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 - حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن سهل بن زياد الآدمي، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن محمد بن مارد أن أبا عبد الله عليه السلام سئل عن قول الله عز وجل: (الرحمن على العرش استوى) فقال: استوى من كل شئ، فليس شئ هو أقرب إليه من شئ. 

1. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of Sahl ibn al-Adami, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Marid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) was questioned about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: The Most Compassionate is firm on the Empyrean, so he (AS) replied, “He is equal (in distance) to everything. Therefore, He is not closer to one thing than another.”

2 - أبي رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، عن محمد بن الحسين  عن صفوان بن يحيى، عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج، قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام عن قول الله عز وجل: (الرحمن على العرش استوى ) فقال: استوى من كل شئ، فليس شئ أقرب إليه من شئ، لم يبعد منه بعيد، ولم يقرب منه قريب، استوى من كل شئ .

2. My father (RA) said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Husayn, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: The Most Compassionate is firm on the Empyrean, so he (AS) answered, “He is equal with everything. Nothing is closer to Him than another. What is far is not far from Him, and what is close is not close to Him. He is equal in distance to everything.”

3 - حدثنا أبو الحسين محمد بن إبراهيم بن إسحاق الفارسي، قال: حدثنا أحمد بن محمد أبو سعيد النسوي، قال: حدثنا أبو نصر أحمد بن محمد بن عبد الله الصغدي بمرو  قال: حدثنا محمد بن يعقوب بن الحكم العسكري وأخوه معاذ بن يعقوب، قالا: حدثنا محمد بن سنان الحنظلي، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن عاصم، قال: حدثنا عبد الرحمن بن قيس، عن أبي هاشم الرماني، عن زاذان، عن سلمان الفارسي في حديث طويل يذكر فيه قدوم الجاثليق المدينة مع مائة من النصارى بعد قبض رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسؤاله أبا بكر عن مسائل لم يجبه عنها، ثم أرشد إلى أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام فسأله عنها فأجابه، وكان فيما سأله أن قال له: أخبرني عن الرب أين هو وأين كان؟ فقال علي عليه السلام: لا يوصف الرب جل جلاله بمكان، هو كما كان، وكان كما هو، لم يكن في مكان، ولم يزل من مكان إلى مكان، ولا أحاط به مكان، بل كان لم يزل بلا حد ولا كيف، قال: صدقت، فأخبرني عن الرب أفي الدنيا هو أو في الآخرة؟ قال علي عليه السلام: لم يزل ربنا قبل الدنيا، ولا يزال أبدا، هو مدبر الدنيا، وعالم بالآخرة، فأما أن يحيط به الدنيا والآخرة فلا، ولكن يعلم ما في الدنيا، والآخرة، قال: صدقت يرحمك الله، ثم قال: أخبرني عن ربك أيحمل أو يحمل؟ فقال علي عليه السلام: إن ربنا جل جلاله يحمل ولا يحمل، قال النصراني: فكيف ذاك؟! ونحن نجد في الإنجيل (ويحمل عرش ربك فوقهم يومئذ ثمانية) فقال علي عليه السلام: إن الملائكة تحمل العرش، وليس العرش كما تظن كهيئة السرير، ولكنه شئ محدود مخلوق مدبر، وربك عز وجل مالكه، لا أنه عليه ككون الشئ على الشئ، وأمر الملائكة بحمله، فهم يحملون العرش بما أقدرهم عليه، قال النصراني: صدقت رحمك الله - والحديث طويل أخذنا منه موضع الحاجة، وقد أخرجته بتمامه في آخر كتاب النبوة -. 

3. Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Farisi said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Sa`id al-Nisawi said: Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd Allah al-Sughdi said in Marw that Muhammad ibn Ya`qub ibn al-Hakam al-`Askari and his brother Mu`adh ibn Ya`qub both said: Muhammad ibn Sinan al-Hanzali sail said: `Abd Allah ibn `Asim said: `Abd alRahman ibn Qays said, on the authority of Abu Hashim al-Rummani, on the authority of Zadhan that Salman al-Farisi related a long tradition concerning the coming of the Catholicos to Medina with a hundred Christians after the death of the Messenger of Allah (SA) and asking Abu Bakr some questions, which he could not reply. Then they were directed to the Commander of the Faithful `Ali ibn Abu Talib (AS), so they asked him (those questions), and he answered them. Among the queries he was asked: “Inform me about the Lord. Where is He, and where was He?” `Ali (AS) replied, The Lord, Exalted be His Glory, is not subject to space. He is how He was, and He was as He is now. He is not in any place, nor has He declined from one place to another. He is not encompassed in one place; rather, He has always been without boundary and without quality. The Catholicos said: “You have spoken the truth. Now tell me about the Lord. Is He in this world or is He is the Hereafter?” `Ali (AS) replied, Our Lord existed before this world existed, and He will exist forever. He is the Planner of this World, and the All-Knowing of the Hereafter. It is not possible for Him to be encompassed by this world or the Hereafter. However, He knows all that is in this world, and all that is in the Hereafter. He said: “You have spoken the truth. May Allah have mercy on you!” He then asked, “Tell me about our Lord. Does He carry or is He carried?” `Ali (AS), thus, replied, “Verily, our Lord, Exalted be His Glory, carries and is not carried.” The Christian asked, “How is that? In the Bible we find that The Empyrean of your Lord is carried about them on the day by eight angels.” `Ali (AS) answered, Verily, the angels carry the Empyrean. However, the empyrean is not shaped like a bed as you image. Rather, it is something bounder, crated, and planned, which is subjected to the Lord. It is not as if He is on it like something being carried by another. He has ordered angels to carry it, and they do so with the power that he has granted them. The Christian said: “You have spoke the truth, May Allah have mercy on you!.” The Compiler of this book says: The Tradition is long. We have extracted from it the required passage. I have transmitted all of it in the end of the book Al-Nabuwwat.

4 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن سهل بن زياد، عن الحسن بن موسى الخشاب، عن بعض رجاله رفعه، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام أنه سئل عن قول الله عز وجل: (الرحمن على العرش استوى) فقال: استوى من كل شئ، فليس شئ أقرب إليه من شئ. 

4. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (RA) said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Musa al-Khashshab, on the authority of some of the ones he transmits from hurrying the transmission, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) was questioned about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: The Most Compassionate is firm on the Empyrean, so he (AS) replied, “He is equal in distance to everything. Therefore, He is not closer to one thing than another.”

5 - حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رحمه الله قال: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن بن أبان، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن النضر بن سويد، عن عاصم بن حميد، عن أبي بصير، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، قال: من زعم أن الله عز وجل من شئ أو في شئ أو على شئ فقد كفر، قلت: فسر لي، قال: أعني بالحواية من الشئ له، أو بإمساك له، أو من شئ سبقه. 

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (RA) said: al-Husayn ibn al-Husayn ibn Aban said, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Sa`id, on the authority of al-Nadr ibn Suwayd, on the authority of `Asim ibn Humayd, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said: “Whoever claims that Allah, the Mighty and High, is from something or in something or on something, then he has certainly disbelieved.” I said: “Explain that to me.” He (AS) responded, “I refer to a person who claims that He is contained by something, that He is restrained by something, or that He is preceded by something.”

6 - وفي رواية أخرى قال: من زعم أن الله من شئ فقد جعله محدثا، ومن زعم أنه في شئ فقد جعله محصورا، ومن زعم أنه على شئ فقد جعله محمولا. 

6. And in another tradition it says “Whoever claims that Allah is from something, he implies that He has been created. Whoever claims that He is in something, he implies that He is limited. And whoever claims that He is on something, he implies that He is carried by something.”

7 - حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رحمه الله قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر، عن أحمد بن محمد، عن الحسن بن محبوب، قال: حدثني مقاتل بن سليمان، قال: سألت جعفر بن محمد عليهما السلام، عن قول الله عز وجل: (الرحمن على العرش استوى) فقال: استوى من كل شئ، فليس شئ أقرب إليه من شئ. 

7. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub that Maqatil ibn Sulayman related to me that I asked Ja`far ibn Muhammad (AS) about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: The Most Compassionate is firm on the Empyrean, so he (AS) replied, “He is equal in distance to everything. Therefore, He is not closer to one thing than to another.”

8 - وبهذا الإسناد، عن الحسن بن محبوب، عن حماد، قال: قال أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: كذب من زعم أن الله عز وجل من شئ أو في شئ أو على شئ. 

8. And with this chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of Hammid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said: “Whoever claims that Allah, the Mighty and High, is from something, in something, or on something, has surely lied.”

