محمد بن القاسم الإسترآبادي

A man stood up in the presence of (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) and said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Describe your Lord for us as there are some people who differ with us.” Hence, al-Rida (AS) said: Verily, he who describes his Lord by analogy is still ambiguous in the world. He is straying from the straight path. He is transient in the deviation (from that which is right). He is lead astray from the way. And he says things that are not proper. I am describing Him the way He described Himself, without relying on images. It is possible to describe Him without recurring to anthropomorphism. He is Close in His Farness, and is without an equivalent. He cannot be compared to His Creation. He does not oppress anyone in His Judgment. The creation is critical of what they know. And they pursue what He has embedded in His Book. He is Aware of everything they do. They do not intend anyone but Him. He is Near, but He is not attached. He is Far, but not cut off. He is Ascertained, ut is not exemplified. He is United, and not divided into parts. He is Known by His Signs, and is proved by His Symbols. Hence, there is no god but He, the Great, and the Most High.

Ali ibn Al-Hussein (s) said, “The Honorable the Exalted God’s words ‘…Who has made the Earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy…’ mean that God has made the Earth suitable for your body and according to your nature. He has neither made it too hot to burn you, nor did He make it too cold in which to freeze. The winds do not smell so good that you get a headache, neither are they so bad-smelling to be bothersome to you. The Earth is not as soft as water in which to drown, and not so hard that you could not build your houses on or dig your graves in it. The Honorable the Exalted God has made the Earth hard enough to benefit you and for you to be able to build your houses upon it and dig your graves in it. This is the sense in which ‘He has made theEarth your couch.’ Then the Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘and the heavens your canopy…’ Here canopy means ‘a covering’ or a ‘roof.’ A roof which God has made its Sun, Moon and the stars move in their orbits for your benefit.Then the Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘…and sent down rain from the heavens…’ This means that God sent down rain from the sky so that it can reach the mountains, the hills, and the valleys. God sent down water in various forms - rain, sleet, snow, hail so that the Earth could take it in. God did not sent down the water at once, as that would destroy the land, the trees, the fruits, and the harvest. Then the Honorable the Exalted God said, ‘…and brought forth therewith Fruits for your sustenance…’ This means that God has established what grows out of the Earth as your sustenance. ‘…Then set not up rivals onto Allah when ye know (the truth)’ meaning not to set up idols as rivals for God which neither have any intellect, nor do they hear, see or are able to do anything. You know well that these idols cannot grant you the many blessings which your Lord - the Blessed the Sublime - has bestowed upon you.

“The Commander of the Faithful (s) said the following regarding the Honorable the Exalted God’s words,‘It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.’‘It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth…’ so that you think and take heed and attain God’s pleasure in His Paradise and guard yourselves against His Fire. ‘Moreover His design comprehended the heavens…’ that is He created the heavens and arranged them into seven firmaments ‘…for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.’ O Children of Adam! He knows everything. Thus He knows what is best for you.’”

His father, `Ali ibn al-Husayn (AS), was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: Who made the Earth a resting place for you. He (AS) said He made it suitable for your nature and in harmony with your bodies. He did not make it severely hot and warm so it may burn you, nor severely cold so it may freeze you. Neither did He make it severely perfumed to give you headaches, nor did He make it terribly foul-smelling so it may sicken you. He neither made it severely soft like water so it may drown you, nor did He make it severely hard so it may obstruct you from making houses, buildings, and graves for your deceased. However, Allah, the Mighty and High, made it with firmness so that you could benefit form it, enabling your bodies to walk upon it and your houses to hold together. He placed in it soft soil so that you could build your homes upon it, dig graves, and so that you could find other benefits. This is why He made the earth a resting place for you. Then the Mighty and high said: Heaven a canopy, i.e. a protecting roof over you, where its sun, moon and stars rotate for your benefit. The Mighty and High then said: And (Who sends down water from heaven, i.e. the rain which He sends down form a height so that I may reach the highest points of the mountains, the hills, the elevations, and the low-lying land. Then He separated the rain into drizzle, shower, heavy downpour, and sprinkles so that he earth could better absorb it. He did not sent the rain down in one shot, as that would have destroyed our lands, trees, field and fruits. Then the Mighty and High said: Then brings forth with it subsistence for you of the fruits; therefore, do not set up rivals to Allah, i.e. Images or idols, which cannot think, hear, see, and do not have power over anything. While you know, that they do not have power over the magnificent bounties which your Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, ha blessed you with.