Al-Tawḥīd

5 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، وأحمد بن إدريس جميعا، قالا: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد بن يحيى، عن بعض أصحابنا رفعه، قال: جاء رجل إلى الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام فقال له: يا ابن رسول الله صف لي ربك حتى كأني أنظر إليه، فأطرق الحسن بن علي عليهما السلام مليا، ثم رفع رأسه، فقال: الحمد لله الذي لم يكن له أول معلوم ولا آخر متناه، ولا قبل مدرك، ولا بعد محدود، ولا أمد بحتى ولا شخص فيتجزأ، ولا اختلاف صفة فيتناهى فلا تدرك العقول وأوهامها، ولا الفكر وخطراتها، و لا الألباب وأذهانها صفته فتقول: متى؟ (١) ولا بدئ مما، ولا ظاهر على ما، ولا باطن فيما، ولا تارك فهلا (٢) خلق الخلق فكان بديئا بديعا، ابتدأ ما ابتدع، و ابتدع ما ابتدأ، وفعل ما أراد وأراد ما استزاد، ذلكم الله رب العالمين.

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al- `Attar, and Ahmad ibn Idris both said: Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Yahya said on the authority of some our scholars hurrying the transmission that A man came to al-Hasan ibn `Ali (AS) and said to him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Describe your Lord to me so that I can understand Him better.” Therefore, al-Hasan ibn `Ali (AS) bowed his head in silence for quite a while, before lifting it up and saying: All praise is for Allah, who has no beginning, nor end. He neither has a face through which He may be perceived, nor a back that He may be restricted. He cannot be limited with (the word) `till what,’ nor with an appearance so that He may have parts. He cannot be described with variation so that He may have an extent. He can neither be perceived by intellects and imaginations, nor by thoughts and concepts. Reason and intellect cannot describe Him by means of the questions: `when,’ `from what did He begin,’ `on what’ does He reveal or `in what’ does He conceal? We cannot say `why not’ as He does not shun (His Creation). He created the creations; therefore, He was Original and unprecedented. He originated what He unprecedented and unprecedented what He originated. He did what He intended, and intended what He extended. Such is Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

6 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا محمد ابن الحسن الصفار، عن عباد بن سليمان، عن سعد بن سعد، قال: سألت أبا الحسن الرضا عليه السلام عن التوحيد، فقال: هو الذي أنتم عليه (٣).

6. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Saffar said on the authority of Ubbad ibn Sulayman, on the authority of Sa`d ibn Sa`d that I asked Abu al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) about Divine Unity. He responded: “It is what you already follow.”

7 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن إبراهيم بن هاشم، و يعقوب بن يزيد جميعا، عن ابن فضال، عن ابن بكير، عن زرارة، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، قال: سمعته يقول في قوله عز وجل: ﴿وله أسلم من في السماوات والأرض طوعا وكرها﴾ قال: هو توحيدهم لله عز وجل.

7. My Father (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashim; ad Ya`qub ibn Yazid both of them on the authority of Ibn Fuddal, on the authority of Ibn Bukayr, on the authority of Zurarah that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) was asked to interpret the Word of the Mighty and High: And to Him submits whoever is in heavens and the Earth, willingly or unwillingly.1 He said: “They are bound to the belief in the Unity of Allah, the Mighty and High.”

8 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسين عن محمد بن سنان، عن إسحاق بن الحارث، عن أبي بصير، قال: أخرج أبو عبد الله عليه السلام حقا، فأخرج منه ورقة، فإذا فيها: سبحان الواحد الذي لا إله غيره، القديم المبدئ الذي لا بدئ له الدائم الذي لا نفاد له، الحي الذي لا يموت، الخالق ما يرى، وما لا يرى، العالم كل شئ بغير تعليم، ذلك الله الذي لا شريك له.

8. My father (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sinan, on the authority of Ishaq ibn alHarith, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) took out a small box and took out from it a piece of paper, which had the following written on it: Praise be to the One! There is no god but He. He is the Eternal, and the Originator without beginning. He is the Eternal, who does not tire. He is the Living, who does not die. He is the Creator of the seen and the unseen. He is the Knower of Everything without being taught. Such is Allah who has no associate.

