Hadith 11-28

حَدَّثَنا مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِى ماجِيلوَيْه رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَني عَمِّي مُحَمَّد بن أَبي القاسِم قالَ: حَدَّثَني أَبُو سَمينَةِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِى الكُوفِي الصَّيْرَفيِّ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِاللَّه الخراسانِيِّ خادِمُ الرِّضا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ قالَ: دَخَلَ‏دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الزَّنَادِقَةِ عَلَى الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ وَعِنْدَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ، فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَكُمْ وَلَيْسَ هُوَكَمَا تَقُولُونَ أَلَسْنَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ شَرَعاً سَوَاءً، وَلا يَضُرُّنَا مَا صَلَّيْنَا وَصُمْنَا وَزَكَّيْنَا وَأَقْرَرْنَا؟ فَسَكَتَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ إِنْ يَكُنْ الْقَوْلُ قَوْلَنَا - وَهُوَقُولُنا - كَمَا نَقُولُ، أَلَسْتُمْ قَدْ هَلَكْتُمْ وَنَجَوْنَا؟ قَالَ: رَحِمَكَ اللَّهُ، فَأَوْجِدْنِي كَيْفَ هُوَ؟ وَأَيْنَ هُوَ؟ قَالَ: وَيْلَكَ! إِنَّ الَّذِي ذَهَبْتَ إِلَيْهِ غَلَـطٌ. هُوَ أَيَّنَ الأَيْنَ وَكَانَ وَلا أَيْنَ وَهُوَكَيَّفَ الْكَيْفَ، وَكَانَ وَلا كَيْفَ فَلا يُعْرَفُ بِكَيْفُوفِيَّةٍ وَلا بِأَيْنُونِيَّةٍ وَلا بِحَاسَّةٍ، وَلا يُقَاسُ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَإِذَنْ إِنَّهُ لا شَيْ‏ءَ إِذَا لَمْ يُدْرَكْ بِحَاسَّةٍ مِنَ الْحَوَاسِّ، فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: وَيْلَكَ لَمَّا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّكَ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِهِ أَنْكَرْتَ رُبُوبِيَّتَهُ وَنَحْنُ إِذَا عَجَزَتْ حَوَاسُّنَا عَنْ إِدْرَاكِهِ أَيْقَنَّا أَنَّهُ رَبُّنَا، وَأَنَّهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ بِخِلافِ الأَشْيَاءِ. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي مَتَى كَانَ؟ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: أَخْبِرْنِي مَتَى لَمْ يَكُنْ فَأُخْبِرَكَ مَتَى كَانَ. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَمَا الدَّلِيلُ عَلَيْهِ؟ قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ: إِنِّي لَمَّا نَظَرْتُ إِلَى جَسَدِي فَلَمْ يُمْكِنِّي فِيهِ زِيَادَةٌ وَلا نُقْصَانٌ فِي الْعَرْضِ وَالطُّولِ وَدَفْعُ الْمَكَارِهِ عَنْهُ وَجَرُّ الْمَنْفَعَةِ إِلَيْهِ، عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ لِهَذَا الْبُنْيَانِ بَانِياً، فَأَقْرَرْتُ بِهِ مَعَ مَا أَرَى مِنْ دَوَرَانِ الْفَلَكِ بِقُدْرَتِهِ، وَإِنْشَاءِ السَّحَابِ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ، وَمَجْرَى الشَّمْسِ وَالْقَمَرِ وَالنُّجُومِ، وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الآْيَاتِ الْعَجِيبَاتِ الْمُتْقَنَاتِ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ لِهَذَا مُقَدِّراً وَمُنْشِئاً. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَلِمَ احْتَجَبَ فَقَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إِنَّ الْحِجَابَ عَلَى [عَن خ ب] الْخَلْقِ لِكَثْرَةِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ فَأَمَّا هُوَفَلا تَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ خَافِيَةٌ فِي آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ. قَالَ: فَلِمَ لا تُدْرِكُهُ حَاسَّةُ الْبَصَرِ؟ قَالَ: لِلْفَرْقِ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ خَلْقِهِ الَّذِينَ تُدْرِكُهُمْ حَاسَّةُ الأَبْصَارِ مِنْهُمْ وَمِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ، ثُمَّ هُوَأَجَلُّ مِنْ أَنْ يُدْرِكَهُ بَصَرٌ، أَوْ يُحِيطَ بِهِ وَهْمٌ، أَوْ يَضْبِطَهُ عَقْلٌ. قَالَ: فَحُدَّهُ لِي، فَقَالَ: لا حَدَّ لَهُ، قَالَ: وَلِمَ؟ قَالَ: لانَّ كُلَّ مَحْدُودٍ، مُتَنَاهٍ إِلَى حَدٍّ، وَإِذَا احْتَمَلَ التَّحْدِيدَ احْتَمَلَ الزِّيَادَةَ، وَإِذَا احْتَمَلَ الزِّيَادَةَ احْتَمَلَ النُّقْصَانَ، فَهُوَغَيْرُ مَحْدُودٍ وَلا مُتَزَايِدٍ وَلا مُتَنَاقِصٍ وَلا مُتَجَزِّئٍ وَلا مُتَوَهَّمٍ. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ قَوْلِكُمْ: إِنَّهُ لَطِيفٌ وَسَمِيعٌ وَبَصِيرٌ وَعَلِيمٌ وَحَكِيمٌ، أَيَكُونُ السَّمِيعُ إِلا بِالأُذُنِ، وَالْبَصِيرُ إِلا بِالْعَيْنِ، وَاللَّطِيفُ إِلا بِعَمَلِ الْيَدَيْنِ، وَالْحَكِيمُ إِلا بِالصَّنْعَةِ؟ فَقَالَ: أَبُو الْحَسَنِ‏ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ: إِنَّ اللَّطِيفَ مِنَّا عَلَى حَدِّ اتِّخَاذِ الصَّنْعَةِ، أَوَمَا رَأَيْتَ الرَّجُلَ يَتَّخِذُ شَيْئاً فَيَلْطُفُ فِي اتِّخَاذِهِ؟ فَيُقَالُ مَا أَلْطَفَ فُلاناً، فَكَيْفَ لا يُقَالُ لِلْخَالِقِ الْجَلِيلِ: لَطِيفٌ؟ إِذْ خَلَقَ خَلْقاً لَطِيفاً وَجَلِيلاً وَرَكَّبَ فِي الْحَيَوَانِ مِنْهُ أَرْوَاحَهَا وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ جِنْسٍ مُتَبَايِناً مِنْ جِنْسِهِ فِي الصُّورَةِ وَلا يُشْبِهُ بَعْضُهُ بَعْضاً فَكُلٌّ لَهُ لُطْفٌ مِنَ الْخَالِقِ اللَّطِيفِ الْخَبِيرِ فِي تَرْكِيبِ صُورَتِهِ، ثُمَّ نَظَرْنَا إِلَى الأَشْجَارِ وَحَمْلِهَا أَطَايِبَهَا الْمَأْكُولَةَ مِنْهَا وَغَيْرَ الْمَأْكُولَةِ فَقُلْنَا عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ: إِنَّ خَالِقَنَا لَطِيفٌ، لا كَلُطْفِ خَلْقِهِ فِي صَنْعَتِهِمْ وَقُلْنَا: إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ لانَّهُ لا يَخْفَى عَلَيْهِ أَصْوَاتُ خَلْقِهِ مَا بَيْنَ الْعَرْشِ إِلَى الثَّرَى مِنَ الذَّرَّةِ إِلَى أَكْبَرَ مِنْهَا فِي بَرِّهَا وَبَحْرِهَا، وَلا تَشْتَبِهُ عَلَيْهِ لُغَاتُهَا فَقُلْنَا عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ: إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ لا بِأُذُنٍ وَقُلْنَا: إِنَّهُ بَصِيرٌ لا بِبَصَرٍ، لانَّهُ يَرَى أَثَرَ الذَّرَّةِ السَّحْمَاءِ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الظَّلْمَاءِ عَلَى الصَّخْرَةِ السَّوْدَاءِ، وَيَرَى دَبِيبَ الَّنمْلِ فِي اللَّيْلَةِ الدُّجْنَةِ وَيَرَى مَضَارَّهَا وَمَنَافِعَهَا وَأَثَرَ سِفَادِهَا وَفَرَاخَهَا وَنَسْلَهَا، فَقُلْنَا عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ: إِنَّهُ بَصِيرٌ لا كَبَصَرِ خَلْقِهِ. قَالَ: فَمَا بَرِحَ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ. وَفِيهِ كَلامٌ غَيْرُ هَذَا.

