سورة الذاريات

Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him): O people of Basra, I swear to you, the rebuke with which I began was nothing but a reminder and admonition for what is to come, so that you do not rush to rise up as you rose up before. Allah said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers]. And what I mentioned of praise and commendation for you after the reminder and admonition was not out of any fear I had of you, nor out of any desire for anything you possess.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): The admonitory letter of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) to Muhammad ibn Muslim al-Zuhri: Do not think that I intend to rebuke you, censure you, or reproach you; rather my intention is that Allah revive the insight of yours which has been lost, and restore to you what has slipped from your religion. I called to mind this verse: وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers]. Have you forgotten those of your friends and peers who have passed away, and you have remained alone after them? See — were they afflicted as you have been afflicted, or did they fall into what you have fallen into, or do you see them?

Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them): When the people denied the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Allah the Blessed and Exalted resolved to destroy all the people of the earth except Ali (peace be upon him), and thus He says: فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَمَا أَنْتَ بِمَلُومٍ [Then turn your back upon them for you are not to blame]. But afterwards bada' occurred for Him and He had mercy on the believers, and He said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): وَذَكِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّكْرَى تَنْفَعُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ [And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah, Blessed and Exalted, said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَما أَنْتَ بِمَلُومٍ [So turn away from them, for you are not to be blamed]; Allah decided to punish the people of the earth, then bada (a change in the divine decree) occurred for Allah and mercy was sent down, and He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! And continue to remind, for indeed the reminder profits the believers."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Allah intended to destroy the people upon the earth, and He said to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family): "Turn away from them, you will not be blamed." Then bada (a change in the divine decree) occurred regarding this matter and He sent down this verse: وَ ذَکِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّکْری تَنْفَعُ المُؤْمِنِینَ [And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): He said to Sulayman al-Marwazi: Allah the Mighty and Majestic has two kinds of knowledge; one is the stored and hidden knowledge which is kept in the treasury, concealed from everyone, and no one besides Allah knows it — and bada arises from it. And another knowledge which He taught to His angels and His prophets (peace be upon them), so the scholars from the Ahl al-Bayt of His Prophet (peace be upon them) know it. Sulayman said: "I would love that you extract this for me from the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic." The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "The saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): فَتَوَلَّ عَنْهُمْ فَما أَنْتَ بِمَلُومٍ [So turn away from them, for you are not to be blamed]," and the Imam (peace be upon him) said: "He intended their destruction, then after that bada occurred for Allah and He said: وَ ذَکِّرْ فَإِنَّ الذِّکْری تَنْفَعُ الْمؤْمِنِینَ [And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers]."