بيان: لعل المراد النهى عن المجادلة و المخاصمة مع المخالفين إذا لم يؤثر فيهم و لا ينفع في هدايتهم و علل ذلك بأنهم بسوء اختيارهم بعدوا عن الحق بحيث يعسر عليهم قبول الحق كأنهم لا يستطيعونه أو صاروا بسوء اختيارهم غير مستطيعين و سيأتي الكلام فيه في كتاب العدل.

Perhaps what is meant is that when you know that argument and dispute have no effect upon the opponents of the Household and do not bring about their guidance, you should leave off disputing — for by their own evil choice they have grown so distant from the truth that accepting it is hard for them, as though they were unable to accept it; or by their evil choice they have become powerless. Matters bearing on this will come in the Book of Divine Justice.

«55»- سن، المحاسن أَخِي عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام إِنَّ لِي أَهْلَ بَيْتٍ وَ هُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ مِنِّي أَ فَأَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى هَذَا الْأَمْرِ قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَ أَهْلِيكُمْ ناراً وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَ الْحِجارَةُ الْمُرَادُ بِهَا الْأَصْنَامُ أَوْ حِجَارَةُ الْكِبْرِيتِ.

Al-Mahasin: Sulayman b. Khalid said: I said to Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: I have a household who accept what I say — shall I call them to your Imamate? He said: Yes; God says — and he recited the verse "O you who believe, guard yourselves and your families against a Fire whose fuel is people and stones" — where by "stones" are meant idols, or flint-stones.

«56»- سن، المحاسن عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عِيسَى عَنْ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: قُلْتُ لَهُ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْساً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّما قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً وَ مَنْ أَحْياها فَكَأَنَّما أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً فَقَالَ مَنْ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ ضَلَالٍ إِلَى هُدًى فَقَدْ أَحْيَاهَا وَ مَنْ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ هُدًى إِلَى ضَلَالٍ فَقَدْ قَتَلَهَا.

Al-Mahasin: Sama'a said: I put before Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, the verse "whoever kills a soul, not for a soul or for corruption in the land, it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever gives it life, it is as though he had given life to all mankind",

شی، تفسير العياشي عن سماعة مثله.

"Whoever kills a soul — not in retaliation for a soul, or for corruption in the land — it is as though he had killed all mankind; and whoever gives it life, it is as though he had given life to all mankind." He said: One who has brought people from error to guidance has given him life; and one who has taken someone from guidance into error has killed him. Tafsir al-'Ayyashi: the like of it is related from Sama'a.

«57»- سن، المحاسن عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ فُضَيْلٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عليه السلام قَوْلُ اللَّهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَ مَنْ أَحْياها فَكَأَنَّما أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً قَالَ مِنْ حَرَقٍ أَوْ غَرَقٍ قُلْتُ فَمَنْ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ ضَلَالٍ إِلَى هُدًى فَقَالَ ذَلِكَ تَأْوِيلُهَا الْأَعْظَمُ.

Al-Mahasin: Fudayl said: I asked the Imam about the verse "and whoever gives it life, it is as though he had given life to all mankind." He said: What is meant is rescuing from burning or drowning. I said: And what of one who has guided a person from error to guidance? He said: That is the greatest interpretation of this verse.

«58»- سن، المحاسن أَبِی عَنِ النَّضْرِ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي خَالِدٍ الْقَمَّاطِ عَنْ حُمْرَانَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام أَسْأَلُكَ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ كُنْتُ عَلَى حَالٍ وَ أَنَا الْيَوْمَ عَلَى حَالٍ أُخْرَى كُنْتُ أَدْخُلُ الْأَرْضَ فَأَدْعُو الرَّجُلَ وَ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَ الْمَرْأَةَ فَيُنْقِذُ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَ أَنَا الْيَوْمَ لَا أَدْعُو أَحَداً فَقَالَ وَ مَا عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تُخَلِّيَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ وَ بَيْنَ رَبِّهِمْ فَمَنْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُخْرِجَهُ مِنْ ظُلْمَةٍ إِلَى نُورٍ أَخْرَجَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ لَا عَلَيْكَ إِنْ آنَسْتَ مِنْ أَحَدٍ خَيْراً أَنْ تَنْبِذَ إِلَيْهِ الشَّيْ ءَ نَبْذاً ١ فَقُلْتُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ وَ مَنْ أَحْياها فَكَأَنَّما أَحْيَا النَّاسَ جَمِيعاً قَالَ مِنْ حَرَقٍ أَوْ غَرَقٍ أَوْ غَدْرٍ ثُمَّ سَكَتَ فَقَالَ تَأْوِيلُهَا الْأَعْظَمُ أَنْ دَعَاهَا

Al-Mahasin: Humran related: I said to Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, peace be upon him: May God set your affairs aright! Will you permit me to ask a question? He said: Yes. I said: Formerly I was in one state and today I am in another. Formerly I would enter a place and call one man, or two, or a woman to the truth — the Shi'a — and God would rescue whom He willed and save them from destruction; but today I call no one. He said: There is no blame or harm upon you if you leave people between themselves and their Lord and do not concern yourself with them; for whomever God wills to bring out of the darkness of error into the light of guidance, He brings out. Then he said: Nor is there harm upon you if you observe some goodness in someone and see a trace of good in him, that you cast a little towards him — that is, set out for him a corner of the truth. I said: Tell me of the word of God, mighty and exalted: "and whoever gives it life, it is as though he had given life to all mankind." He said: It means that he rescues him from burning or drowning. Then he fell silent, and then said: Its greatest interpretation is that he calls him to the truth