سورة التوبة

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) was asked about the mutashabih (ambiguous) in the interpretation of fitna. He said: "... And among them is the fitna of disbelief. ... And likewise the word of Allah the Glorified concerning a group of the hypocrites who, in the Battle of Tabuk, sought permission from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) to stay back from the battle: مَنْ یَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِی وَ لا تَفْتِنِّی أَلا فِی الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا [Among them is he who says: Allow me and do not try me. Surely into trial they have already tumbled down] — that is, give me permission and do not call me a disbeliever; then Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: أَلا فِی الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَ إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِیطَةٌ بِالْکافِرِین [Surely into trial they have already tumbled down, and indeed hell encompasses the disbelievers]."

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) met Jadd ibn Qays and said to him: "O Abu Wahb! Will you not come out with us in this expedition?" ... [He said]: "Do not put me in trial, and give me permission to stay behind." He also said to a group of his people: "Do not go out in this heat." His son said to him: "You answer the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) in such a way and speak with him like this, then you tell your people: do not set out in the heat?! By Allah, the Lord will send down a verse about this that people will recite until the Day of Resurrection." So Allah sent down this verse to His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) concerning this matter: وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ یَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِی وَ لا تَفْتِنِّی أَلا فِی الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَ إِنَّ جهنّم لَمُحِیطَةٌ بِالْکافِرِینَ [And among them there is he who says: Allow me and do not try me. Surely into trial have they already tumbled down, and most surely hell encompasses the disbelievers]. Then Jadd ibn Qays said: "Does Muhammad think that war with the Romans is like war with others? None of these will ever return alive."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Those verses whose occurrence took place at the very time of their revelation. ... An example of this is the statement of Allah the Exalted: "And establish the prayer, and pay the zakat." (Baqarah/43) But the people are not independent of the explanation and interpretation of it from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), so that he may explain the limits of the prayer, its manner, its number, its bowings and prostrations, its times, and everything connected with it. Zakat, fasting, Hajj and the other obligations are likewise: Allah the Glorified has referred to them in the Qur'an in a brief and summary form, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) is their interpreter and teaches the people how to perform them. For this reason it is obligatory upon him to tell the ummah who al-Sadiqin (the truthful ones) are, and likewise the Shajarah Mal'unah [the cursed tree] which We have mentioned in the Qur'an: "We warn them, but it only increases them in great tyranny!" (Isra/60). ... And another example is the statement of Allah the Exalted: وَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ یَقُولُ ائْذَنْ لِی وَ لا تَفْتِنِّی أَلا فِی الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَ إِنَّ جهنّم لَمُحِیطَةٌ بِالْکافِرِینَ [And among them there is he who says: Allow me and do not try me. Surely into trial have they already tumbled down, and most surely hell encompasses the unbelievers]. ... It is obligatory upon the people to know concerning whom these verses were revealed, and who those are upon whom Allah the Exalted has become wrathful, so that they may know them by their names and disavow them and not take them as friend or guardian.

Lady Zahra (peace be upon her) — Abdullah ibn al-Hasan, with his chain from his forefathers (peace be upon them), narrated thus: When Abu Bakr resolved collectively to withhold Fadak from Fatima (peace be upon her) ... [Fatima (peace be upon her)] began her speech with the praise and thanks of Allah and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Then she said: 'O people! Know that I am Fatima and my father is Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) ... you came under the mercy of Allah, and He delivered you through His Prophet from all this baseness and destruction, after those calamities had befallen you ... Now that Allah the Exalted has transferred His Prophet to the abode of the prophets and His chosen ones, the inward rancour among you has appeared, and the garment of religion has become worn and lustreless, and the mute misguided one has begun to speak, and the obscure and unknown has become renowned, and the leader of the people of falsehood has raised his ugly voice and stepped into your arena. And Satan, with cunning and deception, stirred you up and called you, and heard from you a positive response, and found you an easy target and ready to serve his commands. He roused you to anger and attained his goal, and you lost the balance of action and went astray, and sat in a place that was not yours and came to a watering place that was not yours. And this while no time [since the Prophet's death] had passed, and the wound was wide and deep and had not yet healed, and the noble body of the Prophet had not yet been laid to rest in the grave, when you greedily made turmoil and claimed that these acts of yours were to prevent fitna (sedition). Be aware that they have [already] fallen into sin, أَلا فِی الْفِتْنَةِ سَقَطُوا وَ إِنَّ جَهَنَّمَ لَمُحِیطَةٌ بِالْکافِرِینَ [Surely into trial have they already tumbled down, and most surely hell encompasses the unbelievers]. These deeds are far from you — how does this matter come from you, and how do you lie?'