إبراهيم

“How did you recognize your Lord?’ He (AS) replied, “Through abolishment of decision and invalidation of ambition. My decision was abolished, and when I had an ambition it was invalidated.”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways.” He (AS) said; “They are the way of good and the way of evil.”

“Verily, there was once a great king started to discuss the Essence of the Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He. As a result, he went missing, and it is not know what became of him.

“No Prophet claimed to be a prophet until he confirmed his belief in five things with Allah, the Mighty and High: the Appearance, the Will, Prostration, Worship, and Obedience.”

“He created them with Divine Unity.”

“The heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, are in the Throne [al-kursi], and the Empyrean [al-`arsh] is the Knowledge (of Allah) over which no one has power.”

I heard Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) saying the following prayer while he was in prostration: “O He who is so High that nothing is above Him! O He who is so near that nothing is without Him! Forgive me and my Companions!”

“What is He?” He (AS) replied: He is a Thing unlike other things. If you consider the meaning of the word “thing.” He is indeed a Thing by definition [al-shay’iyyah], with the exception that He has neither substance nor shape”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) “Do you know everything that has happened and everything that will happen until the Day of Judgement? Is it not part of Allah’s knowledge?” He (AS) answered: “It is certainly part of Allah’s Knowledge. He knew everything before He created the Heavens and the Earth.”

The Messenger of Allah (SA) passed by some hoarders. He ordered them to take the goods they were hoarding to the market, so that hey could be seen. It was said to the Messenger of Allah (SA), “It would be better if you had fixed a price on them.” He (SA) became so angry that it became apparent on his face, He said: “I should fix prices? Verily, the price is with Allah, the Mighty and High. He may raise it if He wills, and He may drop it if He wills.” It was said to the Messenger of Allah (SA), “If you had fixed prices for us (it would be better), because the prices rise and drop.” He (SA) replied, “I would never meet Allah, the Mighty and High, with an innovation which was not revealed to me. Leave the servants of Allah, so that some of them may eat from the others.”

“They are bound to the belief in the Unity of Allah, the Mighty and High.”

I entered the presense of al-Ma`mum while `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) was with him. AlMa`mum said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah (SA), do you not say that the Prophets are infallible?” He (AS) replied: “Certainly.” He says that he asked him (AS) about some verses from the Qur`an. Among his questions was: “Then tell me about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High, regarding Ibrahim (AS): So when the night overshadowed him, he saw a star; said he: Is this my Lord?”1 Hence, (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) responded: Ibrahim (AS) was faced with three types of people: the first worshiped Venus, the second worshipped the moon, and the third worshiped the sun. This was when the came out of the den in which he was hiding. So when the night overshadowed him, he saw the planet Venus, and said: this is my Lord, as a denial and inquiry So when it set, he aid: I do not love the setting one,2 because setting is one of the attributes of the created [muhdath] and not from the attributes of the Eternal [qadim]. Then when he saw the moon rising, he asked: Is this my Lord? He said this as both denial and inquiry. So when it set, he said: If my Lord had not guided me I should certainly be of the erring people.3 Then when the day began and he saw the sun rising, he said: This is my Lord. This is greater than Venus and the moon. He (AS) said this as denial and inquiry and not as information and approval. So when it set, he said to all three types of people from the worshippers of Venus, the moon and the sun: O my people! Surely I am clear of what you set up (with Allah). Surely I have turned myself, being upright, wholly to Him who originated the Heaven and the Earth, and I am not of the polytheists.4 Verily, Ibrahim (AS) intended to clarify for them the invalidity of their religion, and prove to them that worshipping Venus, the Moon, and the Sun was wrong. Rather, service belongs only to their Creator, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth. The argument he brought forth was inspired by Allah, the Mighty and High: And this was Our argument which we gave to Ibrahim against his people.5 Al-Ma`mum said: “For Allah’s sake continue, O son of the Messenger of Allah!” The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is detailed; we have extracted from it the required passage. I have transmitted all of it in the book `Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (AS). 29. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said on the authority of al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Aban, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Auramah, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn al-Hakam ibn Zuhayr, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Jarir al-`Abdi saying that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) used to say: All praise be to Allah who cannot be sensed, felt or touched, as He cannot be perceived by the five senses. Imagination cannot grasp Him. Tongues cannot describe Him. Everything that can be sensed is a creation. All praise be to Allah who was when there was nothing but He. He made all things according to a design. He knows what has been and what will be.

“If people knew what reward there is in speaking about the Appearance they would never cease speaking about it.”

“He means that whoever has a healthy body, a route free from trouble, proper provision, and a mode of transportation.

” Verily, nothing resembles Allah, the Mighty and High.

Al-Baqir (AS) said: “Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, is free from His Creation, and His Creation is free from Him. Whatever can be defined by the word “thing” is a creation other than Allah, the Mighty and High.”

Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, is free from His Creation, and His Creation is free from Him. Whatever can be defined by the word “thing” is a creation other than Allah, the Mighty and High. Allah, the Exalted, is the Creator of all things.

The Messenger of Allah (s.w) said: “Beware of arguing wit every maniac. Verily, every maniac dictates his proof till the end of his time (death). When his life cameos to an end, his mischief will cause him to burn in the fire.” It is also transmitted, `his mistakes trouble him and burn him.’

I asked Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) about the least that is required to recognize Divine Unity. Thus, he (AS) replied, “the confirmation that there is no god other than Him. He has no peer or rival. He is Eternal without beginning. He is the Firm, the Existent, and is never Absent. There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him.”

“Allah, the Mighty and High, has not sent a Prophet [nabi] until He made a covenant with him regarding these things: that he would serve no god but Allah, that he would reject idols, and that Allah can hasten His decree or delay His Decree.”