قَالَ لِي أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) مَا تَقُولُ فِي أَصْحَابِ الْأَعْرَافِ فَقُلْتُ مَا هُمْ إِلَّا مُؤْمِنُونَ أَوْ كَافِرُونَ إِنْ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ فَهُمْ مُؤْمِنُونَ وَ إِنْ دَخَلُوا النَّارَ فَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ فَقَالَ وَ اللَّهِ مَا هُمْ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ لَا كَافِرِينَ وَ لَوْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ دَخَلُوا الْجَنَّةَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَ لَوْ كَانُوا كَافِرِينَ لَدَخَلُوا النَّارَ كَمَا دَخَلَهَا الْكَافِرُونَ وَ لَكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ اسْتَوَتْ حَسَنَاتُهُمْ وَ سَيِّئَاتُهُمْ فَقَصُرَتْ بِهِمُ الْأَعْمَالُ وَ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَمَا قَالَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَقُلْتُ أَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ أَوْ مِنْ أَهْلِ النَّارِ فَقَالَ اتْرُكْهُمْ حَيْثُ تَرَكَهُمُ اللَّهُ قُلْتُ أَ فَتُرْجِئُهُمْ قَالَ نَعَمْ أُرْجِئُهُمْ كَمَا أَرْجَأَهُمُ اللَّهُ إِنْ شَاءَ أَدْخَلَهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ بِرَحْمَتِهِ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ سَاقَهُمْ إِلَى النَّارِ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ وَ لَمْ يَظْلِمْهُمْ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ كَافِرٌ قَالَ لَا قُلْتُ هَلْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ إِلَّا كَافِرٌ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَشَاءَ اللَّهُ يَا زُرَارَةُ إِنَّنِي أَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ وَ أَنْتَ لَا تَقُولُ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَمَا إِنَّكَ إِنْ كَبِرْتَ رَجَعْتَ وَ تَحَلَّلَتْ عَنْكَ عُقَدُكَ .
Translation
Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Ibn Fazzal, from Ibn Bukeyr and Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yunus, from a man, altogether from Zurara who said, ‘Abu Ja’far<sup>asws</sup> said to me: ‘What you saying regarding <span class="ibTxt"><a href="/#/books/quran:7#h48"><a href="/books/quran:7#h48">[7:48]</a></a> the people of Al-Araf</span>?’ So I said, ‘They are not except either <span class="iTxt">Momineen</span> or <span class="iTxt">Kafireen</span> (unbelievers). If they enter the Paradise, so they are <span class="iTxt">Momineen</span>, and if they enter the Fire, so they are <span class="iTxt">Kafireen</span> (unbelievers). So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘By Allah<sup>azwj</sup>! They are neither <span class="iTxt">Momineen</span> nor <span class="iTxt">Kafireen</span> (unbelievers), and had they been <span class="iTxt">Momineen</span> they would have entered the Paradise just as the <span class="iTxt">Momineen</span> would enter it, and had they been <span class="iTxt">Kafireen</span> (unbelievers) they would have entered the Fire just as the <span class="iTxt">Kafireen</span> (unbelievers) would enter. But, they are a people whose good and evil deeds are equal, so the deeds are deficient with them, and they are just as Allah<sup>azwj</sup> Mighty and Majestic Says’. So I said, ‘Are they from the inhabitants of the Paradise or from the inhabitants of the Fire?’ So he<sup style="font-weight: normal">asws</sup> said: ‘Leave them where Allah<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> has left them’. I said, ‘So shall I postpone them?’ He<sup style="font-weight: normal">asws</sup> said: ‘Yes, postpone them just as Allah<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> has Postponed them. If He<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> so Desires to He<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> would Enter them into the Paradise by His<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> Mercy, and if He<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> so Desires to He<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> would Usher them to the Fire due to their sins, and He<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> would not be unjust to them’. So I said, ‘Would a <span class="iTxt">Kafir</span> (unbeliever) enter the Paradise?’ He<sup style="font-weight: normal">asws</sup> said: ‘No’. I said, ‘Would anyone enter the Fire except for a <span class="iTxt">Kafir</span> (unbeliever)?’ So he<sup style="font-weight: normal">asws</sup> said: ‘No. except if Allah<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> so Desires. O Zurara! I<sup style="font-weight: normal">asws</sup> am saying: ‘Whatever Allah<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> so Desires’, and you are not saying, ‘Whatever Allah<sup style="font-weight: normal">azwj</sup> so Desires’. But, you, when you get older, would retract, and your knots would be loosened from you’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.