سورة المائدة

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): يَا أَهْلَ الْکِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءکُمْ رَسُولُنَا یُبَیِّنُ لَکُمْ [O People of the Book, Our Messenger has indeed come to you, making things clear to you]; this is an address to the People of the Book. عَلَی فَتْرَةٍ مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ [after a cessation of the messengers]; that is, after an interruption in the sending of messengers. Then He brings a proof against them and says: أَنْ تَقُولُوا [lest you say], meaning: so that you do not say.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Isma'il ibn Abi Rafi' narrates from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): When Allah the Exalted wished to take the soul of Danyal, He commanded him to entrust the light of Allah and His wisdom to his son Makikha, and he did so. During this period Hurmuz reigned for sixty-three years, three months and four days, and after him Bahram reigned for twenty-six years, and the one in charge of Allah's affair was Makikha the son of Danyal along with his believing companions and truthful Shia; but in that time they were unable to make their faith apparent or speak of it. After that, Bahram son of Bahram reigned for seven years, and in his time the succession of messengers was interrupted and the fatra (interregnum) came about, but the one in charge of Allah's affair was still that same Makikha son of Danyal and his believing companions. When Allah the Exalted wished to take his soul, He revealed to him in a dream that he should entrust the light of Allah and His wisdom to his son Anshu. The fatra (interregnum) between Isa (peace be upon him) and Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) lasted four hundred and eighty years, and during this time the awliya of Allah the Exalted on earth were the descendants of Anshu ibn Makikha, who inherited the legacies of prophethood one after another, and Allah the Exalted chose them.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Isa (peace be upon him) appointed Sham'un ibn Hammun al-Safa as his successor, and Sham'un appointed Yahya ibn Zakariyya, and Yahya ibn Zakariyya appointed Mundhir as his successor, and Mundhir entrusted it to Sulayma, and Sulayma entrusted it to Burda.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Imam Rida (peace be upon him) said to Ras al-Jalut [the Jewish scholar]: "Dawud said in his Zabur, and you recite it: 'O Allah! Send the one who establishes the sunnah after the fatrah (the interval in which there is no prophet)'! Do you know any prophet other than Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) who established the [divine] sunnah after the fatrah?" Ras al-Jalut said: "This is the saying of Dawud (peace be upon him); we recognise it and do not deny it, but Dawud (peace be upon him) intended by those words Isa (peace be upon him), and his era is [the era of] the fatrah." Imam Rida (peace be upon him) said: "You do not know. Isa (peace be upon him) did not oppose the sunnah and was in agreement with the sunnah of the Tawrat [and did not bring a new sunnah], until Allah raised him up to Himself; and in the Injil it is written that the son of the righteous woman (the son of Maryam) is departing and the Faraqlita is coming after him, and he is the one who lightens the heavy burdens [and removes the heavy obligations] and interprets and explains everything for you, and bears witness for [the prophethood of] me just as I bore witness for [the messengership of] him. I brought you the parables, and he will bring you the ta'wil [and interpretation and meaning]. Do you believe in this matter in the Injil?" He said: "Yes. I do not deny it."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Rabi' said: ... Nafi' said: "Tell me, how many years were there between Isa and Muhammad (peace be upon them)?" Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "Shall I answer you according to my statement or according to yours?" He said: "Answer me with both." He said: "According to our statement the difference is five hundred years, and according to your statement six hundred years."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Abd al-Azim ibn Abd Allah said: I heard Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) delivering this sermon: Praise be to Allah who is aware of all existing beings... and [I bear witness] that Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) is His servant, His chosen Messenger and His approved friend, and He sent him with guidance and dispatched him after an interval and fatrah between the prophets, the divergence of creeds, the cutting off of paths, the effacement of knowledge and wisdom, and the disappearance of the signs of guidance and the clear proofs.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Iblis let out four cries: the first was on the day he was cursed by Allah, the second at the time of his descent to the earth, and the third at the time of the mission of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), which took place after years of fatrah and the absence of the sending of a messenger.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Hisham narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When the Day of Resurrection takes place, Allah the Mighty and Majestic will gather the children of people who died in the period of fatrah (the interval between prophets), the very old man who lived in the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) but understands nothing, the deaf-mute who understands nothing, and the insane and the fool who understand nothing, and each of them will present an argument before Allah the Mighty and Majestic. Then Allah will send an angel from among the angels to them and will kindle a fire for them. Then Allah will send an angel to them who will say to them: "Your Lord commands you to leap into it [the fire]." Whoever enters it, it becomes cool and safe for him, and he is admitted to Paradise; and whoever holds back from it enters the Fire [of Hell].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he was asked about one who died in the period of fatrah (the interval between prophets), about one who [had not reached puberty and] had not attained the understanding of sin, and about the feeble-minded. He said: "Allah will present an argument against them; He will kindle a fire for them and will say to them: 'Enter it.' Whoever enters it, it becomes cool and safe for him, and whoever refuses, He will say: 'I commanded you and you disobeyed Me.'"

