Al-Kafi · Hadith 10

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter On Prohibition on Attributing to Allah What He Himself has not Done so · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 10, Hadith 10

Original Arabic text

10ـ سَهْلٌ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَنَةَ خَمْسٍ وَخَمْسِينَ وَمِائَتَيْنِ قَدِ اخْتَلَفَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَصْحَابُنَا فِي التَّوْحِيدِ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ جِسْمٌ وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ صُورَةٌ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتَ يَا سَيِّدِي أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ مَا أَقِفُ عَلَيْهِ وَلا أَجُوزُهُ فَعَلْتَ مُتَطَوِّلاً عَلَى عَبْدِكَ فَوَقَّعَ بِخَطِّهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) سَأَلْتَ عَنِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَهَذَا عَنْكُمْ مَعْزُولٌ الله وَاحِدٌ أَحَدٌ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ خَالِقٌ وَلَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ يَخْلُقُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَا يَشَاءُ مِنَ الاجْسَامِ وَغَيْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلَيْسَ بِجِسْمٍ وَيُصَوِّرُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَلَيْسَ بِصُورَةٍ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ وَتَقَدَّسَتْ أَسْمَاؤُهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ شِبْهٌ هُوَ لا غَيْرُهُ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْ‏ءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ.

Published English translation

10. Sahl has said that I wrote to abu Muhammad al-Hassan al-‘Askari (a.s.) in 255 AH., “Our people (ashabuna) differ on the issue of the Oneness of Allah. There are those who say he has a body and others say He has a certain form. If you would consider to instruct me in this matter on which I would rely without excess it would be a great favor to your servant.” The Imam answered in his own handwriting, “You have asked about the Oneness of Allah. It is not your duty to find Allah’s self. Allah is One, the Only One. He has no children and is not anyone’s child. There nothing similar to Him. He is the Creator and is not created. He, the Most Holy, the Most High, creates whatever He wants of the bodies and non-bodies. He is not a body or a certain form. He gives form to whatever He wills but Himself is not a form, Majestic is His praise and Holy are His names and is far above being similar to other things. Only He, and not others, is the One to Who no one is similar and He is all-hearing and All-seeing.”

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 (1/352)

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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