Al-Hasan b. ‘Ali al-Washshā’ asked Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, about these two matters: “Has Allah entrusted to (His) servants all their affairs?”
“Allah is far above this,” retorted the Imām.
“Has Allah compelled them to commit sins?” asked al-Hasan.
“Allah is too just and too wise to do this,” answered the Imām.
Then the Imām added: “Allah says: O son of Ādam, I deserve your good deeds more than you yourself and you deserves your vices than I Myself. You have committed sins through the power and authority I have granted to you.”
Definitely, Allah, the Exalted, has given perfect will to His servants, so it is they who, according to their own pure will, obey or disobey Him; and they are not compelled to do any act of disobedience.
Another example of what has been transmitted from Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, concerning refuting compulsion and authorization is that which has been narrated by Sulaymān b. Ja‘far al-Ja‘fari, who said: “Compulsion and authorization were mentioned in the presence of Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and he said: ‘Will I give you an origin about this, over which you will not differ, and you will defeat anyone who debates with you on it?”
“Yes,” his companions replied.
He, peace be on him, said: “Verily, Allah, the Exalted, has not been obeyed through compulsion; nor has he been disobeyed through overcoming; nor has he neglected the servants in His kingdom. It is He who possesses what He has made them possess, and He who has power over that which He has given power to them. If the servants follow the obedience to Him, He will not repel or prevent them from it; and if they follow the disobedience to Him, and He wills to come between them and that, then He will do (that). And if He does not come (between them and the disobedience) and they do (it), then it is not He who makes them commit it.”
After this decisive proof, he, peace be on him, said to his companions: “He who does well the limits of this speech defeats him who opposes him.[1]”
The Imām emphasized this matter during his talk with ‘Ali b. Asbāt, who asked him about the capacity (of human beings), and he answered him: “Man can be invested with full ability after his acquisition of four characteristics: he should be free in respect of action, soundness of body, proper functioning of the limbs and the means for the performance provided by Allah to him.”
“May I be your ransom, kindly explain this (speech) to me,” requested ‘Ali.
The Imām, peace be on him, explained this matter to him, saying: “A certain man is free in respect of his action, has soundness of body and the proper functioning of the limbs, and intends to commit adultery, but finds no woman and then (seeks and) finds her, then (in spite of this position of the means of action) he restrains himself (from the act of adultery) as was done by Yūsuf (Joseph). If, (on the contrary, he removes the self-restriction) between him and his temptation and indulges (himself) in adultery, then (and only then) will he be called an adulterer. Such a person (is he who possesses ability, and in this case he either acts according to his ability or not, but he) has not obeyed Allah by way of compulsion; nor has he overpowered Allah through his act of disobedience.”
Indeed, Imām al-Ridā, peace be on him, and the rest of the Imāms of guidance, peace be on them, disproved authorization and compulsion, and they decisively proved the intermediate position. ( Usūl al-Kāfi, vol. 1, pp. 160-161.)