سورة فصلت

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: "إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا [Indeed those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue in the right way]." He said: "That is, in the belief in each of the Imams (peace be upon them), one after another, upon whom they stood firm. تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لاتَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُون [The angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) interpreted this verse thus: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ — meaning those who fully obeyed Allah and His Messenger and fully accepted and fulfilled the wilayah of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), then stood firm upon it; تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ [the angels descend upon them] on the Day of Resurrection. That is, whenever, at the time of the rising on the Day of Resurrection, they are struck with terror and dread, the angels come to meet them and say to them: Do not fear and do not grieve. We were with you in the world, and we shall not part from you until you enter Paradise. وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ — so glad tidings to you that you are entering the Paradise which was promised to you.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ — what is meant by it is those people who stood firm in belief in the wilayah of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him); at the time of their death the angels descend upon them and say: أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لاتَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the garden which you were promised].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Anas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) recited this verse to us and then said: "A group of people uttered this phrase [Our Lord is Allah] on their tongues, and after a time most of them became disbelievers. Whoever holds this belief until the moment of death is among those who have stood firm upon it."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Do not forget action, and work as much as you can; abandon evil deeds and do not stain yourselves with sin; take the straight path and be steadfast; adopt patience and forbearance and do not let go of piety. You have an end, so pay attention to your end. Follow the light of guidance and do not lose your way. Islam has a result, so benefit from its result. Turn towards Allah and fulfil His obligatory rights. Allah has made His right binding upon you and has appointed for you your duties. I am a witness over your deeds and on the Day of Resurrection I shall dispute [on your behalf / with you]. Be aware that Allah's decree and destiny are being carried out upon you, and whatever has been ordained will come to pass. I speak to you with Allah's proof and convey to you the promises of the Lord. Allah the Exalted said in the Qur'an: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ المَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast — the angels descend upon them (saying): Do not fear and do not grieve, and receive good news of the Garden which you were promised]. Now that you have accepted Allah, act upon His Book, follow His command, continue upon His path and put His order into practice. O people, take the way of Allah's righteous servants, do not turn away from it and do not deviate; do not introduce innovations in Allah's rulings and His religion, and do not oppose Allah's laws. Know that whoever deviates from Allah and His rulings — on the Day of Resurrection his connection with Allah will be cut off.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O people, hasten towards your Lord, just as Allah the Exalted has said: فَاسْتَقِیمُوا إِلَیْهِ وَ اسْتَغْفِرُوهُ [So stand firm towards Him and seek His forgiveness]; and He said: Do not be like that [foolish] woman who unravelled her yarn after having spun it firmly! While you make [your oaths and covenants] a means of treachery and corruption among yourselves. (Nahl 16:92) Know that whoever is not steadfast in the quality he possesses will not be reformed and will not have a correct path; he will go from the honour of piety to the humiliation of sin, and from the intimacy of obedience to the terror of sin. And do not deceive or plot against your brothers in faith; let your outward and inward be the same. Whoever behaves in this way, the marks of deceit appear clearly upon his face, and from the slips of his tongue the matter becomes evident; so through his treachery he is humiliated and debased in this world, and for him is the punishment of regret in the Hereafter. Then he reaches the morning while being among those who are losers in deeds and actions."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): That is, they stood firm upon the worship of the Lord and the performance of His obligatory duties.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْملائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them (saying): Do not fear, nor grieve, and receive good news of the Paradise which you were promised]. He said: "They are the Imams (peace be upon them) from the family of Muhammad."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the verse: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا [Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then remain steadfast]. He said: "By Allah! It refers to the very wilayah which you hold to, and about which Allah says in another verse: وَ أَنْ لَوِ اسْتَقامُوا عَلَی الطَّرِیقَةِ لَأَسْقَیْناهُمْ ماءً غَدَقاً [And if they [jinn and mankind] remain steadfast on the path [of faith], We shall quench them with abundant water]. (al-Jinn/16)" I said: "When do the angels descend upon them and say to them: أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Do not fear, nor grieve, and receive good news of the Paradise which you were promised], and we are your guardians and protectors in this world and in the Hereafter?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "At the time of death and on the Day of Resurrection."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Humran ibn A'yan came to Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) and said: "May I be your ransom! News has reached us that the angels descend upon you!" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "Yes! By Allah, they descend upon us and step upon our bedspreads. Have you not read in the Qur'an that the Lord says: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قَالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقَامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُوا وَلَا تَحْزَنُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them, (saying:) Do not fear and do not grieve, but receive good news of the Garden which you were promised]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "While my father was seated and some people were with him, he suddenly began to laugh so much that his eyes filled with tears." Then he said: "Do you know what made me laugh?" They said: "No." He said: "Ibn Abbas claims that he is among those who said: 'Our Lord is Allah, the One,' and then remained steadfast."