Foreword

Reward for the Monotheists and Gnostics

Divine Unity and‬‬ Negation of Anthropomorphism

The Definition of One, Divine Unity, and the Believer in Divine Unity

The Commentary of Chapter 112 the Unity [al-Tawhid]

The Meaning of Divine Unity and Divine Justice

The Mighty and High is Devoid of both Body and Image

The Blessed and Exalted is a Thing

What is Related Regarding the Vision

Omnipotence

Knowledge

Attributes of Essence and Attributes of Actions

The Commentary of verse 88 of Chapter 28 the Narrative [al-Qasas] Everything is perishable but He.

The Commentary of Verse 75 of Chapter 38 Sad O Iblis! What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My Two Hands?

The Commentary of Verse 42 of Chapter 68 Qalam - On the Day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance

The Commentary of Verse 35 of Chapter 24 the Light [al-Nur]

The Commentary of Verse 67 of Chapter 9 the Repentance [al-Tawbah] They have forsaken Allah, so He has forsaken them.

The Commentary of Verse 67 of Chapter 39 the Companies [al-Zumar] And the whole Earth shall be in His Grip on the Day of Resurrection and the Heavens rolled up in his Right Hand.

The Commentary of Verse 15 of Chapter 83 the Defrauders [al-Mutaffifin] Nay! Most surely they shall on that day be debarred from their Lord.

The Commentary of Verse 22 of Chapter 89 the Daybreak [al-Fajr] And your Lord comes and (also) the angels in ranks.

The Commentary of Verse 210 of Chapter 2 the Cow [al-Baqarah] They do not wait aught but that Allah should come to them in the shadow of clouds along with the angels.

Meaning of Scoffing, Mockery, Planning and Deception of Allah

The Meaning of Allah’s Side

The Meaning of the Waistband

Meaning of the Eye, the Ear, and the Tongue of Allah

The Meaning of Allah’s Hand is Tied Up

The Meaning of His Pleasure and His Anger

The Meaning of Allah’s Breathing of Spirit And I breathed into him of My Sprit.

Negation of Space, Time, Stillness, Motion, Descending, Ascending, and Transference from Allah

The Names of Allah, the Exalted,‬‬ and the Difference between their Meanings and the Meaning of the‬‬ Names of Creation

What is the Qur’an?

The Meaning of “In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”

The Explanation of‬‬ the Letters of the Alphabet.

The Explanation of the Letters of the Alphabet According to Their Numerical Value

The Explanation of the Words of the Calls to Prayer

The Commentary of Guidance, Misguidance, Direction, and Forsaking is from Allah, the Exalted

The Refutation of the Dualists & the Atheists

There is no‬‬ god but the One God

The‬‬ Remembrance of Allah’s Greatness, Mighty be His Glory

The Subtlety of Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted

The Least Required for Recognizing Diving Unity

He, the Mighty and High, in not Recognized, Except by Himself.

The Assertion of the Emergence of the Universe

The Tradition of Dhi`lib.

The Tradition of Subakht, the Jewish Man

The Meaning of “Glory be to Allah” [Subhan Allah]

The Meaning of Allah is the Greatest [Allahu Akbar]

The Meaning of the First and the Last

the Most Compassionate is Firm on the Empyrean.

His Empyrean was on the Water

The Empyrean and Its‬‬ Description

The Empyrean was Created in Quarters

The Meaning of `His Knowledge Extend over the Heavens and the Earth’

Allah made the Nature of the Creation upon Divine Unity

The Appearance [Al-Bada’]

The Will and the Intent

Capability

The Trial and the Test

Privilege and Adversity

The Negation of Determinism and Relinquishment

Predestination, Divine Decree, Trials, Means of Sustenance Rates, and Restricted Powers

Children and Allah’s Justice Concerning Them

Allah only does what is best for His servants

Command, Prohibition, Promise and Threat

Recognition, Explanation, Evidence, and Guidance

A Session of al-Ridha (AS‬‬) with Theologians from Among the Rhetoricians and Various‬‬ Religions about Unity in the presence of al-Ma`mun

A Session of al-Ridha (AS) with Sulayman al-Marwazi, the Theologian of Khurasan, in‬‬ the Presece of al-Ma`mun concerning the Subject of Divine Unity.

The Prohibition of Discussing, Debating, and Arguing about Allah

1 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله: قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن بزيع، عن منصور بن يونس، عن جليس لأبي حمزة، عن أبي حمزة، قال: قلت لأبي جعفر عليه السلام: قول الله عز وجل (كل شئ هالك إلا وجهه)؟ (١) قال: فيهلك كل شئ ويبقي الوجه، إن الله عز وجل أعظم من أن يوصف بالوجه، ولكن معناه كل شئ هالك إلا دينه والوجه الذي يؤتى منه (٢). 

1. My father, may Allah have mercy on him, said that Sad ibn `Abd Allah said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il ibn Bazi` on the authority of Mansur ibn Yunus on the authority of Jalis for Abu Hamzah on the authority of Abu Hamzah that I asked Abu Ja`far al-baqir (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: Everything is perishable but He (His Face). He (AS) replied:Everything will perish, but the Face [al-wajh] will remain. Verily, Allah, the Mighty and High, is Greater than being attributed with a face. However, the meaning of this is that everything will perish except His Religion and Face, from which He bestows.

2 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن أبي سعيد المكاري، عن أبي بصير، عن الحارث بن المغيرة النصري (٣) قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: (كل شئ هالك إلا وجهه) قال: كل شئ هالك إلا من أخذ طريق الحق. 

2. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid, may Allah be pleased with him, said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan al-Saffar on the authority of Ya`qub ibn Yazid on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya on the authority of Abu Sa`id al-Mukari on the authority of Abu Basir on the authority of al-Harith ibn al-Mughayrah al-Nasri that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: Everything is perishable but him. He (AS) answered: “Everything is perishable except the one who followed the Right Path.”

3 - حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه رحمه الله، عن محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن سهل ابن زياد، عن أحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر، عن صفوان الجمال، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قول الله عز وجل: (كل شئ هالك إلا وجهه) قال: من أتى الله بما أمر به من طاعة محمد والأئمة من بعده صلوات الله عليهم فهو الوجه الذي لا يهلك، ثم قرأ: ﴿من يطع الرسول فقد أطاع الله﴾ .

3. Muhammad ibn `ali Majilawayh, may Allah have mercy on him, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Nasr on the authority of Safwan al-Jammal that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High, Everything is perishable but He. He said: “The face that will not perish refers to any person who carried out what Allah commanded him through obedience to Muhammad (sw) and the Imams (AS) after Him.” After this he (AS) recited: Whoever obeys the Messenger, he indeed obeys Allah.1

4 - وبهذا الإسناد قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: نحن وجه الله الذي لا يهلك . 

4. And the same chain of narrators that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said: “We are the Face [wajh] of Allah, which does not perish.”

5 - حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسين السعدآبادي، عن أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن أبيه، عن ربيع الوراق، عن صالح بن سهل، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام في قول الله عز وجل: كل شئ هالك إلا وجهه قال: نحن. 

5. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawkkil, may Allah have mercy on him, said: `Ali ibn alHusayn al-Sa`dabadi on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Barqi, on the authority of his father on the authority of Rabi al-Warraq on the authority of Salih ibn Sahl that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High, Every this is perishable but He. He (AS) said: “We.”

6 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن يحيى العطار رحمه الله، عن أبيه، عن سهل بن زياد، عن يعقوب بن يزيد، عن محمد بن سنان، عن أبي سلام، عن بعض أصحابنا عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام، قال: نحن المثاني التي أعطاها الله نبينا صلى الله عليه وآله  ونحن وجه الله نتقلب في الأرض بين أظهركم، عرفنا من عرفنا، ومن جهلنا فأمامه اليقين . قال مصنف هذا الكتاب رضي الله عنه: معنى قوله: نحن المثاني أي نحن الذين قرننا النبي صلى الله عليه وآله إلى القرآن وأوصى بالتمسك بالقرآن وبنا، فأخبر أمته بأن لا نفترق حتى نرد عليه حوضه . 

6. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar, may Allah have mercy on him, on the authority of his father on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad on the authority of Ya`qub ibn Yazid on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sinan on the authority Abu Sallam on the authority of some of our scholars that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) said: We are the Oft-Repeated1 Ones that Allah bestowed to our Prophet (sw). We are the Face [wajh] of Allah. And (wih all this) we live among you. Whoever recognizes us, and whoever is ignorant of us faces certain death [yaqin]. The Compiler of this book, may Allah be pleased with him, says: The meaning of his (AS) statement: “We are the oft-repeated” is that we are the ones that the Prophet (sw) joined with the Qur`an, and made a will to remain attached to the Qur`an and to us. Hence, he (sw) informed his Ummah that we will not separate from each other, until we meet him at the Pool (of Kawthar in Paradise).

7 - أبي رحمه الله قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن علي بن سيف، عن أخيه الحسين بن سيف ، عن أبيه سيف بن عميرة النخعي عن خيثمة، قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل (كل شئ هالك إلا وجهه) قال: دينه، وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأمير المؤمنين عليه السلام دين الله، ووجهه وعينه في عباده، ولسانه الذي ينطق به، ويده على خلقه، ونحن وجه الله الذي يؤتى منه، لن نزال في عباده ما دامت لله فيهم روية، قلت: وما الروية؟ قال: الحاجة فإذا لم يكن لله فيهم حاجة رفعنا إليه وصنع ما أحب . 

7. My father, may Allah have mercy on him, that Sa`d ibn `Ad Allah, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa on the authority of `Ali ibn Sayf on the authority of his brother alHasan ibn Sayf on the authority of his father Sayf ibn `Amirah al-Nakha`i on the authority of Khaythamah that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: Everything is perishable but He. He (AS) resplied: It is His Religion. The Messenger of Allah (sw) and the Commander of the Faithful (AS) are the Religion of Allah amongst His Servants, His Face, His Eyes, His tongue with which He speaks and the Hand with which He covers His Creation. We are the Face with which He bestows (His Blessings). We will remain in His Servants as long as Allah has any consideration [rawiyyah] for them. I enquired, “What is consideration [rawiyyah]? He (AS) explained, “Need [alhajah]. When Allah has no need for them He removes us from them, and does as He pleases.”

8 - 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: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن، قال: حدثنا بكر، عن الحسن بن سعيد، عن الهيثم بن عبد الله، عن مروان بن صباح، قال: أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إن الله عز وجل خلقنا فأحسن خلقنا، وصورنا فأحسن صورنا  وجعلنا عينه في عباده، ولسانه الناطق في خلقه، ويده المبسوطة على عباده بالرأفة والرحمة، و وجهه الذي يؤتي منه، وبابه الذي يدل عليه، وخزائنه في سمائه وأرضه  بنا أثمرت الأشجار، وأينعت الثمار وجرت الأنهار، وبنا نزل غيث السماء ونبت عشب الأرض، بعبادتنا عبد الله، ولولا نحن ما عبد الله. 

8. `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: alHusayn ibn al-Hasan said: Bakr on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Sa`id on the authority of alHaytham ibn `Abd Allah on the authority of Marwan ibn Sabah that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said:Verily, Allah the Mighty and High, made us the best of creation, and moulded us from the best of moulds. He made us His Eye though which He sees His Servants. He made us the Tongue with which He speaks to His Creation. He made us the Outspread Hand of Mercy over His Servants. He made us the Face through which He bestows His Bounties.1 He made us the Gate that leads to Him. And He made us His Treasure in the Heaven and on His Earth. It is due to us2 that trees bear fruits, that fruit ripens, that rivers flow, that clouds shower down rain, and that the Earth grows grass. It is through our service [`ibadah], Allah is served. If it were not for us, Allah would not have been worshipped.3

9 - حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن عبد العزيز، عن ابن أبي يعفور، قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إن الله واحد، أحد، متوحد بالوحدانية، متفرد بأمره، خلق خلقا ففوض إليهم أمر دينه، فنحن هم يا ابن أبي يعفور نحن حجة الله  في عباده، وشهداؤه على خلقه، وأمناؤه على وحيه، و خزانه على علمه، ووجهه الذي يؤتي منه وعينه في بريته، ولسانه الناطق، و قلبه الواعي، وبابه الذي يدل عليه، ونحن العاملون بأمره، والداعون إلى سبيله، بنا عرف الله، وبنا عبد الله، نحن الأدلاء على الله، ولولانا ما عبد الله، . 

9. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil, may Allah have mercy on him, said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa on the authority of alHasan ibn Mahbub on the authority of `Abd al-`Aziz on the authority of Ibn Abu Ya`fur that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said: Verily, Allah is One [Wahid], Alone [Ahad], Sole in His Unity [Mutawahhid], Unique in His Affair. He made a creatin, and authorized it in the mattes of His Religion, and we are that creation. O son of Abu Ya`fur! We are the Proof [hujjah] of Allah among His servants, and we are His Witnesses to His Creation, the Trustees of His Revelation, the Treasurers of His Knowledge, the Face with which He bestows His Bounties, the Eye with which He sees His Creatures, the Tongue with which He talks, the Heart which embraces (in love), the Door that guides to Him, the Vicegerents with His Command, and the Callers to His Path. It is due to us that Allah was recognized and due to us that Allah was worshipped. We are the Guides unto Allah. Were it not for us, Allah would not have been worshipped.

10 - حدثنا أحمد بن الحسن القطان، قال: حدثنا أبو سعيد الحسن بن علي بن الحسين السكري، قال: حدثنا الحكم بن أسلم، قال: حدثنا ابن علية  عن الجريري، عن أبي الورد بن ثمامة، عن علي عليه السلام، قال: سمع النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم رجلا يقول لرجل: قبح الله وجهك ووجه من يشبهك، فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: مه، لا تقل هذا، فإن الله خلق آدم على صورته. قال مصنف هذا الكتاب رحمه الله تركت المشبهة من هذا الحديث أوله و قالوا: إن الله خلق آدم على صورته، فضلوا في معناه وأضلوا. 

10. Ahmad ibn al-Hasan al-Qittan said: Abu Sa`id al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sukkari said: al-Hakam ibn Aslam said: Ibn `Ulayyah on the authorityi of al-Jariri, on the authority of Abu al-Ward ibn Thumamah, on the authority of `Ali (AS) that The Prophet (sw) heard a man say to the other: “May Allah make your face and the one who resembles you ugly!” So He (sw) said: “Wait a minute! Do not say this for verily Allah created Adam (AS) in His Image.” The Compiler of this book (RA) says: The anthropomorphists took out the first part of this tradition and said: Verily, Allah created Adam in His Image.”1 Hence, they went astray in this meaning and led others astray.

11 - حدثنا أحمد بن زياد بن جعفر الهمداني رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا علي - ابن إبراهيم بن هاشم، عن أبيه، عن علي بن معبد، عن الحسين بن خالد، قال: قلت للرضا عليه السلام: يا ابن رسول الله إن الناس يروون أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: إن الله خلق آدم على صورته، فقال: قاتلهم الله، لقد حذفوا أول الحديث، إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم مر برجلين يتسابان، فسمع أحدهما يقول لصاحبه: قبح الله وجهك ووجه من يشبهك، فقال صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: يا عبد الله لا تقل هذا لأخيك، فإن الله عز وجل خلق آدم على صورته (١).  باب تفسير قول الله عز وجل: (يا إبليس ما منعك أن تسجد لما خلقت بيدي) 

11. Ahmad ibn Ziyad ibn Ja`far al-Hamadani (RA) said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of His father, on the authority of `Ali ibn Ma`bad, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Khalid that I said to al-Rida (sw): “O Son of the Messenger of Allah! Verily, the people relate that the Messenger of Allah (sw) said: “Verily, Allah created Adam (sw) in His Image.”” He (AS) replied: May Allah kill them! They have certainly removed the first part of the tradition. The Messenger of Allah (sw) passed by two men who were cursing each other. He (sw) heard one of them say to the other: “May Allah make your face and the one who resembles you ugly!” He (sw) said: “O servant of Allah! Do not say this to your brother for, verily Allah, the Mighty and High, created Adam (AS) in His Image.”

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter 12