9 - حدثنا محمد بن القاسم المفسر رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا يوسف بن محمد بن زياد، وعلي بن محمد بن سيار، عن أبويهما، عن الحسن بن علي بن محمد بن علي الرضا، عن أبيه، عن جده عليهم السلام، قال: قام رجل إلى الرضا عليه السلام فقال له: يا ابن رسول الله صف لنا ربك فإن من قبلنا قد اختلفوا علينا، فقال الرضا عليه السلام: إنه من يصف ربه بالقياس لا يزال الدهر في الالتباس، مائلا عن المنهاج ظاعنا في الاعوجاج، ضالا عن السبيل، قائلا غير الجميل، أعرفه بما عرف به نفسه من غير رؤية، وأصفه بما وصف به نفسه من غير صورة، لا يدرك بالحواس، ولا يقاس بالناس، معروف بغير تشبيه، ومتدان في بعده لا بنظير، لا يمثل بخليقته، ولا يجور في قضيته، الخلق إلى ما علم منقادون، وعلى ما سطر في المكنون من كتابه ماضون، ولا يعملون خلاف ما علم منهم، ولا غيره يريدون، فهو قريب غير ملتزق وبعيد غير متقص، يحقق ولا يمثل، ويوحد ولا يبعض، يعرف بالآيات، ويثبت بالعلامات، فلا إله غيره، الكبير المتعال.

9. Muhammad ibn al-Qasim the Commentator (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad, and `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar said on the authority of their fathers, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali al-Rida (AS), on the authority of his father (AS), on the authority of his grandfather AS) that 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.

10 - ثم قال عليه السلام: بعد كلام آخر تكلم به: حدثني أبي، عن أبيه، عن جده، عن أبيه عليهم السلام، عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله، أنه قال: ما عرف الله من شبهه بخلقه، ولا وصفه بالعدل من نسب إليه ذنوب عباده. والحديث طويل، أخذنا منه موضع الحاجة، وقد أخرجته بتمامه في تفسير القرآن.

10. He (AS) then said: He spoke another word after this: My father related to me on the authority of father, on the authority of his grandfather, on the authority of his father (AS) that The messenger of Allah (SA) said: “Anyone who attributes Him with the shortcomings of His Servants had done Him an injustice. The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is long. We have taken from it the required passage. I have transmitted al of it in the commentary of the Qur`an.

11 - حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه، عن محمد بن يحيى العطار عن محمد بن أحمد، عن عبد الله بن محمد، عن علي بن مهزيار، قال: كتب أبو جعفر عليه السلام إلى رجل بخطه وقرأته في دعاء كتب به أن يقول: (يا ذا الذي كان قبل كل شئ، ثم خلق كل شئ، ثم يبقى ويفنى كل شئ، ويا ذا الذي ليس في السماوات العلى ولا في الأرضين السفلى ولا فوقهن ولا بينهن ولا تحتهن إله يعبد غيره) .

11. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil (may Allah be pleased with him) said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Yahya al- `Attar on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, on the authority of `Ali ibn Mihazyar that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) wrote a letter to a man in his own handwriting. I read the supplication it contained, and it said: O He Who existed before anything existed! O He Who created everything! O He Who will remain after everything perishes! O He besides Whom there is no god! O He Who is served in the highest of the heaves! O He Who is served in the lowest of the Earths! And O He Who is served between them, and below them!

12 - حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه رحمه الله، عن عمه محمد بن أبي القاسم، عن أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن محمد بن عيسى اليقطيني، عن سليمان بن راشد. عن أبيه، عن المفضل بن عمر، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: الحمد لله الذي لم يلد فيورث، ولم يولد فيشارك.

12. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said on the authority of his paternal uncle Muhammad ibn Abul al-Qasin, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn `Isa al-Yaqtini, on the authority of Sulayman ibn Rashid, on the authority of his father, on the authority of al-Mufaddal ibn `Umar that I heard Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) say “Praise be Allah who begets not so He may be inherited, nor is He begotten so He may be associated.”

