ভূমিকা

Muhammad ibn Ya’qub al-Kulayni (R) from ‘Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Mahbub, from Abu ‘Abd Allah (A) that he (A) said: “Verily, it is mentioned in the Book of ‘Ali that of all mankind the prophets undergo the severest of trials, and after them the awsiya’, and after them the elect to the extent of their nobility. Indeed, the believer undergoes trial in proportion to his good deeds. So one whose faith is sound and whose deeds are good, his trials are also more severe.

That is indeed because God Almighty did not make this world a place for rewarding the believer and punishing the unbeliever. And one whose faith is feeble and whose (good) deeds are few faces fewer tribulations.

Verily, tribulations hasten towards the believer with greater speed than rainwater towards the earth’s depths.”[^1] Exposition Some have said by nas (people, mankind) in this noble tradition and its like are meant perfect human beings ( kamilun ) such as the prophets and the awsiya ’, and that in reality it is they who are the nas , whereas other people are lil-nas (for the people), as mentioned in some traditions.

However, that interpretation does not apply here and it seems proper that mankind and people in general should have been meant in this place. This is evident from the other traditions of this chapter of al-Kafi, and if it has been said in some traditions that by nas are meant the kamilun, it does not mean that the word has this meaning in every place that it occurs.

Also, bala’ means trial, test and examination, and it applies to the good as well as the bad among people, and the lexicographers have stated this expressly.