Hadith 32-31

حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ الحَسَن القَطَّانُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعِيدُ الهَمْدانِيَ‏حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ الحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ فضال، عَن أَبيهِ، عَن أَبي الحَسَن الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ لِمَ لَمْ يَسْتَرْجِعْ فَدَكَ لَمَّا وَلِيَ النَّاسَ فَقَالَ لانَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ وَلِيُّنَا اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لا يَأْخُذُ لَنَا حُقُوقَنَا مِمَّنْ يَظْلِمُنَا إِلا هُوَ، وَنَحْنُ أَوْلِيَاءُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، إِنَّمَا نَحْكُمُ لَهُمْ وَنَأْخُذُ حُقُوقَهُمْ مِمَّنْ يَظْلِمُهُمْ، وَلا نَأْخُذُ لانْفُسِنَا. وَقَدْ أَخْرَجْتُ لِذلِكَ عِلَل فِي كِتاب عِلَلُ الشَّرائِع الأحْكامِ وَالأَسبابِ، وَاقتَصَرتُ فِي هذا الْكِتابِ عَلَى ما رَوى‏ فِيهِ عَنِ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ.

Abu Ali Ahmad ibn Al-Hassan al-Qattan narrated that Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Sa’eed al-Hamadani quoted on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Fadhdhal, on the authority of his father, “I asked Abil Hassan Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.), ‘Why did the Commander of the Faithful (Imam Ali) (a.s.) not return Fadak to its true owner after he (a.s.) took charge of the people?’ [31] Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.) said, ‘That is because the Honorable the Exalted God has granted us the Mastery. Therefore, no one but Him will seize our due rights from those who oppressed us. We are the Members of the Holy Household who rule over the people and judge about them, and seize back what is rightfully theirs from those who have oppressively captured their property. However, we (the Members of the Holy Household of the Prophet (S)) never seize back our own rights.” (The author of the book has said) I have presented other aspects of this issue in my book Illal Ul-Sharaye’a from the traditions. In this book, I have just sufficed with this tradition that was narrated on the authority of Ar-Ridha’ (a.s.).