سورة فاطر

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Jabir al-Ju'fi said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission]. He said: "The wrongdoer from us, the family, is one who does not recognise the right of the Imam; the moderate one is he who recognises the right of the Imam; and the one foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission is the Imam himself. جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ یَدْخُلُونَها [Gardens of Eden which they shall enter] — the lofty Paradise which they enter — refers to the foremost and the moderate."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Our companions have narrated from Maysar ibn Abd al-Aziz that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "The wrongdoer to himself from us, the family, is one who does not recognise the right of the Imam; the moderate one from us, the family, is one who recognises the Imam; and the one foremost in good deeds is the Imam himself. All three groups will be forgiven."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Ahmad ibn Umar said: I asked Imam Rida (peace be upon him) about the verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]. He said: The one foremost in good deeds is the Imam, the moderate one is he who recognises the Imam, and the wrongdoer to himself is he who does not recognise the Imam.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]. He said: "What do you say?" I said: "I say it is specific to the children of Fatima (peace be upon her)." He said: "One who draws his sword and calls people to his own imamate and misguides them — whether from the children of Fatima (peace be upon her) or others — is not included in this verse." I said: "Then whom does the verse include?" He said: "The wrongdoer to himself is one who does not call people to good or evil; the moderate one is he who recognises the right of the Imam; and the one foremost in good deeds is the Imam himself."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): The one foremost in good deeds is the Imam (peace be upon him), and this is among the children of Ali (peace be upon him) and Fatima (peace be upon her).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman ibn Khalid said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of the verse ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتَابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants], and the Imam replied: "What is your view?" I said: "We hold that this verse was revealed concerning the Fatimids." The Imam said: "It is not as you say; for one who draws his sword and calls people to dissent is not among the referents of this verse." I said: "Then who is ظالِمٌ لِنَفسِهِ [the one who wrongs himself]?" The Imam said: "The meaning is one who sits in his house and does not recognize the right of the Imam; and by مقتصد (the one who takes the middle course) is meant one who recognizes the right of the Imam; and by سابِقٌ بِالخَیرات (the one who is foremost in good deeds) is meant the Imam."

Ali ibn Ibrahim: الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [those whom We chose from among Our servants] — they are the Imams (peace be upon them). ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ [he who wrongs himself] from the Family of Muhammad refers to those other than the Imams who deny the Imam; وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ [and among them is one who takes a middle course] is the one who acknowledges the Imam; وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [and among them is one who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission] is the Imam himself.

