سورة الأنعام

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Allah the Mighty and Majestic created the hearts and bodies of the prophets from the clay of Illiyyin, and He created the hearts of the believers from that same clay, and He created the bodies of the believers from something lower than that. He created the hearts and bodies of the disbelievers from Sijjin, and He mixed the two clays together. That is why a believer gives birth to a disbeliever and a disbeliever gives birth to a believer, and from this it comes that the believer commits a bad deed and the disbeliever performs a good deed. The hearts of the believers long for that from which they were created, and the hearts of the disbelievers long for that from which they were created.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The clays are of three kinds: the clay of the prophets (peace be upon them), from which the believer is also created, except that the prophets (peace be upon them) are formed from its choicest part; they are the root and their excellence stands, and the believers are the branch. They are formed from مِنْ طِینٍ لازِبٍ [sticky clay] (Saffat/11). Therefore Allah the Mighty and Majestic does not separate between the prophets and their followers. The clay of the nasibi is from حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ [foul-smelling mud], and the clay of the mustad'afin (the weak and oppressed) is from تُراب [dust]. The believer does not turn back from his faith, nor does the nasibi turn from his hostility, and the fate of the mustad'afin depends on the will of Allah.

Imam Sadiq — Salih ibn Sahl said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "May I be your ransom! From what did Allah the Mighty and Majestic create the clay (tinat) of the believer?" He said: "From the clay of the prophets (peace be upon them); as a result, it never becomes impure or defiled."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah the Mighty and Majestic took a clay from Paradise and a clay from the Fire, and mixed them both together. Then He separated this from that, and that from this [and created the believers from the clay of Paradise and the disbelievers from the clay of the Fire]. So whatever trustworthiness, good character and good conduct you have seen in these people (the enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them)) is because of the clay of Paradise having touched them, and they will return to that from which they were created. And whatever lack of trustworthiness, bad character and corruption you have seen in these people (the Shia) is because of the clay of the Fire having touched them, and they will return to that from which they were created.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him)- Abu Ishaq al-Laythi said: Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created all things from nothing [and from non-existence]; and among the things that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created was a pure land. Then He brought forth from it sweet, clear water, and He presented upon it [that land] the wilayah of us, the Ahl al-Bayt; so it accepted it, and [Allah] made that water flow over it for seven days until it covered it and filled it. Then He removed that water from it and took from the choicest of that clay a clay, and made it the clay of the Imams (peace be upon them). Then He took the sediment of that clay and from it created our Shia. And if He had left your clay in its own state, as He left our clay [in its own state], you and we would have been one thing." I said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What did He do with our clay?" He said: "O Ibrahim! I will tell you. After that, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created a salty, foul, evil-smelling land. Then He brought forth from it bitter, stinking, salty water and presented upon it [that land] the wilayah of us, the Ahl al-Bayt, but it did not accept it. And [Allah] made the water flow over it for seven days until it covered it and filled it. Then He removed that water from it. Then He took from that clay and from it created the oppressors and their leaders. Then He mixed it with the sediment of your clay. And if He had left their clay in its own state and had not mixed it with your clay, they would not have uttered the two testimonies, nor would they have prayed, nor fasted, nor given zakat, nor performed hajj, nor discharged a trust, nor would they have resembled you in appearance. And there is nothing greater upon a believer than to see the face of his enemy like his own face." I said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What did He do with the two clays?" He said: "He mixed the two with the first water and the second water. Then He kneaded it like the kneading of leather. Then He took a handful of it and said: 'This is for Paradise, and I do not care.' And He took another handful and said: 'This is for the Fire of Hell, and I do not care.' Then He mixed the two together, and from the essence of the believer and his clay fell upon the essence of the disbeliever and his clay, and from the essence of the disbeliever and his clay fell upon