The Book of Divine Unity · Hadith 245 (#Ḥadīth #2)

2 - حدثنا أحمد بن محمد بن يحيى العطار رحمه الله، عن أبيه، عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى، عن الحسين بن سعيد، عن القاسم بن محمد، عن علي بن أبي حمزة، عن أبي بصير، قال: جاء رجل إلى أبي جعفر عليه السلام فقال له: يا أبا جعفر أخبرني عن ربك متى كان؟ فقال: ويلك، إنما يقال لشئ لم يكن فكان: متى كان، إن ربي تبارك وتعالى كان لم يزل حيا بلا كيف، ولم يكن له كان ولا كان لكونه كيف، ولا كان له أين، ولا كان في شئ، ولا كان على شئ، ولا ابتدع لكونه مكانا ولا قوي بعد ما كون شيئا: ولا ضعيفا قبل أن يكون شيئا، ولا كان مستوحشا قبل أن يبتدع شيئا، ولا يشبه شيئا مكونا، ولا كان خلوا من (القدرة على) الملك قبل إنشائه، ولا يكون منه خلوا بعد ذهابه، لم يزل حيا بلا حياة، وملكا قادرا قبل أن ينشئ شيئا، وملكا جبارا بعد إنشائه للكون، فليس لكونه كيف، لا له أين، ولا له حد، ولا يعرف بشئ يشبهه، ولا يهرم لطول البقاء، ولا يصعق لشئ، ولا يجوفه شئ، تصعق الأشياء كلها من خيفته، كان حيا بلا حياة عارية ولا كون موصوف، ولا كيف محدود، ولا أثر مقفو ولا مكان جاور شيئا، بل حي يعرف، وملك لم يزل له القدرة والملك، أنشأ ما شاء بمشيته، لا يحد ولا يبعض، ولا يفنى، كان أولا بلا كيف، ويكون آخرا بلا أين، وكل شئ هالك إلا وجهه، له الخلق والأمر تبارك الله رب العالمين، ويلك أيها السائل، إن ربي لا تغشاه الأوهام، ولا تنزل به الشبهات، ولا يجار من شئ ولا يجاوره شئ ولا تنزل به الأحداث، ولا يسأل عن شئ يفعله، ولا يقع على شئ، ولا تأخذه سنة ولا نوم، له ما في السماوات وما في الأرض وما بينهما وما تحت الثرى.

2. Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn `Isa, on the authority of al-Husayn ibn Sa`id, on the authority of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, on the authority of `Ali ibn Abu Hamzah, on the authority of Abu Basir that A man came to Abu Ja`far al-Baqir and asked him: “O Abu Ja`far! Tell me about your Lord. How long has He existed?” Thus, he answered, Woe be upon you! Verily, it is said to a thing that did no exist and then came into being: Since when did it exist? Verily, my Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, has always been Ever-Living, but not with quality. There is no time limit for Him. Nor is there any quality for His Existence. There is neither any space for Him. He is not in a thing or on anything. He has not created for His Being any space. He is not strengthened after crating anything. Nor was He weak before creating anything. He was not frightened before He originated anything. None of the created things are like Him. He was not powerless over the things before their creation. Nor will He be powerless over them after they have gone. He has always been Ever-Living without an accidental existence. He was the Omnipotent Sovereign before creating anything, and He was the Supreme Sovereign after having brought it into existence. There is no quality for His Essence, nor is there space for Him. He does not have any limit. He is not recognized by a thing that may be His like. He does not age. He does not shout to call anything. Nothing frightens Him. All things become stunned from His Fear. He is Ever-Living, but not a blank living, nor a depicted existence. He neither has a restricted quality, nor an effect that follows up, nor a place that adjoins a thing, but He is the Ever-Living who knows everything, and the Sovereign who always has Omnipotence and Sovereignty. He created what He willed, and He willed with His Will. He is not limited. He has no parts. And He does not perish. He is the First without any quality, and the Last without any space. Everything is Command. Blessed is the Lord of the worlds! Woe be upon you, O questioner! Verily, my Lord cannot be conceived by imagination. Uncertainties do not befall Him. He does not adjoin anything, nor does anything adjoin Him. Incidents do not occur to Him. He is not questioned about anything He does, nor is He places on anything. Slumber does not seize Him, nor does sleep; to Him belongs whatsoever is in the Heavens, whatsoever is in the Earth, whatsoever is between them and whatsoever is below the ground.

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