Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

و استعبد الله عز و جل الملائكة بالسجود لآدم تعظيما له لما غيبه عن أبصارهم وذلك أنه عز و جل إنما أمرهم بالسجود لآدم لما أودع صلبه من أرواح حجج الله تعالى ذكره فكان ذلك السجود لله عز و جل عبودية و لآدم طاعة و لما في صلبه تعظيما فأبى إبليس أن يسجد لآدم حسدا له إذ جعل صلبه مستودع أرواح حجج الله دون صلبه فكفر بحسده و تأبيه و فسق عن أمر ربه و طرد عن جواره.   و لعن و سمي رجيما لأجل إنكاره للغيبة لأنه احتج في امتناعه من السجود لآدم بأن‌ قالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نارٍ وَ خَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ‌ فجحد ما غيب عن بصره و لم يوقع التصديق به و احتج بالظاهر الذي شاهده و هو جسد آدم عليه السلام و أنكر أن يكون يعلم لما في صلبه وجودا و لم يؤمن بأن آدم إنما جعل قبلة للملائكة و أمروا بالسجود له لتعظيم ما في صلبه فمثل من آمن بالقائم عليه السلام في غيبته مثل الملائكة الذين أطاعوا الله عز و جل في السجود لآدم و مثل من أنكر القائم عليه السلام في غيبته مثل إبليس في امتناعه من السجود لآدم كذلك‌ رُوِيَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ.

The Almighty Allah ordered His angels to prostrate to Adam as a mark of his respect while the latter was not visible to them. He ordered the angles to prostrate to Adam when he had made the souls of his proofs enter his loins. Thus, that prostration was like Allah’s worship, Adam’s obedience and as a mark of honor for those souls which were present in the loin of Adam. Iblees refused to prostrate to Adam out of jealousy because Allah had made the loins of Adam a source of His proofs and did not do so to Shaitan’s loins. Hence, he treaded on the way of infidelity because of his jealousy and moved away from the way of obedience of his Lord. Hence he was banished from the neighborhood of the Lord.   He was cursed and was given the title of rajeem (the accursed one) because he denied occultation and put forward this excuse of not prostrating before Adam: «I am better than he: Thou hast created  me of fire, while him Thou didst create of dust» (7:12) Thus he denied what he could not see. He made the physical body of Adam an excuse for denial of those who were present in his loins. He did not accept the fact that Adam was made only the Qibla and angels were ordered to prostrate before him so that the personalities present in his loins are honored. Therefore, the likeness of one who believes in al-Qāʾim (as) during his occultation is like the angels who obeyed Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in prostrating to Adam. And the likeness of one who denies al-Qāʾim (ʿa) during his occultation is like Iblīs who refused to prostrate to Adam. This is what has been narrated from al-Ṣādiq Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad (as).

حَدَّثَنَا بِذَلِكَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُوسَى بْنِ الْمُتَوَكِّلِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْكُوفِيُّ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْبَرْمَكِيِّ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْكُوفِيِّ عَنِ‌ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَيْمَنَ بْنِ مُحْرِزٍ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ ع‌ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى عَلَّمَ آدَمَ عليه السلام أَسْمَاءَ حُجَجِ اللَّهِ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ وَ هُمْ أَرْوَاحٌ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْماءِ هؤُلاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ‌ بِأَنَّكُمْ أَحَقُّ بِالْخِلَافَةِ فِي الْأَرْضِ لِتَسْبِيحِكُمْ وَ تَقْدِيسِكُمْ مِنْ آدَمَ ع‌ قالُوا سُبْحانَكَ لا عِلْمَ لَنا إِلَّا ما عَلَّمْتَنا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ‌ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى‌ يا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمائِهِمْ‌ وَقَفُوا عَلَى عَظِيمِ مَنْزِلَتِهِمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى ذِكْرُهُ فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّهُمْ أَحَقُّ بِأَنْ يَكُونُوا خُلَفَاءَ اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ وَ حُجَجَهُ عَلَى بَرِيَّتِهِ ثُمَّ غَيَّبَهُمْ عَنْ أَبْصَارِهِمْ وَ اسْتَعْبَدَهُمْ بِوَلَايَتِهِمْ وَ مَحَبَّتِهِمْ وَ قَالَ لَهُمْ‌ أَ لَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّماواتِ وَ الْأَرْضِ وَ أَعْلَمُ ما تُبْدُونَ وَ ما كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ‌.  