2. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Aban said, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Sa`id, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Jamil ibn Durraj, on the authority of Ibn al-Tayyar that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, will hold evidence against the people with what He gave them and made them to recognize.”

3. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh said, on the authority of his paternal uncle Muhammad ibn Abu al-Qasim, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah, on the authority of Ibn Fuddal, on the authority of Tha`labah ibn Maymun, on the authority of Hamzah ibn al-Tayyar that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, will hold evidence against the people with what He gave them and made them to recognize.”

4. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh said, on the authority of his paternal uncle Muhammad ibn Abu al-Qasim, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah, on the authority of Ibn Fuddal, on the authority of Tha`labah ibn Maymun, on the authority of Hamzah ibn al-Tayyar that Abu `Abdillah was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: "It is not for Allah to lead people astray after guiding them. He even makes clear to them what they should guard against." (9:115) He said: He even makes them recognize what pleases Him and what angers Him. He has also said: "And inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety," (91:8) He said: He has explained obligations and prohibitions. He has also said: "Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or unthankful." (76:3) He said: He made us recognize what to accept or to avoid. And concerning the word of the Mighty and High: "And as to Thamud, We should them the right way, but they chose error above guidance." (41:17) He said: We made them to recognize, but they consciously chose misguidance over guidance.

5. Ahmad ibn `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman, on the authority of Ibn Bukayr, on the authority of Hamzah ibn Muhammad that I asked Abu `Abd Allah about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways.” He said; “They are the way of good and the way of evil.”

6. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya, on the authority of Musa ibn Ja`far alBaghdadi, on the authority of `Ubayd Allah al-Dihqan, on the authority of Durust, on the authority of who related to him that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “The servants have no role in six things: recognition, ignorance, pleasure, anger, sleep and wakefulness.”

7. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, on the authority of Abu Shu`ayb al-Mahamili, on the authority of Durust ibn Abu Mansur, on the authority of Burayd ibn Mua`wiyah al-`Ijli that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: It is not compulsory for the creation to recognize Allah until He introduces Himself to them. It is compulsory for Allah that He introduces Himself to the creation. It is compulsory for the creation to accept Allah when He introduces Himself to them.

8. My father said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of al-Hajjal, on the authority of Tha`labah ibn Maymun, on the authority of `Abd al-A`la ibn A`yun that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq whether a person who knows nothing has any responsibility. He replied, “No.”

9. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yayha al-`Attar said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of Ibn Fuddal, on the authority of Dawud ibn Farqad, on the authority of Abu al-Hasan Zakariyya ibn Yahya that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Whatever of His Knowledge Allah has concealed from the servants is unburdened from them.”

10. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn `Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of his grandfather Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Hakam, on the authority of Aban al-Ahmar, on the authority of Hamzah ibn al-Tayyar that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq told me: “Write down the following.” Then he dictate to me: Verily, among our belief is that Allah, the Mighty and High, will judge His Servants on the basis of the means He grants them, and what He introduced to them. He then sent the Messenger to them, and revealed to him the Book (the Qur’an) in which He commanded and He forbade. In it, He commanded the ritual prayer and ritual fasting. Thus, the Messenger of Allah was made to sleep in and miss the prayer. Hence, Allah said: I made you sleep, and I wake you up. Now go and pray. They way, they will learn what they should do when this happens to them. It is not as they say: `When one sleeps in and misses a prayer, he is lost.’ The same applies to fasting. Allah says: `I make you ill and I cure you. Once I cure you, make up for the fasting you have missed.’ Abu `Abd Allah then added, I view all matters, this way. You will not find any of my followers oppressed by religion. Nor will you find anyone over whom Allah has not provided evidence through His Divine Will. I do not say: `They can do whatever they wish.’ Then he continued, Verily, it is Allah who guides and misleads. He only commands people to do what they are capable of doing. Whatever the people are commanded to do, they have the ability to do it. Whatever the people are unable to do, they have not been commanded to do it. Still, most people are devoid of good. Then he read this verse: It shall be no crime in the weak, nor in the sick, not in those who do not find what they should spend (to stay being), so long as they are sincere to Allah and His Messenger; there is no way (to blame) against the doers of good; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful; nor in those who when they came to you that you might carry them. [And said:] Thus, they are unburdened from these, because they cannot find them. The Compiler of this book says: His word: “Verily, it is Allah that guides and misleads.” The meaning of this is that He, the Mighty and High, guides the believers to Paradise on the Day of Judgment, and misleads the unjust away from Paradise. Verily, the Mighty and High, has said: Surely (as for) those who believe and do good, their Lord will guide them by their faith; there shall flow from beneath them rivers in gardens of bliss. The Mighty and High has also said: And Allah causes the unjust to go astray.

11. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of Isma`il ibn Marrar, on the authority of Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman, on the authority of Hammad, on the authority of `Abd al-A`la that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq : “May Allah be in peace with you! Has he given all people the means to recognize Him?” He replied, “No.” I asked, “Are they then obliged to recognize Him?” He answered, “No, The explanation must come from Allah: Allah does not impose on any soul except according to its ability. And Allah lays no burden on the any soul save to the extent to which He has enabled it. The reporter says: I asked him about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: It is not for Allah to lead people astray after guiding them. He even makes clear to them what they should guard against. He replied, “He even makes them recognize what pleases Him, and what angers Him.”

12. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman, on the authority of Sa`dan, who eliminated the source of report to Abu `Abd Allah , that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, has not given a bounty to a servant except that He has placed in it for him evidence from Allah, the Mighty and High. Therefore, whoever Allah favors, making him powerful, His Evidence over him is that he establish his obligations and tolerate those who are weaker than him. Whoever Allah favors with wealth, His Evidence over him is his wealth. It is an obligation upon him to take care of the poor with superogatory charity. Whoever Allah favors by making noble in lineage and handsome, His Evidence over him is that he praise Allah for his blessings. He should not neglect the need, or deprive the weak of their rights due to his lineage and good looks.

13. My father said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad, on the authority of Ibn al-Fuddal, on the authority of `Ali ibn `Uqbah, on the authority of his father saying that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: Leave your matter for Allah, and do not leave it for the people. Whatever is for Allah belongs to Allah alone, and whatever is for the people will not ascend to Allah Do not argue with the people about your religion, for verily arguing is an illness of the heart. Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, said to His Prophet Surely you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He pleases. He has also said: Will you then force men till they become believers? Leave the people, for verily the people take their knowledge from each other, while you have your knowledge from the messenger of Allah . Verily, I have heard my father, Muhammad al-Baqir say that `Verily, when Allah, the Mighty and High, writes that a servant should enter a matter, then he is quicker than a bird to its nest.”

14. My father said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abu `UImayr, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Humran, on the Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: Verily, if Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, intends good for a servant, then He places a spot of light in his heart, expands the hearing of his heart, and assigns an angel over him to direct him. If He intends evil for a servant, He places a black sport in his heart, blocks the hearing of his heart, and assigns a demon over him to misled him.” The he recited this verse: Therefore, (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, He expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards. The Compiler of this book says: Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, intends evil for a servant as a result of a sin that he has committed. As a result, his heart receives the stamp, and a demon is assigned to mislead him. Allah only does this to those who deserve it. And sometimes Allah assigns an angel over His Servant to dir4ect him according to what he has earned, and as part of Allah`s favor. Allah is Merciful towards whomsoever He pleases. Allah, the Mighty and High, says: And whoever turns himself away from the remembrance of the Most Compassionate, We appoint fro him a Shaytan, so he becomes his associate.

15. `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Wahhab said: Ahmad ibn al-Fadl ibn al-Mughayrah reported to us that Mansur ibn `Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim al-Isbahani said: `Ali ibn `Abd Allah said: Abu Shu`ayb al-Mahamili said, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Muskan, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked whether recognition is obtained. Thus, he answered, “No.” It was asked from him, “Then, is it bestowed by Allah, the Mighty and High?” He replied, “The servants do not have a part in it. The only things they obtain are their actions.” Then he added, “The actions of the servants are created with decreed creation, and not with constitutional creation. In other word, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has always been All-Knowing of their decrees, even before their creation.”

16. `Abd al-Walid ibn Muhammad ibn `Abdus al-Naysabur al-`Attar said: `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Qutaybah al-Naysaburi said, on the authority of Hamdan ibn Sulayman that I wrote to al-Rida asking him whether the actions of the servants are created or uncreated? So he wrote back, “The actions of the servants were decreed through the Knowledge of Allah, the Might and High, two thousand years before the creation of the servants.”

17. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said, on the authority of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Isbahani, on the authority of Sulayman ibn Dawud al-Minqari, on the authority of Hafs ibn Ghiyath al-Nakha`I al-Qadi that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Whoever practices what he knows, suffices for what he does not know.”