Quantum Theory: a Pragmatist Approach

4. The relational nature of quantum states

There is a sense in which quantum states are relational on the present pragmatist approach. It is important to appreciate their relational character if one is to understand, among other things, the status of von Neumann’s “projection postulate” (wave-packet collapse), why violation of Bell-type inequalities poses no threat of non-local action, why quantum probabilities are not simply Lewisian chances, and how to resolve the “paradox” of Wigner’s friend. But first it is necessary to say what this relational nature amounts to, and to distinguish it from other senses in which quantum states have been taken to be relational.

4.1 Rovelli’s Relationism

Rovelli ([1996], [2005]) proposed a relational view of quantum states. This maintains the tight connection between a quantum state and the values of dynamical variables in that state that has come to be known as the ‘eigenstate-eigenvalue link’: dynamical variableA has valuea ons if and only if the quantum state ofs is an eigenstate, with eigenvaluea , of the self-adjoint operator uniquely corresponding toA . Rovelli assumes that both quantum state and associated values of dynamical variables describe or represent the physical condition of an individual systems 1, but only relative to someother physical systems 2. This second system will in turn have a quantum state and associated values of dynamical variables relative tos 1 (as well as tos 3,s 4,...): even though Rovelli sometimes calls it ‘the observer’, he stresses thats 2 need be neither human, conscious, classically described, macroscopic, nor “special” in any way - it is just some other quantum system. On Rovelli’s relational quantum mechanics, a quantum system has a quantum state and associated values of dynamical variablesonly relative to (any) other distinct quantum system, and these relative states will in general differ according towhich other system one relativizes them to.

Rovelli’s relational view of quantum states is quite different from the pragmatist view I am presenting, which begins by dismissing the eigenstate-eigenvalue link as not merely false but arising from confusion between the radically different roles of quantum state ascriptions and claims about the values of dynamical variables in quantum theory. A second basic difference concerns what each view takes quantum states to be relative to. For the pragmatist, a quantum state ascription is not relative to an arbitrary distinct quantum system, but rather to the perspective of an actual or potentialagent - some physically situateduser of quantum theory. While every actual physically situated user of quantum theory may be treated as a quantum system (by some user of quantum theory), not every quantum system is a physically situated user of quantum theory.

4.2 Quantum Bayesian Relationism

Fuchs ([2010]) advocates what he calls a quantum Bayesian approach to quantum theory (QBism), and seeks to explore its connections to pragmatism, among other philosophies. QBism bears many similarities to the present pragmatist approach. QBism also rejects the eigenstate-eigenvalue link as a misconceived attempt to understand quantum states as yielding descriptions of physical reality. A pragmatist will surely endorse Fuchs’s ([2010]) view that quantum theory as a whole is ‘a users’ manual that any agent can pick up and use to help make wise decisions in this world of inherent uncertainty’. Moreover, QBism agrees that quantum states are relative, to the extent that different agents can consistently assign different quantum states to the same system. But unlike the present pragmatist approach, QBism is committed to a subjective Bayesian view of probability that denies that quantum probabilities derived from the Born rule can ever be authoritative for a rational agent who accepts quantum theory. The key difference is that while, for the QBist, quantum state ascriptions depend on theepistemic state of the agent who ascribes them, on the present pragmatist approach what quantum state is to be ascribed to a system depends only on thephysical circumstances defining the perspective of the agent (actual or merely hypothetical) that ascribes it. I will spell this out in more detail after pointing to a contrast with a third recent account of the relational nature of quantum states.

4.3 Reference-frame Relationism

Bartlettet al . ([2006], [2007]) take a quantum state ascription to be relative to what they call a reference frame. In ([2006]) they motivate this as a way of resolving disputes that have arisen among physicists in a variety of contexts as to whether it is correct to assign to a system a quantum state that is a superposition or an incoherent mixture of eigenstates of some observable. The example they focus on is a dispute as to whether the quantum state of a laser operating above threshold is a coherent state (with a definite phase) or a mixture (that may be represented either as a uniform integral over projections onto coherent states of every phase, or alternatively as diagonal in a photon number basis). They offer to resolve this and analogous disputes by supposing thateach state ascription may be considered equally correct, but relative to a different reference frame - in this case, relative to a different phase reference frame. They take a reference frame to be embodied in some physical object: in the example, some local oscillator could serve as a phase standard. The laser could be consistently ascribed a coherent state relative to a correlated (‘implicated’) oscillator (such as the main beam in a homodyne detection experiment) and at the same time an incoherent state relative to an uncorrelated (‘non-implicated’) reference frame (like the beam from an independent laser). In their view

...the whole debate presumes that quantum states only contain information about theintrinsic properties of a system. We submit that this presumption is mistaken; quantum states also contain information about theextrinsic properties of a system, that is, therelation of the system to other systems external to it, and whether or not coherences are applicable depends on the external system to which one is comparing. ([2006], p.28)

A similar analysis would apply to any analogous dispute involving an observable (such as spin-component) which may itself be thought of as relational.

That quantum states are relational in this sense is interesting, especially because of the way it helps resolve disputes about quantum state ascription that may otherwise have been held up as counterexamples to section 2's claim that these are rare and short-lived. But while endorsing the resolution of these disputes offered by Bartlettet al . ([2006], [2007]), I take quantum states to be relational in a way distinct from relativity to reference frames in their sense.

4.4 Agent-situation Relationism and Wave-Collapse

Specifically, quantum states are relational because any ascription of a quantum state to a system relates that system to a physically characterized situation that may (but need not) be occupied by a physically situated agent. A system’s quantum state is a state appropriate for any agent bearing the relevant kind of physical relation to that system, so the same system may be ascribed different states for different physical agent situations. Note that an agent situation need not actually be occupied by any agent, just as no observer need actually occupy an inertial reference frame, and recall that the term ‘agent’ is being used very broadly so as to apply to any physically instantiated user of quantum theory, whether human, merely conscious, or neither.

One important aspect of an agent situation is its temporal relation to the time for which a system’s quantum state is to be specified. It is by taking careful note of this relation that one can appreciate the significance of discontinuous changes in quantum states on measurement.

Consider the following example of a so-called negative result measurement. Suppose a source produces photons linearly polarized at 45° to the vertical: each such photon is heralded by detection, after passing through a 45° oriented polarizer, of a second photon of an entangled pair produced in parametric down conversion in a suitable nonlinear crystal.[19]One such heralded photon is incident on a polarizing beam-splitter, in the vertical channel of which is located a high-efficiency photon detector. If nothing is detected, the photon is ascribed the horizontal polarization state |H ,: the measurement has projected its superposed polarization state as follows

1/√2 ( |H , + |V ,) →|H , (3)

How can such projection be reconciled with the unitary evolution of the combined state of the photon and detector?

