سورة آل عمران

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Zurara said: I had a matter which I did not want to raise with Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) at the outset. I put forward a subtle question so as to reach through it the matter I had in mind. That subtle question was that I asked him (peace be upon him): "Is one who is killed [the same as one who is] dead?" He said: "No! Death is death and being killed is being killed (that is, each has its own separate reckoning)." ... I said: "Allah says in another verse: کُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ [Every soul shall taste death]; that is, every person tastes death. Are you saying: 'One who is killed does not taste death'?" He said: "One who is killed by the sword in the path of Allah is not the same as one who dies in his bed. One who is killed must inevitably return to the world [and live again and then die] so that he may taste death."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَ ما محمّد إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ وَ مَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلی عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللهَ شَیْئاً وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ [And Muhammad is no more than a Messenger; the Messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful]. In the first verse He says: "When Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) departed from this world, the opponents say: 'Laylat al-Qadr has now passed away with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).' This is a trial and turmoil that seizes them in particular and causes a return to the earlier disbelief, because if they say Laylat al-Qadr has not passed away, then Allah the Mighty and Majestic must be sending down a command on it, and if they acknowledge Allah's command on the Night of Qadr, they must believe in a wali al-amr (holder of the command)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) wrote this letter to his companions and instructed them to study it continually, to teach it to one another, and to act upon it. The companions used to place this letter in the prayer-room of their homes, and whenever they finished the prayer they would read it ... . [They act as they do] even though the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took a covenant from them at the time of his death. Yet they claim that after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) we may act according to the consensus of the people — [and this] despite the covenant and the firm command that Allah has given us in this matter. Their aim is nothing but opposition to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family). No one is more audacious against Allah, and no one is more manifestly astray, than such people who claim that they have been given this permission. By Allah, you must be obedient to Allah and follow His command during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and after his death. Can they prove that a person who has embraced Islam is entitled to act according to himself, his own opinion, and analogy (qiyas) in religion? If they say, 'Yes,' they have lied against Allah and are severely astray; and if they say, 'No,' then it is not permissible for anyone to act according to the whim of his own soul and analogy, and they have confessed against themselves, and they too hold that after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) one must be a follower and obedient to him. Allah says in the Noble Qur'an: وَ ما مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ وَ مَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلی عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللهَ شَیْئاً وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels will by no means harm Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful]. This statement of Allah in the Qur'an is so that you may know that you must obey and follow the command of Allah during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and after the passing of that noble one, just as no one during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was permitted to act according to his personal opinion, view, or analogy.

Lady Zahra (peace be upon her): When Abu Bakr resolved to seize Fadak from Fatima al-Zahra (peace be upon her) and the news reached her (peace be upon her) ... Fatima (peace be upon her) addressed the group of Ansar and said: "O group of youth! O powerful arms of the nation and helpers of Islam! What is this negligence in taking my right, and what sleep has overtaken you concerning the injustice done to me? Did not my father, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), say: 'A man's right is preserved concerning his children'? How quickly you have introduced innovation in the religion, and how swiftly you have grown fat and stout in opposing the religion! You have the capacity for what I am striving for, and the strength to take back what I seek and demand. Do you say that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) has passed away and with his passing everything is finished? ... Death is the decree of the Truth and the inevitable ordinance of Allah: وَ ما مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ وَ مَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلی عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللهَ شَیْئاً وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels will by no means harm Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mufaddal said: I asked my master Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Does the mission of [Imam] Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) have a fixed time that people should know when it will be?" ... "O Mufaddal! It is as though I see us Imams (peace be upon them) at that time gathered before the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), complaining to him (peace be upon him and his family) about what the ummah did to us after him ... Then the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) complains to him (peace be upon him and his family), saying: '... And Allah is witness to how they broke my allegiance. Talha and Zubayr took Aisha to Mecca under the pretext of performing the rites of Hajj and Umrah, but they took her about and brought her to Basra. I too, out of necessity, mobilized to prevent their uprising, and I reminded them of Allah and of you, but they did not turn back, until Allah gave me victory over them, and the blood of twenty thousand Muslims was shed, and seventy hands that sought to hold the rein of Aisha's camel were cut off.' O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! 'Whatever I saw in your battles and in the battles after you, none was harder upon me than the Battle of the Jamal, for that was among the harshest, most terrifying and greatest of the battles that I encountered. Just as you raised me, and by this verse: فَاصْبِرْ کَما صَبَرَ أُولُوا الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ [So be patient as the messengers of firm resolve were patient] (al-Ahqaf/35), and the verse: وَ اصْبِرْ وَ ما صَبْرُکَ إِلَّا بِاللهِ [And be patient, and your patience is not except through Allah] (al-Nahl/127), I too was patient. O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! By Allah, this is the interpretation of this verse: وَ ما مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ وَ مَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلی عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللهَ شَیْئاً وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him. If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels will by no means harm Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful].'"

