سورة الأنعام

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَ لَا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَی [And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another] means: no one takes upon himself the sin of another.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Abd al-Salam al-Harawi said: I said to Imam Rida (peace be upon him): 'What do you say concerning this hadith which is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "When Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) rises, he will kill the descendants of the killers of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on account of the deeds of their fathers"?' He said: 'Yes, it is so.' I said: 'Then what is the meaning of this word of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: وَ لاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَی [And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]?' He said: 'Allah the Exalted speaks the truth in all His words; but the descendants of the killers of Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) are pleased with the deeds of their fathers and boast of them, and whoever is pleased with a deed is like the one who did it. If a man were killed in the East and another man in the West were pleased with his killing, the one who was pleased would be, in the sight of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, a partner of the killer. And Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), when he rises, will kill them only because of their pleasure in the deed of their fathers.' I said to him: 'With whom will Imam al-Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance), who is of your household, begin when he rises?' He said: 'He will begin with Banu Shayba and will cut off their hands, for they are the thieves of the House of Allah the Mighty and Majestic.'

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): In the Tafsir of Imam Askari (peace be upon him) it is narrated: Once Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was describing the state of that group from Bani Israel who had been transformed, meaning they had been changed from human form... Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) says: When Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) narrated this hadith, some of the people who were in the gathering of that noble one said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! How is it that Allah reproaches and rebukes the later generations of those persons who committed these vile deeds, while in the Quran He says: وَ لا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْری [And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]?" Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) replied to him: "Since the Quran was revealed in the Arabic language, it therefore addresses them according to their own tongue and idiom. For example, in the language of the tribe of Tamim, when reproaching a man whose tribe has plundered a city and killed its people, they say: 'You plundered such-and-such city.' Likewise the Arab says: 'We did such-and-such to the tribe of so-and-so, and we destroyed such-and-such city.' Their meaning by these statements is not that they themselves personally carried out these deeds; rather, their intention is to reproach others. And another group's intention is to boast about their own tribe. Allah's intention in this verse is to rebuke their forefathers and to place them themselves in the position of reproach; because this is the very language and idiom according to which the Quran was revealed. On the other hand, their generation is content with the conduct of their fathers and forefathers and approves their deeds. So it is permissible to say to them: 'You have done these deeds,' because you are content with their ugly conduct."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated that a pregnant woman who had committed adultery was brought before Umar, and he ordered her to be stoned. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said to him: "You have authority over her, but what authority do you have over the child in her womb? And Allah the Exalted says: وَ لاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَی [And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]." Umar said: "May I not live to face a problem for whose solution Abu al-Hasan (peace be upon him) is not present." Then he said: "What should I do with her?" The Imam said: "Be patient with her (Taha/132), until her child is born; when it is born and someone is found to take care of it, then carry out the hadd punishment on her." Umar's distress was removed, and in the ruling he relied on Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated that a pregnant woman committed adultery. Umar ordered her to be stoned. Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) said to him: "You may have authority over her, but do you have any authority over what is in her womb?" — while Allah the Exalted says: وَ لاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَی [and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]. He said: "Then what should I do with her?" He said: "Wait until her child is born. When it is born and a guardian is found for it, then carry out the hadd (prescribed punishment) upon her!" When the child was born, the woman died. Umar said: "Had it not been for Ali, Umar would have perished."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): These are the ordinances of religion for one who wishes to hold fast to them and whose guidance Allah has willed... Allah has not imposed a duty upon any soul except according to its capacity (Baqarah/286), and He does not place upon it a burden beyond its capability. The deeds of the servants are created by Allah's creation of decree (taqdir), not creation of bringing into being (takwin). And Allah is the Creator of everything, and it is neither compulsion (jabr) nor delegation (tafwid). And Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not seize an innocent person for the sin of another.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Ma'mun sent [his minister] Fadl ibn Sahl Dhu al-Ri'asatayn to Imam Rida (peace be upon him) with this message: "I would like you to compile for me a summary of the lawful and the unlawful, and the obligatory and the recommended acts, since you are the proof of Allah upon His creation, and the foundation and source of knowledge." So Imam Rida (peace be upon him) called for an inkpot and paper and said to Fadl: "Write: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیم [In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful]; the deeds of the servants are created, but by creation of decree [taqdir — in which the will of the servant also plays a role], not by creation of bringing into being [takwin — which would be by compulsion, like other created things]. Do not hold to compulsion (jabr), nor to delegation (tafwid). Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not punish the innocent for the crime of the sinful, nor children and offspring for the crime of their fathers. He Himself has said: وَ لا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْری [and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]. And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for (Najm/39), and Allah forgives and does not oppress."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Shadhan said: Ma'mun asked Imam Rida (peace be upon him) to write for him the essence of Islam in brief. The Imam (peace be upon him) wrote: ... The deeds of the servants have been created by the creation of decree and measure (taqdir), not the creation of bringing into being and giving existence (takwin). And Allah is the Creator of everything, and we hold neither to compulsion (jabr) nor to delegation (tafwid). And Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not seize the sound person for the sick — that is, He does not call the innocent to account for the guilty; and Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not punish children for the sins of their fathers, for indeed in His firm Book He has said: وَ لا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْری [and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another]. And He has also said: And that man shall have nothing but what he strives for (Najm/39). And it is befitting for Allah the Mighty and Majestic that He pardons and grants favour, and it is not befitting for Him that He should oppress.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Whoever believes in predestination (jabr), do not give him anything from zakat and do not accept his testimony. Indeed Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has said: Allah does not burden any soul except according to its capacity. (Baqarah/286), وَ لا تَکْسِبُ کُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَیْها وَ لا تَزِرُ وازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْری [and no soul earns (evil) but against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another].