The answer to this question is that the quantum state of the photon’s polarization is a superposition of horizontal and vertical relative to the situation of an agent prior to the decohering interaction with the detector and its environment, but horizontal relative to the situation of an agent after that interaction. Decoherence involves no violation of unitarity. Instead, it warrants an agent in using the latter quantum state rather than the former to guide its expectations after judging that the detector has failed to detect the photon - a judgment that is licensed by the form of the unitarily evolved joint quantum state (which correlates the preferred “pointer basis” of detector states to horizontally/vertically polarized basis states of the photon) and warranted by its record of the detector’s failure to detect the photon. As Zurek ([2009]) explains, the post-interaction state of the detector and its environment acts as a “witness” of the horizontal polarization quantum state that may be consulted in many independent ways by an agent. Quantum theory cannot explain that such an agent records the detector’s failure rather than success - that remains outside its purview. But it can account for the “intrasubjective” concordance of the agent’s records as it performs such multiple independent checks on the detector and the photon itself.[20]

A standard objection to the claim that decoherence can account for definite outcomes of quantum measurements may seem to apply also to this answer.[21]Even if interactions rapidly and robustly entangle the joint state of photon and detector with the state of their environment so that their joint quantum state is a mixture of product states with no off-diagonal terms, this remains an improper mixture that cannot be understood to represent an agent’s state of ignorance as to their actual joint (pure) product state. There will be some complex collective dynamical variable on the combined photon, detector and environment system whose measurement will almost certainly display statistics distinguishable from those predicted by such a mixture of product states each correlated with a corresponding environment state. By repeatedly measuring the values of this dynamical variable on identically prepared photon+ detector+ initial environment systems, some “super-agent” could verify that their total state evolves unitarily in a way that is inconsistent with the assumption that the photon+detector system is in some (unknown) pure product state.

This objection cannot be turned into a good argument against the reconciliation of unitary evolution and effective “collapse” offered two paragraphs earlier: That reconciliation nowhere assumed that the quantum state of photon+detector was some (unknown) pure product state. Instead, it simply assumed unitary evolution of the total state, including the environment, to show that, conditional on recording the failure of the detector to detect a heralded photon, the Born probability for a recording of any measurement of the polarization of that photon (even including joint measurements with its environment) is exactly as predicted by assignment to it of quantum state |H ,. This is whythe photon’s quantum state is |H ,, relative to the situation of an agent in a position to access records of the detector’s failure to fire.

So an agent with a record that the detector has not fired after the decohering interaction between photon and detector (together with its environment) is warranted in ascribing polarization state |H ,to the photon. But the agent isnot thereby warranted in inferring that this photon is horizontally polarized - an inference in conformity to the eigenstate-eigenvalue link. All the Born rule authorizes such an agent to do is to adopt a maximal degree of belief (1) that, following a second (ideal) interaction involving that photon that correlates its horizontal/vertical polarization state with the decohered state of some other polarization detector, the agent would record that detector as recording horizontal. At this point the distinction between quantum state and actual polarization may seem unmotivated. Its significance will become clear in section 5, which analyzes descriptions of a system by more than one agent. It is essential to maintain a distinction between relational quantum state ascriptions and non-relational dynamical variable ascriptions in order to ensure that applications of quantum theory carry objective import. Consider an experiment set up to investigate violations of Bell inequalities in entangled photon pairs in which Bob measures polarization of photonR along axisb while Alice measures polarization of photonL along axisa . Suppose Alice, Bob and everyone else in their expert community is warranted in agreeing that the experiments are performed on photon pairs in the entangled polarization state

|Φ+ ,= 1/√2 ( |HH , + |VV ,) (4)

Suppose Bob’s measurement is concluded at a timet b before Alice performs her measurement. Bob then records his detector as indicating polarization ofR along (rather than orthogonal to) theb axis, and ascribes polarization state |b ,to photonL subsequent tot b. This ascription is warranted by considerations parallel to those that warranted ascribing polarization state |H ,to the photon discussed in the immediately preceding paragraphs. Before she performs her measurement onL , no such considerations warrant Alice in ascribing state |b ,to photonL . Instead, Alice is warranted in ascribing toL the same maximally-mixed polarization state given by tracing |Φ+,over the polarization Hilbert space ofR as before Bob’s measurement. The quantum state ofL relative to Alice’s agent situation is different from the quantum state ofL relative to Bob’s agent situation. This is true whether or not thereare any agents Alice and/or Bob actually occupying those situations: all that matters is that for a period of time aftert b the R detector has suitably interacted withR and its environment but theL detector has not.

In an experiment like this, very little time will elapse between theR andL detection events. Indeed, in certain experiments the interval separating them is space-like rather than time-like. These provide further illustrations of the relational nature of quantum state ascriptions. Suppose that Alice and Bob are moving so that while Bob represents the interaction ofR with his detector to have concluded before the interaction ofL with Alice’s detector, Alice takes these events to have occurred in the opposite time-order. Alice will then be warranted in ascribing quantum state |a ,, say, toR subsequent (for her) to the timet′ a she represents as the conclusion of her measurement ofL . But ifa≠b Bob will never be warranted in ascribing state |a ,(or its Lorentz transform) toR , and nor will Alice ever be warranted in ascribing state |b ,(or its Lorentz transform) toL . Again, there need be no actual agents Alice and Bob moving in these ways. But note that specification of an agent situation here involves not only specification of a time interval, but also of a frame (inertial or otherwise) with respect to which that interval is defined.

4.5 Why quantum probabilities are not Lewisian chances

We can now begin to see why quantum probabilities are not simply chances, as Lewis describes them. Section 5.1 will show how this also helps reconcile quantum theory’s violation of Bell inequalities with a physically motivated locality requirement.

Consider the following space-time diagram (in the laboratory frame), in which the diagonal lines mark boundaries of the causal past or future of the space-like separated eventsM A,M B at whichL ,R respectively interact appropriately with a polarization detector and its environment:

INSERT FIGURE 1 HERE

Suppose one asks: What is the probability att 1 that Alice’s detector will recordL with polarizationa ? Since all agree that the quantum state of the pair att 1 is |Φ+,, the answer ½ follows uniquely by the Born rule. Assume for the moment thata=b , and consider this question: What is the probability att 2 that Alice’s detector will recordL with polarizationa ? Applying the Born rule to her quantum state forL att 2, Alice will give the same answer as before, namely ½. Bob will apply the Born rule tohis quantum state forL att 2 and give the different answer 1. If quantum probabilities obey Lewis’s Principal Principle that he takes to capture all we know about chance, then at least one of these answers must be wrong, since that principle presupposes that, while the chance of an event may change as time passes, it is uniquely defined at any given time. But just as quantum state ascriptions are relational, so also are Born probabilities. Relative to Alice’s agent situation the probability is ½, relative to Bob’s agent situation the probability is 1. Neither probability is subjective, but both are correct. Each is authoritative for any agent that happens to be in the relevant agent situation, and accepting that this is so is a requirement on any agent that accepts quantum theory, whatever the actual situation of that agent.

