عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَإِسْحَاقَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَغَيْرِهِمَا رَفَعُوهُ قَالَ كَانَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) جَالِساً بِالْكُوفَةِ بَعْدَ مُنْصَرَفِهِ مِنْ صِفِّينَ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ شَيْخٌ فَجَثَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ مَسِيرِنَا إِلَى أَهْلِ الشَّامِ أَ بِقَضَاءٍ مِنَ الله وَقَدَرٍ فَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَجَلْ يَا شَيْخُ مَا عَلَوْتُمْ تَلْعَةً وَلا هَبَطْتُمْ بَطْنَ وَادٍ إِلا بِقَضَاءٍ مِنَ الله وَقَدَرٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ الشَّيْخُ عِنْدَ الله أَحْتَسِبُ عَنَائِي يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَهْ يَا شَيْخُ فَوَ الله لَقَدْ عَظَّمَ الله الاجْرَ فِي مَسِيرِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ سَائِرُونَ وَفِي مَقَامِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُقِيمُونَ وَفِي مُنْصَرَفِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُنْصَرِفُونَ وَلَمْ تَكُونُوا فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ حَالاتِكُمْ مُكْرَهِينَ وَلا إِلَيْهِ مُضْطَرِّينَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الشَّيْخُ وَكَيْفَ لَمْ نَكُنْ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنْ حَالاتِنَا مُكْرَهِينَ وَلا إِلَيْهِ مُضْطَرِّينَ وَكَانَ بِالْقَضَاءِ وَالْقَدَرِ مَسِيرُنَا وَمُنْقَلَبُنَا وَمُنْصَرَفُنَا فَقَالَ لَهُ وَتَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ كَانَ قَضَاءً حَتْماً وَقَدَراً لازِماً إِنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَبَطَلَ الثَّوَابُ وَالْعِقَابُ وَالامْرُ وَالنَّهْيُ وَالزَّجْرُ مِنَ الله وَسَقَطَ مَعْنَى الْوَعْدِ وَالْوَعِيدِ فَلَمْ تَكُنْ لائِمَةٌ لِلْمُذْنِبِ وَلا مَحْمَدَةٌ لِلْمُحْسِنِ وَلَكَانَ الْمُذْنِبُ أَوْلَى بِالاحْسَانِ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِ وَلَكَانَ الْمُحْسِنُ أَوْلَى بِالْعُقُوبَةِ مِنَ الْمُذْنِبِ تِلْكَ مَقَالَةُ إِخْوَانِ عَبَدَةِ الاوْثَانِ وَخُصَمَاءِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَحِزْبِ الشَّيْطَانِ وَقَدَرِيَّةِ هَذِهِ الامَّةِ وَمَجُوسِهَا إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كَلَّفَ تَخْيِيراً وَنَهَى تَحْذِيراً وَأَعْطَى عَلَى الْقَلِيلِ كَثِيراً وَلَمْ يُعْصَ مَغْلُوباً وَلَمْ يُطَعْ مُكْرِهاً وَلَمْ يُمَلِّكْ مُفَوِّضاً وَلَمْ يَخْلُقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلاً وَلَمْ يَبْعَثِ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ عَبَثاً ذَلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَوَيْلٌ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَنْشَأَ الشَّيْخُ يَقُولُ.

أَنْتَ الامَامُ الَّذِي نَرْجُـــو بِطَاعَـــتِهِ           يَـــــوْمَ النَّجَاةِ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ غُفْرَاناً

أَوْضَحْتَ مِنْ أَمْرِنَا مَا كَانَ مُلْتَبِساً           جَــــزَاكَ رَبُّكَ بِالاحْســــَانِ إِحْسَاناً
Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Ishaq ibn Muhammad and others, in a marfu‘ manner, who have said the following.
“Once in Kufa, after Amir al-Mu’minin Ali’s , return from Siffin, a man came to him and sat with his legs folded underneath in front of the Imam and said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, tell us about our journey against the people of Sham (Syria). Was it because of Allah’s decree and determination or not?’ ‘Amir al-Mu’minin Ali said, “Yes, O Shaykh, every hill that you climbed and every valley that you crossed was because of the decree and the determination of Allah.”’ The Shaykh then said, ‘Will my tiring efforts be counted in the sight of Allah, O Amir al-Mu’minin?’
“The Imam said, ‘Be patient, O Shaykh. I swear by Allah that He will grant you a great reward for your journey wherever you traveled, for your stay wherever you rested and for your return when you were headed back. In none of these conditions that you went through were you coerced or compelled.’ The Shaykh then said, ‘How can we not be considered compelled or coerced when all of our journey, rest and return were because of the decree and determination of Allah?’
“The Imam said, ‘Do you think it was all due to unavoidable decree and binding determination? Had it been so all the reward, punishment, commandments, orders and warnings from Allah would remain invalid and meaningless. The promise and warnings would fall apart. No one could blame the sinners and no one would praise the people of good deeds. The sinners could have been more deserving than the people of good deeds could, and the latter ones could have deserved more punishment. Such can only be the belief of the idol worshippers, the enemies of the Beneficent, of the party of Satan, the determinist of this Ummah (nation) and her Zoroastrians.
‘Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has obligated people on the basis of their freedom and choice. His prohibitions serve as warnings. He rewards a great deal for very little of deeds. Disobedience to Him is not due to His weakness or His defeat. Obedience to Him is not due to compulsion and coercion. He has not given the power to people in the absolute sense. He has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them without a purpose. He has not sent the messengers and the prophets to warn and promise people just to play a trick. Such could only be the belief of the unbelievers. Woe is for the unbelievers to suffer in the fire.’
“The Shaykh then recited the following lines that he composed instantaneously:
‘You are the Imam whose obedience, one day, we hope, Salvation it will bring and forgiveness from the Beneficent
(God).
Explain you did our issue that was vague.
May your Lord reward (your) favor with (His) favor.’”