What is Related Regarding the Vision

Al-Tawḥīd|Volume 1|Book 2|Chapter 8

Al-Tawḥīd

Book 2, Chapter 8

What is Related Regarding the Vision

Hadith #23

24 - وتصديق ما ذكرته ما حدثنا به تميم بن عبد الله بن تميم القرشي رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثني أبي، عن حمدان بن سليمان النيسابوري، عن علي بن محمد بن الجهم، قال: حضرت مجلس المأمون وعنده الرضا علي بن موسى عليهما السلام، فقال له المأمون: يا ابن رسول الله أليس من قولك أن الأنبياء معصومون؟ قال: بلى، فسأله عن آيات من القرآن، فكان فيما سأله إن قال له: فما معنى قول الله عز وجل: (ولما جاء موسى لميقاتنا وكلمه ربه قال رب أرني أنظر إليك قال لن تراني - الآية) كيف يجوز أن يكون كليم الله موسى بن عمران عليه السلام لا يعلم أن الله تعالى ذكره لا يجوز عليه الرؤية حتى يسأله هذا السؤال؟ فقال الرضا عليه السلام: إن كليم الله موسى بن عمران عليه السلام علم أن الله، تعالى عن أن يرى بالأبصار، و لكنه لما كلمه الله عز وجل وقربه نجيا رجع إلى قومه فأخبرهم أن الله عز وجل كلمه وقربه وناجاه، فقالوا: لن نؤمن لك حتى نسمع كلامه كما سمعت، و كان القوم سبعمائة ألف رجل، فاختار منهم سبعين ألفا، ثم اختار منهم سبعة آلاف ثم اختار منهم سبعمائة، ثم اختار منهم سبعين رجلا لميقات ربه، فخرج بهم إلى طور سيناء، فأقامهم في سفح الجبل، وصعد موسى عليه السلام إلى الطور وسأل الله تبارك و تعالى أن يكلمه ويسمعهم كلامه، فكلمه الله تعالى ذكره وسمعوا كلامه من فوق وأسفل ويمين وشمال ووراء وأمام، لأن الله عز وجل أحدثه في الشجرة، ثم جعله منبعثا منها حتى سمعوه من جميع الوجوه، فقالوا: لن نؤمن لك بأن هذا الذي سمعناه كلام الله حتى نرى الله جهرة، فلما قالوا هذا القول العظيم واستكبروا وعتوا، بعث الله عز وجل عليهم صاعقة فأخذتهم بظلمهم فماتوا، فقال موسى: يا رب ما أقول لبني إسرائيل إذا رجعت إليهم وقالوا: إنك ذهبت بهم فقتلتهم لأنك لم تكن صادقا فيما ادعيت من مناجاة الله إياك، فأحياهم الله وبعثهم معه، فقالوا: إنك لو سألت الله إن يريك أن تنظر إليه لأجابك وكنت تخبرنا كيف هو فنعرفه حق معرفته، فقال موسى عليه السلام: يا قوم إن الله لا يرى بالأبصار ولا كيفية له، وإنما يعرف بآياته ويعلم بأعلامه، فقالوا: لن نؤمن لك حتى تسأله، فقال موسى عليه السلام يا رب إنك قد سمعت مقالة بني إسرائيل وأنت أعلم بصلاحهم، فأوحى الله جل جلاله إليه: يا موسى اسألني ما سألوك فلن أؤاخذك بجهلهم، فعند ذلك قال موسى عليه السلام: (رب أرني أنظر إليك قال لن تراني ولكن انظر إلى الجبل فإن استقر مكانه (وهو يهوي) فسوف تراني فلما تجلى ربه للجبل (بآية من آياته) جعله دكا وخر موسى صعقا فلما أفاق قال سبحانك تبت إليك (يقول: رجعت إلى معرفتي بك عن جهل قومي) وأنا أول المؤمنين) منهم بأنك لا ترى، فقال المأمون: لله درك يا أبا الحسن. والحديث طويل أخذنا منه موضع الحاجة، وقد أخرجته بتمامه في كتاب عيون أخبار الرضا عليه السلام. ولو أوردت الأخبار التي رويت في معنى الرؤية لطال الكتاب بذكرها و شرحها وإثبات صحتها، ومن وفقه الله تعالى ذكره للرشاد آمن بجميع ما يرد عن الأئمة عليهم السلام بالأسانيد الصحيحة، وسلم لهم، ورد الأمر فيما اشتبه عليه إليهم إذ كان قولهم قول الله وأمرهم أمره، وهم أقرب الخلق إلى الله عز وجل وأعلمهم به صلوات الله عليهم أجمعين. باب القدرة