Notice that adapting the framework of Lewisian chance to relativistic space-time structure by allowing the chance of an event to depend not on some absolute time but rather on the time in any reference frame will not effect a reconciliation between apparently conflicting quantum probabilities Alice and Bob should assign to the same event here. For Bob in his reference frame, there will be a time interval afterM B and beforeM A during which he should assign probability 1 to Alice’s recording polarizationa on photonL . But this probability assignment could play no role in the decision-making of any agent at rest in Bob’s reference frame but within the back light-cone ofM A, since the outcome of Bob’s measurement lies outside her back light-cone and should be counted by Lewis as inadmissible information for her (assuming no superluminal signaling): the objective probability for her remains ½, as specified by the Born rule applied to her quantum state. The relativization of chance to an arbitrary foliation by space-like Cauchy surfaces would face essentially the same objection: the value of the chance at some point on a Cauchy surface would be irrelevant to the decision-making of an agent at that point. One could try to understand quantum probabilities as Lewisian chances of an event by specifying them only on space-like hypersurfaces restricted to the causal past of that event - the closure of the event’s back light-cone. But this proves problematic for a different reason. To take the value of the chance of an outcome ofM A on a space-like hypersurface within the back light-cone ofM A to be given by Alice’s Born probabilities is to ignore the relevant information provided by the record of Bob’s measurement that is available to Bob att 2: On the other hand taking the value of this chance to be given by Bob’s Born probabilities both makes it arbitrary on which space-like hypersurface withinM A’s causal past they change and raises the specter of non-local action.

The relational nature of quantum state ascriptions and the consequence that Born probabilities are not simply time-relativized Lewisian chances may be brought home even more forcefully by examining an experiment first proposed by Peres ([2000]): a version of the experiment has recently been successfully performed. Since the experiment combines two independently interesting quantum phenomena, I begin by discussing the first - entanglement swapping - before introducing the second - delayed choice.

Two agents, Alice and Bob, simultaneously but independently prepare pairs of polarization-entangled photons in (universally agreed) quantum state |Ψ −,= 1/√2 ( |HV ,− |VH ,): call Alice’s photons 1,2 and Bob’s 3,4. Alice measures the polarization of photon 1 along axisa , while Bob measures the polarization of photon 4 along axisb . Photons 2 and 3 are passed through optical fiber delays before each is incident on a switchable Bell-state analyzer incorporating a beam splitter, as indicated in the accompanying space-time sketch. A third agent, Victor, then measures the polarization along axisH of any photons emerging to the left of the beam splitter, and the polarization along axisH of any photons emerging to the right of the beam splitter. After allowing for the delay, careful timing permits recording of fourfold coincidence counts from detection of all four photons from two pairs simultaneously prepared by Alice and Bob.

INSERT FIGURE 2 HERE

Consider any such four-fold detection. The initial quantum state has the form of a product of two EPR states |Ψ −,12|Ψ −,34. This may be expanded in terms of the four Bell states

|Ψ −,= 1/√2 ( |HV ,− |VH ,)

|Ψ + ,= 1/√2 ( |HV ,+ |VH ,)

|Φ− ,= 1/√2 ( |HH ,− |VV ,)

|Φ+ ,= 1/√2 ( |HH ,+ |VV ,)

as follows

|Ψ −,12|Ψ −,34 = 1/2(|Ψ +,14|Ψ +,23 − |Ψ −,14|Ψ −,23 − |Φ+,14|Φ+,23 + |Φ−,14|Φ−,23) (5)

Analysis of the actual experimental setup shows that cases (i ) in which Victor records one photon as detected to each side of the beam splitter (with the same polarization) have non-zero Born probability only from the fourth term in (5), while cases (ii ) in which Victor records both photons as detected to the same side of the beam splitter (with opposite polarizations) have non zero Born probability only from the third term in (5).

What polarization quantum state should Victor ascribe to a pair 1+4? In a case (i ) he should ascribe the corresponding 1+4 pair the quantum state |Φ−,14, while in a case (ii ) he should ascribe the corresponding pair 1+4 the state |Φ+,14. In either case, Victor should ascribe an entangled state to systems that have never interacted, directly or indirectly. Moreover, in either case Victor ascribes a quantum state to a pair of systemsafter each system has been detected and no longer has any independent existence. The function of such quantum state ascriptions is perfectly standard. By inserting the relevant quantum state into the Born rule, any agent in Victor’s situation can adjust its expectations concerning matters of which it is currently ignorant, namely what is recorded by Alice and Bob’s detectors. Such expectations can be (and in the actual experiment were) compared to Alice and Bob’s records in many cases of type (i ) and many cases of type (ii ). Those records returned statistics in conformity to the Born rule and in violation of Bell inequalities (as the polarization axesa ,b were suitably varied). What this experiment illustrates in a striking way is that an agent may need to form expectations concerning events that have already happened although his physical situation renders him inevitably ignorant of their outcomes. Until physical interactions have suitably correlated Victor’s records with the records of Alice and Bob’s detectors and their environment, the objective Born probabilities he derives from the quantum state for his agent situation remain his most reliable guide to belief about their records.

There is a further feature of this experiment that involves delayed choice. Clearly, if the beam splitter were not present there would be no swapping of entanglement: 1+2 would remain entangled, as would 3+4, but there would be no entanglement across these pairs. The experiment is therefore designed to allow a “decision”, effectively as to whether or not to introduce the beam splitter, to be postponed untilafter photons 1 and 4 have been detected. (In the actual experiment, implementing the “decision” was a little more complex, and was carried out by a quantum random number generator rather than any agent, human or otherwise.) With this additional feature, whether an agent in Victor’s situation ascribes an entangled or a separable state to photons 1 and 4 depends on events that occur after these photons have been detected. The delayed-choice entanglement-swapping experiment reinforces the lesson that quantum states are neither descriptions nor representations of physical reality. In particular, it undermines the idea that ascribing an entangled state to quantum systems is a way of representing some new, non-classical, physical relation between them. To hold onto that idea in the context of this experiment would require one to maintain not only thatwhich entanglement relation obtains between a pair of photons at some time, but also whetherany such relation then obtains between them, depends on what happens to other independent systems later, after the pair has been absorbed into the environment.