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said concerning the noble verse: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا [Indeed, those who say: Our Lord is Allah and then remain steadfast, the angels descend upon them, (saying:) Do not fear and do not grieve]: "They are the Imams (peace be upon them), and it applies also to those of our Shia who remain steadfast, submit to our command, and conceal our hadith from our enemies. The angels come to meet them from Allah with the good news of Paradise. By Allah! There were groups who passed away and were just as you are; they remained steadfast in the religion, submitted to our command, concealed our hadith and did not divulge it before our enemies, and did not doubt as you have doubted. So the angels came to meet them from Allah with the good news of Paradise."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The believing person is always anxious about a bad ending, and until the time of death and the appearance of the angel of death before him, he will not be certain of attaining the pleasure of the Lord and the promised Paradise. For when the believer's illness intensifies and, on account of leaving behind his wealth and loved ones and the thoughts that assail him concerning those around him and his family, he feels a severe tightness in his chest, and while he still carries the wound of life on his heart, his hope is cut off, and he has not attained his wishes, the angel of death descends upon him and says to him: 'What has come over you that you grieve so?' He replies: 'The cause of it is the distress of my state and not attaining my wishes.' The angel of death says to him: 'Does a rational person become distressed on account of losing one counterfeit dirham, when in exchange thousands of times the wealth of the world has been given to him?' He replies: 'No!' The angel of death says to him: 'Look above your head.' At this, the person beholds the degrees of Paradise and palaces that are unattainable even in one's wishes. The angel of death says to him: 'These are your dwellings, blessings, wealth, and family, and there your righteous children and descendants will also be with you. In exchange for obtaining these, are you willing to give up what you have in this world?' He replies: 'Yes!' Then the angel of death says: 'Look.' At this, the person beholds the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), Imam Ali (peace be upon him), and the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) in the highest degree of Illiyyin. The angel of death says to him: 'These are your masters and your Imams, who here will be your companions and intimates. Are you not content, in exchange for losing your loved ones in the world, to gain their companionship?' The believer will reply: 'Yes, by Allah!' This is the meaning of the following verse, where the Lord has said: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا [Indeed those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue steadfast, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor grieve] — meaning: every difficulty and hardship that lay before you, We have removed from your path. So do not grieve over leaving behind your children, spouses, and wealth. What you beheld in Paradise is given to you in exchange for the things you lose in the world. And وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [and receive good news of the Paradise which you were promised] — meaning: these are your dwellings, your loved ones, and your companions. نَحْنُ أَوْلِیاؤُکُمْ فِی الْحَیاةِ الدُّنْیا وَ فِی الْآخِرَةِ وَ لَکُمْ فِیها ما تَشْتَهِی أَنْفُسُکُمْ وَ لَکُمْ فِیها ما تَدَّعُونَ نُزُلًا مِنْ غَفُورٍ رَحِیمٍ [We are your protectors in the life of this world and in the Hereafter, and in it you shall have whatever your souls desire, and in it you shall have whatever you call for — a hospitable gift from the Forgiving, the Merciful].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman ibn Khalid narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) concerning the words of Allah the Exalted: إِنَّ الَّذِینَ قالُوا رَبُّنَا اللهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقامُوا تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا [Indeed those who say: Our Lord is Allah, then continue steadfast, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor grieve] — that he said: "Be aware, by Allah, it has often happened that we have placed cushions for them in our house." It was said: "Do the angels appear to you?" He said: "They are kinder to our children than we are to them," and he struck his hand upon some cushions that were in the house and said: "By Allah, it has often happened that the angels have leaned upon them, and we have picked up from the down of their feathers."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Indeed, feeding a believer is more beloved to Allah than freeing ten slaves in the way of Allah and ten Hajj journeys, and whoever clothes that believer with a garment — whether it be a summer or winter garment — it is incumbent upon Allah that He clothe him with the garments of Paradise, and ease for him the agonies of death, and widen and expand his grave, and whenever he comes out of the grave the angels come to meet him and give him the glad tidings of Paradise, just as Allah the Exalted says: تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَیْهِمُ الْمَلائِکَةُ أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [The angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the Paradise which you were promised].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): One who clothes his brother with winter or summer clothing, it is incumbent upon Allah that He clothe him with the garments of Paradise, and ease for him the agonies of death, and widen his grave, and cause the angels to come to him when he comes out of the grave and give him glad tidings, just as Allah said: أَلَّا تَخافُوا وَ لا تَحْزَنُوا وَ أَبْشِرُوا بِالْجَنَّةِ الَّتِی کُنْتُمْ تُوعَدُونَ [Fear not, nor be grieved, and receive good news of the Paradise which you were promised] — the angels come to them and say: do not fear and do not grieve, and enjoy the very Paradise you have been promised. Whoever, out of good character, honours his brother, Allah will write down for him from the garments of Paradise the number of all that is in this world from its beginning to its end, and he does not resemble the ostentatious but rather resembles the noble. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever points at his Muslim brother with evil, the angels curse him until they cause him grief."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibn Sinan narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "Whenever one of those who love us and oppose our enemies departs from this world, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him), Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn (peace be upon them) are present at his bedside and make him happy and give him glad tidings. If a person is not one who loves us, at the time of death he will see those noble ones in a manner that will be harmful for him."