Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

كِتَابُ التَّوْحِيدِ

The Book of Tawheed (1) (Oneness of Allahazwj )

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله رب العالمين، وصلى الله على سيدنا محمد وآله الطاهرين، وسلم تسليما

In the Name of Allahazwj the Beneficent, the Merciful. The Praise is for Allahazwj Lordazwj of the Worlds, and Blessing be upon our Chief Muhammadsaww and hissaww Purified Progenyasws , and greetings with abundant greetings.

1 ـ بَابُ حُدُوثِ الْعَالَمِ وَإِثْبَاتِ الْمُحْدِثِ‌

Chapter 1 - The Occurrence of the universe and the proof of the Originator

1 ـ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ كَانَ بِمِصْرَ زِنْدِيقٌ تَبْلُغُهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَشْيَاءُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِيُنَاظِرَهُ فَلَمْ يُصَادِفْهُ بِهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ خَارِجٌ بِمَكَّةَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَنَحْنُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله فَصَادَفَنَا وَنَحْنُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي الطَّوَافِ وَكَانَ اسْمُهُ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ وَكُنْيَتُهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله فَضَرَبَ كَتِفَهُ كَتِفَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا اسْمُكَ فَقَالَ اسْمِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ فَمَا كُنْيَتُكَ قَالَ كُنْيَتِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَنْ هَذَا الْمَلِكُ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَبْدُهُ أَ مِنْ مُلُوكِ الارْضِ أَمْ مِنْ مُلُوكِ السَّمَاءِ وَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ ابْنِكَ عَبْدُ إِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ أَمْ عَبْدُ إِلَهِ الارْضِ قُلْ مَا شِئْتَ تُخْصَمُ قَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ فَقُلْتُ لِلزِّنْدِيقِ أَ مَا تَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَبَّحَ قَوْلِي فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله إِذَا فَرَغْتُ مِنَ الطَّوَافِ فَأْتِنَا فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله أَتَاهُ الزِّنْدِيقُ فَقَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله وَنَحْنُ مُجْتَمِعُونَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لِلزِّنْدِيقِ أَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ لِلارْضِ تَحْتاً وَفَوْقاً قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتَ تَحْتَهَا قَالَ لا قَالَ فَمَا يُدْرِيكَ مَا تَحْتَهَا قَالَ لا أَدْرِي إِلا أَنِّي أَظُنُّ أَنْ لَيْسَ تَحْتَهَا شَيْ‏ءٌ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَالظَّنُّ عَجْزٌ لِمَا لا تَسْتَيْقِنُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله أَ فَصَعِدْتَ السَّمَاءَ قَالَ لا قَالَ أَ فَتَدْرِي مَا فِيهَا قَالَ لا قَالَ عَجَباً لَكَ لَمْ تَبْلُغِ الْمَشْرِقَ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغِ الْمَغْرِبَ وَلَمْ تَنْزِلِ الارْضَ وَلَمْ تَصْعَدِ السَّمَاءَ وَلَمْ تَجُزْ هُنَاكَ فَتَعْرِفَ مَا خَلْفَهُنَّ وَأَنْتَ جَاحِدٌ بِمَا فِيهِنَّ وَهَلْ يَجْحَدُ الْعَاقِلُ مَا لا يَعْرِفُ قَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ مَا كَلَّمَنِي بِهَذَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرُكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَأَنْتَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فِي شَكٍّ فَلَعَلَّهُ هُوَ وَلَعَلَّهُ لَيْسَ هُوَ فَقَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ وَلَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ لَيْسَ لِمَنْ لا يَعْلَمُ حُجَّةٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَعْلَمُ وَلا حُجَّةَ لِلْجَاهِلِ يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ تَفْهَمُ عَنِّي فَإِنَّا لا نَشُكُّ فِي الله أَبَداً أَ مَا تَرَى الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَاللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ يَلِجَانِ فَلا يَشْتَبِهَانِ وَيَرْجِعَانِ قَدِ اضْطُرَّا لَيْسَ لَهُمَا مَكَانٌ إِلا مَكَانُهُمَا فَإِنْ كَانَا يَقْدِرَانِ عَلَى أَنْ يَذْهَبَا فَلِمَ يَرْجِعَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَا غَيْرَ مُضْطَرَّيْنِ فَلِمَ لا يَصِيرُ اللَّيْلُ نَهَاراً وَالنَّهَارُ لَيْلاً اضْطُرَّا وَالله يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ إِلَى دَوَامِهِمَا وَالَّذِي اضْطَرَّهُمَا أَحْكَمُ مِنْهُمَا وَأَكْبَرُ فَقَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ صَدَقْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ إِنَّ الَّذِي تَذْهَبُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُ الدَّهْرُ إِنْ كَانَ الدَّهْرُ يَذْهَبُ بِهِمْ لِمَ لا يَرُدُّهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَرُدُّهُمْ لِمَ لا يَذْهَبُ بِهِمُ الْقَوْمُ مُضْطَرُّونَ يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ لِمَ السَّمَاءُ مَرْفُوعَةٌ وَالارْضُ مَوْضُوعَةٌ لِمَ لا يَسْقُطُ السَّمَاءُ عَلَى الارْضِ لِمَ لا تَنْحَدِرُ الارْضُ فَوْقَ طِبَاقِهَا وَلا يَتَمَاسَكَانِ وَلا يَتَمَاسَكُ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ أَمْسَكَهُمَا الله رَبُّهُمَا وَسَيِّدُهُمَا قَالَ فَ‏آمَنَ الزِّنْدِيقُ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنْ آمَنَتِ الزَّنَادِقَةُ عَلَى يَدِكَ فَقَدْ آمَنَ الْكُفَّارُ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِيكَ فَقَالَ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي آمَنَ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اجْعَلْنِي مِنْ تَلامِذَتِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله يَا هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ خُذْهُ إِلَيْكَ وَعَلِّمْهُ فَعَلَّمَهُ هِشَامٌ فَكَانَ مُعَلِّمَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَأَهْلِ مِصْرَ الايمَانَ وَحَسُنَتْ طَهَارَتُهُ حَتَّى رَضِيَ بِهَا أَبُو عَبْدِ الله

Abu Ja’far Muhammad Bin Yaqoub informed us saying, ‘Ali Bin Ibrahim Bin Hashim narrated to me, from his father, from Al Hassan Bin Ibrahim, from Yunus Bin Abdul Rahman, from Ali Bin Mansour who said, ‘Hisham Bin Al Hakam said to me,

‘There was an atheist in Egypt. Certain things about Abu Abdullahasws reached him. So he went out to Al-Medina in order to debate with himasws . But he could not come across himasws , and it was said to him that heasws had gone out to Makkah. So he went out to Makkah, and we were with Abu Abdullahasws . So he came across us while we were with Abu Abdullahasws during the Tawaaf; and it was so that his name was Abdul Malik (Slave of the king) and his teknonym was Abu Abdullah (Father of the slave of Allahazwj).

So he struck his own shoulder with the shoulder of Abu Abdullahasws . So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘What is your name?’ So he said, ‘My name is Abdul Malik (Slave of the king)’. Heasws said: ‘So what is your teknonym?’ He said, ‘My teknonym is Abu Abdullah (Father of the slave of Allahazwj)’ . So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘So who is this king whose slave you are? Is he from the kings of the earth or from the kings of the sky? And, inform measws about your son, is he a slave of a god of the sky, or a slave of a god of the earth? Say whatever you like, it would be against you’.

So Abu Abdullahasws said to the atheist: ‘Do you know that for the earth there is an underneath and an above?’ He said, ‘Yes’. Heasws said: ‘So have you entered its underneath?’ He said, ‘No’. Heasws said: ‘So what would make you know what is underneath it?’ He said, ‘I don’t know except that I guess that there is nothing underneath it’. So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘So the guess shows the ‘ عَجْزٌ ’ (inability) due to what you are not certain of’.

Then Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘So have you ascended to the sky?’ He said, ‘No’. Heasws said: ‘Do you know what is therein?’ He said, ‘No’. Heasws said: ‘It is strange for you that you have not reached the west and not descended into the earth and not ascended to the sky, and not exceeded over there as to what is behind these, and you are denying with what is in these? And would the intellectual deny what he does not recognise?’ The atheist said, ‘No one has spoken with me by this apart from youasws ’. So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘So you are in doubt with regards to that. So perhaps Heazwj is (Existent), and perhaps Heazwj is not (Existent)’. So the atheist said: ‘And perhaps it is that’.

So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘O you man! There is no argument for the one who does not know over the one who does know, and there is no argument for the ignorance either. O brother of the people of Egypt! Understand about measws , for weasws do not doubt regarding Allahazwj, ever! But, do you not see the sun and the moon, and the night and the day following their course, so they do not get confused and do not retract, (but are) being Forced? There is no place for them except for their respective placing. So if they had power upon the going, they would not be returning, and if they were not being Forced, the night would not become a day, and the day, a night. They are being forced. By Allahazwj, O brother of the people of Egypt! The Oneazwj Who Forces them to their shifts is more Wiser than both of them and greater’. So the atheist said, ‘Youasws speak the truth’.

Then Abu Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘O brother of the people of Egypt! That what they (people) are going towards, and you are thinking that it is the time. If it was the time going with them, why is it not returning them, and if it was returning them, why is it not going with them. The people are being Forced.

O brother of the people of Egypt! Why is the sky elevated and the earth is laid? Why doesn’t the sky fall upon the earth? Why doesn’t the earth stoop above its layers, and they are neither attached nor are they attached to the ones above it?’ The atheist said, ‘Allahazwj their Lordazwj and their Master Keeps them attached’.

He (the narrator) said, ‘So the atheists believed upon the hands of Abu Abdullahasws . So Humran said to himasws , ‘May I be sacrificed for youasws ! If the atheist professed belief upon yourasws hands, so the disbelievers had professed belief upon the hands of yourasws fatherasws ’. So the Believer who had just professed belief upon the hands of Abu Abdullahasws said, ‘Make me to be from yourasws students’. So Abu Abdullahasws said, ‘O Hisham Bin Al-Hakam! Keep him to yourself (company) and teach him’. So Hisham taught him, and he became a teacher of the people of Eman in Syria and the people of Egypt, and his purity was good to the extent that Abu Abdullahasws was pleased with him’.1

2 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَسِّنٍ الْمِيثَمِيِّ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ أَبِي مَنْصُورٍ الْمُتَطَبِّبِ فَقَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِي قَالَ كُنْتُ أَنَا وَابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَعَبْدُ الله بْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ تَرَوْنَ هَذَا الْخَلْقَ وَأَوْمَأَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَى مَوْضِعِ الطَّوَافِ مَا مِنْهُمْ أَحَدٌ أُوجِبُ لَهُ اسْمَ الانْسَانِيَّةِ إِلا ذَلِكَ الشَّيْخُ الْجَالِسُ يَعْنِي أَبَا عَبْدِ الله جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) فَأَمَّا الْبَاقُونَ فَرَعَاعٌ وَبَهَائِمُ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَكَيْفَ أَوْجَبْتَ هَذَا الاسْمَ لِهَذَا الشَّيْخِ دُونَ هَؤُلاءِ قَالَ لانِّي رَأَيْتُ عِنْدَهُ مَا لَمْ أَرَهُ عِنْدَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ لا بُدَّ مِنِ اخْتِبَارِ مَا قُلْتَ فِيهِ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ لا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُفْسِدَ عَلَيْكَ مَا فِي يَدِكَ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ ذَا رَأْيَكَ وَلَكِنْ تَخَافُ أَنْ يَضْعُفَ رَأْيُكَ عِنْدِي فِي إِحْلالِكَ إِيَّاهُ الْمَحَلَّ الَّذِي وَصَفْتَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ أَمَّا إِذَا تَوَهَّمْتَ عَلَيَّ هَذَا فَقُمْ إِلَيْهِ وَتَحَفَّظْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ مِنَ الزَّلَلِ وَلا تَثْنِي عِنَانَكَ إِلَى اسْتِرْسَالٍ فَيُسَلِّمَكَ إِلَى عِقَالٍ وَسِمْهُ مَا لَكَ أَوْ عَلَيْكَ قَالَ فَقَامَ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ وَبَقِيتُ أَنَا وَابْنُ الْمُقَفَّعِ جَالِسَيْنِ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ إِلَيْنَا ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْمُقَفَّعِ مَا هَذَا بِبَشَرٍ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي الدُّنْيَا رُوحَانِيٌّ يَتَجَسَّدُ إِذَا شَاءَ ظَاهِراً وَيَتَرَوَّحُ إِذَا شَاءَ بَاطِناً فَهُوَ هَذَا فَقَالَ لَهُ وَكَيْفَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ جَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَبْقَ عِنْدَهُ غَيْرِي ابْتَدَأَنِي فَقَالَ إِنْ يَكُنِ الامْرُ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُ هَؤُلاءِ وَهُوَ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ يَعْنِي أَهْلَ الطَّوَافِ فَقَدْ سَلِمُوا وَعَطِبْتُمْ وَإِنْ يَكُنِ الامْرُ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُونَ وَلَيْسَ كَمَا تَقُولُونَ فَقَدِ اسْتَوَيْتُمْ وَهُمْ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَرْحَمُكَ الله وَأَيَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ نَقُولُ وَأَيَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ يَقُولُونَ مَا قَوْلِي وَقَوْلُهُمْ إِلا وَاحِدٌ فَقَالَ وَكَيْفَ يَكُونُ قَوْلُكَ وَقَوْلُهُمْ وَاحِداً وَهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّ لَهُمْ مَعَاداً وَثَوَاباً وَعِقَاباً وَيَدِينُونَ بِأَنَّ فِي السَّمَاءِ إِلَهاً وَأَنَّهَا عُمْرَانٌ وَأَنْتُمْ تَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ السَّمَاءَ خَرَابٌ لَيْسَ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ قَالَ فَاغْتَنَمْتُهَا مِنْهُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَا مَنَعَهُ إِنْ كَانَ الامْرُ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ أَنْ يَظْهَرَ لِخَلْقِهِ وَيَدْعُوَهُمْ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ حَتَّى لا يَخْتَلِفَ مِنْهُمُ اثْنَانِ وَلِمَ احْتَجَبَ عَنْهُمْ وَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمُ الرُّسُلَ وَلَوْ بَاشَرَهُمْ بِنَفْسِهِ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ إِلَى الايمَانِ بِهِ فَقَالَ لِي وَيْلَكَ وَكَيْفَ احْتَجَبَ عَنْكَ مَنْ أَرَاكَ قُدْرَتَهُ فِي نَفْسِكَ نُشُوءَكَ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ وَكِبَرَكَ بَعْدَ صِغَرِكَ وَقُوَّتَكَ بَعْدَ ضَعْفِكَ وَضَعْفَكَ بَعْدَ قُوَّتِكَ وَسُقْمَكَ بَعْدَ صِحَّتِكَ وَصِحَّتَكَ بَعْدَ سُقْمِكَ وَرِضَاكَ بَعْدَ غَضَبِكَ وَغَضَبَكَ بَعْدَ رِضَاكَ وَحُزْنَكَ بَعْدَ فَرَحِكَ وَفَرَحَكَ بَعْدَ حُزْنِكَ وَحُبَّكَ بَعْدَ بُغْضِكَ وَبُغْضَكَ بَعْدَ حُبِّكَ وَعَزْمَكَ بَعْدَ أَنَاتِكَ وَأَنَاتَكَ بَعْدَ عَزْمِكَ وَشَهْوَتَكَ بَعْدَ كَرَاهَتِكَ وَكَرَاهَتَكَ بَعْدَ شَهْوَتِكَ وَرَغْبَتَكَ بَعْدَ رَهْبَتِكَ وَرَهْبَتَكَ بَعْدَ رَغْبَتِكَ وَرَجَاءَكَ بَعْدَ يَأْسِكَ وَيَأْسَكَ بَعْدَ رَجَائِكَ وَخَاطِرَكَ بِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فِي وَهْمِكَ وَعُزُوبَ مَا أَنْتَ مُعْتَقِدُهُ عَنْ ذِهْنِكَ وَمَا زَالَ يُعَدِّدُ عَلَيَّ قُدْرَتَهُ الَّتِي هِيَ فِي نَفْسِي الَّتِي لا أَدْفَعُهَا حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ سَيَظْهَرُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا رَفَعَهُ وَزَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ حِينَ سَأَلَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ عَادَ ابْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّانِي إِلَى مَجْلِسِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَجَلَسَ وَهُوَ سَاكِتٌ لا يَنْطِقُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) كَأَنَّكَ جِئْتَ تُعِيدُ بَعْضَ مَا كُنَّا فِيهِ فَقَالَ أَرَدْتُ ذَلِكَ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا أَعْجَبَ هَذَا تُنْكِرُ الله وَتَشْهَدُ أَنِّي ابْنُ رَسُولِ الله فَقَالَ الْعَادَةُ تَحْمِلُنِي عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَا يَمْنَعُكَ مِنَ الْكَلامِ قَالَ إِجْلالاً لَكَ وَمَهَابَةً مَا يَنْطَلِقُ لِسَانِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْكَ فَإِنِّي شَاهَدْتُ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَنَاظَرْتُ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ فَمَا تَدَاخَلَنِي هَيْبَةٌ قَطُّ مِثْلُ مَا تَدَاخَلَنِي مِنْ هَيْبَتِكَ قَالَ يَكُونُ ذَلِكَ وَلَكِنْ أَفْتَحُ عَلَيْكَ بِسُؤَالٍ وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ مَصْنُوعٌ أَنْتَ أَوْ غَيْرُ مَصْنُوعٍ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ بْنُ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ بَلْ أَنَا غَيْرُ مَصْنُوعٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَصِفْ لِي لَوْ كُنْتَ مَصْنُوعاً كَيْفَ كُنْتَ تَكُونُ فَبَقِيَ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ مَلِيّاً لا يُحِيرُ جَوَاباً وَوَلَعَ بِخَشَبَةٍ كَانَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ طَوِيلٌ عَرِيضٌ عَمِيقٌ قَصِيرٌ مُتَحَرِّكٌ سَاكِنٌ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ صِفَةُ خَلْقِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَعْلَمْ صِفَةَ الصَّنْعَةِ غَيْرَهَا فَاجْعَلْ نَفْسَكَ مَصْنُوعاً لِمَا تَجِدُ فِي نَفْسِكَ مِمَّا يَحْدُثُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الامُورِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ سَأَلْتَنِي عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ لَمْ يَسْأَلْنِي عَنْهَا أَحَدٌ قَبْلَكَ وَلا يَسْأَلُنِي أَحَدٌ بَعْدَكَ عَنْ مِثْلِهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هَبْكَ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّكَ لَمْ تُسْأَلْ فِيمَا مَضَى فَمَا عَلَّمَكَ أَنَّكَ لا تُسْأَلُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ عَلَى أَنَّكَ يَا عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ نَقَضْتَ قَوْلَكَ لانَّكَ تَزْعُمُ أَنَّ الاشْيَاءَ مِنَ الاوَّلِ سَوَاءٌ فَكَيْفَ قَدَّمْتَ وَأَخَّرْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ أَزِيدُكَ وُضُوحاً أَ رَأَيْتَ لَوْ كَانَ مَعَكَ كِيسٌ فِيهِ جَوَاهِرُ فَقَالَ لَكَ قَائِلٌ هَلْ فِي الْكِيسِ دِينَارٌ فَنَفَيْتَ كَوْنَ الدِّينَارِ فِي الْكِيسِ فَقَالَ لَكَ صِفْ لِيَ الدِّينَارَ وَكُنْتَ غَيْرَ عَالِمٍ بِصِفَتِهِ هَلْ كَانَ لَكَ أَنْ تَنْفِيَ كَوْنَ الدِّينَارِ عَنِ الْكِيسِ وَأَنْتَ لا تَعْلَمُ قَالَ لا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَالْعَالَمُ أَكْبَرُ وَأَطْوَلُ وَأَعْرَضُ مِنَ الْكِيسِ فَلَعَلَّ فِي الْعَالَمِ صَنْعَةً مِنْ حَيْثُ لا تَعْلَمُ صِفَةَ الصَّنْعَةِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الصَّنْعَةِ فَانْقَطَعَ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ وَأَجَابَ إِلَى الاسْلامِ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ وَبَقِيَ مَعَهُ بَعْضٌ فَعَادَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ فَقَالَ أَقْلِبُ السُّؤَالَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ مَا الدَّلِيلُ عَلَى حَدَثِ الاجْسَامِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي مَا وَجَدْتُ شَيْئاً صَغِيراً وَلا كَبِيراً إِلا وَإِذَا ضُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مِثْلُهُ صَارَ أَكْبَرَ وَفِي ذَلِكَ زَوَالٌ وَانْتِقَالٌ عَنِ الْحَالَةِ الاولَى وَلَوْ كَانَ قَدِيماً مَا زَالَ وَلا حَالَ لانَّ الَّذِي يَزُولُ وَيَحُولُ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُوجَدَ وَيُبْطَلَ فَيَكُونُ بِوُجُودِهِ بَعْدَ عَدَمِهِ دُخُولٌ فِي الْحَدَثِ وَفِي كَوْنِهِ فِي الازَلِ دُخُولُهُ فِي الْعَدَمِ وَلَنْ تَجْتَمِعَ صِفَةُ الازَلِ وَالْعَدَمِ وَالْحُدُوثِ وَالْقِدَمِ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ هَبْكَ عَلِمْتَ فِي جَرْيِ الْحَالَتَيْنِ وَالزَّمَانَيْنِ عَلَى مَا ذَكَرْتَ وَاسْتَدْلَلْتَ بِذَلِكَ عَلَى حُدُوثِهِا فَلَوْ بَقِيَتِ الاشْيَاءُ عَلَى صِغَرِهَا مِنْ أَيْنَ كَانَ لَكَ أَنْ تَسْتَدِلَّ عَلَى حُدُوثِهِنَّ فَقَالَ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ عَلَى هَذَا الْعَالَمِ الْمَوْضُوعِ فَلَوْ رَفَعْنَاهُ وَوَضَعْنَا عَالَماً آخَرَ كَانَ لا شَيْ‏ءَ أَدَلَّ عَلَى الْحَدَثِ مِنْ رَفْعِنَا إِيَّاهُ وَوَضْعِنَا غَيْرَهُ وَلَكِنْ أُجِيبُكَ مِنْ حَيْثُ قَدَّرْتَ أَنْ تُلْزِمَنَا فَنَقُولُ إِنَّ الاشْيَاءَ لَوْ دَامَتْ عَلَى صِغَرِهَا لَكَانَ فِي الْوَهْمِ أَنَّهُ مَتَى ضُمَّ شَيْ‏ءٌ إِلَى مِثْلِهِ كَانَ أَكْبَرَ وَفِي جَوَازِ التَّغْيِيرِ عَلَيْهِ خُرُوجُهُ مِنَ الْقِدَمِ كَمَا أَنَّ فِي تَغْيِيرِهِ دُخُولَهُ فِي الْحَدَثِ لَيْسَ لَكَ وَرَاءَهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ يَا عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ فَانْقَطَعَ وَخُزِيَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْعَامِ الْقَابِلِ الْتَقَى مَعَهُ فِي الْحَرَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ بَعْضُ شِيعَتِهِ إِنَّ ابْنَ أَبِي الْعَوْجَاءِ قَدْ أَسْلَمَ فَقَالَ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هُوَ أَعْمَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ لا يُسْلِمُ فَلَمَّا بَصُرَ بِالْعَالِمِ