Note also that the Born probabilities flowing from these assignments of quantum states cannot here be understood as chances that conform to Lewis’s Principal Principle. That principle is supposed to explicate the role of chance in decision-making at a time by saying how an agent should base his credence of an event on the event’s chance at that time. We saw earlier that to be guided by quantum theory in his decision-making, an agent may need to take account of information to which he is privy but that must remain inaccessible to other agents at that time. We now see a situation in which quantum theory supplies objective probabilities concerning a pair of events to no agent until after those events have occurred. Clearly these probabilities cannot guide any agent in forming credences about these events ahead of time. But they can still be useful to a decision-maker like Victor who is kept in ignorance of Alice and Bob’s results.

Such ignorance would be irremediable in a modified scenario where the choice and Victor’s measurements arespace-like separated from Alice’s and Bob’s measurements (assuming no-superluminal signaling). In Lewis’s terminology, that scenario would render information about Alice’s and Bob’s results inadmissible for Victor for a whileafter they had already occurred in his reference frame. Even thought they are objective, Born probabilities are indexed not to a time, but to the physical situation of a potential agent relative to the events they concern. These probabilities sometimes, but not always, depend on the temporal aspect of this relation. But whether or not they do, they may depend also on further physical aspects.

Introduction

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

“Verily the Qur'an doth guide to that which is most right (or stable) (to run societies), and giveth the glad tidings to the Believers who work deeds of righteousness, that they shall have a magnificent reward”1 .

“We have sent down to thee the book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad tidings to Muslims”2 .

“When those come to thee who believe in Our Signs, say: 'Peace be on you: Your Lord hath inscribed for Himself (the rule on Mercy; verily, if any of you did evil in ignorance, and thereafter repented, and amended (his conduct), Lo! He is oft-forgiving, Most Merciful”3 .

The light of Islam is illuminating hearts of individuals in nearly all parts of the world, in spite of heavy barriers and careful controls and religious interrogation exerted by not only many governments of non-Muslim nations, but also in some Muslim countries, against their believing people, especially during the years after the Islamic Revolution of Iran.

The effective influence of the light of the truth together with the speed in the movement of the Age has brought forth a more vital exchange of thought and religious ideology in connection with the Holy Qur'an.

In regard to this, we refer to what the Messenger of Allah (S) has said about it:

When afflictions surround you like the dark night refer to the Qur'an, because, it is an Intercessor whose intercession is accepted. It reports the evils (of people) which will be confirmed. It leads the person to Heaven who puts it in front of himself (follows it); and he who puts it behind himself (neglects it) will be driven to Hell.

This very Qur'an is the best guide to the best ways. It is a Book in which there are useful explanations, statements and gaining (of goals). It is the Separator (of right and wrong).4

Obviously, those people whose language is not Arabic can refer to the Holy Book in English, because this is an international language and it is possible for all nations with any native language, to read and understand it in English. As far as we know, there are more than 50 different English translations of Qur'an available in Iran alone, and probably others exist in libraries (and homes) throughout the world.

This makes it easy for the lovers of truth to obtain the knowledge of the Holy Qur'an and Islamic ideology, through the medium of English, which formerly was acquired directly by the Arabic and Persian languages.

But, a fact should be mentioned here that not all of the words of Allah are easily understood by ordinary people and need explanatory commentary, i.e. 'Tafsir’.

Alongside this path, there are some problems that those eager to learn the Qur'anic truth should know and be careful of. Hence, we deal here with some of the difficulties we were involved in and recognized when we were preparing this endeavour; the fruit of our humble labour of more than three years, a translation of the commentary of over one section (of the 30 sections) of the Holy Qur'an from different commentary sources.

The work is based upon popular commentaries accepted by Muslim scholars. We consulted other books and present living scholars, learned in the Qur'anic Sciences for our work to produce this commentary in a simple standard of English easily understood by the laymen.

The style of writing here is a mixture of British-English and American-English, understandable for all the readers; even for those acquainted with only one of them. However, excuse us for using interchangeable spellings. If both are used, from time to time, they are acceptable; for example, honour and honor.

Not All English Versions of Quran Are Acceptable

Some Western translators of the Holy Qur'an; not all of them, and some producers of literature on Islam in the English language, are the anti-Muslim elements which are busy in distorting the facts about the faith to create disruption in Islamic ideology.

These hostile minds have attempted to black-list the Holy Prophet (S) and the religion of Islam, through their purposeful and subtle mis-translations, mis-interpretations, mis-representations and distortion of the facts.

The distortion and the misinterpretations are so skilfully decorated in linguistic excellence and delusive logic that the blind lovers of the English language, who are hardly or even totally unaware of the actual Qur'anic factors of their own faith, get caught up in the falsehood tempered with eloquence and they swallow the 'sugar-coated poisonous pills of deceit' allowing themselves to become duly conditioned to serve the purpose of the publications of the hostile camps.

The current standing of Evil has always been against the Truth in the history of man, even before written history, when the sons of Adam came into existence.

When these antagonistic elements have successfully extended their active influence upon our own religion, ideology and social tradition, we are also duty bound to Allah, His Final Word (the Holy Qur'an), the Faith, and to Islam, to do our best to present to every sincere seeker of Truth, a selection of a translation of the verses of the Holy Qur'an of the original Arabic text, and the 'Tafsir' (commentary) of them.

By the way, we believe that it is the essential belief of 'Shi'a' that the present Qur'an, that which is in our hands today, is the Holy Book of Allah, revealed to the holy Prophet Muhammad (S), as arranged and compiled during his lifetime and read out to him and it contains nothing less or more than what was revealed.

And it should be noted that,

“Nay, but it is a Glorious Qur'an, (inscribed) in a tablet preserved.”5 ,

whose present arrangement is the order in which the various verses were sorted and arranged at the command of the Holy Prophet (S), himself.

This is the uncorrupted or undisturbed Word of Allah, the preservation of which has been guaranteed by Allah, Himself:

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)”6 .

Furthermore, the English translations, along with the Arabic text of the verses, in this book, are selected from different translations of English versions of the Holy Qur'an, (whose names are listed at the end of the book under the title of 'References') which are from the best available sources in which some better styles and more proper meanings are employed. The translator and editor did their best to preserve this divine message and in conveying the Qur'anic facts in English.

In a few instances this writer, the translator, changed a word of those existing translations to a better one, from the existing material which was employed in this work.

What is a 'Commentary'?

A pure, correct, accurate translation of the Qur'an is necessary, but sometimes it is difficult for the readers to understand all of the apparent and hidden meanings and it is the duty of every Muslim, man or woman to read, understand and contemplate on the Holy Qur'an according to his own capacity:

“...read you, therefore, of the Qur'an as much as may be easy for you..”7 .

This reading has to be done not only with the tongue, voice and eyes; a mere recitation, but, also, with the best light that our intellect can supply, and even more, with the truest and purest light which our heart and conscience give us.

