1166 - الاِستِضعافُ المَعنَويُ‏

1166. SPIRITUAL WEAKNESS

(إلّا المُسْتَضعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجالِ وَالنِّساءِ وَالوِلْدانِ لا يَسْتَطِيْعُونَ حِيْلَةً وَلا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيْلاً * فَأُولئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُم وَكانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوَّاً غَفُوراً).¹

“Except the ones who are deemed weak among men, women and children, who have neither access to any means nor are guided to any way. Maybe Allah will excuse them, for Allah is all-excusing, all-forgiving.”²

3747.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا يَقَعُ اسمُ الاستِضعافِ على‏ مَن بَلَغَتهُ الحُجَّةُ فَسَمِعَتها اُذُنُهُ ووَعاها قَلبُهُ .³

3747.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The term ‘weak’ cannot be applied to those whom the divine proof has reached, whose ears have heard it and whose hearts have heeded it.’⁴

3748.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام - في قولِهِ تعالى‏ : (إلّا المُستَضعَفِين ...) - : هُو الذي لا يَستَطيعُ الكُفرَ فَيَكفُرَ ولا يَهتَدِي سَبيلَ الإيمانِ فَيُؤمِنَ، و الصِّبيانُ ، ومَن كانَ مِن الرِّجالِ والنِّساءِ على‏ مِثلِ عُقولِ الصِّبيانِ مَرفوعٌ عَنهُمُ القَلَمُ .⁵

3748. Imam al-Baqir (AS), with regards to the Qur’anic verse: “Except the ones who are deemed weak…”, said, ‘This refers to one who is not capable of disbelieving that he may be considered a disbeliever, though neither has he been guided the path of faith that he may have faith. [It also refers to] children, and those people from among men and women who have intellects of children and who are therefore not accountable for their deeds.’⁶

3749.الإمامُ الكاظمُ عليه السلام : الضَّعيفُ مَن لَم يُرفَعْ إلَيهِ حُجّةٌ، ولَم يَعرِفِ الاختِلافَ، فإذا عَرَفَ الاختِلافَ فليسَ بضَعيفٍ .⁷

3749.Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, ‘The [spiritually] weak person is one whom the divine proof has not reached, and who would not be able to differentiate [even if it did reach him]. If he is able to differentiate [between truth and falsehood] therefore, then he is not considered weak.’⁸