Al-Kafi · Hadith 7

The Book on Oneness of Allah (God) · Chapter On Will Power (IRADAH) it is of the Attributes of Action (SIFAT al-FI‘L) and the Rest of the Attributes of Action · Volume 1, book 3, chapter 14, Hadith 7

Original Arabic text

7ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ الْمَشِيئَةُ مُحْدَثَةٌ. جُمْلَةُ الْقَوْلِ فِي صِفَاتِ الذَّاتِ وَصِفَاتِ الْفِعْلِ. إِنَّ كُلَّ شَيْئَيْنِ وَصَفْتَ الله بِهِمَا وَكَانَا جَمِيعاً فِي الْوُجُودِ فَذَلِكَ صِفَةُ فِعْلٍ وَتَفْسِيرُ هَذِهِ الْجُمْلَةِ أَنَّكَ تُثْبِتُ فِي الْوُجُودِ مَا يُرِيدُ وَمَا لا يُرِيدُ وَمَا يَرْضَاهُ وَمَا يُسْخِطُهُ وَمَا يُحِبُّ وَمَا يُبْغِضُ فَلَوْ كَانَتِ الارَادَةُ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الذَّاتِ مِثْلِ الْعِلْمِ وَالْقُدْرَةِ كَانَ مَا لا يُرِيدُ نَاقِضاً لِتِلْكَ الصِّفَةِ وَلَوْ كَانَ مَا يُحِبُّ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الذَّاتِ كَانَ مَا يُبْغِضُ نَاقِضاً لِتِلْكَ الصِّفَةِ أَ لا تَرَى أَنَّا لا نَجِدُ فِي الْوُجُودِ مَا لا يَعْلَمُ وَمَا لا يَقْدِرُ عَلَيْهِ وَكَذَلِكَ صِفَاتُ ذَاتِهِ الازَلِيِّ لَسْنَا نَصِفُهُ بِقُدْرَةٍ وَعَجْزٍ وَعِلْمٍ وَجَهْلٍ وَسَفَهٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ وَخَطَإٍ وَعِزٍّ وَذِلَّةٍ وَيَجُوزُ أَنْ يُقَالَ يُحِبُّ مَنْ أَطَاعَهُ وَيُبْغِضُ مَنْ عَصَاهُ وَيُوَالِي مَنْ أَطَاعَهُ وَيُعَادِي مَنْ عَصَاهُ وَإِنَّهُ يَرْضَى وَيَسْخَطُ وَيُقَالُ فِي الدُّعَاءِ اللهمَّ ارْضَ عَنِّي وَلا تَسْخَطْ عَلَيَّ وَتَوَلَّنِي وَلا تُعَادِنِي وَلا يَجُوزُ أَنْ يُقَالَ يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ وَلا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ لا يَعْلَمَ وَيَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَمْلِكَ وَلا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ لا يَمْلِكَ وَيَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً وَلا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ لا يَكُونَ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً وَيَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ جَوَاداً وَلا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ لا يَكُونَ جَوَاداً وَيَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَكُونَ غَفُوراً وَلا يَقْدِرُ أَنْ لا يَكُونَ غَفُوراً وَلا يَجُوزُ أَيْضاً أَنْ يُقَالَ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ رَبّاً وَقَدِيماً وَعَزِيزاً وَحَكِيماً وَمَالِكاً وَعَالِماً وَقَادِراً لانَّ هَذِهِ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الذَّاتِ وَالارَادَةُ مِنْ صِفَاتِ الْفِعْلِ أَ لا تَرَى أَنَّهُ يُقَالُ أَرَادَ هَذَا وَلَمْ يُرِدْ هَذَا وَصِفَاتُ الذَّاتِ تَنْفِي عَنْهُ بِكُلِّ صِفَةٍ مِنْهَا ضِدَّهَا يُقَالُ حَيٌّ وَعَالِمٌ وَسَمِيعٌ وَبَصِيرٌ وَعَزِيزٌ وَحَكِيمٌ غَنِيٌّ مَلِكٌ حَلِيمٌ عَدْلٌ كَرِيمٌ فَالْعِلْمُ ضِدُّهُ الْجَهْلُ وَالْقُدْرَةُ ضِدُّهَا الْعَجْزُ وَالْحَيَاةُ ضِدُّهَا الْمَوْتُ وَالْعِزَّةُ ضِدُّهَا الذِّلَّةُ وَالْحِكْمَةُ ضِدُّهَا الْخَطَأُ وَضِدُّ الْحِلْمِ الْعَجَلَةُ وَالْجَهْلُ وَضِدُّ الْعَدْلِ الْجَوْرُ وَالظُّلْمُ.

