سورة الدخان

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): By Allah! Allah has not made an exception for any of the successors of the prophets (peace be upon them) or their followers, except for Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and his Shia, where He said in His Book — and His word is the truth: یَوْمَ لا یُغْنِی مَوْلًی عَنْ مَوْلًی شَیْئاً وَ لا هُمْ یُنْصَرُونَ* إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The Day when no friend shall avail a friend in anything, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy]; and what Allah means by those who receive mercy is Ali (peace be upon him) and his Shia.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said [to me]: "O Aba Muhammad! The Muslims split into various sects, and you Shia returned to the Ahl al-Bayt of your Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and you willed what Allah willed, and you loved whom Allah loved, and you chose whom He chose. Glad tidings to you, and rejoice, for by Allah, you are the ones upon whom divine mercy has descended, whose good deeds have been accepted and whose sins have been overlooked ... O Aba Muhammad! Allah the Exalted has not made an exception for any of the prophets (peace be upon them) or their followers, except for our Shia, where He said: یَوْمَ لا یُغْنِی مَوْلًی عَنْ مَوْلًی شَیْئاً وَ لا هُمْ یُنْصَرُونَ* إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The Day when no friend shall avail a friend in anything, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy]; and they are our Shia."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Whoever takes anyone other than the friends of Allah as his wali and guardian — they cannot benefit one another in the least. But Allah made an exception for those who take the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (peace be upon them) as their wali and guardian, saying: إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [Save those on whom Allah shall have mercy].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Zayd al-Shahham said: One Friday night I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) when he said to me: "Recite the Quran!" So I recited. He said again: "Recite!" So I recited. He said once more: "O Shahham! Recite the Quran, for Friday night is the night of the Quran." So I recited until I reached this verse: یَوْمَ لا یُغْنِی مَوْلًی عَنْ مَوْلًی شَیْئاً وَ لا هُمْ یُنْصَرُونَ [The Day when no friend shall avail a friend in anything, nor shall they be helped]; he said: "They are our opponents [who will not be helped]." I recited: إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ [Save those on whom He has mercy]; he said: "We are the people upon whom Allah has had mercy, and we are the people whom Allah has excepted, and by Allah, we shall be the helpers of the Shia."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated that Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him), regarding this word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, یَوْمَ لا یُغْنِی مَوْلًی عَنْ مَوْلًی شَیْئاً وَ لا هُمْ یُنْصَرُونَ* إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The Day when no friend shall avail a friend in anything, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy], said: "By Allah! We are those upon whom Allah has had mercy and those whom He has excepted, and we are the ones whose wilayah will be of avail [to the Shia]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): regarding this saying of Allah the Exalted: یَومَ لا یُغْنِی مَولی عَن مَّولی شَیْئًا ولا هُمْ یُنصَرُونَ* إِلا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The Day when no relation shall avail a relation in anything, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy]; it is narrated that he said: "We are the people of this mercy."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Our Shia are those upon whom Allah has mercy, and by Allah, it is we whom Allah has made the exception [in this verse], and we shall be the helpers of the Shia.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Tumama said: I was in the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) on a Friday night. He said, "Recite the Quran." So I recited until I reached this verse: يَوْمَ لا يُغْنِي مَوْلًى عَنْ مَوْلًى شَيْئاً وَ لا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ* إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The day on which a friend shall not avail a friend in aught, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy]. He said, "We are those through whom Allah shows mercy [to others]; we are those whom Allah has made the exception [in this verse]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): One day Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said to Abu Basir, "…Allah has mentioned you Shia in His Book and said: يَوْمَ لا يُغْنِي مَوْلًى عَنْ مَوْلًى شَيْئاً وَ لا هُمْ يُنْصَرُونَ* إِلَّا مَنْ رَحِمَ اللهُ [The day on which a friend shall not avail a friend in aught, nor shall they be helped, save those on whom Allah shall have mercy]. By Allah, He has made no one the exception [in this verse] other than Ali and his Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) and his Shia."