قَالَ سَيِّدِي وَمَوْلايَ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا جَاءَ بِكَ إِلَى هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ فَقَالَ عَادَةُ الْجَسَدِ وَسُنَّةُ الْبَلَدِ وَلِنَنْظُرَ مَا النَّاسُ فِيهِ مِنَ الْجُنُونِ وَالْحَلْقِ وَرَمْيِ الْحِجَارَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْعَالِمُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنْتَ بَعْدُ عَلَى عُتُوِّكَ وَضَلالِكَ يَا عَبْدَ الْكَرِيمِ فَذَهَبَ يَتَكَلَّمُ فَقَالَ لَهُ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لا جِدَالَ فِي الْحَجِّ وَنَفَضَ رِدَاءَهُ مِنْ يَدِهِ وَقَالَ إِنْ يَكُنِ الامْرُ كَمَا تَقُولُ وَلَيْسَ كَمَا تَقُولُ نَجَوْنَا وَنَجَوْتَ وَإِنْ يَكُنِ الامْرُ كَمَا نَقُولُ وَهُوَ كَمَا نَقُولُ نَجَوْنَا وَهَلَكْتَ فَأَقْبَلَ عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ عَلَى مَنْ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ وَجَدْتُ فِي قَلْبِي حَزَازَةً فَرُدُّونِي فَرَدُّوهُ فَمَاتَ لا رَحِمَهُ الله

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Muhammad Bin Ali, from Abdul Rahman Bin Muhammad Bin Abu Hashim, from Ahmad Bin Muhassin Al Maysami who said,

‘I was in the presence of Abu Mansour Al-Mutatabbib, so he said, ‘A man from my companions informed me saying, ‘I and Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a and Abdullah Bin Al-Muqaff’a were in the Sacred Masjid. So Ibn Al-Muqaff’a said, ‘Are you seeing these people?’, and he gestured by his hand to the place of the Tawaaf, ‘There is none from them for whom the name ‘Human being’ can be obligated except for that Sheikh, the seated one’, meaning Abu Abdullah Ja’farasws Bin Muhammadasws . ‘So, as for the remainder, they are riff-raff and animals’.

So Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a said to him, ‘And how is this name obligated for this Sheikh beside those?’ He said, ‘Because I saw in hisasws presence what I did not see in their presence’. So Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a said to him, ‘It is inevitable to examine what you said regarding himasws ’. So Ibn Al-Muqaff’a said to him, ‘Don’t do it, for I fear that you would spoil upon yourself whatever is in your hands’. So he said, ‘That is not your view. But, you are fearing that your opinion would be weakened in my presence regarding your substantiating the adornment which you described himasws with’. So Ibn Al-Muqaff’a said, ‘As for that, so this is your accusation upon me. So go to himasws and protect yourself as much as you can from the blunders, and discourage yourself from the long-windedness for heasws will submit you to the fetters, and note down what (argument) is for you and what is against you’.

He (the narrator) said, ‘So Ibn Abu A-Awja’a arose, and there remained myself and Ibn Al-Muqaff’a, both seated. So when Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a returned back to us, he said, ‘Woe be unto you, O Ibn Al-Muqaff’a! This is not a human being. And if there was a spiritual one embodied in the world, whenever he so desires to he appears and be a spirit being hidden whenever he so desires to, so it is this one!’ So he said to him, ‘And how is that so?’ He said, ‘I was seated (in front) of himasws . So when there did not remain anyone else in hisasws presence apart from me, heasws initiated me and heasws said: ‘If the matter is upon what they are saying, and it is upon what they are saying, meaning the people of the Tawaaf, so they are saved and you would be damaged, and if the matter is upon what you are saying, and it is not like what you are saying it to be, so you and they would be the same’.

So I said, ‘May Allahazwj have Mercy on youasws ! And which thing are we saying, and which thing are they saying, and what are my words and their words, except for one?’ So heasws said: ‘And how can your words and their words be one, and they are saying that for them is a Hereafter, and Rewards, and Punishment, and they are making it a Religion with that, in the sky there is a Godazwj, and that there are two life-times, and you are alleging that the sky is a ruin, there being no one in it’.

He said, ‘So I was gloomy from it, and I said to himasws , ‘What is preventing Himazwj, if the matter was just as they are saying it to be, from appearing to Hisazwj creatures and Inviting them to Hisazwj worship until no two of them would differ, and why does Heazwj hide from them and Sends the Rasoolsas to them instead, and had Heazwj Given glad tidings Himselfazwj, it would be closer to the belief in Himazwj’.

So heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! And how is Heazwj Hidden from you, the Oneazwj Who Shows you Hisazwj Power in yourself? Heazwj Nourished you and you did not exist, and Aged you after your childhood (infancy), and Strengthened you after your weakness, and Weakened you after your strength, and your sickness after your well-being, and your good health after your sickness, and your pleasure after your distress and your resentment after your pleasure, and your grief after your happiness and your happiness after your grief, and your love after your hatred, and your hatred after your love.

And your determination after your uncertainty, and your uncertainty after your determination, and your desire after your abhorrence and your abhorrence after your desire, and your willingness after your dismay and your dismay after your willingness, and your hope after your despair and your despair after your hope, and your caution with that there is no worry and remoteness of what you believed in your mind’.

And heasws did not cease counting upon me Hisazwj Powers which are in myself which I could not defend until I thought that he would be victorious regarding what is between me and himasws ’.

From him, from one of our companions, raising it -

And there is an increase in a Hadeeth of Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a where he asked Abu Abdullahasws . He said, ‘Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a returned on the second day to a gathering of Abu Abdullahasws . So he sat down and he was silent, not speaking (at all). So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘It is as if you have come to reiterate part of what we were (discussing) in’. So he said, ‘I want that, O sonasws of Rasool-Allahsaww !’ So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘How strange this is. You deny Allahazwj, and you testify that Iasws am a sonasws of a Rasoolsaww of Allahazwj!’ So he said, ‘The habit carried me upon that’.

So the scholarasws said to him: ‘So what prevented you from the speaking?’ He said, ‘As a homage to youasws and reverence. My tongue could not unfreeze in front of youasws , for I have witnessed the scholars and debated the theologians, so there did not enter awe into me at all like what awe entered into me from youasws ’. Heasws said: ‘That happens, but Iasws would like to open upon you with a question’, and heasws turned to face him.

So heasws said to him: ‘Are you made (Created) or not made?’ So Abdul Kareem Bin Abu Al Awja’a said, ‘But, I am not made’. So the scholarasws said to him: ‘So, describe to me, if you had been Made, how would you have happened to be?’ So Abdul Kareem remained reflecting, too baffled to answer, and he played around with a piece of wood which was in front of him, and he was saying, ‘Long, wide, deep, short, moving, still, all of that is a quality of Hisazwj creatures’. So the scholarasws said to him: ‘So if you do not know the qualities of the made (creation) apart from these, so consider yourself to be as a Made (Created) to what you find within yourself, from what occurs from these matters’.

So Abdul Kareem said to himasws , ‘Youasws have asked me a question no one has asked me before youasws , nor will anyone ask me after youasws , the likes of it’. So Abu Abdullahasws said, ‘Given that you know that you have not been asked in what is past, so what makes you know that you will not be asked in what is afterwards? O Abdul Kareem! You break your own words, because you are alleging that the things have been the same from before, so how come you are bringing them forward and delaying (talking about past and future)?’

Then heasws said: ‘O Abdul Kareem! Iasws shall increase its clarification. What is your view if there was a bag with you wherein were jewels, and someone says to you, ‘Is there a Dinar in the bag?’ So you deny the existence of the Dinar in the bag, and he says to you, ‘Describe the Dinar to me’, and you are not knowledgeable of its description, would that be for you that you should deny the existence of the Dinar in the bag, and you don’t know?’ He said, ‘No’.

So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘So the universe is longer and wider than the bag. So, perhaps in the universe there is a created being from where you do not know the description of the Made being from the one not Made’. So Abdul Kareem cut-off (the discussion, and some of his companions answered to Al-Islam (became Muslims), and there remained with him, some.

So he returned on the third day, and he said, ‘I would like to overturn the questioning’. So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘Ask about whatever you so desire to’. So he said, ‘What is the evidence of the occurrence (coming into being) of the bodies?’ So heasws said: ‘Iasws have not found anything, neither small nor big, except that when the likes of it is combined to it, it gets bigger; and in that is the decline (deterioration) and the change from the former state. And had (all things) being eternal, they would neither deteriorate nor change state, because that which deteriorates and changes, it is allowed that it comes into being and gets abolished.

Thus it would happen to be, by its existence after its non-existence, entering into the occurrence and in its coming into being in the beginning, it would enter into the non-existence, and there would never gather together the qualities of the eternity and the non-existence and the occurrence (coming into being), and the infinity, into one thing’.

So Abdul Kareem said, ‘Given, that youasws know regarding the flow of the two states and the two times upon what youasws mentioned, and evidence with that upon its occurrence (coming into being). So if the things were to remain upon its smallness, from where would that be for you to evidence upon their occurrence?’ So the scholarasws said: ‘But rather, weasws speak upon this universe as the subject. So if we were to raise it and place another universe, the nothingness would be evidenced upon the occurrence from our raising it and replacing it with another.

But, Iasws shall answer you from where you measured out to compel usasws . So weasws are saying that the things, had they remained eternally upon their smallness, it would always be in the mind that when something is combined to something the like of it, it would be greater (than before), and with regards to the permissibility of the change upon it, is its exit from the eternity, just as its change is its entry into the occurrence. There is nothing for you behind it, O Abdul Kareem’.

So he cut-off (the discussion) and went out. So when it was the next year, I met up with himasws in the Sanctuary. So one of hisasws Shias said to himasws , ‘Ibn Abu Al-Awja’a has become a Muslim’. So the scholarasws said: ‘He is blind from that and will not become a Muslim’.

So when he (Abdul Kareem) saw the scholarasws , he said, ‘My chief and my master!’ So the scholarasws said to him: ‘So what brings you here to this place?’ So he said, ‘Habit of the body and ways of the country, and to see what the people are indulging in from the insanity, and the shaving (of the heads), and pelting the rocks(Hajj rituals)’. So the scholarasws said to him: ‘After (all) you are still upon your insolence and your straying, O Abdul Kareem!’ So he went on to speak, but heasws said to him: ‘There will be no contentious arguments during the Hajj’, and heasws shook off hisasws robe from his hands.

And heasws said: ‘If the matter happens to be just as you are saying it to be, and it is not as you are saying it to be, weasws would be saved and you would be saved; but if the matter happens to be just as weasws are saying it to be, and it is just as weasws are saying it to be, weasws would be Saved and you would be destroyed’. So Abdul Kareem turned towards the one who was with him and he said, ‘I find malice in my heart, so return me’. So they returned him, and he died. May Allahazwj not have Mercy on him’.2

3 ـ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الاسَدِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْبَرْمَكِيِّ الرَّازِيِّ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ بُرْدٍ الدِّينَوَرِيِّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْخُرَاسَانِيِّ خَادِمِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الزَّنَادِقَةِ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَعِنْدَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَكُمْ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ كَمَا تَقُولُونَ أَ لَسْنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ شَرَعاً سَوَاءً لا يَضُرُّنَا مَا صَلَّيْنَا وَصُمْنَا وَزَكَّيْنَا وَأَقْرَرْنَا فَسَكَتَ الرَّجُلُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَإِنْ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَنَا وَهُوَ قَوْلُنَا أَ لَسْتُمْ قَدْ هَلَكْتُمْ وَنَجَوْنَا فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ الله أَوْجِدْنِي كَيْفَ هُوَ وَأَيْنَ هُوَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّ الَّذِي ذَهَبْتَ إِلَيْهِ غَلَطٌ هُوَ أَيَّنَ الايْنَ بِلا أَيْنٍ وَكَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ بِلا كَيْفٍ فَلا يُعْرَفُ بِالْكَيْفُوفِيَّةِ وَلا بِأَيْنُونِيَّةٍ وَلا يُدْرَكُ بِحَاسَّةٍ وَلا يُقَاسُ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَإِذاً إِنَّهُ لا شَيْ‏ءَ إِذَا لَمْ يُدْرَكْ بِحَاسَّةٍ مِنَ الْحَوَاسِّ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَيْلَكَ لَمَّا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّكَ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِهِ أَنْكَرْتَ رُبُوبِيَّتَهُ وَنَحْنُ إِذَا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّنَا عَنْ إِدْرَاكِهِ أَيْقَنَّا أَنَّهُ رَبُّنَا بِخِلافِ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الاشْيَاءِ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَتَى كَانَ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَخْبِرْنِي مَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ فَأُخْبِرَكَ مَتَى كَانَ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَمَا الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنِّي لَمَّا نَظَرْتُ إِلَى جَسَدِي وَلَمْ يُمْكِنِّي فِيهِ زِيَادَةٌ وَلا نُقْصَانٌ فِي الْعَرْضِ وَالطُّولِ وَدَفْعِ الْمَكَارِهِ عَنْهُ وَجَرِّ الْمَنْفَعَةِ إِلَيْهِ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ لِهَذَا الْبُنْيَانِ بَانِياً فَأَقْرَرْتُ بِهِ مَعَ مَا أَرَى مِنْ دَوَرَانِ الْفَلَكِ بِقُدْرَتِهِ وَإِنْشَاءِ السَّحَابِ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحَ وَمَجْرَى الشَّمْسِ وَالْقَمَرِ وَالنُّجُومِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الايَاتِ الْعَجِيبَاتِ الْمُبَيِّنَاتِ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ لِهَذَا مُقَدِّراً وَمُنْشِئاً

Muhammad Bin Ja’far Al Asady narrated to me, from Muhammad Bin Ismail Al Barmakky Al Qazy, from Al Husayn Bin Al Hassan Bin Burd Al Deynawary, from Muhammad Bin Ali,

(It has been narrated) from Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al-Khurasany, a servant of Al-Rezaasws who said, ‘A man from the atheists came over to Abu Al-Hassanasws , and in hisasws presence was a group. So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘O you man! What is your view if the word was your word (atheism), and it is not as what you are saying it to be, wouldn’t we and you all would be both equally right, and it would not harm us what we are praying Salāt, and our Fasting, and our (payment of) Zakāt, and our acknowledgement (of Allahazwj)? ’. So the man was silent.

Then Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘And if it was so that the word was our word (Existence of Allahazwj), and it is our word, wouldn’t you be destroyed and we would be Saved?’ So he said, ‘May Allahazwj have Mercy on youasws ! Help me find How Heazwj is and where Heazwj is?’ So heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! That which goes to Himazwj is wrong. Heazwj is ‘where’ without a ‘where’, and ‘how’ without the ‘how’, so Heazwj cannot be recognised by the ‘how-ness’ nor by the ‘where-ness’, nor can Heazwj be attained by the feelings, nor can Heazwj be compared with anything’.

So the man said, ‘So Heazwj is ‘nothing’ when Heazwj cannot be realised by the feelings from the senses’. So Abu Al Hassanasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! Your senses are unable to realise Himazwj, so you are denying Hisazwj Lordship, and usasws , when our senses are unable to realise realise Himazwj, we are even more convinced that Heazwj is our Lordazwj, as a different thing from the things’.