13 - حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي قال: حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل البرمكي، قال: حدثني علي بن العباس، قال: حدثني إسماعيل بن مهران الكوفي، عن إسماعيل بن إسحاق الجهني، عن فرج بن فروة، عن مسعدة بن صدقة، قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام يقول: بينما أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام يخطب على المنبر بالكوفة إذ قام إليه رجل فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين صف لنا ربك تبارك وتعالى لنزداد له حبا وبه معرفة، فغضب أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام، ونادى الصلاة جامعة فاجتمع الناس حتى غص المسجد بأهله، ثم قام متغير اللون فقال: الحمد لله الذي لا يفره المنع، ولا يكديه الاعطاء إذ كل معط منتقص سواه، الملئ بفوائد النعم وعوائد المزيد، وبجوده ضمن عيالة الخلق، فأنهج سبيل الطلب للراغبين إليه، فليس بما سئل أجود منه بما لم يسأل، وما اختلف عليه دهر فيختلف منه الحال، ولو وهب ما تنفست عنه معادن الجبال وضحكت عنه أصداف البحار من فلذ اللجين وسبائك العقيان ونضائد المرجان لبعض عبيده، لما أثر ذلك في وجوده ولا أنفد سعة ما عنده، ولكان عنده من ذخائر الافضال ما لا ينفذه مطالب السؤال ولا يخطر لكثرته على بال، لأنه الجواد الذي لا تنقصه المواهب، ولا ينحله إلحاح الملحين (وإنما أمره إذا أراد شيئا أن يقول له كن فيكون) الذي عجزت الملائكة على قربهم من كرسي كرامته، وطول ولههم إليه وتعظيم جلال عزه، وقربهم من غيب ملكوته أن يعلموا من أمره إلا ما أعلمهم، وهم من ملكوت القدس بحيث هم من معرفته على ما فطرهم عليه أن قالوا: (سبحانك لا علم لنا إلا ما علمتنا إنك أنت العليم الحكيم) . فما ظنك أيها السائل بمن هو هكذا، سبحانه وبحمده، لم يحدث فيمكن فيه التغير والانتقال، ولم يتصرف في ذاته بكرور الأحوال ولم يختلف عليه حقب الليالي والأيام الذي ابتدع الخلق على غير مثال امتثله ولا مقدار احتذى عليه من معبود كان قبله ولم تحط به الصفات فيكون بإدراكها إياه بالحدود متناهيا، وما زال - ليس كمثله شئ - عن صفة المخلوقين متعاليا وانحسرت الأبصار عن أن تناله فيكون بالعيان موصوفا وبالذات التي لا يعلمها إلا هو عند خلقه معروفا، وفات لعلوه على أعلى الأشياء مواقع رجم المتوهمين وارتفع عن أن تحوي كنه عظمته فهاهة رويات المتفكرين، فليس له مثل فيكون ما يخلق مشبها به وما زال عند أهل المعرفة به عن الأشباه والأضداد منزها، كذب العادلون بالله إذ شبهوه بمثل أصنافهم وحلوه حلية المخلوقين بأوهامهم، وجزوه بتقدير منتج خواطرهم وقدروه على الخلق المختلفة القوى بقرائح عقولهم وكيف يكون من لا يقدر قدره مقدرا في رويات الأوهام، وقد ضلت في إدراك كنهه هواجس الأحلام لأنه أجل من أن يحده ألباب البشر بالتفكير، أو يحيط به الملائكة على قربهم من ملكوت عزته بتقدير، تعالى عن أن يكون له كفو فيشبه به لأنه اللطيف الذي إذا أرادت الأوهام أن تقع عليه في عميقات غيوب ملكه، وحاولت الفكر المبرأة من خطر الوسواس إدراك علم ذاته وتولهت القلوب إليه لتحوي منه مكيفا في صفاته وغمضت مداخل العقول من حيث لا تبلغه الصفات لتنال علم إلهيته ردعت خاسئة وهي تجوب مهاوي سدف الغيوب متخلصة إليه سبحانه، رجعت إذ جبهت معترفة بأنه لا ينال بجوب الاعتساف كنه معرفته