سورة الفتح

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Abi Hamza said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about: أَنزَل السَّکِینَةَ فِی قُلوبِ المُؤْمِنِینَ [He sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers]. The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "What is meant by it is faith."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Hasan ibn Ali ibn Faddal narrated from Imam Rida (peace be upon him) that he said: "Al-sakina (tranquillity) is a fragrant breeze that blows out from Paradise, and it has a form like the form of a human face, and it accompanies the prophets (peace be upon them)."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Ali ibn Asbat said: I said to Imam Rida (peace be upon him): "May I be your ransom! What is al-sakina (tranquillity)?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "A breeze from Paradise which has a face like the face of a human being; its scent is more fragrant than musk, and it is that which Allah sent down upon His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) at Hunayn, and the polytheists were defeated and scattered."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Faith in Allah is the highest of deeds and stands at the loftiest rank; there is no station more honourable than it, and its share is greater than all others. It was said: "O Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), is faith speech and action, or speech alone?" He said: "Faith is attestation in the heart, acknowledgement by the tongue, and action by the limbs. Faith is entirely action. Faith is at times complete, at times half-complete, at times deficient, and at times increased — such that this decrease and increase are clearly seen ... The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Whoever meets Allah with complete faith is among the people of Paradise, and whoever wastes any of the obligations and disobeys the commands of Allah, and commits the forbidden things, will present himself before Allah with deficient faith.' Allah the Exalted said: هُوَ الَّذِی أَنْزَلَ السَّکِینَةَ فِی قُلُوبِ الْمؤْمِنِینَ لِیَزْدادُوا إِیماناً مَعَ إِیمانِهِمْ وَ لِلهِ جُنُودُ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ کانَ اللهُ عَلیماً حَکیماً [He it is Who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers that they might have more of faith added to their faith — and Allah's are the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allah is Knowing, Wise]. And if all people were equal in faith, none would have any merit or superiority over another. With complete faith the believers enter Paradise and attain its ranks. If some have deficient faith, or lose their faith, they enter the Fire."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Amr al-Zubayri said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "O scholar, which of the deeds is the best in the sight of Allah?" He said: "That deed without which Allah accepts nothing else." I said: "What is that deed?" He said: "Faith in Allah, the One, which is the highest, the noblest and the most exalted thing." I said: "Is faith only speech, or must speech and action be together?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Faith is entirely action, and verbal expression is a part of faith that Allah has explained in His Book — its light is clear and its proof is established; the Book bears witness to it and calls one toward it." I said: "Describe faith for me so that I may grasp it well." He said: "Faith has various states and degrees; they are not all at one level, but differ in rank and station. Some faith is complete and at the level of perfection, some is deficient, and some is intermediate." I said: "So faith can be at the level of perfection, and can be deficient, and can also increase?" He said: "Yes." I said: "How is that?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Allah the Exalted made faith obligatory upon the limbs of the children of Adam and distributed it among the organs, assigning to each a fixed share. He assigned each of the duties of man to one of the limbs, and each organ has a specific duty that another organ is not charged with. Whoever guards his organs and limbs and fulfills the duty of each will meet his Lord with complete faith and will enter Paradise, and whoever betrays in any of them or refuses the commands of Allah will step into His presence with deficient faith." I said: "I have understood the deficiency of faith, but tell me — from where does its increase come?" He said: "Allah the Exalted has said concerning this: 'And whenever a Surah is sent down, some of them say [to others]: "Which of you has this [Surah] increased in faith?" [Tell them]: As for those who believe, it has increased them in faith, and they are joyful [at Allah's grace and mercy]. And as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it has added filth to their filth.' (al-Tawba/124-125) Elsewhere He said: 'We narrate to you their story in truth. They were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.' (al-Kahf/13) If all were equal and there were no increase or decrease in it, then none of them would have any superiority over another; if there were no increase, all blessings would be equal, all people would be alike, and preference would be nullified. But it is with complete faith that the believers enter Paradise, and with the increase in faith they attain higher ranks, and those whose faith is deficient enter Hellfire."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): So that their affirmation of the shariah of Islam may increase, meaning that whenever they are commanded with any of the Islamic rulings, they affirm it and accept it with the tranquillity which Allah has placed in their hearts.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Umar said: We said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): "Does faith increase and decrease?" He said: "Yes, faith increases until it causes its possessor to enter Paradise, and it decreases until it causes its possessor to enter Hell."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Imran said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: "They say that eight of us will be muhaddathun (those spoken to by angels), and the seventh of them is Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief)." Abu Basir rose and kissed the blessed head of the Imam and said: "I heard this forty years ago from your noble father Imam Baqir (peace be upon him); and when I heard this hadith I was five years old when he (peace be upon him) narrated this hadith and said: 'O child, be silent, for what is meant by لِیَزْدادُوا إِیماناً مَعَ إِیمانِهِمْ [that they might have more of faith added to their faith] is Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble relief),' and my son did not utter this sentence."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the beginning, water covered everywhere and His Throne (dominion) was upon the water (Hud/7). Allah, exalted be His mention, commanded the water to turn into fire. Then He extinguished the fire, and from it smoke rose. Then from that smoke He created the heavens, and from the ashes of that fire He created the earth. Then water, fire and wind competed with one another. The water said: "I am the strongest and greatest army of Allah." The fire said: "I am the greatest army of Allah." The wind also said: "I am the greatest army of Allah." Allah the Mighty and Majestic revealed to the wind: "You are My greatest army (My superior force)."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ لِلهِ جُنُودُ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ [And Allah's are the hosts of the heavens and the earth]; what is meant by the hosts of the heavens and the earth are the angels, the jinn, mankind and the devils.