2. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of Abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz, on the authority of Abu `Ubaydah, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: “Discuss about anything, but do not discuss about Allah.”

3. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority `Ali ibn Ri’ab, on the authority of Durays al-Kanasi, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: “Mention Allah’s Greatness as you wish, but do not discuss His Essence, as He is greater than anything you may mention.”

4. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of `Ali ibn Ri’ab on the authority of Burayd al-`Ijli that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq ﷺ said: The Messenger of Allah joined a gathering of his companions, and asked them: “Why have you gathered?” They replied: “We have gathered to mention our Lord and to ponder upon His Greatness.” Thus, the Prophet ﷺ said; “You will never be able to understand His Greatness.”

5. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of `Ali ibn ibn Ri’ab, on the authority of Fudayl ibn Yasir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: O son of Adam! If a bird ate you heart, it would not fill him. If your eye was placed with a hole of a needle it would certainly be covered. And yet you seek to understand the heavens and the earth by means of your heart and your eyes? If what you claim is correct, namely, that you can understand Allah, then here is the sun, a creation from the creations of Allah, If your eyes can stand the sight of it, then what you say is true.

6. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of al-`Ala’ ibn Razin, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir was asked about the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And whoever is blind in this, he shall (also) be blind in the hereafter; and more erring from the way. He said: He who is guided by the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alteration of the night and the day, and the sailing of the ships, and the sun and the moon, and all the other amazing signs of Allah, should know that there is something Greater behind them all. He shall be blind in the Hereafter, and the fartheset from the straight path. He added, “In other words, he is blind and led astray, form what he does not see.”

7. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa said, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn `Ali ibn Fuddal, on the authority of Tha`labah ibn Maymun, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn al-Sayqal, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: Discuss about anything but the Throne. And discuss about anything other than what is above the Throne. A group once conversed about the Essence of Allah, the Mighty and High. They became so bewildered that when someone called one of them from in front, he would answer from behind, when someone called on of them from behind, they would answer from in front (meaning he lost his sense).

8. My father said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Yahya al-Khath`ami, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahim al-Qasir that I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir something about Divine Unity. He lifted his hands up to Heaven and said: “Exalted is Allah, the Supreme [Jabbar]. Verily, whoever speculates about Divine Unity will be destroyed.”

9. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hajjaj, on the authority of Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq was asked to interpret the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And that to your Lord is the end of all. He said: “If the statement ends with Allah, the Mighty and High, then abstain.”

10. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Abu Ayyub al-Khazzaz, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “O Muhammad! Always use logic with the people until they start discussing the Essence of Allah. When you hear them talking about that say: There is no god but Allah, the One, and nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.”

11. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Humran, on the authority of Abu `Ubaydah al-Hadhdha’ that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (A)S said: O Ziyad! Beware of quarrels. Verily, its legacy is doubt and the loss of good deeds. A quarrelling person gets ruined. It may be that he talks about something for which he will not be forgiven. Verily, he may become lie the people of the past, who avoided the knowledge they were given, thinking that their knowledge would suffice. Their speech ended with Allah, the Mighty and High. Thus, they became so much bewildered that when a man was called from the front, he would answer from behind, and if he was called from behind, he would answer from in front.

12. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa said, on the authority `Abd Allah ibn al-Mughayrah, on the authority of Abu al-Yas`, on the authority of Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: Verily, there was a group of people before you cast aside the knowledge they were granted, and sought knowledge that was not granted to them. Hence, they did not stop questioning until they asked about what was above Heaven. As a result, they went astray. Among them was a man who, when called from the front, would answer from behind, and when was called from behind he would answer from the front.

13. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Abut al-Yas`, on the authority of Abu al-Jarud that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: “Abandon speculating about Allah. Verily, speculating about Allah does nothing but lead astray. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, cannot be perceived by vision, and the reports cannot reach Him.”

14. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Abu al-Yas`, on the authority of Sulayman ibn Khalid that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: ”Be ware of speculation about Allah. Verily, speculation about Allah does nothing but lead astray. Allah, the Mighty and high, cannot be perceived by vision, and He cannot be attributed with measure.”

15. My father said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa that Muhammad ibn Khalid said, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Nu`man and Safwan ibn Yahya, on the authority of Fudayl ibn `Uthman, that A group of people entered the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq talking about the Lordship. He told them: “Fear Allah, revere Him and do not say what we do not say, for verily, if you say one thing, and we say another, then you will die and so shall we. Then Allah will raise you from death, and as He will raise us. Thus, you would be the way He wills, and so shall we.”

16. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far said Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa said: al-Hasan ibn Mahbub said, on the authority of `Amr ibn Abu alMiqdam, on the authority of Salim ibn Abu Hafsah, on the authority of Mundhar al-Thawri, that Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyah said: “Verily, this Ummah will not be ruined until they stat discussing (the nature of) their Lord.”

17. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of `Ali ibn Ri’ab, on the authority of Durays al-Kunasi that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Beware of discussing about Allah. Discuss His Reverence, but do not discuss His Essence. Verily, discussing Allah does nothing but lead astray.

18. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Abu `Abd Allah al-Kufi said: Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn al-Hasan al-Kufi said: `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad bin Khalid said, on the authority of `Ali ibn Hasan al-Wasiti, on the authority of some of our scholars, on the authority of Zurarah that I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir : “Verily, the people in our presence are talking increasingly about the attributes of Allah. What should we say? So, he replied, “It is abhorred [makruh]. Do you not hear Allah, the Mighty and High, saying that And that to your Lord is the end of all. Speak about other than that.”

