قَالَ: فَمَا تَعْمَلُ فِي قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ:...

وَأَمَّـا قَوْلُهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ (وَذَا النُّونِ إِذْ ذَهَبَ مُغاضِباً فَظَنَّ أَنْ لَنْ نَقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ) إِنَّمـَا ظَنَّ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَـزَّ Here what is meant by ‘imagine’ is ‘to be sure.’ That means “We will not restrict his sustenance.” Have you not heard the Honorable the Exalted God’s words, ‘But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him…’ [244] This means God will restrict his sustenance.

Had Yunus thought that God had no power over him, he would certainly have turned into an atheist. And regarding what the Honorable the Exalted God said about Joseph, ‘And (with passion) did she desire him, and he would have desired her…’ This means that he (s) got upset and decided that if she tries to force him to commit sin, he would try to kill her. Then God changed his mind and turned him away from killing her and all shameful deeds.

This is what is meant by the Honorable the Exalted God’s words, ‘…thus (did We order) that We might turn away from him (all) evil and shameful deeds…’ [245] meaning killing and adultery. The Imam (s) said, “And regarding David (s), what do the people on your side say about him?