ولا يخطر ببال أولي الرويات خاطرة من تقدير جلال عزته لبعده من أن يكون في قوى المحدودين لأنه خلاف خلقه، فلا شبه له من المخلوقين وإنما يشبه الشئ بعديله، فأما ما لا عديل له فكيف يشبه بغير مثاله، وهو البدئ الذي لم يكن شئ قبله، والآخر الذي ليس شئ بعده، لا تناله الأبصار من مجد جبروته إذ حجبها بحجب لا تنفذ في ثخن كثافته ولا تخرق إلى ذي العرش متانة خصائص ستراته الذي صدرت الأمور عن مشيته، وتصاغرت عزة المتجبرين دون جلال عظمته، وخضعت له الرقاب، وعنت الوجوه من مخافته وظهرت في بدائع الذي أحدثها آثار حكمته وصار كل شئ خلق حجة له ومنتسبا إليه فإن كان خلقا صامتها فحجته بالتدبير ناطقة فيه، فقدر ما خلق، فأحكم تقديره، ووضع كل شئ بلطف تدبيره موضعه، ووجهه بجهة فلم يبلغ منه شئ حدود منزلته ولم يقصر دون الانتهاء إلى مشيته، ولم يستعصب إذ أمره بالمضي إلى أرادته، بلا معاناة للغوب مسه ولا مكائدة لمخالف له على أمره فتم خلقه، وأذعن لطاعته، ووافى الوقت الذي أخرجه إليه إجابة لم يعترض دونها ريث المبطئ ولا أناة المتلكئ فأقام من الأشياء أودها (١) ونهى معالم حدودها، ولأم بقدرته بين متضادتها (٢) ووصل أسباب قرائنها (٣) وخالف بين ألوانها، وفرقها أجناسا مختلفات في الأقدار والغرائز والهيئات، بدايا خلائق أحكم صنعها، وفطرها على ما أراد إذ ابتدعها، انتظم علمه صنوف ذرئها، وأدرك تدبيره حسن تقديرها. أيها السائل إعلم من شبه ربنا الجليل بتباين أعضاء خلقه وبتلاحم أحقاق مفاصلهم المحتجبة بتدبير حكمته أنه لم يعقد غيب ضميره على معرفته (٤) ولم يشاهد قلبه اليقين بأنه لا ند له، وكأنه لم يسمع بتبري التابعين من المتبوعين وهم يقولون: ﴿تالله أن كنا لفي ضلال مبين إذ نسويكم برب العالمين﴾ فمن ساوى ربنا بشئ فقد عدل به، والعادل به كافر بما نزلت به محكمات آياته، ونطقت به شواهد حجج بيناته، لأنه الله الذي لم يتناه في العقول فيكون في مهب فكرها مكيفا، وفي حواصل رويات همم النفوس محدودا مصرفا المنشئ أصناف الأشياء بلا روية احتاج إليها، ولا قريحة غريزة أضمر عليها، ولا تجربة أفادها من مر حوادث الدهور (١) ولا شريك أعانه على ابتداع عجائب الأمور، الذي لما شبهه العادلون بالخلق المبعض المحدود في صفاته، ذي الأقطار والنواحي المختلفة فطبقاته، و كان عز وجل الموجود بنفسه لا بأداته، انتفى أن يكون قدروه حق قدره (٢) فقال تنزيها لنفسه عن مشاركة الأنداد وارتفاعا عن قياس المقدرين له بالحدود من كفرة العباد: ﴿وما قدروا الله حق قدره والأرض جميعا قبضته يوم القيمة والسماوات مطويات بيمينه سبحانه وتعالى عما يشركون﴾ ما دلك القرآن عليه من صفته فاتبعه ليوصل بينك وبين معرفته وأتم به واستضئ بنور هدايته، فإنها نعمة وحكمة أوتيتهما فخذ ما أوتيت وكن من الشاكرين، وما دلك الشيطان عليه مما ليس في القرآن عليك فرضه ولا في سنة الرسول وأئمة الهدى أثره فكل علمه إلى الله عز وجل، فإن ذلك منتهى حق الله عليك. واعلم أن الراسخين في العلم هم الذين أغناهم الله عن الاقتحام في السدد المضروبة دون الغيوب فلزموا الاقرار بجملة ما جهلوا تفسيره من الغيب المحجوب فقالوا: (آمنا به كل من عند ربنا) فمدح الله عز وجل اعترافهم بالعجز عن تناول ما لم يحيطوا به علما، وسمى تركهم التعمق في ما لم يكلفهم البحث عنه منهم رسوخا، فاقتصر على ذلك، ولا تقدر عظمة الله (سبحانه) على قدر عقلك فتكون من الهالكين.