24. And the confirmation of what I have mentioned is what said Tamim ibn `Abd Allah al-Qarashi that My father related to me on the authority of Hamdan ibn Sulayman al-Naysaburi, on the authority of `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn al-Jahm that I was present in the gathering of al-Ma`mun and al-Rida `Ali ibn Musa was with him; hence, al-Ma`mun asked him: “O son of the Messenger of Allah! Do you not claim that the prophets are infallible?” He replied: “Of course.” Hence, he asked him about the verses of the Qur`an. Among the questions he asked was: Then, what is the meaning of the Word of Allah, the Mighty and High: And when Musa came at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: My Lord! Show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot (bear to) see Me?”1 How is it possible that Musa son of `Imran , to whom Allah ha spoken, did not know that Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, cannot be seen, thus leading him to ask that question? So al-Rida answered: Verily, Musa ibn `Imran , to whom Allah has spoken, knew that Allah is far above being seen by human eyes. However, when Allah, the Mighty and High spoke to him, He made him draw nigh, Musa returned to his people and informed them that Allah, the Mighty and High, spoke to him and made him draw nigh. Therefore, the people responded: “We will not believe in you until we hear His Speech like you head it.” The people were seven hundred thousand men. He chose seventy thousand from them. Then, from these, he chose seven thousand. For these, he chose seven hundred. And, finally, from these seven hundred, he chose seventy men for the appointment of his Lord. He then went out to Mount Sinai, and stood them on the mountain slope. Musa climbed the Sinai, and asked Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, to speak to him, and to make them hear His Speech. Thus, Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, spoke to him, and they heard His Speech from above, below, right, left, behind and in front, because Allah, the Mighty and High, created it in the tree, then directed the sound to them from the tree to them until they could hear it from all sides. Then they said: “We will not believe that this is the speech of Allah until we see Allah manifestly.” When they said these insolent words, they were all puffed up with pride. As a result, Allah, the Mighty and high, seized them for their oppression and struck them with a thunderbolt, killing them all. Musa then said: “O Lord! What shall I say to the Israelites when I return to them and they say to me: `You took them with you and killed them, because you were not truthful in your claim that Allah drew night to you.” Thus, Allah raised them to life, and sent them with him. They then said: “If you had asked Allah to show Himself to you s that you could see Him, He would certainly have answered you. Then, you could have described Him for us so that we could recognize Him they way He deserves to be recognized.” Musa said: “O people! Verily, Allah cannot be seen by human eyes and He is not subject to shape. He can only be recognized by His Signs and can only known through His Attributes.” They said: “We will not believe in you until you ask Him.” Hence, Musa said: “O Lord! You certainly heard the words of the Israelites, and You are the Most Knowledgeable of their interest. So Allah, Exalted be His Glory, revealed to him: “O Musa! Ask Me what they have asked you for I will not resent you for their ignorance.” At this point Musa said: My Lord! Show me (Thyself), so that I may look upon Thee. He said: You cannot see Me but look at the mountain, if it remains firm in its place (while it is shaking), then will you see Me; but when his Lord manifested to the mountain (a sign from His Signs) He made it crumble and Musa fell down in a swoon; then when he recovered, he said: Glory be to Thee, I turn to Thee (I am turning back to my recognition of You from the ignorance of my people), and I am the first of the Believers to profess that You cannot be seen.2 Al-Ma`mun expressed: “For Allah’s sake continue, O Abu al-Hasan.” The Compiler of this book says: The tradition is detailed; we have extracted from it the required passage. I have transmitted all of it in the book `Uyun Akhbar al-Rida . If I had transmitted all the traditions which are narrated regarding the vision, surely the book would become lengthy with their mentioning, their explanation and proving their authenticity. Whoever Allah, Exalted be His Remembrance, grants success with right guidance, believe in all that is transmitted with the authentic chain of narrations from the Imam , submits to them and consults their teachings when he is in doubt. This is because their words are the Words of Allah and their orders are the Orders of Allah. They are the closest in creation to Allah, the Mighty and High, and those with the greatest knowledge of Allah, may the blessings of Allah be upon them all.