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Hisham ibn Hakam narrates: A zindiq (heretic) asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and said: "What is the origin and root of kihanah (soothsaying)? And from where are people told about the future?" The Imam said: "In the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era), during the period of fatrah (the interval between prophets), kihanah came into being. The kahin (soothsayer) was in the position of a judge and arbitrator."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Basir narrates: A person asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "For what reason did Allah send the prophets and messengers (to the people)?" His Holiness said: "So that after the sending of the messengers, the people would have no argument against Allah, and so that they would not say: 'No bearer of good news or warner came to us,' and so that Allah's proof over them would be complete. And the witness to this statement is the word of the Truth, the Mighty and Majestic, who narrates from the tongue of the guardians of Hell their argument against the people of the Fire thus: أَلَمْ یَأْتِکُمْ نَذِیرٌ* قالُوا بَلی قَدْ جاءَنا نَذِیرٌ فَکَذَّبْنا وَ قُلْنا ما نَزَّلَ اللهُ مِنْ شَیْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا فِی ضَلالٍ کَبِیرٍ [Did no warner come to you?! They will say: Yes, indeed, a warner came to us, but we belied him and said: Allah has not sent down anything; you are only in great error.] (Al-Mulk/9)."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): At that time the messengers will be made to stand, and they will be questioned about the delivery of the messages they carried to their communities, and they will report that they conveyed the messages to their communities. Then the communities will be questioned, and they will deny it — as Allah the Exalted said: "فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِینَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَیْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِینَ [Then most certainly We will question those to whom (the messengers) were sent, and most certainly We will question the messengers]." (Al-A'raf/6) They will say: "No giver of good news and no warner came to us." Then the messengers will call the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) as witness, and he will testify to the truthfulness of the messengers and the falsehood of the denying communities, and he will say to each of those communities: "Yes, indeed, a giver of good news and a warner came to you, and Allah has power over all things" — meaning He has the power to take testimony from your limbs against you that the messengers delivered their messages to you. That is why Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): "فَکَیْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ کُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِیدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِکَ عَلَى هَؤُلَاءِ شَهِیدًا [How will it be then when We bring from every people a witness and bring you as a witness against these?]" (Al-Nisa/41) In that case they will no longer be able to reject his testimony, for they will fear that their mouths will be sealed and their limbs will testify against them regarding their deeds.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): On the Day of Resurrection Allah will gather all people in one place. Then Allah the Exalted will ask the prophets: "Did you convey the message?" They will say: "Yes." Then the communities will be asked, and they will say: "No giver of good news and no warner came to us." Then Allah the Mighty and Majestic — who Himself knows best about this matter — will say to the prophets: "Who are your witnesses?" They will all say: "Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) and his community." So the community of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) will testify to the prophets' delivery of the message, and Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) will endorse their testimony. At that point, they will all believe.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah the Exalted has appointed for each of the limbs and organs of the human being a duty that is not connected to any other organ. One of them is the heart of the human, by which he perceives matters, his understanding and awareness return to it, it resolves difficulties, and it comprehends good and evil. The heart is the commander and ruler of the body. Another of these organs is the tongue, by which he speaks; another is the ear, by which he hears; then the eye, by which he sees; then the hand, by which he takes hold of things; and then the foot, by which he moves. Another is his private part and organ of reproduction, by which he performs marital union and produces offspring. Another is