The chapter of the meaning of the One

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 6

Maʿānī al-ʾAkhbār

Book 1, Chapter 6

The chapter of the meaning of the One

Hadith #2

حدثنا عبد الله بن محمد بن عبد الوهاب بن نضر بن عبد الوهاب بن عطاء بن واصل السجزي قال: أخبرنا أبو الحسن أحمد بن محمد بن عبد الله بن ضمرة الشعراني العماري من ولد عمار ابن ياسر قال: حدثنا أبو محمد عبيد الله بن يحيى بن عبد الباقي الأذني بأذنة (2)، عن أبي المقدام ابن شريح بن هانئ، عن أبيه قال، إن أعرابيا قام يوم الجمل إلى أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام فقال: يا أمير المؤمنين أتقول، إن الله واحد؟ قال: فحمل الناس عليه وقالوا: يا أعرابي أما ترى ما فيه أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام من تقسم القلب فقال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: دعوه، فان الذي يريده الاعرابي هو الذي نريده من القوم، ثم قال: يا أعرابي إن القول في أن الله واحد على أربعة أقسام: فوجهان منها لا يجوزان على الله عز وجل، ووجهان يثبتان فيه. فأما اللذان لا يجوزان عليه فقول القائل " واحد " يقصد به باب الاعداد، فهذا ما لا يجوز لان ما لا ثاني له لا يدخل في باب الاعداد، ألا ترى أنه كفر من قال: ثالث ثلاثة؟ وقول القائل هو واحد من الناس يريد النوع من الجنس فهذا ما لا يجوز لأنه تشبيه وجل ربنا عن ذلك وتعالى. وأما الوجهان اللذان يثبتان فيه فقول القائل هو واحد ليس له في الأشياء شبه كذلك ربنا وقول القائل: " إنه عز وجل أحدي المعنى " يعني به أنه لا ينقسم في وجود ولا عقل ولا وهم كذلك ربنا عز وجل.

2. We were told by Abdullah bin Muhammed bin Abdul-Wahhab bin Naseer bin Abdul-Wahhab bin ‘Ataa’ bin Wasil al-Sijzi, that he said: We were informed by Abu’l-Hasan, Ahmad bin Muhammed bin Abdullah bin Dhamra al-Sha’rani al-‘Ammari – from among the sons of Ammar ibn Yasir – that he said: We were told by Abu Muhammed, Ubaidullah bin Yahya bin Abd-il-Baqi al-Adhani – in Adhana – of Miqdam bin Shurayh bin Hani, from his father, that he said: An Arabian stood on the Day of Jamal up to the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, and said: O Commander of the Believers, do you say that Allah is One? Then the people charged upon him and said: O Arabian, do you not see what the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, is in of distress of the heart? Then the Commander of the Believers, peace be upon him, said: Leave him, for indeed, what the Arabian wants is (the same as) what we want from the people (whom we are combating). Then he said: O Arabian, verily, the saying that Allah is One, is upon four indications; two which are not possible upon Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, and two which are confirmed in Him. As for the two that are not possible upon Him, it is the saying of the sayer that He is One whilst intending with it a number; this is what is not possible, because that which has no second does not enter into the realm of numbers. Do you not see that he has disbelieved, he who said: «The Third among Three»? As well as the saying of the sayer: «He is one among the people», whilst intending to distinguish species from genus? This is what is not possible, because it is anthropomorphism, and our Lord is Glorified and Exalted from being that. As for the two indications that are confirmed in Him, it is the saying of the sayer: «He is One with no similar among things», that is our Lord, as well as the saying of the sayer: «He is Exalted and Glorious, One and Only in meaning», by which he means that He is not divided in (the realm of) existence, nor intellect nor imagination. That is our Lord, Exalted and Glorious is He.