الحسين بن سعيد

I asked Imam abu Ja‘far, the second (a.s.) the following. “Is it permissible to say that Allah is a thing?” The Imam replied, “Yes, because it removes two kinds of limitations, the limitation of being forgotten altogether and that of considering Him like other things.”

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.”

“Is it permissible to say that Allah is a Thing? Hence, he (AS) answered: “Yes, to the extent that it removes Him from the two extremes: annulment [ta`til] and anthropomorphism [tashbih].”

Whoever asserts that Allah is from something, or in something, or on something, then he has disbelieved. I said: Explain this for me. He said: I mean (to assert) that He is contained by something (which encloses him), or that He is held up (resting on something), or He is (derived) from something which preceded Him.

Ali b. al-Husayn عليه السلام was asked about Tawhid (Unity of God) so he said: Allah Mighty and Majestic knew that there would in the last age peoples who delve deep (wanting to know) so Allah the Elevated brought down “Say: He is Allah One” (chapter 112) and the verses in Surat al-Hadid until His words “and He is Knowing of that within the hearts” (57:6) so whoever looks (desires) beyond that then he has perished.

“I asked Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) about the Oneness of Allah. The Imam replied, “Allah the Almighty, the Great, the Exalted knew that in the latter times there will be people who would investigate the issues very deeply in a hair splitting manner. Therefore, Allah, the Glorious, has revealed chapter one hundred twelve of the holy Quran that speak of the Oneness of Allah. He has also revealed the verses of the chapter fifty seven of the holy Quran In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful All that is in the heavens and the earth speak of the glory of God. He is Majestic and All-wise (57:1). To Him belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes things to die. He has power over all things (57:2). He is the First, the Last, the Manifest, and the Unseen and He knows all things (57:3). It is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days and then established His Dominion over the Throne. He knows whatever enters into the earth, what comes out of it, what descends from the sky, and what ascends to it. He is with you wherever you may be and He is Well Aware of what you do (57:4). To Him belong the heavens and the earth and to Him all things return (57:5). He causes night to enter into day and day into night. He knows best what all hearts contain (57:6). Whoever would accept any thing otherwise he is destroyed.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High His knowledge extends over the heaves and the earth: Are the heavens ad the earth greater than the Throne, or is the Throne greater than the heaves and the earth? He answered, “The Throne encompasses everything.”

“Whoever claims that Allah, the Mighty and High, is from something or in something or on something, then he has certainly disbelieved.” I said: “Explain that to me.” He (AS) responded, “I refer to a person who claims that He is contained by something, that He is restrained by something, or that He is preceded by something.”

He Allah is One. Allah is the Needless and the first few verses from the surah “the Iron” until He says: And He is Cognizant of what is in the hearts. Thus whosoever goes beyond that is ruined.

Allah is the Goal of those who seek to reach him, and the seeker differs from the Goal. He is United in His Lordship. He described Himself as Limitless. Hence, the one remembering Allah is other than Allah. And Allah is other than His Names. Every identifier differs from the identified, and is thus a creation. Do you not see what His Word says: the might belongs to Allah, the reverence belongs to Allah, and He said: And Allah’s are the best names; therefore, call on Him thereby.1 And He said: Say: Call upon Allah or call upon, the Most Compassionate Allah; whichever you call upon, He has the best names.2 Therefore, the names of Allah are subjoined to Him, and this is the purest expression of Divine Unity.

"Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High created a creation from His own Light and a mercy from His Mercy. Hence, they are the Eye through which Allah sees, the Ear through which Allah listens, and the Tongue through which Allah speaks His Will. They are the Guardians of His Revelation which He sends down as a mercy, a warning and a proof. Hence, He wipes out their sins, removes injustice from them, sends down mercy from them, gives life to the deceased from them, kills the living for them, tries His Creation through them, and fulfils the needs of His Creation through them." I asked, “May I be sacrificed for you! Who are these?” He said: “The successors (of Muhammad).”

