The Source of Traditions on Imam al-Riḍā (Vol 1) · Hadith 123 (#Ḥadīth #15)

15 - حَدَّثَنا أَبُو العَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْراهيمَ بْنِ إِسْحاقَ الطَّالِقانِيُّ رَضِىَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِىٍّ العَدوِيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا الهِيْثَمُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الرُّمانِيُّ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا عَلِىُّ بْنُ مُوسَى الرِّضاعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ، عَنْ أَبيهِ مُوسَى بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ أَبيهِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِىّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ الحُسَيْنِ، عَنْ أَبيهِ الحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِىِّ بْنِ أَبِي طالِبٍعَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ قالَ: خَطَبَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنينَ a.sُ النَّاسَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الكُوفَةَ فَقالَ:اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذي لا مِن شَيءٍ كانَ، وَلا مِن شَيءٍ كَوَّنَ ما قَدْ كانَ، المُستَشهِدِ بِحُدُوثِ الأَشْياءِ عَلَى أَزَلِيَّتِهِ، وَبِما وَسَمَها بِهِ مِنَ العَجزِ عَلَى قُدرَتِهِ، وَبِما اضطَرَّها إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الفَناءِ عَلَى دَوامِهِ، لَمْ يَخلُ مِنْهُ مَكانٌ فَيُدرِكَ بِأَينِيَّتِهِ، وَلا لَهُ شِبهُ مِثالٍ فَيُوصَفَ بِكَيفِيَّتِهِ، وَلَمْ يَغِب عَنْ فَيَعلَمَ بِحِيثِيَّتِهِ.مُبايِنٌ لِجَمِيعِ ما أَحَدثَ فِي الصِّفاتِ، وَمُمتَنِعٌ عَنِ الإِدراكِ بِما ابتَدَعَ مِن تَصرِيفِ الذَّواتِ، وَخارِجٌ بِالكِبرِياءِ وَالعَظَمَةِ مِن جَمِيعِ تَصَرُّفِ الحالاتِ، مُحَرَّمٌ عَلَى بَوارِعٍ ثاقِبـاتِ الفَطَنِتَجدِيدُهُ، وَعَلَى غَوامِضِ ناقِباتِ الفِكَرِ تَكيِيفُهُ، وَعَلَى غَوائِصِ سابِحاتِ النَّظَرِ تَصوِيرُهُ، لا تَحوِيهِ الأَماكِنُ لِعَظَمَتِهِ، وَلا تَدرَعُهُ المَقادِيرُ لِجَلالِه، وَتَقطَعُهُ المَقاييسُ لِكِبريائِهِ مُمتَنِعٌ عَنْ الأَوهامِ أَن تَكتَنَهَهُ، وَعَنِ الأَفهامِ أَن تَستَغرَفَهُ، وَعَنِ الأَذهانِ أَن تُمَثِّلَهُ، وَقَدْ يَئِسَت مِنِ استِنباطِ الإِحاطَةِ بِهِ طَوامِحُ العُقُولِ، وَنَضَبَت عَنِ الإِشارَةِ إِلَيْهِ بِالإِكتِناهِ بِحارُ العُلُومِ، وَرَجَعَت بِالصِّغَرِ عَنِ السُّمُوُّ إِلى وَصفِ قُدرَتِهِ لَطائِفُ الخُصُومِ.