The man said, ‘So inform me, when was Heazwj ( from)?’ Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘Inform measws , when Heazwj wasn’t and Iasws will inform you when Heazwj was’. The man said, ‘So what is the evidence upon it?’ So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘Iasws , when Iasws look at myasws body, and am not enabled upon increasing it, nor reducing it in the width, and the length, and repulsing the abhorrence from it and flowing the benefits to it, Iasws know that for this construction, there is a Builder. So Iasws acknowledge with it what Iasws see from the orbiting of the planets by Hisazwj Power, and the growth of the clouds, and the interchanging of the winds, and the flowing of the sun and the moon and the stars, and other than that from the wondrous clear signs, Iasws know that for this is Determiner and a Builder’.3

4 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْخَفَّافِ أَوْ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ إِنَّ عَبْدَ الله الدَّيَصَانِيَّ سَأَلَ هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ لَكَ رَبٌّ فَقَالَ بَلَى قَالَ أَ قَادِرٌ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَادِرٌ قَاهِرٌ قَالَ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ الدُّنْيَا كُلَّهَا الْبَيْضَةَ لا تَكْبُرُ الْبَيْضَةُ وَلا تَصْغُرُ الدُّنْيَا قَالَ هِشَامٌ النَّظِرَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَدْ أَنْظَرْتُكَ حَوْلاً ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَنْهُ فَرَكِبَ هِشَامٌ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله أَتَانِي عَبْدُ الله الدَّيَصَانِيُّ بِمَسْأَلَةٍ لَيْسَ الْمُعَوَّلُ فِيهَا إِلا عَلَى الله وَعَلَيْكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَمَّا ذَا سَأَلَكَ فَقَالَ قَالَ لِي كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا هِشَامُ كَمْ حَوَاسُّكَ قَالَ خَمْسٌ قَالَ أَيُّهَا أَصْغَرُ قَالَ النَّاظِرُ قَالَ وَكَمْ قَدْرُ النَّاظِرِ قَالَ مِثْلُ الْعَدَسَةِ أَوْ أَقَلُّ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا هِشَامُ فَانْظُرْ أَمَامَكَ وَفَوْقَكَ وَأَخْبِرْنِي بِمَا تَرَى فَقَالَ أَرَى سَمَاءً وَأَرْضاً وَدُوراً وَقُصُوراً وَبَرَارِيَ وَجِبِالاً وَأَنْهَاراً فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الَّذِي قَدَرَ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ الَّذِي تَرَاهُ الْعَدَسَةَ أَوْ أَقَلَّ مِنْهَا قَادِرٌ أَنْ يُدْخِلَ الدُّنْيَا كُلَّهَا الْبَيْضَةَ لا تَصْغَرُ الدُّنْيَا وَلا تَكْبُرُ الْبَيْضَةُ فَأَكَبَّ هِشَامٌ عَلَيْهِ وَقَبَّلَ يَدَيْهِ وَرَأْسَهُ وَرِجْلَيْهِ وَقَالَ حَسْبِي يَا ابْنَ رَسُولِ الله وَانْصَرَفَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ وَغَدَا عَلَيْهِ الدَّيَصَانِيُّ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا هِشَامُ إِنِّي جِئْتُكَ مُسَلِّماً وَلَمْ أَجِئْكَ مُتَقَاضِياً لِلْجَوَابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ هِشَامٌ إِنْ كُنْتَ جِئْتَ مُتَقَاضِياً فَهَاكَ الْجَوَابَ فَخَرَجَ الدَّيَصَانِيُّ عَنْهُ حَتَّى أَتَى بَابَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا قَعَدَ قَالَ لَهُ يَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ دُلَّنِي عَلَى مَعْبُودِي فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا اسْمُكَ فَخَرَجَ عَنْهُ وَلَمْ يُخْبِرْهُ بِاسْمِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ كَيْفَ لَمْ تُخْبِرْهُ بِاسْمِكَ قَالَ لَوْ كُنْتُ قُلْتُ لَهُ عَبْدُ الله كَانَ يَقُولُ مَنْ هَذَا الَّذِي أَنْتَ لَهُ عَبْدٌ فَقَالُوا لَهُ عُدْ إِلَيْهِ وَقُلْ لَهُ يَدُلُّكَ عَلَى مَعْبُودِكَ وَلا يَسْأَلُكَ عَنِ اسْمِكَ فَرَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا جَعْفَرَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ دُلَّنِي عَلَى مَعْبُودِي وَلا تَسْأَلْنِي عَنِ اسْمِي فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اجْلِسْ وَإِذَا غُلامٌ لَهُ صَغِيرٌ فِي كَفِّهِ بَيْضَةٌ يَلْعَبُ بِهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) نَاوِلْنِي يَا غُلامُ الْبَيْضَةَ فَنَاوَلَهُ إِيَّاهَا فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا دَيَصَانِيُّ هَذَا حِصْنٌ مَكْنُونٌ لَهُ جِلْدٌ غَلِيظٌ وَتَحْتَ الْجِلْدِ الْغَلِيظِ جِلْدٌ رَقِيقٌ وَتَحْتَ الْجِلْدِ الرَّقِيقِ ذَهَبَةٌ مَائِعَةٌ وَفِضَّةٌ ذَائِبَةٌ فَلا الذَّهَبَةُ الْمَائِعَةُ تَخْتَلِطُ بِالْفِضَّةِ الذَّائِبَةِ وَلا الْفِضَّةُ الذَّائِبَةُ تَخْتَلِطُ بِالذَّهَبَةِ الْمَائِعَةِ فَهِيَ عَلَى حَالِهَا لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْهَا خَارِجٌ مُصْلِحٌ فَيُخْبِرَ عَنْ صَلاحِهَا وَلا دَخَلَ فِيهَا مُفْسِدٌ فَيُخْبِرَ عَنْ فَسَادِهَا لا يُدْرَى لِلذَّكَرِ خُلِقَتْ أَمْ لِلانْثَى تَنْفَلِقُ عَنْ مِثْلِ أَلْوَانِ الطَّوَاوِيسِ أَ تَرَى لَهَا مُدَبِّراً قَالَ فَأَطْرَقَ مَلِيّاً ثُمَّ قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَأَنَّكَ إِمَامٌ وَحُجَّةٌ مِنَ الله عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَأَنَا تَائِبٌ مِمَّا كُنْتُ فِيهِ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Is’haq Al Khaffaf, or from his father, from Muhammad Bin Is’haq who said,

‘Abdullah Al-Daysani asked Hisham Bin Al-Hakam saying to him, ‘Is there a Lordazwj for you?’ So he said, ‘Yes’. He said, ‘Is Heazwj Powerful?’ He said, ‘Yes, Powerful, Compelling’. He said, ‘Is Heazwj Able to enter the whole world into an egg, while not making the egg any bigger and not making the world any smaller?’ Hisham said, ‘The respite’. So he said, ‘I respite you for a year’. Then he went away from him.

So, Hisham rode over to Abu Abdullahasws and sought permission to see himasws , and heasws permitted him. So he said, ‘O sonasws of Rasool-Allahsaww ! Abdullah Al-Daysani came over to me with a question, there being no reliability with regards to (answering) it except upon Allahazwj and upon youasws ’. So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘What is that about which he asked you?’ So he said, ‘He said to me such and such’.

So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘O Hisham! How many are your senses?’ He said, ‘Five’. Heasws said: ‘Which of these is the smallest?’ He said, ‘The looking’. Heasws said: ‘And how much is the measurement of the viewer (eye)?’ Heasws said: ‘Like a lens or less than it’. So heasws said to him: ‘So look in front of you and above you and inform me of what you see’. So he said, ‘I see the sky, and land, and houses, and castles, and desert, and mountains and rivers’. So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘The Oneazwj Who is Able to enter that which you see into the lens, or less than it, is Able over entering the whole world into the egg, neither making the world any smaller nor making the egg any bigger’.

So Hisham leapt up and kissed hisasws hand, and hisasws head, and his leg and said, ‘(It is) sufficient for me, O sonasws of Rasool-Allahsaww !’, and left for his house. And Al-Daysani came over to him and said to him, ‘O Hisham! I have come to you as a Muslim and did not come to you requesting for the answer’. So Hisham said to him, ‘If you had come requesting, so here is the answer’, (and he told him).

So Al-Daydani went out from him until he came over to the door of Abu Abdullahasws So he sought permission to see himasws , and heasws permitted him. So when he was seated, he said to himasws , ‘O Ja’farasws Bin Muhammadasws ! Introduce me to my Masterazwj’. So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘What is your name?’ So he went out from himasws and did not inform himasws of his name. So his companions said to him, ‘How come you did not inform himasws with your name?’ He said, ‘If I had, I would have said to himasws , it is Abdullah (Slave of Allahazwj). Heasws would have said to me: ‘Who is this whose slave you are?’’.

So they said to him, ‘Return to himasws and tell himasws to introduce you to your Masterazwj and not to ask about your name’. So he returned to himasws and said to himasws , ‘O Ja’farasws Bin Muhammadasws ! Introduce me to my Masterazwj and do not ask me about my name’. So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘Be seated’. And there was a young boy of hisasws in whose palm was an egg he was playing with. So Abu Abdullahasws said to him: ‘Give the egg to me, O boy!’ So he gave it to himasws .

So Abu Abdullahasws said to me: ‘O Daysani! This (egg) is a hidden fortress. There is a thick (outer) skin for it, and underneath the thick skin is a thin skin, and beneath the thin skin is gold water and silver fluid. So neither does the gold water mix with the silver fluid, nor does the silver fluid mix with the gold water. So it is upon its state. Neither does a repairer come out from it so he could inform of its correctness nor does a spoiler enter into it so he could inform about its spoiling. It is not known whether it is Created to be a male or a female (to come out after incubation). It could burst out like the colours of peacocks. Do you see that there is a Mastermind for it?’

He (the narrator) said, ‘So he thought for a while, then said, ‘I testify that there is no god except for Allahazwj, there being no associates for Himazwj, and that Muhammadsaww is Hisazwj servant and Hisazwj Rasoolsaww , and that youasws an Imamasws and Proof from Allahazwj upon Hisazwj creatures, and that I am repentant from what I was in’.4

5 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْفُقَيْمِيِّ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ فِي حَدِيثِ الزِّنْدِيقِ الَّذِي أَتَى أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وَكَانَ مِنْ قَوْلِ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لا يَخْلُو قَوْلُكَ إِنَّهُمَا اثْنَانِ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَا قَدِيمَيْنِ قَوِيَّيْنِ أَوْ يَكُونَا ضَعِيفَيْنِ أَوْ يَكُونَ أَحَدُهُمَا قَوِيّاً وَالاخَرُ ضَعِيفاً فَإِنْ كَانَا قَوِيَّيْنِ فَلِمَ لا يَدْفَعُ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا صَاحِبَهُ وَيَتَفَرَّدُ بِالتَّدْبِيرِ وَإِنْ زَعَمْتَ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمَا قَوِيٌّ وَالاخَرَ ضَعِيفٌ ثَبَتَ أَنَّهُ وَاحِدٌ كَمَا نَقُولُ لِلْعَجْزِ الظَّاهِرِ فِي الثَّانِي فَإِنْ قُلْتَ إِنَّهُمَا اثْنَانِ لَمْ يَخْلُ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَا مُتَّفِقَيْنِ مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ أَوْ مُفْتَرِقَيْنِ مِنْ كُلِّ جِهَةٍ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَا الْخَلْقَ مُنْتَظِماً وَالْفَلَكَ جَارِياً وَالتَّدْبِيرَ وَاحِداً وَاللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ دَلَّ صِحَّةُ الامْرِ وَالتَّدْبِيرِ وَائْتِلافُ الامْرِ عَلَى أَنَّ الْمُدَبِّرَ وَاحِدٌ ثُمَّ يَلْزَمُكَ إِنِ ادَّعَيْتَ اثْنَيْنِ فُرْجَةٌ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا حَتَّى يَكُونَا اثْنَيْنِ فَصَارَتِ الْفُرْجَةُ ثَالِثاً بَيْنَهُمَا قَدِيماً مَعَهُمَا فَيَلْزَمُكَ ثَلاثَةٌ فَإِنِ ادَّعَيْتَ ثَلاثَةً لَزِمَكَ مَا قُلْتَ فِي الاثْنَيْنِ حَتَّى تَكُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ فُرْجَةٌ فَيَكُونُوا خَمْسَةً ثُمَّ يَتَنَاهَى فِي الْعَدَدِ إِلَى مَا لا نِهَايَةَ لَهُ فِي الْكَثْرَةِ قَالَ هِشَامٌ فَكَانَ مِنْ سُؤَالِ الزِّنْدِيقِ أَنْ قَالَ فَمَا الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) وُجُودُ الافَاعِيلِ دَلَّتْ عَلَى أَنَّ صَانِعاً صَنَعَهَا أَ لا تَرَى أَنَّكَ إِذَا نَظَرْتَ إِلَى بِنَاءٍ مُشَيَّدٍ مَبْنِيٍّ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ لَهُ بَانِياً وَإِنْ كُنْتَ لَمْ تَرَ الْبَانِيَ وَلَمْ تُشَاهِدْهُ قَالَ فَمَا هُوَ قَالَ شَيْ‏ءٌ بِخِلافِ الاشْيَاءِ ارْجِعْ بِقَوْلِي إِلَى إِثْبَاتِ مَعْنًى وَأَنَّهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ بِحَقِيقَةِ الشَّيْئِيَّةِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لا جِسْمٌ وَلا صُورَةٌ وَلا يُحَسُّ وَلا يُجَسُّ وَلا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ الْخَمْسِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الاوْهَامُ وَلا تَنْقُصُهُ الدُّهُورُ وَلا تُغَيِّرُهُ الازْمَانُ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Abbas Bin Amro Al Fuqaymi,

(It has been narrated) from Hisham Bin Al-Hakam in a Hadeeth of the atheist who came over to Abu Abdullahasws , and it was from the words of Abu Abdullahasws : -

‘You are not free from your words that there are two (gods). Either they are both eternally from before, both strong, or they are both weak, and one of them happens to be strong and the other one weak. So if they were both strong, so why doesn’t each one of the two repulse his companion and be alone with the management (of the universe)?

And if you are alleging that one of the two is strong and the other one is weak, it would be proven that Heazwj is One just as we are saying due to the inability of the second one being apparent.

So if you were to say that there are two (gods), and that they are both concordant from every aspect, or separate from every aspect, so when we see the creation being regulated and the planets flowing, and the strategy is one, and the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, are evidence to the wellbeing of the order and the strategy, and the coalition of the matters evidences upon that the Regulator is One. Then it would necessitate you, if you claim two (gods) that there should be a gap between the two in what is between them until they can happen to be two. Thus the gap would come to be the third (entity) between the two (gods), being eternally from before along with the two of them. Thus, it would necessitate a third (entity).

So if you were to claim three, it would necessitate you what you said regarding the two, until there can happen to be a gap between them until they can happen to be five. Then you would end up in the numbering to what there is no end to it regarding the multitude’.

Hisham said, ‘It was so from the question of the atheist that he said, ‘So what is the evidence upon Himazwj?’ So Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘The existence of the effects evidence upon that there is a Causer Causing these. Do you not see that you, when you look at a building constructed, you know that there is a builder for it, and even if you cannot see the builder and did not witness its (construction)?’

He said, ‘So what is Heazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘A thing which is different from the things. I return to myasws words to prove the meaning, and Heazwj is a thing in the reality of the ‘thing-ness’. Heazwj neither has a body nor an image, nor can Heazwj be felt, nor touched, nor can Heazwj be realised by the five senses. Neither can the imaginations grasp Himazwj, nor does the age reduce Himazwj, nor does the time change Himazwj’. 5

6 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ النُّعْمَانِ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ فَرْقَدٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ كَفَى لاولِي الالْبَابِ بِخَلْقِ الرَّبِّ الْمُسَخِّرِ وَمُلْكِ الرَّبِّ الْقَاهِرِ وَجَلالِ الرَّبِّ الظَّاهِرِ وَنُورِ الرَّبِّ الْبَاهِرِ وَبُرْهَانِ الرَّبِّ الصَّادِقِ وَمَا أَنْطَقَ بِهِ أَلْسُنَ الْعِبَادِ وَمَا أَرْسَلَ بِهِ الرُّسُلَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ عَلَى الْعِبَادِ دَلِيلاً عَلَى الرَّبِّ

Muhammad Bin Yaqoub said, ‘A number of our companions narrated to me, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Al Barqy, from his father, from Ali Bin Al Nu’man, from Ibn Muskan, from Dawood Bin Farqad, from Abu Saeed Al Zuhry,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’farasws having said: ‘It suffices for the ones of understanding with the creation, the Subduing Lordazwj, and the Kingdom of the Compelling Lordazwj, and Majesty of the Lordazwj being Manifested, and the Light of the Lordazwj, the Splendour, and substantiation of the Truthful Lordazwj, and what the tongues of the servants speak with, and what the Rasoolsas were Sent with, and what was Revealed unto the servant, as an evidence upon the (existence of) the Lordazwj’. 6

2 ـ بَابُ إِطْلَاقِ الْقَوْلِ بِأَنَّهُ شَيْ‌ءٌ‌

Chapter 2 - Applicability of the word that Heazwj is a ‘thing’

1 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ فَقُلْتُ أَتَوَهَّمُ شَيْئاً فَقَالَ نَعَمْ غَيْرَ مَعْقُولٍ وَلا مَحْدُودٍ فَمَا وَقَعَ وَهْمُكَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَهُوَ خِلافُهُ لا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلا تُدْرِكُهُ الاوْهَامُ كَيْفَ تُدْرِكُهُ الاوْهَامُ وَهُوَ خِلافُ مَا يُعْقَلُ وَخِلافُ مَا يُتَصَوَّرُ فِي الاوْهَامِ إِنَّمَا يُتَوَهَّمُ شَيْ‏ءٌ غَيْرُ مَعْقُولٍ وَلا مَحْدُودٍ

Muhammad Bin Yaqoub, from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Abdul Rahman Bin Abu Najran who said,

‘I asked Abu Ja’farasws about the Tawheed (Oneness of Allahazwj), and I said, ‘Can I think of Himazwj as a thing?’ So heasws said: ‘Yes, without reasoning and no limit. So whatever your imagination occurs upon from a thing, so Heazwj is different to it. Nothing resembles Himazwj, nor can the imaginations grasp Himazwj. How can the imaginations grasp Himazwj and Heazwj is different to what is thought of and different to what is pictured in the imaginations? But rather, you can imagine something without reasoning and no limits’.7

2 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ الثَّانِي (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُقَالَ لله إِنَّهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ يُخْرِجُهُ مِنَ الْحَدَّيْنِ حَدِّ التَّعْطِيلِ وَحَدِّ التَّشْبِيهِ

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, from Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Husayn Bin Al Hassan, from Bakr Bin Salih, from Al Husayn Bin Saeed who said,

‘Abu Ja’farasws the 2nd was asked, ‘Is it allowed for one to say for Allahazwj that Heazwj is a thing?’ Heasws said: ‘Yes. Take Himazwj out from the two limitations - the limitation of temporariness and the limit of resemblance’.8

3 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنْ أَبِي الْمَغْرَاءِ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ إِنَّ الله خِلْوٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلْقَهُ خِلْوٌ مِنْهُ وَكُلُّ مَا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ مَا خَلا الله

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Yunus, from Abu Al Magra’a, raising it,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’farasws having said: ‘Allahazwj is Distinct of Hisazwj creatures, and Hisazwj creatures are distinct from Himazwj; and everything upon what the name ‘thing’ occurs, so it is a creation, apart from Allahazwj’. 9

4 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى الْحَلَبِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الله خِلْوٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلْقَهُ خِلْوٌ مِنْهُ وَكُلُّ مَا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ شَيْ‏ءٍ مَا خَلا الله فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ وَالله خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid Al Barqy, from his father, from Al Nazar Bin Suweyd, from Yahya Al Halby, from Ibn Muskan, from Zurara Bin Ayn who said,

‘I heard Abu Abdullahasws saying: ‘Allahazwj is Distinct from Hisazwj creation and Hisazwj creation is distinct from Himazwj, and everything the name ‘thing’ occurs upon apart from Allahazwj, so it is a creation, and Allahazwj is the Creator of everything. Blessed is the One Who there is nothing like Himazwj and Heazwj is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing’.10

5 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الله خِلْوٌ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ وَخَلْقَهُ خِلْوٌ مِنْهُ وَكُلُّ مَا وَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ اسْمُ شَيْ‏ءٍ مَا خَلا الله تَعَالَى فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ وَالله خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Ali Bin Atiyya, from Khaysama,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’farasws having said: ‘Allahazwj is Distinct from Hisazwj creation and Hisazwj creation is distinct from Himazwj, and everything what the name ‘thing’ occurs upon, apart from Allahazwj the Exalted, so it is a creation, and Allahazwj is the Creator of everything’.11