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is not the case that everyone from among the people of the qiblah who affirms the two testimonies is a believer; for the hypocrites too bore witness that there is no god but the One Allah and that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is the Messenger of Allah. But they set aside the view of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) concerning the entrusting of Allah's religion, his resolutions and the proofs of his prophethood to his wasi (successor), and they concealed in their hearts their displeasure with him, and when the opportunity came to them they broke what the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) had firmly established — the very thing which Allah disclosed to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), saying: فَلاَ وَرَبِّکَ لاَ یُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّیَ یُحَکِّمُوکَ فِیمَا شَجَرَ بَیْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ یَجِدُواْ فِی أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَیْتَ وَیُسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِیمًا [But no, by your Lord, they will not believe until they make you judge in what is in dispute between them, then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have decided, and submit in full submission], and وَ مَا محمّدٌ إِلاَّ رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَی أَعْقَابِکُمْ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) conveyed Allah's command to the people. At that moment the satans gathered before Iblis and said, "You told us that after Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) passes away his ummah will scatter and his sunnah will be broken, and his book too points to this and says: وَ ما محمّد إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?]; now how will this be completed, or how will his ummah scatter, when he has appointed a successor for himself and installed an imam?" Satan said, "Have no fear. His ummah will annul his command, will deal treacherously with his wasi (successor), and will wrong his Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them). The love of the world will overcome them and they will render the will of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) of no effect; prejudices and rancours will arise in their hearts, and out of arrogance and pride they will take the right from its rightful owner."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Imam Ali (peace be upon him), during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), used to say: "Allah says in this verse: وَ ما محمّد إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ [And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?]; by Allah, we shall not turn back on our heels after Allah has guided us! By Allah, if the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) is killed or dies, I shall surely fight — for that for which he fought — against the opponents until I give up my soul, for I am his brother, his cousin and his heir; and who is closer and more entitled to him than I?"

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Ali (peace be upon him) wrote to Muawiyah: "... and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said: أَ فَإِنْ ماتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انْقَلَبْتُمْ عَلی أَعْقابِکُمْ [If then he dies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?]; so, O Muawiyah, you and your partners are the group who turned back on their heels and apostatised and broke the command and the covenant in that which they had pledged to Allah, and broke the allegiance, and they did no harm to Allah at all. O Muawiyah! Do you not know that the imams and leaders are from us and are not from you?"

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): O people! Your words concerning Ali (peace be upon him) have reached me, and I will tell you a hadith, so understand it and remember it from me and listen to it, for I am informing you of what Allah has singled out the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) with, and of the merit and honour with which He singled out Ali (peace be upon him) and gave him precedence over you. So do not oppose him, lest through opposing him you turn back on your heels (to the era of jahiliyya and disbelief). وَ مَنْ یَنْقَلِبْ عَلی عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَنْ یَضُرَّ اللهَ شَیْئاً وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِین [And whoever turns back upon his heels will by no means do harm to Allah in the least, and Allah will reward the grateful]. O people! Allah chose me from among His creation and sent me to you, and He chose Ali (peace be upon him) as my caliph and successor.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him), in a speech of his on the day of the Camel, said: "O people! Allah, blessed be His name and mighty be His host, has never taken a prophet's soul without there being for him within his community someone who guides by his guidance and follows his way, and points to the marks of the path of truth which Allah has made incumbent upon His servants." Then he recited this verse: وَ ما مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ ... [And Muhammad is no more than an apostle; the apostles have already passed away before him...].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Until Allah the Mighty and Majestic called His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to Himself and raised him up to Him. After him, those traces of the righteous did not remain among them except for the span of a blink of an eye or the flash of lightning, until they turned back on their heels and retreated backwards, and by injustice claimed from them the right of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and brought forth battalions of war, and closed the door of the house of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), and demolished the house, and altered the traces of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and turned away from his rulings, and distanced themselves from his lights, and in place of his appointed successor chose another. They chose that one and were wrongdoers! And they supposed that the one whom they chose from the family of Abu Quhafa was more worthy of the station of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) than the one whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) chose for his station, and they imagined that the emigrant of the family of Abu Quhafa was better than the emigrant and helper of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said on the day of Ghadir: "...O gathering of people! I warn you that I am only the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family); messengers and envoys (peace be upon them) have passed before me. So if I die or am killed, will you return to the era of jahiliyya before Islam? And whoever turns back will never harm Allah in the least, and Allah will soon reward the grateful. Know that in this surah Ali (peace be upon him) has been described with patience and gratitude, and after him, my sons who are from his loins."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Anas ibn Malik said: After the Battle of Uhud, Ali (peace be upon him) was brought to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) while he had sixty-odd wounds on him. Aban said: "The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ordered Umm Sulaym and Umm Atiyya to treat Ali (peace be upon him)." The two said: "We fear for him that he may die from the severity of his wounds." So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) entered and the Muslims were coming to visit Ali (peace be upon him) while his entire body was covered with wounds. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) would pass his hand over Ali (peace be upon him) and say: "Any man who comes to visit this person for the sake of Allah — indeed he has apologised for any fleeing he did at the Battle of Uhud, and there is no blame upon him." Ali (peace be upon him), when his condition was gradually improving, said: "Praise and thanks be to Allah who made me such that I did not flee and did not turn my back on the enemy." Allah the Exalted also honoured that struggle and praise of Ali (peace be upon him) in two places in the Qur'an, and they are these two statements of Allah the Exalted: سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ [And Allah will reward the grateful] and سَنَجْزِی الشَّاکِرِینَ [And We shall reward the grateful].

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): الشَّاکِرِینَ [the grateful] is your friend and companion Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), and what is meant by those who turn back on their heels (to jahiliyya) is those very people who turned away from him.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) recognized our right to the extent that others were ignorant of it. So he joined the ties of kinship that had been severed, and gave security to souls that had fallen into anguish and distress — rather, he brought them back to life when they had perished, and made them independent when they had been made needy through oppression. And the Lord of the worlds is pleased with this matter, and he seeks no reward except from Allah, وَ سَیَجْزِی اللهُ الشَّاکِرِینَ وَ لا یُضِیعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِینَ [And Allah will reward the grateful, and He does not let the reward of those who do good go to waste].