Capability

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the issue of capability. Hence, He (AS) replied: “The issue of capability is not from my statement or the statement of my forefathers. The Compiler of this book says: He means by this is that it is neither from my statement or the statement of my forefathers that we say of Allah, the Mighty and High: Verily, He is capable. Like the people in the time of `Isa (AS) said: Is your Lord capable of sending down to us food from Heaven?

A servant cannot act or move unless the ability to act is given to him by Allah, the Mighty and High. Verily, the legal capacity [taklif] from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has occurred after the capability. Thus, no one has legal capacity except the capable.

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the issue of ability, but he did not answer me. So I entered his presence at another time and said: “May Allah be in peace with you! A doubt has entered my heart which nobo0dy can remove but you.” He (AS) said: Verily, what is in your hear will not harm you?” I said: May Allah be in peace with you! AI believe: Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, does not burden His Servants with more than they can bear. They do not do anything except by the Intent, Will, Predestination and Decree of Allah. He (AS) responded, “This is the religion of Allah in which I believe, and in which my forefathers believed.” Or he (AS) said something along those lines. The Compiler of this book says: Allah’s Will and His Intent refer to His Command, and the pleasure found in His Obedience. And in the disobedience is commandment to refrain and forbiddance from them through restraint and warning.

Zurarah asked him (AS) while I was present, “Are we capable of fulfilling the obligations Allah has made obligatory on us in His Book? And are we capable of refraining from the prohibitions which Allah has made obligatory upon us?” He (AS) thus said: “Yes.”

I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “We have something to discuss.” He (AS) said: “Go ahead.” I said: We believe: Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, commands us what to do and what not to do. He has decreed and intended the length of life and traces for every soul. He gave each soul the ability to obey Him and to fulfill His Commands. However, if people were to neglect this, they would be questioned about the capability and strength to obey Him. He (AS) then said: “This is the righteous way, if you do not revert from it.”

The servants (of Allah) have not been commanded to do anything more than what they are capable of doing. Therefore, people re able to refrain from whatever they have been enjoined to refrain, and whatever they do not have the ability to refrain from has not been required of them. However, there is no good in people (who do not fulfill their religious obligations.)

“A servant is capable when he possesses four characteristics: his route is free from trouble, his body is healthy, he has all his limbs, and has a means of sustenance provided to him by Allah, the Mighty and High.” I asked, “May I be your ransom! Explain these reasons for me.” He explained, In order to be capable, a servant needs to have a route free from trouble. He needs to have a healthy body. And he needs to have all his limbs. He may intend to fornicate, but at first he does not find a woman then he finds one. Then, either he would be protected by Allah and he would stop from it as Yusuf (AS) did; or Allah would abandon him between him and his intentions. Thus, he would fornicate and would be labeled a fornicator. He has not obeyed Allah from compulsion, and did not disobey because he was coerced.

Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, created a creation and knew they will not proceed to Him. He command them what they should o, and what they should not do. He never commands people to do something, unless He gives them the means to do it. And He never commanded people to refrain from doing something unless He gives them the means from refraining from it. People never obey or disobey but by the permission of Allah, the Mighty and High, i.e. with His Knowledge.

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And verily they were called upon to make obeisance while yet they were safe. He (AS) said: “The capable are capable of fulfilling the obligations that have been imposed on them. And the capable are capable of refraining from the prohibitions that were imposed on them. They will be tried through both obligation and prohibition.” Then he added, “There is nothing which has been commanded or prohibited by Allah, the Exalted, the Mighty and High, that is not a trial and predestined.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And pilgrimage to the House is incumbent upon men for the sake of Allah, (upon) everyone who is able to undertake the journey to it. He (AS) said: “He should have the means to perform the pilgrimage [hajj].” I asked, “What happens if someone offers to pay for your pilgrimage, and you fill embarrassed about accepting his offer?” He (AS) replied, “Such a person would be counted among those who have the ability (to perform the pilgrimage).”

“Whoever is offered the means to perform the pilgrimage, even if it means riding on the back of a mutilated, mangled tailed donkey has the means of performing the pilgrimage, even if he refuses the offer.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (as) about the issue of capability. So he (as) responded, “Have they done so?” I said: “Yes. They claim that the ability to do something applied only at the onset of the action and the intention at the time of the action, but not before it.” He (AS) replied, “These people have disbelieved.”

“A servant (of Allah) is not able to accomplish an action unless he has the ability to do so. Sometimes he has the ability to accomplish an action, but he does not do it. However, he can never accomplish an action unless he has the ability to do so.”

“He means that whoever has a healthy body, a route free from trouble, proper provision, and a mode of transportation.

“They indeed had the ability. Allah knew that they would have carried out their duty had it been a short and advantageous journey.”

“Allah, the Mighty and High, has refuted their statement: If we had been able, we would certainly have gone forth with you; stating that they did indeed have the means of going forth.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “What is the meaning of the word of the Mighty and High: And, verily, they were called upon to make obeisance while yet they were safe.” He replied, “They had the ability.”

“A servant cannot accomplish an action unless Allah, the Mighty and High, has granted him the ability of doing so. Verily, the legal capacity [taklif] from Allah has occurred after the ability. Thus, no one has legal capacity except for the capable.”

Allah does not oblige His Servants to complete an action, nor does He forbid them form anything, without giving them the ability to do so. Then, and only then, He commands them to complete certain actions or to refrain from certain actins. Therefore, a servant (of Allah) cannot obey or disobey unless he has been given the ability to do so. The ability to act or to desist from action precedes the command, the action, apprehension, and delight.

“Apprehension and delight do not occur from a servant unless he has been granted the ability for apprehension and delight.”

When a group of people were debating before him about the deeds and actins, I heard him say, “The ability to act precedes the action. Allah, the Mighty and High, did not command anything that would cause fear or delight until He granted His Servant with the ability to act.”

I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “I have a family member who belongs to the Qadariya and who believes that we are able of doing so and so, and able of not doing so and so. So Abu `Abd Allah (AS) said: “tell him: “Do you have the ability to remember what you abhor, and to forget what you like?’ If he says: `No,’ then he has denounced his statement, and if he sas: `Yes,’ then do not speak to him again, for he has claimed to be God.”

Commander of the Faithful (AS) passed by a group in Kufah while they were arguing about the Divine Decree. Thus, he asked their speaker, “Are you able to act because of Allah, with Allah or without Allah?” The person did not know how to answer. So the Commander of the Faithful (AS) said: Verily, if you claim that you are able to act because of Allah, then you are not in trouble. However, if you claim that you are able to act with Allah, then you have claimed to be an associate with Him in His sovereignty and if you claim that you are able to act without Him, then you have testified to a god other than Allah, the Mighty and High. He replied, “No, O Commander of the Faithful! I am able to act because of Allah.” So the Imam (AS) said: “If you had said something else, I would have hit your neck.”

Messenger of Allah (SA) said: “Nine things have been raised from My Ummah: error, forgetfulness, coercion, weakness, ignorance, compulsion, jealousy, evil omen, and the evil thoughts form the whisper (of Satan) which they do not say.”

“You have relieved me. May Allah relieve you!”