حدثنا بذلك أحمد بن الحسن القطان قال حدثنا الحسين بن علي السكري قال حدثنا محمد بن زكريا الجوهري قال حدثنا جعفر بن محمد بن عمارة عن أبيه عن الصادق جعفر بن محمد و هذا استعباد الله عز و جل للملائكة بالغيبة و الآية أولها في قصة الخليفة و إذا كان آخرها مثلها كان للكلام نظم و في النظم حجة و منه يؤخذ وجه الإجماع لأمة محمد ص أولهم و آخرهم و ذلك أنه سبحانه و تعالى إذا علم آدم الأسماء كلها على ما قاله المخالفون فلا محالة أن أسماء الأئمة عليه السلام داخلة في تلك الجملة فصار ما قلناه في ذلك بإجماع الأمة. و من أصح الدليل عليه أنه لا محالة لما دل الملائكة على السجود لآدم فإنه حصل لهم عبادة فلما حصل لهم عبادة أوجب باب الحكمة أن يحصل لهم ما هو في حيزه سواء كان في وقت أو في غير وقت فإن الأوقات ما تغير الحكمة و لا تبدل الحجة أولها كآخرها وآخرها كأولها لا يجوز في حكمة الله أن يحرمهم معنى من معاني المثوبة و لا أن يبخل بفضل من فضائل الأئمة لأنهم كلهم شرع واحد دليل ذلك أن الرسل متى آمن مؤمن بواحد منهم أو بجماعة و أنكر واحدا منهم لم يقبل منه إيمانه كذلك القضية في الأئمة عليه السلام أولهم و آخرهم واحد. وَ قَدْ قَالَ الصَّادِقُ: الْمُنْكِرُ لِآخِرِنَا كَالْمُنْكِرِ لِأَوَّلِنَا. وَ قَالَ ع‌ مَنْ أَنْكَرَ وَاحِداً مِنَ‌ الْأَحْيَاءِ فَقَدْ أَنْكَرَ الْأَمْوَاتَ و سأخرج ذلك في هذا الكتاب مسندا في موضعه إن شاء الله. فصح أن قوله عز و جل‌ وَ عَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْماءَ كُلَّها أراد به أسماء الأئمة عليه السلام

Muhammad bin Musa bin Mutawakkil narrated this to us from Muhammad bin Abu Abdullah al-Kufi from Muhammad bin Ismail Barmaki from Ja’far bin Abdullah al-Kufi from Hasan bin Saeed from Muhammad bin Ziyad from Aiman bin Muhriz from Imam Ja’far Sadiq (as) that he said: “The Almighty Allah told the names of all His proofs to Adam. Then he displayed the soul of Adam to the angels and said: Tell me the names of those people if you are truly more worthy of becoming a caliph on this earth for you are praising Me. All the angels replied: You are pure for we do not have any knowledge except what You taught us. Surely, you are all-knowing and wise. The Almighty Allah asked Adam to tell the names of those persons and he did. The angels became aware of the status of those personalities near Allah. The angels came to know that those personalities will be Allah’s caliphs and successors and a proof for the creatures. After that, Allah hid those personalities from the eyes of the angels. He ordered his angels to follow them and said: Didn’t I tell you that I am aware of what is hidden in the heavens and the earth and whatever is expressed by you and whatever is hidden inside you?” Ahmad bin al-Hasan al-Qattan (also) narrated this to us from Husain bin Ali al-Askari from Muhammad bin Zakariya Jawhari from Muhammad bin Ammar from Ja’far bin Muhammad bin Imara from his father from Imam Ja’far Sadiq bin Muhammad (as). [Al-Saduq says:] The Almighty Allah has made the angels have faith in occultation in this way. The verse started with the discussion of the caliph and the discussion is well ordered if it ends in the similar manner. Proof and understanding are hidden in the order. Now if the Almighty Allah taught the names of all things to Adam, as the opponents say, then the names of Imams are automatically included in it. Thus the entire Ummah is united on what we said. The best proof of this fact is that when the angels were asked to prostrate before Adam, this act was considered as worship. If it was worship then logically they should also acquire whatever was in that rank either at that moment or some time later because wisdom and proof do not change with time. It is the same from the beginning to the end. It is not possible for divine wisdom to deprive them of any reward and be miserly in allowing them to benefit from the virtues and excellences of Imams because all of them are equal. It proves that if a person has faith on one of the prophets or a group of them and denies others, his faith is not acceptable. It is exactly the same in the case of Imams. All of them from the beginning to the end are alike. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (as) has said: "One who denies the last among us is like the denier of the first among us." He also said: "If one denies anyone of us who is alive, he has denied all of those among us who have passed away." I will narrate a tradition in this regard in an appropriate place in this book, if Allah wills. Thus, the Almighty Allah taught the names of all Imams by saying: “And we taught all the names to Adam”.