the essence of the believer and his clay. So whatever you have seen of our Shia — of zina (fornication) or liwat (sodomy), or abandonment of prayer or fasting or hajj or jihad, or treachery, or any of these major sins — that is from the clay of the nasibi (hater of the Ahl al-Bayt) and his substance that has been mixed with it; because it is of the essence of the nasibi and his substance and his tinah (nature) to commit sins and grave indecencies and major sins. And whatever you have seen of the nasibi in his diligence upon prayer, fasting, hajj, jihad, and the various kinds of good deeds — that is from the clay of the believer and his essence that has been mixed with him; because it is of the essence of the believer, his substance and his clay to perform good deeds and to act in goodness and to keep away from sins. And when all these deeds are presented [on the Day of Resurrection] to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, He says: 'I am Just — I do not act unjustly; and Equitable — I do not oppress; and a Judge — I do not oppress and I do not wrong and I do not deviate from the truth. Attach the evil deeds that the believer has done to the essence of the nasibi and his tinah, and attach the good deeds that the nasibi has done to the essence of the believer and his tinah. Return them all to their origin; for I am Allah — there is no god but Me! I am the Knower of secrets and even of what is more hidden than that, and I am aware of the hearts of My servants; I do not act unjustly, I do not oppress, and I do not bind anyone except by what I knew of him before I created him.'" Then Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "O Ibrahim, recite this verse!" I said: "O son of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Which verse?" He said: "The words of Allah the Exalted: قالَ مَعاذَ اللهِ أَنْ نَأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَنْ وَجَدْنا مَتاعَنا عِنْدَهُ إِنَّا إِذاً لَظالِمُونَ [He said: 'Allah forbid that we should take other than him with whom we found our property; indeed, we would then be wrongdoers.'] (Yusuf/79). Outwardly it is what you understand, and — by Allah — inwardly it is precisely this [which I have said]."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Ishaq al-Qummi said: I came into the presence of Imam Baqir (peace be upon him). ... He said: "O Ishaq! Since Allah the Mighty and Majestic is alone in His oneness, He originated created things from nothing. He caused sweet water to flow over a pure and wholesome earth for seven days and seven nights, then He drained that water from it and took a handful of the finest part of that clay — and that was the clay (tinat) of us, the Ahl al-Bayt — and He took a handful from beneath that clay, which was the clay of our Shi'a, and then He chose us for Himself. Had the clay of our Shi'a been left as our own clay was left, not one of them would have committed adultery, nor stolen, nor committed sodomy, nor drunk wine, nor done any of the things you have mentioned. But Allah the Mighty and Majestic caused salty water to flow over an accursed earth for seven days and seven nights, then He drained that water from it and took a handful of it — and that is the accursed clay from black, stinking mud, and it is the corrupt clay, which is the clay of our enemies. Had Allah the Mighty and Majestic left their clay in the state in which He took it, [now you] would not see them in the form of human beings, and they would not affirm the two testimonies, nor fast, nor perform prayer, nor pay zakat, nor make the pilgrimage to the House of Allah, and you would not see any of them possessed of good character. But Allah, Blessed and Exalted, brought those two clays — that is, your clay and their clay — together, and mixed them, and rubbed them together as leather is rubbed, and blended them with the two waters. Whatever evil speech, or adultery, or other things you mentioned such as drinking wine and the like, that you see from your brother, is not from his essence nor from his faith; rather it is the rubbing of the [clay of the] hostile enemy against him that has caused him to commit these evil deeds you mentioned. And whatever fair countenance, good character, fasting, prayer, pilgrimage to the House of Allah, charity and good deeds you mentioned that you see from the hostile enemy, is not from his essence; these deeds are only due to the rubbing of faith [against him], and he performed them because of the rubbing of faith." I said: "May I be your ransom! When the Day of Resurrection comes, what will happen?" He said: "O Ishaq! Does Allah gather good and evil in one place!? When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah the Mighty and Majestic will draw [the effect of] the rubbing of faith out of them and return it to our Shi'a, and He will draw [the effect of] the rubbing of the opponents, together with all the evil deeds they have done, out of them and return it to our enemies. And [in this way] everything will return to the original element from which [its creation] began. Have you not seen the sun when it rises? In your view, is that ray [of the sun] which pains the eye joined to it, or separated from it?" I said: "May I be your ransom! When it sets, the ray that pains the eye returns to it in the same manner as it came out of it; and had it been separated from it, it would not have returned to it." He said: "O Ishaq! Everything returns to the essence from which it began." I said: "Are their good deeds taken and returned to us, and our evil deeds taken and returned to them?" He said: "Yes, by Allah, other than whom there is no god, [it is so]." I said: "Can I find this also in the Book of Allah the Mighty and Majestic?" He said: "Yes, O Ishaq." I said: "In what part of it?" He said to me: "O Ishaq! Do you not recite this verse: فَأُولئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللهُ سَيِّئاتِهِمْ حَسَناتٍ وَ كانَ اللهُ غَفُوراً رَحِيماً [For those, Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds, and Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful] (al-Furqan/70)!? Allah does not change evil deeds into good deeds except for you; Allah does this only for you."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Humran said: I asked him about the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: قَضی أَجَلاً وَ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّی عِنْدَهُ [He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him]. He said: "They are two terms; a definite term and a suspended, conditional term."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Humran said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the word of Allah: قَضی أَجَلاً وَ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّی عِنْدَهُ [He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him]. He said: "They are two terms: a suspended term in which Allah does whatever He wills, and a definite term."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The decreed term (ajal maqdi — firm and established) is the same as the definite term which Allah has made firm, established and decisive; and the "named term" (ajal musamma) is the one in which bada' [and change] exists — He brings forward what He wills and delays what He wills, while in the definite term there is no bringing forward nor delaying.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The term that is not named is suspended; whatever of it He wills He brings forward and whatever of it He wills He delays. As for the named term, it is the term which is sent down and He wills that it occur from one Laylat al-Qadr to [a Laylat al-Qadr] like it in the coming year, and that is the word of Allah: فَإِذا جاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لا یَسْتَأْخِرُونَ ساعَةً وَ لا یَسْتَقْدِمُونَ [when their term comes, they will not delay it by an hour, nor will they advance it]. (Al-A'raf/34).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Humran said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the word of Allah: ثُمَّ قَضی أَجَلاً وَ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّی عِنْدَهُ [then He decreed a term; and there is a term named with Him]. He said: "The 'named' is the term which is named for the Angel of Death on that night, and it is the term about which Allah said: إِذا جاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَلا یَسْتَأْخِرُونَ ساعَةً وَ لا یَسْتَقْدِمُونَ [when their term comes, they will not delay it by an hour, nor will they advance it]. (Al-A'raf/34). And it is the term which on Laylat al-Qadr is made known and specified for the Angel of Death, and in the other term Allah has [freedom of] will — if He wills He brings it forward and if He wills He delays it."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The first term is the one which [Allah] cast towards the angels, the messengers and the prophets [and informed them of the time of death], and the "named term" is with Him, and it is a term which Allah conceals from the creation.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): They are two terms: the decreed term (ajal mahtum) and the suspended term (ajal mawquf). Humran said to him: "What is the decreed one?" He said: "It is the term besides which there is no other [and it does not change]." He said: "And what is the suspended one?" He said: "It is the term in which Allah has [His] will [and if He wishes He changes it]." Humran said: "I hope that the term of the Sufyani is of the suspended kind." Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "No, by Allah, indeed it is of the decreed kind."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): There is no servant except that Allah has set for him two terms, a nearer one and a farther one; so if he maintains ties of kinship for the sake of Allah the Mighty and Majestic, Allah extends him to the farther term, and if he is disobedient and commits injustice, the nearer one is given [to him]. And that is the statement of Allah the Exalted: ثُمَّ قَضی أَجَلًا وَ أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّی عِنْدَهُ [then He decreed a term, and there is a term named with Him].

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Allah did not send any prophet except with the prohibition of wine and the acknowledgement of bada' — meaning that Allah does whatever He wills.