عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْقَاسَانِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَسْبَاطٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الاسْتِطَاعَةِ فَقَالَ يَسْتَطِيعُ الْعَبْدُ بَعْدَ أَرْبَعِ خِصَالٍ أَنْ يَكُونَ مُخَلَّى السَّرْبِ صَحِيحَ الْجِسْمِ سَلِيمَ الْجَوَارِحِ لَهُ سَبَبٌ وَارِدٌ مِنَ الله قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَسِّرْ لِي هَذَا قَالَ أَنْ يَكُونَ الْعَبْدُ مُخَلَّى السَّرْبِ صَحِيحَ الْجِسْمِ سَلِيمَ الْجَوَارِحِ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَزْنِيَ فَلا يَجِدُ امْرَأَةً ثُمَّ يَجِدُهَا فَإِمَّا أَنْ يَعْصِمَ نَفْسَهُ فَيَمْتَنِعَ كَمَا امْتَنَعَ يُوسُفُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَوْ يُخَلِّيَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ إِرَادَتِهِ فَيَزْنِيَ فَيُسَمَّى زَانِياً وَلَمْ يُطِعِ الله بِإِكْرَاهٍ وَلَمْ يَعْصِهِ بِغَلَبَةٍ.
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Muhammad al-Qasani from Ali ibn Asbat who said the following:
“Once I asked Imam abu al-Hassan al-Rida , about capability. The Imam said, ‘A servant (of Allah) has the capability if four things exist. That he is free and on his own, that he is physically well and of sound limbs and that for him there is reason and means from Allah.’ I asked, ‘May Allah keep my soul in the service for your cause, please explain it to me.’ The Imam said, ‘Being free and on one’s own, physically well and of sound limbs means that one is willing to commit adultery but does not find a female party and then he finds her. He may now protect his soul and stay away from sin just as Joseph (peace be upon him) did or allow his desire to act and commit adultery and in this case he is called an adulterer. He has not obeyed Allah in coercion and disobeyed Him with defeat.’”