However, it is not always possible to fully understand the Holy Book as Allah says:

“That is indeed a Qur'an most honourable,”Which none shall touch but those who are purified”8 .

Thus, some additional information is needed. For example, it is sometimes necessary, for understanding the text, to refer to the particular occasion for the revelation of a particular verse; or to know the philological changes of a word used at the time of revelation or before it and the meaning that it has in Arabic, today.

Or the alphabetical symbols which evidently and undoubtedly are secrets, and especially the ambiguous /mutashabihat/; the knowledge of which has been announced to be with the /rasixuna fil 'ilm/; those deeply established in knowledge.

They are some things that only 'the particular ones, the sinless ones', besides the Prophet (S), himself, viz, Ahlul Bayt, knew with all the Qur'anic facts and talked about them in their traditions and narrations (as He says:

“And whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence”9 .

For instance, the Apostle, himself, answered the questions which used to be asked by people as to the meaning of certain words in the verses revealed, or details of certain historical or spiritual matters on which they sought more enlightenment. These answers and explanations or in other words, the commentaries were gathered by some Companions /ashab/ and were afterward written down which are called 'Hadith' or 'traditions'.

Of course, the holy Prophet (S) had openly declared in Hadith-uth- Thaqalayn that the Qur'an is with the Ahlul Bayt, and to avoid going astray, the Muslims should be attached to these two. Later, the Ahlul Bayt's explanations and narrations, were added to them and together with the effect of expert religious scholars, in the past and present, established 'Exegesis' (explanation of Qur'an) which became a science in itself and was called 'Tafsir', commentary.

'Commentary' shows how every verse, or group of verses, were revealed to the holy Prophet (S) on a particular occasion, but which also has a general meaning. The particular occasion and the particular people concerned have passed away, but the general meaning and its application remain true for all time.

This is also one of the miracles of the Qur'an that with the help of 'commentary' it is always open and it is always new for those new generations to come.

The Current Commentary

As was mentioned earlier, the light of Islam is enlightening every corner in the world and seekers of truth, having referred to the translations of the Holy Qur'an, find that they need 'Tafsir', (commentary).

Some of them, Shi'a believers in particular have been led to this Center; Imam Ali (as) Library, requesting a clear, concise English Tafsir; 'a commentary of the Holy Qur'an'.

From the beginning of Islam until today (although many times the Holy Qur'an has been translated into English and a few of them are published with brief, detailed commentary, as footnotes, there has rarely been, as far as we know, a fairly complete commentary in English sufficient for them to find their answers. So the decision was made to supply this commentary.

Ayatullah Mujahed Al-Hajj, Allamah Sayyid Kamal Faqhih Imani, the founder and responsible party of this Islamic Scientific Research Center, approached us and reported the situation to scholars and appropriate research societies.

Then 12 people, who had varying nationalities and educational backgrounds, especially from the point of the English language and Islamic Theology, gathered. In their first gathering, which was held on 28th Safar, 1412 (1370 H. / 1991), they concluded that the commentary of the whole Qur'an which they intended to supply in English, would take many years to produce.

In order to quench the thirst of the lovers of Truth who had demanded it again and again, they decided to supply the commentary of the last section of the Qur'an, as a sample, and after its publication and receiving constructive comments by the readers and with a better skillfulness of the ones involved, the translation of the commentary would begin from the beginning of the Holy Qur'an.

Therefore, they thought it would be better that the sample, entitled 'An Enlightening Commentary Into the Light of the Holy Qur'an', begin with Surah Insan, the end of the 29th Section, because the Qur'an was revealed for the improvement of Man and this Surah is about Man and his creation from a lowly life-germ which can develop unto the highest point where no other creature can ascend.

But, after several weeks the number of us dwindled to a handful and after some months, until the present, we remain two people; the translator and the editor. During this period of more than three years, a few people have tried their hands at this task to have a share in the translation, but, for different reasons, they were not successful.

However, we are completely grateful for their efforts and extend our thanks for their attempts, as well as to those who had any involvement in this work.

Attributes Needed for Working on This Kind of Commentary

This endeavour needed not only the knowledge and skillfulness in the English language, but also the knowledge of Arabic, and Islamic science and culture, because Tafsir is an attempt to analyze and explain the meaning of verses in the Holy Qur'an.

Moreover, Allah, Himself, says:

“We have sent down to thee the book explaining all things, a Guide, a Mercy, and Glad Tidings to Muslims”10 .

Then, it needs that those involved know a little bit about almost all sciences and knowledge that human beings are concerned with when working with the commentary. Also, the phonetic sound systems of the two languages, English and Arabic, are different. Therefore, when an Arabic word from the Qur'an is mentioned in the English text, it is shown with the phonetic alphabet and in its special phonetical sign, i.e.: / /, to avoid using 'Arabic script' in the book, as far as possible.

A transliteration table of the Arabic letters and sounds and the corresponding phonetic signs, applied in this book, is given at the beginning of the book.

The Problems in Translating

We tried to avoid mixing up our own personal theories and conclusions with the interpretation of the text itself. With the help of Allah, we did our best; at times asking for guidance from some learned religious men (Ruhaniyan), and used all the knowledge and experience we possessed in the service of the Holy Qur'an for its commentary, hoping that Allah accepts it.

The nature of this sort of endeavour is so that, in the course of translation, some difficulties arise from various causes.

For instance, cultures in the Arabic language and English language are different so that some of the words like /amrun bayn al amrayn/ in the case of fatalism and freewill are nearly impossible to translate into English, because of the difference in the concept in English literature; or the meaning of a word like 'prostration', in English, is rather different with what /sajdah/ exactly means in Arabic.

In such cases, we selected the meaning of the words from among what the earlier commentators and phililogists used and where they were not unanimous, we also used the ideas of new writers, who had reasonable advantages in their interpretations, when the senses adopted with the commentary sources that we were taking and translating materials from. Explanations, of course are always helpful which we took benefit from, too.

It is noteworthy that there are some circumstances in the text, of the commentary, in which a verse or verses of Qur'an from other Suras rather than the Surah under discussion are mentioned as evidence or, thereby, for strengthening the idea.

The text of these verses and also the traditions and narrations from the holy Prophet or Ahlul Bayt (as) is printed in bolder type than the running commentary in order to distinguish, at a glance, the substance from the shadow. Also, the mentioned verses are generally taken from A. Yusuf Ali's translation.

It Was Only By His Merciful Will!

Translators Note

Both the editor and the translator have interesting factual stories to tell of how the way of this endeavour was paved by Providence and how they were divinely led to be absorbed into this task, Alhamdulillah. A few words given here in this regard are not to be misunderstood as a display of vanity for any peculiar distinction; for there is none.

