An-Nahl Ayah 125

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وَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ،قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: إِنَّ إِبْرٰاهِيمَ كٰانَ أُمَّةً قٰانِتاً لِلّٰهِ حَنِيفاً :

«سَمَّاهُ اللَّهُ أُمَّةً».

English: From Abu Basir: Abu ‘Abdillah (peace be upon him), regarding His saying, “Surely Ibrahim was an exemplar, obedient to Allah, upright,” said: “Allah named him an ‘umma (a nation/exemplar).”

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وَ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ ظَبْيَانَ،عَنْهُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ): إِنَّ إِبْرٰاهِيمَ كٰانَ أُمَّةً قٰانِتاً :«أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً».

English: And from Yunus b. Zabyan, from him (peace be upon him) [on the verse], “Surely Ibrahim was an exemplar, obedient,” [he said]: “A single umma (a single exemplar).”

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وَ عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ بْنِ مِهْرَانَ،قَالَ:سَمِعْتُ الْعَبْدَ الصَّالِحَ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ) [1]يَقُولُ: «لَقَدْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا،وَ مَا كَانَ فِيهَا إِلاَّ وَاحِدٌ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ،وَ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ غَيْرُهُ إِذَنْ لَأَضَافَهُ إِلَيْهِ حَيْثُ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ إِبْرٰاهِيمَ كٰانَ أُمَّةً قٰانِتاً لِلّٰهِ حَنِيفاً وَ لَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَصَبَرَ بِذَلِكَ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ،ثُمَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى آنَسَهُ بِإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَ إِسْحَاقَ فَصَارُوا ثَلاَثَةً».

English: And from Sama‘ah b. Mihran, who said: I heard the Righteous Servant (peace be upon him) say: “There was a time when in the whole world there was none but a single person worshiping Allah; and had there been another with him, He would have associated him with him when He says, ‘Surely Ibrahim was an exemplar, obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not one of the polytheists.’ He bore that patiently for as long as Allah willed; then Allah, Blessed and Exalted, gave him comfort with Isma‘il and Ishaq, and thus they became three.”

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و قال عليّ بن إبراهيم:قوله: إِنَّمٰا جُعِلَ السَّبْتُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ وَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَيَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيٰامَةِ فِيمٰا كٰانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ و ذلك أن موسى أمر قومه أن يتفرغوا إلى اللّه في كل سبعة أيّام يوما يجعله اللّه عليهم،و هو الذي [2] اختلفوا فيه.

English: And ‘Ali b. Ibrahim said regarding His saying, “The Sabbath was only appointed for those who differed about it, and surely your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that in which they used to differ”: This was because Musa commanded his people to devote themselves to Allah one day out of every seven days which Allah would appoint for them, and it was that [day] about which they differed.

Quran 16:125

قوله تعالى:

اُدْعُ إِلىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ الْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَ جٰادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ [125]

English (M. H. Shakir): Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and have disputations with them in the best manner. (Quran 16:125)

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علي بن إبراهيم،قال في قوله تعالى: وَ جٰادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ قال:بالقرآن.

English: ‘Ali b. Ibrahim, regarding His saying, “And argue with them in the best manner,” said: “[It is] by the Qur’an.”

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مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ:عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ،عَنْ أَبِيهِ،عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ،عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ بُرَيْدٍ،عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو الزُّبَيْرِيِّ،عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ) فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: اُدْعُ إِلىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ الْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَ جٰادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ .

قَالَ:«بِالْقُرْآنِ».

English: Muhammad b. Ya‘qub—from ‘Ali b. Ibrahim, from his father, from Bakr b. Salih, from al-Qasim b. Burayd, from Abu ‘Amr al-Zubayri, from Abu ‘Abdillah (peace be upon him), regarding His saying, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the best manner”: He said, “By the Qur’an.”