6 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو الْفُقَيْمِيِّ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِلزِّنْدِيقِ حِينَ سَأَلَهُ مَا هُوَ قَالَ هُوَ شَيْ‏ءٌ بِخِلافِ الاشْيَاءِ ارْجِعْ بِقَوْلِي إِلَى إِثْبَاتِ مَعْنًى وَأَنَّهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ بِحَقِيقَةِ الشَّيْئِيَّةِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ لا جِسْمٌ وَلا صُورَةٌ وَلا يُحَسُّ وَلا يُجَسُّ وَلا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ الْخَمْسِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الاوْهَامُ وَلا تَنْقُصُهُ الدُّهُورُ وَلا تُغَيِّرُهُ الازْمَانُ فَقَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَتَقُولُ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ قَالَ هُوَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ سَمِيعٌ بِغَيْرِ جَارِحَةٍ وَبَصِيرٌ بِغَيْرِ آلَةٍ بَلْ يَسْمَعُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَيُبْصِرُ بِنَفْسِهِ لَيْسَ قَوْلِي إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ يَسْمَعُ بِنَفْسِهِ وَبَصِيرٌ يُبْصِرُ بِنَفْسِهِ أَنَّهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَالنَّفْسُ شَيْ‏ءٌ آخَرُ وَلَكِنْ أَرَدْتُ عِبَارَةً عَنْ نَفْسِي إِذْ كُنْتُ مَسْئُولاً وَإِفْهَاماً لَكَ إِذْ كُنْتَ سَائِلاً فَأَقُولُ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ بِكُلِّهِ لا أَنَّ الْكُلَّ مِنْهُ لَهُ بَعْضٌ وَلَكِنِّي أَرَدْتُ إِفْهَامَكَ وَالتَّعْبِيرُ عَنْ نَفْسِي وَلَيْسَ مَرْجِعِي فِي ذَلِكَ إِلا إِلَى أَنَّهُ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ الْعَالِمُ الْخَبِيرُ بِلا اخْتِلافِ الذَّاتِ وَلا اخْتِلافِ الْمَعْنَى قَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَمَا هُوَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هُوَ الرَّبُّ وَهُوَ الْمَعْبُودُ وَهُوَ الله وَلَيْسَ قَوْلِي الله إِثْبَاتَ هَذِهِ الْحُرُوفِ أَلِفٍ وَلامٍ وَهَاءٍ وَلا رَاءٍ وَلا بَاءٍ وَلَكِنِ ارْجِعْ إِلَى مَعْنًى وَشَيْ‏ءٍ خَالِقِ الاشْيَاءِ وَصَانِعِهَا وَنَعْتِ هَذِهِ الْحُرُوفِ وَهُوَ الْمَعْنَى سُمِّيَ بِهِ الله وَالرَّحْمَنُ وَالرَّحِيمُ وَالْعَزِيزُ وَأَشْبَاهُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَسْمَائِهِ وَهُوَ الْمَعْبُودُ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ قَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَإِنَّا لَمْ نَجِدْ مَوْهُوماً إِلا مَخْلُوقاً قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَوْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ كَمَا تَقُولُ لَكَانَ التَّوْحِيدُ عَنَّا مُرْتَفِعاً لانَّا لَمْ نُكَلَّفْ غَيْرَ مَوْهُومٍ وَلَكِنَّا نَقُولُ كُلُّ مَوْهُومٍ بِالْحَوَاسِّ مُدْرَكٍ بِهِ تَحُدُّهُ الْحَوَاسُّ وَتُمَثِّلُهُ فَهُوَ مَخْلُوقٌ إِذْ كَانَ النَّفْيُ هُوَ الابْطَالَ وَالْعَدَمَ وَالْجِهَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ التَّشْبِيهُ إِذْ كَانَ التَّشْبِيهُ هُوَ صِفَةَ الْمَخْلُوقِ الظَّاهِرِ التَّرْكِيبِ وَالتَّأْلِيفِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ بُدٌّ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ الصَّانِعِ لِوُجُودِ الْمَصْنُوعِينَ وَالاضْطِرَارِ إِلَيْهِمْ أَنَّهُمْ مَصْنُوعُونَ وَأَنَّ صَانِعَهُمْ غَيْرُهُمْ وَلَيْسَ مِثْلَهُمْ إِذْ كَانَ مِثْلُهُمْ شَبِيهاً بِهِمْ فِي ظَاهِرِ التَّرْكِيبِ وَالتَّأْلِيفِ وَفِيمَا يَجْرِي عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ حُدُوثِهِمْ بَعْدَ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُونُوا وَتَنَقُّلِهِمْ مِنَ صِغَرٍ إِلَى كِبَرٍ وَسَوَادٍ إِلَى بَيَاضٍ وَقُوَّةٍ إِلَى ضَعْفٍ وَأَحْوَالٍ مَوْجُودَةٍ لا حَاجَةَ بِنَا إِلَى تَفْسِيرِهَا لِبَيَانِهَا وَوُجُودِهَا قَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَقَدْ حَدَدْتَهُ إِذْ أَثْبَتَّ وُجُودَهُ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لَمْ أَحُدَّهُ وَلَكِنِّي أَثْبَتُّهُ إِذْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ النَّفْيِ وَالاثْبَاتِ مَنْزِلَةٌ قَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَلَهُ إِنِّيَّةٌ وَمَائِيَّةٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ لا يُثْبَتُ الشَّيْ‏ءُ إِلا بِإِنِّيَّةٍ وَمَائِيَّةٍ قَالَ لَهُ السَّائِلُ فَلَهُ كَيْفِيَّةٌ قَالَ لا لانَّ الْكَيْفِيَّةَ جِهَةُ الصِّفَةِ وَالاحَاطَةِ وَلَكِنْ لا بُدَّ مِنَ الْخُرُوجِ مِنْ جِهَةِ التَّعْطِيلِ وَالتَّشْبِيهِ لانَّ مَنْ نَفَاهُ فَقَدْ أَنْكَرَهُ وَدَفَعَ رُبُوبِيَّتَهُ وَأَبْطَلَهُ وَمَنْ شَبَّهَهُ بِغَيْرِهِ فَقَدْ أَثْبَتَهُ بِصِفَةِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ الْمَصْنُوعِينَ الَّذِينَ لا يَسْتَحِقُّونَ الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ وَلَكِنْ لا بُدَّ مِنْ إِثْبَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُ كَيْفِيَّةً لا يَسْتَحِقُّهَا غَيْرُهُ وَلا يُشَارِكُ فِيهَا وَلا يُحَاطُ بِهَا وَلا يَعْلَمُهَا غَيْرُهُ قَالَ السَّائِلُ فَيُعَانِي الاشْيَاءَ بِنَفْسِهِ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) هُوَ أَجَلُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُعَانِيَ الاشْيَاءَ بِمُبَاشَرَةٍ وَمُعَالَجَةٍ لانَّ ذَلِكَ صِفَةُ الْمَخْلُوقِ الَّذِي لا تَجِي‏ءُ الاشْيَاءُ لَهُ إِلا بِالْمُبَاشَرَةِ وَالْمُعَالَجَةِ وَهُوَ مُتَعَالٍ نَافِذُ الارَادَةِ وَالْمَشِيئَةِ فَعَّالٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Al Abbas Bin Amro Al Fuqaymi, from Hisham Bin Al Hakam,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said to the atheist when he asked himasws , ‘What is Heazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘Heazwj is a thing different for the things. Iasws reiterate with myasws words to prove the meaning, and Heazwj is a thing in reality of the ‘thing-ness’ apart from that Heazwj has neither a body, nor an image, nor can Heazwj be felt, nor can Heazwj be touched, nor can Heazwj be realised by the five sensory perceptions. Neither can the imaginations grasp Himazwj, nor can the ages reduce Himazwj, nor can the times change Himazwj’.

So the questioner said to himasws , ‘But youasws are saying that Heazwj is Hearing, Seeing’. Heasws said: ‘Heazwj is Hearing, Seeing. Heazwj Sees without an organ and Sees without an instrument, but Heazwj is Seeing by Himselfazwj and is Hearing by Himselfazwj. Myasws words that ‘Heazwj is Seeing by Himselfazwj and is Hearing by Himselfazwj’ is not that Heazwj is a thing and Hisazwj Self is another thing. But, Iasws intend as an idiom from myselfasws when Iasws was asked and as an understanding for you when you asked. Thus, Iasws am saying that Heazwj Hears by all of Himazwj, not that the for the ‘all’ of Himazwj there are parts, but Iasws intend to make you understand and as an idiom from myselfasws and Iasws do not re-iterate in that except that Heazwj is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware without a differentiation of the Self nor differentiation of the meaning’.

The questioner said to himasws , ‘So what is Heazwj?’ Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘Heazwj is the Lordazwj, and Heazwj is the worshipped, and Heazwj is Allahazwj. And it is not myasws word ‘Allah’ to prove these letters, ‘Alif’, and ‘Laam’, and ‘Ha’, nor ‘Ra’ nor ‘Ba’, but I re-iterate to a meaning and a thing, Creator of the things and its Maker, and the intention of these letters, and it is the meaning ‘Allah’ has been Named by, and ‘the Beneficent’, and the ‘Merciful’, and the ‘Mighty’, and the likes of that from Hisazwj Names, and Heazwj is the worshipped One, Majestic and Mighty’.

The questioner said to himasws , ‘But we do not find our imaginations except as creations’. Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘If it was that, just as you are saying, the Tawheed (Oneness) would be raised (negated), because we are not encumbered without imagination. But we are saying that every imagination with the senses realised with is limited by the senses, and is a resemblance, thus it is a creation. When it was the negation, so it is the invalidation, and the nothingness (non-entity) and the modality.

The second is the resemblance. When there was the resemblance, it would be a quality of the creation, the apparent, the assembled, and the composed. So it would not happen to be inevitable from proving the Maker due to the existence of the manufactured items and the necessity to them that they are manufactured and that their Maker is other than them, and is not like them. If Heazwj was like them, Heazwj would have resembled them in the apparent, and the assemblage, and the composition, with regards to what flows upon them from their coming into being afterwards when they did not exist (beforehand), and their transformation from the smallness to the largeness, and blackness to whiteness, and strength to weakness, and their existing states. There is no need for usasws to interpret these in order to explain these and their existences’.

The questioner said to himasws , ‘But youasws would have limited Himazwj when you proved Hisazwj existence’. Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘Iasws did not limit Himazwj. But Iasws proved Himazwj when there does not happen to be a stage between the negation and the proofs’.

The questioner said to himasws , ‘So, for Himazwj there is a reality and an actuality?’ Heasws said: ‘Yes. The thing cannot be proven except in a reality and actuality’.

The questioner said to himasws , ‘So is there a ‘how-ness’ (Qualitative State) for Himazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘No, because the qualitative state is an aspect of the quality, but it is inevitable from exiting from an aspect of the temporariness and the resemblance, because the one who negates Himazwj, so he had denied Himazwj and repulsed Hisazwj Lordship and invalidated it; and the one who resembles Himazwj with something else, so he has proved Himazwj with a quality of the creation, the manufactured ones who are not rightful for the Lordship. But it is inevitable from the proofs that for Himazwj there is a Qualitative State which others are not rightful of, nor does anything participate in it, nor is inter-mingled with it, nor is something else known by it.

The questioner said, ‘So do the (Creation of the) things tire Hisazwj Self?’ Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘He is more Majestic than that the (Creation of) things should Tire Himazwj by the Initiating (the things) and Processing, because that is a quality of the created beings who do not come to the things except by the production and the processing, and Heazwj is most Exalted, Implementer of the Will and the Desire, Doing whatever Heazwj so Desires to’.12

7 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَ يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُقَالَ إِنَّ الله شَيْ‏ءٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ يُخْرِجُهُ مِنَ الْحَدَّيْنِ حَدِّ التَّعْطِيلِ وَحَدِّ التَّشْبِيهِ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from the one who mentioned it, said,

‘Abu Abdullahasws was asked, ‘Is it allowed for it to be said that Allahazwj is a thing?’ Heasws said: ‘Yes, taking Himazwj out from two limitations - the limitation of the temporariness and the limitation of the resemblance’.13

3 ـ بَابُ أَنَّهُ لَايُعْرَفُ إِلاَّ بِهِ‌

Chapter 3 - Heazwj cannot be recognised except by Himazwj

1 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ السَّكَنِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اعْرِفُوا الله بِالله وَالرَّسُولَ بِالرِّسَالَةِ وَأُولِي الامْرِ بِالامْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالْعَدْلِ وَالاحْسَانِ

وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اعْرِفُوا الله بِالله يَعْنِي أَنَّ الله خَلَقَ الاشْخَاصَ وَالانْوَارَ وَالْجَوَاهِرَ وَالاعْيَانَ فَالاعْيَانُ الابْدَانُ وَالْجَوَاهِرُ الارْوَاحُ وَهُوَ جَلَّ وَعَزَّ لا يُشْبِهُ جِسْماً وَلا رُوحاً وَلَيْسَ لاحَدٍ فِي خَلْقِ الرُّوحِ الْحَسَّاسِ الدَّرَّاكِ أَمْرٌ وَلا سَبَبٌ هُوَ الْمُتَفَرِّدُ بِخَلْقِ الارْوَاحِ وَالاجْسَامِ فَإِذَا نَفَى عَنْهُ الشَّبَهَيْنِ شَبَهَ الابْدَانِ وَشَبَهَ الارْوَاحِ فَقَدْ عَرَفَ الله بِالله وَإِذَا شَبَّهَهُ بِالرُّوحِ أَوِ الْبَدَنِ أَوِ النُّورِ فَلَمْ يَعْرِفِ الله بِالله

Ali Bin Muhammad, from the one who mentioned it, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Muhammad Bin Humran, from Al Fazl Bin Al Sakan,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘Amir Al-Momineenasws said: ‘Recognise Allahazwj by Allahazwj, and the Rasoolsaww by the Message, and the Masters of the Command (Ul Al-Amr) by the ordering of the good, and the justice, and the favours’.14

2 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ سِمْعَانَ بْنِ أَبِي رُبَيْحَةَ مَوْلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) قَالَ سُئِلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِمَ عَرَفْتَ رَبَّكَ قَالَ بِمَا عَرَّفَنِي نَفْسَهُ قِيلَ وَكَيْفَ عَرَّفَكَ نَفْسَهُ قَالَ لا يُشْبِهُهُ صُورَةٌ وَلا يُحَسُّ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَلا يُقَاسُ بِالنَّاسِ قَرِيبٌ فِي بُعْدِهِ بَعِيدٌ فِي قُرْبِهِ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا يُقَالُ شَيْ‏ءٌ فَوْقَهُ أَمَامَ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا يُقَالُ لَهُ أَمَامٌ دَاخِلٌ فِي الاشْيَاءِ لا كَشَيْ‏ءٍ دَاخِلٍ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ وَخَارِجٌ مِنَ الاشْيَاءِ لا كَشَيْ‏ءٍ خَارِجٍ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ هُوَ هَكَذَا وَلا هَكَذَا غَيْرُهُ وَلِكُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ مُبْتَدَأٌ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from one of our companions, from Ali Bin Uqba Bin Qays Bin Abu Rubayha,

A slave of Rasool-Allahsaww , said, ‘Amir Al-Momineenasws was asked, ‘By what youasws recognise yourasws Lordazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘By what Heazwj Introduced Himselfazwj to measws as’. It was said, ‘And how did Heazwj Introduce Himselfazwj to youasws ?’ Heasws said: ‘Neither does an image resemble Himazwj nor can Heazwj be sensed by the sensory perceptions, nor can Heazwj be compared with the people.

Heazwj is Near in Hisazwj Remoteness and Remote in Hisazwj Nearness, above everything. Nothing can be said to be above Himazwj. Heazwj is in front of everything and it cannot be said for Himazwj there is a front. Heazwj is inside everything not like a thing entering into a thing, and Heazwj is outside from the things, not like the thing being outside from the thing. Glorious is the Oneazwj Who is like this, and nothing else is like this. And for everything, there is an Initiator’.15

3 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ حَازِمٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنِّي نَاظَرْتُ قَوْماً فَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِنَّ الله جَلَّ جَلالُهُ أَجَلُّ وَأَعَزُّ وَأَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُعْرَفَ بِخَلْقِهِ بَلِ الْعِبَادُ يُعْرَفُونَ بِالله فَقَالَ رَحِمَكَ الله

Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Fazl Bin Shazan, from Safwan Bin Yahya, from Mansour Bin Hazim who said,

‘I said to Abu Abdullahasws , ‘I debated a group, so I said to them that Allahazwj, Majestic is Hisazwj Majesty is more Majestic and more Mighty, and more Benevolent than that Heazwj should be recognised through Hisazwj creatures. But it is the creatures who are being recognised through Allahazwj’. So heasws said: ‘May Allahazwj have Mercy on you’.16

4 ـ بَابُ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ‌

Chapter 4 - The lowest of the recognition

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِيِّ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْفَتْحِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الاقْرَارُ بِأَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَلا شِبْهَ لَهُ وَلا نَظِيرَ وَأَنَّهُ قَدِيمٌ مُثْبَتٌ مَوْجُودٌ غَيْرُ فَقِيدٍ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ .

Muhammad Bin Al Hassan, from Abdullah Bin Al Hassan Al Alary, and Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Al Mukhtar Bin Muhammad Bin Al Mukhtar Al Hamdany, altogether from Al Fatah Bin Yazeed,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Al-Hassanasws , said, ‘I asked himasws about the lowest of the recognition. So heasws said: ‘The acknowledgement that there is no god apart from Himazwj, and there is neither a resemblance for Himazwj nor a counterpart, and that Heazwj is Eternal, Affirmed, Existing without being absent, and that there is nothing like Himazwj’. 17

2 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ طَاهِرِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فِي حَالِ اسْتِقَامَتِهِ أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مَا الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَسَامِعاً وَبَصِيراً وَهُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَسُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً

Ali Bin Muhammad, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Tahir Bin Hatim during a state of normality,

‘He wrote to the manasws (Imam Rezaasws ), ‘What is that without which the recognition of the Creator would be deficient?’ So heasws wrote to him: ‘(It is that) Heazwj does not cease to be Knowing, and Hearing, and Seeing, and Heazwj Does whatever Heazwj so Desires to. And Abu Ja’farasws was asked about that without which the recognition of the Creator would be deficient, so heasws said: ‘(It is that) There is nothing like Himazwj nor does anything resemble Himazwj. He does not Cease to be Knowing, Hearing, Seeing’’.18

3 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يُوسُفَ بْنِ بَقَّاحٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَمْرَ الله كُلَّهُ عَجِيبٌ إِلا أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَجَّ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا قَدْ عَرَّفَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Al Husayn, from Al Hassan Bin Ali Bin Yusuf Bin Baqqah, from Sayf Bin Ameyra, from Ibrahim Bin Umar who said,

‘I heard Abu Abdullahasws saying: ‘The matter of Allahazwj, all of it is strange, except that Heazwj has Argued upon you with what Heazwj has Introduced to you all from Himselfazwj’. 19

5 ـ بَابُ الْمَعْبُودِ إِلاَّ بِهِ

Chapter 5 - The Worshipped One (Deity)

1 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ ابْنِ رِئَابٍ وَعَنْ غَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ مَنْ عَبَدَ الله بِالتَّوَهُّمِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَمَنْ عَبَدَ الاسْمَ دُونَ الْمَعْنَى فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَمَنْ عَبَدَ الاسْمَ وَالْمَعْنَى فَقَدْ أَشْرَكَ وَمَنْ عَبَدَ الْمَعْنَى بِإِيقَاعِ الاسْمَاءِ عَلَيْهِ بِصِفَاتِهِ الَّتِي وَصَفَ بِهَا نَفْسَهُ فَعَقَدَ عَلَيْهِ قَلْبَهُ وَنَطَقَ بِهِ لِسَانُهُ فِي سَرَائِرِهِ وَعَلانِيَتِهِ فَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) حَقّاً وَفِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقّاً

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Isa, Bin Ubeyd, from Al Hassan Bin Mahboub, from Ibn Ra’ib and from someone else,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘The one who worships Allahazwj in the imaginations so he has blasphemed (disbelieved); and the one who worships the Name besides the Meaning, so he has blasphemed; and the one who worships the Name and the Meaning, so he has associated (committed polytheism (Shirk)); and the one who worships the Meaning with the harmony of the Name with Hisazwj Attributes upon Himazwj which Heazwj Himself has Described with, so Heazwj pacts his heart upon it, and his tongue speaks with it during his privacy and his public appearances, so they would be the companions of Amir Al-Momineenasws truly’.

