Al-Kafi · Hadith 3

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter On Being and Space (al-Kawn WA al-Makan) · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 6, Hadith 3

Original Arabic text

3ـ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنِ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابي جعفر (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ رَبِّكَ مَتَى كَانَ فَقَالَ وَيْلَكَ إِنَّمَا يُقَالُ لِشَيْ‏ءٍ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَتَى كَانَ إِنَّ رَبِّي تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى كَانَ وَلَمْ يَزَلْ حَيّاً بِلا كَيْفٍ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كَانَ وَلا كَانَ لِكَوْنِهِ كَوْنُ كَيْفٍ وَلا كَانَ لَهُ أَيْنٌ وَلا كَانَ فِي شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا كَانَ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا ابْتَدَعَ لِمَكَانِهِ مَكَاناً وَلا قَوِيَ بَعْدَ مَا كَوَّنَ الاشْيَاءَ وَلا كَانَ ضَعِيفاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَوِّنَ شَيْئاً وَلا كَانَ مُسْتَوْحِشاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يَبْتَدِعَ شَيْئاً وَلا يُشْبِهُ شَيْئاً مَذْكُوراً وَلا كَانَ خِلْواً مِنْ الْمُلْكِ قَبْلَ إِنْشَائِهِ وَلا يَكُونُ مِنْهُ خِلْواً بَعْدَ ذَهَابِهِ لَمْ يَزَلْ حَيّاً بِلا حَيَاةٍ وَمَلِكاً قَادِراً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُنْشِئَ شَيْئاً وَمَلِكاً جَبَّاراً بَعْدَ إِنْشَائِهِ لِلْكَوْنِ فَلَيْسَ لِكَوْنِهِ كَيْفٌ وَلا لَهُ أَيْنٌ وَلا لَهُ حَدٌّ وَلا يُعْرَفُ بِشَيْ‏ءٍ يُشْبِهُهُ وَلا يَهْرَمُ لِطُولِ الْبَقَاءِ وَلا يَصْعَقُ لِشَيْ‏ءٍ بَلْ لِخَوْفِهِ تَصْعَقُ الاشْيَاءُ كُلُّهَا كَانَ حَيّاً بِلا حَيَاةٍ حَادِثَةٍ وَلا كَوْنٍ مَوْصُوفٍ وَلا كَيْفٍ مَحْدُودٍ وَلا أَيْنٍ مَوْقُوفٍ عَلَيْهِ وَلا مَكَانٍ جَاوَرَ شَيْئاً بَلْ حَيٌّ يُعْرَفُ وَمَلِكٌ لَمْ يَزَلْ لَهُ الْقُدْرَةُ وَالْمُلْكُ أَنْشَأَ مَا شَاءَ حِينَ شَاءَ بِمَشِيئَتِهِ لا يُحَدُّ وَلا يُبَعَّضُ وَلا يَفْنَى كَانَ أَوَّلاً بِلا كَيْفٍ وَيَكُونُ آخِراً بِلا أَيْنٍ وَكُلُّ شَيْ‏ءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلا وَجْهَهُ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالامْرُ تَبَارَكَ الله رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَيْلَكَ أَيُّهَا السَّائِلُ إِنَّ رَبِّي لا تَغْشَاهُ الاوْهَامُ وَلا تَنْزِلُ بِهِ الشُّبُهَاتُ وَلا يَحَارُ وَلا يُجَاوِزُهُ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَلا تَنْزِلُ بِهِ الاحْدَاثُ وَلا يُسْأَلُ عَنْ شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا يَنْدَمُ عَلَى شَيْ‏ءٍ وَلا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الارْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَمَا تَحْتَ الثَّرَى.

Published English translation

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from al-Husayn ibn Sa’id from al-Qasim-ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn Abu Hamzah from abu Basir who has said the following. “A man came to Imam abu Ja‘far (a.s.) saying, ‘Tell me about your Lord. When did He come into existence?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Woe upon you! Such question is asked only about a thing that did not exist. My Lord, all Glory belongs to Him is and will be eternally. He lives and no How question applies to Him. He did not have any coming into existence and nor there was any being for His coming into being. This does not apply to Him because He is not subject to the effects of space. He was not in any thing or on any thing nor did He invent any space for His own space. He did not become stronger after making all things nor was weak before giving being to the beings. He was not lonely before His inventing all things. He is not similar to any thing that could be called a thing. He was also not without Kingdom before the creation and nor will He be without it after all things. He lives eternally without life and the powerful king before His invention of the things and He is an all powerful king after the creation of all things. To His existence no How or Where question is applicable. There is no limit for Him nor is He definable by analogy. He does not become old due to eternal living. He doe not become alarmed because of any thing but that all things are fearful of His (disappointment). He lived without newly emerging life. He is not a describable being or that could be limit with conditions or that would have a space to depend on. He does not have a place so that He can be considered as neighboring something. He is living and one can know Him. He is the eternal King. He has the power and the kingdom. He has created all that He wanted and when He decided by His will. He can not be limited. He can not be divided or destroyed. He was before everything but no How question would apply to Him. He will be the last but no Where will apply to Him. All things will be destroyed except He. The creation belongs to Him and His is the command. He is the Holy Lord of the worlds. O inquirer, imaginations can not encompass my Lord and He does not face any confusions or bewilderment. Nothing is able to escape Him and nothing happens to Him. He can not be held responsible for anything and He does not become regretful. Neither slumber nor sleep overcomes Him. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth and all that is between them and under the soil.

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: ضعيف

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/309)

Assessment transcribed from the source's named scholar and reference. No new grading or consensus is asserted; differing entries remain separate.

Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi: Catalogue non-inclusion note (not an authenticity grade)

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī

Source records non-inclusion in this scholar's selection; this is not itself a weak or authentic grade.

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translator: Muhammad Sarwar
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