hadith
1892
۞
Imam Ali (AS) was once asked by a Jew, ‘When did our Lord, Mighty and Exalted, come to be?, to which he replied, ‘O Jew, It is not that our Lord was not and then came to be, for the question ‘When did x come to be? is posed regarding something that is not there and then comes to be. He exists without coming into being; He is ever existing having nothing before Him. He is before ‘before itself, before any limit. Limits do not apply to Him for He is the ultimate limit of all limits.
الإمامُ عليٌ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقَد سَألَهُ رَجُلٌ يَهودِيٌّ: مَتى كانَ رَبُّنا عَزَّوجلَّ؟ ـ: يا يَهودِيُّ ، (ما كانَ) لَم يَكُنْ رَبُّنا فكانَ ، وإنَّما يُقالُ: «مَتى كانَ» لِشَيءٍ لَم يَكُنْ فكانَ ، هُوَ كائنٌ بِلا كَينونَةِ كائنٍ لَم يَزَلْ لَيسَ لَهُ قَبلٌ ، هُوَ قَبلَ القَبلِ ، وقَبلَ الغايَةِ ، انقَطَعَتْ عَنهُ الغاياتُ ، فهُوَ غايَةُ كُلِّ غايَةٍ .
Similar narrations
- Al-Tawḥīd #68 O Commander of the Faithful! Since when has our Lord existed?” `Ali (AS) replied: It is certainly said `when was it’ for a thing that was...
- Al-Tawḥīd #249 The head of the rabbis [ra`s al-jalut] said to the Jews. “Verily, the Muslims consider Ali to be the greatest debater and the most learned...
- Al-Kāfi #241 “Ra’sul Jalut said to the Jews, ‘The Muslims consider Ali excelling everyone in polemics and the most learned. Let us go to him. I will ask...
- Al-Amālī #1072 A rabbi from the rabbis came to Amir al-Mu’minin and said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! When did your Lord come into existence? So, he said to him:...
- Al-Kāfi #239 “The Jews came to their chief Ra’sul-Jalut and said, ’This man, meaning thereby Imam Ali (a.s.), is a scholar. Come with us to ask him...
- Al-Kāfi #240 “One of the Jewish rabbis (hibr) came to Imam Ali (a.s.), and asked, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, when did your Lord come into existence?’” Imam Ali...
- Al-Tawḥīd #246 A Jewish rabbi came to the Commander of the Faithful (AS), and asked him: “O Commander of the Faithful! Since when has your Lord existed?”...
- Al-Kāfi #243 from Abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.): “A rabbi came to Imam Ali (a.s.) and asked, ‘O Amirul Mu’minin, when did your Lord come into existence?’” Imam...