The Book of Divine Unity · Hadith 179 (#Ḥadīth #2)

2 - حدثنا أبي رضي الله عنه، قال: حدثنا سعد بن عبد الله، قال: حدثنا محمد بن عيسى، عن إسماعيل بن سهل، عن حماد بن عيسى، قال: سألت أبا عبد الله عليه السلام فقلت: لم يزل الله يعلم؟ قال: أنى يكون يعلم ولا معلوم، قال: قلت: فلم يزل الله يسمع؟ قال: أنى يكون ذلك ولا مسموع، قال: قلت: فلم يزل يبصر؟ قال: أنى يكون ذلك ولا مبصر، قال: ثم قال: لم يزل الله عليما سميعا بصيرا، ذات علامة سميعة بصيرة.

2. My father (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Sa`d ibn Abd Allah said: Muhammad ibn `Isa said, on the authority of Isma`il ibn Sahl, on the authority of Hammad ibn `Isa that I asked Abu `Abd Allah al-Sadiq : “Does Allah know everything from sempiternity?”He replied, “What was He to know when there was nothing to be known?” He says, I asked, “Does Allah hear from sempiternity?” He answered, “Who was He to hear when there was nothing to be heard?” He says, I asked, “Does Allah see from sempiternity?” He responded, “Who was He to see when there was nothing to be seen?” Then he said: “Allah has always been AllKnowing, All-Hearing, All-Seeing, sempiternally, and the Possessor of the Knowledge of Hearing and Seeing.”

Gradings are classical jarḥ-wa-taʿdīl, name-matched to a rijāl index (not individually re-verified).