Chapter on the minimum degree of knowledge of the existence of Allah

hadith 230

1 - Muhammad ibn al-Hasan reported from Abdullah ibn al-Hasan al-Alawi, and Ali ibn Ibrahim reported from al-Mukhtar ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mukhtar al-Hamdani, all from al-Fath ibn Yazid, from Abu al-Hasan (as), who said

"I asked him about the lowest level of knowledge. He said: 'The acknowledgment that there is no deity other than Him, and that there is no similarity or counterpart to Him, and that He is Eternal, Affirmed, Existing, not lacking anything, and that there is nothing like Him.'"

1ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الله بْنِ الْحَسَنِ الْعَلَوِيِّ وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنِ الْمُخْتَارِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْمُخْتَارِ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ جَمِيعاً عَنِ الْفَتْحِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَدْنَى الْمَعْرِفَةِ فَقَالَ الاقْرَارُ بِأَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ وَلا شِبْهَ لَهُ وَلا نَظِيرَ وَأَنَّهُ قَدِيمٌ مُثْبَتٌ مَوْجُودٌ غَيْرُ فَقِيدٍ وَأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ.

hadith 231

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad, from Tahir ibn Hatam when he was normal and wrote to the man (meaning thereby Imam abul Hassan al-Rida (a.s.). “What is it that without which one’s acknowledgement of the existence of Allah can not be considered sufficient?” In answer the Imam (a.s.) replied, “That He is All-knowing, All-hearing All-awareness and that He acts as He wills.” Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) was asked about the minimum required degree of knowledge about Allah without which an acknowledgement would not be considered sufficient. The Imam (a.s.) said

“There is nothing similar to or like Him. He is All-knowing, All-hearing and All-awareness.”

2ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ طَاهِرِ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ فِي حَالِ اسْتِقَامَتِهِ

أَنَّهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ مَا الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ فِي مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ بِدُونِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً وَسَامِعاً وَبَصِيراً وَهُوَ الْفَعَّالُ لِمَا يُرِيدُ وَسُئِلَ أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) عَنِ الَّذِي لا يُجْتَزَأُ بِدُونِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ مَعْرِفَةِ الْخَالِقِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلا يُشْبِهُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ عَالِماً سَمِيعاً بَصِيراً.

hadith 232

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from al-Hassan ibn Ali ibn Yusuf ibn Baqqah from Sayf ibn ‘Umayra from Ibrahim ibn ‘Umar who has said the following.

Imam abu ’Abdallah (a.s.) has said, “The issue about Allah is totally extraordinary. Notice that He has presented to you His arguments in proof of His existence by means of that much of facts about His own self that He has made known to you.”

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يُوسُفَ بْنِ بَقَّاحٍ عَنْ سَيْفِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَمْرَ الله كُلَّهُ عَجِيبٌ إِلا أَنَّهُ قَدِ احْتَجَّ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا قَدْ عَرَّفَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ.

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