و للأسماء معان كثيرة و ليس أحد معانيها بأولى من الآخر و للأسماء أوصاف و ليس أحد الأوصاف بأولى من الآخر فمعنى الأسماء أنه سبحانه علم آدم عليه السلام أوصاف الأئمة كلها أولها و آخرها و من أوصافهم العلم و الحلم و التقوى و الشجاعة و العصمة و السخاء و الوفاء و قد نطق بمثله كتاب الله عز و جل في أسماء الأنبياء عليه السلام كقوله عز و جل‌ وَ اذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتابِ إِبْراهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كانَ صِدِّيقاً نَبِيًّا وَ اذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتابِ إِسْماعِيلَ إِنَّهُ كانَ صادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَ كانَ رَسُولًا نَبِيًّا وَ كانَ يَأْمُرُ أَهْلَهُ بِالصَّلاةِ وَ الزَّكاةِ وَ كانَ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ مَرْضِيًّا وَ اذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتابِ إِدْرِيسَ إِنَّهُ كانَ صِدِّيقاً نَبِيًّا وَ رَفَعْناهُ مَكاناً عَلِيًّا و كقوله عز و جل‌ وَ اذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتابِ مُوسى‌ إِنَّهُ كانَ مُخْلَصاً وَ كانَ رَسُولًا نَبِيًّا وَ نادَيْناهُ مِنْ جانِبِ الطُّورِ الْأَيْمَنِ وَ قَرَّبْناهُ نَجِيًّا وَ وَهَبْنا لَهُ مِنْ رَحْمَتِنا أَخاهُ هارُونَ نَبِيًّا فوصف الرسل عليه السلام و حمدهم بما كان فيهم من الشيم المرضية و الأخلاق الزكية و كان ذلك أوصافهم و أسماءهم كذلك علم الله عز و جل آدم الأسماء كلها. و الحكمة في ذلك أيضا أنه لا وصول إلى الأسماء و وجوه الاستعبادات إلا من طريق السماع و العقل غير متوجه إلى ذلك لأنه لو أبصر عاقل شخصا من بعيد أو قريب لما توصل إلى استخراج اسمه و لا سبيل إليه إلا من طريق السماع فجعل الله عز و جل العمدة في باب الخليفة السماع و لما كان كذلك أبطل به باب الاختيار إذ الاختيار من طريق الآراء و قضية الخليفة موضوعة على الأسماء و الأسماء موضوعة على السماع فصح به و معه مذهبنا في الإمام أنه يصح بالنص و الإشارة فأما باب الإشارة فمضمر في قوله عز و جل‌ ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ فباب العرض مبني على الشخص و الإشارة و باب الاسم مبني على السمع فصح معنى الإشارة و النص جميعا. و للعرض الذي قال الله عز و جل‌ ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلائِكَةِ معنيان أحدهما عرض أشخاصهم و هيئاتهم كما رويناه في باب أخبار أخذ الميثاق و الذر و الوجه الآخر أن يكون عز و جل عرضهم على الملائكة من طريق الصفة و النسبة كما يقوله قوم من مخالفينا فمن كلا المعنيين يحصل استعباد الله عز و جل الملائكة بالإيمان بالغيبة. و في قوله عز و جل‌ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْماءِ هؤُلاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صادِقِينَ‌ حكم كثيرة أحدها أن الله عز و جل أهل آدم عليه السلام لتعليم الملائكة أسماء الأئمة عن الله تعالى ذكره و أهل الملائكة لتعلم أسمائهم عن آدم عليه السلام فالله عز و جل علم آدم و آدم علم الملائكة فكان آدم في حيز المعلم و كانوا في حيز المتعلمين هذا ما نص عليه القرآن. و قول الملائكة سُبْحانَكَ لا عِلْمَ لَنا إِلَّا ما عَلَّمْتَنا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ‌ فيه أصح دليل و أبين حجة لنا أنه لا يجوز لأحد أن يقول في أسماء الأئمة و أوصافهم عليه السلام إلا عن تعليم الله جل جلاله و لو جاز لأحد ذلك كان للملائكة أجوز و لما سبحوا الله دل تسبيحهم على أن الشرع فيه مما ينافي التوحيدو ذلك أن التسبيح تنزيه الله عز و جل و باب التنزيه لا يوجد في القرآن إلا عند قول جاحد أو ملحد أو متعرض لإبطال التوحيد و القدح فيه فلم يستنكفوا إذ لم يعلموا أن يقولوا لا عِلْمَ لَنا فمن تكلف علم ما لا يعلم احتج الله عليه بملائكته و كانوا شهداء الله عليه في الدنيا و الآخرة و إنما أهل الله الملائكة لإعلامهم على لسان آدم عند اعترافهم بالعجز و أنهم لا يعلمون فقال عز و جل‌ يا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمائِهِمْ‌.