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الْإِمَامُ أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)قَالَ:«قَالَ الصَّادِقُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ) وَ قَدْ ذُكِرَ عِنْدَهُ الْجِدَالُ فِي الدِّينِ،وَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)وَ الْأَئِمَّةَ(عَلَيْهِمُ السَّلاَمُ)قَدْ نَهَوْا عَنْهُ،فَقَالَ الصَّادِقُ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ):لَمْ يُنْهَ عَنْهُ مُطْلَقاً وَ لَكِنَّهُ نُهِيَ عَنِ الْجِدَالِ بِغَيْرِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ،أَ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ: وَ لاٰ تُجٰادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتٰابِ إِلاّٰ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ [1]وَ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى: اُدْعُ إِلىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ الْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَ جٰادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ؟ فَالْجِدَالُ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ قَدْ قَرَنَهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ بِالدِّينِ،وَ الْجِدَالُ بِغَيْرِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ مُحَرَّمٌ،حَرَّمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَى شِيعَتِنَا،وَ كَيْفَ يُحَرِّمُ اللَّهُ الْجِدَالَ جُمْلَةً وَ هُوَ يَقُولُ: وَ قٰالُوا لَنْ يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاّٰ مَنْ كٰانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصٰارىٰ وَ قَالَ اللَّهُ: تِلْكَ أَمٰانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هٰاتُوا بُرْهٰانَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰادِقِينَ [2]؟فَجَعَلَ اللَّهُ عِلْمَ الصِّدْقِ وَ الْإِيمَانَ بِالْبُرْهَانِ،وَ هَلْ يُؤْتَى بِالْبُرْهَانِ إِلاَّ فِي الْجِدَالِ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ؟ قِيلَ:يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ،فَمَا الْجِدَالُ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ وَ الَّتِي لَيْسَتْ بِأَحْسَنَ؟ قَالَ:أَمَّا الْجِدَالُ بِغَيْرِ الَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ،بِأَنْ تُجَادِلُ مُبْطِلاً فيُورِدَ عَلَيْكَ بَاطِلاً فَلاَ تَرُدَّهُ بِحُجَّةٍ قَدْ نَصَبَهَا اللَّهُ، وَ لَكِنْ تَجْحَدُ قَوْلَهُ،أَوْ تَجْحَدُ حَقّاً يُرِيدُ ذَلِكَ الْمُبْطِلُ أَنْ يُعِينَ بِهِ بَاطِلَهُ،فَتَجْحَدُ ذَلِكَ الْحَقَّ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ فِيهِ حُجَّةٌ،لِأَنَّكَ لاَ تَدْرِي كَيْفَ الْمَخْلَصُ مِنْهُ،فَذَلِكَ حَرَامٌ عَلَى شِيعَتِنَا أَنْ يَصِيرُوا فِتْنَةً عَلَى ضُعَفَاءِ إِخْوَانِهِمْ وَ عَلَى الْمُبْطِلِينَ،أَمَّا الْمُبْطِلُونَ فَيَجْعَلُونَ ضَعْفَ الضَّعِيفِ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا تَعَاطَى مُجَادَلَتَهُ وَ ضَعْفَ[مَا]فِي يَدِهِ حُجَّةً لَهُ عَلَى بَاطِلِهِ،وَ أَمَّا الضُّعَفَاءُ فَتَغُمُّ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِمَا يَرَوْنَ مِنْ ضَعْفِ الْمُحِقِّ فِي يَدِ الْمُبْطِلِ.

وَ أَمَّا الْجِدَالُ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ،فَهُوَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ نَبِيَّهُ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)أَنْ يُجَادِلَ بِهِ مَنْ جَحَدَ الْبَعْثَ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ وَ إِحْيَاءَهُ لَهُ،فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى حَاكِياً عَنْهُ: وَ ضَرَبَ لَنٰا مَثَلاً وَ نَسِيَ خَلْقَهُ قٰالَ مَنْ يُحْيِ الْعِظٰامَ وَ هِيَ رَمِيمٌ [3]فَقَالَ اللَّهُ فِي الرَّدِّ عَلَيْهِ: قُلْ يَا مُحَمَّدُ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهٰا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ وَ هُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ* اَلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ نٰاراً فَإِذٰا أَنْتُمْ مِنْهُ تُوقِدُونَ [4]إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ،فَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ مِنْ نَبِيِّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)أَنْ يُجَادِلَ الْمُبْطِلَ الَّذِي قَالَ:كَيْفَ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ اللَّهُ هَذِهِ الْعِظَامَ وَ هِيَ رَمِيمٌ؟فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنْشَأَهٰا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ أَ فَيَعْجِزُ مَنِ ابْتَدَأَهُ لاَ مِنْ شَيْءٍ أَنْ يُعِيدَهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ يَبْلَى؟!بَلِ ابْتِدَاؤُهُ أَصْعَبُ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ،ثُمَّ قَالَ: اَلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ نٰاراً أَيْ:إِذَا كَانَ قَدْ أَكْمَنَ النَّارَ الْحَارَّةَ فِي الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ الرَّطْبِ يَسْتَخْرِجُهَا،فَعَرَّفَكُمْ أَنَّهُ عَلَى إِعَادَةِ مَا يَبْلَى أَقْدَرُ،ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَ وَ لَيْسَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمٰاوٰاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ بِقٰادِرٍ عَلىٰ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ بَلىٰ وَ هُوَ الْخَلاّٰقُ الْعَلِيمُ [5]أَيْ إِذَا كَانَ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ أَعْظَمَ وَ أَبْعَدَ فِي أَوْهَامِكُمْ وَ قَدَرِكُمْ أَنْ تَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ إِعَادَةِ الْبَالِي،فَكَيْفَ جَوَّزْتُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ خَلْقَ هَذَا الْأَعْجَبِ عِنْدَكُمْ،وَ الْأَصْعَبِ لَدَيْكُمْ،وَ لَمْ تُجَوِّزُوا مَا هُوَ أَسْهَلُ عِنْدَكُمْ مِنْ إِعَادَةِ الْبَالِي؟

