13. `Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Imran al-Daqqaq رضي الله عنه said: Muhammad ibn Abu `Abdullah al-Kufi said on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il al-Barmaki, on the authority al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan, on the authority of Bakr ibn Salih, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Sa`id, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Khazzaz and Muhammad ibn al-Husayn both said: We entered into the presence of Abu al-Hasan al-Rida عليه السلام. We related to him what was transmitted regarding Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم; namely, that he saw His Lord in the form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age, whose feet were covered in greenery. I also explained to him that that Hisham ibn Salim, Sahib al-Taqi and al-Maythami say that Allah’s belly is hollow and the rest (of His body) is solid.
So he عليه السلام fell in prostration and then said: "May You be Glorified! They have not recognized You, nor have they testified to Your Unity. As a result, they have described You as such. May You be glorified! Had they recognized You, they would have only described You by means of the attributes with which You have described yourself. May You be glorified! They have certainly wronged themselves by describing You with what is not worthy of You. O my God, I only describe You with the attributes with which You have described yourself, and I do not compare You with Your Creation. You are worthy of all good. Do not count me among the oppressors."
Then he عليه السلام turned his face to us and said: “Whatever you have imagined, imagine Allah as other than that.” He عليه السلام then added: We, the Household of Muhammad, are the middle way [al-Namat al-Awsat] which the exaggerator [ghali] cannot comprehend, and the neglectful follower does not reach. O Muhammad! Verily, when the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم looked at the grandeur of His Lord, he (the Messenger) was in a form of a vigorous young man of thirty years of age. O Muhammad! My Lord is far above possessing the attributes of the created."
He says, I asked him عليه السلام: ‘May I be your ransom! Whose feet were covered in green?” He عليه السلام replied: "That refers to Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم. When he looked at his Lord by means of his heart, Allah covered him in the Light of His Veil until it was apparent to him what was behind the veil. Verily, the Light of Allah is green, red, and white, as well as other colors. O Muhammad, we only accept what agrees with the Book (Qur`an), and the Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet)."
