Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara · Hadith 2

The Book of Divine Unity · Negation of Corporeality or Likeness for God · Volume 1, book 4, chapter 4, Hadith 2

Original Arabic text

[330/2] امالي الصدوق: ابن الوليد، عن الصفار، عن البرقي، عن أبي هاشم الجعفري قال: سمعت علي بن موسى الرضا عليه السلام يقول: إلهي بدت قدرتك ولم تبد هيئتك فجهلوك و به قدروك والتقدير على غير ما وصفوك، وإني برئ يا إلهي من الذين بالتشبيه طلبوك، ليس كمثلك شئ، إلهي ولن يدركوك، وظاهر ما بهم من نعمك دليلهم عليك لو عرفوك، وفي خلقك يا إلهي مندوحة أن يتناولوك، بل سووك بخلقك فمن ثم لم يعرفوك، واتخذوا بعض آياتك ربا فبذلك وصفوك، تعاليت ربي عما به المشبهون نعتوك

Published English translation

2. [2/330] Amali of al-Saduq: Ibn al-Walid from al-Saffar from al-Barqi from Abi Hashim al-Ja’fari who said: I heard Ali b. Musa al-Ridha عليه السلام saying: My God, your power is manifest but your form is not. Because of this they became ignorant of you and with that (ignorance) estimated you. While the (true) estimation is other than how they described you. O My God, I am disassociated from those who seek you by likening you (to your creatures). There is nothing like you. My God, they will never reach you. What is apparent of your blessings around them is an indicator towards you. If only they recognized you. And in your creation - O my God - there is ample to understand you. However, they equated you to your creation and because of that did not attain recognition of you. They took some of your signs as Lord (instead of you) and with that (imperfect attributes) described you. Elevated are you My Lord from that which the Likeners impute to you.

Narrator and transmission

See the transmission information preserved in the original source text.

Attributed scholarly assessments

Shaykh Asif al-Mohseni: معتبر

Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara

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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edition: Muʿjam al-Aḥādīth al-Muʿtabara, volume 1, Thaqalayn digital edition / Ammaar Muslim translation
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translator: Ammaar Muslim
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