The Mighty and High is Devoid of both Body and Image

” Verily, nothing resembles Allah, the Mighty and High.

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) asking hm about what Hisham ibn al-Hakam said about the body of Allah, and what Hisham ibn Salim had said about the image of Allah. So he (AS) replied to me: “Leave the confusion of the baffled, and take refuge in Allah from Satan. Things are not as the two Hishams claim.

"I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) asking him about the body and the appearance of Allah; therefore, he (AS) wrote to me: “Glory to the One who has nothing like Him, and who has no body and no image.”

I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): I heard Hisham ibn al-Hakam narrating from you that Allah, the Mighty and High, has a Needless body of Light; His Recognition is necessary, and He grants it to whoever He desires from His Creation. He (AS) said: Glory to Him who is known only to Himself! There is none like Him, and He is the AllHearing and the Al-Seeing. He cannot be confined, sensed, touched, or felt. The senses perceive Him not, and nothing can comprehend Him. He does not have a body or an image, nor lineation or delineation.

5. Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn Ahmad ibn al-Walid (RA) said: Muhammad ibn al-Hasan alSaffar, on the authority of Sahl ibn Ziyad, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Isma`il ibn Bazi, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Zayd that I came to (`Ali) al-Rida (AS) asking him about Divine Unity, so he (AS) dictated to me: All praise be to Allah, the Originator, Producer, and Innovator [Mubtadi`] of all things from the beginning by His Power and Wisdom, not from anything that could invalidate His Invention, nor for nay wrong cause. He created whatever He wanted how He wanted, and He did so independently in order to manifest His Wisdom, and the Reality of His Lordship. Intellects cannot grasp Him. Imagination cannot reach Him. Eyes cannot perceive Him, and scale cannot encompass Him. Speech is incapable without Him. Eyes are expressionless without Him, and rhetoric of description goes astray in Him. He is hidden without a veil and is covered without a covering. He is recognized without seeing. He is described without an image. And He is praised despite the face that He does not possess a body. There is no god but Allah, the great, the Most Exalted.”

“Verily, nothing resembles Allah. Indecent language is better than words which give the Creator a created body or image composed of parts. Exalted from these, the High, the Great.”

I heard Yunus ibn Zabyan say I entered in the presence of Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS) and told him: Hisham ibn al-Hakam made a long statement. I will simply summarize it: He considers Allah to be a body because things are of two types: bodies or actions of bodies. Hence, if it is not possible for the creator to be an action, it is only possible that He be a Doer. Then Abu `Abd Allah (AS) replied: “Woe to him! Does he not know that a body is extremely limited, and an image is absolutely limited? Hence, if a limit is possible then increase and decrease are possible, and if increase and decrease are possible, then He is created. I asked: “Then what should I say? He answered: He has neither body nor image for He is the creator of bodies and images. He is devoid of parts and limits. He does not increase, nor does He decrease. If He were as he (Hisham) says then there would be no difference between the Creator and the created, or between the Inventor and the invented. However, He is the Inventor. The Creator of Bodies and Images does not resemble anything nor does anything resemble Him.

I said to Abu al-Hasan Musa ibn Ja`far (AS): Hisham ibn al-Hakam thinks that Allah is a body. There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him, the All-knowing, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Omnipotent, the Speaker, and the Communicator. Speech, Omnipotence, and Knowledge flow from the One Same Source, None of these things are created. So he (AS) said: May Allah kill him! Does he not know that a body is limited, and that speech is other than the speaker? Allah forbid, I am free from such words. He is devoid of both body and image. He has not limits, and everything other than Him is created. Verily, everything that exists is the result of His Will and Intent which is expressed without words, the use of the tongue, or any reluctance or hesitation.

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Naqi (AS), informing him that some of his following have differences on the subject of Divine Unity. Some of them say that He has a body, while others say that He has an image. So He (AS) wrote to me the following in his own handwriting: “Glory be to Him who has no limit and who cannot be described! There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him; He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.” He (AS) may have said: “the All-Seeing.”

al-`Abbasi said I said to him (AS), meaning Abu al-hasan al-Rida (AS): “May I be your ransom! One of your followers told me to ask you a question about something.” He (AS) said: “And who would that be?” I said: “Al-Hasan ibn Sahl.” He (AS) asked: “What is the issue about?’ I replied: “It is about Divine Unity.” He (AS) said: “What about Divine Unity?” I said: “He wants to know whether Allah possesses a body or not?” He (AS) answered me: There are three positions regarding Divine Unity. The first group attempts to describe Him through anthropomorphism. The second group attempts to describe Him through negation. And the third group attempts to describe Him without falling into anthropomorphism. Describing Him through anthropomorphism is not allowed, and describing Him through negation is not allowed. The correct position is attempting to describe him without falling into anthropomorphism.

purified [Tayyib], `Ali ibn Muhammad, and Abu Ja`far al-Jawad (AS) both said: “He who claims that Allah has a body, do not give him the poor-rate, and do not pray behind him.”