13. `Ali Ibn Ahmad Ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Ismai`il al-Barmaki said: `Ali ibn al- `Abbas related to me that Isma`il ibn Mihran al-Kufi related to me on the authority of Isma`il ibn Ishaq al-Juhani, on the authority of Faraj ibn Farwah, on the authority of Mas`adah ibn Sadaqah, on the authority of Abu `Abd Allah that While the Commander of the Faithful (AS) was preaching from his pulpit in (the Mosque of) al-Kufah, a man stood up and said: “O Commander of the Faithful! Describe for us your Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, so that we can increase our love and understanding of Him.” Hence, the Commander of the Faithful (AS) became angry, and called all to attend. Thus, the people gathered until the mosque was packed. Then he stood up, with his face flushed, and addressed the congregation as such: All praise be to Allah for Whom refusal to give does not enrich, and for Whom munificence does not make poor! All who give lose, expect He. He is full of beneficial bounties and plentiful gifts. All of creation depends on His Generosity for their sustenance. He has prepared the way for those who seek Him. He is as Generous when He is asked, as He is when He is not asked. Time does not affect Him as this would imply that He is subject to change. His Essence would not be affected, and His Wealth would not be diminished, even if He gave away all of the silver and all of the gold found in the mines in the mountains, and all of the pearls which the shells of the ocean produce for His Servants. His Wealth would remain great and unaffected, even if He answered the demands of every beggar because He is the Most Generous. Giving does not decrease His Wealth, not do the request of His Supplicants make Him miserly. His Command, when He intends anything, is only to say to it: Be, so it is.1 The Angels are incapable of approaching the nobility of His Throne. They are confused when they attempt to understand Him and the greatness of His Might and Majesty. Although they are close to His Realm, they know nothing about His Affair except what He informs them. They are so close to the sanctity of His Realm, that they recognize the limitations with which they were created saying: Glory be to Thee! We have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise. Then what is your opinion, O questioner, about the One I have described in such terms? Praise and glory be to Him. He has no beginning, and is not subject to change. His Essence does not change states. Long stretches of day and night have no affect on Him. He originated the creation without any example which He could follow, and without any specimen prepared by any deity that was before Him. Attributes do no encompass Him so that we can comprehend Him, much less comprehend Him by means of limitations. He is Still. There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him. Exalted is He from the attributes of the created. Eyes cannot perceive Him so that He may be described by sight. His Essence is only known to Himself and cannot be recognized by His Creation. His Greatness surpasses the greatest conjectures of the most imaginative. He is Higher than anything that could be conceived by the feeble minds who seek to understand His Inner Greatness. He does not have a likeness. Nothing He creates is similar to Him. To the ones that recognize Him, He is above compeers and opponents. The ones who give partners to Allah are liars as they compare Him to their own kind. They embellish Him through their imaginations with the ornaments of creation. They divided Him in parts through speculation. They use their intellects to assess Him on the basis of creation, giving Him different strengths. How can this be done when it is impossible for the intellect to measure His Extent? Misleading dreams have gone astray in perceiving His Essence; because He is higher than the limits of human reasoning. Even the Angels, who are close to His Realm of Glory, cannot encompass Him. Exalted is He from having a parallel with which He may be resembled. He is the Subtle [al-Latif]. He prevents the imagination from finding Him in the depth of His Realm. He prevents the minds which are free from evil thoughts from comprehending His Being. He prevents the hearts who long to embrace His Attributes from going beyond description, and securing knowledge of His Divinity. He turns back those who cross the dark pitfalls of the unknown in their search for Him. Glorified be He! All those who seek to comprehend him return defeated, admitting that His Knowledge cannot be understood through such random efforts. They admit that not an iota of His Honor can enter the intellect of the greatest thinkers. They admit that He is far from the most powerful strengths of limited beings because He is other than His Creation. Therefore, He has no peer in His Creation. Verily, things are compared to their equal. However, if something has no equal, how can it be compared with something which is completely different from it? He is the Originator who had nothing before Him, and He is the Last who has nothing after Him. Eyes cannot perceive Him due to the magnificence of His Power. Eyes are concealed with veils, and cannot penetrate their density. Eyes cannot penetrate the Veils of the Possessor of the Throne, and they cannot reach the One who Governs Everything through His Will. The pride of all tyrants cringes except the Majesty of His Greatness. All slaves surrender to Him, and all faces fear His Wrath. The signs of His Wisdom are apparent from everything He has created. Everything He created is His Proof, and is linked to Him. It is a silent creation, it is His Proof that speaks through planning. He has fixed limits for everything He has created and has set everything firm. He has put everything in its place through the gracefulness of His Planning. He has fixed the direction for everything. Nothing surpasses or falls shorts of the position He has willed. Nothing disobeys His Command to move, when He intends it to move. He does so without effort, and without challenge to His Order. Thus was completed the creation, and it bowed in obedience to Him. It was time for His creation to respond to Him. The laziness of any slug or the inertness of any excusefinder did not prevent them from doing so. So He straightened the curves of things, and completed the traces of their limits. With His Power He created coherence n their contradictory parts, and joined together the factors of similarity. Then He distinguished their colors, and separated them in varieties which differ in quantities, properties, and shapes. All of this was a new creation. He made them firm, shaped them as He intended, and invented them. Through His Knowledge He organized everything into species. His Planning perceives the splendor of its destiny. O questioner! Know that he who describes our Sublime Lord by means of limbs and extremities knows nothing about His Nature. Verily, his heart did not profess with certainty that He is devoid of partners. It is as though he has not heard people renouncing their false gods by saying: By Allah! We were certainly in manifest error, when we made you equal to the Lord of the worlds.1 Whoever equates our Lord with anything has given Him a partner. Whoever gives Him a partner is an unbeliever as is stated in His Unambiguous verses, and as is indicated by His Clear Arguments. This is because Allah cannot be conceived by the limits of human intelligence. If He could be, He would be subject to change. Nor can Allah be conceived by means of intellectual efforts. If He could be, he would be limited, and an object subject t alteration. He is the Producer [al-Munshi’] who created everything without a need for imagination, without the urge of a hidden impulse, without any past experiment, and without the assistance of any partner who may have helped Him in creating wonderful things. Those who compare Him to His Creation divided Him into parts: some are limited, some vary in size, and others fall into different categories. He, the Mighty and High, Exists on His Own Accord, and is not dependent. People have not honored Him with the honor that He deserves. In order to demonstrate that He cannot be compared to His Creation, that He has no equals, and that He is far above the analogies of the unbelievers who give him limitations, He said: Any they have not honored Allah with the honor that is due to Him; and the whole Earth shall be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection and heavens rolled up in His right hand; glory be to Him, and may He be exalted above what they associate (with Him).2 When describing Allah, limit your selves to the Divine Attributes which the Qur`an has provided, and seek light from the effulgence of its guidance. Leave to Allah that knowledge which Satan has prompted you to seek, and which neither the Qur`an enjoins you to seek, nor is there any trace of it in the actions or sayings of the Prophet and other Imams of Guidance. This is the extreme limit of Allah’s claim upon you. Know that those who are firm in knowledge refrain from opening through the veils of the unseen. The firm in knowledge, acknowledge their ignorance, and refuse to seek justification for their belief by means of the unseen. Hence, they say: We believe in it, it is all from our Lord.3 Allah, the Mighty and High praises them for admitting that they cannot obtain forbidden knowledge. They do not engage in deep discussions regarding the knowledge which is hidden from them and remain firm in their faith. Be content with this, and do not limit the Greatness of Allah on the basis of the limits of your own intelligence; otherwise, you will be destroyed.