English: Imam Abu Muhammad al-‘Askari (peace be upon him) said: “Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), when disputation in religion was mentioned in his presence and that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family) and the Imams (peace be upon them) forbade it, said: It was not forbidden absolutely; rather, disputation by other than that which is best was forbidden. Do you not hear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, say: ‘And do not dispute with the People of the Book except by what is best’ (Quran 29:46, Shakir), and His saying: ‘Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation, and argue with them in the best manner’ (Quran 16:125, Shakir)? So disputation by that which is best has been linked by the scholars with religion; and disputation by other than that which is best is forbidden—Allah, Exalted, has forbidden it to our Shia. And how could Allah forbid disputation entirely while He says: ‘And they say: None shall enter the garden except he who is a Jew or a Christian. These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful’ (Quran 2:111, Shakir)? Thus Allah made knowledge of truth and faith to be by proof; and is proof brought except in disputation by that which is best?

It was said: O son of the Messenger of Allah, then what is disputation by that which is best, and [what is] that which is not best? He said: As for disputation by other than that which is best: that you dispute with a wrongdoer, and he presents to you falsehood, and you do not rebut it with a proof which Allah has set up; rather, you deny his statement, or you deny a truth by which that wrongdoer seeks to support his falsehood, so you deny that truth out of fear that he might have against you a proof in it, because you do not know the way out of it. That is forbidden to our Shia, that they become a temptation for their weak brothers and for the wrongdoers. As for the wrongdoers, they take the weakness of the weak one among you—when he undertakes to dispute with him—and the weakness of what is in his hand as a proof for his falsehood; and as for the weak, their hearts are grieved at seeing the weakness of the one in the right in the hand of the wrongdoer.

But as for disputation by that which is best, it is what Allah, Exalted, commanded His Prophet (may Allah bless him and his family) to dispute with, against one who denied resurrection after death and bringing [the dead] to life. Allah, Exalted, said narrating about him: ‘And he sets forth to Us a parable and forgets his own creation; he says: Who will give life to the bones when they are rotten?’ (Quran 36:78, Shakir). So Allah said, refuting him: ‘Say: He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is Cognizant of all creation; He Who made for you fire from the green tree, so that with it you kindle’ (Quran 36:79-80, Shakir), to the end of the surah. Allah wanted His Prophet (may Allah bless him and his family) to dispute with the wrongdoer who said: How can it be possible that Allah resurrects these bones when they are decayed? So Allah, Exalted, said: ‘Say: He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first’—shall He who originated it out of nothing be incapable of restoring it after it has decayed? Nay, originating it is, in your estimation, more difficult than restoring it. Then He said: ‘He Who made for you fire from the green tree’—that is, if He has concealed hot fire within green, moist wood and brings it out, He has made you know that He is more capable of restoring what has decayed. Then He said: ‘Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them? Yea! and He is the Creator, the Knower’ (Quran 36:81, Shakir)—that is, if the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater and more remote, in your imaginings and your ability, for you to accomplish, than the restoration of what is decayed, then how did you allow, on the part of Allah, the creation of that which is more wondrous to you and more difficult in your eyes, yet you did not allow what is, to you, easier—namely the restoration of what has decayed?”

Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “This is disputation by that which is best, because it cuts off the pretexts of the unbelievers and removes their doubts; whereas disputation by other than that which is best is that you deny a truth which you cannot distinguish from the falsehood of the one you dispute with, and you only push back his falsehood by denying the truth—this is what is forbidden, because you are like him: he denied a truth, and you denied another truth.”

