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

Al-Tawḥīd|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 41

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter 41

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

Hadith #10

10 - حدثنا علي بن أحمد بن محمد بن عمران الدقاق رحمه الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن جعفر أبو الحسين الأسدي، قال: حدثنا الحسين بن المأمون القرشي عن عمر بن عبد العزيز، عن هشام بن الحكم، قال: قال لي أبو شاكر الديصاني: إن لي مسألة تستأذن لي على صاحبك، فإني قد سألت عنها جماعة من العلماء فما أجابوني بجواب مشبع، فقلت: هل لك أن تخبرني بها فلعل عندي جوابا ترتضيه فقال: إني أحب أن ألقى بها أبا عبد الله عليه السلام، فاستأذنت له فدخل فقال له: أتأذن لي في السؤال؟ فقال له: سل عما بدا لك، فقال له: ما الدليل على أن لك صانعا؟ فقال: وجدت نفسي لا تخلو من إحدى جهتين: إما أن أكون صنعتها أنا أو صنعها غيري، فإن كنت صنعتها أنا فلا أخلو من أحد معنيين: إما أن أكون صنعتها و كانت موجودة، أو صنعتها وكانت معدومة، فإن كنت صنعتها وكانت موجودة فقد استغنت بوجودها عن صنعتها، وإن كانت معدومة فإنك تعلم أن المعدوم لا يحدث شيئا فقد ثبت المعنى الثالث أن لي صانعا وهو الله رب العالمين فقام وما أحار جوابا. قال مصنف هذا الكتاب: القول الصواب في هذا الباب هو أن يقال: عرفنا الله بالله لأنا إن عرفناه بعقولنا فهو عز وجل واهبها، وإن عرفناه عز وجل بأنبيائه ورسله وحججه عليهم السلام فهو عز وجل باعثهم ومرسلهم ومتخذهم حججا، وإن عرفناه بأنفسنا فهو عز وجل محدثها، فبه عرفناه، وقد قال الصادق عليه السلام: (لولا الله ما عرفنا ولولا نحن ما عرف الله) ومعناه لولا الحجج ما عرف الله حق معرفته، ولولا الله ما عرف الحجج، وقد سمعت بعض أهل الكلام يقول: لو أن رجلا ولد في فلاة من الأرض ولم ير أحدا يهديه ويرشده حتى كبر وعقل ونظر إلى السماء والأرض لدله ذلك على أن لهما صانعا ومحدثا، فقلت: إن هذا شئ لم يكن، و هو إخبار بما لم يكن أن لو كان كيف كان يكون، ولو كان ذلك لكان لا يكون ذلك الرجل إلا حجة الله تعالى ذكره على نفسه، كما في الأنبياء عليهم السلام منهم من بعث إلى نفسه، ومنهم من بعث إلى أهله وولده، ومنهم من بعث إلى أهل محلته، ومنهم من بعث إلى أهل بلده، ومنهم من بعث إلى الناس كافة، وأما استدلال إبراهيم الخليل عليه السلام بنظره إلى الزهرة ثم إلى القمر ثم إلى الشمس، وقوله لما أفلت: (يا قوم إني برئ مما تشركون) فإنه عليه السلام كان نبيا ملهما مبعوثا مرسلا وكان جميعا قوله بإلهام الله عز وجل إياه، وذلك قوله عز وجل: ﴿وتلك حجتنا آتيناها إبراهيم على قومه﴾ (١) وليس كل أحد كإبراهيم عليه السلام، ولو استغنى في معرفة التوحيد بالنظر عن تعليم الله عز وجل وتعريفه لما أنزل الله عز وجل ما أنزل من قوله: ﴿فاعلم أنه لا إله إلا الله﴾ (٢) ومن قوله: (قل هو الله أحد - إلى آخرها) ومن قوله: ﴿بديع السماوات والأرض أنى يكون له ولد ولم تكن له صاحبة - إلى قوله - وهو اللطيف الخبير﴾ وآخر الحشر، وغيرها من آيات التوحيد . باب إثبات حدوث العالم

10. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq said: Muhammad ibn Ja`far Abu al-Husayn al-Asadi said: al-Husayn ibn al-Ma`mun al-Qarashi said, on the authority of `Umr ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, on the authority of Hisham ibn al-Hakam that Abu Shakir al-Daysani said to me: “Verily, I have a query; I want you to take permission for me from your companion. For I have certainly asked about it from many scholars. They have not been able to answer me with a satisfactory answer.” So I said: “Would you like to tell me the query. Perhaps I have an answer that would please you.” He replied, “I would certainly like to meet Abu `Abd Allah with this query.” So I obtained the permission for him and he entered his presence and asked him , “Do you permit me to ask a question?” The Imam replied, “Ask what has come to you.” He asked, “How can you prove that you have a Creator?” Consequently, he responded, I found myself not free from one of two possibilities: either I have crated myself, or someone else has created me. If I have created myself, then I am not free from one of the two meanings: either I created myself while I was already existent, or I created myself while I was on nonexistent. Hence, if I created myself, and I already exited, then I was self-sufficient of giving existence to myself. And if I was nonexistent, then you know that the nonexistent cannot bring about a thing. Therefore, the third meaning is proved that I have a Creator and that is Allah, the Lord of the Universe. Al-Daysani got up and did not negate the answer. The Compiler of this book says: The correct statement in this chapter is to say: we have recognized Allah through Allah, because if we recognized Him through our intellects then He, the Mighty and High, is the Bestower of our intellects. And if we recognized Him, the Mighty and High, through His Prophets, Messengers and Proofs then He, the Mighty and High, is the One that delegates them, sends them, and the One who has taken them as His Proofs. If we have recognized Him though ourselves then He, the Mighty and High, is the One who brought us about. Thus, through Him we have recognized Him. Al-Sadiq has said: “If Allah did not exist then we (Imams) would not have been known, and if we were not there, then Allah would not be recognized.” The meaning of that is that if the Proofs did not exist, then Allah would not be recognized the way He deserves to be recognized, and if Allah did not exist, then the Proofs would not have been known. I have heard some theologians say: “Even if a person were born in a desert on earth and even if he found nobody to guide him until he becomes big, contemplating the heaves and the earth would be sufficient to guide him to the fact that there is One Creator who brought them about.” I would respond: Verily, this is something that has not happened, and it relates the news of something that has not happened. If it has happened, how could it be? If such a thing ever took place, then that man must have been a Proof of Allah, may His Remembrance of Himself be Exalted, or a Prophet . Allah sent different type of Prophets. Some were individual Prophets, who were individually guided. Some were sent to their families, and children. Some were sent to the people in their region. Some were sent to the people in their city. And some were sent to all of humanity. As for the reasoning of Ibrahim , the Friend of Allah, when he looked at Venus, the Moon, and the Sun, when they set he said: O people! Verily, I am free from the partners you ascribe to Allah. He was a Prophet who had inspiration, was delegate and sent by Allah. All of his words were through the inspiration of Allah, the Mighty and High. As we see in the Word of the Mighty and High: This is Our argument which We gave to Abraham rebutting his people. People are not all like Ibrahim . If it were sufficient to simply think about Allah without the guidance and Direction of Allah, the Mighty and High, then why did Allah, the Mighty and High, reveal what He revealed of His Word: So know that there is no god but Allah, and His Word: Say: He Allah is One, and His Word: Wonderful Originator of heavens and the earth! How could He have a son when He has no consort and He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware. Also the last verse of the chapter “The Banishment,” and other verses about Divine Unity.