14 - حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أبي عبد الله الكوفي، قال: حدثنا محمد بن إسماعيل البرمكي، قال: حدثني علي بن العباس، قال: حدثني جعفر بن محمد الأشعري، عن فتح بن يزيد الجرجاني، قال: كتبت إلى أبي الحسن الرضا عليه السلام أسأله عن شئ من التوحيد فكتب إلي بخطه - قال جعفر: وإن فتحا أخرج إلى الكتاب فقرأته بخط أبي - الحسن عليه السلام: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله الملهم عباده الحمد، وفاطرهم على معرفة ربوبيته، الدال على وجوده بخلقه، وبحدوث خلقه على أزله، وبأشباههم على أن لا شبه له، المستشهد آياته على قدرته، الممتنع من الصفات ذاته ومن الأبصار رؤيته، ومن الأوهام الإحاطة به لا أمد لكونه ولا غاية لبقائه لا يشمله المشاعر و لا يحجبه الحجاب فالحجاب بينه وبين خلقه لامتناعه مما يمكن في ذواتهم ولا مكان ذواتهم مما يمتنع منه ذاته، ولافتراق الصانع والمصنوع والرب والمربوب، والحاد والمحدود، أحد لا بتأويل عدد، الخالق لا بمعنى حركة السميع لا بأداة، البصير لا بتفريق آلة، الشاهد لا بمماسة، البائن لا ببراح مسافة الباطن لابا جتنان، الظاهر لا بمحاذ، الذي قد حسرت دون كنهه نواقد الأبصار وامتنع وجوده جوائل الأوهام . أول الديانة معرفته، وكمال المعرفة توحيده، وكمال التوحيد نفي الصفات عنه، لشهادة كل صفة أنها غير الموصوف، وشهادة الموصوف أنه غير الصفة، و شهادتهما جميعا على أنفسهما بالبينة الممتنع منها الأزل فمن وصف الله فقد حده ومن حده فقد عده، ومن عده فقد أبطل أزله، ومن قال: كيف فقد استوصفه، و من قال: على م فقد حمله، ومن قال: أين فقد أخلى منه، ومن قال: إلى م فقد وقته، عالم إذ لا معلوم، وخالق إذ لا مخلوق، ورب إذ لا مربوب، وإله إذ لا مألوه وكذلك يوصف ربنا، وهو فوق ما يصفه الواصفون.

14. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki said: `Ali ibn al- `Abbas related to me that Ja`far ibn Muhammad al-Ash`ari related to me, on the authority of Fath ibn Yazid al-Jurjani that I wrote to Abu Al-Hasan (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) asking him about Divine Unity. Therefore, he replied to me in his own writing. Ja`far says: Verily, Fath took out the letter for me so I read it myself in Abu al-Hasan’s (AS) writing: In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. All praise be to Allah, who gave human beings a natural predisposition to recognize their Lord and to praise Him. Allah guides humankind towards Himself through His Creation, and who proves that He is Eternal by bringing creatures into existence. He has made them resemble each other to prove that there is nothing that resembles Him. He has made His Signs as witnesses to His Might. His Essence is independent from His Attributes. Eyes are prevented from seeing Him. Imagination is incapable of encompassing Him. There is no duration for His Being, nor is there any limit for His Continuation. Human senses do not encompass Him. No screen (of non-understandability) can conceive Him. The only screen between the Creator and the created is creation itself. The reason why the created have been screened from the Creator is to prevent the created from conceiving of their Creator in terms which are unworthy. This is because the adjectives which apply to the created are not suitable for the Creator. The other reason (that Allah cannot be understood) is that there is a world of difference between the Creator and the created, the Sustainer and the sustained (the Ruler and the ruled), and the Confiner and the confined. He is One, but not in a numerical sense. He is the Creator, but not in the sense of movement or action. He is the All-Hearing, but not through any auditory organ. And He is the All-Seeing, but not by visual means. He is a Witness, but without mutual contact. He is Manifest, but not in the sense of being distant. He is Hidden, but not in the sense of being behind a curtain. He is Apparent, but not in the sense of being in front of anything. Penetrating eyes have called miserable trying to perceive the truth about Him. His Existence dwarfs and cripples the imagination (in its attempt to grasp Him). The first step in accepting faith is acknowledging the existence of Allah. And the most perfect way of acknowledging Him lies in recognizing His Unity. And the peak of His Unity lies in negating that His Attributes are part of His Essence, since attributes are separate from the entity they describe in the same way that the entity is independent of and separate from the attributes which describe it. If united, the entity and its attributes produce plurality (as opposed to unity). Plurality nullifies eternity. Hence, whoever ascribes attributes to Allah has actually measure Him. And whoever measures Him has actually nullified His Eternity. Whoever asks how He is, seeks to describe and explain Him. Whoever asks what He is, actually induces Him. Whoever asks where He is, actually vacates Him (from other places). Whoever asks how long He will exist, actually confines Him (to a limited time). He was the Knower before there was anything to know. He was the Creator when there was no creation. He was the Lord when there was nothing over which to rule. He was the One God when there was nothing to serve. Such is a description of our Lord. And He is far above what the narrators have said about Him.