صعصعة بن صوحان العبدي

Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘The Commander of the Faithful [Imam Ali (AS)] visited Saasaaa b. Suhan when he was sick, so when he wanted to leave he stood up and said, ‘O Saasaaa, do not display pride in front of your brothers that I visited you, and fear Allah.

I was with Abi al-Hasan the Second عليه السلام – when he stood and shook the bed-wrap by his own hand [to remove the dust and get it ready for me to sleep on] and said to me: O Ahmad the commander of the faithful عليه السلام visited Sa`sa`a b. Suhan in his illness and said: O Sa`sa`a do not take my visiting you as a source of pride over your people, he [the Imam] said: when the commander of the faithful عليه السلام had said these words to Sa`sa`a – Sa`sa`a said: indeed, by Allah I will count it as a divine grace from Allah on me and a favour. Then the commander of the faithful عليه السلام said to him: I have not known you except as one scanty in resources yet great in support [of the truth] so Sa`sa`a said: and you O commander of the faithful I have not known you except cognizant of Allah and to the believers both compassionate and merciful.

I was at al-Ridha’s (as) place and the evening entered while I was with him, I said: I should leave, he said to me: do not leave for it is evening, he said: so I remained at his place, he said to a slave-girl of his: bring out my sleeping tent and my pillow and lay it out for Ahmad in that room, he said: so when I was in the room I began to feel something [of pride] and I kept on thinking ‘who is like me? I am in the room of the intimate of Allah and on his bed’ so he called out to me: O Ahmad – the commander of the faithful (as) visited Sa`sa`a b. Suhan and then said: O Sa`sa`a do not make my visiting you a source of pride held over your kin, and lower yourself in front of Allah and Allah will raise you.

`Umarah ibn Zayd related to me on the authority of `Amar ibn Muhammad ibn Sa`sa`ah ibn Sawhan that My father related to me on the authority of Abu alMu`tamar Muslim ibn Aws who said I attended a gather of `Ali (AS) in the Mosque of al-Kufah. There a man stood up whose color was pale, as if he was a Yemeni Jew, and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Describe your Creator, and praise Him for us such that we may see Him.” Hence, `Ali (AS) praised his Lord, and exalted His Greatness, the Mighty and High, in the following words: All praise be to Allah, who is the First not from something, nor hidden in something, and who does not vanish nor unite with something. He is not an imaginary delusion. He is neither a shape that He may be watched, not a body so He may have parts. He is not with an end that He may terminate. He is not accidental [muhdath] so He may be seen. He is neither covered that He may be uncovered, not is He with veils so He may be comprised. He was there, but no space was there to carry Him in its sides, nor any carrier to life Him with its power. Neither has He come into being after not being there. In fact, the imaginations are baffled to assume a shape for the One who formed all things and is still without space, and does not decline with the variation of time. He does not transform from one quality to another. He is far from the supposition of hearts. He is Exalted above all things and varieties. He is the Single, and the Knower of the Unseen. Thus, the meanings of the creation are negated from Him, and their secrets are not hidden from Him. He is the Known without quality. He is not perceived through the senses and not compared with people. Eyes do not perceive Him. Thoughts cannot encompass Him. Intellects cannot assess Him, and imaginations cannot imagine Him. Hence, any likeness of Him conceived by the intellect is limited. And how could He be described with shapes and praised with eloquent tongues? He neither occurred in things, so it may be said that He is in them, nor left them, that it may be said that He is obvious. Neither is He free from them so it may be said `where.’ He is neither so close to them as to stick to them, nor so far from them as to be split. But He is in the things without quality. He is closer to us than our jugular vein, and further ways than what is most far. He has neither created things with the origin of eternity, nor from prior examples. In fact, He created what He created, and made it strong. He imagined what He imagined and beautified it. Thus, praise be Him who is Unique in His Elevation. Hence, nothing can refuse to Him His decree. Nor does He gain anything through the obedience of His Creation. His Response to callers is quick. The Angels in the Heavens and the Earth are submissive to Him. He addressed Moses with words without limbs, instruments, lips or uvulas. Praise be Him and Exalted is He from attributes. Thus, whoever supposes that the God of the Creation is limited then he is ignorant of God, the Creator. The Compiler of this book says: The sermon is detailed; we have extracted from it the required passage.