And in another Hadeeth, ‘(Heasws said): ‘They are the Momineen, truly’.20

2 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ أَسْمَاءِ الله وَاشْتِقَاقِهَا الله مِمَّا هُوَ مُشْتَقٌّ قَالَ فَقَالَ لِي يَا هِشَامُ الله مُشْتَقٌّ مِنْ إِلَهٍ وَالالَهُ يَقْتَضِي مَأْلُوهاً وَالاسْمُ غَيْرُ الْمُسَمَّى فَمَنْ عَبَدَ الاسْمَ دُونَ الْمَعْنَى فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَلَمْ يَعْبُدْ شَيْئاً وَمَنْ عَبَدَ الاسْمَ وَالْمَعْنَى فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَعَبَدَ اثْنَيْنِ وَمَنْ عَبَدَ الْمَعْنَى دُونَ الاسْمِ فَذَاكَ التَّوْحِيدُ أَ فَهِمْتَ يَا هِشَامُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي قَالَ إِنَّ لله تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ اسْماً فَلَوْ كَانَ الاسْمُ هُوَ الْمُسَمَّى لَكَانَ كُلُّ اسْمٍ مِنْهَا إِلَهاً وَلَكِنَّ الله مَعْنًى يُدَلُّ عَلَيْهِ بِهَذِهِ الاسْمَاءِ وَكُلُّهَا غَيْرُهُ يَا هِشَامُ الْخُبْزُ اسْمٌ لِلْمَأْكُولِ وَالْمَاءُ اسْمٌ لِلْمَشْرُوبِ وَالثَّوْبُ اسْمٌ لِلْمَلْبُوسِ وَالنَّارُ اسْمٌ لِلْمُحْرِقِ أَ فَهِمْتَ يَا هِشَامُ فَهْماً تَدْفَعُ بِهِ وَتُنَاضِلُ بِهِ أَعْدَاءَنَا وَالْمُتَّخِذِينَ مَعَ الله جَلَّ وَعَزَّ غَيْرَهُ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَقَالَ نَفَعَكَ الله بِهِ وَثَبَّتَكَ يَا هِشَامُ قَالَ هِشَامٌ فَوَ الله مَا قَهَرَنِي أَحَدٌ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ حَتَّى قُمْتُ مَقَامِي هَذَا

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Al Nazar Bin Suweyd, from Hisham Bin Al Hakam,

‘He asked Abu Abdullahasws about the Names of Allahazwj and their deriving Allahazwj from what Heazwj is Derived’. So heasws said to me: ‘O Hisham! Allahazwj is derived from ‘God’ and ‘The God’, it requires its worshipper. And the name is other than the named. So the one who worships the Name besides the Meaning, so he has blasphemed and has not worshipped anything; and the one who worships the Name and the Meaning, so he has blasphemed and has worshipped two; and the one who worships the Meaning besides the Name, so that is the Tawheed (Oneness). Do you understand, O Hisham?’

He (Hisham) said, ‘So I said, ‘Increase it for me’. Heasws said: ‘For Allahazwj there are ninety nine Names, and if it was such that the Name was the Named, it would be so that every Name from these would be a God. But, Allahazwj is the Meaning which these Names Indicate upon, and all of these are other than Himazwj. O Hisham! The bread is a name of the food, and the water is a name of the drink, and the cloth is a name of the garment, and the fire is a name of the incinerator. Do you understand, O Hisham? (It is) an understanding you can repulse and fight ourasws enemies with it and the ones who taking others along with Allahazwj Majestic and Mighty’. I said, ‘Yes’.

He (Hisham) said, ‘So heasws said: ‘May Allahazwj Benefit you with it and Affirm you, O Hisham!’.

Hisham said, ‘So, by Allahazwj! No one was able to subdue me regarding the Tawheed (Oneness) until I rose to this status of mine’.21

3 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَوْ قُلْتُ لَهُ جَعَلَنِي الله فِدَاكَ نَعْبُدُ الرَّحْمَنَ الرَّحِيمَ الْوَاحِدَ الاحَدَ الصَّمَدَ قَالَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ مَنْ عَبَدَ الاسْمَ دُونَ الْمُسَمَّى بِالاسْمَاءِ أَشْرَكَ وَكَفَرَ وَجَحَدَ وَلَمْ يَعْبُدْ شَيْئاً بَلِ اعْبُدِ الله الْوَاحِدَ الاحَدَ الصَّمَدَ الْمُسَمَّى بِهَذِهِ الاسْمَاءِ دُونَ الاسْمَاءِ إِنَّ الاسْمَاءَ صِفَاتٌ وَصَفَ بِهَا نَفْسَهُ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Al Abbas Bin Marouf, from Abdul Rahman Bin Abu Najran who said,

‘I wrote to Abu Ja’farasws , or said to himasws , ‘May I be sacrificed for youasws ! We worship the Beneficent, the Merciful, the One, the First, the Last’. So heasws said: ‘Surely, the one who worships the Name besides the One Named by the Names has associated (committed Shirk), and blasphemed, and denied and did not worship anything. But worship the One, the First, the Last, the Named One by these Names, besides the Names. The Name is an attribute by which Heazwj Describes Himself’.22

6 ـ بَابُ الْكَوْنِ وَالْمَكَانِ‌

Chapter 6 - Coming into being and the space

1 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَأَلَ نَافِعُ بْنُ الازْرَقِ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الله مَتَى كَانَ فَقَالَ مَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ حَتَّى أُخْبِرَكَ مَتَى كَانَ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَمْ يَزَلْ وَلا يَزَالُ فَرْداً صَمَداً لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَلا وَلَداً

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Al Hassan Bin Mahboub, from Abu Hamza who said,

‘Naf’au Bin Arzaq asked Abu Ja’farasws saying, ‘Inform me about Allahazwj, when was Heazwj ( from)?’ So heasws said: ‘When was Heazwj not, and Iasws shall inform you when Heazwj was. Glorious is the One who never ceased to be and will not cease to be, Individual, Last, neither having taken a female companion nor a son’.23

2 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِنْ وَرَاءِ نَهَرِ بَلْخَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ فَإِنْ أَجَبْتَنِي فِيهَا بِمَا عِنْدِي قُلْتُ بِإِمَامَتِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ فَقَالَ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ رَبِّكَ مَتَى كَانَ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ وَعَلَى أَيِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ كَانَ اعْتِمَادُهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَيَّنَ الايْنَ بِلا أَيْنٍ وَكَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ بِلا كَيْفٍ وَكَانَ اعْتِمَادُهُ عَلَى قُدْرَتِهِ فَقَامَ إِلَيْهِ الرَّجُلُ فَقَبَّلَ رَأْسَهُ وَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّداً رَسُولُ الله وَأَنَّ عَلِيّاً وَصِيُّ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَالْقَيِّمُ بَعْدَهُ بِمَا قَامَ بِهِ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَأَنَّكُمُ الائِمَّةُ الصَّادِقُونَ وَأَنَّكَ الْخَلَفُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Abu Nasr who said,

‘A man came over to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws from behind the river Balkh. So he said, ‘I want to ask youasws a question. So if youasws were to answer me with regards to it with what is with me, I shall speak with yourasws Imamate’. So Abu Al Hassanasws said: ‘Ask about whatever you so desire to’. So he said, ‘Inform me about yourasws Lordazwj, when was Heazwj ( from), and how was Heazwj and upon which thing is Hisazwj dependency?’

So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘Allahazwj Blessed and High is the ‘where’ of the ‘where’ without a ‘where’, and ‘how’ of the ‘how’ without a ‘how’, and Hisazwj dependency is upon Hisazwj Power’.

So the man stood up to himasws and kissed hisasws forehead and said, ‘I testify that there is no god except Allahazwj, and that Muhammadsaww is Hisazwj Rasoolsaww , and that Aliasws is a successorasws of Rasoolsaww , and the custodian after himsaww with whatever Rasool-Allahsaww stood with, and youasws all (Imamsasws are the truthful ones, and that youasws are the replacement from after themasws ’.24

3 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ رَبِّكَ مَتَى كَانَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّمَا يُقَالُ لِشَيْ‏ءٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَتَى كَانَ إِنَّ رَبِّي تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كَانَ وَلَمْ يَزَلْ حَيّاً بِلا كَيْفٍ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كَانَ وَلا كَانَ لِكَوْنِهِ كَوْنُ كَيْفٍ وَلا كَانَ لَهُ أَيْنٌ وَلا كَانَ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا كَانَ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا ابْتَدَعَ لِمَكَانِهِ مَكَاناً وَلا قَوِيَ بَعْدَ مَا كَوَّنَ الاشْيَاءَ وَلا كَانَ ضَعِيفاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَوِّنَ شَيْئاً وَلا كَانَ مُسْتَوْحِشاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْتَدِعَ شَيْئاً وَلا يُشْبِهُ شَيْئاً مَذْكُوراً وَلا كَانَ خِلْواً مِنْ الْمُلْكِ قَبْلَ إِنْشَائِهِ وَلا يَكُونُ مِنْهُ خِلْواً بَعْدَ ذَهَابِهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ حَيّاً بِلا حَيَاةٍ وَمَلِكاً قَادِراً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُنْشِئَ شَيْئاً وَمَلِكاً جَبَّاراً بَعْدَ إِنْشَائِهِ لِلْكَوْنِ فَلَيْسَ لِكَوْنِهِ كَيْفٌ وَلا لَهُ أَيْنٌ وَلا لَهُ حَدٌّ وَلا يُعْرَفُ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ يُشْبِهُهُ وَلا يَهْرَمُ لِطُولِ الْبَقَاءِ وَلا يَصْعَقُ لِشَيْ‏ءٍ بَلْ لِخَوْفِهِ تَصْعَقُ الاشْيَاءُ كُلُّهَا كَانَ حَيّاً بِلا حَيَاةٍ حَادِثَةٍ وَلا كَوْنٍ مَوْصُوفٍ وَلا كَيْفٍ مَحْدُودٍ وَلا أَيْنٍ مَوْقُوفٍ عَلَيْهِ وَلا مَكَانٍ جَاوَرَ شَيْئاً بَلْ حَيٌّ يُعْرَفُ وَمَلِكٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ لَهُ الْقُدْرَةُ وَالْمُلْكُ أَنْشَأَ مَا شَاءَ حِينَ شَاءَ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا يُبَعَّضُ وَلا يَفْنَى كَانَ أَوَّلاً بِلا كَيْفٍ وَيَكُونُ آخِراً بِلا أَيْنٍ وَكُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالامْرُ تَبَارَكَ الله رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَيْلَكَ أَيُّهَا السَّائِلُ إِنَّ رَبِّي لا تَغْشَاهُ الاوْهَامُ وَلا تَنْزِلُ بِهِ الشُّبُهَاتُ وَلا يَحَارُ وَلا يُجَاوِزُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلا تَنْزِلُ بِهِ الاحْدَاثُ وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا يَنْدَمُ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الارْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Al Husayn Bin Saeed, from Al Qasim Bin Muhammad, from Ali Bin Abu Hamza, from Abu Baseer who said,

‘A man came over to Abu Ja’farasws , and he said to himasws , ‘Inform me about yourasws Lordazwj, when was Heazwj ( from)?’ So heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! But rather, it is only said to the thing which never was, when it was from. Myasws Lordazwj, Blessed and High, always has been and will not cease to be living without a ‘how’, and there cannot happen to be a ‘was’ for Himazwj, nor was there for Hisazwj coming into being an occurrence of ‘how’, nor was there for Himazwj a ‘where’, nor was Heazwj in anything, nor was Heazwj upon anything, nor was there a beginning for Hisazwj Place a place, nor was Heazwj Strong after the coming into being of the things, nor was Heazwj weak before the things came into being, nor was Heazwj lonely before Heazwj Initiated the things, nor does anything mentionable resemble Himazwj, nor was Heazwj Distinct from Hisazwj Kingdom before Heazwj Built it, nor will there be a distinction from Himazwj after its non-existence.

Heazwj had never ceased to be living without a life and a kingdom and a Powerful King before Heazwj Built anything, and was a Compelling King after Hisazwj Building the universe. So there isn’t from Hisazwj coming into being, a ‘how’, nor is there a ‘where’ for Himazwj, nor is there a (defined) limit for Himazwj, nor can Heazwj be recognised by something resembling Himazwj, nor does Heazwj age due to the prolonged remaining, nor is Heazwj bewildered to anything, but out of fear of Himazwj the things are bewildered, all of them.

Heazwj was Living without a new (lease of) life, and occurrence of a space, nor a limitation of ‘how’, nor a ‘where’ reserved upon Himazwj, nor a place being in the vicinity of anything. But, Heazwj is Living, recognised, and a King not having a decline for Himazwj of the Power and the Kingdom, for as long as when Heazwj so Desires with Hisazwj Desire. Heazwj can neither be limited, nor divided, nor perish. Heazwj was the First without a ‘how’ (qualitative state), and will happen to be Last without a ‘where’. And everything is perishable except for Hisazwj Face. For Himazwj is the creation and the Command. Blessed is Allahazwj, Lordazwj of the worlds’.

Woe be unto you, O questioner! Myasws Lordazwj is such that the imaginations cannot grasp Himazwj, nor can the doubts descend with Himazwj, nor confusion, nor does anything exceed Himazwj, nor does anything new descend with Himazwj, nor does Heazwj Ask about anything, nor does he regret upon anything, nor does slumber seize Himazwj nor is there any sleep for Himazwj. For Himazwj is whatever is in the skies and whatever is in the earth and whatever is between the two and whatever is beneath the surface’.25

4 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْيَهُودُ إِلَى رَأْسِ الْجَالُوتِ فَقَالُوا لَهُ إِنَّ هَذَا الرَّجُلَ عَالِمٌ يَعْنُونَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَانْطَلِقْ بِنَا إِلَيْهِ نَسْأَلْهُ فَأَتَوْهُ فَقِيلَ لَهُمْ هُوَ فِي الْقَصْرِ فَانْتَظَرُوهُ حَتَّى خَرَجَ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَأْسُ الْجَالُوتِ جِئْنَاكَ نَسْأَلُكَ فَقَالَ سَلْ يَا يَهُودِيُّ عَمَّا بَدَا لَكَ فَقَالَ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ رَبِّكَ مَتَى كَانَ فَقَالَ كَانَ بِلا كَيْنُونِيَّةٍ كَانَ بِلا كَيْفٍ كَانَ لَمْ يَزَلْ بِلا كَمٍّ وَبِلا كَيْفٍ كَانَ لَيْسَ لَهُ قَبْلٌ هُوَ قَبْلَ الْقَبْلِ بِلا قَبْلٍ وَلا غَايَةٍ وَلا مُنْتَهًى انْقَطَعَتْ عَنْهُ الْغَايَةُ وَهُوَ غَايَةُ كُلِّ غَايَةٍ فَقَالَ رَأْسُ الْجَالُوتِ امْضُوا بِنَا فَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ مِمَّا يُقَالُ فِيهِ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from his father, raising it, said,

‘The Jews gathered around their chief Al-Jalout and they said to him, ‘This man is a knowledgeable one’, meaning Amir Al-Momineenasws ’, so come with us to himasws , to question himasws ’. So they came over, and it was said to them, ‘Heasws is in the (government) building’. So they waited for himasws until heasws came out’.

So chief Al-Jalout said to himasws , ‘We came to question youasws ’. So heasws said: ‘Ask, O Jew, about whatever comes to you’. So he said, ‘I ask youasws about yourasws Lordazwj, when was Heazwj ( from)?’ So heasws said: ‘Heazwj was without there being any entities. Heazwj was without a ‘how’ (qualitative state). Heazwj still exists without an extent (limit) and without a ‘how’. Heazwj was, there being no ‘before’ for Himazwj. Heazwj was before the ‘before’, without a ‘before’, nor is there an end-point or a termination. The termination is cut off from Himazwj, and Heazwj is an end-point of every end-point’.

So chief Al-Jalout said, ‘Lets us go, for heasws is more knowledgeable than what is said for himasws ’.26

5 ـ وَبِهَذَا الاسْنَادِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ جَاءَ حِبْرٌ مِنَ الاحْبَارِ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَتَى كَانَ رَبُّكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ وَمَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ حَتَّى يُقَالَ مَتَى كَانَ كَانَ رَبِّي قَبْلَ الْقَبْلِ بِلا قَبْلٍ وَبَعْدَ الْبَعْدِ بِلا بَعْدٍ وَلا غَايَةَ وَلا مُنْتَهَى لِغَايَتِهِ انْقَطَعَتِ الْغَايَاتُ عِنْدَهُ فَهُوَ مُنْتَهَى كُلِّ غَايَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَ فَنَبِيٌّ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدٌ مِنْ عَبِيدِ مُحَمَّدٍ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) وَرُوِيَ أَنَّهُ سُئِلَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيْنَ كَانَ رَبُّنَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ سَمَاءً وَأَرْضاً فَقَالَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيْنَ سُؤَالٌ عَنْ مَكَانٍ وَكَانَ الله وَلا مَكَانَ

And by this chain, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Abu Nasr, from Abu Al Hassan Al Nowsaly,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘A Rabbi from the Rabbis came over to Amir Al-Momineenasws and he said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! When was yourasws Lordazwj ( from)?’ So heasws said to him: ‘May your mother be bereft of you! And when did Heazwj not happen to be until it can be said when myasws Lordazwj was (from). Myasws Lordazwj was before the ‘before’ without there being a ‘before’, and (will be) after the ‘after’ without there being an ‘after’. And there is neither an end-point nor a termination to Hisazwj end-point cutting off the end-point in Hisazwj Presence. Thus, Heazwj is the termination of every end-point’.

So he said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! So, are youasws a Prophetas ?’ So heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! But rather, Iasws am a servant from the servants of Muhammadsaww ’.

And it is reported that heasws was asked, ‘Where was our Lordazwj before Heazwj Created the sky and earth? (meaning the universe)’. So heasws said: ‘Where is a question about a place, and Allahazwj was, and there was no place’.27

6 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَمَاعَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَأْسُ الْجَالُوتِ لِلْيَهُودِ إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّ عَلِيّاً (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مِنْ أَجْدَلِ النَّاسِ وَأَعْلَمِهِمْ اذْهَبُوا بِنَا إِلَيْهِ لَعَلِّي أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ وَأُخَطِّئُهُ فِيهَا فَأَتَاهُ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِنِّي أُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ مَسْأَلَةٍ قَالَ سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ قَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَتَى كَانَ رَبُّنَا قَالَ لَهُ يَا يَهُودِيُّ إِنَّمَا يُقَالُ مَتَى كَانَ لِمَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ فَكَانَ مَتَى كَانَ هُوَ كَائِنٌ بِلا كَيْنُونِيَّةٍ كَائِنٍ كَانَ بِلا كَيْفٍ يَكُونُ بَلَى يَا يَهُودِيُّ ثُمَّ بَلَى يَا يَهُودِيُّ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ لَهُ قَبْلٌ هُوَ قَبْلَ الْقَبْلِ بِلا غَايَةٍ وَلا مُنْتَهَى غَايَةٍ وَلا غَايَةَ إِلَيْهَا انْقَطَعَتِ الْغَايَاتُ عِنْدَهُ هُوَ غَايَةُ كُلِّ غَايَةٍ فَقَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنَّ دِينَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا خَالَفَهُ بَاطِلٌ

Ali Bin Muhammad, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Amro Bin Usman, from Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Muhammad Bin Sama’at,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘Chief Al-Jalout said to the Jews that the Muslims are alleging that Aliasws is from the best of the people in the art of argumentation and their most knowledgeable. Let us go to himasws . I shall ask himasws a question and make himasws err in it’.

So he came over to himasws and he said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! I wanted to ask youasws a question’. Heasws said: ‘Ask about whatever you so desire to’. He said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! When was our Lordazwj ( from)?’ Heasws said to him: ‘O Jew! But rather, it is said, ‘When was he’, for the one who did not happen to be. So Heazwj was when Heazwj was. Heazwj was existing without there being any entity. Heazwj exists without a ‘how’ (Qualitative State) happening to be.

Yes, O Jew! Then (again), yes O Jew! How can there be a ‘before’ for Himazwj? Heazwj was before the ‘before’, without there being an end-point and no termination of an end-point, nor is there an end-point having a termination to it. The end-point is in Hisazwj Presence. Heazwj is the end-point of all end-points’.

