سورة النساء

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah spoke about the merit and superiority of the mujahidin over those who shirked from being present in battle, and said: لاَّ یَسْتَوِی الْقَاعِدُونَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ غَیْرُ أُوْلِی الضَّرَرِ [Not equal are the holders back from among the believers, not those who have an injury]. What is meant by غَیْرُ أُوْلِی الضَّرَرِ is: except those who are afflicted with a chronic illness, and likewise persons who have a physical disability, such as those who are blind: وَ الْمُجَاهِدُونَ فِی سَبِیلِ اللهِ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ فَضَّلَ اللهُ الْمُجَاهِدِینَ بِأَمْوَالِهِمْ وَ أَنْفُسِهِمْ عَلَی الْقَاعِدِینَ دَرَجَةً وَ کُلاًّ وَعَدَ اللهُ الْحُسْنَی وَ فَضَّلَ اللهُ الْمُجَاهِدِینَ عَلَی الْقَاعِدِینَ أَجْراً عَظِیماً [and those who strive hard in Allah's way with their property and their persons. Allah has made those who strive with their property and their persons excel the ones who hold back by a degree, and to each Allah has promised good, and Allah has made the strivers excel the holders back by a mighty reward].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Amr al-Zubayri narrates: ... I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Inform me about that which Allah the Mighty and Majestic has, through its content, called the believers to compete in faith regarding." He said: "This word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: 'And why do you not spend in the way of Allah, when to Allah belongs the inheritance of the heavens and the earth? Not equal among you are those who spent before the Conquest and fought, with those who spent afterwards and fought.' (al-Hadid 57:10) These are the degrees of faith and its ranks with Allah the Mighty and Majestic."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Faith, disbelief, polytheism and their increase and decrease are as follows: faith in Allah is the highest of deeds and holds the loftiest rank, nothing is more honourable than it, and its share is greater than all. It was said: "O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), is faith speech and action, or only speech?" He said: "Faith is affirmation by the heart, confession by the tongue, and action by the limbs. Faith is entirely action. Faith is sometimes complete, sometimes partly complete, sometimes deficient, and sometimes surplus — so that this deficiency and increase are clearly visible. With complete faith the believers enter Paradise and attain its degrees. If some people's faith is deficient or they lose their faith, they enter Hell. Those who have precedence in faith gain superiority over others. Allah has said in His Qur'an: 'And the foremost are the foremost; those are the ones brought near.' (al-Waqi'a 56:10-11) And in another verse He says: وَ فَضَّلَ اللهُ الْمُجاهِدِینَ عَلَی الْقاعِدِینَ أَجْراً عَظِیماً دَرَجاتٍ مِنْهُ وَ مَغْفِرَةً وَ رَحْمَةً [And Allah has favoured the strivers over those who sit back with a mighty reward — degrees from Him, and forgiveness and mercy]."

Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him): Imam al-Askari (peace be upon him) narrated from Imam al-Hadi (peace be upon him): When you wish to visit the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), stand at the door of his noble dome and say: ... I bear witness that you are truly the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), concerning whose wilayah the revealed verses of Allah have spoken. You are the friend (wali) of Allah and the brother of His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) and the defender of the religion of Allah. You are the one whose merits the Qur'an proclaims, and Allah has said: فَضَّلَ اللهُ المُجاهِدِینَ عَلَی الْقاعِدِینَ أَجْراً عَظِیماً دَرَجاتٍ مِنْهُ وَ مَغْفِرَةً وَ رَحْمَةً وَ کانَ اللهُ غَفُوراً رَحِیما [Allah has favoured the strivers over those who sit back with a mighty reward — degrees from Him, and forgiveness and mercy, and Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful].