سورة الأنعام

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): فَإِنْ یَکْفُرْ بِها هؤُلاءِ [So if these disbelieve in it] — that is, his companions and Quraysh and those who did not accept the pledge of allegiance to Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him). فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنا بِها قَوْماً [We have already entrusted it to a people] — this refers to the Shia of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): The companions of the master of this affair are preserved for him, and if all people were to perish, Allah would bring his companions to him. They are the ones about whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: فَإِن یَکْفُرْ بِهَا هَؤُلاء فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًا لَّیْسُواْ بِهَا بِکَافِرِینَ [So if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers in it].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman ibn Harun said: I said to the Imam (peace be upon him): Some of the Ijliyya say that the sword of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) is with Abdullah ibn al-Hasan. He said: "By Allah, neither he nor his father saw it with one of his eyes, unless his father saw it in the presence of Husayn (peace be upon him). The master of this affair is preserved and safeguarded for him. Do not turn right or left — by Allah, the matter is clear. By Allah, if the people of the heavens and the earth were to gather to change the station of imamate and place it somewhere other than where Allah has placed it, they would not be able to; and if all people were to disbelieve so that no one remained, Allah would bring a group who believe in the imamate. Have you not heard this verse in which Allah says: 'O you who have believed! Whoever of you turns back from his religion [will not harm Allah at all]; Allah will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him, humble toward the believers, strong and mighty against the disbelievers…' (al-Ma'ida/54), and in another verse He says: فَإِنْ یَکْفُرْ بِها هؤُلاءِ فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنا بِها قَوْماً لَیْسُوا بِها بِکافِرِینَ [So if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers in it]." Then he said: "The people meant in this verse are the very ones mentioned in that verse."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Humran said: I was with Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) when a man came to him and said: "Do you not marvel at Isa ibn Zayd ibn Ali, who claims that he accepts the wilaya of Ali (peace be upon him) only outwardly, and we do not know — perhaps he was worshipping seventy gods besides Allah!" The Imam said: "What should I do? Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: فَإِن یَکْفُرْ بِهَا هَؤُلاء فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنَا بِهَا قَوْمًا لَّیْسُواْ بِهَا بِکَافِرِینَ [So if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers in it]," and he gestured with his hand toward us. So I said: "By Allah, we grasp it well and understand it."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muhammad ibn Hassan said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) reciting this verse: فَإِنْ یَکْفُرْ بِها هؤُلاءِ فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنا بِها قَوْماً لَیْسُوا بِها بِکافِرِینَ [Therefore if these disbelieve in it We have already entrusted with it a people who are not disbelievers in it]. Then he pointed with his hand toward us, and we were a group among whom were Jamil ibn Darraj and others. We said: "Yes, may I be your ransom, by Allah, we do not disbelieve in it."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: "We gave the family of Ibrahim the Book and wisdom and We gave them a great kingdom" [Nisa/54] — [the Jews are also from his household]. The great kingdom is that He placed among them Imams (peace be upon them): whoever obeys them has obeyed Allah, and whoever disobeys them has disobeyed Allah — and [likewise] the Book, wisdom and prophethood. So why do they affirm this in the family of Ibrahim (peace be upon him) but deny it in the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)? O Mu'awiya, if you and your companion and those with you from the rabble of the people of Sham, Yemen and the bedouins, the bedouins of Rabi'a and Mudar, and the harsh ones of the community, disbelieve in it, We appoint others as its guardians who are not disbelievers in it.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Uyayna narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: A people had their sustenance widened for them until they transgressed, and they found stones [for cleaning the body] rough and coarse, so they turned to bread and made from it shapes like stones [to use] in their lavatories. So Allah seized them with years [of drought], and they turned to their foodstuffs and stored them in storehouses. Then Allah sent upon their storehouses something that spoiled it, until they became in need of those breads with which they had been cleaning themselves in their lavatories, and they began to wash them [and eat them]. By Allah, I entered upon Abu al-Abbas while the people had filled the gathering; he extended his hand toward me, and the dining spread was placed before him, and he took my hand. I moved to step toward him, and my foot landed on the edge of the dining spread, and from this act that state which Allah willed to enter upon me entered upon me [and I became distressed]. Allah says: فَإِنْ یَکْفُرْ بِها هؤُلاءِ فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنا بِها قَوْماً لَیْسُوا بِها بِکافِرِینَ [Therefore if these disbelieve in it We have already entrusted with it a people who are not disbelievers in it]; a people who, by Allah, establish the prayer and give the zakat and remember Allah abundantly.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): أُولئِکَ الَّذِینَ آتَیْناهُمُ الْکِتابَ وَ الحُکْمَ وَ النُّبُوَّةَ فَإِنْ یَکْفُرْ بِها هؤُلاءِ فَقَدْ وَکَّلْنا بِها قَوْماً لَیْسُوا بِها بِکافِرِینَ [Those are the ones to whom We gave the Book, the wisdom and the prophethood; so if these disbelieve in it, We have already entrusted it to a people who are not disbelievers in it]; Allah the Exalted, by virtue of the merit, has appointed people from his Ahl al-Bayt — from the fathers, brothers and offspring. And the meaning of the word of Allah the Exalted in His Book is this: if your community disbelieves in it, We make your Ahl al-Bayt the guardians of the faith for which We sent you. And they will never disbelieve in it, and We will not let go to waste the faith for which We sent you. And I have made your Ahl al-Bayt after you a banner for the community and their guardians, and the people who draw out My knowledge — knowledge in which there is no lie, no sin, no burden, no arrogance and no ostentation.