سورة الأعراف

Imam Rida (peace be upon him) — Harith ibn Dilhath says: I heard Imam Rida (peace be upon him) saying: "A believer does not reach the level of the perfection of faith unless three qualities are in him: a practice from his Lord, one from the Prophet, and another from his Imam. As for the practice he must have from Allah, it is concealing his secret; Allah the Exalted says in this verse: عالِمُ الْغَیْبِ فَلا یُظْهِرُ عَلی غَیْبِهِ أَحَداً إِلَّا مَنِ ارْتَضی مِنْ رَسُولٍ [He is the Knower of the Unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone except the messengers whom He has chosen] (Jinn/27). The practice of the Prophet is dealing kindly with people. Allah has said: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]. And the practice of the Imam is patience in hardships and troubles."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah trained His Prophet until, when He had established him just as He wanted, He said to him: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) did so, [Allah purified him] and said: وَ إِنَّکَ لَعَلی خُلُقٍ عَظِیمٍ [And indeed you have a great and outstanding character!] (Qalam/4).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah trained His Prophet until, when He had established him just as He wanted, He said to him: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]. Then, when He had purified him, He entrusted His religion to him and said: ما آتاکُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَ ما نَهاکُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا [Whatever the Messenger of Allah has brought you, take it (and act upon it), and whatever he has forbidden you from, refrain from it] (Hashr/7).

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): Allah, the Mighty and Great, trained His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in the best manner and said: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]. When the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) preserved what he had been commanded, Allah said: ما آتاکُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَ ما نَهاکُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُوا [Whatever the Messenger of Allah has brought you, take it (and act upon it), and whatever he has forbidden you from, refrain from it] (Hashr/7).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Be aware that the good things of this world and the hereafter are gathered in three phrases from the Book of Allah: خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]. Its interpretation is that you connect with those who have cut you off, forgive those who have wronged you, and give to those who have deprived you.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah commanded His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to act in accordance with the best moral virtues, and in the Quran there is no verse that gathers all the moral virtues in itself more than this verse.

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): He said to Jibra'il (peace be upon him): "What is al-'afw (forgiveness)?" He said: "It is that you connect with the one who has cut you off, give to the one who has deprived you, and pardon the one who has wronged you." When he did that, Allah revealed to him: إِنَّکَ لَعَلی خُلُقٍ عَظِیمٍ [Indeed, you are of a great character] (Al-Qalam/4).

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): [When this verse was revealed,] the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) asked Jibra'il (peace be upon him): "What is the meaning of this verse?" He said: "I do not know unless I ask Allah." When he asked Allah and returned, he said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! In this verse Allah has commanded you to connect with the one who has cut you off, to give to the one who has deprived you and not deprive him, and to forgive everyone who has wronged you."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Indeed Allah disciplined His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) [in the best manner]. So He said: "O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Act with forgiveness and forbearance, call to what is fitting, and turn away from the ignorant (and do not quarrel with them)]." Take from them what is apparent and what is easy, and al-'afw (forgiveness) is the middle course.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Beware of striking a Muslim, or a Jew, or a Christian for a dirham of kharaj (land tax), or of selling a working animal for a dirham, for our command [from the Sacred Law] is that we take from them the surplus (of what exceeds their expenses, and not the principal of their wealth).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Allah disciplined His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and when He had established him as He wished, He said to him: "وَأْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [and enjoin what is right and turn away from the ignorant]" — up to where He said: Allah forbade khamr (wine), and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbade every intoxicant, and Allah gave the Prophet permission for that.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): خُذِ الْعَفْوَ وَ أْمُرْ بِالْعُرْفِ وَ أَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْجاهِلِینَ [Take to forgiveness and enjoin good and turn aside from the ignorant]; [enjoin what is right] means: enjoin wilayah.