سورة محمد

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Abd al-Aziz ibn Muslim said: We were with Imam Rida (peace be upon him) in Marw. One Friday, shortly after our arrival in Marw, we had gathered in the Grand Mosque of Marw when discussion of the Imamate and the great disagreement people have on this matter came up. I went into the presence of my master Imam Rida (peace be upon him) and reported to him the disagreement of the people and what they were saying. He smiled and said: "O Abd al-Aziz! The people are ignorant and have been deceived in their religions... while they had insight. (Ankabut/38) They have set aside the one whom Allah and His Messenger chose and turned to the one they themselves have chosen. Even though the Quran addresses them saying: 'Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He pleases; they have no choice [before Him]. Glory be to Allah, and exalted is He above the partners they ascribe to Him!' (Qasas/68)... And Allah says: أَ فَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman ibn Khalid said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: "O Sulayman! You have a heart and ears. Whenever Allah wishes to guide a servant, He opens the ears of his heart, and whenever He wills something other than that, He seals the ears of his heart and makes him deaf. As a result, that person will never be reformed. This is the meaning of أَمْ عَلی قُلوبٍ أَقْفالهَا [Nay, on the hearts there are locks]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Hanifa ate a meal with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him). When the Imam (peace be upon him) withdrew his hand from the food, he said: "الحَمْدُ لِلهِ رَبِّ الْعالَمِینَ [Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds]; O Allah, this bounty is from You and from Your Prophet." Abu Hanifa said: "O Aba Abdillah! Are you setting up a partner with Allah?" He said: "Woe to you! Allah says in the Quran: 'They took revenge only because Allah and His Messenger enriched them of His bounty!' (Tawbah/74). And in another place He says: '[Whereas] if they were content with what Allah and His Messenger gave them, and said: "Allah is sufficient for us! Soon Allah and His Messenger will give us of His bounty; we seek only His pleasure" — [it would be better for them]!' (Tawbah/59)." Abu Hanifa said: "By Allah, it is as if I had never before read these verses in the Quran and never heard them until this moment." The Imam said: "I have both read them and heard them, but Allah revealed concerning you and the likes of you: أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Nay, on the hearts there are locks]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah, Blessed and Exalted, sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and by him sealed the prophethood, so no prophet will be raised after him. And He sent down upon him the Quran and made it the last heavenly book, and in it the lawful and unlawful of Allah are set forth. So its lawful is lawful until the Day of Resurrection and its unlawful is unlawful until the Day of Resurrection. The rulings of the Sharia and the reports of those before you and those after you are mentioned in it. And indeed Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) asked his Shia about this matter ... As for what Allah has made obligatory upon the heart, it is the affirmation of faith, and the knowledge (marifah), and adherence to it, and contentment with what Allah has made obligatory upon it. And it is necessary that the heart be submissive to the command of Allah, and be of those of remembrance (dhikr) and reflection (tafakkur), and obedient to what Allah has sent down in the Quran; and belief that the Quran is a divine miracle, and that one manifest outwardly the same as what one does inwardly, except when necessity requires otherwise — just as Allah says: 'except those who are forced while their hearts remain firm in faith. Yes, those who have opened their breasts to the acceptance of disbelief — the wrath of Allah is upon them, and a great punishment awaits them!' (Nahl/106). And He said: 'أَ فَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks].'

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'O son of Mas'ud! After me a group will come who eat delicious and varied foods ... Son of Mas'ud! Their likeness is that of the [oleander]: its colour is beautiful but its taste is bitter; their words are beautiful, and their deeds are an incurable disease. أَ‌فَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks].'

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): In the will of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud it is stated: 'Allah says: But after them came unworthy descendants who ruined the prayer and followed lusts, and they will soon see [the punishment of] their misguidance! (Maryam/59). Son of Mas'ud! Their likeness is that of the [oleander]: its colour is beautiful but its taste is bitter; their words are beautiful, and their deeds are an incurable disease; أَفَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks]. O son of Mas'ud! What benefit does one who enjoys pleasure and comfort in this world gain, when he will be eternally in the Fire of Hell?'

Lady Zahra (peace be upon her) - Abdullah ibn Hasan narrated from his forefathers: When Abu Bakr, with the consensus of the Ansar and Muhajir, prevented Fatima (peace be upon her) from taking possession of Fadak, and this news reached Fatima (peace be upon her), she drew her headcover over her head and threw a cloth over her head ... Abu Bakr said: 'All the words of Allah and the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) are true and right, and you too, O daughter of the Prophet, speak the truth. You are the mine of knowledge and the abode of guidance and mercy, you are the foundation and basis of the religion and the proof of truth. I have never rejected your words nor do I deny your speech. But I, without any obstinacy, tyranny or contention, whatever I said was with the opinion and view of this present group of Muslims, and I did it with their consultation, and they are all witnesses.' Lady Zahra (peace be upon her) turned to the people and said: 'O gathering of Muslims who hastily rushed to choose a false and wrong matter, أَفَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks], it is not as you suppose, rather rust has settled upon your hearts'!

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): This verse was revealed concerning our cousins, the Banu Umayyah. Allah says concerning them: 'They are the ones whom Allah has cast away from His mercy, and He has deafened their ears and blinded their eyes!' (Muhammad/23) Do they not reflect on the Quran, do they not ponder over the Quran so as to fulfil their right and duty, or are there locks upon their hearts.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn al-Fudayl said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the interpretation of the verse: أَ فَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ [Do they not then reflect on the Quran?]. He said: "Do they not reflect on the Quran so that they may fulfill their duty and obligation, or are there locks upon their hearts?"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): أَفَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ القُرْآنَ [Do they not then reflect on the Quran?]; that is, do they not look into the Quran so that they may fulfill the right which is upon them.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Do they not reflect upon the Quran so that they may cease turning away from the truth, or are there locks upon their hearts?

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for what He has made obligatory upon the heart — that is faith, recognition, conviction, contentment with what He has made obligatory, submission to Allah's command, reflection, contemplation, remembrance of Allah, and obedience to what He has sent down and set forth in the Quran; and they must, to the extent of their ability, put those instructions into practice ... and this is the word of Allah the Exalted: أَ فَلا یَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلی قُلُوبٍ أَقْفالُها [Do they not then reflect on the Quran? Nay, on the hearts there are locks].