سالم

I said: “The Fitra of Allah which He created the people upon” (30:30)? He (the Imam) said: (that is) Tawhid.

1. [1/298] al-Tawhid: Ibn Idris – his father – Ibn Hashim – Ibn Abi Umayr – Hisham b. Salim who said: Abu Abdillah عليه السلام was asked: By what (thing) did you know your Lord? He said: By the dissolution of resolutions and the invalidation of plans. I resolved but He dissolved my resolution and I planned but He invalidated my plan.

“I wrote to Abu al-Hassan (a.s.) about the words of Hisham ibn al-Hakam about the body, and the words of Hisham ibn Salim about the form (of Allah). He wrote in reply, ‘Remove from yourself the confusion of the confounded people and seek refuge from Allah against Satan. The (correct) position is not what the two Hishams have said.’”

I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) to interpret: The nature made by Allah is which He has made men. He (AS) replied, “It is Divine Unity.”

I heard him (the Imam) saying: Allah Mighty and Majestic was there and there was nothing other than Him. He always knew what was to be. His knowledge of it before it came into being is identical to His knowledge of it after it comes into being.

he heard Abu Ja'far (al-Baqir) (as) say: "Allah (azwj) existed when nothing else existed. He eternally knows whatever comes into being. His knowledge of things before their coming into existence and afterwards is exactly the same."

“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.”

“Verily, Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He, has forbidden Hellfire to the bodies of the monotheists.”

“Verily, this Ummah will not be ruined until they stat discussing (the nature of) their Lord.”

I wrote to Abi al-Hasan Ali b. Muhammad عليهما السلام asking him about the position of Hisham b. al-Hakam regarding ‘the body’ and the position of Hisham b. Salim regarding ‘the human form’. He wrote: Leave the confusion of the confused, seek refuge in Allah from the Shaytan, the (true) position is not what was said by the two Hishams.

I heard Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) say: “Allah was there when there was nothing other than Him. He has always been All-Knowing of what He has created. Therefore, His Knowledge of things before their being is exactly the same as His Knowledge of things after their creation.”

“He who says, `there is no god but Allah’ one hundred times will be the best of the people in deeds on that day, unless someone says it more often than he does.”

Whoever says ‘There is no god but God’ (La illah illalah) one-hundred times would be better off than everyone else on that day, unless someone else says it more times than that.”

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) asking hm about what Hisham ibn al-Hakam said about the body of Allah, and what Hisham ibn Salim had said about the image of Allah. So he (AS) replied to me: “Leave the confusion of the baffled, and take refuge in Allah from Satan. Things are not as the two Hishams claim.

“Whoever recites the chapter: Say: He, Allah is One, once, it is as if he has recited one third of the Qur`an, one third of the Torah, one third of the Bible, and one third of the Psalms (of David).”

“Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, cannot be described in terms of space, motion, translocation or stillness. Rather, He is the Creator of time, space, motion and stillness. Exalted is Allah from what they say, the Elevated, the Great.

Allah is not described with a time, nor with a place, nor with motion, nor with transition, nor with stillness. Rather, He is the Creator of time, place, motion, stillness, and transition. He is far above what the oppressors say.

I heard Aba Abdillah (as) say while relating to his companions the affair of Abdallah b. Saba and his claim about the divinity of the commander of the faithful Ali b. Abi Talib (as): when he claimed that about him – the commander of the faithful (as) gave him a chance to repent but he refused to repent so he burnt him with fire.

“Allah, the Most High, is not similar to any of the things. What can be more blasphemous and scandalous than to describe the Creator of all things by means of body, form, type of creation, limitations, limbs and organs. Allah, the Most High, the Great, is far above these things.”

I entered into the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) so he asked me: “Can you describe Allah?” Hence, I replied, “Yes.” He (AS) said: “Give me your description.” So, I answered, “He is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing.” He (AS) explained, “There are attributes which equally apply to the created.” I asked, “Then how do you describe Him?” Thus, he (AS) said: “He is Light as there is no darkness in Him. He is Ever-Living as there is no death in Him. He is the Omniscient as there is no ignorance in Him, and He is the Truth as there is no false in Him.” Then I left from his presence and I was the most learned of people with regard to Divine Unity.