271. 2. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): One who thinks that God orders (the sons of Prophet Adam (p)) to commit vileness, attributes falsehood to God, and one who thinks that good and evil both emanate from God also attribute falsehood to God.

272. 3. A person asked Imam Ali ar-Reza (p): Has God entrusted to (His) bondmen all their affairs?
Imam Ali ar-Reza (p): God is far above this.
The person: Has God compelled men to commit sins?
The Imam (p): God is too Just and too Wise to do so.
Then the Imam (p) further said quoting a Divine Tradition:
God says: O son of Adam! I deserve (the credit of) your good deeds more than you yourself and you deserve (the evil of) your vice rather than Myself. You have committed sins through the power and ability I have granted to you!

273. 5. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Verily God created the creatures and already knew how they will lead their lives. God also issued orders and imposed prohibitions on them. And with every commandment issued by Him, He has kept the door open for men to obey or not to obey…

Translator’s note: This saying of the Imam (p) requires some explanation. The purpose of the saying is that a sinner commits a sin because the law of cause and effect is universal and invariable and the sinner takes wrong advantage of this invariability. Certainly, this law of causality has been created by God but the decision of committing a sin or a good deed solely depends on the reasoning faculty of person bestowed on him, person is fully responsible for his own deeds, good or bad.

274. 8. A person asked Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Has God compelled mankind to commit sins?
The Imam (p) replied in the negative.
Then the person asked: Has God given sole powers to mankind?
The Imam (p) replied in the negative.
The person then asked: What then is the truth?
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Your Lord has kept a delicate balance between the two (compulsion and endowment of power).

275. 9. Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (p) and Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Verily, God is too merciful to compel His creatures to commit sins and then punish them for these sins, and He is also too Mighty to will something which does not happen.
Both the Imams (p) were asked: Is there any third way (a golden mean) between absolute determinism and absolute free will?
The Imams (p) replied: Yes, there is a middle way between these two extremes and it is vaster than the distance between the heaven and the earth.

276. 10. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) was asked about absolute pre-determination and absolute free will.
The Imam (p): Neither absolute pre-determination nor absolute free will, but a midway between the two not known to anyone except the learned ones (the Imams (p)) or the one who is taught by them.

277. 11. A person asked Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Has God compelled His creatures to commit sins?
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): God is too Just and Merciful to compel his creatures to commit sins and then punish them for it.
The Person: Has God entrusted and empowered His creatures all affairs and powers?
The Imam (p): If he had entrusted all affairs and powers to them then He would not have subjected them to all His commandments, the do’s and don’ts.
The Person: Then the mean between them?
The Imam (p): Yes there is a midway between the two extremes vaster than the distance between the heaven and the earth.

278. 12. A believer asked Imam Ali ar-Reza (p): Some of our comrades believe in fatalism while some others believe in free will (so what do you say in this regard)?
Imam Ali ar- Reza (p) asked the believer to take down the following reply:
In the Name of God, the Beneficent the Merciful, Imam Zainul Abideen (p) has said, “God the Almighty, the Majestic, has said: O son of Adam, Through My will, you are there, and through My power you are there to discharge the divine obligations. Through My bounties you have been empowered to disobey Me. I have made you the hearer and the seer. Hence, whatever good befalleth thee, O man! it is from god and whatever evil befalleth thee, it is from thyself (Q, 4:79) and, therefore, I deserve a greater share in your good deeds than you yourself do. And you deserve your misdeeds more than I. Therefore, I would not be questioned on what I do, but they (the people) shall be questioned (Q, 21:23).

279. 13. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) told a believer that neither the doctrine of fatalism nor the doctrine of free will is correct but a midway between the two extremes (the golden mean) is the right answer.
The believer requested the Imam (p) to explain the midway between the two extremes.
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): This is illustrated by the example of a person who is committing a sin and whom you are dissuading. Since the person has not accepted your advice and since you have left him to himself, it cannot be said that you wanted him to commit the sin.

280. 14. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): God is too Kind and Generous to order the people to undertake obligations that are unbearable for them and He is too Mighty to let anything happen in His Kingdom not intended by Him.