سورة النجم

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَأَوْحی إِلی عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحی [And He revealed to His servant what He revealed]; meaning revelation face to face.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): In the presence of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) there was talk of the beginning of the adhan and its story on the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) mi'raj, until it reached Sidrat al-Muntaha. He said: "Sidrat al-Muntaha said to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): 'No creature has ever passed beyond me before you.' Then he recited the verse: ثُمَّ دَنا فَتَدَلَّی. فَکانَ قابَ قَوْسَیْنِ أَوْ أَدْنی. فَأَوْحی إِلی عَبْدِهِ ما أَوْحی [Then he drew near and came down, so he was at a distance of two bows' length or nearer, and He revealed to His servant what He revealed]." He said: "Then the record of the Companions of the Right and the Companions of the Left was placed at the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) disposal, and He said: He took the book of the Companions of the Right in his right hand and opened it, and saw in it the names of the people of Paradise and the names of their fathers and their tribes. He said: Allah said to him: آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِما أُنْزِلَ إِلَیْهِ مِنْ رَبِّهِ [The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord] (al-Baqarah/285)." The Imam said: "The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) replied: وَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ کُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَ مَلائِکَتِهِ وَ کُتُبِهِ وَ رُسُلِهِ [and so have all the believers — each has believed in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers] (al-Baqarah/285). The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: رَبَّنا لا تُؤاخِذْنا إِنْ نَسِینا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنا [Our Lord! Do not take us to task if we forget or make a mistake!] (al-Baqarah/286). In reply Allah said: 'I have accepted.' Again the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) submitted: رَبَّنا وَ لا تُحَمِّلْنا ما لا طاقَةَ لَنا بِهِ وَ اعْفُ عَنَّا [Our Lord! Do not lay upon us that which we have no strength to bear! And wash away from us the traces of sin! Forgive us and place us in Your mercy! You are our Master and Guardian, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people!] (al-Baqarah/286). Allah was saying: 'I have accepted.'" Then he said: "The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) closed the record and took it in his right hand, then opened the writing of the Companions of the Left, in which were the names of the people of Hell and the names of their fathers and their tribes." The Imam said: "The noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: رَبِّ إِنَّ هؤُلاءِ قَوْمٌ لا یُؤْمِنُونَ [My Lord! Indeed these are a people who do not believe] (al-Zukhruf/88). Allah said: فَاصْفَحْ عَنْهُمْ وَ قُلْ سَلامٌ فَسَوْفَ یَعْلَمُونَ [So [now that it is so] turn away from them and say: 'Peace be upon you,' but they will soon know!] (al-Zukhruf/89)." He said: "When he finished the intimate discourse with his Lord, he went towards Bayt al-Ma'mur; then he recounted the story of the House and the prayer within it; then he came down, and both writings were with him, and he placed them at the disposal of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): فَأَوْحَی إِلَی عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَی [And He revealed to His servant what He revealed]; the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was asked about the content of this revelation. He said: 'It was revealed to me that Ali (peace be upon him) is the master and chief of the believers, the imam of the pious, the leader of the radiant, bright-faced ones (ghurr al-muhajjalin), and the first successor to the Seal of the Prophets.' Then the people began to talk about this and said: 'Is this statement from Allah or from His Messenger?' So Allah said to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): tell them: مَا کَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَی [The heart was not untrue in what it saw]. Then He repeated the same meaning with different wording and said: أَ فَتُمَارُونَهُ عَلَی مَا یَرَی [Will you then dispute with him about what he sees?]. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to them: 'Concerning him I have received an instruction other than this — I have been ordered to appoint him as imam of the people and to say to them: This is your guardian (wali) after me. He is like a ship at the time of the flood: whoever boards it is saved, and whoever leaves it drowns.'