It is purely to attract the attention of the readers to a living instance of the Providential implementation of the divine plan and how man drifts to his assignment and how matters are automatically manipulated, though, they seem yet only to be circumstantial.

“He said: Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature and further gave (it) guidance”11 .

For example, once, on a night, the writer of these lines, the translator, had seen in a dream that the Holy Qur'an, was placed, honourably, on a high position, wide open, high above a very great crowd of people amongst whom he was standing, watching. The full name of his was clearly written in the midst of the writings on the right page of it with magnificent bold letters.

The dream was obviously a good one, but it did not mean vividly to him at that time.

It was four years before he found out, in the course of translating the commentary of verses 11-16 from Surah 'Abasa No. 80, both the meaning of that dream and the cause of later changes in his career of twenty years, as a manager of a profitable Foreign Language Center, thanks to Allah.

It is always true what the Qur'an says:

“You will not unless Allah wills, surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise”12 .

By His graceful arrangement this writer was separated from his almost material gains, of this fleeting world, to be set toward the assured, perfect, pure, spiritual rewards of the next, everlasting world from Him, Allah willing, when he began translating the commentary of the Qur'an and entered this great Divine Ocean of light, he found out that from earlier times such a success had been appointed and bestowed to him by Allah.

Therefore, all changes and graceful arrangements directly are from Him and it was His helpful Will that planned His graceful design and showered the ability and insight upon us to lead us to the present point. We are eagerly in hopes that He will help us and guide us in all cases to complete the task successfully so that He accepts it from us.

Editor's Note

In my case, it is a fact that only by the grace of Allah have I come to be at the helm working, side-by-side with the translator, on this commentary of the Holy Qur'an. Editing and checking this translation of 'An Enlightening commentary into the Light of the Holy Quran' has been a most important and rewarding experience for me.

To be of value in this work several things were necessary; my mother tongue, English, was almost at the top of the list. Then, having the ability to use a computer and printer, which involved me having to learn and use a Farsi program named Zarnegar, produced in Tehran, Iran, I was able to make use of the wonderful array of fonts it contains; necessary to type the Arabic and English languages.

Next, living in Iran, for four years, has made it possible for me to become acquainted with the native language and customs. However, the greatest asset, of all, is that I am a Shi'a Muslim woman.

It is fifteen (15) years from now, that in America, I became enlightened to the existence of the Holy Qur'an and accepted it as a better way of life. Over this period of time it has put me in touch with the purity of the religion and the logical answers to the religious questions I had as a Catholic.

My father told us (during our childhood) that if we ever wanted to know anything we should go to the source and to always have the correct tools on hand to do the job right.

When I started hearing and seeing, on television, the upheaval of the Islamic Revolution, in Iran, and the speech of a brave and courageous man they called Ayatullah Khomeini, I became very intense on knowing why it was happening and in knowing who this man was who had been exiled and was making his return to his homeland.

“Our Lord! We have heard the call of one calling (us) to faith, 'Believe ye in the Lord,, and we have believed. Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, blot out from us our iniquities, and take to Thyself our souls in the company of the righteous”13 .

It was something more spectacular than I had ever read about in my high school history books. There was a charge in it that I could not explain, and up until that time, I had never really heard anything about Islam, Prophet Muhammad or Muslims, for that matter.

I bought A. Yussuf Ali's English Translation of the Holy Qur'an, basing my decision on my father's counsel and I began from page one.

It was talking about the same things I had already learned; Adam and Eve in the Garden, disobeyed God due to the wiles of Satan and then, were expelled to Earth; Moses is given the scripture and leads his people out of Egypt, but they forfeited their covenant for a golden calf; Abraham, Ismail and Issac of the religion true, and there, Mary.

Hail Mary! Chaste, pure, chosen above other women, given glad tidings of a Word from Him; his name will be Christ Jesus, son of Mary, held in honor...14

And it went on: Practise charity, take care of the orphans, speak a speech that is just, beware of the deceits of the Unbelievers...I was in awe as I neared the end. No place was any obscenity found -no trace of ugliness which I found in the Bible -nothing but pure scripture; a complete religion, the one and only continuing from the first of Abraham. So, it became crystal clear to me that Islam is the final, refined message from God.

True, just, undeniable, containing what I had always felt and that is this: There is only One God; unique, needing no partner, powerful, and yet merciful and kind. How could God be more than one; Creator of such a vast universe and more?

With this understanding, though, came many tests to my new-found-faith; albeit necessary tests. Did I really believe - did I really submit to His Will - was I really worthy?

I began by only putting on a scarf, covering all of my hair.

“And say to the believing women...that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers...”15

Immediately the responses that I encountered proved the rightness of it all. I was chided, spit at, hit and cursed. Well, of course, a great deal of this was due to the propaganda which caused mass hysteria against Iran and not having their facts straight about the religion of Islam, however, it hurt just the same, but I had learned forgiveness and perseverance from my mother.

It was difficult for my family in the beginning; this change I was making, however, we are very close at heart, today, due to my faith and reliance on Allah.

“And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: 'My Lord! Bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.'“16

Almost at once the veils over my understanding fell away and I started rejecting a lot of the 'big-business' propaganda that had infiltrated into my life.

“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error; whosoever rejects Evil and believes in God bath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks...”17

The 'Big Sell' eats away at the very fabric of human society to the point that life has only a superficial meaning and high value is put on every inanimate object which man can produce.

“The life of this world is alluring to those who reject faith, and they scoff at those who believe. But the righteous will be above them on the Day of Resurrection; for God bestows His abundance on whom He will “18 .

I had developed an intense desire to go to Iran--the country of martyrs; having an air so thick with emotions, direction and goal, at that time, and having the presence of an undeniable strength caressing it in the hands of an unseen power.

Ten years after I started practicing the tenets of Islam the opportunity presented itself for me to be able to fulfil my desire.

“Not equal are those Believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause...God has granted a grade higher to those who strive...”19

I wished very much to become involved in some type of work regarding the Holy Qur'an and in due time I was approached to work with a group of people on a commentary of the Holy Qur'an.

“And for those who fear God, He prepares a way out” “And He provides for him from (sources) he never could imagine...”20

Those of you who know anything about the rigors of editing know that it is very time-consuming and attention to detail is very necessary.

Spending many hours discussing the meaning of a single word, or phrase, can cause the ordinary soul to become frustrated, but that frustration is ultimately quelled when peace and tranquillity cover the heart at the point where there is that final agreement and gives those involved renewed enthusiasm to continue.

Sometimes you will notice more spacing than usual on a line or within the phonetic brackets (/ /), but this is due to the fact that the Zarnegar program is a Farsi program and it took much time trying to place the little phonetic line over, or the little dot under, the correct letter, because English is written from left to right and Farsi is written from right to left, so, I had a bit of anarchy on my hands for a time.