his head, in which his face is set. There is no organ in the body except that Allah has appointed for it a specific duty... It is not so that Allah would place among the limbs and organs of human beings a leader and imam who removes doubt and uncertainty from them and establishes certainty for them — and that imam is the heart of the human — yet leave this neglected in the matter of the proofs [i.e. the Imams]. In the glorious Qur'an He said: فَلِلهِ الْحُجَّةُ الْبالِغَةُ فَلَوْ شاءَ لَهَداکُمْ أَجْمَعِینَ [The conclusive proof belongs to Allah alone; had He willed, He would have guided you all]. (Al-An'am/149) And He said: لِئَلَّا یَکُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَی اللهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ [so that people would have no argument against Allah after the messengers]. (Al-Nisa/165) And He also said: أَنْ تَقُولُوا ما جاءَنا مِنْ بَشِیرٍ وَ لا نَذِیرٍ [lest you say: "There came to us no bringer of good news and no warner"]. And in another verse He said: وَ جَعَلْنا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً یَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا [And We appointed from among them imams [and leaders] who guided [the people] by Our command, since they were patient]. (Al-Sajda/24) After that, He made obligatory upon the people obedience to those in authority, who are the guardians of His religion, just as He had made obligatory obedience to the Messenger (peace be upon him and his family), and He said: أَطِیعُوا اللهَ وَ أَطِیعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَ أُولِی الْأَمْرِ مِنْکُمْ [Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you]. (Al-Nisa/59).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In a lengthy narration it is mentioned that a man from among the disbelievers came to Imam Ali (peace be upon him) and asked him about verses of the Quran that were difficult for him, thinking that these verses contradicted one another. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) answered him, and in the end he became a Muslim. Among the things he said... As for the word of Allah the Exalted: يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَ الْمَلائِكَةُ صَفًّا لا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمنُ وَ قالَ صَواباً [The day when the Spirit and the angels stand in a row, none shall speak except him to whom the Most Merciful gives permission, and he says what is right] (Naba/38), and they say: وَ اللهِ رَبِّنا ما كُنَّا مُشْرِكِينَ [By Allah, our Lord, we were not polytheists] (An'am/23), and: on the Day of Resurrection you will deny one another and curse one another (Ankabut/25), and: this quarrel of the people of Hell with one another is something that will truly occur (Sad/64), and: do not dispute in My presence, for I had already warned you of the punishment beforehand (Qaf/28), and: today We shall set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us and their feet will bear witness to what they used to do (Ya-Sin/65). Each of these belongs to one of the stations of that Day whose length is fifty thousand years... Then they gather in other stations, and there the friends of Allah and His chosen ones are made to speak, and none speaks except him to whom the Most Merciful gives permission, and he says what is good. At that time the messengers are made to stand, and they are asked about delivering the messages they carried to their nations, and they report that they have delivered the messages to their nations. Then the nations are asked, and they deny it, just as Allah the Exalted said: فَلَنَسْئَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَ لَنَسْئَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ [Indeed, We shall question those to whom the messengers were sent, and We shall also question the messengers] (A'raf/6). They say: no bearer of glad tidings and no warner came to us. Then the messengers take the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) as their witness, and he bears witness to the truthfulness of the messengers and to the lying of the denying nations, and says to each of those nations: 'Yes, indeed a bearer of glad tidings and a warner came to you, and Allah has power over all things.' That is, He is able to make your own limbs bear witness against you that the messengers delivered their messages to you; this is why Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): فَكَيْفَ إِذا جِئْنا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَ جِئْنا بِكَ عَلى هؤُلاءِ شَهِيداً [How then will it be when We bring from every nation a witness, and We bring you as a witness against these people?] (Nisa/41). At that point they will no longer be able to reject his testimony, because they fear that Allah will set a seal upon their mouths and that their limbs will bear witness against them concerning what they used to do.