(68:44) [^9] ” Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: “Allah appoints a...

(68:44) [^9] ” Imam al-Kadhim (a) said: “Allah appoints a caller whose mission is to say every day and night: Slow down, servants of Allah, in committing acts of disobedience to Him. Without the existence of grazing animals, suckling babies, and kneeling[^10] old men, punishment shall be poured upon you so heavily, and it shall bruise you[^11].” One may think that as long as the prophets are sinless, why do they suffer various sorts of ordeals and crises?

To answer such wonderment, we say that sins are of various sorts. They vary according to the degree of faith, obedience, and worship. It happens that an innocent joy is considered as legal grace by somebody, but considered as sin by somebody else, because he regards it as matter that diverts him from the reference to God.

Because the prophets (a) are the highest examples in the fields of believing in God and acts of worship, they consider definite acts, which are legal for ordinary people, as sins and shortcomings. It is said that good acts of the pious are…