واحِدٌ لا مِن عَدَدٍ، وَدائِمٌ لا بِأَمَدٍ، وَقائِمٌ لا بِعَمَدٍ، لَيْسَ بِجِنسٍ فَتُعادِلَهُ الأَجناسُ وَلا بِشَبَحٍ فَتُضارِعُهُ الأَشباحُ، وَلا كَالأَشياءِ فَتَقَعَ عَلَيْهِ الصِّفاتُ، قَدْ ضَلَّتِ العُقُولُ فِي أَمواجِ تَيَّارِ إِدراكِهِ، وَتَحَيَّرَتِ الأَوهامُ عَنْ إِحاطَةِ ذِكرِ أَزَلِيَّته وَحَصِرَتِ الأَفهامُ عَنِ استِشعارِ وَصفِ قُدرَتِهِ وَغَرِقَتِ الأَذهانُ فِي لُجَجِ أفَلاكِ مَلَكُوتِهِ مُقتَدِرٌ بِالآلاءِ، وَمُمتَنِعٌ بِالكِبرِياءِ، وَمُتَمَلِّكٌ عَلَى الأَشْياءِ فَلا دَهْرٌ يُخلِقُهُ وَلا زَمانٌ يُبلِيهِ وَلا وَصفٌ يُحِيطُ بِهِ، وَقَدْ خَضَعَت لَهُ ثَوابُِ الصَّعابِ فِي مَحَلِّ تُخُومِ قَرارِها، وَأَذعَنَت لَهُ رَواصِنُ الأَسبابِ فِي مُنْتَهِىَ شَواهِقِ أَقطارِها، مُستَشهِدٌ بِكُلِّيَّةِ الأَجناسِ عَلَى رُبُوبِيَّتِهِ وَبِعَجزِها عَلَى قُدرَتِهِ، وَبِفُطُورِها عَلَى قِدمَتِهِ وَبِزَوالِها عَلَى بَقائِهِ فَلا لَها مَحِيصٌ عَنْ إِدراكِهِ إِيَّاها، وَلا خُروُجٌ مِن إحاطَتِهِ بِها وَلا احتِجابٌ عَنْ إِحصائِهِ لَها وَلا امتِناعٌ مِن قُدرَتِهِ عَلَيْها، كَفى بِإِتقانِ الصُّنعِ لَها آيَةً وَبِمَـركَبِ الطَّبعِ عَلَيْها دِلالَةٌ، وَبِحُدُوثِ الفَطـرِ عَلَيْها قِدمَةً وَبِأَحكامِ الصَّنعَةِ لَها عِبرَةً، فَلاإِلَيْهِ حَدٌّ مَنسُوبٌ وَلا لَهُ مَثَلٌ مَضرُوبٌ وَلا شَيءٌ عَنْهُ مَحجُوبٌ تَعالى عَنْ ضَربِ الأَمثالِ وَالصِّفاتِ الَمخْلُوقةِ عُلُوّاً كَبِيراً.وَأَشْهَدُ أَن لا إِلهَ إِلاّ هُوَ، إِيماناً بِرُبُوبِيَّتِهِ وَخِلافاً عَلَى مَن أَنْكَرَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ المُقّرُّ فِي خَيْرَ المُستَقَرِّ المُتَناسِخُ مِن أَكارِمِ الأَصلابِ وَمُطَهَّراتِ الأَرحامِ، الُمخرَجُ مِن أَكْرَمَ المَعادِنِ مُحْتَداً، وَأَفْضَلِ المَنابِتِ مَنبَتاً، مِن أَمنَع ذِروَةٍ وَأَعَزَّ أُرُومَةٍ، مِنَ الشَّجَرَةِ الَّتِي صاغَ اللَّهُ مِنْها أَنبِياءَهُ، وَانتَجَبَ مِنْها أُمَناءَهُ، الطَّيِّبَةِ العُودٍ، المُعتَدَلَةِ العَمُودٍ، الباسِقَةِ الفُرُوعِ، النَّاضِرَةِ الغُصُونِ، اليانِعَةِ الِّثمارِ، الكَرِيمَة الجناة في كرم غُرست وَفِي حَرَمِ أنبتت وَفِيهِ تشّعبت و أثمرت وَعِزَّت وَامتنعت فسمت بِهِ وَشمخت حَتّى أَكْرَمَ اللَّه تَعالى بِالروح الأَمِين و النُّور المُبِين وَالْكِتاب المستبين وَسَخَّرَ لَهُ البراق وَصافحتهُ المَلائِكَة وَأرَعَب بِه الأَبالِسَة وَهَدَمَ بِهِ الأصنامَ وَالآلهةَ المَعبُودةَ دُونَهُ سنَّتهُ الرُّشد وَسِيرَتُه العَدْل وحكمُه الحَقِّ صدع بِما أَمَرَهُ بِهِ رَبُّهُ وَبَلَغَ ما حَمَّله حَتّى أفصحَ بِالتّوحيدِ دَعَوْتِه وَأَظْهَرَ فِي الْخَلْقِ: أَن لا إِلهَ إِلاّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ حَتّى خَلَصَت لَهُ الوَحدانِيَّةُ وَصفت [له] الربوبيةُ فَأَظهرَ اللَّهُ بِالتّوحيدِ حُجَّتَهُ وَأعَلَى بِالإِسلامَ دَرَجَتَهُ وَاختارَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لنبيهِ ما عنْدَهُ مِنَ الرُّوحُ وَالدرجةِ وَالوَسِيلَةِ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ الطَّاهِرِين.

