الفضل بن سليمان المدائني

I heard Al-Ridha (s) say, “The Sublime God has always been All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Ever-Living, Ever-Lasting, All-Hearing and All-Seeing.” I asked him, “O son of the Prophet of God! There are some people who say that God has always been All-Knowing with Knowledge, All-Powerful with His Might, Ever-Living with His Life, Ever-Lasting with His Past, and All-Hearing with His Hearing, All-Seeing with His Sight.” The Imam (s) said, “Whoever says this and believes in it has indeed associated other gods as partners with God. He is not under our Mastery at all.” He (s) then added, “The Honorable the Exalted God has always been All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Ever-Living, Ever-Lasting, All-Hearing and All-Seeing by His own High Nature. High indeed is He Exalted above what the polytheists say and the similitude they draw.”

“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: `Allah has always been All-Knowing with Knowledge, All-Powerful with His Might, Ever-Living with His Life, EverLasting with His Past, All-Hearing with His Hearing, and All-Seeing with His Sight.” Thus, he (AS) replied, “Verily, whoever says this and believes in it is a polytheist. He is not under our Guardianship at all.” He then added, “Allah, the Mighty and High, has always been AllKnowing, All-Powerful, Ever-Living, Ever-Lasting, All-Hearing, and all-Seeing by His Essence. Exalted is He, the Elevated, the Great, from what the polytheists and anthropomorphists say.”

I heard al-Rida `Ali b. Musa (as) say: Allah never ceased to be Knowing, Powerful, Living, Everlasting, Hearing, and Seeing. So, I said to him: O son of the Messenger of Allah! There are a people who say: “He never ceased to be Knowing with knowledge, Powerful with power, Living with life, Everlasting with lastingness, Hearing with the ability to hear, and Seeing with sight.” So, he (as) said: Whoever says that and that which is close to that has taken other gods besides Allah; they are not upon our wilaya at all. Then, he (as) said: Allah never ceased to be Knowing, Powerful, Living, Everlasting, Hearing, and Seeing by His Essence. He is far above what the pagans and those who liken Him to His creation say.

“Once, Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.), was placed under pressure. He went to one of his Mawla’ (friend or follower) and asked him to lend him ten thousand dirham up to the time he is able to pay back. He (his friend) said, ‘No, because it is not with me; however, I want a promissory note.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He (the Imam) tore a piece from his gown and said this is the promissory note.’ His Mawla’ did not like it and became angry. He (the Imam) said, ‘Am I more trustworthy or Hajib ibn Zurarah?’ He (his Mawla’) replied, ‘You are more trustworthy than Hajib ibn Zurarah.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘How is it that Hajib by depositing his bow, only a piece of wood, as a guarantee to bail out one hundred, also being a non-Muslim, kept up to his words and I will not keep up my word despite depositing a piece of my gown? 5 He (the narrator) said that his Mawla’ took the piece of his gown and lent him the dirhams and placed the piece of fabric in a container. Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, granted him ease and he (the Imam) took the dirhams to return to the man and said, ‘Here is the dirhams. Where is the promissory note (the piece of my gown)? He replied, ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, I have lost it.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘You then cannot have your dirhams from me. One like me is not treated lightly in matters of trust.’ He (the narrator) has said, ‘He then brought the container and the piece of fabric was in it. Ali ibn Al-Husayn (a.s.), gave the dirhams to him and took the piece of fabric and threw it away and left.’”