The word ‘Asma’ has several meanings and all of them are equal. The adjectives of the word ‘Asma’ are equal. Here ‘Asma’ means that the Almighty Allah taught them all attributes of Imams from the beginning to the end. These attributes include knowledge, forbearance, piety, bravery, infallibility, generosity and loyalty. The book of Allah has mentioned the names of prophets as instances of those attributes as the Almighty Allah says: «And mention Ibrahim in the Book; surely he was a truthful man, a prophet» (19:41) “And mention Ismail in the Book; surely he was truthful in (his) promise, and he was an apostle, a prophet. And he enjoined on his family prayer and almsgiving, and was one in whom his Lord was well pleased. And mention Idrees in the Book; surely he was a truthful man, a prophet, And We raised him high in Heaven.” (19:54-57) «And mention Musa in the Book; surely he was one purified, and he was an apostle, a prophet. And We called to him from the blessed side of the mountain, and We made him draw nigh, holding communion (with Us). And We gave to him out of Our mercy his brother Harun» (19:51-53) Thus, the Almighty Allah praised His prophets in the above mentioned verses. They had pleasing attributes and pure character. These are their attributes. Similarly, the Almighty Allah had taught all the names to Prophet Adam. Another point full of wisdom in this matter is that the way of knowing the names and act of obedience was only by listening. The mind would have never been attentive to it. If a wise person sees a man coming from a distance, he cannot know his name correctly using his brain. He has no way but to listen in order to know the name. Thus, Allah has also made hearing and listening a good way of knowing the caliph. Hence, he did not give the right of appointment of caliph to the creatures because appointment of an Imam is through seeing. The foundation of caliphate is laid by the knowledge of names and the names are known only through hearing. On this basis, only our opinion regarding Imamate is correct because we prove the obedience through Nass. This type of election is implied in the verse: «then presented them to the angels» (2:31) The presentation here is based on the physical existence and the name is based on listening. In this way, the meanings of gesture and name both are proved correct. Also the word “presented” in the verse: “then (I) presented them…” has two meanings. One of them is showing him in his physical form as I have mentioned in the chapter of Tharr and derivation of agreement. It can also imply that the Almighty Allah displayed his attributes and relationship to the angels as believed by one of our rival groups. Both mean that the Almighty Allah has ordered the angels to have faith in unseen. The verse of Almighty Allah: «Tell me the names of those if you are right.» (2:31) has a lot of wisdom hidden in it. One of them is that He gave a capability to Adam to teach the names of Imams to the angels. Also, He made angels capable enough to learn the meanings from Adam. Thus the Almighty Allah taught them to Adam and the latter taught them to the angels. Thus Adam is like a knowledgeable teacher and angels are like knowledge-seeking students. This meaning is explained by Holy Quran. And the statement of the angels: «Glory be to Thee! We have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise» (2:32) contains the best proof of the fact that no one has the right to say anything about the names and attributes of Imams except one who is taught by Allah. If someone has got this right without Allah’s teaching then angels would have been even more rightful to it. The angels glorified Allah and this fact is a proof that saying anything in this matter is against Tawheed (monotheism) because glorification means having faith that Allah is pure from all defects. There is no occurrence of purification except those after the discussion of a denier of Tawheed or one who doubts in this matter. The angels did not hesitate from expressing their ignorance in this matter. They said: “We have no knowledge.” Thus, if a person shows that he has the knowledge but he does not have it then the Almighty Allah will make the stand of angels as an argument on him and will make them testify against him in this world and hereafter. The Almighty Allah made the angels capable enough to learn through the words of Adam even though they were ignorant and said: “O Adam! inform them of their names” (2:33)