19. My father said: `Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abu `Umayr, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Bukayr, on the authority of Zurarah, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “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.

20. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Hamid said, on the authority of al`Ala’ ibn Razin, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Muslim, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: “Beware of speculating about Allah. However, if you intend to see Allah’s magnificence, then look towards the magnificence of His Creation.

21. My father said: Ahmad ibn Idris said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Sindi, on the authority of Hammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of alHusayn ibn al-Mukhtar, on the authority of Abu Basir, that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said: I heard him saying that, “Quarrelling destroys religion, puts an end to good deeds, and leaves nothing but doubt as its heir.”

22. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “The quarrelers are ruined while the submitters are saved. Verily, the submitters are the noble ones.”

23. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said: al-`Abbas ibn Ma`ruf said, on the authority of Sa`dan ibn Muslim, on the authority of Abu Basir that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “The only ones who quarrel in matters of faith are those who lack piety or who are assailed by doubts.”

24. My father said: ``Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said: Ahmad ibn Muhammad sid, on the authority of `Ali ibn al-Hakam, on the authority of Fudayl, on the authority of Abu `Ubaydah who said that Abu Ja`far al-Baqir said to me: O Abu `Ubaydah! Beware of quarrelers and those who relate lies about us. Verily, they have left what they were ordered to learn and seek from the knowledge of Heaven. O Abu `Ubaydah! Mould people with morals and pursue them with their deeds. Verily, we never consider a person to be wise until he recognizes the tone of speech. He then recited this verse: And most certainly you can recognize them by the tone of (their) speech.

25. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Ya`qub ibn Yazid said, on the authority of alGhifari, on the authority of Ja`far ibn Ibrahim, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ 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.’

26. My father said: Sa1d ibn `Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn `Isa said I read in the letter of `Ali ibn Bilal that he asked the man, i.e. Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim , regarding the prohibition of discussing matters of religion which were transmitted from his ancestors. Your followers [mawali] have interpreted `the speakers’ to mean that those who are not well-versed about a topic are prohibited from speaking about it and that whoever is well-versed about a topic is not prohibited from speaking about it. Is this the way you interpret it or not? Thus, he wrote: “...neither the well-versed nor the ignorant should speak about it, for indeed, its sin is greater than its benefit.”

27. My father said: Ahmad ibn Idris said; Muhammad ibn Ahmad said, on the authority of `Ali ibn Isma`il, on the authority of al-Mu`alla ibn Muhammad ibn al-Basri, on the authority of `Ali ibn Asbar, on the authority of Ja`far ibn Sama`ah, on the authority of more than one, on the authority of Zurarah that I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir : “What is the proof of Allah over the servants?” He answered, “They should only say what they know, and refrain from saying what they know not.”

28. My father said: Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn al-Husayn ibn Abu al-Khattab, on the authority of Ibn Fuddal, on the authority of `Ali ibn Shajarah, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Abu Raja’, on the authority of Tirbal’s brother that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “Abstaining from annoying (others with arguments) and desisting from shouting increase one’s sustenance.”

29. Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutawakkil said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyani said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Mahbub, on the authority of Najiyyah al-Qawwas, on the authority of `Ali ibn Yaaqtin that Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim said: “Guide your friends to hold their tongues, abandon religious quarrel, and strive to serve Allah, the Mighty and High.”

30. Al-Husayn ibn Ahmad ibn Idris said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of Musa ibn `Umar, on the authority of al-`Abbas ibn `Amir, on the authority of Muthanna, on the authority of Abu Baisr, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “the only ones who quarrel are those who are assailed with doubts or who are devoid of piety.”

31. And with the same chain of transmission, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad on the authority of Ahmad ibn al-Hasan, on the authority of Abu Hafs `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, on the authority of a man, that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “The debaters of this sect are the most evil of all the categories.”

32. My father said: Sa`d ibn `Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn al-Husayn said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il, on the authority of al-Hadrami, on the authority of alMufaddal ibn `Umar that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “O Mufaddal! Whoever speculates about the state of Allah is ruined, and whoever seeks power is ruined as well.”

33. My father (r.a) said: `Abd Allah ibn Ja`far al-Himyari said, on the authority of Harun ibn Muslim, on the authority of Mus`adah ibn Sadaqah, on the authority of Ja`far ibn Muhammad , on the authority of his father that The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has cursed the ones who cheapen religion. They are those who quarrel for the sole purpose of refuting truth with falsehood.”

34. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar said, on the authority of al-Fadl ibn `Amir, on the authority of Musa bin al-Qasim alBajali, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sa`id, on the authority of Isma`il ibn Abu Ziyad, on the authority of Ja`far ibn Muhammad on the authority of his forefathers that The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “I am the leader of the Highest House in Paradise, the leader of the Medium House in Paradise, and the leader of the House in the Garden of Paradise, for all those who refrain from vain argument, even when they are correct.

35. My father said: Ahmad ibn Idris said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il alNaysaburi, on the authority of `Abd al-Rahman ibn Abu Hashim, on the authority of Kulayb ibn Mu`awiyah that Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq said: “No one quarrels except for the one whose chest is narrowed.”