Wahidi and Thalabi have narrated through Ibne Abbas and Sirri, Kalbi and
Musayyab bin Sharik have narrated that: The words of Allah, the Mighty and the
High in Surah Najm:
أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ (٣٣) وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًۭا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ (٣٤) أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ (٣٥)
“Have you then seen him who turns his back?” And gives a little
and (then) withholds. Has he the knowledge of the unseen so
that he can see?”1
…were revealed about Uthman, who spent in charity; so his foster brother,
Abdullah bin Abi Sarh asked: “What you are doing? Very soon you will have
nothing left.”
Uthman said: “Indeed, I am a sinful fellow and through this act, I seek
pleasure of Almighty Allah and hope in His forgiveness.”
Abdullah said: “Give me your camel and saddle and I will take all your sins
upon myself.”
So he gave him those things and took testimonies of people over that; and
then stopped spending in charity. Thus, Almighty Allah revealed:
أَفَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ (٣٣) وَأَعْطَىٰ قَلِيلًۭا وَأَكْدَىٰٓ (٣٤) أَعِندَهُۥ عِلْمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ فَهُوَ يَرَىٰٓ (٣٥)
“Have you then seen him who turns his back?” And gives a little
and (then) withholds. Has he the knowledge of the unseen so
that he can see?”2
Then Uthman returned and performed better acts than that.
Many exegesists have narrated this report.3
Allamah Amini says: Such a statement is not unlikely from a person like
Ibne Abi Sarah, and if you are amazed, you should be amazed at Uthman that he
accepted this nonsense and granted him his camel and saddle so that he may take
the load of his (Uthman’s) sins upon his neck, whereas:
وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى
“And no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another.”4
And he made him testify for this and stopped giving charity and he thought
that what this fool had said was truth, as if accounting on Judgment Day was in
the hands of Abi Sarah and the keys of Final day were with him and that he
knows what would happen that day. And informed him that his sins would be
destroyed through this exchange.
Did Uthman have knowledge of unseen that what his friend was saying was
truth or he had forgotten the words of Almighty Allah, Who says:
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ سَبِيلَنَا وَلْنَحْمِلْ خَطَـٰيَـٰكُمْ وَمَا هُم بِحَـٰمِلِينَ مِنْ خَطَـٰيَـٰهُم مِّن شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَـٰذِبُونَ (١٢) وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالًۭا مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ ۖ وَلَيُسْـَٔلُنَّ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ عَمَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ (١٣)
“And those who disbelieve say to those who believe: Follow our
path and we will bear your wrongs. And never shall they be the
bearers of any of their wrongs; most surely they are liars. And
most certainly they shall carry their own burdens, and other burdens with their own burdens, and most certainly they shall
be questioned on the resurrection day as to what they forged.”5
And He says:
مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ وَلَا يَجِدُ لَهُ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلِيًّا وَلَا نَصِيرًا
“Whoever does evil, he shall be requited with it, and besides
Allah he will find for himself neither a guardian nor a helper.”6
And He says:
فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ
“So he who has done an atom’s weight of good shall see it. And
he who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall see it.”7
And also
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ رَهِينَةٌ
“Every soul is held in pledge for what it earns,”8
وَمَنْ يَكْسِبُ اثْمًا فَإِنَّمَا يَكْسِبُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ
“And whoever commits a sin, he only commits it against his own soul.”9
الْيَوْمَ تُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ لَا ظُلْمَ الْيَوْمَ
“This day every soul shall be rewarded for what it has earned; no injustice (shall be done) this day.”10
وَلِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ
“That every soul may be rewarded for what it has earned and they shall not be wronged.”11
And numerous verses of this kind, which all declare that one cannot be
punished for the crime of others.
But some people testify the statement of this fool and regards it to be
practical, till the Holy Quran exposed him.