Muhammad ibn Ali Majiluwayh - may God be pleased with him - narrated that his uncle Muhammad ibn Abil Qasim quoted on the authority of Abu Sameena Muhammad ibn Ali al-Kufi al-Sayrafi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Khorasani - the servant of Al-Ridha’ (a.s.), “One of the hypocrites (zanadiqa) entered into the presence of the Imam (a.s.) when there were some people with him. Abul Hassan Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) asked him, ‘Are we equal even if your point of view is the correct one? Has not all our prayers, fasting, giving alms taxes and our acknowledgment of our beliefs have not harmed us?’ The hypocrite remained silent. Then Abul Hassan Al-Ridha’ (a.s.) added, ‘If the correct view is our view - which is the case - then have you not perished and have we not gained salvation?’ The man said, ‘May God's Mercy be upon you! Can you let me know how He is and where He is?’ The Imam (a.s.) answered, ‘Woe be to you! Surely what you think is wrong. He has created the 'where' while He existed when there was no ‘where’; and He fashioned the 'how' while He existed when there was no 'how.' So He is not known through qualities of ‘how to be’ or ‘where to be’ or through any form of perception by our senses, nor can He be gauged by any means.’” The man said, “So then surely He is nothing (la shay') if He cannot be perceived by any of the senses.” Abul Hassan (a.s.) said, “Woe be to you! When your senses fail to perceive Him, you deny His Lordship? But when our senses fail to perceive Him, we know for certain that He is our Lord and that He is something different from other things. The man said, “Then tell me, when was He?” Abul Hassan (Imam Al-Ridha’ (a.s.)) said, “Tell me when He was not, and then I will tell you when He was.” The man said, “Then what is the proof of Him?” Abul Hassan (Imam Al-Ridha’ (a.s.)) said, “Surely when I contemplate about my body and see that it is impossible for me to increase or decrease its breadth and height, or to keep unpleasant things away from it, or draw benefits to it, then I know that this structure has a maker. And I acknowledge Him considering that which I have seen of the rotation of the celestial sphere by His Power; the production of the clouds; the movements of the winds; the procession of the Sun, the Moon and the stars; and others of His wondrous and perfectly created signs, has (already) made me know that all these have a Determiner (muqaddir) and an Originator (munshi’).” The man said, “Then why has He veiled Himself (from men)?” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Surely the veil is upon creatures because of the abundance of their sins. As for Him, no secret is hidden from Him during the day or at night.” The man said, “Then why does the sense of sight not perceive Him?” The Imam (a.s.) answered, “Because of the difference between Him and His creatures who are perceived by the vision of the eyes, whether their own or others. Then He is Exalted above that to be perceived by the sight, encompassed by imagination, or delineated by the power of reasoning.” The man said, “Then, define His limits for me.” The Imam (a.s.) answered, “He has no limits.” The man asked, “Why?” The Imam (a.s.) answered, “Because every limited thing ends at its limit. If limitation is possible, then extension is also possible. If extension is possible; then constriction is also possible. But He is unlimited. He is neither extended nor is He constrained. He cannot be divided, nor can He be perceived by the imagination.” The man said, “Then tell me about your saying that He is Subtle, All-Hearing, All-Seeing, All-Knowing and All-Wise. Can He be the All-Hearing without ears, the All-Seeing without eyes, the Subtle without working with hands and the All-Wise without workmanship?” Abul Hassan (a.s.) said, “Surely a person among us is subtle in accordance with (his) skill in workmanship. Have you not seen the man who undertakes a task and is subtle in his handling of it, so that it is said, 'How subtle is so and so!' Then how should it not be said of the Majestic Creator that He is Subtle, when He creates a subtle and majestic Creation, places in its living creatures their souls, creates every kind different in form from its own kind, and none resembles any of the other ones? Each possesses in the composition of its form a subtlety from the Subtle and All-Aware Creator.” “Then we look upon the trees and their bearing of delicate things, whether edible or not, and we say that 'Surely our Creator is Subtle, (but) not like the subtlety of His creatures in their workmanship.' And we say, 'Surely He is All-Hearing, since not hidden from Him are the sounds of His creatures between the Throne and the Earth, from a mote to what is larger than that, both in the land and at sea. And their words are not confused by Him.' We say that 'Surely He is All-Hearing, but not through ears.'“ “Then we say, 'Surely He is All-Seeing, but not through eyes, for He sees the trace of a black speck on a dark night on a black stone. He sees the tracks of an ant in a pitch-black night. He sees what is harmful for it and what is beneficial to it, and the result of its cohabitation, and its offspring and its descendents.' And we say, 'Surely He is All-Seeing, but not similar to the sight of His creatures.” The narrator added, “The man did not leave until he had embraced Islam. The Imam said other things as well.”