Allah’s arguments against man in asking about the duties

إِلهي وَمَوْلاي أَجْرَيْتَ عَلَي حُكْماً إِتَّبَعْتُ فيهِ هَوى نَفْسي وَلَمْ أَحْتَرِسْ فيهِ مِنْ تَزْيينِ عَدُوّي، فَغَرَّني بِما أَهْوى وَأَسْعَدَهُ عَلى ذلِكَ الْقَضاءُ فَتَجاوَزْتُ بِما جَرى عَلَي مِنْ ذلِكَ بَعْضَ حُدُودِكَ، وَخالَفْتُ بَعْضَ أَوامِرِكَ

My Allah and my Protector! I have myself given a decree against me, I followed the caprice of my own soul and did not defend myself from my enemy, which deluded me through my soul’s caprice and therein destiny favored it. So I crossed some of the barriers and transgressed some of Your statues and disobeyed some of Your Commands.

Duties

Allah wants humans to be adorned with true beliefs whose place is in the heart, virtuous morality that is placed in the soul, and righteous deeds, which are performed by one’s organs; all of which are human duties. Allah has necessitated these duties for us, out of His Wisdom and Mercy, for human expediency in this world and the Hereafter.

If Allah’s will is fulfilled sincerely in all circumstances, one can undoubtedly reach his full perfection and spiritual growth. Such a person would have a prosperous Hereafter, as well as Allah’s satisfaction. Not only will he live a purified life in this world, but also he will live an eternal life in Paradise, along with the prophets, the martyrs, and the righteous servants.

The only hindrance of Allah’s will is human carnal soul that causes illogical desires, which may, in turn, attract him to wrongdoing, passions, and finite worldly wealth. These vices deceive human, imprison him, and exhaust all his power for reaching them, even to the price of violating the rights of others and the society. Such a person would turn to a wicked one, free of any belief, moral and practical principles, who would not do good to himself and others. He would continue his sinful life heedless of the realities, until death would terminate his life, freeing him and other people from his evilness.

The Messenger of Islam (s.a) has rightly stated:

أعْدَى عَدُوِّكَ نَفْسُكَ الَّتِي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيْكَ.

The most severe of your enemies is your own soul that is placed between your two sides.[1]

As confirmed by the Holy Qur’¡n too, human carnal soul is his most severe enemy, because it enjoins to any evil doing and forbids from any good, thus destroying his life in this world and the Hereafter.

It is narrated from Imam al-Reza (a.s): Someone asked me about a principle that brings goodness of this world and the Last Day together. I told him:

خَالِفْ هَوَاكَ.

Oppose your soul![2]

The Prophet of Islam (s.a) said:

أفْضَلُ الجِهَادِ مَنْ جَاهَدَ نَفْسَهُ الَّتِي بَيْنَ جَنْبَيْهِ.

The highest holy war is a war against one’s own soul, between his two sides.[3]

He also told Am¢r al-Mu’min¢n (a.s):

يَا عَلِيُّ! أفْضَلُ الجِهَادِ مَنْ أصْبَحَ لاَ يَهِمُّ بِظُلْمِ أحَدٍ.

O `Al¢! The best holy war is that of someone who never has the intention to oppress anyone else.[4]

If human follows the caprice of his own soul, it would deceive him, thus preventing him from Allah’s remembrance, attention to the death, the Last Day, and his own duties. Allah’s will, on the other hand, which is materialized as human freedom, cooperates with the soul and makes human benefit from it in wrongdoing, instead of fulfilling responsibilities; that is oppose Allah’s beneficial rules.

فَلَكَ الْحُجَّةُ عَلَيَّ في جَميعِ ذلِكَ وَلا حُجَّةَ لي فيما جَرى عَلَيَّ فيهِ قَضاؤُكَ وَأَلْزَمَني حُكْمُكَ وَبَلاؤُكَ

So Yours is the argument against me in all that and I have no argument and I have no argument in what Your destiny put into effect through me therein; nor in what Your decree and Your tribulation imposed upon me.

Allah’s Arguments against Man

Human has no arguments for getting misled and committing sins in this world and the Hereafter to claim innocence before Allah.

If he says: “I did not have ability,” he has told a big lie, because he has had the great blessing of a healthy body, which enabled him.

If he says: “I was unaware of Allah’s orders so I could not fulfill my duties,” the arguments of free time for studying Qur’¡n and religious books, the opportunity to refer to scholars, and the chance to gain knowledge would be raised against him.

If he says: “I was void of intelligence,” he has certainly lied, because if he did not have intelligence, how could he organize his monetary and economic affairs?!

If he says: “If a prophet was sent from Allah along with Imams of guidance, I followed the signs of truth and guidance,” he would be told: “a hundred and twenty four thousand prophets were sent, as well as twelve Imams to guide the misled. How come you did everything for your economic issues, but not for your spiritual issues?”

If he says: “There was no guiding scholar, book or mosque,” he would be told: “You are not telling the truth, because the voice of Our Guidance was heard from everywhere. But your pride, ignorance, and desirousness prevented you from following the guidance route and Allah’s religion.”

According to such facts, Allah has many arguments against humans to condemn human, but human has no arguments against Allah to acquit himself and escape the chastisement.

Regarding this obvious fact, that is Allah’s argument against human to punish him, only one important tradition is mentioned here, quoted form the most valid Shiite books.

Hamis Ibn Ziy¡d narrates from °asan Ibn Mu¦ammad Kind¢ from A¦mad Ibn Hasan Miythami from Aban Ibn `Uthm¡n from `Abd al-A`l¡ that:

I heard Imam Sadiq (a.s) saying: A beautiful woman is brought forth to Allah, in the Hereafter, who has committed sins due to his beauty. So, for acquitting herself, she says: ‘O Lord! You created me beautiful, so I was deceived because of my beauty and committed sins.’ Hence Mary (s.a) is brought forth and that sinner woman is asked: ‘Are you more beautiful than her? We created her beautiful, but she maintained her faith and was not deluded by her soul.’ Then a handsome youth is brought forth to Allah, who has done many wrongdoings because of his attraction. He says: ‘O Lord! You created me beautiful, so that my beauty led me to unlawful relationship with women.’ So Josef (a.s) is brought forth and that man is told: ‘Are you prettier than Josef, who maintained himself from corruption and did not commit sins.’ And another person is then brought who has been deceived by his soul because of his hardships and calamities. He says: ‘O Allah! You put me in various difficulties, so that I lost my patience and committed sins.’ Therefore Jacob (a.s) is brought and it is said: ‘Were your problems more severe than those of Jacob who suffered from many calamities, but kept himself safe from wrongdoing.’[5]