Hawzah News Agency - Abu ‘Abdallah al-‘Asimiy has narrated from Ali ibn al-Hassan from Ali ibn Asbat from al-Hassan ibn al-Juham from Abul Hassan al-Ridha that when our people mentioned the intellect (al-'Aql) he (al-Ridha) said:

لا يُعْبَأُ بِأَهْلِ الدِّينِ مِمَّنْ لا عَقْلَ لَهُ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّ مِمَّنْ يَصِفُ هَذَا الامْرَ قَوْماً لا بَأْسَ بِهِمْ عِنْدَنَا وَلَيْسَتْ لَهُمْ تِلْكَ الْعُقُولُ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ هَؤُلاءِ مِمَّنْ خَاطَبَ الله إِنَّ الله خَلَقَ الْعَقْلَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَقْبِلْ فَأَقْبَلَ وَقَالَ لَهُ أَدْبِرْ فَأَدْبَرَ فَقَالَ وَعِزَّتِي وَجَلالِي مَا خَلَقْتُ شَيْئاً أَحْسَنَ مِنْكَ أَوْ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْكَ بِكَ آخُذُ وَبِكَ أُعْطِي.

"Those without intellect (al-'Aql) are not regarded among the people of religion." I said, "May I be your ransom, some describe this matter (i.e. Imamah) to a group who are acceptable to us, yet lack such intelligence." He replied, "These are not the ones Allah addressed. Indeed, Allah created the intellect (al-'Aql) and said to it, 'Step forward' and it came forward. Then he said, 'Step back,' and it went back. He then said, 'By My glory and majesty, I have not created anything better than you, nor anything dearer to me than you. With you, I shall take, and to you, I shall give.'"

Al-Kāfi, v.1