He said: “A man stood up to him and said: O son of the Messenger of Allah, did the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family) dispute? Al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whatever you might suppose of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family), do not suppose that he opposed Allah. Has not Allah, Exalted, said: ‘And argue with them in the best manner’ (Quran 16:125, Shakir), and He said: ‘Say: He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first’ (Quran 36:79, Shakir) to the one for whom Allah set forth the parable? Do you suppose that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family) opposed what Allah commanded him—so that he did not dispute by what Allah commanded him, and did not convey from Allah what He commanded him to convey?!”

Quran 16:126

قوله تعالى:

وَ إِنْ عٰاقَبْتُمْ فَعٰاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مٰا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ وَ لَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصّٰابِرِينَ [126]

English (M. H. Shakir): And if you take your turn, then punish with the like of that with which you were afflicted; but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient. (Quran 16:126)

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علي بن إبراهيم:ذلك أن المشركين يوم أحد مثلوا بأصحاب النبيّ(صلّى اللّه عليه و آله)الذين استشهدوا،منهم حمزة،فقال المسلمون:أما و اللّه لئن أدالنا [3] اللّه عليهم لنمثلن بأخيارهم،فذلك قول اللّه: وَ إِنْ عٰاقَبْتُمْ فَعٰاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مٰا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ يقول:بالأموات وَ لَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصّٰابِرِينَ .

English: ‘Ali b. Ibrahim: This is because on the Day of Uhud the polytheists mutilated the Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and his family) companions who were martyred—among them Hamza. So the Muslims said: By Allah, if Allah grants us the upper hand over them, we will surely mutilate their best men. So His saying, “And if you take your turn, then punish with the like of that with which you were afflicted”—meaning regarding the dead—“but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient.”

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الْعَيَّاشِيُّ:عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ،قَالَ:سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ(عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ)يَقُولُ: «لَمَّا رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ)مَا صُنِعَ بِحَمْزَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ،قَالَ:اَللَّهُمَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ،وَ إِلَيْكَ الْمُشْتَكَى،وَ أَنْتَ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا أَرَى.ثُمَّ قَالَ:لَئِنْ ظَفِرْتُ لَأُمَثِّلَنَّ وَ لَأُمَثِّلَنَّ.قَالَ:فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ: وَ إِنْ عٰاقَبْتُمْ فَعٰاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مٰا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ وَ لَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصّٰابِرِينَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ(صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ):أَصْبِرُ،أَصْبِرُ».

English: Al-‘Ayyashi—from al-Husayn b. Hamzah, who said: I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (peace be upon him) say: “When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family) saw what had been done to Hamza b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib, he said: O Allah, to You belongs praise; to You is the complaint; and You are the One sought for help regarding what I see. Then he said: If I prevail, I will surely mutilate, I will surely mutilate. So Allah revealed: ‘And if you take your turn, then punish with the like of that with which you were afflicted; but if you are patient, it will certainly be best for those who are patient.’ Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and his family) said: I will be patient, I will be patient.”

References:

_6) -تفسير العيّاشي 2:81/274.

Transliteration: Tafsir al-‘Ayyashi 2:81/274.

_7) -تفسير العيّاشي 2:83/274.

Transliteration: Tafsir al-‘Ayyashi 2:83/274.

_8) -تفسير العيّاشي 2:84/274.

Transliteration: Tafsir al-‘Ayyashi 2:84/274.

_9) -تفسير القمّيّ 1:392.

Transliteration: Tafsir al-Qummi 1:392.

_1) -تفسير القمّيّ 1:392.

Transliteration: Tafsir al-Qummi 1:392.

_2) -الكافي 5:1/13.

Transliteration: al-Kafi 5:1/13.

_3) -التفسير المنسوب إلى الإمام العسكريّ(عليه السلام):322/527.

Transliteration: al-Tafsir al-mansub ila al-Imam al-‘Askari (alayhi al-salam): 322/527.

[1] في«ط»:أبا عبد اللّه(عليه السّلام)

[2] في المصدر:و هم الذين.

[1] العنكبوت 29:46.

[2] البقرة 2:111.

[3] يس 36:78.

[4] يس 36:79-80.

[5] يس 36:81.

[1] في المصدر:قطع عذر.

[2] يس 36:79.

[3] في المصدر:أولانا.