“I asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, if you would consider it proper please enlighten me about whether Allah, Majestic is Whose face, had knowledge of His Oneness before He brought the creation into existence? Your followers differ on this issue. There are those who believe that Allah did have knowledge of His Oneness before He created anything. Others say His knowledge is His action. Thus, now Allah has come to know that before He created things there had been nothing besides He Himself. They say that if we believe in the eternal knowledge of Allah of His Oneness, we have established another thing eternal along with Him. If you would consider it proper please enlighten me in this issue so I may not waver here and there.” He wrote, “Allah, the Blessed and Exalted has always had the Knowledge of all things.” (See Hadith No. 294 – 53)

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 this issue. Some of them say: “The Blessed and Exalted surely knew that He was alone before He created anything from His Creation/” While others say: “Verily, the meaning of knowing is doing. Therefore, He knows today that there was no one other than Him before He created the thngs.” And they say: “If we prove that He has always known that ere was none but Him, then we have proved that there was other than Him in sempiternity [azaliyyah]. If you could be so kind, O my Master, to teach me whether the truth is other than this. Thus, he (AS) wrote: “Allah, the Exalted, has always been All-Knowing, Blessed and Exalted be His Remembrance.”

The Commander of the Faithful (AS) said in one of his sermons: I am the Guide. I am the Rightly-Guided. I am the Father of the Poor and the Orphans. I am the Husband of Widows. I am the Refuge of the Weak. I am the Shelter of the Fearful. I am the One who Leads Believers to Paradise. I am the Firm Rope of Allah. I am the Firmest Handle of Allah, and I am the Word of Piety. I am the Eye of Allah. I am His Truthful Tongue, and I am His Hand, I am the Side of Allah who says: `Lest a soul should say: O woe to me! For what I fell short of my duty to Allah.’1 I am the Outspread Hand of Allah towards His Servants, granting mercy and forgiveness. I am the Door of Divine Mercy. Since I am the Successor of the Prophet (sw) on His Earth, and His Proof for His People, whoever recognizes me, and recognizes my right, recognizes His Lord. He who rejects me rejects Allah and His Messenger (sw). The Compiler (RA) of this book says: In Arabic, the side [al-janb] literally means obedience. It is said: “this is little in the side of Allah” which means “this is little in terms of obedience to Allah, the Mighty and High.” Therefore, the meaning of the statement of the Commander of the Faithful (AS): “I am the Side of Allah” is “I am the one whose guardianship [wilayah] represents obedience to Allah. Allah, the Mighty and High said: “Lest a soul should say: O woe to me! For what I fell short of my duty to Allah.”2 i.e. in the obedience of Allah, the Mighty and High.

I heard Yunus ibn Zabyan say I entered in the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) and told him: Hisham ibn al-Hakam made a long statement. I will simply summarize it: He considers Allah to be a body because things are of two types: bodies or actions of bodies. Hence, if it is not possible for the creator to be an action, it is only possible that He be a Doer. Then Abu `Abd Allah (AS) replied: “Woe to him! Does he not know that a body is extremely limited, and an image is absolutely limited? Hence, if a limit is possible then increase and decrease are possible, and if increase and decrease are possible, then He is created. I asked: “Then what should I say? He answered: He has neither body nor image for He is the creator of bodies and images. He is devoid of parts and limits. He does not increase, nor does He decrease. If He were as he (Hisham) says then there would be no difference between the Creator and the created, or between the Inventor and the invented. However, He is the Inventor. The Creator of Bodies and Images does not resemble anything nor does anything resemble Him.

We entered into the presence of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida (AS). We related to him what was transmitted regarding Muhammad (sw); namely, that he saw His Lord in the form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age, whose feet were covered in greenery. I also explained to him that that Hisham ibn Salim, Sahib al-Taqi and al-Maythami say that Allah’s belly is hollow and the rest (of His body) is solid.
So he (AS) fell in prostration and then said: "May You be Glorified! They have not recognized You, nor have they testified to Your Unity. As a result, they have described You as such. May You be glorified! Had they recognized You, they would have only described You by means of the attributes with which You have described yourself. May You be glorified! They have certainly wronged themselves by describing You with what is not worthy of You. O my God, I only describe You with the attributes with which You have described yourself, and I do not compare You with Your Creation. You are worthy of all good. Do not count me among the oppressors."
Then he (AS) turned his face to us and said: “Whatever you have imagined, imagine Allah as other than that.” He (AS) then added: We, the Household of Muhammad, are the middle way [al-Namat al-Awsat] which the exaggerator [ghali] cannot comprehend, and the neglectful follower does not reach. O Muhammad! Verily, when the Messenger of Allah (sw) looked at the grandeur of His Lord, he (the Messenger) was in a form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age. O Muhammad! My Lord is far above possessing the attributes of the created."
He says, I asked him (AS): ‘May I be your ransom! Whose feet were covered in green?” He (AS) replied: "That refers to Muhammad (sw). When he looked at his Lord by means of his heart, Allah covered him in the Light of His Veil until it was apparent to him what was behind the veil. Verily, the Light of Allah is green, red, and white, as well as other colors. O Muhammad, we only accept what agrees with the Book (Qur`an), and the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet)."

