1. We were told by Ali bin Abdullah al-Warraq, and Muhammed bin Ahmad bin Shaybani, and Ali bin Ahmad bin Muhammed, may Allah be pleased with them, that they said: We were told by Abu’l-Abbas, Ahmad bin Yahya bin Zakariya al-Qattaan, that he said: We were told by Bikr bin Abdullah bin Habib, that he said: We were told by Tamim bin Buhlul, from his father, from Ja’far bin Sulayman al-Basri, from Abdullah bin Fadl al-Hashimi, that he said:

I asked Abu Abdillah, Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, about the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «He whom Allah guides, he is certainly the guided, and he whom He leads astray, you will certainly not find for him a protecting guide.» (18:19) So he said: Indeed, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, makes the aberrant go astray, on the Day of Resurrection, from the Home of His Generosity and guides the people of faith and good deed to His Paradise, like how He, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: «And Allah leads the aberrant astray and does what He wishes.» (14:27) Also, Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: «Indeed, those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will guide them by their faith. Under them will rivers flow in the Gardens of Bliss.» (10:09) He said: Then I said: And His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «And my success is not but through Allah» (11:88) and His saying, Exalted and Glorious is He: «If Allah supports you, then none can overcome you, and if He abandons you, then who is there to support you after Him» (3:160)? So he said: If the servant does what Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, commands him of obedience, his act will be in accordance to the commandment of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and by it, a servant will be considered as being given success. And if the servant would want to enter into something of disobedience to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, between him and the act of disobedience and then abandons it, his abandonment of it would be by being given success from Allah, Exalted is He. And whenever He would apart from between him and the act of disobedience and not interfere between him and it until he performs it, then He has abandoned him, not supported him nor given him success.