9 - حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه رحمه الله، عن عمه محمد بن أبي القاسم، عن أحمد ابن أبي عبد الله، عن أبيه، عن محمد بن سنان، عن المفضل بن عمر، عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام، قال: من زعم أن الله عز وجل من شئ أو في شئ أو على شئ فقد أشرك، ثم قال: من زعم أن الله من شئ فقد جعله محدثا، ومن زعم أنه في شئ فقد زعم أنه محصور (١)، ومن زعم أنه على شئ فقد جعله محمولا. قال مصنف هذا الكتاب: إن المشبهة تتعلق بقوله عز وجل ﴿إن ربكم الله الذي خلق السماوات والأرض في ستة أيام ثم استوى على العرش يغشي الليل النهار يطلبه حثيثا﴾  ولا حجة لها في ذلك لأنه عز وجل عني بقوله: (ثم استوى على العرش) أي ثم نقل إلى فوق السماوات وهو مستول عليه ومالك له، وقوله عز وجل: (ثم) إنما لرفع العرش إلى مكانه الذي هو فيه ونقله للاستواء فلا يجوز أن يكون معنى قوله: (استوى) استولى لأن استيلاء الله تبارك وتعالى على الملك وعلى الأشياء ليس هو بأمر حادث، بل لم يزل مالكا لكل شئ ومستوليا على كل شئ، وإنما ذكر عز وجل الاستواء بعد قوله: (ثم) وهو يعني الرفع مجازا، وهو كقوله: (ولنبلونكم حتى نعلم المجاهدين منكم والصابرين)  فذكر (نعلم) مع قوله: (حتى) وهو عز وجل يعني حتى يجاهد المجاهدون ونحن نعلم ذلك لأن حتى لا يقع إلا على فعل حادث، وعلم الله عز وجل بالأشياء لا يكون حادثا، وكذلك ذكر قوله عز وجل: (استوى على العرش) بعد قوله: (ثم) وهو يعني بذلك ثم رفع العرش لاستيلائه عليه، ولم يعن بذلك الجلوس واعتدال البدن لأن الله لا يجوز أن يكون جسما ولا ذا بدن، تعالى الله عن ذلك علوا كبيرا.  باب معنى قوله عز وجل: ﴿وكان عرشه على الماء﴾  

9. Muhammad ibn `Ali Majilwayh (may Allah have mercy on him) said, on the authority of his paternal uncle Muhammad ibn Abu al-Qasim, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Abu `Abd Allah, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sinan, on the authority of alMufaddal ibn `Umar that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) said: Whoever claims that Allah, the Mighty and High, is from something, in something, or on something, he has surely committed polytheism. “He (AS) added, “Whoever claims that Allah is from something, he implies that He is created. Whoever claims that Allah is from something, he implies that He is created. Whoever claims that He is in something, he implies that He is limited. And whoever claims that He is on something, He has implied that He is carried.” The Compiler of this book says: The anthropomorphist cling to the Word of the Mighty and High: Surely your Lord is Allah, who created heaves and the earth in six days, then established Himself upon the Empyrean; He throws the veil of night over the day, which pursues it incessantly. There is no proof in that for them, because He, the Mighty and High, meant by this: then established Himself upon the Empyrean, i.e. then He transferred the Empyrean above the heavens, while He was in control over it and is its Master. His Word, the Mighty and High: `then’ refers to raising the Empyrean to the place where it is and transferring it to a steady state. Thus, it is not possible for the word `[istawa]’ to mean `taking possession,’ because Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, taking possession over the sovereignty and all things is not an accidental matter. In fact, He has always been the Master of everything, and in possession of everything. Verily, He, the Mighty and High, has mentioned `to establish’ after using the word `then,’ and that means `to raise’ metaphorically. It is similar to His Word: And most certainly We will try you until We have known those among you who exert themselves hard, and the patient. He has mentioned `We have known’ with His word `until,’ while He, the Mighty and High, means `until the ones who exert exert.’ We know this because `until’ is only used with an accidental action, while the knowledge of Allah, the Mighty and High, about the things is not accidental. Similar is the mention of His Word, the Mighty and High: `established Himself upon the Empyrean’ after His Word: `then.’ He means by that `then He raised the Empyrean for His Possession over it. He does not mean by that `the sitting’ or `proportion of body,’ because it is not possible that Allah could be a body or somatic. Exalted is Allah, the Elevated, and the High, from such things.

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter 48