I leave you, now, in the hopes that you, too, will be provoked to question and seek. (Seek and you will find). Looking back, I feel that Allah does consider me worthy.

“God is the protector of those who have faith; from the depths of darkness He will lead them into light”21 .

Wa Salam.

Notes

1. 17:9

2. 16:89

3. 6:54

4. Usul al-Kafi, vol 2, p. 599.

5. 85:21, 22

6. 15:9

7. 73:20

8. 56:77, 79

9. 18:65

10. 16:89

11. 20:50

12. 76:30

13. 3:193

14. 3:42-45

15. 24:31

16. 17:24

17. 2:256

18. 2:212

19. 4:95

20. 65:2-3

21. 2:257

Acknowledgment

Tafsir Nemunah is compiled by the great writer and researcher, His Eminence Ayatullah il-Ozma Nasir Makarim Shirazi, and with the cooperation of an estimable group of Muslim scholars, Hujaj-

ul-Islam:

By the way, it should be notified that for the translation of this volume, Tafsir Nemunah has been mainly utilized.

* * * *

يَأَيهَا النّاس قَدْ جَاءَكُم بُرْهَنٌ مِّن رّبِّكُمْ وَ أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ نُوراً مّبِيناً

“O mankind! Verily there has come to you a convincing proof (the Messenger and the Qur’an) from your Lord: for We have sent unto you a light (that is) manifest.”1

إِنّا نحْنُ نَزّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَ إِنّا لَهُ لحَافِظونَ

“We have, without doubt, sent down the Message and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption).”2

وَ مَنْ أَعْرَض عَن ذِكرِى فَإِنّ لَهُ مَعِيشةً ضنكاً وَ نحْشرُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَمَةِ أَعْمَى

“But whosoever turns away from My Message (the Qur’an), verily for him is a straitened toilsome life, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Judgement''.3

وَ نُنزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْءَانِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَ رَحْمَةٌ لِّلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“And We send down (stage by stage) of the Qur’an that which is a healing and a mercy for those who believe...”4

Notes

1. 4:174

2. 15:9

3. 20:124

4. 17:82

References

Arabic, Farsi Commentaries

1. Tafsir-i-Nemuneh, by A Group of Shi'a Scholars with Ayatollah Makarim Shirazi; Dar-ul-Kutub-il-Islamiyyah, Qum, Iran, 1990/1410.

2. Majma'-ul-Bayan fi Tafsir-il-Qur'an, by Shaykh Abu Ali al-Fadl-ibn-il-Husain-il-Tabarsi, Dar-u-Ihya'-it- Turath-il' Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, 1960/1380 AH.

3. Al-Mizan fi Tafsir-il-Qur'an by 'Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husain at- Tabataba'i, al-A'lami lil-Matbu'at, Beirut, Lebanon, 1972/1392 AH.

4. Atyab-ul-Bayan fi Tafsir-il-Qur'an by Sayyid 'Abdul-Husain Tayyib, Muhammadi Publishing House, Isfahan, Iran, 1962/1382 AH.

5. Ad-Durr-ul-Manthur fi-Tafsir-il-Ma'thur by Imam 'Abd-ur-Rahman al-Suyuti, Dar-ul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, 1983/1403 AH.

6. Al-Tafsir-ul-Kabir by Imam Fakh-ir-Razi, Dar-ul-Kutub-il-'islmiyyah, Tehran, 1973/1393.

7. Al-Jam'li -Ahkam-il-Qur'an (Tafsir-ul-Qartabi) by Muhammad-ibn-Ahmad al-Qartabi, Dar-ul-Kutub-il Misriyyah, 1967/1387.

8.Tafsir-i-Nur-uth-Thaqalayn by 'Abd-i-'Ali-ibn Jum'at-ul-'Arusi al-Huweyzi, al-Matba'atul-'ilmiyyah, Qum, Iran, 1963/1383 AH.

9. Tafsir-i-Ruh-ul-Janan by Jamal-ud-Din Abul-Futuh Razi, Dar-ul-Kutub-il-Islamiyyah, Tehran, 1973/1393 AH.

10. Tafsir-i-Ruh-ul-Bayan by Isma'il Haqqi al-Burusawi Dar-u-Ihya'-ut- Turath-il-' Arabi, Beirut.

English Translations of Qur'an

1. The Holy Qur'an, Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Publication of the Presidency of Islamic Courts & Affairs, State of Qatar, 1946.

2. The Holy Qur'an, Arabic Text by a Group of Muslim Brothers, English Translation and footnotes by M. H. Shakir, Tehran, Iran.

3. The Glorious Koran, Bi-lingual Edition with English Translation by Marmaduke Pickthall, printed in Great Britain by W. & J. MacKay Ltd., Chatham, Kent, London.

4. Al-Mizan, An Exegesis of the Qur'an by al-Allamah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn-at- Tabataba'i, Translated by Sayyid Saeed Akhtar Rizvi, Vol. 1, Tehran, WOFIS, 1983.

5. The Koran translated with notes by N. J. Dawood, Penguin Books Ltd, New York, U.S.A, 1978.

6. The Koran Interpreted, Translated by Arthur J. Arberry, London, Oxford University Press, 1964.

7. The Glorious Koran, Translated with Commentary of Divine Lights by Ali Muhammad Fazil Chinoy, Printed at the Hyderabad Bulletin Press, Secanderabad-India, 1954.

8. Holy Qur'an, Shakir, M. H., Ansariyan Publications, Qum, Islamic Republic of Iran, 1993.

9. The Holy Qur'an with English Translation of the Arabic Text and Commentary According to the Version of the Holy Ahlul-Bait by S. V. Mir Ahmad Ali, published by Tahrike- Tarsile Qur'an, Inc., New York, 1988.

10. A Collection of Translation of the Holy Qur'an, supplied, corrected and compiled by Al-Balagh Foundation, Tehran, Iran, (unpublished).

Supporting Technical References

1. Nahjul -Balagha by as -Sayyid ar -Radi Dar -ul -Kitab al -Lubnani, Beirut, Lebanon, 1982.

2. Sharh -i -Nahjul -Balagha by Ibn-i Abi al-Hadid, Dar -u -Ihya' -il - Kutub -il -' Arabiyyah, Eypt, 1959/1378 AH.

3. Nahj-al-Balagha of Amir al-Muminin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, selected and compiled by as-Sayyid Abul-Hassan 'Ali ibn al-Husayn ar-Radi al-Musawi, Translated by Sayyid Ali Raza, World Organization For Islamic Services (WOFIS), Tehran, Iran, 1980.

4. Nahjul Balagha -Hazrat Ali, Translated by Sheikh Hassan Saeed, Chehel Sotoon Library & Theological School, Tehran, Iran, 1977.