I wrote to him (AS) informing him that some of the people here differed on the subject of Divine Unity. He (AS) replied in writing: “Glory be to Him who has no limit, and who cannot be described! Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him. And he is the All-Hearing, and the AllSeeing.”

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Naqi (AS) informing him that the people differed on the subject of Divine Unity. Some of them say “He has a body” while others say that “He has an image.” So, he (AS) wrote (back): “Glory be to Him who has no limit, who cannot be described, and with whom nothing resembles! Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him. And He is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing.”

I wrote the following to Abu Muhammad (AS) in the year 255 AH: O my Master! Our scholars are divided on the question of Divine Unity (tawhid). Some of them say that “He (Allah) is a body,” while others say that “He is an image.” O my Master! If you deem it appropriate, teach me the correct view since I do not know the answer, and be gracious to your servant.
Hence, he (AS) wrote to me the following in his own handwriting: You enquired about Divine Unity. This is far from your honorable reach. Allah, the Exalted, is One, Alone, and Needless. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and none is equal unto Him. He is the Creator, and not created. He, the Blessed and Exalted, creates bodies and other things as He wishes. He fashions images as He wishes, but He is not a fashioned image. Exalted be His Praise, and Hallowed be His names. He is far above having a resemblance. There is no other than Him. Nothing whatsoever is like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing and the All-Seeing.

I wrote a letter, and sent it by hand via `Abd Al-Malik ibn A`yan to Abu `Abd Allah alSadiq (AS). In it, I asked about several issues, one of which was: “Please inform me about Allah, the Mighty and High. Can He be described with image and lineation? If this letter reaches you, may Allah make me your ransom, write back to me with the correct vies about Divine Unity.” So he (AS) wrote back to me, sending the letter via `Abd al-Malik ibn A`yan: May Allah have mercy on you! You have enquired about Divine Unity. Allah is Greater than what your companions have ascribed. He is All-Hearing and All-Seeing, and there is nothing like unto Him. Allah is greater than the descriptions of the describers, those who describe Him inhuman terms, and those who compare Him with His creation, thus slandering Allah. Beware! May Allah have mercy on you! The correct view about Divine Unity is to be found in the attributes that Allah, the Mighty and High, revealed in the Qur`an. Reject anthropomorphism, and do not apply to Allah what is vain. Allah is Firmly Present. Allah is high above the descriptions of the describers. Do not exceed the Qur`an, as you will misled after the clear explanation has reached you.

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) asking him about the body and image of Allah, so he replied in writing: “Glory be to Him who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him, and who is devoid of both body and image.”

I wrote to Abu al-Hasan al-Kadhim (AS) asking him whether Allah had a body or an image. Hence he (AS) wrote in reply: “Glory be to Him who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him,”

I asked Abu Ja`far al-Baqir (AS) about the claim that Allah, the Mighty and High, created Adam (AS) in His Image; hence, he said: That was a recently created image. Allah favored it, and chose it over all different images. Then He attributed it to Himself like He attributed the Ka`bah and the Sprit to Himself. Thus, He said: My House.1 And said: And when I breathed into him My Spirit.2

I said to Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq (AS): “Some of our scholars think that Allah looks like a human being, while others think that he is beardless and has curly hair.” Abu `Abd Allah (AS) fell down in prostration, then raised his head, and said: Glory be Allah who has nothing whatsoever like unto Him! Vision cannot perceive Him, and knowledge cannot encompass Him. He begets not, because the son resembles his father, not is He begotten, so that He could resemble the one before Him. And none is like Him. Exalted is He, the High, and Mighty from such attributions!

I asked Abu al-Hasan `Ali ibn Muhammad ibn `Ali ibn Musa al-Rida (AS) about Divine Unity: “Verily, I say what Hisham ibn al-Hasam said.” So he (AS) became angry and said: What is the matter with you and Hisham? Indeed, he is not from us who thinks that Allah, the Mighty and High, has a body. We are free from such a person in this world, and in the Hereafter. O son of [Abu] Dulaf! Verily, the body is created and Allah is its Creator. The Compiler of this book says: Allah willing, I will mention the proof that bodies are created in the chapter of this book titled “The Proof of the Creation of the World.”