make them the heirs, and to establish them in the land, and to show Fir'awn, Haman and their armies from them that which they were fearing]."