Attributes of Essence and Attributes of Actions

Even in His Essence, and before anything existed, Allah, our Lord, the High and the Mighty, possessed all knowledge. Even in His Essence, and before a sound could be heard, He was All-Hearing. Even in His Essence, when…

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “Does Allah know everything from sempiternity?”He (AS) replied, “What was He to know when there was nothing to be known?” He says, I asked, “Does Allah hear from sempiternity?” He…

“Allah, the Blessed the Exalted, has always been All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Ever-Living [hay], Ever-Lasting [qadim], All-Hearing, and All-Seeing.” I asked him “O son of the Messenger of Allah! There is a group that says:…

He, the Mighty and High, is undoubtedly Existent. He is not vain or numerable, nor can He be described on the basis of the attributes of creation. He, the Mighty an High, possesses Qualities [nu`ut] and Attributes…

Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, was there when there was nothing but Him. He was Light as there was no darkness in Him. He was the Truth as there was no falsehood in Him. He was Omniscient as there was no…

Verily, Allah, there is no god but He, is Ever-living, but not in terms of quality or place. He is not in thing or on anything. He has not created for His Position any space. He is not strengthened through creation.…

Allah’s name is other than Him. The identifier is always other than the identified. Since very identifier is created, it is other than Allah. Everything which is uttered by tongues or produced by hands is created. Allah…

I asked al-Sadiq Ja`far ibn Muhammad (AS), “Inform me about Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. Has He sempiternally been All-Hearing, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, and All-Powerful?” He (AS) replied, “Of course.” Hence, I asked…

“Among the attributes of the Being without beginning [qadim] are that He is One, Unique, Needless, Unique in meaning, and not subject to multiple meanings.” He says: I asked him, “May I be your ransom! A group of Iraqis…

“Do you say that He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing?” Thus, Abu `Abd Allah (AS) replied, He is All-Hearing, and All-Seeing. He is All-Hearing and AllSeeing, but without the use of visual or auditory organs. Rather, He hears…

I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS): May I be taken as your ransom! I hope that you can tech me. Prior to creation, did Allah, may His Remembrance be Exalted, know that He was One? Your followers have a dispute regarding…

I heard Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) say: “Allah was there when there was nothing other than Him. He has always been All-Knowing of what He has created. Therefore, His Knowledge of things before their being is exactly the…

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Naqi (AS) asking him about Allah, the Mighty and High: “Did He have knowledge of things before He created them or did He know them only after He created them?” He (AS) wrote in his own…

I entered into the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) so he asked me: “Can you describe Allah?” Hence, I replied, “Yes.” He (AS) said: “Give me your description.” So, I answered, “He is the All-Hearing and the…

I asked him: “Has Allah always existed?” Thus, he (AS) replied, “Verily, the Willer can only exist if He has a Will. In fact, He has always been All-Knowing, All-Powerful, then He intended.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “Are the Knowledge and Will of Allah separate or united?” Thus, he (AS) replied, The Knowledge of Allah is not the same as the Will of Allah. Do you not say that you will do…

“Inform me about the Will. Is it a part of Allah or is it of the Creation? Hence, he (AS) answered, The will is part of the created conscience, and it manifest itself in action. As for Will of Allah, the Mighty and High,…

“The will is accidental [muhdathah].”

“Allah created the Will itself, then created everything by means of the Will.” The Compiler of this book (RA) says: If we attribute Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, with Attributes of Essence, then each one of these…