وَ مِنْ كَلَامٍ لَهُ عليهالسلام لِلسَّائِلِ الشَّامِيِّ لَمَّا سَأَلَهُ أَ كَانَ مَسِيرُنَا إِلَى الشَّامِ بِقَضَاءٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَ قَدَرٍ بَعْدَ كَلَامٍ طَوِيلٍ هَذَا مُخْتَارُهُ
A Syrian enquired from Amir al-mu'minin: Was our going to fight against the Syrians destined by Allah? Amir al-mu'minin, peace be upon him, gave a detailed reply, a selection from which is hereunder:
وَيْحَكَ
Woe to you!
لَعَلَّكَ ظَنَنْتَ قَضَاءً لَازِماً
You take it as a final
وَ قَدَراً حَاتِماً
and unavoidable destiny (28) (according to which we are bound to act).
لَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَذَلِكَ
If it were so,
لَبَطَلَ الثَّوَابُ وَ الْعِقَابُ
there would have been no question of reward or chastisement
وَ سَقَطَ الْوَعْدُ وَ الْوَعِيدُ .
and there would have been no sense in Allah's promises or warnings.
إِنَّ اللَّهَ سُبْحَانَهُ أَمَرَ عِبَادَهُ تَخْيِيراً
(On the other hand) Allah, the Glorified, has ordered ills people to act by free will
وَ نَهَاهُمْ تَحْذِيراً
and has cautioned them and refrained them (from evil).
وَ كَلَّفَ يَسِيراً
He has placed easy obligations on them
وَ لَمْ يُكَلِّفْ عَسِيراً
and has not put heavy obligations.
وَ أَعْطَى عَلَى الْقَلِيلِ كَثِيراً
He gives them much (reward) in return for little (action).
وَ لَمْ يُعْصَ مَغْلُوباً
He is disobeyed, not because He is overpowered.
وَ لَمْ يُطَعْ مُكْرِهاً
He is obeyed but not under force.
وَ لَمْ يُرْسِلِ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَعِباً
He did not send prophets just for fun.
وَ لَمْ يُنْزِلِ الْكُتُبَ لِلْعِبَادِ عَبَثاً
He did not send down the Book for the people without purpose.
وَ لَا خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ
He did not create the skies, the earth
وَ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا
and all that is in between them in vain.
(ذلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ).
That is the imagination of those who disbelieve; then woe to those who disbelieve - because of the fire. (Qur'an, 38:27)
28. The' end of this story is that after this the man enquired, "What kind of destiny it was by which we had to go?" and Amir al-mu'minin said, "qada' (destiny)" means command of Allah. For example, He has said, "wa qada rabbuka alla ta'budu illa iyyihu" (And commanded your Lord has that you shall worship not [any one] but Him" [Qur'an, 17: 23]). Here "qada' " stands for commanded.