So he said, ‘I testify that yourasws Religion is the Truth and that whatever is different to it, is false’.28

7 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ رَفَعَهُ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَ كَانَ الله وَلا شَيْ‏ءَ قَالَ نَعَمْ كَانَ وَلا شَيْ‏ءَ قُلْتُ فَأَيْنَ كَانَ يَكُونُ قَالَ وَكَانَ مُتَّكِئاً فَاسْتَوَى جَالِساً وَقَالَ أَحَلْتَ يَا زُرَارَةُ وَسَأَلْتَ عَنِ الْمَكَانِ إِذْ لا مَكَانَ

Ali Bin Muhammad, raising it from Zurara who said,

‘I said to Abu Ja’farasws , ‘Was Allahazwj ( existing) and there was nothing?’ Heasws said: ‘Yes, Heazwj was and there was nothing’. I said, ‘So where did Heazwj happen to be?’ Heasws was leaning, so heasws sat upright and said: ‘You (speak of the) Impossibility, O Zurara, and you ask about the place when there was no place’.29

8 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْوَلِيدِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ أَتَى حِبْرٌ مِنَ الاحْبَارِ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَتَى كَانَ رَبُّكَ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّمَإ؛ّّ يُقَالُ مَتَى كَانَ لِمَا لَمْ يَكُنْ فَأَمَّا مَا كَانَ فَلا يُقَالُ مَتَى كَانَ كَانَ قَبْلَ الْقَبْلِ بِلا قَبْلٍ وَبَعْدَ الْبَعْدِ بِلا بَعْدٍ وَلا مُنْتَهَى غَايَةٍ لِتَنْتَهِيَ غَايَتُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَ نَبِيٌّ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ لامِّكَ الْهَبَلُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدٌ مِنْ عَبِيدِ رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه)

Ali Bin Muhammad, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Muhammad Bin Al Waleed, from Ibn Abu Nasr, from Abu Al Hassan Al Mowsaly,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘A Rabbi from the Rabbis came over to Amir Al-Momineenasws and he said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! When was yourasws Lordazwj ( from)?’ Heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! But rather, it is said, ‘When was it’, for what did not happen to be. So, as for what always was, so you cannot say when it was (from). Heazwj was before the ‘before’ without there being a ‘before’, and (will be) after the ‘after’ without there being an ‘after’, and there is no termination to an end-point to end Hisazwj end-point’.

So he said to himasws , ‘Are youasws a Prophetas ?’ So heasws said: ‘For your mother be the bereavement! But rather, Iasws am a servant from the servants of Rasool-Allahsaww ’.30

7 ـ بَابُ النِّسْبَةِ‌

Chapter 7 - The Lineage

1 ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالُوا انْسِبْ لَنَا رَبَّكَ فَلَبِثَ ثَلاثاً لا يُجِيبُهُمْ ثُمَّ نَزَلَتْ قُلْ هُوَ الله أَحَدٌ إِلَى آخِرِهَا

وَرَوَاهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ

Ahmad Bin Idrees, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, from Safwan Bin yahya, from Abu Ayoub, from Muhammad Bin Muslim,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘The Jews asked Rasool-Allahsaww and they said, ‘(Describe the) Lineage (of) yoursaww Lordazwj for us’. So hesaww waited for three (days) and did not answer them. Then it was Revealed [112:1] Say: He Allah is One - up to the end of it’.

And it is (also) reported by Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Ali Bin Al Hakam, from Abu Ayoub.31

2 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو النَّصِيبِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله عَنْ قُلْ هُوَ الله أَحَدٌ فَقَالَ نِسْبَةُ الله إِلَى خَلْقِهِ أَحَداً صَمَداً أَزَلِيّاً صَمَدِيّاً لا ظِلَّ لَهُ يُمْسِكُهُ وَهُوَ يُمْسِكُ الاشْيَاءَ بِأَظِلَّتِهَا عَارِفٌ بِالْمَجْهُولِ مَعْرُوفٌ عِنْدَ كُلِّ جَاهِلٍ فَرْدَانِيّاً لا خَلْقُهُ فِيهِ وَلا هُوَ فِي خَلْقِهِ غَيْرُ مَحْسُوسٍ وَلا مَجْسُوسٍ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ عَلا فَقَرُبَ وَدَنَا فَبَعُدَ وَعُصِيَ فَغَفَرَ وَأُطِيعَ فَشَكَرَ لا تَحْوِيهِ أَرْضُهُ وَلا تُقِلُّهُ سَمَاوَاتُهُ حَامِلُ الاشْيَاءِ بِقُدْرَتِهِ دَيْمُومِيٌّ أَزَلِيٌّ لا يَنْسَى وَلا يَلْهُو وَلا يَغْلَطُ وَلا يَلْعَبُ وَلا لارَادَتِهِ فَصْلٌ وَفَصْلُهُ جَزَاءٌ وَأَمْرُهُ وَاقِعٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ فَيُورَثَ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ فَيُشَارَكَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa and Muhammad Bin Al Husayn, from Ibn Mahboub, from Hammad Bin Amro Al Naseybi,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws , said, ‘I asked Abu Abdullahasws about [112:1] Say: He Allah is One. So heasws said: ‘Lineage of Allahazwj to Hisazwj creatures. One, Everlasting, Eternal, Perpetual, there being no support to Hold Himazwj, and Heazwj Withholds the things by Hisazwj Hold. Heazwj Recognises the unknown and is well-known with every ignorant one. An Individuality. Neither are Hisazwj creatures inside Himazwj nor is Heazwj inside Hisazwj creatures. Heazwj can neither be felt nor discerned. The visions cannot envisage Himazwj.

Heazwj is High, so is nearby, and close-by, so is remote, and is disboyed, so Forgives, and is obeyed, so is Grateful. Neither does Hisazwj earth contain Himazwj nor do Hisazwj skies bear Himazwj. Heazwj Carries the things by Hisazwj Power forever, eternally. Heazwj neither forgets, nor plays, nor mistakes, nor is Hisazwj Intention in vain. Hisazwj Grace is Recompense, and Hisazwj Command Occurs. Heazwj does not beget, so would leave an inheritance, and is not begotten, so Heazwj would be participated with, and there does not happen to be for Himazwj anyone as a match’.32

3 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ سُوَيْدٍ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ قَالَ قَالَ سُئِلَ عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ يَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ أَقْوَامٌ مُتَعَمِّقُونَ فَأَنْزَلَ الله تَعَالَى قُلْ هُوَ الله أَحَدٌ وَالايَاتِ مِنْ سُورَةِ الْحَدِيدِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ وَهُوَ عَلِيمٌ بِذاتِ الصُّدُورِ فَمَنْ رَامَ وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ هَلَكَ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Al Husayn Bin Saeed, from Al Nazar Bin Suweyd, from Aasim Bin Humeyd who said,

‘Aliasws Bin Al-Husaynasws was asked about the Tawheed (Oneness), so heasws said: ‘Allahazwj Mighty and Majestic Knows that there would happen to be a people at the end of times who would be investigating in depth. So Allahazwj the Exalted Revealed [112:1] Say: He Allah is One, and the Verses from Surah Al-Hadeed (Chapter 57) up to Hisazwj Words [57:6], and He is Aware of what is in the chests. So whoever aims behind (any more than) that, so he is destroyed’.33

4 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله رَفَعَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ الْمُهْتَدِي قَالَ سَأَلْتُ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ فَقَالَ كُلُّ مَنْ قَرَأَ قُلْ هُوَ الله أَحَدٌ وَآمَنَ بِهَا فَقَدْ عَرَفَ التَّوْحِيدَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ يَقْرَأُهَا قَالَ كَمَا يَقْرَأُهَا النَّاسُ وَزَادَ فِيهِ كَذَلِكَ الله رَبِّي كَذَلِكَ الله رَبِّي

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, raising it from Abdul Aziz Bin Al Muhtady who said,

‘I asked Al-Rezaasws about the Tawheed (Oneness). So heasws said: ‘The one who recites [112:1] Say: He Allah is One and believes in it, so he has recognised the Tawheed (Oneness)’. I said, ‘How should one recite it?’ Heasws said: ‘Just as the people are reciting it, and increase in it, ‘Like that is Allahazwj my Lordazwj, like that is Allahazwj my Lordazwj’’ .34

8 ـ بَابُ النَّهْيِ عَنِ الْكَلَامِ فِي الْكَيْفِيَّةِ‌

Chapter 8 - The Forbiddance about speaking regarding the Qualitative State (how)

1 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) تَكَلَّمُوا فِي خَلْقِ الله وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي الله فَإِنَّ الْكَلامَ فِي الله لا يَزْدَادُ صَاحِبَهُ إِلا تَحَيُّراً

وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى عَنْ حَرِيزٍ تَكَلَّمُوا فِي كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا تَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي ذَاتِ الله

Muhammad Bin Al Hassan, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Al Hassan Bin Mahboub, from Ali Bin Raib, from Abu Baseer who said,

‘Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘You can speak regarding the creation of Allahazwj, but do not speak regarding Allahazwj, for the speech regarding Allahazwj does not increase its owner except with the confusion’.

And in another report, from Hareyz, ‘(Heasws said): ‘You can speak regarding everythings, but do not be speaking regarding ‘ ذَاتِ اللَِّّ ’ the Essence (Self) of Allahazwj’. 35

2 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ خَالِدٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ وَأَنَّ إِلى‏ رَبِّكَ الْمُنْتَهى‏ فَإِذَا انْتَهَى الْكَلامُ إِلَى الله فَأَمْسِكُوا

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Abdul Rahman Bin Al Hajjal, from Suleyman Bin Khalid who said,

‘Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘Allahazwj Mighty and Majestic is Saying [53:42] And that to your Lord is the ending. so when the speech (discussion) ends up to Allahazwj ( Hisazwj Essence), so hold (stop there and refrain from further comments)’.36

3 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لا يَزَالُ بِهِمُ الْمَنْطِقُ حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي الله فَإِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ ذَلِكَ فَقُولُوا لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله الْوَاحِدُ الَّذِي لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Abu Ayoub, form Muhammad Bin Muslim who said,

‘Abu Abdullahasws said, ‘O Muhammad! Do not cease speaking with the people until they (start) speaking regarding Allahazwj. So when you hear that, so be saying, ‘There is no god except Allahazwj, the One Who, there is nothing like Himazwj’’ .37

4 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حُمْرَانَ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا زِيَادُ إِيَّاكَ وَالْخُصُومَاتِ فَإِنَّهَا تُورِثُ الشَّكَّ وَتَهْبِطُ الْعَمَلَ وَتُرْدِي صَاحِبَهَا وَعَسَى أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِالشَّيْ‏ءِ فَلا يُغْفَرَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِيمَا مَضَى قَوْمٌ تَرَكُوا عِلْمَ مَا وُكِّلُوا بِهِ وَطَلَبُوا عِلْمَ مَا كُفُوهُ حَتَّى انْتَهَى كَلامُهُمْ إِلَى الله فَتَحَيَّرُوا حَتَّى إِنْ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ لَيُدْعَى مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ فَيُجِيبُ مِنْ خَلْفِهِ وَيُدْعَى مِنْ خَلْفِهِ فَيُجِيبُ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى حَتَّى تَاهُوا فِي الارْضِ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Muhammad Bin Humran, from Abu Ubeyda Al Haza’a who said,

‘Abu Ja’farasws said: ‘O Ziyad! Beware of the disputes, for these inherit the doubt and the confiscation of the deeds and would deteriorate its performer, as he may speak with something, so it would not be Forgiven for him.

It was so that in the past there were a people who neglected the knowledge what they had been allocated with and they sought a knowledge which did not restrain them to the extent that their speech ended up to Allahazwj. So they got confused to the extent that the man would be called from in front of him, so he would answer from behind him, and he would be called from behind him, so he would answer from in front of him’.

And in another report, ‘To the extent that they wandered in the earth’.38

5 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْمَيَّاحِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ مَنْ نَظَرَ فِي الله كَيْفَ هُوَ هَلَكَ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from one of his companions, from Al Husayn Bin Al Mayyah, from his father who said,

‘I hear Abu Abdullahasws saying: ‘The one who inquires about Allahazwj, how Heazwj is (Hisazwj Qualitative State), would be destroyed’.39

6 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنِ ابْنِ بُكَيْرٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ مَلِكاً عَظِيمَ الشَّأْنِ كَانَ فِي مَجْلِسٍ لَهُ فَتَنَاوَلَ الرَّبَّ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى فَفُقِدَ فَمَا يُدْرَى أَيْنَ هُوَ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Ibn Fazzal, from Ibn Bukeyr, from Zurara Bin Ayn,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘A king of great splendour was in a gathering of his and he discussed the Lordazwj Blessed and High. So it is not (even) known where he is’.40

7 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ عَنِ الْعَلاءِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالتَّفَكُّرَ فِي الله وَلَكِنْ إِذَا أَرَدْتُمْ أَنْ تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى عَظَمَتِهِ فَانْظُرُوا إِلَى عَظِيمِ خَلْقِهِ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Khalid, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Hameed, from Al A’ala Bin Razeyn, from Muhammad Bin Muslim,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Ja’farasws having said: ‘Beware of the pondering regarding Allahazwj. But whenever you intend to look into Hisazwj Magnificence, so look into the Magnificence of Hisazwj creation’.41

8 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ لَوْ أَكَلَ قَلْبَكَ طَائِرٌ لَمْ يُشْبِعْهُ وَبَصَرُكَ لَوْ وُضِعَ عَلَيْهِ خَرْقُ إِبْرَةٍ لَغَطَّاهُ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَعْرِفَ بِهِمَا مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالارْضِ إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً فَهَذِهِ الشَّمْسُ خَلْقٌ مِنْ خَلْقِ الله فَإِنْ قَدَرْتَ أَنْ تَمْلا عَيْنَيْكَ مِنْهَا فَهُوَ كَمَا تَقُولُ

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, raising it, said,

‘Abu Abdullahasws said: ‘O son of Adamas ! If a bird was to eat your heart, it would not satiate it, and if a needle was to poke your eye, it would cover (blind) it. You are intending with these two, to recognise the kingdoms of the skies and the earth? If you are truthful, so this here is the sun, a creation from the creations of Allahazwj. So, if you are able to fill your eyes from it, then it is as you are saying it to be’.42

9 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَنِ الْيَعْقُوبِيِّ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ عَبْدِ الاعْلَى مَوْلَى آلِ سَامٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ إِنَّ يَهُودِيّاً يُقَالُ لَهُ سِبَخْتُ جَاءَ إِلَى رَسُولِ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ الله جِئْتُ أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْ رَبِّكَ فَإِنْ أَنْتَ أَجَبْتَنِي عَمَّا أَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُ وَإِلا رَجَعْتُ قَالَ سَلْ عَمَّا شِئْتَ قَالَ أَيْنَ رَبُّكَ قَالَ هُوَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَلَيْسَ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الْمَكَانِ الْمَحْدُودِ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ هُوَ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ أَصِفُ رَبِّي بِالْكَيْفِ وَالْكَيْفُ مَخْلُوقٌ وَالله لا يُوصَفُ بِخَلْقِهِ قَالَ فَمِنْ أَيْنَ يُعْلَمُ أَنَّكَ نَبِيُّ الله قَالَ فَمَا بَقِيَ حَوْلَهُ حَجَرٌ وَلا غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ إِلا تَكَلَّمَ بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ يَا سِبَخْتُ إِنَّهُ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) فَقَالَ سِبَخْتُ مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ أَمْراً أَبْيَنَ مِنْ هَذَا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لا إِلَهَ إِلا الله وَأَنَّكَ رَسُولُ الله

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Al Hassan Bin Ali, from Al Yaqouby, from one of our companions, from Abdul A’ala, a slave of the family of Saam,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘A Jew call Sibakht came over to Rasool-Allahsaww and he said, ‘O Rasool-Allahsaww ! I came over to ask yousaww about yoursaww Lordazwj. So if yousaww were to answer me about what I am asking about (fine), or else I will return’. Hesaww said: ‘Ask about whatever you so desire to’.

He said, ‘Where is yoursaww Lordazwj?’ Heazwj is in every place, and Heazwj is not enclosed into a thing from the limited place’. He said, ‘And how is Heazwj?’ Hesaww said: ‘And how can Isaww describe mysaww Lordazwj with the ‘how’, and the ‘how’ is a creation, and Allahazwj cannot be described by Hisazwj creation’.

He said, ‘So from where did yousaww come to know that yousaww are a Prophetsaww of Allahazwj?’ He (the narrator) said, ‘So there did not remain around himsaww a tree, nor anything other than that, except that it spoke in clear Arabic language, ‘O Sibakht! Hesaww is Rasool-Allahsaww !’

So Sibakht said, ‘I have not seen like today, a matter more clear than this’. Then he said, ‘I testify that there is no god except Allahazwj and yousaww are a Rasoolsaww of Allahazwj’. 43

10 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ يَحْيَى الْخَثْعَمِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَتِيكٍ الْقَصِيرِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الصِّفَةِ فَرَفَعَ يَدَهُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ قَالَ تَعَالَى الْجَبَّارُ تَعَالَى الْجَبَّارُ مَنْ تَعَاطَى مَا ثَمَّ هَلَكَ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Muhammad Bin Yahya Al Khas’amy, from Abdul Rahman Bin Ateyk Al Qaseyr who said,

‘I asked Abu Ja’farasws about something from the characteristics (of Allahazwj. So heasws raised hisasws hand towards the sky, then said: ‘Exalted is the Compeller! Exalted is the Compeller! The one who practices (something) else, is destroyed’.44

9 ـ بَابٌ فِي إِبْطَالِ الرُّؤْيَةِ‌

Chapter 9 - Regarding the invalidation of sighting

1 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي الْقَاسِمِ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَسْأَلُهُ كَيْفَ يَعْبُدُ الْعَبْدُ رَبَّهُ وَهُوَ لا يَرَاهُ فَوَقَّعَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا أَبَا يُوسُفَ جَلَّ سَيِّدِي وَمَوْلايَ وَالْمُنْعِمُ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى آبَائِي أَنْ يُرَى قَالَ وَسَأَلْتُهُ هَلْ رَأَى رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) رَبَّهُ فَوَقَّعَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ الله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى أَرَى رَسُولَهُ بِقَلْبِهِ مِنْ نُورِ عَظَمَتِهِ مَا أَحَبَّ

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, from Ali Bin Abu Al Qasim, from Yaqoub Bin Is’haq who said,

‘I wrote to Abu Muhammadasws asking himasws , ‘How can a servant worship his Lordazwj and he does not see Himazwj?’ So heasws signed: ‘O Au Yusuf! Myasws Chief, and myasws Master, and the Bestower upon measws and upon myasws forefathersasws is more Majestic than for Heazwj to be seen’.

He (the narrator) said, ‘And I asked himasws , ‘Did Rasool-Allahsaww see hissaww Lordazwj?’ So heasws signed: ‘Allahazwj the Blessed and High Showed into the heart of Hisazwj Rasoolsaww , from a Light of Hisazwj Magnificence what Heazwj Loved to’.45

2 ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قَالَ سَأَلَنِي أَبُو قُرَّةَ الْمُحَدِّثُ أَنْ أُدْخِلَهُ عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَأَذِنَ لِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنِ الْحَلالَ وَالْحَرَامِ وَالاحْكَامِ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سُؤَالُهُ إِلَى التَّوْحِيدِ فَقَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ إِنَّا رُوِّينَا أَنَّ الله قَسَمَ الرُّؤْيَةَ وَالْكَلامَ بَيْنَ نَبِيَّيْنِ فَقَسَمَ الْكَلامَ لِمُوسَى وَلِمُحَمَّدٍ الرُّؤْيَةَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَنِ الْمُبَلِّغُ عَنِ الله إِلَى الثَّقَلَيْنِ مِنَ الْجِنِّ وَالانْسِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ أَ لَيْسَ مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ كَيْفَ يَجِي‏ءُ رَجُلٌ إِلَى الْخَلْقِ جَمِيعاً فَيُخْبِرُهُمْ أَنَّهُ جَاءَ مِنْ عِنْدِ الله وَأَنَّهُ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى الله بِأَمْرِ الله فَيَقُولُ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا رَأَيْتُهُ بِعَيْنِي وَأَحَطْتُ بِهِ عِلْماً وَهُوَ عَلَى صُورَةِ الْبَشَرِ أَ مَا تَسْتَحُونَ مَا قَدَرَتِ الزَّنَادِقَةُ أَنْ تَرْمِيَهُ بِهَذَا أَنْ يَكُونَ يَأْتِي مِنْ عِنْدِ الله بِشَيْ‏ءٍ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي بِخِلافِهِ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ قَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ فَإِنَّهُ يَقُولُ وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرى‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِنَّ بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الايَةِ مَا يَدُلُّ عَلَى مَا رَأَى حَيْثُ قَالَ ما كَذَبَ الْفُؤادُ ما رَأى‏ يَقُولُ مَا كَذَبَ فُؤَادُ مُحَمَّدٍ مَا رَأَتْ عَيْنَاهُ ثُمَّ أَخْبَرَ بِمَا رَأَى فَقَالَ لَقَدْ رَأى‏ مِنْ آياتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرى‏ فَ‏آيَاتُ الله غَيْرُ الله وَقَدْ قَالَ الله وَلا يُحِيطُونَ بِهِ عِلْماً فَإِذَا رَأَتْهُ الابْصَارُ فَقَدْ أَحَاطَتْ بِهِ الْعِلْمُ وَوَقَعَتِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ فَقَالَ أَبُو قُرَّةَ فَتُكَذِّبُ بِالرِّوَايَاتِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِذَا كَانَتِ الرِّوَايَاتُ مُخَالِفَةً لِلْقُرْآنِ كَذَّبْتُهَا وَمَا أَجْمَعَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لا يُحَاطُ بِهِ عِلْماً وَلا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ

Ahmad Bin Idrees, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, from Safwan Bin Yahya who said,

‘Abu Qurra the narrator asked me if I could take him over to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws . So I sought permission for him regarding that and he permitted to me. So I took him over to himasws . So he asked himasws about the Permissible and the prohibitions and the regulations, until his questions reached to the Tawheed (Oneness). So Abu Qurra said, ‘We are reporting that Allahazwj Distributed the Sighting and the Speech between two Prophetsas . So Heazwj Distributed the Speech to Musaas and for Muhammadsaww , the Sighting’.