11-15 Abul Abbas Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Taleqani - may God forgive him - narrated that Abu Sa’eed Al-Hussein ibn Ali al-Adawi quoted on the authority of al-Haytham ibn Abdullah al-Rommani that Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha (s) quoted on the authority of his father Musa ibn Ja’far (s), on the authority of his father Ja’far ibn Muhammad (s), on the authority of his father Muhammad ibn Ali (s), on the authority of Ali ibn Al-Hussein (s), on the authority of his father Al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (s), “The Commander of the Faithful (s) delivered a sermon in the Kufa Mosque and said, ‘Praise belongs to God, who did not originate from anything, nor did He bring what exists into being from anything. His Beginninglessness is attested to by the temporality (huduth) of things. His Power is attested to by the weakness with which He has branded them (His creatures), and His Ever-Lastingness (dawam) is attested to by the annihilation (fana) which He has subjected them to. No place is empty of Him that He might be perceived by localization (ayniyyah), no object is like Him that He might be described by a quality (kayfiyya), nor is He absent from anywhere that He might be known by a place (haythiyya). His attributes differ from all the attributes that He has originated. He is inaccessible to perception because of the changing essence of the things He has created. No created thing having grandeur and tremendousness can dominate (tasarruf) Him.It is forbidden to delimit (tahdid) Him to the penetrating acumen of the sages. It is also forbidden to describe (takyeef) Him to the piercing profundities of thought and represent (taswir) Him to the searching probes of insight. Because of His Tremendousness, places encompass Him not; and because of His Majesty measures gauge Him not; and because of His Grandeur standards cannot judge Him. Impossible it is for imaginations to fathom Him, understandings to comprehend Him or minds to imagine Him. Powers of reasoning with lofty aspiration despair of contriving to comprehend Him. Oceans of knowledge run dry without referring to Him in depth; and the subtleties of the disputers fall from loftiness to pettiness in describing His Power. He is One not in terms of number. He is Everlasting (da’im) without duration, and Standing (qa’im) without supports. He is not of a kind that (other) kinds should be equal to Him. He is not an object that objects should be similar to Him. He is not like things that attributes should apply to Him. Powers of reasoning go astray in the waves of the current of perceiving Him. Imaginations are unable to perceive His Beginninglessness. Understandings are held back from becoming conscious of the description of His Power, and minds are drowned in the depths of the heavens of His kingdom (malakut). He is Master over (giving) bounties. He is Inaccessible through Grandeur, and is Sovereign over all things. Time (dahr) does not age Him, nor does description encompass Him. Humbled before Him are the most stubborn in their utmost stubbornness, and submitted to Him are the strongest cords in their utmost realm of strength.All kinds of creatures witness to His Lordship (rubobiyya). The incapacity of all kinds of creature witness to His Power. The createdness (futur) of all kinds of creatures witness to His eternity (qidmah). The extinction (zawal) of all kinds of creatures witness to His permanence (baqa’). So they possess no place of refuge from His grasp (idrak). There is no exit from His encompassing (ihatah) them. They have no way of hiding themselves from His enumeration (ihsa’). They have no way of avoiding His Power over them. It is sufficient that He has perfectly made them as a sign (ayah). He has put their natural constitution as a Proof. He has established the temporal origin (huduth) of their natures as (a reason for His) Eternity. He has also decreed the Laws of Creation governing over them as a lesson.No limit is attributed to Him, no similitude is struck for Him and nothing is hidden from Him. High indeed is He exalted above the striking of similitude and above created attributes!And I testify that there is no god but He, having faith in His Lordship and opposing whoever denies Him. I testify that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, residing in the best lodging-place, having passed from the noblest of loins and immaculate wombs, extracted in lineage from the noblest of treasures and in origin from the noblest of plantations, and (derived) from the most inaccessible of summits and the most glorious roots, from the tree from which God fashioned His Prophets and chose His trusted ones: (a tree) of excellent wood, harmonious stature, lofty branches, flourishing limbs, ripened fruit, (and) noble interior, implanted in generosity and cultivated in a sacred precinct. There it put forth branches and fruit, became strong and unassailable, and then made him (the Prophet Muhammad) tall and eminent, until the Sublime God honored him with the Holy Spirit, the Illuminating Light, and the Manifest Book. Moreover, He subjected Al-Boraq to him and the angels greeted him.By means of him (the Prophet) He terrified the devils, overthrew the idols and gods (which were being) worshipped besides Him. His Prophet’s Tradition (Sunna) is integrity (rushd); his conduct (seera) is justice and his decision is the truth. He proclaimed that which was commanded by his Lord, and he delivered that with which he was charged until he made plain his mission through the profession of Unity and made manifest among the creatures that There is no god but God alone and that there are no partners for Him; until His Unity became certain and His Lordship became purified. God made manifest his argument through the profession of His Unity and raised his rank with submission (Islam). And the Honorable the Exalted God chose for His Prophet what was with Him of repose, rank and means - may God’s Blessings be upon him and his pure Household.’”

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