سورة المجادلة

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When the verse یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle] was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) summoned me and said: "In your view, is one dinar suitable for each audience?" I said: "They cannot bear it." He said: "Then how much?" I said: "A grain of barley!" He said: "You are very sparing." Then the verse أَ أَشْفَقْتُمْ أَنْ تُقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقاتٍ [Do you fear to offer charities before your private consultation?] was revealed, and Allah the Exalted, on my account, lifted this burden from the shoulders of the ummah, and this verse was not revealed concerning anyone before me and will not be revealed concerning anyone after me.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): The verse یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle] was revealed exclusively concerning Ali (peace be upon him). He had one dinar which he exchanged for ten dirhams, and each time he went to meet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), he gave one dirham of it in charity, and in this way he had ten private meetings with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Then this verse was abrogated, and no one other than Ali (peace be upon him) ever acted upon it.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse made speaking with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbidden, then it permitted the companions to give charity in order to speak with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). If someone wanted to speak with him, he would give a dirham in charity and then speak with him about what he wished. And it kept people from speaking with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and they were miserly about giving charity before speaking with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). So Ali (peace be upon him) gave in charity a dinar that he had. He sold it for ten dirhams and spoke with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ten times. No one among the Muslims besides him did this.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): I adjure you by Allah! Is there anyone among you other than me concerning whom the verse يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation] was revealed, and it was I who offered the charity? They said: "No."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): The verse يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation] was revealed concerning Ali (peace be upon him). At the time when all the Muslims hid themselves in corners out of fear of spending, Ali (peace be upon him) conversed privately with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ten times, and in each private conversation he spent one dinar in the way of Allah.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): When the verse یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ... [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle...] was revealed, no one could speak privately with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) unless he first gave charity. The first person who gave charity was Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). He had a dinar which he exchanged for ten dirhams, and with it he was able to speak privately with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) ten times.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu Basir said: I asked Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: إِذَا نَاجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُول فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [When you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation]. He said: "Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) gave charity before his private conversation, then that verse was abrogated by this verse: أَأَشْفَقْتُمْ أَن تُقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَاتٍ [Do you fear that you should offer charities before your consultation?]."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah the Exalted sent down to His Prophet the verse یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation]. I had a dinar which I sold for ten dirhams, and whenever I wished to speak privately with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) I would give one dirham in charity beforehand. By Allah! Not a single one of the companions did this, neither before me nor after me. It was then that Allah sent down this verse: أَ أَشْفَقْتُمْ أَنْ تُقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقاتٍ فَإِذْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا وَ تابَ اللهُ عَلَیْکُمْ [Do you fear that you should offer charities before your consultation? So when you did not do it and Allah has turned to you (mercifully)...]. Is repentance for anything other than a sin that has been committed?

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): In the Book of Allah there is a verse which no one has acted upon, neither before me nor after me, and that is the verse of najwa (private conversation): یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): No one other than me acted upon this verse, and for my sake Allah the Exalted lightened the ruling of this verse from this ummah.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah, through me, made things easy for this Ummah, because Allah tested the Companions with this verse. They shrank back from confiding privately with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). The Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) had, in his house, refused private conversation with anyone unless they gave a charity. I had a dinar, and I gave it in charity. By acting upon this verse, I became the reason that Allah turned back to the Muslims and gave them His attention. If no one had acted upon that verse, punishment would have descended, because all of them had refrained from acting upon it.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Allah revealed that no one should speak with me unless he gives a charity, and this matter certainly had no precedent regarding any prophet. Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذینَ آمَنُوا إِذا ناجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدِّمُوا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْواکُمْ صَدَقَةً [O you who believe! when you consult the Apostle, then offer something in charity before your consultation]. But after Allah had made this ruling obligatory upon them, out of His mercy He lifted this ruling from them.