So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘So who delivered from Allahazwj to the two communities of the Jinn and the human beings [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, (and) [20:110] and they do not comprehend Him in knowledge, (and) [42:11 nothing is a likeness of Him? Was it not Muhammadsaww ?’ He said, ‘Yes’.

Heasws said: ‘How can a mansaww come over to the people and hesaww informs them that hesaww has come from Allahazwj and that hesaww is inviting them to Allahazwj by the Command of Allahazwj, so hesaww is saying [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, (and) [20:110] and they do not comprehend Him in knowledge, (and) [42:11 nothing is a likeness of Him, then hesaww would be saying that: ‘’Isaww saw Himazwj with mysaww own eyes and Isaww comprehended Himazwj in knowledge and Heazwj is upon an image of the person’? Are you not ashamed of what would enable the atheists to pelt with this that hesaww happened to come from the Presence of Allahazwj with something, then hesaww came with the opposite of it from another aspect?’

Abu Qurrat said, ‘But Heazwj is Saying [53:13] And certainly he saw it (meaning Himazwj) in another descent.’ So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘It is after the Verse indicating upon what hesaww saw where Heazwj Says [53:11] The heart did not belie what it saw. Heazwj is Saying that the heart of Muhammadsaww did not belie what hissaww eyes saw. Then Heazwj Informed with what hesaww saw.

So Heazwj Said [53:18] He saw of the greatest Signs of his Lord. So the Signs of Allahazwj is other than Allahazwj, and Heazwj had Said [20:110] and they do not comprehend Him in knowledge. So if the visions were to see Himazwj, so they would have comprehended Himazwj in knowledge, and the recognition would occur’.

So Abu Qurra said, ‘So youasws are belying the reports’. So Abu Al-Hassanasws said: ‘When the reports were in opposition to the Quran, Isaww would belie these, and what the Muslims have formed a consensus upon is that [20:110] and they do not comprehend Him in knowledge [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, (and) (and) [42:11 nothing is a likeness of Him’.46

3 ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سَيْفٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَمَا تَرْوِيهِ الْعَامَّةُ وَالْخَاصَّةُ وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ يَشْرَحَ لِي ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ بِخَطِّهِ اتَّفَقَ الْجَمِيعُ لا تَمَانُعَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَنَّ الْمَعْرِفَةَ مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ ضَرُورَةٌ فَإِذَا جَازَ أَنْ يُرَى الله بِالْعَيْنِ وَقَعَتِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ ضَرُورَةً ثُمَّ لَمْ تَخْلُ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ أَنْ تَكُونَ إِيمَاناً أَوْ لَيْسَتْ بِإِيمَانٍ فَإِنْ كَانَتْ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ إِيمَاناً فَالْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي فِي دَارِ الدُّنْيَا مِنْ جِهَةِ الاكْتِسَابِ لَيْسَتْ بِإِيمَانٍ لانَّهَا ضِدُّهُ فَلا يَكُونُ فِي الدُّنْيَا مُؤْمِنٌ لانَّهُمْ لَمْ يَرَوُا الله عَزَّ ذِكْرُهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تِلْكَ الْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي مِنْ جِهَةِ الرُّؤْيَةِ إِيمَاناً لَمْ تَخْلُ هَذِهِ الْمَعْرِفَةُ الَّتِي مِنْ جِهَةِ الاكْتِسَابِ أَنْ تَزُولَ وَلا تَزُولُ فِي الْمَعَادِ فَهَذَا دَلِيلٌ عَلَى أَنَّ الله عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لا يُرَى بِالْعَيْنِ إِذِ الْعَيْنُ تُؤَدِّي إِلَى مَا وَصَفْنَاهُ

Ahmad Bin Idrees, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Ali Bin Sayf, from Muhammad Bin Ubeyd who said,

‘I wrote to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws asking himasws about the sighting and what is being reported by the general Muslims and the specific ones (Shias), and asked himasws that heasws should explain that to me’.

So heasws by hisasws own handwriting: ‘The recognition from an aspect of the sighting is a necessity. So when it is possible that one sees Allahazwj with the eyes, the necessary recognition would occur. Then that recognition cannot be free from whether it happens to be with Eman or does not happen to be with Eman.

So if it was so that the recognition from the aspect of the sighting was Eman, then the recognition which is in the house of the world from the aspect of the attaining would not be with Eman, because it is opposite to it. Thus, there would not happen to be a (single) Momin because they are not seeing Allahazwj, Mighty is Hisazwj Mention.

And if that recognition which was from the aspect of the sighting does not happen to be Eman, then these recognitions which are attained from the aspect of the attaining would not be free from declining (in the world) and not declining in the Hereafter. So this is the evidence upon the fact that Allahazwj Mighty and Majestic cannot be seen with the eyes, when the eye (sighting) would lead to what weasws have described’.47

4 ـ وَعَنْهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الثَّالِثِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَمَا اخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ النَّاسُ فَكَتَبَ لا تَجُوزُ الرُّؤْيَةُ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَ الرَّائِي وَالْمَرْئِيِّ هَوَاءٌ لَمْ يَنْفُذْهُ الْبَصَرُ فَإِذَا انْقَطَعَ الْهَوَاءُ عَنِ الرَّائِي وَالْمَرْئِيِّ لَمْ تَصِحَّ الرُّؤْيَةُ وَكَانَ فِي ذَلِكَ الاشْتِبَاهُ لانَّ الرَّائِيَ مَتَى سَاوَى الْمَرْئِيَّ فِي السَّبَبِ الْمُوجِبِ بَيْنَهُمَا فِي الرُّؤْيَةِ وَجَبَ الاشْتِبَاهُ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ التَّشْبِيهُ لانَّ الاسْبَابَ لا بُدَّ مِنِ اتِّصَالِهَا بِالْمُسَبَّبَاتِ

And from him, from Ahmad Bin Is’haq who said,

‘I wrote to Abu Al-Hassanasws the 3rd asking himasws about the sighting and what the people are differing in with regards to it. So heasws wrote: ‘The sighting is not allowed (possible) for as long as there does not happen to be an atmosphere between the seeing and the seen, carrying the vision. So when the atmosphere is cut off from the seeing and the seen, the sighting would not be valid and there would be the similarity in that because the seer, when he is equal to the seen in the cause, it would obligate between the two with regards to the sighting, the obligation of the similarity, and that is the similarity because the causes, it is inevitable from these to be related with the effects’.48

5 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ حَضَرْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْخَوَارِجِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ أَيَّ شَيْ‏ءٍ تَعْبُدُ قَالَ الله تَعَالَى قَالَ رَأَيْتَهُ قَالَ بَلْ لَمْ تَرَهُ الْعُيُونُ بِمُشَاهَدَةِ الابْصَارِ وَلَكِنْ رَأَتْهُ الْقُلُوبُ بِحَقَائِقِ الايمَانِ لا يُعْرَفُ بِالْقِيَاسِ وَلا يُدْرَكُ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَلا يُشَبَّهُ بِالنَّاسِ مَوْصُوفٌ بِالايَاتِ مَعْرُوفٌ بِالْعَلامَاتِ لا يَجُورُ فِي حُكْمِهِ ذَلِكَ الله لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ الرَّجُلُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ الله أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسالَتَهُ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Ali Bin Ma’bad, from Abdullah Bin Sinan, from his father who said,

‘I was present with Abu Ja’farasws and a man from the Kharijites came over to himasws and said to him, ‘O Abu Ja’farasws ! Which thing do youasws worship?’ Heasws said: ‘Allahazwj the Exalted’. He said, ‘Have youasws seen Himazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘But, the eyes cannot see Himazwj with the visualizing of the visions, but the hearts seen Himazwj by the realities of the Eman. Heazwj cannot be recognised by the analogies, nor can Heazwj be realised by the sensory perceptions, nor can Heazwj be resembled with the people. Heazwj is Described in the Verses (of the Quran), recognised by the Signs. Heazwj is not tyrannous in Hisazwj Judgments. That is Allahazwj. There is no god except Himazwj’.

He (the narrator) said, ‘So the man went out and he was saying, ‘[6:124] Allah best knows where He Places His Message’.49

6 ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الْمَوْصِلِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ جَاءَ حِبْرٌ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ صَلَوَاتُ الله عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ رَبَّكَ حِينَ عَبَدْتَهُ قَالَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ مَا كُنْتُ أَعْبُدُ رَبّاً لَمْ أَرَهُ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ رَأَيْتَهُ قَالَ وَيْلَكَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الْعُيُونُ فِي مُشَاهَدَةِ الابْصَارِ وَلَكِنْ رَأَتْهُ الْقُلُوبُ بِحَقَائِقِ الايمَانِ

A number of our companions, from Ahmad Bin Muhammd Bin Khalid, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Abu Nasr, from Abu Al Hassan Al Mowsaly,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘A Rabbi came over to Amir Al-Momineenasws and he said, ‘O Amir Al-Momineenasws ! Do youasws see yourasws Lordazwj when youasws worship Himazwj?’ So heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! Iasws have never worshipped a Lordazwj Iasws do not see’. He said, ‘And how do youasws see Himazwj?’ Heasws said: ‘Woe be unto you! The eyes cannot envisage Himazwj in the viewing of the sights. But, the hearts see Himazwj by the realities of the Eman’.50

7ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ ذَاكَرْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِيمَا يَرْوُونَ مِنَ الرُّؤْيَةِ فَقَالَ الشَّمْسُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءاً مِنْ نُورِ الْكُرْسِيِّ وَالْكُرْسِيُّ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءاً مِنْ نُورِ الْعَرْشِ وَالْعَرْشُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءاً مِنْ نُورِ الْحِجَابِ وَالْحِجَابُ جُزْءٌ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ جُزْءاً مِنْ نُورِ السِّتْرِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ فَلْيَمْلَئُوا أَعْيُنَهُمْ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ لَيْسَ دُونَهَا سَحَابٌ .

Ahmad Bin Idrees, from Muhammad Bin Abdul Jabbar, from Safwan Bin Yahya, from Aasim Bin Humeyd,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘I discussed with Abu Abdullahasws regarding what they (reporters) are reporting of the sighting. So heasws said: ‘The sun is a one part from the seventy of the light of the Chair (الْكُرْسِيِّ ), and the Chair (الْكُرْسِيِّ ) is one part of seventy parts from the Light of the Throne (الْعَرْشِ ), and the Throne (الْعَرْشِ ) is one part from seventy parts from the Light of the Veil, and the Veil is one part from the seventy part from the Light of the Curtain. So if they were truthful, so let them be filling their eyes from the sun where there is no cloud under it’.51

8 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِي إِلَى السَّمَاءِ بَلَغَ بِي جَبْرَئِيلُ مَكَاناً لَمْ يَطَأْهُ قَطُّ جَبْرَئِيلُ فَكَشَفَ لَهُ فَأَرَاهُ الله مِنْ نُورِ عَظَمَتِهِ مَا أَحَبَّ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, and someone else from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Ibn Abu Nasr,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws having said: ‘Rasool-Allahsaww said: ‘When Isaww was ascended to the sky, Jibraeelas reached with mesaww to a place which Jibraeelas had not trodden upon at all’. So it was uncovered for himsaww , and Allahazwj Showed himsaww , from the Light of Hisazwj magnificence, whatever Heazwj so Loved to’.52

9 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي قَوْلِهِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصارُ قَالَ إِحَاطَةُ الْوَهْمِ أَ لا تَرَى إِلَى قَوْلِهِ قَدْ جاءَكُمْ بَصائِرُ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ لَيْسَ يَعْنِي بَصَرَ الْعُيُونِ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ لَيْسَ يَعْنِي مِنَ الْبَصَرِ بِعَيْنِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْها لَيْسَ يَعْنِي عَمَى الْعُيُونِ إِنَّمَا عَنَى إِحَاطَةَ الْوَهْمِ كَمَا يُقَالُ فُلانٌ بَصِيرٌ بِالشِّعْرِ وَفُلانٌ بَصِيرٌ بِالْفِقْهِ وَفُلانٌ بَصِيرٌ بِالدَّرَاهِمِ وَفُلانٌ بَصِيرٌ بِالثِّيَابِ الله أَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُرَى بِالْعَيْنِ

Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad Bin Isa, from Ibn Abu Najran, from Abdullah Bin Sinan,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws regarding Hisazwj Words [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him. Heasws said: ‘The grasping of the imaginations. Do you not see Hisazwj Words [6:104] There has come to you Insight from your Lord? It does not Mean the insight of the eyes whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul, it does not Mean the visualising with his eyes and whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself, it does not mean the blindness of the eyes. But rather, it Means the grasp of the imagination, just as it is said, ‘So and so has insight in the poetry, and so and so has insight in the understanding, and so and so has insight in the Dirhams, and so and so has insight in the clothes’. Allahazwj is more Magnificent than that Heazwj should be seen with the eye’.53

10 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الله هَلْ يُوصَفُ فَقَالَ أَ مَا تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ أَ مَا تَقْرَأُ قَوْلَهُ تَعَالَى لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الابْصارَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَتَعْرِفُونَ الابْصَارَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ مَا هِيَ قُلْتُ أَبْصَارُ الْعُيُونِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَوْهَامَ الْقُلُوبِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أَبْصَارِ الْعُيُونِ فَهُوَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الاوْهَامُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الاوْهَامَ

Muhammad Bin yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Abu Hashim Al Ja’fary,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws , said, ‘I asked himasws about Allahazwj, can Heazwj be described?’ So heasws said: ‘Did you not read the Words of the Exalted [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, and He Comprehends (all) visions?’ I said, ‘Yes’. Heasws said: ‘So are you recognising the ‘visions’?’ I said, ‘Yes’. Heasws said: ‘What are these?’ I said, ‘Visions of the eyes’. So heasws said: ‘The imaginations of the hearts are greater than the visions of the eyes. So Heazwj is such that the imaginations cannot comprehend Himazwj and Heazwj Comprehends the imaginations (of the creatures)’.54

11 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَمَّنْ ذَكَرَهُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ أَبِي هَاشِمٍ الْجَعْفَرِيِّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الابْصارَ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا هَاشِمٍ أَوْهَامُ الْقُلُوبِ أَدَقُّ مِنْ أَبْصَارِ الْعُيُونِ أَنْتَ قَدْ تُدْرِكُ بِوَهْمِكَ السِّنْدَ وَالْهِنْدَ وَالْبُلْدَانَ الَّتِي لَمْ تَدْخُلْهَا وَلا تُدْرِكُهَا بِبَصَرِكَ وَأَوْهَامُ الْقُلُوبِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ فَكَيْفَ أَبْصَارُ الْعُيُونِ

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, from the one who mentioned it, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Dawood Bin Al Qasim Abu Hashim Al Ja’fary who said,

‘I said to Abu Ja’farasws , ‘(What about the Verse) [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, and He Comprehends (all) visions?’. So heasws said: ‘O Abu Hashim! Imaginations of the hearts are more sharper than the visions of the eyes. You have realised by your imaginations, Al-Sind, and Al-Hind, and the countries which you have not entered into nor seen with your vision, and the imaginations of the heart cannot comprehend Himazwj, so how could the visions of the eyes?’55

12 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ قَالَ الاشْيَاءُ كُلُّهَا لا تُدْرَكُ إِلا بِأَمْرَيْنِ بِالْحَوَاسِّ وَالْقَلْبِ وَالْحَوَاسُّ إِدْرَاكُهَا عَلَى ثَلاثَةِ مَعَانٍ إِدْرَاكاً بِالْمُدَاخَلَةِ وَإِدْرَاكاً بِالْمُمَاسَّةِ وَإِدْرَاكاً بِلا مُدَاخَلَةٍ وَلا؛ّّ مُمَاسَّةٍ فَأَمَّا الادْرَاكُ الَّذِي بِالْمُدَاخَلَةِ فَالاصْوَاتُ وَالْمَشَامُّ وَالطُّعُومُ وَأَمَّا الادْرَاكُ بِالْمُمَاسَّةِ فَمَعْرِفَةُ الاشْكَالِ مِنَ التَّرْبِيعِ وَالتَّثْلِيثِ وَمَعْرِفَةُ اللَّيِّنِ وَالْخَشِنِ وَالْحَرِّ وَالْبَرْدِ وَأَمَّا الادْرَاكُ بِلا مُمَاسَّةٍ وَلا مُدَاخَلَةٍ فَالْبَصَرُ فَإِنَّهُ يُدْرِكُ الاشْيَاءَ بِلا مُمَاسَّةٍ وَلا مُدَاخَلَةٍ فِي حَيِّزِ غَيْرِهِ وَلا فِي حَيِّزِهِ وَإِدْرَاكُ الْبَصَرِ لَهُ سَبِيلٌ وَسَبَبٌ فَسَبِيلُهُ الْهَوَاءُ وَسَبَبُهُ الضِّيَاءُ فَإِذَا كَانَ السَّبِيلُ مُتَّصِلاً بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْمَرْئِيِّ وَالسَّبَبُ قَائِمٌ أَدْرَكَ مَا يُلاقِي مِنَ الالْوَانِ وَالاشْخَاصِ فَإِذَا حُمِلَ الْبَصَرُ عَلَى مَا لا سَبِيلَ لَهُ فِيهِ رَجَعَ رَاجِعاً فَحَكَى مَا وَرَاءَهُ كَالنَّاظِرِ فِي الْمِرْآةِ لا يَنْفُذُ بَصَرُهُ فِي الْمِرْآةِ فَإِذَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ سَبِيلٌ رَجَعَ رَاجِعاً يَحْكِي مَا وَرَاءَهُ وَكَذَلِكَ النَّاظِرُ فِي الْمَاءِ الصَّافِي يَرْجِعُ رَاجِعاً فَيَحْكِي مَا وَرَاءَهُ إِذْ لا سَبِيلَ لَهُ فِي إِنْفَاذِ بَصَرِهِ فَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ فَإِنَّمَا سُلْطَانُهُ عَلَى الْهَوَاءِ فَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ جَمِيعَ مَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ وَيَتَوَهَّمُهُ فَإِذَا حُمِلَ الْقَلْبُ عَلَى مَا لَيْسَ فِي الْهَوَاءِ مَوْجُوداً رَجَعَ رَاجِعاً فَحَكَى مَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ فَلا يَنْبَغِي لِلْعَاقِلِ أَنْ يَحْمِلَ قَلْبَهُ عَلَى مَا لَيْسَ مَوْجُوداً فِي الْهَوَاءِ مِنْ أَمْرِ التَّوْحِيدِ جَلَّ الله وَعَزَّ فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ لَمْ يَتَوَهَّمْ إِلا مَا فِي الْهَوَاءِ مَوْجُودٌ كَمَا قُلْنَا فِي أَمْرِ الْبَصَرِ تَعَالَى الله أَنْ يُشْبِهَهُ خَلْقُهُ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from one of his companions, from Hisham Bin Al Hakam who said,

‘The things, all of them cannot be comprehended except by two matters - by the sensory perceptions and the heart; and the senses are such that their realisation is based upon three aids - realisation by the penetration, and realisation by the touching, and realisation without a penetration or a touch.

