People of al- A’raf
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1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ رَجُلٍ جَمِيعاً عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَصْحَابِ الأعْرَافِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هُمْ إِلا مُؤْمِنُونَ أَوْ كَافِرُونَ إِنْ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ فَهُمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ وَإِنْ دَخَلُوا النَّارَ فَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ فَقَالَ وَالله مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ وَلا كَافِرِينَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ لَدَخَلُوا النَّارَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْكَافِرُونَ وَلَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ اسْتَوَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُمْ وَسَيِّئَاتُهُمْ فَقَصُرَتْ بِهِمُ الأعْمَالُ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَكَمَا قَالَ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَقُلْتُ أَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ أَوْ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ اتْرُكْهُمْ حَيْثُ تَرَكَهُمُ الله قُلْتُ أَ فَتُرْجِئُهُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ أُرْجِئُهُمْ كَمَا أَرْجَأَهُمُ الله إِنْ شَاءَ أَدْخَلَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ وَإِنْ شَاءَ سَاقَهُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَلَمْ يَظْلِمْهُمْ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ كَافِرٌ قَالَ لا قُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ إِلا كَافِرٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ لا إِلا أَنْ يَشَاءَ الله يَا زُرَارَةُ إِنَّنِي أَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ الله وَأَنْتَ لا تَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ الله أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ كَبِرْتَ رَجَعْتَ وَتَحَلَّلَتْ عَنْكَ عُقَدُكَ.
1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn Faddal from ibn Bukayr and Ali ibn Ibrahim from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from a man all from Zurara who has said the following: “Once, abu Ja’far (a.s.) asked me, ‘What do you say about the people of al-‘A’raf?’ I said, ‘They are either believing people or unbelievers. If they will enter paradise they will be believing people, and if they go in fire they will be unbelievers.’ The Imam then said, ‘By Allah, they are not believing people nor are they unbelievers. Had they been of the believers they would have entered paradise like the believers. Were they unbelievers they would have gone in fire like the unbelievers. They, however, are a people whose good and bad deeds are equal. Their deeds fall short and they are as Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said they are.’ I asked, ‘Are they among the people of paradise or of the people of fire?’ The Imam said, ‘Leave them as Allah has done.’ I said, ‘Do you leave them in postponement?’ The Imam said, ‘Yes, just as Allah has done. If He will wish. He will send them in paradise through His favor, and if He will wish He will drive them to fire for their sins; He will not be doing injustice to them.’ I asked, ‘Will unbelievers enter paradise?’ The Imam said, ‘No.’ I said, ‘Will anyone besides unbelievers go to fire?’ The Imam said, ‘No, unless Allah will wish. O Zurara, I say, ‘As Allah wills and you do not say, ‘As Allah wills.’ When you will grow up you will turn back and your knots ease up (on your opponent).”’
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2ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ بَكْرٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيهِ السَّلام) الَّذِينَ خَلَطُوا عَمَلاً صالِحاً وَآخَرَ سَيِّئاً فَأُولَئِكَ قَوْمٌ مُؤْمِنُونَ يُحْدِثُونَ فِي إِيمَانِهِمْ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ الَّتِي يَعِيبُهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَيَكْرَهُونَهَا فَأُولَئِكَ عَسَى الله أَنْ يَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِمْ.
2. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ali ibn Hassan from Musa ibn Bakr from a man who has said the following: “Once abu Ja’far (a.s.) said, ‘Those who have mixed good deeds with bad deeds’ are a believing people. They create in their belief such things, due to sins, that believing people censure and dislike. They are as such that perhaps Allah may accept their repentance.’”