Imam Askari (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Abu Hashim that he asked the Imam (peace be upon him) about this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission]. He said: "All of these who inherit the Book are from the Family of Muhammad; the one who wrongs himself is the one who does not acknowledge the Imam, and the middle-courser is the one who knows the Imam, and the one foremost in good deeds is the Imam himself." I began to think in my heart about the great station and position which Allah has granted the Family of Muhammad, and I wept. The Imam (peace be upon him) looked at me and said: "The matter is greater than what you have imagined in your heart concerning the greatness of the station and position of the Family of Muhammad (peace be upon them). Give thanks to Allah that He has made you among those who cling to the rope of the wilayah of this Household. On the Day of Resurrection, when every group is summoned with its leader, the Imams (peace be upon them) will also be called. Your end shall be with good."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Salim said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission]. He said: "The one foremost in good deeds is the Imam, and the middle-courser is the one who knows the Imam, and the one who wrongs himself is the one who does not know the Imam."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Rashid said: ... Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) turned to me and said: "Hasan ibn Rashid! Fatima (peace be upon her) is of pure nature; Allah has forbidden the Fire of Hell to her progeny, and concerning them this verse was revealed: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds]. The one who wrongs himself is the one who does not recognise the Imam; the middle-courser (muqtasid) is the one who recognises the Imam; the one who is foremost in good deeds is the Imam himself. Hasan! We are a household in which none of us leaves this world before acknowledging the merit of every one who has merit (meaning acknowledgement of the station of the Imam of the time)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Sawrah ibn Kulayb said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): "What is the meaning of this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance]?" ... He said: "The one who wrongs himself is the one who does not recognise the Imam." I asked: "Who is the muqtasid (middle-courser)?" He said: "The one who recognises the Imam." I said: "Then who is the one foremost in good deeds?" He said: "He is the Imam." I said: "Then what will there be for your Shia?" He said: "Their sins will be overlooked, their debts will be paid, and we are the gate of their hitta (relief from sins), and through us they are forgiven."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): ... We have inherited this Quran, whose content sets mountains in motion, cuts through lands, and revives the dead, and we know the place of water beneath the sky. In the Book of Allah there are verses by which no matter is intended except that Allah gives permission for it — in addition to which Allah gives permission for what the earlier ones (prophets) bequeathed; Allah has placed it for us in Ummul Kitab. Allah says: "And there is nothing hidden in the heaven and the earth but it is in a clear Book" [in the Preserved Tablet and the boundless knowledge of the Lord] (Naml/75). And He says: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]. We are the very ones whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic chose and to whom He gave in inheritance the Book in which is the explanation of everything.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): We are those whom Allah chose from among His servants, and we are Allah's chosen ones; for us the parables have been struck, and upon us the revelation was sent down.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The people of the Quran are the Imams of guidance, who are mentioned in this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Thumali said: I was seated in the service of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) in al-Masjid al-Haram when two men from the people of Basra came forward and said: "We have a question; do you permit us to ask?" He said: "Ask whatever you wish." They said: "We want the interpretation of this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants] ..." He said: "These verses were revealed concerning us, the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)." I said: "May I be your ransom, then who is the one who wrongs himself (zalim) from among you, the Ahl al-Bayt?" He said: "The one whose good deeds and sins are equal — he has wronged himself. The moderate one (muqtasid) is the one who worships Allah in both states (hardship and ease) until death seizes him." I said: "Then who is the one foremost in good deeds (sabiq bil-khayrat)?" He said: "By Allah, it is the one who calls to the path of truth, enjoins good and forbids evil, is not a supporter of the misguided, is an enemy of the wrongdoers, and never submits to the rule of the wrongdoers — unless he fears for his life or his religion and finds no helpers."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Rayyan ibn al-Salt said: Imam Rida (peace be upon him) attended al-Ma'mun's assembly in Marw. In that assembly a number of the scholars of Iraq and Khurasan were present. Al-Ma'mun said: "Explain to me the meaning of this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]." The scholars said: "Allah's intent is the whole ummah." Al-Ma'mun said: "O Abu al-Hasan, what is your view?" The Imam said: "I do not agree with them; rather, in my view, what Allah intended was the pure progeny (Itrah al-Tahirah) of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)" ... Al-Ma'mun asked: "Who are the pure progeny?" The Imam said: "They are the ones whom Allah described in His Book thus: 'Allah only wills to remove impurity and sin from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you thoroughly' (al-Ahzab/33). And they are those about whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I am leaving among you the two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my progeny, that is, my Ahl al-Bayt. The two will not separate from each other until they come to me at the Pool (Hawd). See how you deal with them after me. O people, do not try to teach them, for indeed they are more knowledgeable than you.' ... Consequently, the inheritance of prophethood and the Book belongs exclusively to the rightly-guided, not to the transgressors."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Rayyan ibn al-Salt said: Imam Rida (peace be upon him), in an assembly in which a number of the scholars of Iraq and Khurasan were present, said: "Explain to me the meaning of this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]." The scholars said: "Allah's intent is the whole ummah." The Imam said: "Rather, in my view, what Allah intended was the pure progeny (Itrah al-Tahirah) of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ... and we are the People of the Reminder (Ahl al-Dhikr)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the tafsir of Jabir ibn Yazid, from the Imam (peace be upon him), it is narrated: "With this verse Allah has established the wilayah (guardianship) of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), for Ali (peace be upon him) was more entitled to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) than anyone else, because he was his brother in this world and the Hereafter, and because he inherited his legacy, his weapons, his belongings, his grey mule Shahba, and everything the Prophet possessed. After him he inherited his Book. Allah the Exalted says: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتَابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants], and it is the entire Qur'an which was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). After the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), he used to teach the people, and no one taught him. He was asked and he did not ask anyone about anything of the religion of Allah. And Allah chose Kinana from among the sons of Isma'il (peace be upon him), and He chose Quraysh from Kinana, and He chose Hashim from Quraysh. The other elders had no share in the one who was the chosen of the chosen. Furthermore, he is a Hashimi born of a Hashimi father and mother, and in his time no one enjoyed such a distinction except him, his brothers, and his two sons. His father was Abu Talib ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim (peace be upon him), and his mother was Fatima bint Asad ibn Hashim."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Asim ibn Humayd narrated that he asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the revelation of this word of Allah where He said: "إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَ الْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ [Indeed Safa and Marwa are among the signs of Allah]" (Baqarah/158). [And Allah says:] There is no objection to their performing tawaf between the two. I asked: "Is this verse specific or general?" The Imam said: "This verse is like this word of Allah where He said: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتَابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]. So whoever among the people enters among them is in the same position as them. Allah says: 'And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, (on the Day of Resurrection,) they shall be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favours from among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and excellent companions are they' (Nisa/69)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I heard Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) say: "إِنَّ الصَّفَا وَ الْمَرْوَةَ مِنْ شَعَائِرِ اللهِ [Indeed Safa and Marwa are among the signs of Allah]," and he said: There is no objection to their performing tawaf between the two (Baqarah/158). ... And Allah revealed this verse. I said to the Imam (peace be upon him): "Is this verse specific or general?" The Imam said: "This verse is like this word of Allah where He said: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتَابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]. So whoever among the people enters among them is in the same position as them. Allah says: 'And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, (on the Day of Resurrection,) they shall be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed His favours from among the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, and excellent companions are they' (Nisa/69)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abd Allah al-Alawi narrated with a connected chain that a person asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of the verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs his own soul, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission]. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "The wrongdoer (zalim) is the one whose thought revolves around his own self, the moderate one (muqtasid) is the one who is occupied with the heart, and the foremost (sabiq) is the one who is continuously connected with his Lord."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): It is narrated by Abu al-Jarud that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said regarding the verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants]: "They are the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), who are the chosen ones of Allah. فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ [and of them is he who wrongs his own soul] — he is destroyed; وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ [and of them is he who takes a middle course] — they are the righteous; وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission] — he is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Allah says: ذلِکَ هُوَ الْفَضْلُ الْکَبِیرُ [this is the great excellence] — this great excellence means the Quran."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i said: "I went out for Hajj. I met Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and asked him about this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذِینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs his own soul, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission]. He said: 'What do the people of Kufa say concerning the interpretation of this verse?' I said: 'They say the verse is about them.' He said: 'Then what do they fear, when they are among the people of Paradise?' I said: 'What is your view?' He said: 'The verse belongs exclusively to us. The foremost in good deeds is Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him), al-Hasan and al-Husayn (peace be upon them), and the martyr from among us Ahl al-Bayt. As for the moderate, he is the one who fasts by day and stands [in prayer] by night. As for the one who wrongs his own soul, he will be among the repentant, and he will be forgiven. O Abu Ishaq! Through us Allah removes defects and disgrace from you, through us Allah loosens the bonds of humiliation from your necks, through us Allah forgives your sins. Through us Allah opens and through us He seals, not through you. We are your refuge like the People of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf), we are your ship of salvation like the ship of Nuh (peace be upon him), and we are your gate of hitta (remission) like the gate of hitta of the Children of Israel.'"

The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family): Jahm ibn Hurr said: I entered the mosque of Madinah... Then Abu al-Darda came and sat near me... He said: ...I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) recite this verse: ثُمَّ أَوْرَثْنَا الْکِتابَ الَّذینَ اصْطَفَیْنا مِنْ عِبادِنا فَمِنْهُمْ ظالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ وَ مِنْهُمْ مُقْتَصِدٌ وَ مِنْهُمْ سابِقٌ بِالْخَیْراتِ بِإِذْنِ الله [Then We gave the Book for an inheritance to those whom We chose from among Our servants; but of them is he who wrongs himself, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in good deeds by Allah's permission]. Then he said: 'The foremost one enters Paradise without reckoning, and the one who takes the middle course is called to an easy reckoning, and the one who wrongs himself is detained on a day whose measure is fifty thousand years until grief enters into his belly, and then Allah has mercy on him and admits him into Paradise. Praise be to Allah who has removed from us the grief that entered their bellies during the length of the Mahshar; indeed our Lord is Forgiving, Appreciative.' He said: He appreciated their little deeds and forgave them their great sins.

Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him): Sa'd ibn Abdullah al-Qummi narrates: I asked Imam Mahdi (peace be upon him): "My master! Tell me, what is it that prevents the people from choosing an Imam for themselves?" He said: "The choosing of a righteous Imam, or a corrupt one?" I said: "A righteous Imam." He said: "Is it possible that their choice falls upon a corrupt one, since no one is aware of what is inside another — whether it is righteousness or corruption?" I said: "Yes, it is possible." He said: "That is the reason. Shall I bring you another proof so that your intellect may accept it?" I said: "Yes." He said: "Tell me, the prophets of Allah whom Allah has chosen, upon whom He has sent down books, and whom He has supported with revelation and infallibility so that they may be leaders of the nations — what sort of people are they? Is it possible that people such as Musa and Isa (peace be upon them), who are themselves leaders of nations and possess abundance of intellect and perfection of knowledge, would choose a hypocrite in place of a believer?" I said: "No, it is not possible." He said: "This is Musa the one who spoke with Allah (peace be upon him), with all his intellect and knowledge and the descent of revelation upon him — he chose seventy men from the notables of his people and the leaders of his army for the appointed time of his Lord, and he had no doubt whatsoever in their faith and sincerity, yet he chose the hypocrites. Allah the Exalted says: وَ اخْتارَ مُوسی قَوْمَهُ سَبْعِینَ رَجُلًا لِمِیقاتِنا [And Musa chose from his people seventy men for Our appointed time] (al-A'raf/155). And when we observed that the one chosen by 'the Prophet chosen by Allah' was the most corrupt and not the most righteous, while he supposed them to be the most righteous, from this we come to understand that choosing is only possible for the One who knows what is within the breasts, the consciences and the innermost secrets of people, and that the choice of the Muhajirin and the Ansar has no worth in a situation where the ones chosen by prophets, in place of righteous individuals, turned out to be corrupt individuals."