So, as for the realisation which is by the penetration, so it is the sounds, and the smells, and the tastes. And as for the realisation by the touching, so it is the recognition of the shapes, from the square and the triangle, and recognition of the softness and the hardness, and the heat, and the cold. And as for the realisation without touching nor penetration, so it is the visualising, for it realises the things without touching or penetrating in a space other than it, and not in its own space.

And the realisation of the vision, for it there is a way and a cause. So its way is the atmosphere and its cause is the illumination. So when it was such that the way was continuous between it and the seen (object), and the cause existed, one would realise what one faces from the colour and the persons. So when the vision is carried upon what there is no way for it, it would return with a returning, so it would tell one what is behind him.

Like the beholder in the mirror, his vision does not go through the mirror. So when there does not happen to be a way for it, it returns with a returning, telling what is behind him. And similar to that is the beholder in the clear water, it returns with a returning, so it tells what is behind him, where there is no way for it, with regards to the penetration of his vision’.

So, as for the heart, so rather its authority is upon the atmosphere. So one realises the entirety of whatever is in the whims, and imagine it. So when the heart is carried upon what is not in the whims which exists, it would return with a returning, so it would tell of what is in the whims. Therefore, it is not befitting for the intellectual that he carries his heart upon what there is no existence of in the whims, from the matter of the Tawheed (Oneness) of Majestic Allahazwj and Mighty. So if he does that, he would not imagine anything except what is existent in the desires, just as weasws are saying regarding the matter of the visualisation of Allahazwj that Heazwj resembles Hisazwj creatures’.56

10 ـ بَابُ النَّهْيِ عَنِ الصِّفَةِ بِغَيْرِ مَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ تَعَالى‌

Chapter 10 - The Forbiddance from describing with other than what Heazwj has Described Himselfazwj with

1 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ مَعْرُوفٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي نَجْرَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ بْنِ عَتِيكٍ الْقَصِيرِ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ عَلَى يَدَيْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ إِلَى أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ قَوْماً بِالْعِرَاقِ يَصِفُونَ الله بِالصُّورَةِ وَبِالتَّخْطِيطِ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ جَعَلَنِيَ الله فِدَاكَ أَنْ تَكْتُبَ إِلَيَّ بِالْمَذْهَبِ الصَّحِيحِ مِنَ التَّوْحِيدِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ سَأَلْتَ رَحِمَكَ الله عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَمَا ذَهَبَ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ قِبَلَكَ فَتَعَالَى الله الَّذِي لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ تَعَالَى عَمَّا يَصِفُهُ الْوَاصِفُونَ الْمُشَبِّهُونَ الله بِخَلْقِهِ الْمُفْتَرُونَ عَلَى الله فَاعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ الله أَنَّ الْمَذْهَبَ الصَّحِيحَ فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مَا نَزَلَ بِهِ الْقُرْآنُ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الله جَلَّ وَعَزَّ فَانْفِ عَنِ الله تَعَالَى الْبُطْلانَ وَالتَّشْبِيهَ فَلا نَفْيَ وَلا تَشْبِيهَ هُوَ الله الثَّابِتُ الْمَوْجُودُ تَعَالَى الله عَمَّا يَصِفُهُ الْوَاصِفُونَ وَلا تَعْدُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَتَضِلُّوا بَعْدَ الْبَيَانِ

Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Al Abbas Bin Marouf, from Ibn Abu Najran, from Hammad Bin Usman, from Abdul Raheem Bin Ateyk Al Qaseyr who said,

‘I wrote (a letter) upon the hands of Abdul Malik Bin Ayn to Abu Abdullahasws , that a group of people in Al-Iraq are describing Allahazwj with the image and with the lines. So, what is yourasws view, may Allahazwj Make me to be sacrificed for youasws , write it to me with the correct doctrine of the Tawheed (Oneness)’.

So heasws wrote to me: ‘You asked, may Allahazwj have Mercy on you, about the Tawheed (Oneness) and it being indoctrinate in front of you about Himazwj. Exalted is Allahazwj Who, there is nothing like Himazwj, and Heazwj is the Hearing, the Seeing, Exalted from what describers are describing, resembling Allahazwj with Hisazwj creatures, the forgers (of lies) upon Allahazwj.

So know, may Allahazwj have Mercy on you, that the correct doctrine regarding the Tawheed (Oneness) what the Quran Revealed with from the Attributes of Allahazwj Majestic and Mighty. So turn away from the invalidations and the resemblances about Allahazwj the Exalted and neither negate nor give resemblance. Heazwj is Allahazwj, the Proved, the Existing. Exalted is Allahazwj from what the describers are describing, and do not neglect the Quran, for you would be going astray after the clarification’.57

2 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ قَالَ لِي عَلِيُّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) يَا أَبَا حَمْزَةَ إِنَّ الله لا يُوصَفُ بِمَحْدُودِيَّةٍ عَظُمَ رَبُّنَا عَنِ الصِّفَةِ فَكَيْفَ يُوصَفُ بِمَحْدُودِيَّةٍ مَنْ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الابْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Fazl Bin Shazan, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Ibrahim Bin Abdul Hameed, from Abu Hamza who said,

‘Aliasws Bin Al-Husaynasws said to me: ‘O Abu Hamza! Allahazwj cannot be described by the limitations. Our Lordazwj is greater than the attributes, so how can one described by limitations the Oneazwj Who cannot be limited, and the [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, and He Comprehends (all) visions, and Heazwj is Aware of the subtleties, the All-Knowing?’.58

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْخَزَّازِ وَمُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ قَالا دَخَلْنَا عَلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ الرِّضَا (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَحَكَيْنَا لَهُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) رَأَى رَبَّهُ فِي صُورَةِ الشَّابِّ الْمُوَفَّقِ فِي سِنِّ أَبْنَاءِ ثَلاثِينَ سَنَةً وَقُلْنَا إِنَّ هِشَامَ بْنَ سَالِمٍ وَصَاحِبَ الطَّاقِ وَالْمِيثَمِيَّ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهُ أَجْوَفُ إِلَى السُّرَّةِ وَالْبَقِيَّةُ صَمَدٌ فَخَرَّ سَاجِداً لله ثُمَّ قَالَ سُبْحَانَكَ مَا عَرَفُوكَ وَلا وَحَّدُوكَ فَمِنْ أَجْلِ ذَلِكَ وَصَفُوكَ سُبْحَانَكَ لَوْ عَرَفُوكَ لَوَصَفُوكَ بِمَا وَصَفْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ سُبْحَانَكَ كَيْفَ طَاوَعَتْهُمْ أَنْفُسُهُمْ أَنْ يُشَبِّهُوكَ بِغَيْرِكَ اللهمَّ لا أَصِفُكَ إِلا بِمَا وَصَفْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ وَلا أُشَبِّهُكَ بِخَلْقِكَ أَنْتَ أَهْلٌ لِكُلِّ خَيْرٍ فَلا تَجْعَلْنِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ مَا تَوَهَّمْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ فَتَوَهَّمُوا الله غَيْرَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ نَحْنُ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّمَطُ الاوْسَطُ الَّذِي لا يُدْرِكُنَا الْغَالِي وَلا يَسْبِقُنَا التَّالِي يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ الله (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) حِينَ نَظَرَ إِلَى عَظَمَةِ رَبِّهِ كَانَ فِي هَيْئَةِ الشَّابِّ الْمُوَفَّقِ وَسِنِّ أَبْنَاءِ ثَلاثِينَ سَنَةً يَا مُحَمَّدُ عَظُمَ رَبِّي عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ فِي صِفَةِ الْمَخْلُوقِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَنْ كَانَتْ رِجْلاهُ فِي خُضْرَةٍ قَالَ ذَاكَ مُحَمَّدٌ كَانَ إِذَا نَظَرَ إِلَى رَبِّهِ بِقَلْبِهِ جَعَلَهُ فِي نُورٍ مِثْلِ نُورِ الْحُجُبِ حَتَّى يَسْتَبِينَ لَهُ مَا فِي الْحُجُبِ إِنَّ نُورَ الله مِنْهُ أَخْضَرُ وَمِنْهُ أَحْمَرُ وَمِنْهُ أَبْيَضُ وَمِنْهُ غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مَا شَهِدَ لَهُ الْكِتَابُ وَالسُّنَّةُ فَنَحْنُ الْقَائِلُونَ بِهِ .

Muhammad Bin Abu Abdullah, from Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Husayn Bin Al Hassan, from Bakr Bin Salih, from Al Hassan Bin Saeed, from Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Al Khazzaz and Muhammad Bin Al Husayn both said,

‘We went over to Abu Al-Hassan Al-Rezaasws and we both told himasws that Muhammadsaww saw hissaww Lordazwj in an image of a young man of approximately thirty years of age, and we said that Hisham Bin Alim and Sahib Al Taq and Al Maysami are saying that Heazwj is hollow to the navel and the rest is ‘Samad’ (Not hollow)’.

So heasws fell prostrating to Allahazwj, then said: ‘Glory be to Youazwj! They do not recognise Youazwj, nor are they (acknowledging) Yourazwj Oneness, therefore due to that, they are describing Youazwj ( as such). Glory be to Youazwj! Had they recognised Youazwj, they would have described Youazwj with what Youazwj have Described Yourselfazwj with. Glory be to Youazwj! How are they obliging themselves that they are resembling Youazwj with others. O Allahazwj! Iasws do not describe Youazwj except with what Youazwj Described Yourselfazwj with, nor do Iasws resemble Youazwj with Yourazwj creatures. Youazwj are the Rightful of every goodness, therefore do not Make measws to be from the unjust people’.

Then heasws turned around towards us, and heasws said: ‘Whatever you are imagining from a thing, so imagine Allahazwj to be other than it’.

Then Heazwj Said: ‘Weasws , the Progenyasws of Muhammadsaww are of the median classification which neither can the exaggerator catch-up with usasws nor do the followers precede usasws . O Muhammad! (You are saying that) Rasool-Allahsaww , when hesaww looked at the Magnificence of hissaww Lordazwj, Heazwj was in a body of a youth of approximately thirty years of age. O Muhammad! Myasws Lordazwj Mighty and Majestic is Greater than Heazwj would happen to be in a description of the creatures’.

He (the narrator) said, ‘I said, ‘May I be sacrificed for youasws ! Who was it, whose leg was in green?’ Heasws said: ‘Muhammadsaww , when hesaww looked at hissaww Lordazwj with hissaww heart, Hesaww was Made to be in Light similar to the Light of the Veils, to the extent that is was clear to himasws what was in the Veils. The Light of Allahazwj, from it is green, and from it is red, and from it is white, and from it is other than that.

O Muhammad! Whatever the Book (Quran) testifies for Himazwj, so weasws are the speakers with it’.59

4 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ الْقَصَبَانِيُّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ الْجَهْمِ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بن الحسين (عَلَيْهما السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ لَوِ اجْتَمَعَ أَهْلُ السَّمَاءِ وَالارْضِ أَنْ يَصِفُوا الله بِعَظَمَتِهِ لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا

Ali Bin Muhammad and Muhammad Bin Al Hassan, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Ahmad Bin Bashir Al Barqy who said, ‘Abbas Bin Aamir Al Qasbany narrated to me saying, ‘Haroun Bin Al Jahm informed me, from Abu Hamza,

(It has been narrated) from Aliasws Bin Al-Husaynasws having said: ‘If the inhabitants of the sky and the earth were to gather together in describing Allahazwj by Hisazwj Magnificence, they would not be able to’.60

5 ـ سَهْلٌ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمَذَانِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا مِنْ مَوَالِيكَ قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ جِسْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ صُورَةٌ فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) بِخَطِّهِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا يُوصَفُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ أَوْ قَالَ الْبَصِيرُ

Sahl Bin Ibrahim Bin Muhammad Al Hamdany who said,

‘I wrote to the manasws that the ones before us from the ones in yourasws Wilayah are differing regarding the Tawheed. So, from them is one who is saying, ‘A body’, and from them is one who is saying, ‘An Image’’. So heasws wrote in hisasws own handwriting: ‘Glorious is the Oneazwj Who cannot be limited, nor can Heazwj be described. There is nothing like Himazwj, and Heazwj is the Hearing, the All-Knowing’. Or heasws said: ‘All-Seeing’’.61

6 ـ سَهْلٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ مُوسَى بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) إِلَى أَبِي أَنَّ الله أَعْلَى وَأَجَلُّ وَأَعْظَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُبْلَغَ كُنْهُ صِفَتِهِ فَصِفُوهُ بِمَا وَصَفَ بِهِ نَفْسَهُ وَكُفُّوا عَمَّا سِوَى ذَلِكَ

Sahl, from Muhammad Bin Isa, from Ibrahim, from Muhammad Bin Hakim who said,

‘Abu Al-Hassan Musaasws Bin Ja’farasws wrote to my father: ‘Allahazwj is more Exalted, and more Majestic, and more Magnificent than that Hisazwj Description be reached. Therefore, described Himazwj with what Heazwj has Described Himselfazwj with, and refrain from whatever is besides that’.62

7 ـ سَهْلٌ عَنِ السِّنْدِيِّ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حَفْصٍ أَخِي مُرَازِمٍ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ مِنَ الصِّفَةِ فَقَالَ لا تَجَاوَزْ مَا فِي الْقُرْآنِ

Sahl, from Al Sindy Bin Al Rabi’e, from Ibn Abu Umeyr, from Hafs a brother of Marazim, from Al Mufazzal who said,

‘I asked Abu Al-Hassanasws about something from the Attributes. So heasws said: ‘Do not exceed what is in the Quran’.63

8 ـ سَهْلٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْقَاسَانِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا يُوصَفُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Sahl, from Muhammad Bin Ali Al Qasany who said,

‘I wrote to himasws that the ones before us are differing regarding the Tawheed (Oneness). So heasws wrote: ‘Glorious is the Oneazwj Who cannot be limited, nor can Heazwj be described. There is nothing like Himazwj, and Heazwj is the Hearing, the Seeing’.64

9 ـ سَهْلٌ عَنْ بِشْرِ بْنِ بَشَّارٍ النَّيْسَابُورِيِّ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَنَّ مَنْ قِبَلَنَا قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيَّ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا يُوصَفُ وَلا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Sahl, from Bishr Bin Bashhar Al Naeyshapouri who said,

‘I wrote to the manasws that the ones before us are differing regarding the Tawheed. So, from them is one who is saying, ‘Heazwj is a body’, and from them is one who is saying, ‘Heazwj is an image’’. So heasws wrote to me: ‘Glorious is the Oneazwj Who can neither be limited, nor can Heazwj be described, nor can Heazwj be resembled with anything, and there is nothing Like Himazwj, and Heazwj is the Hearing, the Seeing’.65

10 ـ سَهْلٌ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَصْحَابُنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ وَلا أَجُوزُهُ فَعَلْتَ مُتَطَوِّلاً عَلَى عَبْدِكَ فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَأَلْتَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَهَذَا عَنْكُمْ مَعْزُولٌ الله وَاحِدٌ أَحَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ خَالِقٌ وَلَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ يَخْلُقُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ الاجْسَامِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ وَيُصَوِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَلَيْسَ بِصُورَةٍ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ شِبْهٌ هُوَ لا غَيْرُهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Sahl said,

‘I wrote to Abu Muhammadasws in the year two hundred and fifty five, ‘My Chiefasws ! Our companions have differed regarding the Tawheed (Oneness). From them is one who is saying, ‘Heazwj is a body’, and from them is one who is saying, ‘Heazwj is an image’. So what is yourasws view, O my Chiefasws , if youasws could teach me from that, what I could pause upon and not exceed it. If youasws do it, it would be a prolonged favour upon yourasws servant’.

So heasws signed in hisasws own handwriting: ‘You asked about the Tawheed (Oneness), and this is distant from you all. Allahazwj is One, First. Heazwj neither begot nor is Heazwj begotten and there does not happen to be a match for Himazwj. Heazwj is the Creator and is not created. Heazwj, Blessed and High, Creates whatever Heazwj so Desires to from the bodies, and other than that, and Heazwj is not with a body; and Heazwj Makes images, whatever Heazwj so Desires to and Heazwj is not with an image. Majesic is Hisazwj Laudation, and Holy are Hisazwj Names. If there happens to be a resemblance of Himazwj, it would be for other than Himazwj. There is nothing like Himazwj, and Heazwj is the Hearing, the Seeing’.66

11 ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ رِبْعِيِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنِ الْفُضَيْلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ الله لا يُوصَفُ وَكَيْفَ يُوصَفُ وَقَدْ قَالَ فِي كِتَابِهِ وَما قَدَرُوا الله حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ فَلا يُوصَفُ بِقَدَرٍ إِلا كَانَ أَعْظَمَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

Muhammad Bin Ismail, from Al Fazl Bin Shazan, from Hammad Bin Isa, from Rabi’e Bin Abdullah, from Al Fuzayl Bin Yasar who said,

‘I heard Abu Abdullahasws saying that Allahazwj cannot be described, and how can one describe and Heazwj has Said in Hisazwj Book [6:91] And they do not appreciate Allah with the appreciation that is due to Him. Thus, Heazwj would not be described with an appreciation except that Heazwj would be greater than that’.67

12 ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَعَنْ غَيْرِهِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ قَالَ إِنَّ الله عَظِيمٌ رَفِيعٌ لا يَقْدِرُ الْعِبَادُ عَلَى صِفَتِهِ وَلا يَبْلُغُونَ كُنْهَ عَظَمَتِهِ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الابْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ وَلا يُوصَفُ بِكَيْفٍ وَلا أَيْنٍ وَحَيْثٍ وَكَيْفَ أَصِفُهُ بِالْكَيْفِ وَهُوَ الَّذِي كَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ حَتَّى صَارَ كَيْفاً فَعُرِفَتِ الْكَيْفُ بِمَا كَيَّفَ لَنَا مِنَ الْكَيْفِ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَصِفُهُ بِأَيْنٍ وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَيَّنَ الايْنَ حَتَّى صَارَ أَيْناً فَعُرِفَتِ الايْنُ بِمَا أَيَّنَ لَنَا مِنَ الايْنِ أَمْ كَيْفَ أَصِفُهُ بِحَيْثٍ وَهُوَ الَّذِي حَيَّثَ الْحَيْثَ حَتَّى صَارَ حَيْثاً فَعُرِفَتِ الْحَيْثُ بِمَا حَيَّثَ لَنَا مِنَ الْحَيْثِ فَالله تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى دَاخِلٌ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَخَارِجٌ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْ‏ءٍ لا تُدْرِكُهُ الابْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الابْصَارَ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

Ali Bin Muhammad, from Sahl Bin Ziyad and from someone else, from Muhammad Bin Suleyman, from Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Abdullah Bin Sinan,

(It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullahasws having said: ‘Allahazwj is Magnificent, Lofty. The servants have no ability upon describing Himazwj, nor would they reach Hisazwj Magnificence [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, and He Comprehends (all) visions, and Heazwj is Aware of the subtleties, the Aware; and Heazwj can neither be described by the ‘how’, nor ‘where’; and ‘where’ and ‘how’ described Himazwj with the Qualitative State, and Heazwj is the Oneazwj Who Originated the ‘how’ until ‘how’ came to be. So the ‘how’ was recognised by what it was Originated for us from the Qualitative State.

Or, how can Iazwj describe Himazwj with ‘where’, and Heazwj is the Oneazwj Who Originated the ‘where’ until ‘where’ came to be. So the ‘where’ is recognised with what it was Originated for us from the ‘where’.

Of how can Iasws describe Himasws with a position, and Heazwj is the Oneazwj Who Originated the position, until ‘position’ came to be. So the ‘position’ is recognised with that it was Originated for us from the ‘position’.

So, Allahazwj Blessed and High is included in every place, and outside from everything. [6:103] Visions cannot comprehend Him, and He Comprehends (all) visions. There is no god except Allahazwj. Heazwj is the Exalted, the Magnificent, and Heazwj is Aware of the subtleties, the Aware’.68