5. Al-Kafi by ash-Shaykh Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kulayni ar-Razi, Translated and published by WOFIS, Tehran, Iran, 1982.

6. Shi'a, by Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba-i, translated by Sayyid Hosein Nasr, Qum, Ansariyan Publications, 1981.

7. Williams Obstetrics, Pritchard, Jack A., 1921; MacDonald, Paul C., 1930, Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, U.S.A, 1976.

8. The Encyclopedia Americana, Americana Corporation, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., U.S.A, 1962.

9. Compton's Encyclopedia and Fact-Index, F.E. Compton Company, printed in U.S.A, 1978.

10. Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language Unabridged, Second Edition, by Noah Webster, Published by the World Publishing Company, Cleveland and New York, U.S.A, 1953.

Phraseological and Philological Sources

1. A Glossary of Islamic Technical Terms Persian-English, by M. T. Akbari and others, Edited by B. Khorramshahi, Islamic Research Foundation, Astan, Quds, Razavi, Mashhad, Iran, 1991.

2. Al-Mawrid, a Modern Arabic-English Dictionary, Third Edition,by Dr. Rohi Baalbaki, Dar el-Ilm Lilmulmalayin, Beirut, Lebanon, 1991.

3. Elias' Modern Dictionary, Arabic-English, by Elias A. Elias & Ed. E. Elias, Beirut, Lebanon, 1980.

4. An Introduction to Arabic Phonetics and the Orthoepy of the Qur'an, by Bahman Zandi, Islamic Research Foundation, Astan, Quds, Razavi, Mashhad, Iran, 1992.

5. A Concise Dictionary of Religious Terms & Expressions (English-Persian & Persian-English), by Hussein Vahid Dastjerdi, Vahid Publications, Tehran, Iran, 1988.

6. Arabic-English Lexicon, by Edward William Lane, Librarie Du Liban, Beirut, Lebanon, 1980.

7. A Dictionary and Glossary, by Penrice B.A. Curzon Press Ltd., London, Dublin, Reprinted, 1979.

8. Webster's New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, by David B. Guralnik, Simon & Schuster, New York, U.S.A, 1984.

9. The New Unabridged English-Persian Dictionary, by Abbas Aryanpur (Kashani), Amir Kabir Publication Organization, 1963.

10. The Larger Persian English Dictionary, by S. Haim, published in Farhang Moaser, Tehran, Iran, 1985.

A Presentation to Muslims

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُ

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficient, The Merciful

“O ye who believed! Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you”. 1

('Those charged with authority' are only the twelve sinless Imams (as) and; at the time of occultation, Sources of Imitation, who are learned, pious, and just, should be referred to.)

في إكمال الدين في حديث عن جابر الجعفي عن جابر بن عبد الله الانصاري قال: قلت: يا رسول الله عرفنا الله ورسوله، فمن اولي الامر الذين قرن الله طاعتهم بطاعتك؟ فقال (ص) هم خلفائي يا جابر، وأئمة المسلمين بعدي أولهم علي بن أبي طالب، ثم الحسن والحسين، ثم علي بن الحسين، ثم محمد بن علي المعروف في التوراة بالباقر وستدركه يا جابر فإذا لقيته فاقرأه مني السلام. ثم الصادق جعفر بن محمد، ثم موسى بن جعفر، ثم علي بن موسى، ثم محمد بن علي، ثم علي بن محمد، ثم الحسن بن علي، ثم سميي وكنيي حجة الله في أرضه، وبقيته في عباده ابن الحسن بن علي، ذاك الذي يفتح الله على يديه مشارق الارض ومغاربها

In 'Ikmal-ud-Din' a tradition, through 'Jabir-il-Ju'fi', is narrated from Jabir-ibn- Abdillah thus:

I said:

“O Messenger of Allah, we have known Allah and His Apostle; then who is 'Ulil-Amr', those that Allah has made their obedience the same as your obedience?'

Then, the Prophet (S) said:

'O Jabir! they are, after me, my successors and the Guides of Muslims; the first of them is Ali-ibn-Abi Talib; then (Imam) Hassan, and (Imam) Husain; then Ali-ibn-il-Husain; then Muhammad-ibn-Ali, known in the Torah as Baqir, whom you will see.

O Jabir! When you visit him, give my regards to him. After him, there is Sadiq, -Ja'far-ibn-Muhammad; and after him Musa-ibn-Ja'far; then Ali-ibn-Musa; then Muhammad-ibn-Ali; then Ali-ibn-Muhammad, then Hassan-ibn-Ali; and after him (there comes) Al-Gha'im whose name and sir-name is the same as mine. He is Allah's Authority on the Earth and His Remainder amongst His servants.

He is the son of (Imam) Hassan-ibn-Ali (a.-Askari). This is the very personality by whose hands Allah will open the Easts and Wests of the world.’2

قال الله تعالى: “وما ينطق عن الهوى إن هو إلا وحي يوحى”

“Nor does the Apostle speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed”.3

قال النبي (ص): “إني تارك فيكم التقلين، كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض وعترتي أهل بيتي، وإن اللطيف الخبير أخبرني أنهما لن يفترقا حتى يردا علي الحوض فانظروا بماذا تخلفوني” وفي حديث آخر: “لن تضلوا ما إن تمسكتم بهما”

The Prophet (S) said:

“I leave behind me two weighty (very worthy and important) things:

The book of Allah (i.e. the Quran), which is a stretched string from the heaven to the earth, and my progeny, my Ahlul Bayt; for verily Allah, The Merciful, The Aware, informed me that never, never, will these Two get separated from each other until they meet me at the Houd of Kauthar (the Pond of Abundance).

Therefore, be careful and contemplate on how you will treat them (after me)”

...and in another tradition it is added:

“Never, never, shall you get astray if you attach yourself to these two”.4

Abul-Hassan-ir-Rida (as) said:

“May the Mercy of Allah be upon the servant who Keeps alive our commandment”.

I asked him (as) how the one could keep your commandment alive.

He (as) said:

“He (can) learn our sciences and teach them to people. In fact if people knew (the merits) and goodnesses of our speech, surely they would follow us.”5

Notes

1. 4:59

2. Ikmal-ud-Din, Vol. 1, p. 253; with nearly similar meaning, in Yanabi-ul-Mawaddah, p. 117

3. 53:3,4

4. Ma'uni-ul-Akhbur, p. 90, tradition 2, & Musnad Ahmad-ibn-Hanbal, Vol. 3, p.17, and other books from the Sunnite School and Shi 'ah School mentioned in Ihqaq-ul-Haqq, Vol 9, p. 309 to 375

5. Ma' ani-ul-Akhbar, p. 180 & 'Uyun-i-Akbar-ur-Rida, Vol. 1, p. 207