Al-Tawḥīd

Predestination, Divine Decree, Trials, Means of Sustenance Rates, and Restricted Powers

4 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن القاسم بن محمد الإصبهاني عن سليمان بن داود المنقري، عن سفيان بن عيينة  عن الزهري، قال: قال رجل لعلي بن الحسين عليهما السلام،: جعلني الله فداك أبقدر يصيب الناس ما أصابهم أم بعمل؟ فقال عليه السلام: إن القدر والعمل بمنزلة الروح والجسد، فالروح بغير جسد لا تحس والجسد بغير روح صورة لا حراك بها  فإذا اجتمعا قويا وصلحا، وكذلك العمل والقدر، فلو لم يكن القدر واقعا على العمل لم يعرف الخالق من المخلوق وكان القدر شيئا لا يحس، ولو لم يكن العمل بموافقة من القدر لم يمض ولم يتم، ولكنهما باجتماعهما قويا، ولله فيه العون لعباده الصالحين  ثم قال عليه السلام: ألا إن من أجور الناس من رأى جوره عدلا وعدل المهتدي جورا، إلا إن للعبد أربعة أعين: عينان يبصر بهما أمر آخرته، وعينان يبصر بهما أمر دنياه، فإذا أراد الله عز وجل بعبد خيرا فتح له العينين اللتين في قلبه فأبصر بهما العيب  وإذا أراد غير ذلك ترك القلب بما فيه، ثم التفت إلى السائل عن القدر فقال: هذا منه، هذا منه . 

4. My father (RA) 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 Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah, on the authority of al-Zuhri that A man asked `Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS): “May Allah make me your ransom! Does Allah punish people due to the Divine Decree or due to their actions?” He (AS) replied, Verily, the Divine Decree and actions are like the spirit and the body. The spirit, within a body, cannot be sensed. The body, without a spirit, is shape without movement. When they combine they become strong and proper. The Divine Decree operates in a similar fashion. If the Divine Decree did not act, then the Creator would not be differentiated from the created, and the Divine Decree would not be sensed. If action took place without the Divine Decree, then it would not be proper, and would be incomplete. Their strength is in their combination. And Allah is the (Sole Source of) Help for His Pious Servants. He (AS) then added, Beware! Verily, the greatest oppressor of people is he who views his oppression as justice, and sees the justice of the rightly-guided as oppression. Beware! Verily, the greatest oppressor of people is he who views his oppression as justice, and sees the justice of the rightly-guide as oppression. Beware! Verily, a servant as four eyes: two eyes with which he sees the affairs of the Hereafter, and the two eyes with which he sees the affairs of this world. When Allah, the Mighty and High, intends good for a servant, he opens the two eyes of his heart, and he sees his shortcomings. When He intends other than that for him, He leaves the heart (of His Servant as it is), with all it contains. He (AS) then turned to the person who had asked about the Divine Decree, and said: “This is from that and this is from that.”

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter #60