Declaration, Definition and the Need for Solid Proof
6 Aḥadīth
Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa‘id from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamayl ibn Durraj from ibn al-Tayyar from abu ‘Abd Allah who said the following: “Allah has justified His holding people accountable with what He has made known and sent to them.” solid Muhammad ibn Isma’Il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamyl ibn Durraj a similar Hadith.
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنِ ابْنِ الطَّيَّارِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله احْتَجَّ عَلَى النَّاسِ بِمَا آتَاهُمْ وَعَرَّفَهُمْ. مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ مِثْلَهُ.
Muhammad ibn Yahya and others have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Muhammad ibn Hakim who said the following: “Once I asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Whose creation is knowing?’ The Imam said, ‘It is of the creation of Allah. The servants (of Allah) have no part in it.’”
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ صُنْعِ مَنْ هِيَ قَالَ مِنْ صُنْعِ الله لَيْسَ لِلْعِبَادِ فِيهَا صُنْعٌ.
A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ibn Faddal from Tha‘laba ibn Maymun from Hamza ibn Muhammad al- Tayyar from abu ‘Abd Allah 
, who has said the following about the words of Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious: “Allah does not misguide a nation after having given them guidance until the means of piety are made known to them . . .” (9:5) The Imam , said, ‘It (means of piety) means before giving the knowledge of what He is pleased with and what He is displeased with.’ The Imam , said the words of Allah ‘. . . and inspired it with knowledge of evil and piety,’ (9:8) convey that He has explained what people must do and what they must not do. The words of Allah, ‘We showed him the right path whether he would be grateful or ungrateful’ (76:3), say that Allah has given them the knowledge. They may follow or they may ignore. About the words of Allah, ‘We sent guidance to the people of Thamud but they preferred blindness to guidance so a humiliating blast of torment struck them for their evil deeds.’ (4:7) The Imam said, ‘It means that Allah gave them the knowledge but they preferred blindness over guidance and they knew it.’” In another Hadith it says, “We explained to them.”
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ ثَعْلَبَةَ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الطَّيَّارِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَما كانَ الله لِيُضِلَّ قَوْماً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَداهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ما يَتَّقُونَ قَالَ حَتَّى يُعَرِّفَهُمْ مَا يُرْضِيهِ وَمَا يُسْخِطُهُ وَقَالَ فَأَلْهَمَها فُجُورَها وَتَقْواها قَالَ بَيَّنَ لَهَا مَا تَأْتِي وَمَا تَتْرُكُ وَقَالَ إِنَّا هَدَيْناهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شاكِراً وَإِمَّا كَفُوراً قَالَ عَرَّفْنَاهُ إِمَّا آخِذٌ وَإِمَّا تَارِكٌ وَعَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْناهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمى عَلَى الْهُدى قَالَ عَرَّفْنَاهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّوا الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى وَهُمْ يَعْرِفُونَ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ بَيَّنَّا لَهُمْ.
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al- Rahman from ibn Bukayr from Hamza ibn Muhammad from abu ‘Abd Allah , the following: “Once I asked the Imam , about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘Have We not shown him the ways of ‘al-Najdayn’ ?’ (90:0) The Imam said, ‘al-Najdayn’ means the ways of good and evil.’”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ حَمْزَةَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَهَدَيْناهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ قَالَ نَجْدَ الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ.
Through the chain of narrators of the previous Hadith from Yunus has narrated from Hammad from ‘Abd al-A‘la who has said the following: “Once I said to (Imam) abu ‘Abd Allah , ’May Allah keep you well, Has Allah placed a means in people to know?’ He replied, ‘No, He has not done so.’ I asked, ‘Will He hold them responsible for knowing?’ He said, ‘No, because it is for Allah to explain.’ ‘Allah does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability . . .’ (2:286) ‘Allah does not impose on any soul that which he cannot afford . . .’ (65:7) “I asked the Imam about the words of Allah in, ‘Allah does not misguide a nation after having given them guidance until the means of piety are made known to them . . .’ (9:5) The Imam said, ‘It (means of piety) means not until He gives the knowledge of what pleases Him and what displeases Him.’”
وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الاعْلَى قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَصْلَحَكَ الله هَلْ جُعِلَ فِي النَّاسِ أَدَاةٌ يَنَالُونَ بِهَا الْمَعْرِفَةَ قَالَ فَقَالَ لا قُلْتُ فَهَلْ كُلِّفُوا الْمَعْرِفَةَ قَالَ لا عَلَى الله الْبَيَانُ لا يُكَلِّفُ الله نَفْساً إِلا وُسْعَها وَلا يُكَلِّفُ الله نَفْساً إِلا ما آتاها قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِهِ وَما كانَ الله لِيُضِلَّ قَوْماً بَعْدَ إِذْ هَداهُمْ حَتَّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُمْ ما يَتَّقُونَ قَالَ حَتَّى يُعَرِّفَهُمْ مَا يُرْضِيهِ وَمَا يُسْخِطُهُ.
Through the above chain of narrators it is narrated from Yunus from Sa‘dan, in a marfu‘ manner, from abu ‘Abd Allah , who said the following: “Allah has not granted any bounties to a person without holding him justifiably responsible for them. He gives them bounties and gives them power, which justifies His holding them responsible for their duties. He gives smaller degrees of responsibilities to those who are of lesser degrees of capabilities. One who has received bounties from Allah He has provided him ease, thus the justification to hold him responsible is the comfort he has received. Then it is for him to help the needy in optional ways. The one whom Allah has favored and has made noble in his house and beautiful in his form, is justifiably obligated for
وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ سَعْدَانَ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله لَمْ يُنْعِمْ عَلَى عَبْدٍ نِعْمَةً إِلا وَقَدْ أَلْزَمَهُ فِيهَا الْحُجَّةَ مِنَ الله فَمَنْ مَنَّ الله عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ قَوِيّاً فَحُجَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ الْقِيَامُ بِمَا كَلَّفَهُ وَاحْتِمَالُ مَنْ هُوَ دُونَهُ مِمَّنْ هُوَ أَضْعَفُ مِنْهُ وَمَنْ مَنَّ الله عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ مُوَسَّعاً عَلَيْهِ فَحُجَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ مَالُهُ ثُمَّ تَعَاهُدُهُ الْفُقَرَاءَ بَعْدُ بِنَوَافِلِهِ وَمَنْ مَنَّ الله عَلَيْهِ فَجَعَلَهُ شَرِيفاً فِي بَيْتِهِ جَمِيلاً فِي صُورَتِهِ فَحُجَّتُهُ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يَحْمَدَ الله تَعَالَى عَلَى ذَلِكَ وَأَنْ لا يَتَطَاوَلَ عَلَى غَيْرِهِ فَيَمْنَعَ حُقُوقَ الضُّعَفَاءِ لِحَالِ شَرَفِهِ وَجَمَالِهِ.