Published English translation

7. A group of our people has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from ibn ’Udhaynah from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said, “The will is created.” Summery Statements on the Attributes of His self Sifat al-Dhat and the Attributes of His Actions Sifat al-Fi‘1 For every two attributes which you attribute to Allah (e.g. The Creator, The Sustainer), of which each has its own separate being, (i.e. The Creator achieves its being, as an attribute of Allah’ through something which Allah creates, and The Sustainer achieves its being, as an attribute of Allah, through a created being which He sustains), these attributes are attributes of (His) action. (Because if two attributes are separate in being, obviously each of them differs in their being with the thing with which they are attributed, and therefore both the attribute and the attributed have their own being. Therefore, in order to distinguish an attribute of action from an attribute of essence, it is always necessary to compare that attribute with another one. If we perceives these two to be independent of each other in being, then both of them are attributes of action). The explanation (and proof) of this sentence is that you prove (establish), in respect of His Being, what He intends to do and what He does not intend, what pleases Him and what displeases Him, what He likes and what He dislikes. If the intention had been the attribute of His essence like the attribute of knowledge and power, His not intending (for something) would have been its contradiction. Similarly, if His liking for something had been the attribute of His essence, His dislike (of something) would have been its contradiction. Do you not see, we do not find in His Being anything which He does not know and anything over which He has no power? Such are the attributes of His essence (Self), which are everlasting. We can never attribute to Allah power and (its opposite) weakness. (Similarly, we can neither attribute to Him knowledge and [its opposite] ignorance and stupidity, nor can we attribute to Him wisdom and 1 its opposite] error. Nor can we attribute to Him honor and [its opposite] disgrace). It is permissible to say, “He (Allah) loves him who obeys Him and hates him who disobeys Him. He favors him who obeys Him and is hostile to him who disobeys Him. And verily, He is pleased and He is also displeased. It is also permissible to say in the invocations: ‘O my Allah, be pleased with me and do not be angry at me. Favor me and do not be hostile to me.’” But it is not permissible to say, “Allah has power to know and has no power not to know. He has power to possess and has no power not to possess. He has power to be powerful and wise, and has no power to be otherwise, i.e. without power and wisdom. He has power to be generous and has no power to be not generous. He has power to be forgiving and has no power to be not forgiving.” It is also not permissible to say, “Allah intended to be the Nourishing, the Everlasting, the Mighty, the Wise, the Possessor, the all-knowing, the all-Powerful.” Since these are the attributes of His essence while intention is among His attributes of action. “Do you not see that it is said; “Allah intended this and did not intend that.” Every Attribute of His essence negates its opposite in respect of Him. He is called: “The Living, the All-knowing, the All-hearing, the All-seeing, the All-mighty, the All-wise, the Rich, the King, the Clement, the Just and the Generous.” The opposite of knowledge is ignorance. The opposite of power is inability. The opposite of life is death. The opposite of honor is humiliation. The opposite of wisdom is error. The opposite of clemency is haste and ignorance. The opposite of justice is oppression and tyranny. (So, by proving any of His essential attributes its opposite is negated.)

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi: صحيح

Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (2/22)

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: صحيح

Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 1, p. 16

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

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