سورة القصص

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Regarding the verse: أُولئِکَ یُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُمْ مَرَّتَیْنِ بِما صَبَرُوا [These shall be granted their reward twice because they were steadfast], he said: They are the Imams (peace be upon them).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Hassan narrates from his uncle: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "People suppose that Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) is in the fire in the next world because of his disbelief." He said: "They lie; Jibra'il (peace be upon him) did not descend upon the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) with this matter." I said: "With what did he descend?" He said: "Jibra'il (peace be upon him) came, bringing with him some of his (Abu Talib's) attributes, and said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Your Lord conveys peace to you and says: the Companions of the Cave concealed their faith and displayed shirk (polytheism), and Allah granted them their reward twice; and Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) concealed his faith and displayed shirk, and Allah granted him his reward twice, and he did not leave this world until, before his death, glad tidings of Paradise reached him from Allah.'" Then he (peace be upon him) said: "How can they say these things and consider him among the people of the fire, when Jibra'il (peace be upon him) descended on the night of Abu Talib's (may Allah have mercy on him) death and said: 'O Muhammad! Leave Mecca, for after Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) you have no helper in it.'"

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): A man said to Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): "O cousin of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), tell me: was Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) a Muslim or not?" He said: "How was he not a Muslim, when he recited these verses: 'The people know that our son (Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)) is not one to be denied by us, and he pays no heed to false speech.' Indeed the likeness of Abu Talib (may Allah have mercy on him) is the likeness of the Companions of the Cave, who were believers at heart and outwardly polytheists, and Allah granted them a twofold reward."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ya'qub ibn Shu'ayb said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "A people whose Imam has passed away — what should they do (what is their duty)?" The Imam said: "Have you not read the Book of Allah, which says: فَلَوْ لا نَفَرَ مِنْ کُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ [It is not proper for the believers all to march out (to the battlefield)]… (Tawbah/122)." I said: "May I be your ransom! What is the state of those who are waiting for the return of those seeking understanding of the religion?" He said to me: "May Allah have mercy on you! Do you not know that between Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and Isa (peace be upon him) there was a gap of two hundred and fifty years, and during this period a group died upon the religion of Isa (peace be upon him) while waiting for the religion of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), and Allah granted them their reward twice."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: I and five groups of our companions came in one day to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family); a severe famine had befallen us, such that for four full months we had tasted nothing but water, milk, and the leaves of trees. I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Until when shall we remain in this famine?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "You will remain in it as long as you live! Give thanks to Allah, for I have read the Book of Allah which was sent down upon me and upon the prophets before me, and I found that none enter Paradise except the patient ones. O son of Mas'ud! Allah the Exalted [says]: إِنَّما یُوَفَّی الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَیْرِ حِسابٍ [Indeed the patient will be given their reward without measure] (Zumar/10); they are the ones to whom the high ranks of Paradise are given as recompense for their patience (Furqan/75); but I have this day rewarded them for their patience and steadfastness — they are the victorious and successful ones (Mu'minun/111). O son of Mas'ud! It is the word of Allah the Exalted: و َجَزاهُمْ بِما صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَ حَرِیراً [And He has rewarded them for their patience with Paradise and garments of silk] (Insan/12), أُولئِکَ یُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُمْ مَرَّتَیْنِ بِما صَبَرُوا [These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast]. Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا الْجَنَّةَ وَ لَمَّا یَأْتِکُمْ مَثَلُ الَّذِینَ خَلَوْا مِنْ قَبْلِکُمْ مَسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْساءُ [Or do you suppose that you shall enter Paradise while there has not yet come to you the like of what came to those who passed before you? Hardships and afflictions befell them] (Baqarah/214)…" He said: "Those who are patient in obeying Allah and refraining from sin, those who earn a lawful living and spend moderately and give away the surplus of their wealth — they attain salvation and success."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): We are patient, and our Shia are more patient than us; for our patience is based on knowledge ([of the superior reward for the patient]), while their patience is such that the reward of the patient is unknown to them.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the believer enters his grave, he will find prayer on his right side and zakat on his left, while righteousness (birr) continually overshadows him from above, and patience takes its place to one side. Then when the two angels who question him enter upon him, patience says to prayer, zakat, and righteousness: "Attend to your companion, and if you are unable to do anything for him, I will hasten to his aid."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): أُوْلَئِکَ یُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَیْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا [These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast]; what is meant is patience upon taqiyya (precautionary concealment). And in the verse: وَیَدْرَؤُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّیِّئَةَ [and they repel evil with good], what is meant by "good" is taqiyya, and what is meant by "evil" is disclosure [when disclosure would cause harm to the Muslims].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): No one's taqiyya (precautionary concealment) reached the taqiyya of the People of the Cave, who used to attend the festivals and tie the zunnar (belt of the disbelievers) around their waists, and Allah gave them their reward twice.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Its meaning is that, through mudara (gentle dealing) with people, they ward off their harm from themselves.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَیَدْرَؤُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّیِّئَةَ [And they repel evil with good]; that is, they repel the ugly words and slanders they hear from the disbelievers with the good words they speak. It has also been said that its meaning is that they repel bad deeds by doing good deeds.