The Sufficient (Vol 1) · Hadith 402 (#Ḥadīth #9)

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ وَأَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالا إِنَّ الله أَرْحَمُ بِخَلْقِهِ مِنْ أَنْ يُجْبِرَ خَلْقَهُ عَلَى الذُّنُوبِ ثُمَّ يُعَذِّبَهُمْ عَلَيْهَا وَالله أَعَزُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُرِيدَ أَمْراً فَلا يَكُونَ قَالَ فَسُئِلا (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) هَلْ بَيْنَ الْجَبْرِ وَالْقَدَرِ مَنْزِلَةٌ ثَالِثَةٌ قَالا نَعَمْ أَوْسَعُ مِمَّا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالارْضِ.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al- Rahman from more than one person from abu Ja’far , and abu ‘Abd Allah , who have said the following: “Allah is more kind to His creatures than to compel them to sin and then punish them. Allah, the Most Majestic is by far beyond willing something that cannot come into existence.” The two Imam , were asked if there was a third reality between compulsion and predetermination. They replied, ‘Yes, there is something bigger than what is between the heavens and the earth.’”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).