الشُّبهَة
THE OBSCURE MATTER
الشُّبهَةِ / The Obscure Matter
1ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنّما سُمِّيَتِ الشُّبهَةُ شُبهَةً لأ نّها تُشبِهُ الحَقَّ ، فأمّا أولياءُ اللّهِ فَضِياؤهُم فيها اليَقينُ ودَلِيلُهُم سَمتُ الهُدى ، وأمّا أعداءُ اللّهِ فَدُعاؤهُم فيها الضَّلالُ ودَليلُهُمُ العَمى.
1– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The obscure matter has been termed obscure for the very fact that it resembles
[and therefore obscures] the truth. The friends of Allah take recourse in conviction as their light therein and the direction of the right path itself as their guide, whereas the enemies of Allah use it to call
[others] to deviation and blind following is their guide therein.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 38]
2ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): اِحذَرُوا الشُّبهَةَ ؛ فإنّها وُضِعَت لِلفِتنَةِ.
2– Imam Ali (AS) said, 'Be on your guard against the obscure matter, for verily it has been set down in order to test
[people].’
[Nahj al-Sa`ada, v. 2, p. 320]
الشُّبهَة
THE OBSCURE MATTER
3ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): الوُقوفُ عِندَ الشُّبهَةِ خَيرٌ مِن الاِقتِحامِ في الهَلَكَةِ وتَركُكَ حديثاً لم تَروِه خيرٌ مِن رِوايَتِكَ حديثاً لَم تُحصِهِ.
3– Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'Stopping in the face of an obscure matter is better than plunging headlong into disaster.’
[A`alam al-Din, p. 301]
4ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): أورَعُ الناسِ مَن وَقَفَ عِندَ الشُّبهَةِ.
4– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'The most pious of people is he who stops in the face of an obscure matter.’
[al-Khisal, p. 16, no. 56]
وُجوبُ تَركِ الشُّبُهاتِ / Obligation to Abandon Obscure Matters
5ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): دَعْ ما يَرِيبُكَ إلى ما لا يَرِيبُكَ ، فَمَن رَعى حَولَ الحِمى يُوشِكْ أن يَقَعَ فيهِ.
5– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Leave that which fills you with doubts for that which does not, for the one who grazes around the fire risks falling into it.’
[Tanbih al-Khawatir, v. 1, p. 52]
6ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): حَلالٌ بَيِّنٌ ، وحَرامٌ بَيِّنٌ ، وشُبُهاتٌ بَينَ ذلكَ ، فَمَن تَرَكَ الشُّبُهاتِ نَجا مِنَ المُحَرَّماتِ ، ومَن أخَذَ بِالشُّبُهاتِ ارتَكَبَ المُحَرَّماتِ وهَلَكَ مِن حيثُ لا يَعلَمُ.
6– The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The lawful is evidently clear, and the unlawful is evidently clear, and obscurities fall between these two. He who abandons these obscurities is saved from the prohibited things, whereas one who delves into obscurities also ends up committing prohibited acts and falls into disaster whence he knows not.’
[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 68, no. 10]