“A man came to Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) saying, ‘Tell me about your Lord. When did He come into existence?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Woe upon you! Such question is asked only about a thing that did not exist. My Lord, all Glory belongs to Him is and will be eternally. He lives and no How question applies to Him. He did not have any coming into existence and nor there was any being for His coming into being. This does not apply to Him because He is not subject to the effects of space. He was not in any thing or on any thing nor did He invent any space for His own space. He did not become stronger after making all things nor was weak before giving being to the beings. He was not lonely before His inventing all things. He is not similar to any thing that could be called a thing. He was also not without Kingdom before the creation and nor will He be without it after all things. He lives eternally without life and the powerful king before His invention of the things and He is an all powerful king after the creation of all things. To His existence no How or Where question is applicable. There is no limit for Him nor is He definable by analogy. He does not become old due to eternal living. He doe not become alarmed because of any thing but that all things are fearful of His (disappointment). He lived without newly emerging life. He is not a describable being or that could be limit with conditions or that would have a space to depend on. He does not have a place so that He can be considered as neighboring something. He is living and one can know Him. He is the eternal King. He has the power and the kingdom. He has created all that He wanted and when He decided by His will. He can not be limited. He can not be divided or destroyed. He was before everything but no How question would apply to Him. He will be the last but no Where will apply to Him. All things will be destroyed except He. The creation belongs to Him and His is the command. He is the Holy Lord of the worlds. O inquirer, imaginations can not encompass my Lord and He does not face any confusions or bewilderment. Nothing is able to escape Him and nothing happens to Him. He can not be held responsible for anything and He does not become regretful. Neither slumber nor sleep overcomes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth and all that is between them and under the soil.

A man came to Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) and asked him: “O Abu Ja`far! Tell me about your Lord. How long has He existed?” Thus, he (AS) answered, Woe be upon you! Verily, it is said to a thing that did no exist and then came into being: Since when did it exist? Verily, my Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, has always been Ever-Living, but not with quality. There is no time limit for Him. Nor is there any quality for His Existence. There is neither any space for Him. He is not in a thing or on anything. He has not created for His Being any space. He is not strengthened after crating anything. Nor was He weak before creating anything. He was not frightened before He originated anything. None of the created things are like Him. He was not powerless over the things before their creation. Nor will He be powerless over them after they have gone. He has always been Ever-Living without an accidental existence. He was the Omnipotent Sovereign before creating anything, and He was the Supreme Sovereign after having brought it into existence. There is no quality for His Essence, nor is there space for Him. He does not have any limit. He is not recognized by a thing that may be His like. He does not age. He does not shout to call anything. Nothing frightens Him. All things become stunned from His Fear. He is Ever-Living, but not a blank living, nor a depicted existence. He neither has a restricted quality, nor an effect that follows up, nor a place that adjoins a thing, but He is the Ever-Living who knows everything, and the Sovereign who always has Omnipotence and Sovereignty. He created what He willed, and He willed with His Will. He is not limited. He has no parts. And He does not perish. He is the First without any quality, and the Last without any space. Everything is Command. Blessed is the Lord of the worlds! Woe be upon you, O questioner! Verily, my Lord cannot be conceived by imagination. Uncertainties do not befall Him. He does not adjoin anything, nor does anything adjoin Him. Incidents do not occur to Him. He is not questioned about anything He does, nor is He places on anything. Slumber does not seize Him, nor does sleep; to Him belongs whatsoever is in the Heavens, whatsoever is in the Earth, whatsoever is between them and whatsoever is below the ground.