سورة الأعراف

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abdullah ibn Sinan narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that regarding the verse: وَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسی أُمَّةٌ یَهْدُونَ بِالحَقِّ وَ بِهِ یَعْدِلُونَ [And of Musa's people was a party who guided with the truth, and thereby did they do justice], he said: "The people of Musa (peace be upon him) are the people of Islam."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Qaim (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) of the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) appears, he will bring out twenty-seven men from behind the Kaaba; they are fifteen from the people of Musa (peace be upon him) who guide to the truth and by it establish justice, and seven from the Companions of the Cave, and Yusha the successor of Musa (peace be upon him), and the believer of the family of Pharaoh, and Salman al-Farsi (may Allah have mercy on him), and Abu Dujana al-Ansari (may Allah have mercy on him), and Malik al-Ashtar (may Allah have mercy on him).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When the Qa'im of the family of Muhammad (may Allah hasten his noble relief) appears, he will bring out twenty-seven men from behind Kufa. Fourteen of them are from the people of Musa (peace be upon him), and they are those about whom Allah the Exalted said: "And of Musa's people is a community who guide by the truth and by it establish justice"; and eight are the People of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf); and al-Miqdad, Jabir al-Ansari, the believer of the family of Fir'awn, and Yusha' ibn Nun the successor (wasi) of Musa (peace be upon him).

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Abu al-Suhban al-Bakri said: I heard Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) — he had summoned the Ras al-Jalut [head of the Jews] and the Bishop of the Christians — and he said: "I have a question to ask you, and I know it better than you do, so do not conceal it from me. O Ras al-Jalut! By the One who sent down the Tawrat upon Musa (peace be upon him), and fed you with manna and quail, and opened for you a dry path through the sea, and caused twelve springs to gush forth for you from the rock of al-Tur — a spring for each tribe of the Bani Isra'il — inform me: into how many sects were the Bani Isra'il divided after Musa (peace be upon him)?" He said: "One sect." He (peace be upon him) said: "By Allah, besides whom there is no god, you have lied. Rather they were divided into seventy-one sects, and all of them are in the Fire except one; for Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: 'And of Musa's people is a community who guide by the truth and by it establish justice.' It is this community that is saved."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Sadir al-Sayrafi said: I heard Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) saying: "O Abu al-Fadl! Indeed I know a man from the people of Madina who, before sunrise and before sunset, went [by tayy al-ard, the folding of the earth] to that group about whom Allah says: 'A community who guide by the truth and by it establish justice,' because there was a dispute among them, and he reconciled them and returned without resting. He passed the Euphrates and drank a little water from it, then passed by your house and knocked on your door (the door of Sadir), then returned to his home and did not sit down [during all this time]."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Mas'ada ibn Sadaqa said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked about enjoining good and forbidding evil: "Is it obligatory upon all people?" He said: "No, it is not obligatory upon everyone." It was said: "Why?" He said: "Enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory upon those who are knowledgeable in distinguishing good from evil and who are powerful and have standing and status in society — not upon those who are weak and find no way to guidance and do not recognise falsehood from truth. The proof of this from the Book of Allah is this saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ لْتَکُنْ مِنْکُمْ أُمَّةٌ یَدْعُونَ إِلَی الْخَیْرِ وَ یَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ یَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْکَرِ [Let there be from among you a group who invite to good and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong!] (Al Imran/104). The addressees of this verse are specific, not general, just as Allah has said: وَ مِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسَی أُمَّةٌ یَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَ بِهِ یَعْدِلُونَ [And of Musa's people was a group who guided with the truth and thereby did justice]. There He did not say that this act was obligatory upon the ummah of Musa (peace be upon him) or upon all his people, whereas on that day the ummah of Musa (peace be upon him) were of various groups, and 'ummah' is said of one person or more. Just as Allah the Mighty and Majestic has said: 'Ibrahim [alone] was an ummah, obedient to the command of Allah, free of any deviation, and he was not of the polytheists.' (Nahl/120) He was obedient to Allah. So when a person knows this in tranquility and does not have the necessary strength, numbers and obedience [supporting him], enjoining good is not obligatory upon him."